You will have the same opportunities to hunt deer in Door County as last year. The state’s County Deer Advisory Councils have met over the previous several weeks, including April 24th in Door County. While the meeting was sparsely attended, dozens of written comments were considered. Some comments called for a ban on baiting, citing that it is causing the deer to be nocturnal. The comments also showed that even though there is some disagreement about the size of the herd of Door County, many would like to see Door County split into three management zones (islands, north, south) so the actual deer populations can be reflected. Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden Chris Kratcha says that the CDAC ultimately decided to keep things as they were last year, including an extended bow season and a holiday hunt.

Just because you can only hunt deer in the fall does not mean you cannot get outdoors. The state’s turkey hunting season is underway until the end of the month, and the inland lake fishing season begins on Saturday.

Whenever there is darkness and negativity in the world, Rabbi Michoel Feinstein of the Chabad of the Bay Area hopes you can provide light with kindness and positivity. College campuses across the country have flashpoints for pro-Palestinian protests that have led to hundreds of arrests at schools like Columbian University, Northwestern University, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Students are calling for the universities to sever their ties with Israel and to support a ceasefire in Gaza. The protests have turned violent in some cases as police officers have attempted to break down encampments that have been created. Feinstein says everyone has the right to a peaceful protest, but he has been alarmed by the rhetoric and the violence that has occurred along with it.

According to Al Jazeera, more than 34,500 people in Gaza, about 500 in the West Bank, and 1,100 people in Israel have been killed in Israel since the Muslim terrorist group Hamas launched their attack on October 7th. Dozens more were kidnapped by the Hamas militants. Feinstein says the community has been supportive of its congregation since the attacks occurred, including a toy and clothing drive that was sent to Israeli families last year. We did reach out to the UWGB chapter of Students for a Democratic Society for comment after they hosted a pro-Palestinian rally on campus on Wednesday, where they highlighted the more than 13,000 Palestinian children that have been killed since October, according to UNICEF.

You may have seen some of Kewaunee County's next leaders roaming the halls of its municipal buildings on Wednesday. Organized by the local American Legion chapters, students from the County’s three high schools toured the Sheriff’s Office, jail museum, courthouse, and administration building as part of the annual Youth Government Day. Kewaunee County Clerk Jamie Annoye says it is great to see young people in the community take an interest in what they do daily.

Annoye says this is the first time they have held their Youth Government Day since 2019. In addition to the tours led by county officials, attorney Kirt Johnson shared his experiences working on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and the participants participated in a mock trial.

Pictures courtesy of Kewaunee School District

You will be able to honor the life of Midsummer’s Music co-founder Jean Berkenstock during this season’s performances throughout Door County this year. Last October, Berkenstock passed away over 30 years after she and her husband James created Midsummer’s Music so people in Door County could listen to world-class chamber music right in their own backyard. Shortly after her death, Fleck said Berkenstock helped transform the music scene in Door County.

Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and more are just some of the composers who will be featured during the nearly 40-show season. Musicians from ensembles like the Chicago Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival, and the Pro Arte Quartet are scheduled to participate. The season starts June 13th with an Opening Night Gala at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor. You can learn more about the upcoming season and buy tickets by clicking this link.

Thanks to a state grant announced on Tuesday, you will see new equipment coming to Washington Island School. Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced more $493,000 in fab lab grants for 18 school districts across the state, including Washington Island. The district will receive a $25,000 grant from the state and will provide 50 percent in matching funds to extend the investment into its science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM programming. Thanks to the community’s efforts to raise the matching funds, technical education teacher Matt Sullivan says much of the funds will go towards upgrading the school’s computers to use its current equipment to its fullest capabilities.

Washington Island Superintendent of Business Services Sue Cornell credits the teachers for going the extra mile to bring its students a more in-depth experience and sometimes secure the extra funding needed to make it happen. This is the second time Washington Island School District has received money through the state’s Fab Labs Grant program.

You will see a familiar face heading up the commercial lending position for the newly created Door County Workforce Housing Lending Corporation.  Kay Smith of Sturgeon Bay has been hired as the nonprofit’s commercial lender.  The organization is a partnership between the Door County Community Foundation and NeighborWorks Green Bay that addresses the challenge that Door County faces with the lack of affordable workforce housing.  Bringing years of experience in the financial services industry locally, Smith is a currently a board member of the Door County Housing Partnership and a past member of the board for Door County Habitat for Humanity.

The WHLC provides key financial incentives for developers to build affordable rental units that is in the price range of working families in Door County.

You can find more information on the Workforce Housing Lending Corporation here.  

You will need to be patient driving in northern Door County as significant improvements on the roadways north of Sister Bay and in Ephraim amp up in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday morning, the Door County Highway Department started a resurfacing project on County ZZ from Meadow Road to Robin Lane.  The paving work will require lane closures and flagging operations at times, and the Highway Department is asking drivers to avoid driving on the oiled surface before the two asphalt lifts are lifted.  The paving part of the project will take six to eight days to get done.   No detour will be used for the project, and after a short curing period, the road work is expected to be completed by May 23, with centerline striping done later. 

Next week in Ephraim, the Door County Highway Department is upgrading the street and drainage on County Q/Moravia and Church Streets.  Starting Monday, a portion of the asphalt roadway, along with concrete and blacktop driveways, will be removed.  Crews will then grade and compact the roadway in preparation for new paving, which will take almost a week to complete.  You can expect temporary lane closures during the paving operations, and the work is planned to be done by the end of the month as long as Mother Nature cooperates.

The Door County Highway Department apologizes for any inconvenience and says you should follow all signs and use caution when traveling around road construction equipment and crews.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who stepped up for the Door County YMCA to help the organization reach its annual campaign goal of $602,000, the YMCA raised well over $50,000 in April due to the matching fund donation.   YMCA Mission Advancement Executive Brett Cleveland says the outpouring of support is something to celebrate.

Executive Director Tanya Felhofer shares how the money raised stays entirely in Door County while meeting the program needs of the community.

The Door County YMCA has over 11,000 members while providing financial assistance to more than 1,100 persons who otherwise could not afford membership. On the Y Wednesday Podcast page, you can listen to the entire interview with Brett Cleveland and Tanya Felhofer on the annual campaign and upcoming events at the Door County YMCA.  

Katina Baur, the mother of missing three-year-old Elijah Vue, has been denied a reduction in her bond by a judge as she awaits trial for child neglect charges.

Judge Robert Dewane denied Baur’s motion to reduce or amend her $15,000 cash bond to a signature bond.A signature bond allows someone to be released with a paying bond by meeting certain guidelines and promising to report back in court.

According to ABC News, Dewane ruled to deny bail because ““This would be an entirely different situation if the child in question were here. He’s not. And I don’t know what that means in terms of the context this and taking a long view of the case here. But it’s a significant factor. I mean, she’s charged with party to the crime of neglect of the child, and the child is missing,”

Baur is scheduled to return to court on May 28 for a status conference.   Her boyfriend, Jesse Vang is also charged with felony chronic child neglect.  Vang’s status conference is set for July 28.  

Elijah Vue has been missing since February 20 from the Two Rivers area.

Despite the disappointment felt at the last Door County Board of Supervisors meeting, you will still see plenty of pride among the LGBTQIA+ community this June. At its meeting in April, the Door County Board of Supervisors opted not to include a discussion for a June Pride Month Proclamation in its May agenda. The decision came after Door County officials passed a policy last fall that narrowed the scope of flags that could be flown on county property. Other municipalities in the county, including Sturgeon Bay, Sister Bay, and Baileys Harbor, have issued similar proclamations in the past, recognizing the diversity in the county.  Open Door Pride founder Cathy Grier believes just being able to address the board about the issue was a win and says it will not slow down their efforts to help the LGBTQIA+ community not feel like an acronym but human.

Open Door Pride is organizing several events to celebrate Pride Month this June. The organization is teaming up with The Miller Art Museum to present the “What’s My Pride? Project” beginning June 1st. In addition to their weekly presence at the Sturgeon Bay Farmer’s Market during the month, the annual Open Door Pride Fest will also take place once again at Martin Park on June 29th.

The event may look different to you, but the reimagined Rotary Shipyard Tours goal will remain the same. Announced earlier this year, the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay is now working with Shoreline Boat Tours and the Door County Maritime Museum to showcase “Sturgeon Bay Working Waterfront Tours, Past and Present.” During the three-day event, a charter boat will take interested guests on 90-minute tours as they highlight seven unique working waterfront points of interest while exploring their connections to Sturgeon Bay’s maritime history. Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay’s Keith Mutchler says the event will give guests a different look at the city’s working waterfront while supporting the club’s efforts in the community, including awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships to high school seniors.

Tickets for the 90-minute tours scheduled for June 21st, 22nd, and 23rd are on sale now. They are $75 apiece and include admission to the Door County Maritime Museum. All proceeds will benefit the work of the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay.

The American Lung Association is sending the Door Peninsula to the principal’s office for its poor grades in its most recent State of the Air report card. The organization looks at the number of days a county’s air reaches unhealthy levels on the Air Quality Index for ozone and puts those days on a weighted scale for days that are unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange), unhealthy (red), very unhealthy (purple), and hazardous (maroon). Based on data collected from 26 counties, Door County was one of seven counties with a failing grade, and Kewaunee County was one of three counties with a D grade. Only nine of the 26 reported counties received a grade of B or greater. In 2023, Door County had 12 orange ozone days, and Kewaunee County had five orange ozone days and one red. The State of the Air report card did not collect particle pollution data for its study.

Poor air quality in northeast Wisconsin is attributed to local factors, and its location is downwind from Milwaukee and Chicago, where more pollution is produced.  In 2022, the Door County area was formally redesignated to attainment of the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone, meeting a recent national standard set to protect public health.

The arts and nature were the big winners from the most recent Giving Circle event orchestrated by the 100+ Women Who Care Door County.

Three grants totaling $31,000 were awarded to The Ridges Sanctuary, Door Shakespeare, and Birch Creek Music Peformance Center earlier this month. The grant for The Ridges Sanctuary was $15,500, while Door Shakespeare and Birch Creek Music Performance Center's grants were $7,750.

The Ridges Sanctuary Executive Director Katie Krouse says its grant will be used to maintain its program offerings and offer free and scholarship-supported programs for the community. Krouse said she is grateful for the awarding, adding that "Sharing The Ridges with the incredible 100+ Women Who Care community was unmatched. To be surrounded by a collective of women representing our community's wide expanse was beyond empowering."

Birch Creek Music Performance Center Executive Director Mona Christensen says the support given to the students by its grant goes beyond what you may see on stage. "Every student who attends Birch Creek leaves with a whole new set of skills, a boost in confidence, connections to a diverse music network of faculty from across the country that couldn't happen anywhere else," Christensen said.

For Door Shakespeare, the grant will help support the organization's Camp Will program that brings the arts to children. "There is nothing better than seeing a Camp Will camper leave a little taller than when they arrive," declared Amy Ensign, Producing Artistic Director, Door Shakespeare. "By providing a safe and supportive learning environment, our campers  are able to express their individuality, and at the same time find a common ground with their scene partners and the audience, which ultimately leads to helping them discover their own voice."

The 100+ Women Who Care will host their next Giving Event on July 22^nd at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor, where they will hear from Horseshoe Bay Farms, Salvation Army-Door County Service Extension, and the Door County Food Pantry Coalition. Since July 2018, the 100+ Women Who Care Door County has awarded $565,000 in grants to 57 area non-profits.

By donating blood at the Southern Door High School this Thursday, you can help keep the blood flowing to save lives at the Door County Medical Center.   According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood or platelets every two seconds.  The Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the country’s blood, and the supply has dropped nearly 25 percent since last August.  American Red Cross Team Supervisor Dori Meneghini says the busy summer months cause an increased demand for blood, which can only last 42 days.  

 The Southern Door Student Council and the American Red Cross sponsor a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday in the high school gym. The next area blood drive will be from 1:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, at the Algoma Youth Club. You can schedule your appointment to avoid waiting times by going to the American Red Cross website here.  

A disease thought to be eliminated in 2000 is back in the state of Wisconsin, and public health officials want you to take the necessary steps to protect yourself.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced a confirmed case of measles in Dane County/Rock County last week, explicitly listing locations in Milton, Janesville, Madison, and Cottage Grove where people may have been exposed. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be spread from person to person via air droplets, and its symptoms can take up to three weeks to manifest. The Centers for Disease Control declared measles eliminated at the turn of the century because of the absence of continuous disease transmission for over 12 months. The CDC credits vaccinations for keeping the disease at bay, kindergarten vaccine coverage has declined nationwide since the 2020-2021 school year due to the pandemic and vaccine hesistancy. Door County Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Heise believes Door County is well positioned if measles becomes more widespread but fears that there is vaccine fatigue.

Heise recommends you get vaccinated against measles and similar diseases that have been all but eradicated if it is right for you and your family. Symptoms of measles include a rash, cough, runny nose, fever, and sore throat. Since measles is a virus, there is no specific medical treatment for it, but you are encouraged to stay at home, rest, and drink plenty of fluids if you contract it.

After the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved a variance for the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse inside Peninsula State Park, the Door County Historical Society hopes you can help support their efforts to make the dream a reality. Earlier this year, residents weighed in on a variance allowing the Door County Historical Society to add additional features to the site to expand its historical interpretation areas and other amenities to visitors. Even though the Door County Historical Society manages the site, the state owns the lighthouse, so the organization needs the variance approved to improve. Executive Director Amy Frank says having the variance approved is just the first step they needed to accomplish before returning the site to its 1868 roots.

Frank adds that some preliminary work is already underway at the lighthouse and its neighboring structures, but she hopes to have more DNR approval to work at the site by the end of May. The Door County Historical Society is approximately a third of the way to its $3 million goal for improving the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse site.

The milk and cheese you enjoy are still safe to consume despite cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza impacting some dairy herds across the country.

Cows with decreased feed intake and abnormal milk production are being targeted for testing.  No instances of HPAI, also known as the bird flu, have impacted Wisconsin herds as of Monday. Still, the American Veterinary Medical Association reports infected herds are in Texas, New Mexico, Michigan, Kansas, Idaho, Ohio, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Colorado. UW Extension Agriculture Educator Aerica Bjurstrom says some farms in Door and Kewaunee send growing calves and heifers to those states but adds that operators have been cautious moving cattle and watching for potentially infected birds flying near the animals’ feed.

Consumers are concerned about what happens if they eat beef or drink milk from an infected cow. According to National Public Radio, there has been evidence that fragments of the virus have been found in milk, but Bjurstrom says that, as of now, humans are still able to consume milk and cheese without fear of getting sick.

Bjurstom adds that farmers should continue to monitor their herds for potential symptoms and to keep birds away from their barns and feed facilities to prevent potential exposure.

Not only will you find the Peoria Shipwreck standing upright underwater near Baileys Harbor, but you can also find it on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wisconsin Historical Society announced the designation last week, along with the additions of Milwaukee’s Lakeview Hospital, Wausau’s Zion Lutheran Church, Wiota’s Daniel and Catherine Welty Barn, and Waukesha’s Theodore I. and Margaret Morey House. Placed on the State Register last November, the Peoria was built in Ohio in 1853, and in 1901, it was pushed too close to the shallow water in front of the Baileys Harbor Range Lights. After it became stuck in the sand, the crew of six was saved, and everything was taken off the schooner itself, which was considered a total loss. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Peoria allows historians and archaeologists to study its construction and the trade routes it participated in during its service on the Great Lakes. Last December, four ships with ties to Door and Kewaunee counties, including the Peoria, were placed on the list. The schooner Trinidad, discovered near Algoma, is the last area shipwreck to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Picture courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society

Don’t be shocked if you continue to see high school students continue to fill crucial roles for area businesses through area youth apprenticeship programs. According to the Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation, Kewaunee County leads the state in youth apprenticeship participation rate. Over 58 percent of eligible students get paid work experience while earning school and college credits. Those hours also add up, with 238 students earning approximately $1.35 million. Northeast Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Coach Lauren Baumann says she sees similar numbers in Door County’s high schools, where her efforts and Algoma High School are primarily based. She sees that students, schools, and businesses see the benefits their partnerships create.

Baumann encourages students and businesses considering participating in the youth apprenticeship to contact them for more information. Baumann works with students from Algoma, Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay, and Washington Island. Jolyn Helgeson handles students at Luxemburg-Casco, while Erica Janisch does the job at Kewaunee.

Two months after being formally introduced, you are a week away from learning who will be the next Alice in Dairyland.

The current Alice in Dairyland, Ashley Hagenow, will make her final trip to Door County as the titleholder this week as she and the six candidates participate in their finals activities. Fox Lake’s Cierra Essock, Oconomowoc’s Halei Heinzel, Denmark’s Katrina Hoesley, Kewaunee’s Kiley Pagel, Kiel’s Lauren Siemers, and Big Bend’s Michaela King are all vying for the role of Alice in Dairyland, which is a one-year, full-time public relations position with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Ahead of Friday’s Wisconsin Showcase and Saturday’s Finals event, we will tour around Door County, visiting different locations. Steering Committee Chairperson Denise Plassmeyer says this is more than just your average tour: it is a job interview.

Over the past year, Alice in Dairyland has shown off Door County’s agricultural economy, which supports over 2,100 jobs and $78 million in economic activity.

You can find our interviews with each of the six candidates on our YouTube page.

You can help local food pantries restock their shelves for the upcoming months as the demand continues to rise in the area this spring.  Door County Feed and Clothe My People Food Pantry Coordinator Ashley Madson says the organization typically averages about 30 families every month during the summer months but has already seen an uptick in the number of families and individuals picking up food due to higher costs for groceries.  She suggests some of the food items and meal structures that are needed to refill the shelves at the pantry.

The pantry is open to drop off and pick up  Mondays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Madson notes cash donations are much appreciated and that Door County Feed and Clothe My People is always looking for additional volunteers to help in the resale and donations area at the back of the store.  

In Wisconsin, Arbor Day is April 26, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates according to their best tree-planting times.  At Crossroads, we  continue to celebrate Earth Day well into May. In fact, looking at the school field trips scheduled, it seems that Every Day IS Earth Day..Similarly, Crossroads celebrates Arbor Day everyday, not restricting ourselves to one day in April to celebrate our forests. 

Recent celebrations at Crossroads include last week's BIG PLANT hosted by the Climate Change Coalition, during which Crossroads staff and volunteers planted over 250 trees and shrubs.  But, we have been planting trees at Crossroads every spring and fall since our inception, and during the past three years, we have planted over 6,000 trees on the Crossroads Preserve.

A Nebraskan newspaper editor, J. Sterling Morton, first proposed a tree planting holiday to be called Arbor Day back in 1872.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, “As pioneers began moving into the Nebraska Territory, the lack of trees was deeply felt. Not only did the new residents miss the trees they had left behind. They were also left without the trees they needed as windbreaks to keep soil in place, for fuel and building materials, and for shade from the hot sun.”

Now we realize that trees provide far more than windbreaks and wood. Trees release oxygen, reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, sequester carbon, and improve air and water quality. And in this dry year [it sort of feels like Nebraska] trees are an unappreciated part of the water cycle.

About now---in the time between snowmelt and leaf-out---trees are absorbing enormous volumes of water from the ground.  They will become totally saturated…. between 25-50% water.  Trees store and continue to absorb thousands of gallons of water through their roots throughout the growing season. 

Then, during spring and to a lesser degree, summer, trees slowly release the water from  their leaves or needles in a process called transpiration. In northern forests, this may be the most significant way water evaporates and returns to the water cycle.

As we go into May, the buzz seems to be about helping bees and other pollinators. In her book, “Bees, An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide,’ award winning author and environmentalist Heather Holm wrote, “For some landowners, a mass planting of a variety of trees and shrubs that are insect-pollinated may be a better solution than installing a meadow or prairie planting.” That is certainly true in  Door County. Throughout May, flowering native trees are covered with insects collecting pollen and nectar.

We must plant trees---and now we now understand that planting a variety native trees (AND protecting the mature native trees we have) is one of the best ways to help our ecosystems, the pollinators and the wildlife.

Protecting wildlife is the job of Joel Vos, Refuge Manager with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He oversees the management of both Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges. We will welcome him to Crossroads on Thursday, May 2 at 6:00, when he presents the program “Green Bay’s Wildlife Refuges” describing two wildlife refuges and a federally designated Natural Area here in Door County. He will discuss the important habitat conservation work and the historic preservation work going on Plum and Pilot Islands.

During the final Science Saturday family program of the school year, learners of all ages will participate in activities showing the relationships between trees and insects. Activities will demonstrate the importance of planting a variety of native trees and help learners understand why insects are essential in the food web. Participants should dress for the weather, as we hope that many of the activities can be done outdoors.

The following weekend, Saturday, May 11, the Crossroads Habitat Healers will be planting tree seedlings starting at 9:00 a.m.. Volunteers should wear clothing and footgear that can get dirty and wet and bring a water bottle. Instruction, equipment, and gloves provided along with cookies and lemonade at the end! There is no need to register in advance and all ages are welcome. Meet at the Workshop at 2041 Michigan Street.

Thursday, May 2

6:00 Green Bay’s Wildlife Refuges

With family-friendly outdoor adventure, fascinating cultural sites, and state and federal public lands ready to be explored, Door County, Wisconsin is special for many reasons. But, did you know that Door County is home to  two National Wildlife Refuges, and a federally designated   Area? Join Refuge Manager, Joel Vos, from Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges for a presentation about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and at the Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges.

The presentation will discuss the important federal wildlife and habitat conservation work going on in Lake Michigan, the federally managed islands that make up the two refuges and the Wisconsin Islands Wilderness Area, and the historic preservation efforts ongoing at Plum and Pilot Islands. Part of the 570 refuges across the nation, you'll leave with a better understanding of the important work the USFWS does as part of the rich conservation traditions of Wisconsin and Door County. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Learning Center at Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Saturday, May 4

2:00 Family Program: Science Saturday “Trees and Insects”

For the final Science Saturday  program of this school year, learners of all ages will participate in activities showing the relationships between trees and insects. Activities will demonstrate the importance of planting variety of native trees and will help participants learn why insects are important in the food web. Dress for the weather, as we hope that many of the activities can be done outdoors. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Sturgeon

Saturday, May 11

9:00 Habitat Healers: Seedling Tree Plantings

This week, Habitat Healers (volunteers) will be planting tree seedlings! Wear clothing and footgear that can get dirty and wet and bring a water bottle. Instruction, equipment, and gloves provided along with cookies and lemonade at the end!  There is no need to register in advance and all ages are welcome. Meet at the Workshop at Crossroads at Big Creek,  2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.

While you will not see a Cobblestone Suites built on Egg Harbor Road, you may see a different hotel fill the void. The City of Sturgeon Bay Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee will consider financial incentives for a proposed Hampton Inn Hotel Project near 12^th Avenue and Egg Harbor Road. It is about where a Cobblestone Suites hotel aimed to be built before it failed to reach an agreement to purchase the land. The proposed Hampton Inn will be four stories with 72 standard rooms, eight full-service suites, and other amenities. According to the staff report, the latest proposed incentive is a $2 million payment upon completion of the hotel and a guaranteed $13.9 million minimum assessed value. The annual taxes paid off that value would be the tax increment used by the city to pay back the principal and interest on the $2 million incentive. Based on projections, the city believes the project will be able to generate enough to pay back the principal and interest on the incentive. The city’s financial consultant, R.W. Baird, projects that the hotel could actually generate an additional $700,000 that could be used for other projects in Tax Increment #6. The committee will discuss the topic in open and closed session during their meeting on Tuesday, which will begin at 4 p.m. inside the city’s council chambers.

I want to share some information regarding a great initiative that fulfills multiple goals all at the same time. The initiative is called “Adopt a Highway,” and it has been around for many years, providing a way to get involved in keeping our roadways clean. While this is its primary purpose, it is also a great way to get out of the house and engage in great physical activity. If that wasn’t enough, it also provides a great sense of purpose. It is what you would call a Win-Win-Win situation. This past weekend, I was able to participate in our Law Enforcement section of STH 42, and this Saturday, I get to do it once again with my family (In honor of our parents) just a few sections south on STH 42. In a few weeks, I will be once again enjoying a nature walk in the ditches of STH 29 with my High School Class, as we sponsored a section a few years back.

While this is a great program, and I do truly enjoy these opportunities to get together for a purpose, it is unfortunate that it is necessary. I look forward to the day when we can take these walks and come up empty rather than filling multiple garbage bags.

Kewaunee County does currently have an ordinance regarding littering. This ordinance adopts State Statute 287.81 and reads as follows: “Any person who deposits or discharges any solid waste on or along any highway, in any waters of the state, on the ice of any waters of the state or on any other public or private property.”

While this definition seems to be fairly self explanatory and very inclusive, it appears there is room for confusion, as many feel it appropriate to continue to use our community as there private dumpster. While I don’t think many people purposely throw garbage out of the car windows, I think the bigger issues are loads destined for the landfill that are not properly secured or items left in private yards or public spaces that are then moved with the wind.                

Regardless of origination, it is still garbage, and it is still not where it should be. We have also recently taken complaints of yard debris that has ended up in neighboring yards. One of the most commonly found materials is portions of plastic sheeting from construction sites of silage bags. Again, even if the intent was not to litter, if these items have left your property because they were not secured, it is littering. The law applies even if the material ends up on private property and not just public property.

Just as important as the message of not littering or making sure your loads destined for the dump are secured, is that of pitching in to solve the problem. We can all stare at the garbage in the hopes that if we look at it long enough, it will go away, or even better, that somewhere out there is someone whose job it is to clean up after us, but in the end, it is up to us to make a difference. If you see someone littering or material flying off a poorly loaded trailer, try to obtain a license plate and call law enforcement. We would be more than happy to be part of this behavior-changing experience. Also, take part in cleanup efforts in our community. You can adopt a section of the road by contacting http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/localgov/aid/aah-tour.htm.

We are blessed to live in Kewaunee County, which has such natural beauty. Let’s all try to keep it that way.

With an estimated 275,000 people attending the first night of the NFL Draft in Detroit Thursday night, you cannot blame tourism officials in the region for thinking about what could be in store for 2025 when Green Bay gets its turn to host. Members of Discover Green Bay and the Green Bay Police Department are in Detroit this weekend to learn first-hand what will go into hosting an event that size. According to several Green Bay media outlets, hotels in the city are slowly making rooms available for draft weekend, commanding rates similar to a game weekend.

Approximately 50 miles away from Green Bay, Destination Door County’s Jon Jarosh says they have been involved with meetings with Discover Green Bay and other tourism agencies about what role they could play in the NFL Draft. Jarosh has been gathering perspectives from Detroit and Kansas City tourism officials about their experiences leading up to their cities’ hosting duties. Whatever may happen, Jarosh says the excitement will only build from here.

Jarosh says they are gathering a list of businesses that may want to be involved with their efforts surrounding the NFL Draft, which will take place in Green Bay in and around Lambeau Field on April 24th, 25th, and 26th, 2025.