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.