You still have a couple of weeks to grab your copy of "The House in the Cerulean Sea" before the book is celebrated across the county beginning January 18th. "The House in the Cerulean Sea" is the 2025 selection for Door County Reads, the 17th annual event organized by the Door County Library that brings the entire community together to celebrate a common book. Copies were free at all Door County Library locations shortly after Thanksgiving. Community Relations Library Assistant Maggie Behme says many branches are out of the free copies with patrons checking out their available copies, finding it digitally, or buying their own. She adds that library employees have heard plenty of positive feedback from people who have already read the book in anticipation of the Door County Reads events.

"The House in the Cerulean Sea" is about Linus Baker, who works as a Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, who is sent to track down six children from an orphanage and discovers an unlikely family in an unexpected place. The Door County Reads events begin January 18th at 1 p.m. inside the Sturgeon Bay High School Auditorium for a forum with the book's author, TJ Klune. You can click here for a complete listing of events, which includes stops at every Door County Library branch and other locations across the county.

Residents know something needs to be done to the current athletic complex across the street from Sturgeon Bay High School, but the finer details of the what, where, and how are still months away from being sorted out. An informational session was hosted earlier in December where residents could see what the reimagined space would look like as they overhaul the outdoor fields and potentially build a new indoor facility. City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout says there is a lot of support for the scale and scope of the project, with residents supporting adding a new track and turf fields into the mix. The project's feasibility, including questions about its costs, financing, and sequencing, still needs to be sorted out. Van Lieshout says he left the informational session encouraged by what the project could mean for the city and the county.

Thanks to several public and private entities, the project is undergoing a feasibility study, which could be released this spring. While the feasibility study covers the indoor and outdoor facilities, Van Lieshout stressed that they are two separate projects and should be judged as such.   

If you want an opportunity to represent your community beginning this spring, you are running out of time. All candidates have until the close of business on January 7th to file their necessary paperwork to run for office ahead of the spring election, which includes city councils, town boards, and school boards.

Sturgeon Bay Common Council District 7 Councilperson Kirsten Reeths and Algoma City Council District 4/Ward 4 Councilperson Lee Dachelet filed their non-candidacy papers ahead of the December 27th deadline, paving the way for at least one new face on those governmental bodies.

Jake Maring has stepped up in Algoma to try and replace Dachelet, while Nicole Matson is vying to do the same for Reeths in Sturgeon Bay. Otherwise, incumbents Helen Bacon (District 1), Dan Williams (District 3), Gary Nault (District 5), and David Ward (Mayor) in Sturgeon Bay and John Ortlieb (Ward 1/District 1), Wayne Schmidt (District 3/Ward 2) and Midge Swedberg (District 2/Ward 7) are poised to reprise their roles for another term. 

There are some new candidates entering the fray in Sturgeon Bay. Andrea Frank has returned her papers to challenge Ward for his mayoral post. Heather Weasler (District 5) has taken out papers to challenge Nault while Jonathan Sommers will join Matson in the race to replace Reeths.

No updates from the City of Kewaunee have been provided, though the seats currently held by John Blaha (District 1), Russell Anderson (District 2), Robin Nelson (District 3), and Jeffrey Kohnle (District 4) are up for election. While it filled one of its council vacancies with Roberta Jeanquart (District 1) earlier this month, the city still seeks someone to represent District 4 until 2026. 

The Town of Liberty Grove will see at least two new faces on its board this spring. Town Chairperson Janet Johnson and Town Supervisor Nancy Goss have filed their notices of non-candidacy.

Washington Island Town Chairperson Hans Lux announced on Christmas Eve he would not be running for another term.

The spring election, featuring the races for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction and Wisconsin State Supreme Court, is scheduled for April 1st. 

State Senator Andre Jacque says there is plenty of unfinished business last year that he can resume when the new session begins on January 6th. Before the holidays, Jacque learned he would serve as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veterans and Military Affairs. His other assignments include serving on the   Senate Committee on Judiciary & Public Safety,  Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue,  Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform and State & Federal Affairs, and the State Building Commission. Continuing his work from sessions that included legislation exempting military pay from taxation and expanding the property tax credit for disabled veterans and surviving spouses, Jacque says he wants to help Wisconsin become one of the most veteran-friendly states in the country.

Echoing Rep. Joel Kitchens from earlier this month, Jacque hopes there is room for compromise and bipartisanship with slimmer Republican majorities in the Assembly and Senate. 

As New Year celebrations occur over the next few days, local law enforcement will step up patrols in the next few days to get impaired drivers off the roadways. Door County Sheriff Patrol Deputy Brad Shortreed says his hope is to educate people about the dangers and consequences of driving drunk or high.  He asks everyone to act responsibly and to utilize a designated driver when necessary.

The increased patrols by local law enforcement is part of the National Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign in the area. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, one person is killed, on average, about every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash, totaling more than 13,000 lives lost each year. 

Wisconsin Tavern League members offer the Saferide program, which is free to the user and aims to eliminate drunk driving on Wisconsin's roads.  

If you want to start 2025 on the right foot, your left foot may end up in Lake Michigan if you celebrate New Year's Day in Jacksonport. Lakeside Park expects hundreds of people lined up on its beach for the 39th edition of the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club swim. The streets fill up well before the swim kicks off at noon, with people registering for the event at 10:30 a.m. and jockeying for a quick trip to their vehicle following their swim. While many swimmers may be in the frigid waters for just a few minutes, the impact of the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club swim lasts much longer. Founder J.R. Jarosh is proud that what started as just a dare from his father has turned into a community event that is now under the direction of the Jacksonport Fire Department.

Jarosh says even though his family is no longer running the event, they will still be running into the lake on Wednesday when it will be partly sunny and temperatures around 30 degrees. A similar event will take place in Sturgeon Bay, with proceeds benefiting the Nasewaupee Fire Department. After you dry off, the Village of Egg Harbor hosts its annual New Year's Day Parade at 1 p.m., marching down State Highway 42 from Harbor School Road north to County E.

Two women who reached the incredible age of 100 earlier this year may not have known each other, but they will forever be connected in Door County history.

The passing of two Sturgeon Bay women, Ruth Violet Penovich, and Lillian Zwicky, came only three days apart and right before Christmas.  Penovich passed away on December 21, while Zwicky died on Christmas Eve. 

Penovich and Zwicky were born on March 31 and November 6, 1924, respectively, and reached the status of “centenarian” in 2024.

According to their obituaries, Penovich was a lifelong Door County resident born at home in the Town of Baileys Harbor, while Zwicky was born in Brussels to Joseph and Mary (Baudhuin) DuBois. 

Penovich, whose maiden name was Meyer, grew up and worked on the family farm while attending school in the Baileys Harbor area.  After marrying John Penovich and settling in Sturgeon Bay, she worked as a clerk at McClellen’s Store and H.C Prange Company until her retirement in the early 1980s.

Zwicky worked as a bookkeeper at Baudhuin Yacht Harbor and also helped operate an orchard with her husband, Marvin Zwicky, for many years.  

The celebration of life and funeral services for Ruth Penovich was held this past Friday at St. Joseph’s Church in Sturgeon Bay. Lillian Zwicky’s services will be at 11:00 a.m. this Monday, December 30, at Forbes Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay.

You can find the complete obituaries of both Penovich and Zwicky on the obituary page here.

(photos of Lillian Zwicky and Ruth Penovich from obituaries)

You can start the New Year off by working towards your fitness goals in 2025 at the Door County YMCA.  Registration for the Winter 1 sessions began last week with classes starting on Thursday.  Healthy Living Coordinator Sarah Gavin says the group exercise classes offer a great opportunity to start the year off right and include a new cycle class.  She shares the wide variety of classes available at the Sturgeon Bay Program Center and Jackie and Steve Kane Center in Fish Creek.

Programs are offered Monday through Saturday with morning sessions beginning as early as 5 a.m. with later afternoon workouts at 5:15 p.m.  The Saturday classes are set for a later start of 8:15 a.m.  Gavin notes that active Door County YMCA members can try any class that they have never taken before once to see if it is a good fit for their needs. 

With only a few days until the end of the year keeping your estate plan updated is an important step to take as 2025 approaches, according to one Sturgeon Bay estate planner.  Attorney Bob Ross of Ross & Liebmann Group in Sturgeon Bay says reviewing and updating one's estate plan should also be done when changes occur in your family. He says one should take note of life-changing events that may affect their estates.

Ross suggests changing your advance financial and healthcare directives and making charitable contributions for tax purposes before the New Year. He adds that the end of the year is the ideal time to evaluate your estate plan. This will allow you to account for changes to your financial situation, family dynamics, and the latest legal guidelines.

As the holiday season continues with gifts given between family and friends, you should follow tips from the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau (BBB) on how to make store returns and exchanges less of a hassle.

Stores are not legally required to give you refunds or accept exchanges unless the merchandise is misrepresented or defective.

The BBB recommends getting to know the store’s return policies, especially if you are ordering online. Reading the fine print, checking the return policy before using PayPal or other alternate payment methods, and saving your order confirmation number and receipt, along with the packaging, can help make returns hassle-free.

Returning gifts without a receipt can be tricky. Without a receipt, most retailers offer store credit or an exchange rather than a full refund, especially if the item is marked down or on clearance.

The BBB also recommends making returns in a timely fashion because some policies are valid during a limited time frame. 

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 17 percent of all holiday purchases are estimated to be returned this season, with clothing being the most frequently returned Christmas gifts. 

(Photo courtesy of Consumer.ftc.gov )

Celebrating the New Year and potentially starting one of your resolutions will carry extra weight this year at Wisconsin State Parks. The Wisconsin State Park System is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2025 with a special keystone anniversary celebration at Mirror Lake State Park in Baraboo as a part of its First Day Hike event. Other state parks across Wisconsin, including Whitefish Dunes, Peninsula, and Newport in Door County, will also hold First Day Hike events, including guided trail talks, visits with naturalists, and other activities. Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park President John Swanson says it is a great way to start the New Year.

Below is a schedule of Door County's First Day Hike Events. With over 1,000 events scheduled nationwide, First Day Hikes is an initiative from the National Association of State Park Directors to encourage active outdoor recreation on New Year's Day.

DOOR COUNTY FIRST DAY HIKES (ALL TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 1ST)

Whitefish Dunes State Park: Join us for our First Day Hike event on Jan. 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. At 10 a.m., a guided hike around the Brachiopod Trail (1.5 miles total, an easy trail) will start at the picnic shelter. However, you're welcome to come in anytime during the event to go on your own self-guided hike and ring in the new year.  Our naturalist will host a Leave No Trace program at the picnic shelter and offer scavenger hunts for you to take along on your hike. The shelter will also have a warming fire, refreshments and souvenirs. 

Peninsula State Park: Join us for a 1.5-mile guided hike from the White Cedar Nature Center on Hidden Bluff Trail and Sunset Trail. Warm up after the hike around a fire and enjoy some snacks and beverages. Meet at the White Cedar Nature Center. The hike will start at 10:30 a.m.

Newport State Park: A 1.2-mile guided hike along the Fern Trail with a campfire and refreshments to follow. Begins at 1 p.m.

With local organizations looking to wrap up 2025 with last-minute donations accepted, the United Way of Door County hopes you can step up to fill the much-needed gap of their $1 million campaign goal.  Executive Director Amy Kohnle says that, as of Friday, December 27, the organization had raised just over $750.000, 75.8 percent of the needed goal.

Kohnle adds that the community has given generously over the years, with about 1,000 donors stepping up every year.   The United Way of Door County says around 25 agencies and 40 service programs benefit from the monies raised from the annual campaign. The last day of the 2024 annual campaign is January 7. 

This is the week we ring out the old year and ring in the new. We jokingly call this our  "Annual Ring".  So,  it has become a tradition  at Crossroads at Big Creek that on the first Science Saturday of the year, the topic of our family program is "Tree Rings." 

A tree trunk's so-called "annual ring” is a layer of small wood cells. In our region, seasons alternate between warm and cold. When moisture and sunlight are plentiful in spring, light-colored rings of wood cells form. The thinner dark ring of wood cells forms in dry, cool, late summer and fall. The dark rings actually are a record of the number of autumns the tree has survived. Curiously, fish scales also have annual rings.

Annual rings on fish and trees are much alike. Trunks and fish scales are round. Both increase in circumference each year. Come to think of it, some humans increase in circumference this time of year with all that holiday food. But in nature, the opposite is true. While we humans tend to put on girth in winter, plants and cold-blooded animals grow very little at this time of year.

When the water is warm, fish eat and grow. During the summer months, fish increase in length and correspondingly enlarge their scales. But because they are cold-blooded, fish get very sluggish when the temperature drops. A dark ring, or annuli, develops during minimal growth. 

By studying the distance between annual rings, whether in tree trunks or fish scales, scientists can get a good idea of how well life is going for the tree or the fish.  

If nature centers had annual rings, researchers examining ours would determine that Crossroads has thrived this year. We completed our three-year restoration project at our Big Creek Preserve. We then developed a land management plan for our Ida Bay Preserve and were awarded a grant for that project, which is now underway.

This year, we formalized our environmental restoration education efforts with our "Restoration for Landowners" initiative, which aims to connect landowners with the tools and resources available in Door County.  

We installed a small children's learning/play area in the entry-level of the Learning (near our Great Lakes display) so youngsters can develop a love for nature through hands-on activities. We have also significantly expanded our daytime offering for adult learners.

The 15th Annual Trail Run and the Trails & Ales events were friend-raisers as well as successful fundraisers. Our Halloween Pumpkin Carving, Trails &Treats, and Luminary-lit Hikes exceeded our expectations.

Finally, we have expanded educational opportunities for young people and their families. Now, in addition to Science Saturdays, we schedule a  Tuesday after-school program called "Environmental Exploration," and on vacation days, we offer "School's Out Expeditions."

 One of those School's Out programs will be Friday, January 3, from 1:30-3:00. For " Kitchen Chemistry," the lab will be set up with simple (safe, but potentially messy) experiments for young scientists and their families. 

Science Saturday will start at 2:00 on Saturday and will explore tree rings. And on Tuesday, January 7, our Environmental Exploration hike will visit Big Creek to "Seek for Seeps".  

One of our daytime adult programs is our Current (Environmental) Events group, which gathers on the first Monday of the month to discuss journal articles. In keeping with the tree/water theme, we will discuss the connections between deciduous trees and the hydrologic cycle. Interested folks can pick up copies of the articles at the Reception Desk of the Collins Learning Center, whether or not they intend to participate in the discussion group.

And speaking of fish, Healthy Water Door County will sponsor the 2025 “Fish Tales Documentary and Lecture Series." We will announce the programs soon; they promise to be extraordinary. 

Overall, this trip around the Sun has been bright, and thanks to the generosity of our donors, 2025 promises to be even brighter.

Saturday, December 28

2:00 Science Saturday

“Tree Rings” will be the topic for the first Science Saturday of the new year. This weekly family program is intended for elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome starting at 2:00. Registration not required. Open to the public and free. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay. 

Monday, January 6 

1:30 Current (Ecological) Events Club

Join our ecological discussion club, where we deep dive into current ecological articles for lively discussions, new friendships, and deepening our understanding of the natural world! This month, we will read journal articles describing the relationship between deciduous trees and the hydrologic cycle. Articles will be available at the Learning Center reception desk during open hours. Drop-ins are always welcome!  Registration is not required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay,

Tuesday, January 7 

3:30 Environmental Exploration-Seek for Seeps

Even in the winter, groundwater seeps from the bedrock into  Big Creek. Weather permitting, this will be a hike, but we have indoor models and demonstrations if the weather is harsh. This program is geared for elementary students but learners of all ages are welcome. Free and open to the public.  Meet Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay 

Thanks to your generosity, Christmas was one to remember for hundreds of families in Door and Kewaunee counties. In Door County, approximately 250 families and 580 children benefited from the Door County Toys for Kids program, which collected thousands of toys from over 90 businesses and organizations.

In Kewaunee County, over 100 families and 200 children received an extra holiday boost from the Kewaunee County Toys for Tots program. Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski spent last Friday touring the county and collecting boxes from over 40 businesses and organizations. Even after 30-plus years of involvement in the program, Joski says it is a holiday tradition that makes him proud to serve in the community.

Both organizations thanked their volunteers for helping their collection and distribution days run smoothly. In Door County, veterans of the U.S. Marine Corps helped collect toy collection boxes. Volunteers from the Sunrise Ambassadors, Algoma Venture Academy, Door County Medical Center, and TTX helped organize the donations.

In Kewaunee County, Joski praised the area's National Honor Society members and 4-H clubs for their assistance at last weekend's distribution event.

The Door County Homebuilders Association would love to see more projects like the recently approved workforce housing project in Sturgeon Bay, but they need a little assistance to make it happen. Early this month, Governor Tony Evers announced that Cherry Lanes in Sturgeon Bay was one of two housing projects in the state to receive Restore Main Street loans to rehabilitate housing on the second or third floors of existing buildings with commercial space on the ground level.  Cherry Lanes will receive $160,000 to provide additional housing units. The loans come from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), which oversees the $100 million Vacancy-to-Vitality, $100 million Restore Main Street, and $275 million Infrastructure Access loan programs, all available for application semi-annually.  The program excited the Door County Homebuilders Association when it was introduced earlier this year. Jan Guillette from the Door County Homebuilders Association says the rural nature of the area and current zoning restrictions hamper the program from expanding more in the county.

Guilette says the association is considering petitioning local municipalities to review their zoning code and see what can be done to adjust it so that other communities could potentially benefit from the program.

Northern Door Children's Center students in Sister Bay will continue its version of "Ring Around the Rosy" next week when the facility begins the second phase of its renovation project. As a part of its $3.6 million Essential Campaign, Northern Door Children's Center is reimagining its space to expand its offerings and enrollment to satisfy the community's needs. After adding new wings to its facility as a part of the project's first phase, the second phase will include new infant/toddler classroom space, furniture, student bathrooms, a gazebo, remodeled spaces such as the offices, kitchen, pantry, laundry room, and library, and updated mechanicals such as plumbing, sprinkler, and HVAC electrical. To accommodate the changes, Karen Corekin-DeLaMer says students have been shuffled around the building to accommodate the construction. This merry-go-round will continue when work restarts on Monday. She says the Northern Door Children's Center has been blessed with a lot of community support, whether it is small donations or big ones like the $25,000 donation made by the Senior Citizens Agency of Northern Door (SCAND) Auxiliary Board earlier this month.

The organization will also donate books to the Northern Door Children's Center for its expanded children's library courtesy of SCAND's Bargains Unlimited. The Northern Door Children's Center's Essential Campaign is over 95 percent funded toward its $3.6 million goal.

With property owners trying to beat the end-of-year deadline for claiming property taxes on their 2024 tax returns, local municipalities are busy processing payments.

Door County Treasurer Ryan Schley says his office has been very busy with walk-ins and mailed-in property tax payments.  Property owners can either drop off or mail their payments by Tuesday, December 31 to claim the taxes on their 2024 tax return.

Schley notes that his office is now collecting for all the municipalities in Door County this year, with the towns of Nasewaupee and Union being added this last year.

According to Tax-Rate.org, the median property tax in Door County is $2,357 per year for a home worth the median value of $189.500. Door County has one of the highest median property taxes in the United States and is ranked 309th of the 3143 counties in order of median property taxes.  The average yearly property tax paid by Door County residents amounts to about 4.23 percent of their yearly income, ranking 180th of all counties in the country.

While your Christmas celebrations wrapped up Wednesday evening, another holiday tradition was just beginning. The eight-day festival of lights known as Chanukah began at sundown on Wednesday, celebrating the Maccabees' victory over Selecudian Greek occupiers as they recaptured the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The eight days commemorate the time the temple's menorah stayed lit despite only having enough oil for one night. Rabbi Michoel Feinstein from the Chabad of the Bay Area says the Jewish population in northeast Wisconsin is small, but strong. This Saturday, the Chabad of the Bay Area will host its 15th annual public menorah lighting ceremony, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first public lighting ceremony in the nation. Feinstein says Chanukah is about illuminating the darkness and he is happy they are bringing many of their Jewish traditions into the light.

The menorah lighting ceremony will occur at 7 p.m. at the Chabad of the Bay Area in Allouez. Feinstein says they offer free candles to those who want to light the menorah in their homes this Chanukah.

A 75-year-old Appleton man had to be transported to Door County Medical Center for a suspected minor injury related to a single-vehicle accident on Christmas Day. Deputies responded to Idlewild Road near Rock Farm Road in the Town of Nasewaupee just shy of 11:15 a.m., where the man’s sports utility vehicle was found rolled over in a ditch. According to the crash report, the driver told deputies he had not been driving very fast as he headed north on Idlewild Road due to icy conditions. He lost control of the vehicle and skidded across the roadway, entering the ditch facing the south. A witness told the responding deputy that the car had spun around before entering the ditch and eventually rolled onto its side. The man was stuck in the vehicle and had to be extricated by emergency personnel. While the man was taken to the hospital, the car was towed away due to disabling damage. 

Washington Island Town Chairperson Hans Lux used his holiday greeting on Tuesday as an opportunity to announce that he is not seeking re-election this spring. Lux did not go into specific details about what led to his decision to step aside but said in the social media post that “it has been a very difficult time without the acknowledgment and support of several individual board members for all the work that has been done.” The announcement comes days before incumbents are expected to file their notice of non-candidacy on December 27th and over a week from the deadline to return nomination papers and other related forms. Lux added that he announced early “to allow any knowledgeable and competent resident to apply for the opportunity to run for the town chairman position.” He thanked all of the people who supported him over the years, saying that “it has been an honor to serve this community and to bring forth a plan for the future of this community.” Lux was first elected as Town Chairperson in 2021.

Although his bid for U.S. Congress ended shy of the November general election, there was plenty of good news in 2024 as far as State Senator Andre Jacque is concerned.

He just completed his second year of the most recent term he was elected to in 2022. Jacque had a busy year with bills addressing everything, including poll worker whistleblower protections and ABLE accounts for those suffering from physical and cognitive disabilities. Jacque was also able to see his workforce growth agenda continue to grow, thanks in part to his Tools of the Trade Apprenticeship Grant Program, which gives each qualifying individual student up to $1,500 to assist in paying for materials and expenses associated with the apprenticeship training program. He says northeast Wisconsin has proven to be a leader in connecting students with high-paying jobs.

Jacque is also proud to have assisted in efforts to save the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower. Once slated for massive renovations or even the wrecking ball, the national and state historic landmark is being rehabilitated for future generations. Jacque says it is an example of how people can come together to accomplish a common goal.

Jacque announced last week that he will serve as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veterans, and Military Affairs when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

You will see the emergency responders of Brussels, Union, and Gardner unite under one banner in the New Year. The towns of Brussels, Union, and Gardner approved the merger of the Brussels-Union EMR and the Gardner EMR this summer.  A lot of work has occurred behind the scenes over the last 10 months to get the towns ready for the merger, including a paging system that will contact all EMRs instead of those living in a specific town when an emergency arises. Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Chief Curt Vandertie says the merger makes sense as several members are part of the fire department, if not a part of all three organizations. He is hopeful that the move will improve coverage during emergencies and aid in recruitment moving forward.

Vandertie is thankful for the support of the towns' leaders and the community for their trust in combining services. Christmas also came early this year for the BUG Fire Department as they will also welcome six additional EMRs in the New Year, with two others waiting in the wings as they complete their training.   

If you have never experienced Lambeau Field behind the scenes, the Door County YMCA is offering a first-time-ever Lambeau Field Bus Trip for senior adults. Specialty Wellness Director Abby Tesch says the special tour, featuring more than your average tour, is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, during the NFL playoffs.

The all-day bus trip starts at 8:00 a.m. with a return time of 4:00 p.m.  The tour includes the iconic stadium and Hall of Fame with a private, hands-on presentation.  An optional lunch at Krolls West is on your own.  You can register online or by calling the Door County YMCA by January 8th.  The Lambeau Field Bus Trip is $77 for members and $97 for non-members. 

The Door County Medical Center Auxiliary is doing what it can to ensure you have people in place to take care of you if you get injured or fall ill. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the registered nursing workforce is expected to expand by six percent over the next decade to 3.3 million. Factoring in retirements and other work-related exits, approximately 190,000 people will be needed to fill those roles. The gap between supply and demand for healthcare workers is only widening, with the Health Resources and Services Administration predicting that we will be approximately 8,000 people short by 2037. Ensuring that Door and Kewaunee counties have the people they need in the healthcare field, DCMC Auxiliary member Diana Kiederlen says its Angel Scholarship Campaign has greatly impacted students stretching from Algoma to Sister Bay.

Two DCMCA supporters, Tom Pollock and Chris Gritzmacher, are offering to match all donations up to $50,000 before January 15th as the organization looks to raise money to fund its scholarships, which have helped more than 1,000 people since its inception. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) says a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing program costs $23,900 to $66,320. You can donate to the Angel Scholarship Campaign online by clicking this link.  

You have limited time in your busy life to reflect on the good things that happen over the course of the year. I'm always thankful for the Holiday Season because it brings those particular blessings back into focus. If you're like me, you have found yourself wondering how Christmas snuck up on you this year. Over this past year, we have seen many new faces enter our company, and we are turning the page to a legacy member of the staff. I know I'm very fortunate to have a team that works tirelessly to produce quality programming and serve the community. I would encourage everyone to take a moment over the next couple of days and simply slow down and enjoy these moments. Enjoy the laughter, the peace, and in some cases, enjoy the chaos of the entire family being together, as that doesn't happen as often as we would like. Thank you to everyone, our followers, listeners, sponsors and clients, it's you that makes what we do special. And thank you to the staff of NEW Radio and the Door County Daily News, each of you plays an important role with our company and in our community. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at NEW Radio. We look forward to another incredible year together.  

It's with great joy and a considerable amount of sadness that over 30 years of broadcasting and news coverage are coming to an end. Paul Schmitt is a voice and name that has been associated with the Door County Daily News for decades. He announced earlier this year that it was time that he spend more time traveling and visiting the grandkids, and I, personally, could not be more proud of everything that Paul has done for NEW Radio, the Door County Daily News, and our community. He has become the voice of Kewaunee County Sports and he is a staple for news coverage. I know that I could speak for everyone when I say that Paul is a good friend and a great guy, but you can see for yourself what he means to the NEW Radio family.

***
At a time when people's careers are stuck in eternal autumn, there are others like Paul Schmitt. Paul has been a fixture in the community for over 25 years as a member of the various iterations of our radio stations. Still, most importantly, he has been a steady rock in my ten-plus years associated with NEW Radio and its predecessor, Nicolet Broadcasting. My cubicle has been next to his that entire time, though we mostly pass each other in the halls on our way to and from the newsroom, out to visit our clients and on our way to sporting events. He has been more than willing to share his advice and wisdom with me, and I've returned the favor with random quotes from movies and television shows from the last 30 years. I am very appreciative of the time we have shared here, and I know I am a better professional in the radio industry because of it. Congratulations, Paul, on your retirement, and God bless you, Patty, for your bravery in having to deal with Paul on a daily basis full-time. - Tim Kowols

Thank you for your years of dedicated service and for the invaluable knowledge you’ve shared throughout the time we’ve worked together. Your knowledge, expertise, hard work, and the care you’ve shown to both colleagues and clients will leave a lasting impact. You will be missed, but I hope you enjoy this new chapter filled with the peaceful sounds and sights of Lake Michigan. Wishing you nothing but happiness and relaxation in your retirement! - Shelly Lau

Congratulations on your retirement Paul! I haven't known you for long, just about 11 months. I know I haven't talked to you much but it was always nice to see you around the office. The few small chats we've had always make me smile. I hope with the entirety of my heart that retirement treats you well! You've earned this!  -Lexi M :)

You have left some big shoes to fill when it comes to covering Kewaunee County sports.  We will do our best, and it has been a pleasure to cover games alongside you these past few years when the opportunity presented itself. - Jacob Nate

Happy retirement, Paul! It has been an absolute privilege to call games with you over the last 2 seasons.  On top of the great memories we have on air, including an incredible trip to Camp Randall, the memories and stories on the travel to and from games have been even better.  I’m excited to be on the call for your final season, which hopefully ends with a trip to the Resch Center AND the Kohl Center. You’ve served Door and Kewaunee County incredibly, whether it be your relationships with our partner businesses or with your incredible news coverage. I wish you the best in retirement and everything that comes your way in the next chapter! - Eric Fischer

I want to wish you a very Happy Retirement. Remember, you can take the person out of the Radio, but you can't take the Radio out of the person. Broadcasting...the worst business one can never really leave. You had a spectacular career, Paul. I am very proud to say that I was there with you, even though it was a short period of time. - Don Clark

Congratulations on your retirement. It’s not every day someone gets out of this industry on their terms. The fact that you have speaks to your professionalism and dedication to your clients and the stations. Enjoy your time with your family. Congrats again. - Lee Peek

Happy Retirement, Paul!  Enjoy!! - Larry Stevens

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Paul over the last few months.  He has been a great resource for me.   He has faithfully represented Door and Kewaunee Counties and covered sports, as well as has an on-air personality.  I look forward to learning more from him before he goes, and I wish him well in his retirement.   He deserves it!!!  What a career! - Wendy Roksvold

Congratulations, Paul! Wishing you a relaxing retirement filled with family, fun, and all your favorite things. -Sarah Bergwin
 

Although I have not worked with Paul as long as some, I realized what a kind soul he is after meeting him for the first time at the dog park.  Paul always greets everyone with a smile and is committed to his craft. We will certainly miss his distinctive voice in presenting the daily news.   Enjoy your time, Paul-you deserve it!  Happy holidays, relax, and have fun! – Tami Mazur

As Santa prepares for his trip around the world, we salute at least two local men who cover for him while he's at the North Pole.

Joe Delleman

The Atlantic estimates that Santa delivers presents to 6,100 children every second, drinking over 34 million gallons of milk along the way.  Santa made dozens of trips to Door and Kewaunee counties to celebrate the Christmas season over the last six weeks, bringing up the rear in parades and sitting in front of thousands of kids listening to their wishes. In Kewaunee County, the jolly old elf looks a lot like Joe Delleman, a Luxemburg resident who worked at the paper mills in Green Bay before his career took him to Bay Shipbuilding. Delleman has been confused with Santa Claus for over 15 years at different events like Christmas in Casco at the Casco Kidz Zone and brunch at Homestead Kitchen and Tap. While he is flattered by the comparison, Santa is just happy he is able to bring a little Christmas magic to everyone he meets.

Santa says he is looking forward to sitting in his recliner, finishing off the last few cookies from the night before, and watching the Packers play. 

Trent Snyder

When the Man in Red cannot come to Sturgeon Bay himself, the community knows it can always call on Trent Snyder to fill his boots.  Snyder bought the Santa Claus suit for a Packers game he went to and wore to a costume party shortly after he moved back to Door County because he did not have a better option. His first attempt at buying a Santa Claus suit was from a second-hand store in Minneapolis, but that turned out to be a Mrs. Claus suit he would later give to his wife.  Snyder says the response from the party led to his first gig as a Santa.

Snyder filled in for Santa several times this winter, including appearances in the Sturgeon Bay holiday parades.

These stories were previously published in past years. 

After over 1,500 miles of travel in Wisconsin, Santa's Crew's reindeer from Luxemburg are ready to let Rudolph and his crew carry the heavy load for Christmas to help deliver your presents. Santa's Crew's four reindeer have been bringing smiles to children and their parents to places as close as Casco Kidz Zone and as far away as Fall River and Lake Geneva since approximately mid-November. Cupid, Vixen, Prancer, and Dancer traveled the state taking pictures and helping kids see what reindeer looked like up close. Santa's Crew owner Sara Pinchart says the families' reactions when they see her four reindeer never get old.

Santa's Crew visited Door County earlier this year, including Baileys Harbor, Ephraim, and Sturgeon Bay. The reindeer will celebrate a job well done at their last public appearance of the season at the Titletown District's New Year's Eve Celebration. Pinchart says the reindeer will spend the offseason resting in their pasture as they prepare for next year.

Note: This story was republished from 2022

You can return the favor to Santa and your Elf on a Shelf today as the North American Aerospace Defense Command stands on watch for Christmas Eve. NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955, when a child called its predecessor rather than the North Pole. Thanks to a website, an app, and hundreds of volunteers, things have gotten more high-tech since then. In a given year, volunteers receive over 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline as kids keep tabs on where he might go next. NORAD Director of Operations Major-General F. William Radiff says that with the help of radars worldwide and Rudolph's nose, it is a thrill to track Santa every year.

You can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask NORAD's live operators about Santa's location from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time. You can also visit the official NORAD Santa Tracker website.

Media courtesy of NORAD

You have one more opportunity to bag a white-tailed deer this year with your gun as the Anterless-only Holiday Hunt in Door and Kewaunee counties begins Christmas Eve through New Year's Day.   Door and Kewaunee counties are two of the several in the state that offer a holiday hunt season stretching from December 24th to January 1st, with an extended archery season through the end of January.  Door County DNR Conservation Warden Chris Kratcha says the hunt was part of the County Deer Advisory decision last spring to control the deer herd.

Kratcha also suggests that non-hunters who are visiting local parks or public lands to wear blaze orange or other bright colors to stand out for safety reasons.

As of December 17, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports that 3,906 deer have been harvested in Door County and another 2,841 in Kewaunee County in 2024. 

For many Christians, Tuesday and Wednesday are some of the year's holiest days, when church services conclude the Christmas season.

According to Lifeway Research,  47 percent of Americans say they typically attend church at Christmastime, compared to 48 percent that do not.  Area churches usually bank on large crowds for Christmas. Over 80 percent of pastors nationwide say Christmas is one of their three highest-attended worship services, with 28 percent adding that it is their biggest draw. It marks a significant opportunity for pastors to share their message with people who may only attend church services for holidays. Pastor Joel McKenney of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Algoma wants his congregation to know that Jesus' birth was worth all of the Christmas preparations.

 Pastor Jim Honig of Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church in Ellison Bay and Father Dan Schuster of Holy Trinity Parish in Casco and St. Mary's Catholic Parish in Luxemburg hope people leave their sanctuaries and believe that Jesus will come through for them.

Pastor Matthew Sprunger of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kewaunee reminds followers that Christmas is about the why as much as it is about the what.

Area churches will begin having Christmas services starting Tuesday afternoon and continue through Wednesday morning. 

Due to mechanical issues, the City of Sturgeon Bay was a two-bridge town for over 12 hours beginning Sunday evening. According to Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokesperson Mark Kantola, the Maple-Oregon Street Bridge closed at approximately 5:40 p.m. due to a faulty electrical limit switch on the center lock span. Due to ongoing dredging, Kantola says bridge crews acted quickly to remedy the issue. The bridge was reopened at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Monday.

The emergency fix was unrelated to why the Door County Highway Department announced last week that the bridge would be closed again overnight next week. Kantola says that closure is used to maintain the bridge's computer programming. The bridge will be closed from 6 p.m. on December 30th to 6 a.m. on December 31st. The Michigan Street Bridge and the Bayview Bridge will serve as alternate routes during that time.

The building of the new Fleet Farm store on the west side of Sturgeon Bay is still on hold.  City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout says he has not had any recent conversations with Fleet Farm, but if they do move forward, they would have to reapply for permits.  Van Lieshouts adds that the last time the City had meaningful conversations with Fleet Farm, they said two or three stores were being built yearly, and other projects were taking priority over Sturgeon Bay.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council approved the Fleet Farm project's development agreement and public improvements nearly two years ago.   The City agreed to contribute $425,000 (about one-third) towards the project's cost of a street intersection and utility improvements. Fleet Farm would agree to dedicate the right-of-way needed to extend South Grant Avenue through the property, construct the street, and install utilities. Fleet Farm would also agree to a minimum assessed value of $8 Million for the property for ten years.

Fleet Farm, which owns the land, plans to construct a 91,952-square-foot store on land annexed by the city from Nasewaupee just south of Highway 42-57 at the intersection of Grant Avenue.   Fleet Farm could not be reached for comment as of Friday afternoon.

While you do your last-minute shopping trips to fit more presents under the tree, it is the gifts you give to local organizations that mean even more at this time of year. According to DonorBox.org, sone non-profit organizations can raise 17 to 31 percent of its online revenue for the year during the month of December. Many donors wait until the last moment to make their donations to their favorite charities with some non-profits collecting nearly 20 percent of its online revenue on December 31st. Year-end giving is especially important for organizations like the United Way of Door County, which is about $320,000 away from its annual campaign goal of $1 million. The organization recently raised over $2,000 as part of U-102.1's Pay to Play with United Way where dozens of requests were taken in exchange for donations. With budgets taking shape for next year, United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says 2025 depends a lot on these next two-plus weeks.

Last year, more than $319 billion was donated to non-profit organizations like the United Way of Door County, which is running its annual campaign through January 7th. 

For the second time this year, Destination Door County allowed you to learn more about what you can expect when the NFL sets up shop in Green Bay for the draft. Tuesday's meeting was a follow-up to Discover Green Bay's informational session on the 2025 NFL Draft from December 10th. Much of the meeting was about the general footprint of the NFL Draft, which will be set around Lambeau Field, the Resch Center, the Resch Expo, and the Titletown District. It also highlighted its business resource kit, which contains information on the do's and don'ts of aligning with the event. Nick Miesner from Discover Green Bay said the NFL wants the area to be prosperous, but they also protect the shield as much as possible.

Destination Door County also explained its marketing efforts to attract visitors to spend their downtime at the draft up in the area. Director of Marketing Laura Bradley unveiled a mobile pass to place Door County at the fingertips of draft attendees.

During the session, Chief Communications Officer Jon Jarosh said transportation-related questions dominated most discussions. The NFL's transportation plan is still weeks, if not months, away, so shuttle locations and schedules have not been finalized. However, businesses looking to provide their own shuttle must register with Discover Green Bay to be listed. Bookings in Door County for draft weekend to start, but Jarosh expects to pick up as marketing efforts by the NFL, Discover Green Bay, and Destination Door County ramp up. You can watch the entire presentation by clicking this link. Another NFL Draft update is being tentatively planned for the first quarter.

The Collins Learning Center at Crossroads will be closed on December 24th and 25th, enabling our staff to spend time with their families. Families will be our focus for the rest of the holiday week. We invite learners of all generations to bond during our science-related activities, all of which relate to water and the remarkable ways hydrogen and oxygen form bonds.

While it is not entirely inconceivable that life could exist in another liquid, it is really hard to imagine life as we know it without liquid water. Fortunately, on Earth, water can and does exist in all three states of matter: liquid, solid, and gas. But in each of these forms, water molecules simply do not behave like other substances.

On Friday, December 27, at 2:00 p.m., the family program will be" “Because Ice Float." As that title reveals, one (of many) peculiar characteristics of water is that it is lighter as a solid than a liquid. Activities will include a short video on hydrogen bonds and demonstrations on states of matter. (Yes, there will be a dry ice demo!) Then, participants will experiment with floating ice in the lab and, if the weather cooperates, in Big Creek. The group will discuss why floating ice makes aquatic life possible in this climate.

Starting at 2:00 p.m.December 28, Science Saturday will explore" “The Science of Snowflakes” so families can learn why snowflakes almost always are hexagonal. And, of course, it’s due to the way the hydrogen atoms bond. These bonds mean that every snowflake at least starts having six sides. As snowflakes grow, the crystals, often extraordinarily intricate, will always be unique and have six points. That is unless (and this usually happens) the snowflakes clump together or get broken during their turbulent fall to the ground. Videos and (edible) demonstrations will help families understand the wonder of snow.

Our Monday program will feature Subnivean Creature and focus on the wildlife beneath the snow at Crossroads in the winter. 

And speaking of snow, once we have enough snow to create a good base, Crossroads will begin grooming selected trails and lending skis, boots, poles, snowshoes, and kicksleds to Door County residents and visitors, free of charge.

And oh, even though the Learning Center will be closed on New’s Eve, it is our tradition to hike to The Cove Estuary (which may or may not have ice floating on it) to see the final sunset of the year (which may or may not be visible depending on the density of water molecules forming bonds in the sky." "Wiper rules app"y" (if you need to use your wipers to drive safely, the hike is canceled.) And we will be back in time for participants to go on to other celebrations. 

Water is peculiar and precious. May your New Year be filled with joy and clean water—preferably arriving during the desirable season in a desirable state of matter… with adequate amounts needed to grow crops and support nature, but not so extreme or sudden that it causes flooding.

Watch the ticker at the top of the Crossroads websites to learn if weather conditions are adequate for scheduled events, Ski-For-Free, and trail use.

December 24,25: The Collins Learning Center is closed. Trails are open.

Friday, December  27

2:00 Family Program " "Why Ice Floats"

Learners of all generations will learn about water in its three states of matter. Through videos, demonstrations (yes, we will have dry ice), and observation, participants will know why it is essential to aquatic wildlife, lake levels, and the climate in which ice floats. Free and open to all ages. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041, Michigan

Saturday, December  29

2:00 Science Saturday" "The Science of Snowflakes."

Learners of all generations are welcome to learn about the hexagonal-shaped water crystals we call snowflakes. Videos and edible demonstrations (please call ahead if participants have dietary issues) will be shared, and the wonder of snowflakes will be discussed. The event is free and open to all ages. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. 

Monday, December 30

2:00 Family Program: Subnivean Creatures

Learn about the creatures that remain active under the snow through videos, demonstrations, and a short hike. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041, Michigan.  Registration is not required. Open to the public and free to the public. 

Tuesday, December 31

3:45 Sunset on the Old Year

The sun will set for the final time in 2024 at 4:18 p.m., and at 4:18 p.m.turalist for this hike to The Cove Estuary to see the final sunrise. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. The wiper rule applies: "If you need to use your wipers to drive safely, the hike is canceled." Thanks to the generosity of our donors, this event is open to the public and free.

Rep. Joel Kitchens is looking forward to serving his sixth term in the Wisconsin State Assembly after wrapping up a few things earlier this month. Kitchens has previously served on the Assembly Committee on Education as its chairperson, a post he expects to keep when members are officially sworn into office on January 6th. He cites bills regarding tax-free retirement income and cell phone usage in school and ensuring that his literacy act legislation is fully enacted as the items he is ready to tackle when the new session begins. With slimmer Republican majorities in the Assembly and Senate, Kitchens hopes there is room for compromise rather than what he has seen in Washington, D.C.

Kitchens says the slim majority may be a factor in passing the budget, which Governor Tony Evers will introduce in February. The details will be ironed out between the Governor's office and the Legislature before a June signing.

As we journey through the holiday season and prepare for 2025, I cannot think of a better word to keep at the forefront of our thoughts and actions in the new year than one single word: Kindness. I have been fortunate to be involved in a recent campaign highlighting the need for and focus on kindness here in Kewaunee County. The name of this initiative is “Kindness at Work in Kewaunee County.”

I don’t think anyone doesn’t know what kindness is or what it looks like, but we sometimes struggle to apply it consistently. Kindness is one of those actions that is easy when it's easy but hard when it's not. It's easy to be kind to those who are kind to us. It is easy to be kind to those we know well. It is easy to be kind when that kindness benefits us somehow. Now for the hard part. To be kind to those who may have wronged us. To be kind to those who are strangers. To be kind when that kindness may be a detriment to our current state of comfort. To be kind when the person isn’t like us in appearance or beliefs.

An important part of encouraging kindness is to identify what it is and, at the same time, what it is not. Kindness is empathy, compassion, patience, tolerance, and acceptance, to name a few. What it is not is the abandonment of your own personal beliefs, values, or expectations for the sake of appeasement. We can be kind while respectfully disagreeing with each other. We can be kind while still holding others accountable for their actions. We can be kind while safeguarding and preserving our own physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being.

Kindness, at its core, is about personal connections and those connections fostering meaningful relationships. As in any relationship, it must be a mutual effort. Kindness fosters positive interactions. The reciprocation of kindness is the goal, but even when that kindness is not returned, we must guard ourselves of becoming hardened in heart. Much like forgiveness, the true benefactor of kindness is not the person we are extending it to, but rather ourselves. It’s a strange yet proven fact. Give kindness, and it will be returned, but even if it is not, give it nonetheless, and the rewards to your own well-being and state of mind will be immeasurable.

Look forward to more great opportunities to show kindness in Kewaunee County as this initiative grows to make our community an even greater place to live and work. If this initiative interests you and you would like to learn more, please feel free to contact Human Services Director Melissa Annoye or myself for more information. We are always looking for new committee members and would welcome any additional insight into how to encourage and highlight works of kindness here in Kewaunee County!

No matter where you lived, chances are you needed to use your shovel, snowblower, or snowplow to get where you went Thursday afternoon into Friday morning. The actual snowfall totals were lighter than the 6-10 inches some weather models were projecting heading into the storm, with the winter storm warning expiring two hours before the original time. Brown and Kewaunee counties got hit harder than Door County, with Sister Bay and Sturgeon Bay hovering around four inches while Casco and New Franken were between five and seven inches. Emergency personnel were also kept busy with four accident calls and three calls for cars in the ditch between noon and 6 p.m. on Thursday. Door County Highway Department Commissioner Thad Ash explained what goes into their snow removal operations earlier in the week.

If you still need to shovel, prepare properly, dress warmly, take it slow, and use good form to prevent injury. Property owners and snowplow drivers will have a few days to rest and clean up before the next snow event. The National Weather Service is predicting more snow for Monday.

Three men were in court on Thursday for charges from a foiled ATM theft scheme with at least one stop in Luxemburg. Jhoenderson David Rojas Eganez, Yolfreide Perera, and Alejandro Jose Sevilla Sanabria were charged with theft, fraud against a financial institution, improper use of credit card scanning device, and criminal damage to property while Eganez picked up additional counts for eluding an officer and recklessly endangering safety. The incident occurred a little after 3 a.m. Monday morning when an off-duty Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Deputy noticed suspicious activity at an ATM in Luxemburg. The deputy tried stopping the suspect before a high-speed chase started and stopped shortly after it began. At least one other ATM was tampered with before the three men were arrested. All three were placed on a cash bail of $500,000. 

Several fire departments fought a fire and wintry conditions Thursday night in the Town of Clay Banks. Area fire departments began arriving on the scene along South Lake Michigan Drive at approximately 4:30 p.m. to see a fully engulfed detached garage that the homeowner used as a shop. Firefighters used large-diameter hoses to bring water from the road to fight the blaze before relying on an excavator to knock down what was left so they could put out hot spots. Southern Door Fire Chief Rich Olson says the seventh fire in three weeks was made even more difficult by the weather conditions.

There were no injuries as a result of the incident. Fire Departments from Southern Door, Nasewaupee, Brussels-Union-Gardner, Sturgeon Bay, Algoma, and Casco all assisted in the efforts, with 17 trucks and 40 firefighters on the scene for over five hours. The fire remains under investigation, though Olson admits an exact cause will not be able to be determined because of the significant damage. He says they have ruled out arson and malfunctioning battery chargers as possible causes. 

Getting you the medical treatment you need in times of emergency is dropping, thanks to a unique arrangement between the county and Door County Medical Center. Door County Medical Center President and CEO Brian Stephens and Door County Emergency Services Director Aaron LeClair addressed the Door County Board during its meeting on Tuesday. Last year, the two parties entered an agreement that calls for the hospital to help fund the service, which will later include purchasing a new vehicle and hiring new staff members. It also calls for only one transfer at a time and mandates that the services do not compromise the county's 911 commitments for emergencies. Previously, the hospital would rely on the county for emergency cases when other ambulance providers could not be used. If one were unavailable, it would set the stage for long wait times that could have poor outcomes. Stephens says because of the arrangement, the average wait time for patients in the emergency room to receive medical transport to another facility has dropped from 105 minutes to 68 minutes. Both Stephens and LeClair expressed their appreciation for the partnership and cooperation, including Door County Medical Center increasing their support payments due to a higher-than-anticipated number of Medicare-related transports.

Stephens says less than 10 percent of the medical transports have gone beyond hospitals in the Green Bay area. The Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department was also commended for installing a helicopter landing pad funded by donations. The Door County Board also approved resolutions that provided funding for a roof project and energy recovery system at the Door County Justice Center. 

Building on a strong year of adding apartments and other multi-family units, the Sturgeon Bay Common Council signed off on the final Planned Unit Development for a 54-unit apartment project by developer Richard Robinson and First & Main Properties this week.  Sturgeon Bay City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout says Mayor David Ward noted in a recent meeting that 323 apartments were either completed or under construction in the past two years.  He says the city has had a lot of success in addressing the workforce housing situation in Sturgeon Bay and believes 2025 will look a lot like 2024.

During the Board of Public Works meeting this week, a paving plan for three miles of city streets was approved for about $1.78 million. Van Lieshout notes that the main projects in the paving plan include the reconstruction of Delaware Street, including sidewalks to connect with Third Avenue, and a stretch of Memorial Drive from 12th Avenue to 14th Avenue, for which the City of Sturgeon Bay received $225,000 in grant funds to defray the cost. 

Senator Tammy Baldwin says there are plenty of issues facing Wisconsinites Democrats and Republicans will be able to find common ground on. Still, there are also others she will not bend on as well. Members of the House and Senate will work through Thursday before the 118th Congress adjourns for the rest of the year. January 3rd marks the first day of the 119 Congress when Baldwin will be sworn into office for a third time. High on her to-do list are expanding her Made in America efforts, stopping the flow of fentanyl, and the passage of the Farm Bill. She also made clear she would stand in the way of some of the efforts Republicans championed during their months of campaigning.

Speaking of the Farm Bill, Baldwin celebrated the Senate's passage of the legislation earlier this month. The legislation expanded mental health resources for farmers, provided funding for rural water testing and treatment, and reauthorized the Dairy Business Innovation Act of 2023. 

Thanks to the board and administration's fiscal management over the last four years, funding larger projects in Kewaunee County could become less expensive in the future.

On Tuesday, Kewaunee County Administrator Jeremy Kral shared the good news with the Kewaunee County Board that its new rating of Aa3 for its long-term credit climbed from the fifth step to the fourth step on Moody's Investors Service's ten-step scale. The county earned its second rating upgrade in the last four years because of the strength of its financial reserves, its low long-term liabilities ratio, and a solid economic base with some concentration in agriculture and manufacturing. Currently, Kewaunee County has $4.35 million of outstanding general obligation debt, more than half what it was in 2020 ($9.65 million) and 2.24 percent of its legal debt limit. Kral told the board that this is good news for the county's future.

Kral also shared details about the county's broadband efforts during the meeting, which took less than 30 minutes to complete. He said the broadband committee will issue two meeting notices next month after it received proposals from different providers concerning its Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program funds. He added that endorsements and recommendations for projects and providers could be made in the coming weeks.

Before you see members of Congress head to the airport to spend time with their families, they will have to decide if they are leaving the lights on first. Democratic and Republican leaders unveiled a continuing resolution earlier this week that would fund federal agencies at their current levels through March 14th in addition to $100 billion for disaster relief and over $30 billion for farmers struggling with flooding, low commodity prices, and high output costs.

President-elect Donald Trump has called for Republicans to vote against the bill, saying his statement that they “must GET SMART and TOUGH” while also calling for the debt ceiling to be raised.

Wisconsin Republicans in Congress joined Trump in their opposition. Rep. Tony Wied, who represents Door and Kewaunee counties in the House of Representatives, said on Facebook. he could not support the continuing resolution because it “does not adequately cut reckless federal spending.”

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who represents the LaCrosse area in the House of Representatives, shared his support on X for passing farm and disaster relief measures.

Rep. Van Orden's statement on the Christmas omnibus: pic.twitter.com/C9oEwlsHn9

— Rep. Derrick Van Orden Press Office (@RepVanOrden) December 18, 2024

At the same time, discussions on a continuing resolution went on. Democrats, meanwhile, expressed their frustration on social media with Rep. Mark Pocan of Madison and Rep. Gwen Moore, who linked the resolution’s breakdown to Elon Musk.

Remind me who elected Elon Musk https://t.co/mQPkEEzROi

— Rep. Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) December 18, 2024

If Congress does not pass the 1,500-page continuing resolution by Friday night, non-essential federal employees will be furloughed, and federal properties like national parks and museums will be closed. 

If your children's lists to Santa have not made it to the mailbox yet, you still have time to bring them to the Door County Sheriff's Department.  The office set up its special North Pole mailbox inside the Door County Justice Center's vestibule last week to accept letters to deliver to Santa in time for next week's midnight ride. After dropping off the letter, children are invited inside the Door County Justice Center to pick out a prize of either a candy cane filled with candy or a book. Captain Carl Waterstreet says the service is just another way the Door County Sheriff's Department wants to connect with the community it serves.

If you cannot make it to the Door County Justice Center in Sturgeon Bay during regular business hours, don't fret. You use the phone inside the vestibule to call the dispatch center and let them know you are dropping off a letter. Letters to Santa will be accepted through Christmas Eve.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Door and Kewaunee counties starting. From Thursday morning to Friday morning, an Alberta clipper-type system is expected to bring the first widespread accumulation of snow to the area. Six to ten inches of snow is expected to fall, with up to 12 inches possibly near Lake Michigan with lake-effect snow.

The Winter Storm Warning is in effect from noon Thursday until 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Heavy snow is expected to impact travel and make driving difficult in the afternoon and into the evening.

A Door County business was one of the beneficiaries of improving workforce housing in the state when Governor Tony Evers announced the latest round of competitive funding for the Vacancy-to-Vitality, Restore Main Street, and Infrastructure Access loan programs on Tuesday. 

Cherry Lanes in Sturgeon Bay was one of two housing projects in the state to receive Restore Main Street loans to rehabilitate housing on the second or third floors of existing buildings with commercial space on the ground level.  Cherry Lanes will receive $160,000 to provide additional housing units, while Milwaukee’s Suite on Villard is eligible for $40,000.  The two projects will add ten additional housing units.

Statewide, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) oversees the $100 million Vacancy-to-Vitality, $100 million Restore Main Street, and $275 million Infrastructure Access loan programs, all available for application semi-annually. To date, WHEDA has administered over $16.3 million of the available funding made possible through these programs, which the governor signed into law as part of the 2023-25 biennial budget.

Even with the busy upcoming holiday and changes in operations, you can work out with the 24/7 access offered at the Door County YMCA facilities in Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek.
Door County YMCA Marketing Director Amy Gamble says despite the program centers being closed on Christmas and New Year's Day, you can still get your workout in at the YMCA's facilities on the holidays with your 24/7 Access. She notes that if you are 18 years or older and sign a waiver, you can apply to receive access to either YMCA with a key fob. For safety and security, the YMCA provides video surveillance during unstaffed and off-hours.

The 24/7 access includes the gymnasiums, lifestyle center, weight room, and public restrooms only.
The Door County YMCA serves over 12,000 members and began the 24/7 access for approved members in 2021. 

You can check out the complete interview with Amy Gamble on the Y Wednesday podcast page on DoorCountyDailyNews.com.

You will have multiple opportunities to participate in the special viewing programs at the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society's Stonecipher Astronomy Center this weekend.

If Mother Nature cooperates with clear skies, viewing nights will be held outside and in the observatory this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

The free events will allow attendees to experience the state-of-the-art telescope and view deep-sky objects with the assistance of DPAS members. 

DPAS President Dave Lenius says the big scope will allow you to see incredible sky views.

On Saturday at 6 p.m., a holiday planetarium show offers a special holiday-themed visit to space, complete with music, humor, and some science. Space is limited, but the show will be repeated every 30 minutes until everyone has seen and had a chance to experience it.

On Sunday, weather permitting, a solar viewing at 1:00 p.m. will take place with a special filter on the telescope to view a more active sun this time of year.  A planetarium show will follow again at 2:00 p.m. 

No matter how the spring election shakes out, you will see new faces on each city council in Door and Kewaunee counties.

The nomination process is about halfway through after it kicked off on December 1st. Candidates interested in running for office must complete the necessary paperwork to appear on the spring ballot or file their non-candidacy papers by December 27th. The latter is what Sturgeon Bay Common Council District 7 Councilperson Kirsten Reeths and Algoma City Council District 4/Ward 4 Councilperson Lee Dachelet have opted to do, opening the door to a new face on their governmental bodies.

Nicole Matson has taken out papers to replace Reeths on the Sturgeon Bay Common Council and join Helen Bacon (District 1), Dan Williams (District 3), Gary Nault (District 5), and David Ward (Mayor) on it. Nault is the only one who has returned his nomination papers.

In Algoma, John Ortlieb (Ward 1/District 1) has returned his nomination papers, while Wayne Schmidt (District 3/Ward 2) and Midge Swedberg (District 2/Ward 7) are still collecting their signatures. No one has taken out papers to replace Dachelet on the council and join Amy Johnson in representing District 4.

No updates from the City of Kewaunee have been provided, though the seats currently held by John Blaha (District 1), Russell Anderson (District 2), Robin Nelson (District 3), and Jeffrey Kohnle (District 4) are up for election. While it filled one of its council vacancies with Roberta Jeanquart (District 1) earlier this month, the city still seeks someone to represent District 4 until 2026. You can find an application for that seat here. All candidates have until the close of business on January 7th to file their necessary paperwork.

Another snowstorm is coming this week, and area highway departments are preparing to make your commute as smooth as possible. Snow is expected to be off and on during the day on Wednesday before heavier snow enters the area on Thursday into Friday morning. WBAY's Steve Beylon is predicting two to five inches, but that forecast could change because the path of the "Alberta clipper" is currently unknown. The Door County Highway Department has already employed its trucks a few times this year due to winter conditions. Early on, the wind and cold temperatures have posed a challenge as staunch as the snow. That was showcased two weeks ago when snow squalls hit the area, dumping a couple of inches of snow and causing area roads to ice over. Door County Highway Commissioner Thad Ash says no two storms are alike, so depending on the combination of temperature, wind, and snow, no two strategies to make the roads safe are the same.

The area is a few inches below normal for snow this time of year. That means that salt, sand, and brine supplies are still in great shape, according to Ash.

The fire that destroyed portions of a home in the Town of Ahnapee Monday afternoon remains under investigation, with no cause that has been determined. The Algoma Fire Department was notified of the fully engulfed structure fire on Cedar Drive at approximately 3:30 p.m. It quickly activated the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System that called in assistance from the Southern Door, Nasewaupee, Kewaunee, Casco, and Luxemburg fire departments for manpower and water. When crews arrived, Algoma Assistant Fire Chief Tom Vandenack said that smoke and flames were visible from the front of the building and heavy smoke from the northeast corner of the structure. Strong winds from the west helped fuel the fire, which kept crews on the scene for approximately three-and-a-half hours. There were no injuries due to the fire, but the home is considered uninhabitable.

This marked the second fire in as many days that required a fire department response. On Sunday, portions of a home on Tagge Road were destroyed by a fire that claimed the lives of six pets. 

Even though six pets died and a Nasewaupee home stands inhabitable, a Sunday morning blaze could have been a lot worse if not for a donation from the Henry S. Baird Masonic Lodge #174. Firefighters from the Nasewaupee, Southern Door, Brussels-Union-Gardner, and Sturgeon Bay fire departments responded to the home on Tagge Road just after 8 a.m. The first on the scene was Southern Door Fire Chief Rich Olson, armed with a GreenPort Portable Fire Suppression Tool. Donated by the Masonic Lodge, the state-of-the-art device can be deployed quickly and extinguish fires in a confined area within 35 seconds. Olson says there is no way to practice using it, but he was happy it worked the prescribed way.

Nasewaupee Fire Chief Jacob Schartner says the tool gave the other responding firefighters time to arrive and limited the damage as much as possible.

The home's two residents were able to safely escape the fire, and no one else was injured. Crews were on the scene for approximately three hours before departing. The fire remains under investigation.

The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department is working with the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and other regional agencies after a suspect was stopped following a high-speed chase. The incident occurred a little after 3 a.m. this morning after an off-duty Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Deputy noticed suspicious activity at an ATM in Luxemburg. The deputy tried stopping the suspect before a high-speed chase started and stopped shortly after it began. According to Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski, at least one other ATM appears to be tampered with as of 9 a.m. this morning. He added that the department is in the very stages of its investigation as they check other ATMs in Kewaunee County to see if they have been impacted. They are also working with other agencies to see if it was part of a larger scheme.

The skiing season and snowball-throwing fun may not have started in Door County yet, but Saitan Natthamon Kaewsin will be experiencing it for the first time since arriving in the United States from her native Thailand.  Saitan is a Rotary Youth Exchange student at Gibraltar High School who arrived this past August to complete her junior year.  Coming from Nakhou Si Thammarat in southern Thailand, a city about the population size of Green Bay,  Saitan loves the challenge of studying abroad.  While improving her English before arriving in Door County, she is most excited to partake in local outdoor winter activities.

Outside of classes while attending Gibraltar High School, Saitan has participated in sports and music with volleyball and choir, in which she performed at a recent holiday concert.  She will stay with host families sponsored through the Rotary Club Door County North until July when she returns home to Thailand.  

Future Kewaunee High School students could get a taste of what high school is like before they are freshmen if the school officials follow the lead of its facilities survey. The Kewaunee School District released the findings of its facilities study on Friday, hearing from over 550 residents. Earlier this year, the district collaborated with EUA and Miron Construction to update its facilities plan, which looks at the current buildings' condition and determines what may need to be added. While high schools have room for continued growth, elementary and middle schools are nearing capacity. According to the survey, more than sixty percent of the respondents would approve of the district filling underutilized rooms in the high school and filling them with eighth. Likewise, respondents want the district to stop exploring an option where additional rooms would be built on the south side of the middle school. Kewaunee School District Superintendent Scott Fritz says it was important to hear the feedback from residents.

“We are grateful for the strong survey response from our community and staff,” shared Fritz. “This input is critical to help inform and guide decision-making by the School Board and administration in the coming weeks regarding a facilities referendum for the April 1, 2025 election.”

The school board and the administration will continue to weigh what would be included in an April 2025 referendum question. 

You have seen a lot of changes at Northern Sky Theater over the last eight years, and artistic director Jeff Herbst decided earlier this week that one more was needed. On Wednesday, the performing arts organization announced that Herbst would step down from his post with Northern Sky Theater after over 30 years. Herbst says he had planned to do this almost a decade ago, but changes with the organization caused him to stick it through. First, he suggested a name change from American Folklore Theatre to Northern Sky Theater to make it more straightforward for aspiring playwrights looking to submit their work. Then, he suggested the organization build a creative campus where all its operations would occur. Finally, the pandemic presented new challenges for performing arts groups nationwide, let alone Door County. Knowing he had the right person in place for a decade, Herbst knew it was time to take a final bow at the artistic director.

Herbst says he will stay on in an emeritus role with the organization, assisting in the transition of Northern Sky mainstay Molly Rhode as the new artistic director. The next chapter of his performing arts career includes more freelance work and directing.

“Night Tree” is a cherished tradition at Crossroads at Big Creek. “Night Tree” is also a children’s book by Eve Bunting that tells the story of a family driving out "to where the quiet begins" to feed the wild creatures by decorating a tree in the forest.  So our special holiday Science Saturday program on December 21 will share this story by the fireside, and then, families will hike to a secret place “where the quiet begins” in our forest to decorate a tree with bird food.  

At Crossroads, we feed birds and wildlife not so much to help the creatures as to inspire young people to develop a lifelong love of nature and a desire to help the environment.

But when you consider it, the vision of our restoration efforts is “to create a landscape of healthy, diverse, and largely self-sustaining ecological communities, providing wildlife habitat for a variety of species.” In other words, our goal is to feed the wild creatures long into the future.

But inspiring children is and always has been part of Crossroads' mission, and we just learned that we received a special gift—a Cellcom Green Gift. Earlier this year, we created an activity center to help children become familiar with nature through hands-on interactive play and discovery. 

Our young visitors have loved the activities, but the adult-sized tables are just a bit too tall to accommodate small people. Thanks to our Cellcom Green Gift, we can purchase child-sized tables. But don’t wait till the new furniture arrives.  Harried parents and grandparents are encouraged to drop in for a nature play session whenever the Learning Center is open.

On Monday, December 23, we’ve scheduled a School’s Out Excursion, meaning that at 2:00 families will hike through the Big Creek preserve, visiting several Conifer Forests to learn how evergreens survive winter conditions. And if those winter conditions are really unpleasant, an indoor alternative will be offered. 

The trails will remain open all day, every day of the year, free of charge,  but on December 24 and 25, the Collins Learning Center will be closed.

Saturday, December 21                                                                                                                  2:00 Saturday Science: Night Tree

Learners of all ages will enjoy this Crossroads tradition. Following a couple videos and a story by the fire, and participants will hike to a secret forest to decorate a tree for the birds and wildlife. Families who want to contribute to the Crossroads night tree might bring a bag of black oil sunflower seeds or cracked corn.  Free and open to the public, Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

Monday, December 23

2:00 School’s Out Excursion: Hike to the Conifer Forest

This hike is designed for all ages and we encourage families to attend. We will visit different conifer forests and learn how conifer trees are adapted to survive in the weather. Indoor activities will be offered if weather is uncooperative. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.  Registration not required. Free and open to the public. 

As we approach the end of one year and embark upon the journey to the new year, it is a great time to reflect on all the events of the past twelve months. There is no doubt that in this past year, just as any year, we were met with challenges and opportunities, great joy, along with great sadness. There were times of peace and balance, as well as times of turmoil and uncertainty. In all of it, there was knowledge gained, perspectives broadened, and hopefully, an increased appreciation for all surrounding us. As with all experiences, both good and bad, it is not the experiences themselves that matter but what you do with the lessons learned from them.

One of my greatest sources of sadness in over thirty years of law enforcement has been standing by as a witness to so many struggles and hardships that result from unhealthy choices. It is easy for any of us to look at those in struggle and just say, “Make Better Choices,” but the reality is not that easy. So much of who we are is due largely to those influences that surrounded us throughout our lives, and until we can place ourselves in the shoes of another, any judgment is misplaced. Change is never easy regardless of where you are starting that change from, and moving forward from any current state of existence is never easy.

A great lesson in this very struggle is one that we all learned at a young age. It came from a simple piece of playground equipment: the monkey bars. As we all waited in line for our turn, we took notice of those who went before us. What worked for them? How did they get across? Where did they go wrong?

When it was our turn, we grabbed a hold of that first bar. Nothing else really mattered at that point other than holding our weight and being stable in that current state. Just as in life, before we can ever move forward, we must be stable in where we are. Then, the next big decision: moving forward. This required us to maintain the grip we had on the current bar with one hand while being willing to grab hold of the next bar. For a moment, we find ourselves at a place where we both hold on to what we know while grasping onto where we want to be. Now the big challenge; letting go of the comfort of where we are and what we know, to the uncertainty of change. Just like on the bars, you cannot hang onto both for very long. You are either moving forward or stuck at your current reality. Just as on the playground, many are watching us as we work our way through the journey. Some shout out encouragement and support, while others try to create doubt in our minds about our ability to reach our goals. The most amazing part of watching kids on the monkey bars for the first time is the confidence in completing that journey. After that, a goal that once seemed daunting to them was now able to be conquered. This is a lesson that we, as adults, should never forget. No matter how old we are, there is always doubt and uncertainty. Be willing to lean into that uncertainty, grab a hold of what is next, and find joy in the small victories. Just remember to give yourself a little grace for those shortcomings, as they are as much a part of you as your successes. We are not defined by the fall but by how we get back up and continue the journey.

An issue that was last settled in 2019 is being brought up again, rankling Republicans including Rep. Joel Kitchens. Earlier this month, Dane County Judge David Frost ruled that Act 10, the law passed during the Governor Scott Walker administration curbing some of the rights granted to public employee unions, was unconstitutional. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, Frost claims that Act 10, which was declared constitutional in 2014 by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and kept out of a federal courtroom by a federal judge in 2019, created two groups of public employees and violated equal protection clauses. Kitchens was the Sturgeon Bay School Board President when Act 10 was passed and says it was a painful time but the right decision as school districts were trying to crunch the numbers.

In the wake of the ruling, Republican State Rep. David Steffen of Howard introduced a bill that would prevent "judge shopping," a practice when political parties file court cases in a county before judges who share their ideological beliefs to get a more favorable ruling. Kitchens says he will closely monitor the legislation before he officially signs on to support it.

Members of the Assembly and Senate were in Madison this week finishing up some of its work before the New Year.

In the coming years, your trip down Main Street could soon have a different look as you approach St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Luxemburg. The parish is approaching its second round of fundraising for its $1.4 million capital project that will build an addition onto the school and replace its current rectory/pastor residence with a new building. The current rectory/pastor residence dates back to 1906, built without some of the creature comforts it has now such as indoor plumbing. Father Dan Schuster says they are building joy with the project as they look to expand their ministry in the community.

Schuster says they are currently converting their dreams “into brass tacks” by raising the additional funding, creating the drawings so the parish can start the bidding process, and  get the necessary approvals from the village and state. If everything goes to plan, he hopes shovels can get into the ground sometime after Easter.

"Do Your Job" was a common refrain heard in the Southern Door Auditorium on Thursday afternoon as Southern Door High School head football and track coach Scott Mallien was honored for doing his. Mallien received the Semper Fi Coach Award from the United States Marine Corps during a special assembly after being nominated by athletic director Ben Kline.

He was celebrated for not just his nearly 40-year coaching career, which includes a 2015 state title, but the character-building and accountability he fostered in his student-athletes. The U.S. Navy veteran was saluted by students during the ceremony, even catching a stray "Go Army, Beat Navy" ahead of the academies' annual football game this weekend. Mallien is proud of the connections he has forged during his career that led to Thursday's announcement.

In addition to coaching sports and teaching history, Mallien is an advisor for the school's SAIL leadership program.

Senator Tammy Baldwin is thrilled that two of her bills have passed in the U.S. Senate, and she says it took everyone to get it to the finish line. She worked with Vice President-elect and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) on the Invent Here, Make Here Act of 2023, which ensures that inventions that received taxpayer support cannot be manufactured anywhere but in the United States. Often, the domestic projects were licensed to Chinese companies and manufactured overseas. In a separate bill, Baldwin worked with Senator Joni Ernst on a bill expanding broadband access in rural areas by easing the burden of regulatory costs that hamper smaller providers. Service providers can submit more streamlined financial reports through the bill and be exempted from some public registration and reporting requirements. It comes at a time when billions of federal dollars are being funneled into rural communities to fund broadband projects. In both cases, Baldwin hopes bipartisanship will continue to grow, heading into a new administration where Republicans hold the White House and both chambers of U.S. Congress.

Both bills have been sent to the U.S. House of Representatives for approval before they can be signed into law.  

You can help support a food and hygiene drive program that started in Kewaunee County 12 years ago. Kewaunee County officials created the "Giving For Sara" program after the Aging Services Unit Director, Sara Malay, passed away in 2013 from a tragic car accident. Since then, the Kewaunee Public Health Department has put on a food and hygiene drive in her honor every December. Cindy Kinnard, the Public Health Director, details what you can do to get involved and the past impact she has seen from the community. 

If you want to donate non-perishable foods, the Public Health Department suggests canned fruit or meat, healthy cereal, and granola bars. As for hygiene products, they suggest shampoo, conditioner, diapers, deodorant, and baby wipes. You can drop off donations in the Kewaunee County Public Health Department lobby until December 31st.  

It may not make a lot of headlines or make the cover of a tourism brochure, but Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward is proud of what is going on in the city's industrial park. The latest addition was approved last week when the Sturgeon Bay Common Council approved the sale of just over five acres of land to 54235 Development for a proposed marine storage and services center. The parcel is part of the former Zak property, a nearly 18-acre parcel the city purchased in 2021. Citing the expansion efforts at several area manufacturers, Ward points to the growth of the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park as a real positive for the city.

Ward says the work being done in the industrial park shows how economically balanced Sturgeon Bay is compared to other communities. Last year, the city created Tax Increment District (TID) #9 to support the construction of a multi-tenant industrial flex building slated to take up a portion of the former Zak property.

If you have ever wanted to hear your favorite song on the radio and also needed another reason to support the United Way of Door County, Friday is your lucky day. Back for the third year in a row, the United Way of Door County and U-102.1 are joining forces for the “Pay to Play for the United Way ” on December 13th. Listeners can make a $25 donation for a song already in our catalog or $50 if you want the NEW Radio staff to find your favorite. “Pay to Play for the United Way” has raised thousands of dollars each year for the United Way of Door County’s annual campaign. Executive Director Amy Kohnle says the event is also an educational day for listeners and supporters as volunteers share stories of the United Way’s local efforts in between songs.

NEW Radio President and CEO Bryan Mazur is excited for you to call in on Friday, not just to say hello, but to support a great cause. "I'm extremely excited that we are able to host "Pay 2 "Play" for a third year. Working hand in hand with the United Way is a fun and enlightening experience. I personally look forward to all the requests and guests that we have throughout the day. If you are considering a donation to the United Way, this is a great way to have a little extra fun with it or if you have never given to the United Way and you just want to hear your favorite songs, we would love to hear from you, too. All donations are welcome. As an added bonus, if you have always wanted to hear yourself on the radio, call us, and you can be on the air for a donation. We are doing all of this to help our neighbors right here in Door County."  

“Pay to Play for the United Way ” runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 13th. Kohnle said that early last week, the United Way of Door County crossed the $500,000 mark of the campaign, making them just a touch past halfway toward their $1 million goal.

The Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair program is casting a wider net this year to promote all things Kewaunee County Fair in 2025. Applications are now available to replace Megan Salentine as Fairest and Vivian Barta as Junior Fairest. In addition to filling out the applications, girls undergo an interview process that includes one-on-one and group discussions with the judges, a mock introduction, and an impromptu event announcement. Previously, only girls in Kewaunee County or who participated solely in Kewaunee County Fair activities were eligible for the roles depending on their age. Kewaunee County Fair Board Member Lisa Cochart says a rule change allows girls in adjacent counties without Fairest programs to compete. She thinks that will be an overall positive for the program.

The deadline to apply is January 1st, 2025, with the Fairest Gala and Competition scheduled for January 3rd at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds Exposition Hall in Luxemburg. You can click here for the application.

The Miss Door County Pageant took a similar approach to their program for the upcoming year. In August, it announced that students attending Algoma and Luxemburg-Casco would be eligible to compete in Miss Door County and Miss Door County Teen pageants as well as Door County high school students.

Picture courtesy of Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair

Businesses in Wisconsin hope you can use your ice fishing, snowmobile, and cross-country skiing equipment a lot more than you did last year. According to the National Weather Service, last winter was the warmest on record in Green Bay, breaking an over 20-year mark by three degrees with an average temperature of 30.7 degrees. While it was good for people to get a suntan, it wasn't pleasant for area businesses that depend on winter recreational activities for their livelihood. Door County was among the over 60 counties included in the federal disaster loan program that gave money through the United States Small Business Administration to affected businesses. Door County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Michelle Lawrie says the organization helped several local businesses navigate the program, many of which were affected by the area's barely existent ice fishing season. Lawrie adds that you do not want to depend on such programs, but it was important for those businesses to get the help they needed to take advantage of a hopefully stronger 2024-2025 winter season.

Outdoor recreation continues to be a huge boon to the state's tourism numbers. Governor Tony Evers announced earlier this week that outdoor recreation contributed $11.2 billion to the state's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, growing 9.4 percent over the previous record set in 2022. The state also saw a nearly 12 percent increase in people traveling 50 miles or more for outdoor recreation.

Starting after the first of the year, you can have your child get involved in a couple of unique swim programs at the Door County YMCA. The new parent/child adaptive swim lessons are designed for children three to 12 years old with special needs and help parents and their children learn water safety skills. Competitive Swimming Director Mike McHugh says the program has parents in the water working with their children while the instructor teaches the skills.

The 45-minute parent/child adaptive swim lessons are scheduled for Saturday mornings at 9:00 o'clock from January 4 through February 15.  

McHugh says another activity in the pool this winter at the Door County YMCA is the Wisconsin River Swim Challenge.  The 15-week challenge is for beginners or advanced swimmers at least nine years old.  They swim lengths of the pool that equate to six miles or 12 miles, respectively, after completing the challenge.  He says the participants swim through the pool using fins, kickboards, snorkels, aqua jogging or just regular swimming.  Each swimmer will track their miles poolside starting January 2 and receive a free t-shirt when turning in their map by April 24. 

You can find more information on the parent/child adaptive swim lessons and the Wisconsin River Swim Challenge at the Door County YMCA website. 

With two ice fishing tragedies happening in the area in the past week, the Department of Natural Resources is warning people to take extra precautions when they venture onto the ice later this year.  DNR Conservation Warden Chris Kratcha says ice anglers should be patient and wait for the ice to set up for the season before heading out.  He says the ice depths can vary based on the body of water you are on or how the ice thickens up based on the current and other factors.  Being prepared for an emergency in case you fall through the ice and taking preventative measures are essential.  

Kratcha notes that having a plan and letting other people know where and when you will be out fishing is essential, if not having other people go with you.

You will see a new leader for the Birch Creek Music Performance Center as they prepare to celebrate for its 50th season in 2025.

The Birch Creek Music Performance Center Board of Trustees announced that Jenn Ferdon will be its next Executive Director this week.
Outgoing Executive Director Mona Christensen, who has served the organization for the past ten years, will work closely as the Executive Director Emeritus and will work with Ferdon in the coming months during the transition.

Ferdon is no stranger to Birch Creek Music Performance Center.  She initially experienced  Birch Creek as a student and has served as a teaching assistant in the symphony session.

Board President Steve Gomoll says that it is a great story that Ferdon was ultimately named the executive director.

Ferdon will be formally introduced by the Birch Creek Music Performance Center at the February 15, 2025, Valentine's Day concert in Juniper Hall, which kicks off the 50th Season Celebration. 

A Sturgeon Bay family is again feeling the holiday spirit by hosting the annual Community Christmas Eve Lunch, which provided over 400 free meals last year. The Carrie and Kyle Starr family has coordinated the free dinner for the past six years and will again host it at the Arle Memorial building (Knights of Columbus Hall).  According to Carrie Starr, the event has grown considerably and is a great way to help give back to the community with help from many.

The traditional Christmas lunch will be a sit-down or drive-thru take-out on December 24th from 11:30 am until 2 pm.. Starr notes that another delivery option will also be available with 24-hour advance notice.  The Community Christmas Eve Lunch is free to the public, and reservations are optional but helpful by calling or texting 920-495-2161.

With a simple unwrapped present, you can still make a difference in the lives of children in Door and Kewaunee counties. Door County Toys for Kids and Kewaunee County Toys for Tots are still collecting presents, with the latter having more than a week left to go. More than 90 boxes are distributed throughout Door County, and another 40-plus are set up in Kewaunee County with the request of filling them with toys. After registration closed on Sunday, Door County Toys for Kids' Cathy Clark says over 500 kids representing are signed up to participate in the distribution efforts. Even after all of these years, Clark says she gets emotional when she walks past full boxes in the community.

Toys will be collected in Door County until Thursday, prior to their distribution dates this weekend in Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay. You have more time in Kewaunee County, with registration closing on December 18th and toys being picked up on December 20th ahead of the distribution date on December 21st. 

The road work signs are not put away yet for the year, as you will have to navigate around a construction zone on Sturgeon Bay’s west side starting Monday, December 16.  The City of Sturgeon Bay announced this week that water and sewer extension work on West Oak Street is scheduled to begin about 100 feet East of South Duluth Avenue and require the intersection to be closed for a week until the sewer can be extended across South Duluth Avenue to the west. Senior Engineering Technician Brian Spetz says the construction will mean South Fulton Avenue will be the detour route.  The project is expected to take about six weeks, and West Oak Street between South Baraboo Avenue and South Duluth Avenue will be closed and open to local traffic only.  Spetz advises you to use caution when traveling in this area and, if possible, avoid the area so the work can be completed safely and quickly. 

The Griffon String Quartet is giving you several opportunities to get into the Christmas spirit week. The chamber strings ensemble announced their caroling stops and posted them online for music lovers to find them across Green Bay and Door County. The holiday spirit lasts through the weekend as they play free concerts in Brussels (Thursday), Sturgeon Bay (Friday), Green Bay (Saturday), and Egg Harbor (Sunday). Midsummer's Music Executive Director Allyson Fleck says the Griffon String Quartet will play the works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Ralph Vaughan-Williams in addition to some holiday classics. She adds their schedule will stay busy as they approach the new year.

You can find the full concert schedule below. Griffon String Quartet received quite the gift from St. Nick last Friday. The Green Bay Packers Foundation awarded the group a grant to support its work with Green Bay residents through its Einstein Series programs, B Double Sharp programs, and Community-Embedded programs.

Griffon String Quartet Holiday Concerts

A selection of holiday favorites and a sing-along

String Quartet in C Minor • Ralph Vaughan-Williams

String Quartet Op. 131, No. 14 in C-sharp Minor • Ludwig van Beethoven

Enjoy light seasonal refreshments at the post-concert reception.

Roy Meyer & Alex Norris, violins, Oryann Tsaig, viola, Jesse Nummelin, cello

December 12, 6:30pm: Belgian Heritage Center, Brussels

December 13: 5:00pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Bay

December 14: 3:00pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Green Bay

December 15: 3:00pm: Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor

UPDATE: The man has been identified as Dave Mastalir

ORIGINAL POST:

A 65-year-old Kewaunee man died during a fishing trip to the Kewaunee River over the weekend the Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department announced on Monday. At 5:30 a.m. Monday morning, Kewaunee County Dispatch was requested to do a welfare check by the caller, who had not heard from his brother. He stated that he had gone ice fishing on the Kewaunee River Sunday night and had not returned. Emergency personnel found the missing angler’s vehicle and equipment by the river, but not the angler himself. The man’s body was located just after 10 a.m. on Monday. His name was not released, but the Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski wrote in the release that he was an avid fisherman frequenting the various waters of Lake Michigan and the Kewaunee River. No other information was provided.

UPDATE: A 65-year-old Kewaunee man has been recovered by the authorities from the Kewaunee River

ORIGINAL STORY

The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department is urging you to stay away from the area of County Highway E west of the City of Kewaunee as a search and rescue is underway. At 5:30 a.m. Monday morning, Kewaunee County Dispatch was requested to do a welfare check by the caller who had not heard from his brother. He stated that he had gone fishing on the Kewaunee River Sunday night and had not returned. Emergency personnel found the missing angler’s vehicle and equipment by the river, but not the angler himself. The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department, Kewaunee Fire Department, Luxemburg Fire Department, Door County Dive Team, and Department of Natural Resources are currently on the scene searching for the missing angler.

If you have ever wanted to hear your favorite song on the radio and also needed another reason to support the United Way of Door County, Friday is your lucky day. Back for the third year in a row, the United Way of Door County and U-102.1 are joining forces for the “Pay to Play for the United Way ” on December 13th. Listeners can make a $25 donation for a song already in our catalog or $50 if you want the NEW Radio staff to find your favorite. “Pay to Play for the United Way” has raised thousands of dollars each year for the United Way of Door County’s annual campaign. Executive Director Amy Kohnle says the event is also an educational day for listeners and supporters as volunteers share stories of the United Way’s local efforts in between songs.

“Pay to Play for the United Way ” runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 13th. Kohnle said that early last week, the United Way of Door County crossed the $500,000 mark of the campaign, making them just a touch past halfway toward their $1 million goal.

You will have opportunities to participate in the NFL Draft, and Destination Door County is waiting to see how big those chances may be. Discover Green Bay and other local organizing committee members will release more details about its 2025 NFL Draft plans and how businesses and organizations across the state can contribute at an event next week. Organizations representing Green Bay started announcing some of their activities for the weekend, including a farmer's market that will feature vendors from around the state. Destination Door County Chief Communications Officer Jon Jarosh says Discover Green Bay's presentation on December 10th will give them more direction on getting involved even though the event is about an hour away.

Destination Door County is planning its own virtual 2025 NFL Draft update meeting on December 17th at 1 p.m. You can find information for the Zoom Meeting below.

To participate, log into Zoom using meeting ID 832 1949 8655. No password is required. The meeting will start promptly at 1 PM on December 17, 2024.

Approximately 250,000 people are expected to come to Green Bay for the NFL Draft, which will take place April 24th to 26th in the Titletown District. 

No matter your mode of transportation, you will likely see plenty of traffic alongside you. According to the Associated Press, the country is coming off a record-breaking Thanksgiving travel season that saw more than three million people get processed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the country's airports. If that trend continues through Christmas, it could surpass the estimated  115.2 million Americans that AAA believes traveled last year. Austin Straubel Airport Director Marty Piette says that if you're flying, there are things you can do to keep from turning into a Grinch and staying on the nice list.

Air travel appears to be heading towards another banner year, with global projections shooting for 9.5 billion passengers, which would be an increase of about 10 percent over 2023. 

Depending on how one counts, at least eleven world religions celebrate holidays in December, and although the twelve days of Christmas and the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah begin on December 25, we at Crossroads are sharing an amalgam of holiday traditions all month.

The Biblical Christmas story mentions a “census” and “a star in the East.” This Saturday, Crossroads will participate in a bird census, an activity dating back to a truly non-religious holiday tradition.

That “star in the east” about which people have been asking? It truly is bright, but it is not a star, but rather a planet—Jupiter.

So, on Saturday, December 14, the Science Saturday Family Program at 2:00 will feature Juniper, a program co-sponsored by the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society. And all that day, plus the three days before and after, we will be conducting a census of birds as part of a citizen science effort called the Christmas Bird Count.

But why do we participate? After all, we count birds at Crossroads almost every day, and so do other eBird participants. We also sponsor breeding bird surveys and have acoustic recorders throughout the preserves. We are now part of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus), an international collaborative research network that uses coordinated automated radio telemetry to census birds. 

We do this because a bird census is one important metric for evaluating our restoration efforts. Birds are excellent indicators of ecosystem conditions. Unlike less mobile species, birds can fly. If their needs are not met, they fly somewhere else.  Consequently, by keeping records of the birds in our preserves, we can evaluate whether our restoration efforts are actually improving our various wildlife habitats.

But the Crossroads bird counts document the fluctuations in bird populations for about 200 acres over a relatively short period of time.

In contrast, during Christmas Bird Count,  70,000-80,000 volunteers count throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Central and South America, the Pacific Islands, the West Indies, and Bermuda.

Obviously, a database that large, including more than a century of records, is of enormous value to biological and climate scientists.

According to the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) website, “Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas "Side Hunt." They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.

“Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a "Christmas Bird Census" that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.”

Charlotte Lukes, who organizes the Door County CBC, selected December 14, the first allowable date, for the Sturgeon Bay Count in hopes that the bays' water would not be frozen. Most areas in the Sturgeon Bay area have been assigned to teams of hard-core birders who will spend the whole day in their assigned count areas.

We at Crossroads cover our area with experienced and novice volunteers—some who will be out all day and some who want to bird for a couple hours. If you are interested in participating, e-mail info@crossroads.com to be assigned to times and your count area.

 As soon as temperatures and snow depth are adequate,  Crossroads will groom designated trails and offer Ski For Free, our recreational equipment lending program. Watch the Crossroads website www.crossroadsatbigcreek.org for current conditions.

December 14

8:30-5:00 Christmas Bird Count at Crossroads

Please help us find and identify local bird species while adding to more than a century of community science data. Want to participate? Email info@crossroadsatbigcreek.org for more details. Volunteer for as much or as little time as you’d like. Crossroads has loaner binoculars available.

2:00 Science Saturday: JUPITER

In collaboration with the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society, this week’s family program will look at the planet Jupiter, which will dominate the sky this month. Intended for elementary students, learners of all ages are welcome.

Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration is not required. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, December 18

1:30 Wandering Wednesday

Join a naturalist-led hike. Easy walking. About an hour. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration is not required. Open to the public and free thanks to our donors.

Over 25 law enforcement officers from Door County partnered with area children on Saturday as part of the 22nd annual Chop 'N' Shop with a Cop" program.  Paired up with members from the Door County Sheriff’s Department, Sturgeon Bay Police Department, DNR, and Door County Courthouse volunteers, the children were able to pick out a Christmas tree at Krueger Tree Farm early Saturday morning.  Door County Sheriff Tammy Sternard shares how the event gives families the opportunity to have a whole holiday experience with the community's continued support.  

The day concluded with a shopping trip for the kids to buy gifts for their family members and a pizza party lunch at the Door County Sheriff's Office in Sturgeon Bay.

As we get closer to the Christmas season, most people’s thoughts are occupied with preparations for family gatherings and last-minute shopping ideas. For some, however, their minds are on recent life-changing events that may have put them in dire financial times. They may be sitting down at their tables, deciding whether to pay the heating bill or the mortgage payment. They may be choosing between gas in the car or supper.

Some parents listen to their children’s wish lists, knowing full well that they will not be able to gather the resources to make their children’s wishes come true. It is for these families that so many in our community reach beyond their own needs and wants and provide much-needed donations and gifts during the Holiday season.

In a few weeks, we will be having our Kewaunee County Toys for Tots distribution event as we have for the past three decades. As we have been tracking the pre-registrations for this program it is concerning that we have seen an increase in the number of families that we will be assisting. The good news is that we will be able to meet those needs as the many boxes around the county have been filling up and I have even had to pick up toys early as the boxes have been overflowing. Thank you to all who have donated and to those who will be assisting with the distribution.

Another program that assists our neighbors in need throughout the year is our Salvation Army Kettle Campaign. As the Kewaunee County voucher writer for the Salvation Army I can attest to the need for these resources and the impact that it has at critical moments in people’s lives. This year’s campaign will end with the last day of bell ringing on Christmas Eve. Thank you to all who have taken time out of their busy lives to ring bells and to those who stopped for a moment to drop a donation into the Kettles. I have no doubt this year’s campaign will be just as successful as the years past.

I recently spoke to a group of students on this very issue, and I got to thinking: Why does all of this matter in the scope of being Sheriff? I do believe that programs like this, as well as the efforts of so many charitable organizations, make for a safer community, and here’s why.

Most crimes are committed for two reasons: Desperation and Isolation. I have seen many good people make poor choices because they felt they had few to no options. If we can assist at critical moments, maybe that assistance is the difference between that person or a member of their family doing right or doing wrong.

The second factor is isolation, which has to do with our accountability to each other. If, through our giving, we show that we do, in fact, care and that we take time to help one another, it builds a stronger sense of community. It is my firm belief that this stronger sense of community may, in fact, make a difference when an individual is contemplating a criminal act against another.  This is just my optimistic view, and you can accept it or disregard it, but I do believe that we can start to change the world by what we do here in our communities. Be Safe and Take Care!

After a week of three structure fires that claimed two lives in Door County, multiple fire departments were deployed to a reported cabin fire in the woods on Bay Shore Drive north of Little Harbor late Friday afternoon that turned out to be a unauthorized burn of an old cabin.  Sturgeon Bay Fire Department Lt. Brent Wiegand told Door County Daily News that when crews from Egg Harbor, Jacksonport, and Sturgeon Bay fire departments arrived about 4:30 p.m., the property owners were burning down the old cabin but did not have a permit.  He noted that they were issued a fine by law enforcement for illegal burning.  Wiegand emphasized that anyone looking to burn any clean wood or brush can ask for a free burning permit from their local municipality.  

Santa will be making several stops for you across the area this weekend as he prepares for his flight around the world, but two children in Kewaunee County may make his stop in Casco on Saturday even more special.

Casco Kidz Zone is hosting the annual Christmas in Casco from noon to 2 p.m., featuring appearances from Santa, his reindeer, and characters from Paw Patrol, along with other free activities and snacks. Two of the most important guests of honor at this year's Christmas in Casco are residents Mason Vertz and Paisley Brien. At the Kewaunee County Fair Animal Sale, Vertz donated all of the proceeds from selling his pig to the Children's Hospital Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The ensuing bidding war led to more than $12,000 being donated to the place that helped in his battle against epilepsy. More recently, Brien launched her "I Got Your Back" project, collecting personal hygiene products, clothing, small toys, and other items to fill backpacks for kids from birth to 18 years old. In just a few short weeks, Brien has been able to fill dozens of backpacks for kids in foster and respite care. Christmas in Casco organizer Lisa Cochart says Vertz and Brien are great examples for the community deserving of support for their philanthropic efforts.

Christmas in Casco is free to attend, but you are encouraged to bring donations for Vertz and Brien's projects if you can afford it. Last year, thousands of dollars were raised for the Andy Barta Legacy Charitable Fund, which supports families in Kewaunee County and the surrounding area battling cancer. On Saturday, Santa will also stop at the Christmas in the Village event in Ephraim and Harbor Holiday in Baileys Harbor. The weekend also features the Christmas tree lighting at Noble Square in Fish Creek and the second weekend of the Door County Christkindlmarkt in Sister Bay. 

You can have your say on the future of a new athletic complex being planned in Sturgeon Bay at an open house later this month.

The City of Sturgeon Bay, Sturgeon Bay School District, Door County Medical Center, Destination Door County, the Raibrook Foundation and other stakeholders have been collaborating to reimagine the space sitting across the street from the high school where its asphalt track, football/baseball field, softball diamond, and other athletic spaces currently sit. The future athletic complex would include indoor and outdoor facilities serving the entire community and potentially attracting additional activities to Sturgeon Bay. Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward says the city has done a great job transitioning from a place they drive past to where they drive to when they travel to Door County. He believes the public-private partnership could address a need in the community.

You can get a preview of what is being planned and provide your thoughts and feedback during an open house planned for December 19th at Door County Fire Company in Sturgeon Bay from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. 

For some donations, you do not have to take out your checkbook to make an impact in the community. While monetary donations have helped the organization protect approximately 10,000 acres in the area, property donations have also helped the Door County Land Trust thrive in its efforts to maintain the peninsula's ecological diversity. Most recently, landowners Michael and Ann Morgan donated a conservation easement agreement on their property south of Egg Harbor, adding another 13 acres of protected parcels between the Niagara Escarpment and the Green Bay shoreline. In addition to being one of the largest concentrations of the federally threatened Dwarf Lake Iris flowers, the parcel also features a collection of sugar maple, American beech, ironwood, and basswood trees. Door County Land Trust Executive Director Emily Wood says donating land has some of the same positives as donating money to end-of-year giving.

Other organizations, such as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, offer land donation programs. You are encouraged to talk to an attorney or tax advisor beforehand since tax laws change frequently, and financial advantages can vary from person to person.

For the third time in 36 hours, firefighters in the southern portion of Door County answered the call of duty, this time in the unincorporated community of Rosiere Thursday afternoon. Emergency personnel began arriving at the the residence on County X near St. Hubert Catholic Church shortly after 1:15 p.m. By the time additional units could arrive to assist in the efforts, the attached garage had become fully engulfed. Brussels-Union-Gardner Assistant Fire Chief Jim Wautier says the home suffered mostly smoke damage, but the garage is a total loss.

Personnel from the Door County Sheriff's Department, Door County Emergency Services, Wisconsin Public Services, and the fire departments of Sturgeon Bay, Nasewaupee, Southern Door, New Franken, Algoma, Luxemburg, and Casco all responded to the fire. For many of the firefighters, it was the third time they had to respond to a fire that lasted more than an hour in less-than-ideal conditions. Wautier says it has been a rough 36 hours for the area's volunteer fire departments.

Other than some people needing to get treated for smoke inhalation suffered while rescuing the homeowner's three cats, there were no deaths or injuries in the fire.

Timing is everything in acting, and for play director Lizz Thomas, it is always on Gibraltar's side when it comes to its one-act plays. Late last month, Gibraltar's production cleaned up the awards at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Theatre Festival One-Act Play Contest hosted at UW-Milwaukee for its production of "Almost Maine." The students selected six of the nine vignettes written by playwright John Cariani for the showcase, winning the ensemble, technical, director, and critic's choice awards. B Salmi-Klotz and Kai Nordahl also won individual awards for their acting. Gibraltar's success covers nearly two decades and almost sixty awards, which Thomas says inspires the current year's ensemble to try and outdo the past. Aside from the early curtain call, maybe the biggest hurdle this year was trimming enough time from the production so they did not get disqualified. She applauded the entire cast and crew for their hard work and dedication to making "Almost, Maine" an award-winning production.

Gibraltar was the only school from Door and Kewaunee counties to qualify for the State One-Act Play Contest. August, Badger, Bay Port, Beloit Memorial, Hamilton, Lomira, Monroe, Oconto Falls, Regis, Sheboygan Lutheran, Shorewood, and Waukesha North earned All-State nods for their productions. 

Juggling two fatal fire cases in the Town of Nasewaupee, the Door County Sheriff’s Department released more information about the early morning incident Thursday afternoon. The latest update shared that 27-year-old Lance LeCloux was the man who died in the fire that occurred on County M. Emergency personnel responded to the fire just before 2:30 a.m. where they found the home was fully engulfed. Algoma, Southern Door, Brussels-Union-Gardner, and Sturgeon Bay fire departments also responded to the fire call. The Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the autopsy on Wednesday and the results are still pending. No other information about the incident has been released as it remains under investigation.

Slippery conditions wreaked havoc on motorists in Door County all day on Wednesday, including one accident in the Town of Sevastopol that sent two people to the hospital. The accident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. at the intersection where State Highway 42/57 split heading north. According to the accident report, a 77-year-old Sturgeon Bay man and his wife were turning from STH 57 to head south on STH 42/57 when his sports-utility vehicle was struck by a 52-year-old Sturgeon Bay man driving through a red light heading north in his pick-up truck.  The cars were towed, and both men had to be transported to the hospital to be treated for their injuries while the female passenger was uninjured. The pick-up truck driver was cited for failing to stop at a red light. The accident report noted the wet, slushy conditions at the time of the crash, which was part of a busy day for emergency personnel and tow truck drivers. From midnight on Wednesday to 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, the Door County Sheriff’s Department received   15 calls for cars in the ditch and nearly a dozen calls for accidents.

You can do your part to ensure students and healthcare workers can continue to chase their dreams in the medical field. For nearly 70 years, the Door County Medical Center Auxiliary has raised money for its scholarships through the Angel Scholarship Campaign. More than $1 million has been raised during that time, positively impacting over 1,000 residents. Last year, the Auxillary raised nearly $50,000 for the fund through its Angel Scholarship Gala, an event that will not occur this year. In its place, two DCMCA supporters, Tom Pollock and Chris Gritzmacher, are offering to match all donations up to $50,000 before January 15th. Auxillary member Diana Kiederlen says the Angel Scholarship Campaign has greatly impacted students stretching from Algoma to Sister Bay.

The scholarships will be useful for those looking to get into the field. According to statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the average cost of medical school in the United States is $58,968 per year. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) says a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing program costs from $23,900 to $66,320.You can donate to the Angel Scholarship Campaign online by clicking this link.  

If you see a 16-year-old foreign exchange student from Hamburg, Germany, walking the halls of Gibraltar High School with a big smile, it's because he has greatly enjoyed his time in Door County since arriving in August. Claas Ihns says he wanted to participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange program since his parents are Rotarians in Germany and have interacted with many exchange students over the past few years.

He says his first host family has been great, and he had a student participating in the exchange program at his home in Hamburg.

Ihns shares how he traveled alone on his 16-hour flight to get to Door County and begin his junior year of high school.

Ihns notes the most significant difference between Germany and the United States is the amount of public transportation available in Europe and that school classes are different every day back home.  Regarding extra-curricular activities, Claas ran cross-country this past fall and is currently participating in a mock trial at Gibraltar.  He recommends that any high school student should experience the Rotary Youth Exchange program and is looking forward to living with two more host families during his stay in Door County.  You can reach out through the Rotary Club of Door County North website here, if you are interested in hosting an exchange student or have a child who would like to be an outbound student in the program. 

You can listen to the entire interview with Claas Ihns below.

You can sip and savor some homemade soups while supporting the Door County YMCA next Monday during the annual Soup Day.  Marketing and Events Director Makayla Thoma says YMCA members and local businesses donate the soups and will feature over 50 varieties, including some new ones.  She notes the soups will be available for pick up starting at 5:45 a.m. in Sturgeon Bay on Monday, December 9, with online ordering beginning the day before the event.

The price for the 16-ounce container of soup is $7, and all proceeds benefit the YMCA Annual Campaign. Mission Advancement Executive Brett Cleveland says the campaign supports the Y's most critical mission programs, including membership-for-all scholarships.

Online ordering for the Sturgeon Bay event can be found on the YMCA's Facebook page on Sunday evening of December 8.  The YMCA Kane Center in Fish Creek will host its Soup Day on January 20.

An overnight house fire on County M in the town of Nasewaupee has killed one person. The Nasewaupee Fire Department was dispatched about 2:30 Wednesday morning to a fire at 4092 County Road M.  Fire Chief Jacob Schartner says a MABAS call was made to other departments as the house was fully engulfed in flames.

Schartner says state fire investigators will be on the scene Wednesday, and more information will be released when it becomes available.

Algoma, Southern Door, Brussels-Union-Gardner, and Sturgeon Bay fire departments also responded to the fire call. 

The snow might have subsided, with some parts of Door County receiving over three inches of snow, but area drivers and residents will have to deal with strong winds for the next day or so.  The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the area from this evening until early Thursday morning for Door and Kewaunee counties.  Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and lawn decorations. The likelihood of power outages are possible with winds in excess of 45-50 miles per hour expected.  The Wind Advisory is from 6 p.m. tonight until 9 a.m. Thursday. 

With the Sturgeon Bay Common Council having council president Dan Williams filling in for Mayor David Ward to run the meeting Tuesday night, the city quickly approved new Planned Unit Development agreements for housing projects.

The first piece of business was the approval of the second reading of an ordinance rezoning the Estes Property at 1361 North 14th Avenue from Multi-Family Residential (R-4) and General Commercial (C-1) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD).

The council also unanimously approved the final PUD for an affordable housing project: a 58-unit multiple-family residential development by Spoerl Commercial at the southwest corner of Georgia Street and North 14th Avenue.

A recommendation from the Finance/Purchasing & Building Committee was approved by the council to transfer $50,000 for technology upgrades, from excess revenues from the Cable TV Fund to the General Fund Operating Technology/Computer Budget.

After the last agenda item and reports were given, the Sturgeon Bay Common Council went into a closed session to confer with legal counsel regarding litigation stemming from a Development Agreement with WWP Development, LLC. Three years ago, WWP Development proposed a Sturgeon Bay Plaza and Terrace on the city's west waterfront, which was revisited in March 2023 but never moved forward.  No action was taken by the council after the closed session with the meeting being adjourned.

While the world celebrates Giving Tuesday to support area non-profits, Door County is honoring the memory of a man who lived Giving Tuesday every day. Dick Egan passed away over the weekend at the age of 85. A summer resident since the 1950s, Egan and his wife Annie moved to Door County full-time in 1995 after he retired as the CEO of Little Rapids Corporation, a specialty paper products manufacturer based in Green Bay. The Egans became immersed in Door County, specifically in the community's non-profits. The couple sat on over a dozen non-profit boards, including HELP of Door County and the Door County YMCA. He also served in various capacities for the Door County Community Foundation, including chairman and secretary. Door County Community Foundation President and CEO Bret Bicoy says Egan was thrifty outside of his two vices in life: travel and charitable giving. His enthusiasm for Door County was infectious as he helped lead several causes that continue to impact the community positively. Thanks to Egan's generosity, Bicoy says Door County owes a lot to his friend, a debt that will be left unpaid.

Egan's wealth could be measured not just by dollars but also by knowledge. United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says Egan was one of the volunteers she inherited when she took the organization's reins 25 years ago. Kohnle appreciated his direct approach, especially in her early years with the United Way of Door County.

Kohnle was also thankful for her time with Egan as a Sturgeon Bay Noon Rotary Club member, where they took on challenges not just in Door County but worldwide. Egan and his wife were honored in 2016 as the Philanthropists of the Year. In addition to his wife, Egan is survived by his three children and eight grandchildren. You can read Egan's obituary by clicking on this link.

Picture courtesy of Heritage Funeral Home

Despite a slow start to the gun season, you will see fewer deer in the woods thanks to area hunters over the last two weeks. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, hunters registered 189,622 deer during the nine-day gun season, which includes 89,787 antlered deer. That is up 5.2 percent statewide over last year, with both antlered (3.6 percent) and antlerless (6.6 percent) also trending up. Door and Kewaunee counties saw similar increases in deer harvest numbers. In Door County, 2,451 deer (1,153 antlered) were harvested, an increase of 7.1 percent over 2023 and 5.9 percent over the five-year average. Kewaunee County saw 1,892 deer (828 antlered) registered, up 5.9 percent over last year and 0.2 percent above the five-year average.

Overall, the Wisconsin deer harvest across all seasons (bow, crossbow, gun, etc.) to this point is 289,361, which is up nearly nine percent from last year. The state also had one of its safest gun hunting seasons on record, with just one non-fatal accident occurring in Vernon County despite a slight increase in the number of hunters entering the woods this year.  There are also still more opportunities for hunters to find that trophy buck. The muzzleloader season runs until December 11th, and antlerless-only hunts will occur from December 12th to 15th and December 24th-January 1st. The archery season in many counties like Door and Kewaunee runs until January 31st. 

Although the voting at the polls is over this year, you can vote for this month's best-decorated building in the Heritage Village located next to Crossroads at Big Creek. The Door County Historical Society (DCHS) Is sponsoring "A Glimpse of Christmas Past," where various non-profit organizations compete in a decorating contest of the six historic buildings in the Heritage Village. Executive Director Amy Frank says the public can tour the facilities and vote with donations for their favorite.

Every Friday and Saturday in December, the Heritage Village will be open and free to tour the buildings from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.  A Glimpse of Christmas Past is free to attend, with the non-profit building that raises the most money earning this year's bragging rights, while the collaborating nonprofits will share all proceeds. 

The list of nonprofits and the buildings they are decorating at Heritage Village are listed below.

• Sunshine Resources will adorn the Heritage Chapel, reflecting their commitment to helping individuals with special needs achieve their dreams and goals.
• Door-Tran will decorate the Vignes Schoolhouse, showcasing their dedication to making transportation accessible and affordable for all.
• Friends of Potawatomi State Park will create a rustic winter theme in the Kohl Fishhouse, celebrating the natural beauty of Door County.
• Midsummer’s Music will bring a touch of elegance to the Warren House, representing their mission to inspire and educate through world-class chamber music.
• Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church will decorate the Schopf House, with proceeds supporting the Backpack Buddies program to provide snacks for children in need.

A new music festival coming to Door County in 2025 will leave you chasing saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and more around the peninsula. The Door County Jazz Festival will occur during the first week of August before hitting a crescendo at Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay on August 9th and 10th. It has been two years since Hortonville native and national recording artist Staci Griesbach came up with the idea. Outside of the jazz academy sessions at Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Griesbach noticed there was no jazz festival for a community that supports the arts as well as it does. Drawing on her performances at larger jazz festivals like the Newport Jazz Fest and the Monterey Jazz Fest and her time as an executive for Sony Pictures, Griesbach is excited to take on the challenge of being the festival’s founder and artistic director.

Griesbach hopes to book a wide range of performers for the weeklong festival, including ensembles from area colleges and Birch Creek. She hopes to release more details, including specific venues and bands, in the coming weeks and months on their website and social channels. The start of the festival also means the launch of the Door County Jazz Foundation, the non-profit tasked with putting on the event. You can learn more about the foundation and how you can support it here. 

If you harvested more venison than your freezer can hold, a Kewaunee County deer processor can help you find it a good home. Funded by the state's wildlife damage program and hunter donations, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has orchestrated its Hunt for Hungry program since 2000. During that time, hunters have donated more than 94,000 deer, which amounts to over 3.8 million pounds of ground venison. The state takes the donated venison and distributes it to food pantries, charitable organizations, and others to feed the less fortunate in the community. Only three processors participate in all of Brown, Door, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc counties. Carnival Deer Processing in Algoma is likely the closest participating processor for many hunters in Door and Kewaunee counties. Processing a donated deer for free takes as much time and energy as one of Kevin Guilette's paying customers. That being said, Guilette says it is worth giving back to the community supporting his other businesses.

You can donate any legally harvested deer until January 7^th. The DNR recommends you call ahead to ensure processors like Guilette have space to accept your donation. You can find more information about the program by clicking on this link.

Supporting your favorite charities does not have to mean that you need to find your checkbook and a roll of stamps. The organization is closing in on the halfway point of its $1 million annual campaign goal to fund its nearly 40 programs in 2025. While the traditional fundraising avenues continue to work, United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says they have thought outside of the box this year to help connect with more people who believe in their mission. She hopes last month's Door County Jeep Run and this weekend's Rock for a Reason event are just the latest and successful examples of the outside-the-box thinking required to get the community involved in their mission.

The United Way of Door County's Rock for a Reason concert is at the Door County Gala on December 6th and will feature the bands The Deep End and Steel Crossing. You can find more details below. The United Way of Door County's 2024 Annual Campaign Drive concludes on January 7th.

You will soon enjoy five new outdoor exhibits at the Belgian Heritage Center after the Green Bay Packers Foundation awarded the organization a $3,000 grant. Belgian Heritage Center Board Member Bill Chaudior says the grant will go a long way in telling the story and features of the buildings on the Belgian Heritage Center campus. He says the Packers’ history has many connections with the Belgian community in the area. 

The Belgian Heritage Center has a Green Bay Packer exhibit that has been displayed inside for the past few years, explaining all the connections of past players and coaches with the Belgian Community. The new outdoor exhibits will provide all-day, year-round insight into local history for visitors stopping after hours or during the offseason. 

(Press Release)

The Belgian Heritage Center is especially pleased to be recognized by the Green Bay
Packer Foundation because of the many connections between the Packers and the
Belgian community.  Curly Lambeau was known as the “Bellicose Belgian” because of
his roots.  His grandparents all immigrated from Belgium and many of the early players
had Belgian roots.  Others of Belgian ancestry made significant contributions to the
Packers. Frank John Jonet (1883-1951) from Tonet was an accountant with the Packers
and guided the reorganized Packers when they emerged from receivership in early
1935.  Judge Robert James Parins (1918-2017), was born in Namur, Wisconsin, and
became the first full-time Green Bay Packers president in 1982. Judge Parins served as
a member of the Packers Board of Directors for 28 years.

The Belgian Roots of the Green Bay Packers

by Lou Ann M. Novak

As I gaze at Lambeau Field, a question nags me, “If not for Belgian immigrants would there be a Green Bay Packers football team today?” 

To start, just take a look at three members of the original 1919 Packers team: “Curly” Lambeau, John Des Jardins and Wally Ladrow.

Earl Louis “Curly” Lambeau (1898-1964), co-founder of the Green Bay Packers, was born at Green Bay, Wisconsin, to Marcelin Lambeau and Mary Sara LaTour Lambeau. All four of his grandparents had emigrated from Belgium.

Lambeau was an outstanding athlete at Green Bay East High School and played halfback all four years of his attendance. Under Lambeau's class picture in the 1917 East High annual, it reads: "When I get thru with athletics, I'm going out and conquer the rest of the world."

After high school, Lambeau attended the University of Notre Dame to play for coach Knute Rockne on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish varsity squad. However, a severe case of tonsillitis forced him to return to Green Bay. After a long recovery from his illness, Lambeau went to work as a shipping clerk at the Indian Packing Company for $250 a month.

Rather than give up the game he loved, Lambeau joined George Whitney Calhoun of the Green Bay Press-Gazette to start a local football team. Lambeau’s employer, the Indian Packing Company, agreed to sponsor the team and pay for its uniforms and equipment. The Green Bay Packers were officially organized on August 11, 1919 in the Press-Gazette office.

Lambeau spent over 30 years playing and coaching the Packers football team, leading the Packers to a stunning 200 wins and six NFL Championships. The home stadium in Green Bay is named Lambeau Field in his honor.

John Arnold Des Jardins (1895-1969) was born in Champion, Wisconsin, to Alphonse Dujardin and Alice Petiniot Dujardin. All four of his grandparents had emigrated from Belgium.

Des Jardins, like Lambeau, attended Green Bay East High. One day Lambeau saw Des Jardins getting ready to ride his bike 10 miles and Lambeau asked him to try out for football because he was tough and strong. That was the first time Des Jardins had heard of the game.

Des Jardins started for East for two years, but became ineligible because of his age during his senior year. He once broke Lambeau’s leg at East High in practice. At the time, the East High Hilltoppers were undefeated and had one game to play. Unfortunately, they lost the game and the championship without Lambeau.

Des Jardins played center/guard on the original Packers team Lambeau hand selected in 1919, playing on four of the final five Packers games during that first season. Des Jardins died August 11, 1969, on the 50th birthday of the Packers.

Walter “Wally” Paul Ladrow (1895-1974), born in Brookside, Wisconsin, was the son of Jean Baptiste “John” Laduron, who had come from Meux, Belgium with his parents (Maximilien Laduron and Anne Josephe Herbignat) at the age of three. Ladrow’s mother, Adele Chartrand Laduron emigrated from Canada in 1866. 

Ladrow also played football at Green Bay East High School. In addition, he played fullback for the Hillsides, a town team representing the Astor Park area of Green Bay. Ladrow was temporarily sidelined by a broken collarbone in 1915.

When the call went out that Lambeau was organizing a “best of the best” city team, Ladrow was healed and eager to play. Ladrow, a running back, was on the Packers roster during the first two seasons, 1919 and 1920.

In 1921, the Green Bay City Directory lists Ladrow as a foreman at the Indian (soon to be Acme) Packing Company. Ladrow died July 22, 1974. He was the final surviving member of the Packers inaugural 1919 team.

Through the years other people of Belgian ancestry made significant contributions to the Green Bay Packers. There was Frank John Jonet (1883-1951), who was born in Tonet, Wisconsin. Jonet was involved as an accountant with the Packers from the very beginning and guided the reorganized Packers when they emerged from receivership in early 1935, saving the team for history.

In addition, there was Judge Robert James Parins (1918-2017), who was born in Namur, Wisconsin, and became the first full-time Green Bay Packers president in 1982. Judge Parins served as a member of the Packers Board of Directors for 28 years. 

Both Jonet and Parins have been inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.

Lambeau. Des Jardins. Ladrow. Jonet. Parins. All Belgian descendants who are part of Green Bay Packers history. Clearly, without these Belgian descendants, a small town in the Midwest might never have earned the nickname “Titletown.”