A Friday afternoon house fire in the Town of Ahnapee has left a family without a home for the foreseeable future.  Algoma Fire Department was dispatched about 1:30 p.m. to a structure fire on Birch Drive two miles west of Algoma when a nearby neighbor reported the blaze.  Fire Chief Tom Ackerman says eight other fire departments from Kewaunee and Door counties were called in for mutual aid and the front of the house was fully engulfed when crews arrived.  He says firefighters were able to knock down the fire but only after substantial damage and smoke damage occurred to the house, where nobody was home at the time.  Ackerman says the home is "unhabitable" and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.  Fire crews cleared the scene at about 5:30 p.m. 

You will see football fans of all shapes, sizes, and allegiances come to the region for April's NFL Draft, and the Austin Straubel Airport is doing its part to make it as easy as possible.

The Green Bay-based airport announced this week the addition of direct flights to Austin Straubel from cities across the country. United Airlines and American Airlines have added two additional flights to and from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, operating on April 23rd and 27th. American Airlines announced two non-stop flights from New York City's LaGuardia Airport on April 23rd and 27th. These are in addition to nonstop flights previously announced on Delta Air Lines to and from Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Orlando, LaGuardia, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Detroit. Airport Director Marty Piette says it is not just filling the need for the NFL Draft but also an opportunity for them to showcase what the airport can handle for future growth.

Austin Straubel is not the only airport in the region expecting increased traffic for the NFL Draft. Door County Cherryland Airport Director Craig Ross expects to see a boost in traffic similar to what they see for EAA AirVenture. He says they have already had multiple inquiries not just for air traffic but also for the availability of rental cars. 

Destination Door County has hosted two virtual meetings in conjunction with Discover Green Bay officials about how local businesses can get involved with the draft, including one as recent as December. More information is expected to be released in March after the NFL wraps up its efforts in organizing the Super Bowl and its related events. The NFL Draft is from April 24th to April 26th, with most of the activity taking place around Lambeau Field.

If you buy a piece of cake at this weekend's All Things Chocolate in Fish Creek, you might as well put some candles in it for the Gibraltar Historical Association's Alexander Noble House Museum. The home built in 1875 will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2025. It was the home for three generations of Alexander Noble's family. Now serving as a museum for the GHA, the Noble House showcases its unique architecture and a glimpse of Victorian life as Fish Creek grew up just outside its doors. The Noble House Museum now hosts a rotation of exhibits telling the story of the family and the area. GHA Director Laurie Buske is proud of the stories the organization has been able to tell that continue to welcome thousands of visitors every year.

When the Noble House Museum opens later this year, Buske says the featured exhibit will be about how people have celebrated milestone events over the years. 

A film festival held in February in Door County is expanding and changing its name this year.

The Door County Film Fest announced its official program lineup for its 16th annual event, which will be held February 13-15 at Northern Sky’s Gould Theater in Fish Creek. 

Formerly known as the Door County Short Film Festival, the event will feature a variety of independent short and feature films, including comedy, drama, suspense, action, romance, foreign-produced, and documentary. Executive Director Chris Opper says his team decided to make changes aimed at helping meet growing public interest over the years. He says the attendees can attend single sessions or the entire festival, adding a third day this year.

The Door County Film Fest will present four submitting filmmakers with “Golden Mug Awards” in 2025. The four award categories are Jury Award, People’s Choice (short), People’s Choice (feature narrative), and People’s Choice (feature documentary). Festival attendees are encouraged to submit their votes for the three People’s Choice Awards.

You can find more information on the 2025 Door County Film Fest here. 

You can catch professional and high school jazz musicians on one stage this weekend when Sturgeon Bay High School hosts its second jazz festival. The concert will feature the Swingin' Door Big Band and The Last of the Big Bands out of Green Bay and the jazz bands from Sturgeon Bay High School, Southern Door High School, and T.J Walker Middle School. The event goes beyond being just a fundraiser for the district's music programs, which is currently raising funds for a multi-million dollar renovation of the Robert H. Nickel Auditorium. 

Band director Heidi Hintz says it is an opportunity for the kids to interact with other jazz musicians as they work to perfect their craft.

For Lexi Lenius, jazz band allows her the opportunity to learn another instrument. She swaps out her piccolo for an alto saxophone in order to play in the ensemble. She says jazz band is a great way to stay involved in music.

The Sturgeon Bay High School Jazz Festival takes place on Saturday at 7 p.m. inside the auditorium. You can find more information about the event below.

Three anglers ice fishing near the Town of Naswaupee Wednesday evening got a scare when their UTV went through the ice on their way back to shore. Nasewaupee Fire and Rescue received the call shortly before 5 p.m. that a six-seater UTV went through the ice near the shore of Sherwood Point. According to Nasewaupee Firefighter and Public Information Officer Kyle Sheehy, two of the three men were driving off the ice to shore when they went through. They were able to get out of the water and to shore. Launching from the Potawatomi State Park boat launch, Nasawaupee firefighters were able to reach the other individual and bring them back to safety. With this being the third ice rescue in just over a week, Sheehy said this serves as another reminder that no ice is safe ice.

No one was hurt as a result of the incident, though the timeframe to recover the UTV is unknown. Sheehy added that they were able to clear the scene in about an hour.

Gone away is the bluebird, but you will see skiers, snowboarders, and tubers replacing them at Kewaunee Winter Park. Snowfall totals in January could be one of the lowest in history. Still, the cold temperatures have allowed Kewaunee County Parks Department officials to make up for Mother Nature's shortcomings by making their own snow. That has allowed Winter Park's ski hill and tubing hill to stay open and the Dana Farm ice skating rink to get more use than it has in years as well. Since other outdoor recreation activities like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing have been non-existent, Kewaunee County Promotions and Recreation Director Dave Myers says things have been busy on the hills.

Myers hopes they will get some real snow so they don't have to make as much of their own. As long as cold temperatures stay around, he is eyeing a closure date of sometime in March.

It could soon become harder for your students to check their text messages during the school day if a bill proposed by State Rep. Joel Kitchens becomes law. Under his bill, school districts across the state would be required to develop a policy effectively banning the use of cell phones, laptops, and other smart devices inside K-12 classrooms unless they are being used for instructional purposes. Luxemburg-Casco Intermediate School instituted a similar policy in recent years and parents in Gibraltar Area School District challenged their administration and school board to do something about cell phone use in the classroom. Kitchens says it is becoming evident that the devices are not just a distraction in the classroom, but it is also affecting the mental health of the children using them. 

Kitchens says much of the pushback has come from parents who feel like they need to be in contact with their children, especially in the wake of last month's shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in the Madison area. He believes this measure would help law enforcement investigate incidents more effectively and put more onus on school districts to communicate with their families more quickly. The bill is slated to go to committee in the coming weeks, so it could potentially be signed into law by the end of February.

An early afternoon and quick response by the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department on Wednesday extinguished a backyard grass fire just south of Institute. Shortly after 1:00 p.m., multiple Sturgeon Bay Fire Department units were dispatched for a grass fire about 20 by 30 feet in size just south of the Sevastopol Town Park east of Highway 57. Traffic on the highway was not impacted, and the fire was quickly contained.

Sturgeon Bay Assistant Fire Chief Ethan Jorns says the grassfire was caused by the property owner burning material in his backyard without a fire ring.

Jorns added that the fairly strong westerly winds pushed the fire to a rock line, allowing firefighters to get ahead of it. The firefighters were on site for about 40 minutes before clearing the scene shortly before 2:00 p.m. 

Procrastinators and property owners in Door and Kewaunee Counties can avoid penalties by paying their taxes on time.  The deadline to pay the first installment of property taxes is this Friday.  Door County Treasurer Ryan Schley says tax payments can be mailed by Friday or dropped off at the Door County Treasurer's office in Sturgeon Bay by 11:00 a.m. Friday.

In Kewaunee County, your initial payment needs to be mailed and postmarked to your municipality by this Friday, January 31. The second payment of the year may also be paid by July 31 at the Kewaunee County Treasurer's office.   

Real estate owners who are delinquent in paying their property taxes will be assessed a 1.5 percent late payment fee per month.

You can experience the unusual array of outdoor games at Door County’s first festival of 2025 in Fish Creek this weekend.  With seasonal temperatures forecasted, the 37th annual Winterfest is expected to draw huge crowds with heated tents overlooking the frozen waters of Green Bay at Clark Park. 

The top attractions of the weekend include a bike toss, ice bowling, a cherry pit spit contest, Stumpf fiddling, a Snowflake cake bake, live music, fireworks, and a fruit loop run. The festival also incorporates local activities like All Things Chocolate at the Old Town Hall and the Candlelight Ski-Hike at Peninsula State Park. 

While most activities occur on Saturday, Fish Creek Winterfest kicks off with a Cosmic Glow Shoot at the Peninsula Gun Club on Friday evening starting at 6 p.m.  You can find the full list of activities and events below.  

Friday

6-8 pm. Cosmic glow shoot at Peninsula Gun Club

Saturday

10 am – 6 pm. Heated Main Tent at Clark Park.

10 am – 3 pm. Game booths open at Clark Park.

10 am – 3 pm. All Things Chocolate at the Old Gibraltar Town Hall

11 am – 4 pm. Trolley rides throughout the town.

11 am – 4 pm. Free henna tattoos at Castle Art, Unit A5 of Top of the Hill Shops

11 am – 1 pm. Snowflake Cake Bake at Main Tent.

12:30 pm. Ice rescue demonstration.

1 pm. Cherry pit spit contest at Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery and Market 

2 pm: Stumpf-fiddle contest at Main Tent.

3-6 pm: The Main Tent will have live music by Bacchus Lotus.

6 pm: Fireworks 

5-8 pm. Candlelit ski/hike at Peninsula State Park. 

9:30 pm. Live music by Ketchup at Hill Street, 4149 State Highway 42.

Sunday

10:30 am. Fruit Loop Run through downtown Fish Creek.

The Door County YMCA will celebrate the kickoff of its annual campaign next month with a free community breakfast as the organization recently surpassed the 12,000-member mark.  Mission Advancement Executive Brett Cleveland says the breakfast and presentation will allow the public to hear from Executive Director Tanya Felhofer on the current “state of the Y”.  Cleveland says the funds raised throughout the year through the annual campaign go towards the “membership for all” program.

The Door County YMCA annual Community Breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. on February 13 at Stone Harbor Resort & Conference Center in Sturgeon Bay.  You can reserve a seat for the event by calling the YMCA or registering online at doorcountyymca.org. 

You can listen to Brett Cleveland's interview on the Y Wednesday podcast page by clicking here.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials want to ensure you that a famous section of State Highway 42 in Gills Rock will not change even as construction crews plan to work there in the coming years. WDOT announced on Monday that it is developing plans for the 2.2-mile stretch of highway from a point just west of the west junction with Wisconsin Bay Road in Gills Rock to the Ferry Landing in Northport. This includes the often-photographed portion of the roadway, including the approximately 15 curves between Timberline Road and Porte des Morts Drive. The department is taking comments on the project's scope, schedule, and traffic impacts as they work to address the roadway's deteriorating condition. Spokesperson Mark Kantola emphasized that this will merely be a resurfacing project and that the road's curves will not go away.

The road, which is part of the Door County Coastal Byway and National Scenic Byway, will stay open during the construction project, which is scheduled to take place in 2028. You can learn more about the project and find out how you can offer your own comments on it by clicking this link.

Whether it is in the middle of the bay or lake or right along its shorelines, Mother Nature is giving you many reasons to stay off the ice for the time being. The National Weather Service warned there would be a medium risk of ice floes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. due to gusty winds backing to the south-southwest and warmer temperatures. The concern for ice floes stretches from the area of the Town of Scott in Brown County to an area between Little Sturgeon Bay and Sherwood Point.

Door County Emergency Management Director Jeb Saelens expects a lot of ice moving this week, making it dangerous for people to be out on the ice.

In some areas, it is not much safer closer to shore as ice shelves form. The Algoma Chamber of Commerce took to its social media channels to warn people against walking on the ice shelves formed when breaking waves and spray freeze in frigid temperatures. While they look cool, shelf ice is dangerous to walk on because of its series of holes, crevices, and cracks, along with temperature fluctuations that could affect its integrity. The National Parks Services says wave action could poke holes into the ice shelf, causing ice volcanoes to form. Ice volcanoes make it easier for people walking on them to fall in and potentially not be able to climb out. Temperatures are expected to fluctuate throughout the week, including another day in the 40s on Thursday.

Picture courtesy of Algoma Chamber of Commerce

A potentially dangerous fire situation was averted Monday afternoon in the town of Clay Banks.  The Southern Door Fire Department was alerted by someone walking by around 4:20 p.m. of unsupervised fires burning in an open lot on Lower LaSalle Road.  Fire Chief Rich Olson says when crews arrived, there were three separate small fires that were started with charcoal, wood pellets, and pieces of wood inside the half-barrels.  Olson suspects the fires were set to thaw out the ground in order to perform a percolation test.  He says the fire was dangerous and could have easily spread with the nearby brush around it.  The party responsible for lighting the fire did not have a burning permit and had left the scene. 

Olson adds that the Door County Sheriff's Department is investigating and trying to track down the person who started the illegal fire and violated the burning permit ordinance.  

If you want to vote for Andrea Frank as Sturgeon Bay mayor in April, you will have to write it in.

The City of Sturgeon Bay announced yesterday that it discovered an error on Frank’s nomination papers, revealing that at least three of her 51 signatures were from non-city residents. Candidates for mayor need to have between 50 and 100 signatures to be placed on the ballot. City Clerk Stephanie Reinhardt shared that “part of the election process includes a facial review of nomination papers before certifying the ballot placement to the County Clerk.” During this process, the city discovered the non-city residents who had signed the papers. As a part of the process, each person circulating nomination papers must certify that each signature is from the City of Sturgeon Bay, something Frank did when she signed the Certification of Circulator that states, “I know the signers are electors of the jurisdiction or district the candidate seeks to represent.”

Because of this decision, Frank will not appear on the ballot, and she will now have to run as a write-in candidate. All other candidates who filed nomination papers, which includes current Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward, will appear on the ballot. 

UPDATE: 

On Tuesday afternoon, Frank announced that she was filing a formal complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission concerning her omission from the ballot. She says she returned the signatures on December 20th, more than two weeks before the nomination paper deadline.  Frank's campaign said they heard nothing from city hall in the days that followed, despite making several attempts. It was not until January 21st that she heard from Sturgeon Bay City Hall, past the statutory deadlines for certifying ballot access. "I wasn't given the chance to rectify the situation within the deadlines laid out by state statutes, but my campaign collected additional signatures that I could have turned in had I been given the opportunity or notified in a timely manner that an issue was present," Frank said. Frank's campaign says they were informed by the WEC that an official inquiry is justified. "I know that I followed state statutes and the process as it was laid out to me by the city clerk, but time and time again we ran into roadblocks that went unresolved," the campaign's statement read. You can read the full statement from the Frank campaign here.

Photo from Vote for Andrea Frank Facebook page.

With two recent rescues of stranded ice fishermen in Door County and above-freezing high temperatures expected all this week, local and state officials are warning people to take extra precautions if venturing out on the frozen bay or lakes.  Last Friday afternoon, a large group of fishermen were stranded and eventually rescued near Snake Island when the ice cracked and separated some 30 feet offshore.  One week before that rescue, the Nasewaupee Fire Department airboat brought two anglers safely to shore after strong south winds caused a crack. Department Conservation Warden Chris Kratcha says anglers should always be wary of ice depths and changing wind conditions.  He recommends bringing emergency equipment to help you should you fall through the ice.

Kratcha adds that having a plan and informing others of it is essential before leaving the shore to ice fish. A 65-year-old Kewaunee man died last month after falling through the ice on the Kewaunee River. Below is a list of ice fishing safety tips from the Wisconsin DNR.

Education

The annual rite of passage for the state’s taxpayers is here, and organizations are waiting to assist you if you need help. Monday marked the first day people could start filing their income taxes in Wisconsin. People looking to file their taxes can continue to use the state’s Direct File system, tax filing software, or a tax preparer. Since 1968, the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program has provided free tax preparation help for over 78 million taxpayers, focusing on older adults with low to moderate incomes. 

Unless you are applying for an extension, the deadline to file your taxes is April 15th.

You can find more information here

It has been quiet on the area's snowmobiling trails in northeast Wisconsin. However, advocates for the activity are still working hard to ensure the tradition continues in Door and Kewaunee counties. The area has seen far below the amount of snow it usually sees for the winter months. According to the Wisconsin State Climatology Office, the state received about nine inches of snow in November and December. January has more than made up for it in past years, with double-digit totals falling four of the last five years, including 18.8 inches last year and 19.2 inches in 2020. Kewaunee Moonriders Snowmobile Club President Tom Cherovsky says the lack of snow does make it harder to keep people interested in the sport. He is proud they could keep trails open last year for nearly two weeks before eventually giving way to spring. He says even if they cannot ride, there is plenty of stuff they are doing now, hoping enough snow will fall to open the trails.

According to Travel Wisconsin, most of the state is in the same boat as Door and Kewaunee counties when it comes to trails due to a lack of snow. In fact, only three counties in far northern Wisconsin have their trails open, and only one of them is listed in fair condition.

Door County Board members could approve up to five companies to help residents and businesses connect better to the Internet.

Municipalities nationwide are working with providers to best use the millions of federal dollars available through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Kewaunee County Board Supervisors voted earlier this month to endorse Bertram Communications’ application for BEAD funding to support their broadband infrastructure project connecting 4,200 residents in underserved and unserved areas.

If approved by the Door County Board on Tuesday, Bertram Communications is in line for a similar project in Door County, building on their current relationships with the Village of Sister Bay and the towns of Baileys Harbor, Gibraltar, and Clay Banks. AT&T Wisconsin is slated for a BEAD-funded project benefiting the underserved and unserved areas of the Town of Nasewaupee and the Village of Egg Harbor. The company is already working with the towns of Egg Harbor, Sturgeon Bay, and Sevastopol. The parent company of nSight and Cellcom has been endorsed for a project in Door County, complementing their efforts in the Town of Liberty Grove and Washington Island. Connect Holding II has been chosen for the project serving the towns of Brussels, Union, Gardner, Forestville, and Nasewaupee, while Frontier North will work on a project in the Town of Liberty Grove. According to Broadband Coordinator Jessica Hatch, Door County has secured $8.2 million in funding for its broadband expansion efforts. Still, it recognizes that the BEAD grants will go a long way in connecting the entire county with high-speed internet.

When it meets Tuesday at 10 a.m., the Door County Board will also officially accept several grants from Destination Door County and the state and authorize the hiring of a construction manager for the proposed Door County Museum and Archives construction project.

A new documentary film that tells the underwater impact of the quagga mussels in the Great Lakes will be featured on Thursday, January 30, at Crossroads at Big Creek.  “All Too Clear” is a 90-minute production that uses underwater drones to explore the re-engineering of the ecosystem in the Great Lakes by the tiny invasive mussels.  Filmmaker Yvonne Drebert, who will be at the showing at Crossroads, along with her husband Zach Melnick, spent 150 days filming underwater, including in Door County last year.  Retired DNR Fisheries Biologist Mark Holey says the quagga and zebra mussels rank one and two of the ten most nastiest invasive species in the Great Lakes.   

The “All Too Clear” documentary at Crossroads is sold out for in-person attendance but can be watched via Zoom or Facebook Live on the Door County Library website.  A question and answer period with Drebert will follow the film, which starts at 6:30 p.m.   The presentation is part of the Fish Tales Lecture Series and is sponsored by Healthy Water Door County to Honor the memory of Dick Egan with support from the Women’s Fund of Door County. 

A local veteran’s organization is making efforts to provide community outreach to help military men and women who served our country find the support and fellowship they are seeking.  Wisconsin AMVETS Executive Director and Weber-Tess Post 51 member Dale Wiegand says his local charter is currently planning on helping a Veterans 1st NEW initiative that received Green Bay City Council approval last June to build 21 tiny homes specifically for homeless veterans, or those vets struggling to afford housing in Green Bay.  

Another project by the Am Vets is a White Clover Drive every year, which helps raise money for veteran hospitals in the state. The white clover, which means “Remember Me,” is the official flower of the Am Vets organization.

The AMVETS Post 51 in Door County meets monthly. Their next meeting is this Tuesday at 7 p.m. at The Lodge at Leathem Smith in Sturgeon Bay, and it is open to anyone to attend. 

The award-winning documentary film All Too Clear: Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes will be shown at Crossroads at Big Creek this Thursday, January 30, at 6:30 p.m., as part of their Fish Tales Lecture Series educational program. Through stunning, never-before-seen underwater video, the film describes the impact of invasive zebra and quagga mussels on the Great Lakes. 

Healthy Water Door County is sponsoring  the screening to honor the memory of Dick Egan (one of the members of the fund’s Advisory Board along with his wife Annie) and to achieve its mission “to protect our community’s human, environmental, and economic health by guarding against threats to our water.”  Thanks to the Women’s Fund of Door County, the film’s director & producer, Yvonne Drebert, will be present for a question-and-answer session following the showing.

Tickets for the event have been sold out, but thanks to our partnership with the Door County Library, the community can view the film via a Zoom link found on the event date of the library’s event calendar on their webpage.

Most folks have heard of zebra mussels. In his book “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes,” Dan Egan wrote: “Zebra mussels proved to be an expensive nuisance indeed for industries and cities that depend on water, costing billions of dollars over the past quarter century…..yet the ecologic damage is minor in comparison to their cousin, the quagga mussel.

“Unlike zebra mussels, which typically aren’t found at depths beyond 60 feet, quaggas have been plucked from waters as deep as 540 feet. This depth tolerance, coupled with the fact that quaggas don’t require a hard surface to attach to, means they can blanket vast swaths of lake bottom.  Zebra mussels also only feed during warmer months. Quaggas filter nutrients out of the water year-round.”

“All Too Clear’ is providing an unprecedented peek into the Great Lakes and revealing important and never-before-seen information on the behavior of fish in their highly dynamic and rapidly changing environments,” says Dr. Andrew Muir, science director at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. “The incredible footage captured by Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert will help scientists communicate the issues associated with the reengineering of our aquatic ecosystems that has unfolded over the past several decades because of invasive mussels,” continued Muir.

Crossroads will sponsor several youth programs this week, and we invite families to drop in during open hours to use our Nature Play Area (located in front of the fish wall).

And as soon as we have enough snow to create a base, our Ski for Free program will be offered. Watch the ticker on the Crossroads website for trail conditions and Ski for Free information.

On the first Monday of each month, Crossroads holds its Current (Environmental) Events Club,  an ecological article discussion group, during which we deep dive into current ecological articles for lively discussions, new friendships, and deepening our understanding of the natural world! Not surprisingly, the topic this month will be “Quagga Mussels”. Folks can pick up a packet of selected articles at the front desk at the Collins Learning Center during open hours.  However, participants are not required to read them before the gathering, and those who cannot participate are welcome to pick up the article packets.

Thursday, January 30,

Fish Tales Documentary  “All Too Clear”

Directed by the husband-and-wife filmmaking team, Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert, the immersive film uses cutting-edge underwater drones to explore how quadrillions of tiny invasive mussels, known as quaggas, are re-engineering the ecosystem of the Great Lakes at a scale not seen since the glaciers.

Q&A with Filmmaker Yvonne Drebert follows the film! Sponsored by Healthy Water Door County to honor the memory of Dick Egan and with support from the Women’s Fund of Door County.

Tickets are sold out, so to participate via ZOOM, go to https://doorcountylibrary.org/event and click on  January 30 to find the link.

Saturday, February 1

2:00 Science Saturday: “Fit the Bill”

This indoor family program is geared towards elementary students, but learners of all ages are invited to learn how the various shapes of birds' beaks determine their food preferences. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration is not required. It is free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.

Monday, February 3

1:30 Current (Environmental) Events Club

All are welcome at this free discussion group, where we deep dive into current ecological articles with lively discussions, new friendships, and deepening our understanding of the natural world! The topic this month will be “Quagga Mussels.” Folks can pick up a packet of selected articles at the front desk at the Collins Learning Center during open hours. Reservations are not required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay

Tuesday, February 4
3:30 pm Environmental Exploration: Wildlife Trails

This outdoor program is geared toward elementary students, but learners of all ages will venture into the preserve to look for wildlife trails. Indoor program if weather conditions are unfavorable.

Free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay. Free and open to the public.

Dry conditions due to the wind and lack of snow is to blame for a grass fire near Center Road near Carnot Saturday morning. Crews from the Southern Door Fire Department began arriving just after 11:20 a.m. to tend to the grass fire. The wind gave the blaze extra fuel, but thanks to help received from brush trucks from the Brussels-Union-Gardner and Nasewaupee Fire departments, they were able to stop the fire from reaching a nearby cedar swamp. Hot spots and hollow trees burning on the inside kept crews on scene until nearly 1:10 p.m. Embers that escaped a fire pit ring are believed to have started the fire that burned approximately five acres of land.

Picture courtesy of Southern Door Fire Department 

A name change and more than three years later, Door County will get its close-up on the silver screen. The movie "Green and Gold" is set to debut in theaters later this week. The movie was called "God Loves the Green Bay Packers" when the movie's producers, Davin and Anders Lindwall, were filming in parts of Door County. Filmed in the fall of 2021, Baileys Harbor provided the backdrop for a scene involving a fish fry and a bar, while a church in Brussels and a farm in Egg Harbor were also used in the shooting of the film starring Craig T. Nelson and Charlie Berens.

Nelson thanked the people of Door County for their hospitality during the movie shoot at a premiere event held at Lambeau Field earlier this month. With the movie coming out just months before the NFL Draft, Destination Door County's Jen Rogers says the timing could not be better to showcase the peninsula.

The movie hits theaters nationwide on January 31st, including at the Sturgeon Bay Cinema. 

Picture and video from Green and Gold Movie website 

I am going to interrupt my annual reporting for this week as I have had a request to share information about a specific traffic safety concern. This is also a topic I have seen bantered around on social media lately, so it may assist others in gaining clarity on the specific statutes that apply. The topic at hand is Wisconsin State Statute 346.08, “When Overtaking and Passing on the Right is Permitted”

Before I get into the issues relating to passing on the right, I want to give a quick summary of the specifics surrounding passing on the left. This is much more straightforward and is a more common occurrence, but still worth revisiting. Of course, you can pass on the left in a passing zone so long as you do not create a hazardous condition and you do not exceed the speed limit in doing so. Secondly, you must make sure you are well beyond the vehicle you have passed before returning to your previous lane of travel. Also, the use of directional signals is required before you begin passing and before you return to your previous lane of travel. Finally, a part of this statute that is not as well known is that you can pass in a no-passing zone so long as the vehicle you are overtaking is doing less than half the posted speed limit. The one exception to this rule is that of Implements of Husbandry. You are not allowed to pass implements of husbandry in a no-passing zone, no matter how slow they are going. In those situations, just relax and enjoy the view.

In all of these scenarios, it goes without saying that the opposite lane of traffic must be clear enough so as to execute your passing maneuver without creating a hazard.

Now, on to the issue of passing on the right. Below are the three circumstances in which passing on the right is allowed:

When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn or U-turn; or

Upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width to enable 2 or more lines of vehicles lawfully to proceed, at the same time, in the direction in which the passing vehicle is proceeding; or

Upon a one-way street or divided highway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width to enable two or more lines of vehicles lawfully to proceed in the same direction at the same time.

One caveat to the above allowances is that of passing at an intersection. This is covered under Wisconsin state Statute 346.10 “When Passing at a Railroad Crossing, Intersection, Bridge, Viaduct Prohibited”

This Statute states the following: The operator of a vehicle shall not overtake and pass any other vehicle proceeding in the same direction when approaching within 100 feet of or traversing any intersection unless the roadway is marked or posted for 2 or more lines of vehicles moving simultaneously in the direction in which such vehicle is proceeding or unless permitted or directed by a traffic officer to pass at such intersection.

As a relatable example, I will use the intersection of STH 29 and CTH AB just east of Pilsen. If you are headed either eastbound or westbound, and the vehicle in front of you is attempting to make a left turn, you SHOULD NOT pass that vehicle on the right. You may argue that there is a paved lane that allows for this, but that “Lane” is there primarily for making right turns (Thus the solid white line). Although it is not signed for right turn only, its use for passing on the right is not recommended.

The important part of all of this is that in most, if not all, situations, patience is the better option. The millisecond you may gain from an unsafe passing maneuver is not worth it. Remember that travel, much like life, is all about the journey, not the destination. Enjoy the journey!

For the second time in one week, ice anglers on the bay off of Sand Point Bay Road in Nasewaupee had to be rescued after the ice separated offshore.  The United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Nasewaupee Fire Department, and the Door County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call of about a dozen ice anglers stranded about a mile offshore near Larsen’s Reef.  United States Coast Guard Officer in Charge Chris Zahn says the ice separated about 30 feet and required the USCG and DNR airboats to be deployed. 

All eleven ice fishermen were safely returned to shore, and the rescue operation took over two hours to complete. Emergency personnel cleared the scene at about 4:15 p.m. Last Friday morning, the Nasewaupee Fire Department rescued two anglers off the ice in the same general area of Green Bay.    

Mass deportations have begun across the country, which is sending fear into the hearts of your Hispanic neighbors and co-workers. The deportations are just one of the actions being taken by the Trump administration to address illegal immigration in the United States. According to WGN-TV, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have already arrested approximately 500 people across the country, most of which carry with them a criminal record. A policy change that will now allow ICE agents to apprehend suspects in sensitive areas like schools and churches forced the Green Bay Area School District to release detailed procedures on what to do if one of their buildings is targeted for a raid. According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the district does not anticipate law enforcement issues but wants a plan in place just in case it does happen. Local advocate Imelda Delchambre says the people she works with are worried about what the next several weeks will bring. She is encouraging them to have faith.

Delchambre adds that illegal immigrants who commit crimes should deported and wishes there was an easier path to citizenship in the United States for those who are already here. She hopes that businesses that rely on immigrant labor in Door and Kewaunee counties stand up for their employees and their families.

After filling up three notebooks full of ideas, Sturgeon Bay author Joseph Lopez hopes the 22 sentences that made the cut will make a difference in your children's lives. Lopez's previous outings as an author included a self-help book for men and collections of poetry. His background led HELP of Door County, where he serves as a domestic violence intervention program facilitator, to ask him if he would consider writing a book for young kids about emotions like anger, empathy, loneliness, boredom, and jealousy. Lopez says many kids and parents do not have conversations about their feelings and how to handle them, which can create bad habits later in life. With the help of a dog named Maeve and a squirrel named Charlie, Lopez hopes the book can assist them.

Lopez is proud of the impact the book has already made in the short time it has been out, receiving correspondence from people worldwide. He hopes to be able to write similar books for other young age groups in the future. You can find the book, "Maeve and Charlie Sniff Out Emotions" locally and online.

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it is essential to keep checking in on the seniors in your life. Winter can be a challenging time for seniors, both physically and mentally. With the threat of potential falls, snow shoveling injuries, and driving accidents, many seniors choose to stay in rather than go out to visit friends and family or volunteer with their favorite organization. Mentally, seasonal affective disorder, also known as the winter blues, can settle in due to the isolation and cause other issues down the road. Door County Medical Center Senior Life Solutions Program Director Jennalee Lundquist says it is open to keep the lines of communication open.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 14 percent of adults aged 60 and over live with a mental disorder, with loneliness and social isolation becoming the key risk factors for them. Senior Life Solutions supports the mental health of older adults facing depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges often associated with aging, with a range of resources to help them cope.
 

Performers you may have seen on the Birch Creek Music Performance Center stages are returning to Egg Harbor this year, beginning at next month's Valentine's Day concert. L-O-V-E ~ Love Songs from the Great American Songbook as the theme for this year's dinner concert, featuring Katie Ernst, Larry Brown, and Dustin Laurenzi. Ernst was a "Creeker", also known as a Birch Creek alum, growing up before traveling the country as a professional musician and returning as a faculty member. Executive Director Mona Christensen says it is always special when someone who has gone through the academy experience returns to play.

More "Creekers" are expected to perform during Birch Creek Music Performance Center's 50th season, which will be announced on March 1st. The Valentine's Day dinner concert, which raises essential support for future "Creekers" through its Play it Forward Annual Fund, is February 15th at Birch Creek's Juniper Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.

Next month, you can participate in a free presentation by Write On Door County with renowned playwright Anne Bertram. She will showcase three influential women theatre artists: Izumo no Okuni, Aphra Behn, and Eleonora Duse.   

 Okuni created Kabuki theatre, which ironically became an all-male art form. Behn’s influence includes writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Rabidndranath Tagore Duse’s revolutionary approach to acting. They helped mold performers such as Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and Dustin Hoffman.  

Bertram is a playwright based in Minneapolis. She was a founding artistic associate and Executive Director of Theatre Unbound, a Minneapolis/St. Paul company devoted to work by and about women. 

The event, sponsored and hosted by Write On Door County, will be held on Saturday, February 8, at 1:00 p.m. in Fish Creek. 

Speakers will concentrate on what is underneath your feet when you are out in the fields at Peninsula Pride Farms' annual meeting next month in Luxemburg. Lance Gunderson of Regen Soil Labs and Jamie Patton from the Natural Resources Conservation Services will be the main speakers ahead of a panel discussing key challenges when addressing local water quality. Peninsula Pride Farms has invested much time and effort into addressing soil quality. According to their sustainability project findings last year, the average rate of soil erosion for corn grain over the four-year project period was 0.97 tons per acre per year, significantly lower than the state benchmark of 3.5 tons per acre per year for corn grain. Part of the credit belongs to conservation practices like reduced and no-tillage of fields and cover crops. Peninsula Pride Farms president Duane Ducat says the organization's annual meetings share a lot of information that explains why those conservation strategies are worth the effort.

The Peninsula Pride Farms Annual Meeting will be held on February 3rd at the Rendezvous of Luxemburg, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Registration information is available here.

Governor Tony Evers called on the Wisconsin Legislature to consider the children while outlining his priorities during his 2025 State of the State.

The Democratic governor spoke to the Republican-held legislature and a full gallery for nearly an hour on Wednesday weeks before introducing his biennial budget. He tied many of his ideas to improving the outcomes of the state's youth, such as increasing public investment in K-12 schools, universities, and technical colleges, introducing universal free breakfast and lunch, expanding in-school mental health services, and addressing lead in water wells. "The obligation to help address the challenges our kids are facing in the 80 percent of the time they are not in school falls squarely at the feet of elected officials in this building," Evers said. "So, tonight, I'm declaring 2025 the Year of the Kid in Wisconsin because I want everyone here to start taking that important responsibility seriously." Evers called the Legislature to use the $50 million already approved on a bipartisan basis to get to work immediately.

Rep. Joel Kitchens says while he likes Evers' ideas in a broad sense, how they would be paid for is a different story.

Kitchens hopes that making retirement funds tax-free and funding K-12 schools to offset special education costs are included in the final budget. Evers' speech also addressed gun control, suicide prevention, affordable childcare and health care, and immigration. You can watch the full speech and the Republican response below. 

Screenshot picture courtesy of PBS Wisconsin

Thanks to Door County Farm for Vets, a concept born during World War I could be returning to a yard near you. Victory Gardens were made popular during both world wars as people planted vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens at their homes and in public parks to boost the amount of food and morale in the United States and along the front lines. The Door County Farm for Vets program will help area veterans plant their own Victory Gardens by supplying the tools, irrigation systems, fertilizer, and other items to get their plots off on the right foot. Door County Farm for Vets President Jacob Vandenplas hopes that farmers develop a sense of pride and purpose and pass their skills along to other veterans who may also need support.

Vandenplas says support and interest in the Victory Gardens program have been strong since the start of the year. You can click this link to support their efforts. 

A portion of State Highway 57 entering Sturgeon Bay is limited to one lane due to a water main break that is slowing traffic and leaving a nearby trailer park without water.

As of 5:20 a.m. Thursday morning, crews were on site trying to remedy the situation. No timeline has been set for its repair.

Despite the frigid temps moving most of the inauguration day festivities indoors, Door County Republican Chairperson Stephanie Soucek could not have picked a more meaningful day to be in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump was sworn into the office on Monday, becoming the second man in history to serve two non-consecutive terms in White House. The coldest inauguration day since President Ronald Reagan moved the swearing-in ceremony under the U.S. Capitol rotunda and the parade inside the Capital One Arena. It forced many supporters into nearby bars and restaurants to tune into the festivities. Despite the weather-related change of plans and long waits for the events she attended, it is an experience Soucek will not soon forget.

Trump wasted no time addressing some of the items he campaigned on leading up to the November election. That included measures that will withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement, declare a national emergency at the southern border and in the energy sector, and pardon nearly 1,600 people for their role on January 6th, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. 

Thursday will begin the highly successful Fish Tales series again at Crossroads at Big Creek.  The series, founded by Mark Holey and Coggin Herringa, presents the science of Great Lakes Fisheries.  The Program Director and Naturalist at Crossroads, Heeringa says the idea behind Fish Tales came from a conversation with Holey after a hearing where inaccurate statements were made.  

A retired Great Lakes fish biologist, Holey worked for the Wisconsin DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  He says the series offers the public to learn first-hand the science behind managing the Great Lakes fisheries. 

The first Fish Tales Lecture Series is this Thursday at 7 p.m. and features Dr. David "Bo" Bunnel, a research fisheries biologist from the Great Lake Science Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  The topic will cover the opportunities and challenges of restoring native prey fishes to the Great Lakes.  If you can't attend the one-hour presentation, it will be offered via Zoom on the Door County Library website here. 

You can listen to the entire interview with Mark Holey and Coggin Heeringa on the podcast page here.

You can have your child take advantage of a spot at the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay to just hang out with friends while participating in activities and games.  The new Underground is a program in the YMCA basement where children report if they are at the facility after school without a parent or guardian.  School-Age Director Ashley Bagneski says the Underground is a place for kids to have fun while waiting for their after-school program to start.  She adds that the area is supervised by a staff member with activities like ping-pong, basketball, or foosball.

BAGNESKI1

The Underground is open Monday through Thursday from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. for kids 8-11 years old and Tuesday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. for children ten and older. You can call the Door County YMCA for more details on the free Underground program.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council moved quickly in its meeting Tuesday night, as the city’s business primarily concerned three consent agenda items while accepting a big check from Destination Door County (DDC).

The 15-minute meeting started with a check presentation by Destination Door County’s Executive Director Julie Gilbert of $100,000 to Mayor David Ward and Municipal Services Director Mike Barker from the Community Investment Fund.  The city had applied for a grant from the DDC, which distributed the money raised from the county room tax.  Mayor Ward explained that the grant funds would be used for a project to create a pathway under the Bay View Bridge to connect the Ahnapee Trail on each side of Highway 42/57 south of the bridge. 

Ward estimated the total project cost would be nearly $500,000 to connect the trail. 

After the check presentation, the council approved the consent agenda, including three Finance/Purchasing & Building Committee recommendations for purchasing a heavy-work truck and plow truck, a back-hoe loader, and a steel roof replacement.

In the final piece of business Tuesday, the Sturgeon Bay Common Council approved the resolution to combine the wards for the spring primary to one voting poll location since only the state superintendent of public instruction is on the ballot.  The spring primary is Tuesday, February 18.  

Students in the Luxemburg and Casco area will have another day off from classes as all other local schools reopen.  Luxemburg-Casco School District announced that it will still be closed on Wednesday because of the effects of the Arctic blast over the past few days, which continues today.   Due to weather impacting the buses, L-C school officials decided on Tuesday they did not have enough operational buses to transport students safely on Wednesday. 

You will see a temporary traffic pattern change in Algoma on 5th Street for a few weeks.  Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy says due to mitigating factors of a delay in the delivery of trusses for the three-story apartment complex being built in the area, the southbound lane on 5th Street will be closed to traffic with a one-way northbound lane of traffic from Clark Street to Steele Street.  He says the decision was made after a request from the construction company was agreed upon by Denny's Super Valu across the street and Algoma Public Works Director Casey Groessl.

Murphy states that No parking will be allowed on either side of the street while it remains one way, which should be for about two weeks.  The 40-unit housing project is slated for tenants to move in by October of this year.   

You can help your neighbors get the assistance they need during the Lakeshore Housing Coalition’s Point-in-Time count. Covering Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan counties, the organization collaborates with the state and the counties to address housing stability. Every year, the Lakeshore Housing Coalition and other like-minded organizations perform “point-in-time” studies during the last two weeks in January to address the number of people sleeping outside, in shelters, or in temporary housing over one night. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, counters statewide found over 5,000 homeless people during its point-in-time event in 2024, which was an increase over the previous year. In 2023, the Lakeshore Housing Coalition counted 149 people in its four-county area, the highest it has been since 128 was tabulated in 2016. The organization needs volunteers to help perform the count during two two-hour shifts: 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. You can find out how you can help below.

The weather is not making it easy for you to maintain your home's comfort as winter's temperatures tighten their grip on northeast Wisconsin. Temperatures are expected to not get above zero degrees on Tuesday, and overnight lows will be 15 degrees or less at least 10 times over the next two weeks. Ensuring your home is properly insulated is one way to keep more heat inside the house. To make things easier on your furnace, Jeff Blemke from Ultimate Air in Luxemburg recommends ensuring your filters are clean, and your thermostat does not automatically adjust during extended cold spells.

Some homeowners rely on their fireplaces or space heaters to keep their homes toasty during the winter months. After several homes in Door County have experienced chimney fires this winter, Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Chief Chris Hecht encourages you to take the proper precautions.

Keeping your water pipes warm and clear of ice forming is another thing to keep track of during extended cold periods. It is recommended to turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets and open a cabinet door under your sink or insulate your pipes to protect them. You can also prevent them from freezing by allowing a small amount of water to trickle through the faucet.  

Last year's weather is becoming this year's problem for farmers as they make their planting and fertilization plan for 2025. According to the CME Group, corn and soybean prices in 2024 were about 10 percent under the estimated price set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Couple that with lower yields due to heavy rains delaying planting in the spring and extremely dry weather as the crops were finishing their growing season, many farmers are trying to figure out the best plans for their operations to accomplish what they need to do while making a profit. Rio Creek Feed Mill agronomist Mason Neuzil says it is a delicate balance for farmers still battling high seed and fertilizer costs.

Despite agriculture economists at the University of Illinois and Ohio State University predicting that farmers will be dealing with low prices for a few years, Neuzil says local farmers are resilient, and they are optimistic for the upcoming year.

The week started with unexpected business closures on Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay early Monday morning due to a water main break. Sturgeon Bay Utilities General Manager Jim Stawicki says the break of a six-inch water main was called in shortly before 7 a.m. and was not serious but did impact a handful of businesses. He says the crews repaired the sheared cast-iron pipe just northeast of the North 14th Avenue and Egg Harbor Road intersection shortly before noon on Monday.  

Stawicki notes that water main breaks are not uncommon this time of year, with ground shifting due to weather changes causing pipes to bust. One occurred on Michigan Street late last week. He adds that the two roadways will be resurfaced later this spring when asphalt plants reopen so both areas can be paved.

Eighteen girls from Door County and across northeast Wisconsin are set to compete at next month's Miss Door County Pageant. Last year, a field of seven total girls were whittled down to Miss Door County Kylie Duessler and Miss Door County Teen Emily Bley. This year, contestants represent almost a dozen institutions, including 10 from all four high schools on Door County's mainland. Executive Director Susan Fochs credits an expansion of the program, the goodwill built by last year's winners, and Duessler's Top 5 performance in the Miss Wisconsin pageant as factors for the growth over last year. Fochs says she is always amazed by the young ladies striving to represent the community.

Less than 100 tickets remain for this year's competition, which will occur at the Southern Door Auditorium on February 1st at 5:30 p.m. The contestants will earn thousands of dollars in college scholarships, and the three new titleholders will move on to take part in the Miss Wisconsin and Miss Wisconsin Teen competitions, which will be held June 18-21, 2025, in New Berlin.

Miss Door County 2025 Contestants

Isabella Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany

School: Sevastopol High School

Talent: Speech - "The Definition of a Woman"

Community Service Initiative: Empowering Voices to Protect Women's Lives 

Ellie Engerson

School: Southern Door High School

Talent: Vocal - "Honey, Honey"

Community Service Initiative: Giving Students an Outlet Through Music

Faith Blackley

School: Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Talent: Vocal - "Amarilli Mia Bella"

Community Service Initiative: Preserve Today, Protect Tomorrow

Amolia Jefferson

School: Sevastopol High School

Talent: Speed Cake Decorating 

Community Service Initiative: Lead, Read, Succeed: Inspiring Kids to Enjoy and Excel in Reading

Miss Cherryland 2025 Contestants

Ntuhkem Fonkem

School: Fox Valley Technical College

Talent: Vocal - "I Will Always Love You"

Community Service Initiative: Empowering College Students with Sickle Cell Disease

Chloe Staudenmaier

School: University of Minnesota

Talent: Piano - "Comptine d'un autre été"

Community Service Initiative: POV: Protecting Our Veterans

Brooklyn Heyn

School: Concordia University Wisconsin

Talent: Violin - "Crystallize" 

Community Service Initiative: Blood Donation: Let's Save Lives!

Hanna Mertens

School: Bellin College of Nursing

Talent: Jazz Dance - "Sax"

Community Service Initiative: Heart to Heart: Teaching the Importance of Cardiac Care  

Miss Door County's Teen 2025 Contestants

Briana Barganz

School: Sturgeon Bay High School

Talent: Vocal - "When You Believe"

Community Service Initiative: Ribbon to Reality: Bridging Awareness and Financial Support for Cancer Care

Anna Dalke

School: Gibraltar High School

Talent: Piano - "Piano Man"

Community Service Initiative: Undercover Wheel

Abbigail Reseburg

School: Algoma High School

Talent: EpiPen Demonstration

Community Service Initiative: CH&S: Child Health and Safety

Sayde Jeanquart

School: Sturgeon Bay High School

Talent: Piano - Baritone Euphonium - "Back to December"

Community Service Initiative: Advocating for the Importance of Screen Time Management

Skyler Kopkey

School: Luxemburg-Casco High School

Talent: Vocal - "Crazy Dreams" 

Community Service Initiative: Priceless Princess: Taking the Price Tag Off of Beauty

Elise Jackson

School: Southern Door High School

Talent: Piano - "Für Elise"

Community Service Initiative: Next Gen Civics

Teagan Williams

School: Southern Door High School

Talent: Vocal - "A Little Bit in Love"

Community Service Initiative: Little Literacy Launchers

Jakayla Steinhorst

School: Luxemburg-Casco High School

Talent: Tap Dance - "Better When I'm Dancing"

Community Service Initiative: Deep Roots Elevating Agriculture

Ophelia Linnan

School: Sevastopol High School

Talent: Traditional Argentinian Tango and Malambo with Boleadoras

Community Service Initiative: Wisconsin Initiative For Superior Education: Promoting Educational Equity In Rural Areas

Brynleigh Ash

School: Gibraltar High School

Talent: Vocal - "Let Me Be Your Star"

Community Service Initiative: The Palette Project

For the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove and Brussels-Union-Gardner fire departments, January is the perfect time to honor the men and women who keep their communities safe every day of the year. The departments hosted annual celebrations over the weekend, celebrating promotions, retirements, and special awards for those who went above and beyond their service to the community. In Sister Bay, Fire Chief Chris Hecht announced two promotions among his ranks. Thirty-three-year veteran Jim Appel was elevated to the rank of captain with the department, while 26-year veteran Bob Lang was promoted to lieutenant.  

Other awards were given to Carol Forner (Community Service Award), Judy Pluff (EMR of the Year), Vance Hecimovich (Firefighter of the Year), and Britt Frazier (Chief's Choice). Hecht says he is proud to serve with these men and women because of the example they set in the community.

In Brussels, nine individuals were celebrated for their milestone anniversaries with the BUG Fire Department, including Mark DeKeyser and Jim Wautier, who have both been serving the community for 40 years. The department also recognized retiring firefighter James Kluth, Jr. for his 21 years with BUG Fire and Mark Jandrin with the Golden Axe Award.

You will not get relief from the area's bitter cold until at least noon on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Residents across northeast Wisconsin woke up to temperatures below zero on Monday morning, with the wind chill making it feel roughly 25 degrees below zero. While the area could see temperatures hit two degrees on Monday, you will not be as lucky on Tuesday. The high is not expected to get above zero degrees; the wind chill makes it feel under negative 30 degrees. The National Weather Service has already issued an Extreme Cold Warning from midnight to noon on Tuesday, which coincides with the current Cold Weather Advisory. With many people in Door and Kewaunee counties required to work outside for work, Kewaunee County Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard says there are things you can do to help protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia.

Kinnard says it is crucial to keep track of the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia to keep yourself out of harm's way. Two churches, a school, and the Kewaunee County Meals on the Wheels program were the only entities to cancel activities on Monday as of 9:30 a.m., which could look vastly different on Tuesday when more schools are in session. 

You will have more opportunities to weigh in on the proposed indoor and outdoor community athletic complex in Sturgeon Bay, though those opportunities are located elsewhere in the county. The City of Sturgeon Bay recently released details about a pair of open houses to discuss the project reimagining the space where Sturgeon Bay High School's Memorial Field and other athletic spaces reside. The open houses are scheduled for January 29^th in Baileys Harbor and February 7^th in Sister Bay. Following an informational session hosted last month in Sturgeon Bay, City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout said there was 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 as well as a possible indoor center. He suggested that adding such a facility could be catalytic for the City of Sturgeon Bay and Door County.

You can find more details about the upcoming open houses here. 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.

Kewaunee farmer Duane Ducat has come a long way since talking about the dairy industry during breaks working at the power plant. Ducat, a part-owner of Deer Run Dairy in Kewaunee and president of Peninsula Pride Farms, was recognized on Thursday with the Dairy Business Association's Community Outreach Award during the 2025 Dairy Strong Conference in Green Bay.

Before he joined Peninsula Pride Farms, his outreach consisted of just conversations at work and hosting the Kewaunee County Breakfast on the Farm. That has turned into hosting other events like the Farm to Fork Gala, welcoming tour groups, and becoming a vocal leader of agriculture-related groups like Peninsula Pride Farms and Farmers for Sustainable Food. Ducat was humbled by receiving the award but also proud to be able to share his story with farmers and non-farmers alike.

Ducat's Deer Run Dairy has undertaken several sustainability efforts since installing an anaerobic digester in 2011, such as cover cropping and no-tillage. He will help lead discussions at the Peninsula Pride Farms' Annual Meeting, which is slated for February 3rd  in Luxemburg.

Picture courtesy of the Dairy Business Association

Midsummers Music’s Griffon String Quartet is working through the school year of outreach and performances this winter. Executive Director Allyson Fleck says the resident ensemble, which operates from September through May, is busy providing 100 free events in Door County, Green Bay, and beyond. The four-person ensemble of professional musicians and teachers works with youth education as part of the Einstein series.

The Griffon String Quartet also offers a senior health and wellness program called the B Double Sharp that brings music to the elderly that has been shown to help prevent the acceleration of dementia.

Fleck adds that the Griffon String Quartet's third pillar of activity during the off-season is community-embedded events and performances, including pop-up concerts and formal presentations around the area. The upcoming list of performances and events is below.  

January 25, 7:00 pm • Doctors in Recital Concert, Green Bay
February 2, 12:00 pm • Sunday Afternoon Live at the Chazen, Madison
February 15, 6:00 pm • Green Bay Chamber Music Society, Green Bay
February 20, 12:00 pm • Gather with the Griffon, Green Bay
February 21, 2:00 pm • Einstein Program Outreach, Fish Creek
February 25, 10:00 am • Einstein Program Outreach, Sturgeon Bay
February 25, 1:00 pm • Gather with the Griffon, Sturgeon Bay
 

Crossroads at Big Creek will launch the 2025 Fish Tales Lecture Series on Thursday, January 23rd, at 7:00 PM with the program “Opportunities and Challenges of Restoring Native Prey Fishes to the Great Lakes.”  Then, on Tuesday, January 25th, at 6:30 PM,  The Door County Master Gardener Association and Wild Ones-Door Peninsula will kick off their popular  lecture series with the program “Going Wild in Door County Parks.”

Fish Tales, an educational program of Crossroads at Big Creek offered in collaboration with the Door County Library and supported by Healthy Water Door County, is dedicated to “sharing the science of the Great Lakes Fisheries."  

So we are privileged to host Dr. David “Bo” Bunnel, Director of Coregonine Science at the Great Lakes Science Center, U.S. Geological Service in Ann Arbor. Dr. Bunnel oversees the science efforts to inform Coregonine restoration across the Great Lakes, including the planning and evaluation steps. Dr. Bunnel provides the science to aid in the restoration of native whitefish and cisco to state and tribal management agencies across the Great Lakes basin.  

Coregonine is a diverse group of fish (including ciscoes) in the salmon family. As many as 11 species once occurred in the Great Lakes. Locals may know them as lake herring or chubs and remember when they were abundant in Lake Michigan.

However, according to the United States Geologic Survey website, “ciscoes declined dramatically between the 1920s and 1970s, due to overfishing, invasive species, and habitat loss. At least two species are now extinct, and several species no longer occur in several lakes. The whitefish have been more resilient but have been undergoing their own declines in the past 20 years."

Dr. Bunnel will share the results of ongoing research from several collaborating universities, agencies, and tribes and will discuss developing the framework to restore native cisco species in the Great Lakes.

The in-person presentation will be held in the Collins Learning Center at Crossroads. To participate via Zoom or Facebook live, go to http://doorcountylibrary.org/event and go to January 23 for the link.

On Tuesday, at 6:30, Door County Parks Manager Tim Kazmierczak will present “Going Wild in Door County Parks,” the first program in the 2025 Door County Master Gardener/ Wild Ones Lecture Series. Tim Kazmierczak will discuss several environmental-friendly projects, including prairie installations, bat research, tree planting, and revamping lights at boat launches to increase dark skies. Refreshments and a Q&A session will be offered.

With all of the media hype about the planets being aligned in January, many folks will be frustrated and disappointed to realize that in Wisconsin,  only Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye. But seeing them or images of them, it is hard to comprehend the differences in their sizes. So, this week’s Saturday Science will be offered in collaboration with the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society. “The Planets in Comparison” –a hands-on activity to show the amazing scale of our Solar System. This program is geared toward elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome.

Thursday, January 23

7:00 Fish Tales Lecture “Opportunities and Challenges of Restoring Native Prey Fishes to the Great  Lakes”  

 Dr. David “Bo” Bunnel, Director of the Coregonine Science at the Great Lakes Science Center, U.S. Geological Service in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, will dive into developing the framework to restore native cisco species in the Great Lakes. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by Healthy Water Door County. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Sturgeon Bay

To participate via Zoom or Facebook live, go to http://doorcountylibrary.org/event and go to January 23 for the link.]

Saturday, January 25

2:00 Saturday Science: Planets in Comparison

Participants will compare the sizes of the planets with a hands-on demo and short video. This weekly family program is intended for elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome. It is offered in collaboration with the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration is not required. It is free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

Monday, January 27

1:30 Lecture What is a Wetland

This presentation explores the various wetlands found in Wisconsin and explains why they are so important for about an hour. Registration is not required. It is free and open to the public. Meet in the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Sturgeon Bay.

Tuesday, January 28                                                                                                                       6:30 The Door County Master Gardener and Wild Ones Lecture: “Going Wild In Door County Parks”

Tim Kazmierczak, Director of the Door County Parks will talk about native plant installations and other environmental projects planned for the parks and trails.. Sponsored by Door County Master Gardeners and Wild Ones – Door Peninsula, Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay. 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

The 50th anniversary of Miller Art Museum will feature the first exhibition of 2025 later this month with “Giving Good:  The Art of Illustration by Aaron Boyd”.

At the same time, the Miller Art Museum will feature pencil and watercolor illustrations by Door County artist Malin Ekman. Her artwork, “Malin Ekman in the Permanent Collection,” will be displayed on the Ruth Morton Miller Mezzanine. 

Boyd’s Giving Good includes mixed-media illustrations, a technique of blending watercolor and collaged paper, textiles, oil pastels, and found objects. The exhibit celebrates the beauty of human connection and cultural diversity.  The gallery will include 32 original works and 14 additional works from his professionally illustrated collection of his books. The exhibit will open on Saturday, January 25, and a free artist reception with Boyd will be held on Friday, February 28, at the Miller Art Museum.

During his nearly 30-year medical career, Dr. Brett Young is amazed at where his career has gone and where the industry is heading. Young is one of the newest doctors at Door County Medical Center, joining the hospital's orthopedic services team in November. The Kansas City, Kan. Native has not just crisscrossed Wisconsin but has also taken him to California and Texas. While Young is new to the DCMC team, he is not new to Door County as he has visited the area frequently in the past with his wife after working in the Fox Valley. Beginning his career in medicine in the late 1990s, it is the technology that has helped produce better outcomes for his patients that stick out to him as being the most significant change he has seen.

Young looks forward to serving the community for many years, commenting that Door County Medical Center is a world-class hospital in our backyard. You can click this link for the full interview.

You will have new faces to greet at this year’s Kewaunee County Fair and other events throughout the area. On Friday, Lawshawna Vogel was crowned the Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair, and Evie Micolichek was named her Junior Fairest. Vogel hails from Denmark, and she is currently a student completing her studies at UW-River Falls. She is no stranger to showcasing her love of agriculture, having previously served as a State FFA Officer. Micolichek lives in Duvall, and she is a student at Southern Door who loves everything about the fair. Both girls are looking forward to their reign over the next year.

Vogel and Micolichek will appear at events across the county throughout 2025, including the Kewaunee County Fair July 10th through 13th. The two girls replace Megan Salentine and Vivian Barta as the Fairest and Junior Fairest of the Fair of Kewaunee County. Salentine was recently named the Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs, an honor that was recognized on Friday and will be formally celebrated in Luxemburg on February 16^th.

Sevastopol senior Isabella Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany will receive a second inside look at how Washington works when she represents Wisconsin in the United States Senate Youth program. Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany and Nicholai Joseph Galusha of Greendale High School were selected by State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly to be among the 104 student leaders from across the country to study the federal government alongside U.S. Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin. Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany is no stranger to the Nation's capital, having served as a page for six months under Senator Tammy Baldwin. 

She says her interest in politics stems from her mother, who is a political refugee from Poland. Her love for democracy grew when she joined the YMCA's Youth in Government program and attended Girls Badger State, interacting with dozens of youth from around Wisconsin. She is excited to make similar connections when she attends the United States Senate Youth program.

Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany is looking forward to talking with one of the United States Supreme Court justices, where she hopes to ask about the impact artificial intelligence could have on the law moving forward. Delegates like Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany will also receive a $10,000 scholarship for undergraduate study as a part of the United States Senate Youth Program, which will run from March 1st to March 8th.

Sunshine Resources CEO Barry Metzentine had the opportunity to meet with donors not just to say thank you but also to talk about what their support means to the organization. It was part of Sunshine Resources' annual donor appreciation dinner in Sturgeon Bay. In addition to the meal, attendees were served testimonials from Sunshine Resources clients and their spouses, sharing the impact of the organization's services. Metzentine said the community support drives their work and that he is proud of their entire staff. 

Sunshine Resources has numerous projects in the works for 2025 to make an even larger impact in the community. Some of the projects mentioned are the Youth (School) to Work program and the New Zen Den being installed by Leadership Door County. 

Two men ice fishing off Sand Bay Point Road on the bay of Green Bay were rescued Friday morning.  The Nasewaupee Fire Department was dispatched shortly before 8 a.m. after a resident onshore notified that two anglers were stranded as the ice broke away from the shoreline.  Fire Chief Jacob Schartner says an airboat that his department stores and uses thanks to a private citizen was used because the United States Coast Guard airboat was unavailable.

The rescue took over an hour to accomplish and Schartner recommends that ice anglers be aware of strong south winds that can cause cracks to open up on the ice.  The two ice anglers did not require any medical assistance, and the scene was cleared at about 9:20 a.m.  

The Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department Dispatch received fewer calls in 2024 than in the previous year, but Sheriff Matt Joski says you will still see plenty of people trying to help keep the community safe. Dispatchers handled approximately 8,270 calls for service in 2024, which is down from the 8,688 calls received in 2023. The most significant decline came with 911 misdials, cut in half from the year before, from 1050 in 2023 to 509 in 2024. Those cell phones still came in handy as Joski credits citizens for using them to alert them to other issues like welfare checks, traffic offenses, and animal problems.

Despite the drop in calls, Joski says they are becoming more complex, with several agencies working together to find a solution, whether it is fires or mental health crises.

Joski thanks his dispatchers for not just helping residents get the help they need but also coordinating emergency responses. This marks the first in a series of annual reports from Joski, which you can find below.

Two highly recognized real estate agents from the area recently received awards from the Door County Board of REALTORS.

Maria Jacobs of True North Real Estate was named the REALTOR of the Year. At the same time, Bonita Smrz of Coldwell Banker was presented the Outstanding Committee Service for Unselfish Dedication to Organization and Community award.   

Jacobs serves as the Door County Board of REALTORS director and recently joined the Board of Door County Habitat of Humanity. She is also a volunteer for the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Smrz acted as Chair of the Advocacy Committee and member of the Education, Social, Marketing, and Professional Standards Committees.  She has previously served as the director and president of the Door County Board of REALTORS. 

The National Association of REALTORS is America’s largest trade organization, with over 1.5 million real estate agents nationwide.

The Door County Economic Development Corporation and the Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation are relying upon your ideas and even your voice to help engineer change in Madison this spring. The two organizations are again joining forces for the biennial Door/Kewaunee County Legislative Days, which started in 2003. The two-day event brings residents and legislative leaders together to discuss issues specific to Door and Kewaunee counties. Water quality, the Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (ALICE) population, school start date, and broadband funding are just some of the topics delegates have brought to the doors of the Wisconsin State Capitol. DCEDC Executive Director Michelle Lawrie experienced Door/Kewaunee County Legislative Days for the first time in 2023, and she was impressed by the impact they were able to make in a short amount of time.

While the event isn't until March 19th and 20th, you can do plenty now with a few clicks of your mouse. The DCEDC and KCEDC are accepting local issues and concerns at this link until January 31st. You can also be a part of the delegation for a fee by clicking on this link. You have until February 21st to sign up for that.

The Kewaunee County Board paved the way for a second provider to bring a stronger, faster internet connection to your home and business. The board voted 17-0 to endorse Bertram Communications' application for BEAD funding to support their broadband infrastructure project in the area. County officials met with four providers to search for a company that could help the county provide internet service to approximately 4,200 addresses that are unserved or underserved in BEAD program-eligible areas. The resolution states that the county plans to provide in-kind contributions toward Bertram's 25 percent match obligation by waiving all county permitting fees related to the installation of conduit, network switches, network interface devices, and other components. It will also make some county-owned land available for the installation of broadband equipment and be the liaison between Bertram Communications and municipalities within Kewaunee County. Supervisors spoke about the resolution for approximately 15 minutes, with Supervisor Aaron Augustian and others questioning what this would do with the county's current agreement with Bug Tussel and their efforts to bring better internet to other parts of the county. Kewaunee County Administrator Jeremy Kral and Board Chairperson Dan Olson said that they do not expect it to be an issue and that they went with the proposal that could bring the greatest impact to the taxpayers.

The rest of the meeting went quickly, with Supervisor Scott Jahnke sharing a positive start to the season for Kewaunee Winter Park and Supervisor Milt Swagel raising up Lakeshore CAP's efforts to track down the homeless in the community.

Whether you just entered elementary school or are planning to graduate high school, 4-H in Door and Kewaunee counties are rolling out the red carpet for current and potential members. According to the Wisconsin 4-H Impact Report, over 26,000 youth are a part of the organization, an increase of more than eight percent over the previous year. Approximately 20 percent of those members are a part of the 4-H's Cloverbud project, which helps kids in grades kindergarten through second grade get introduced to different areas of emphasis and the organization. In the past year, 4-H in Door and Kewaunee counties have introduced special project days for Cloverbud members, following the lead of other areas like Brown County. Erin Dahle of Kewaunee County 4-H says she looks forward to seeing the young kids potentially find a new passion.

Kewaunee County 4-H will host their first Cloverbud Project Meeting on January 18th at 10 a.m. inside the Family Life Center in Kewaunee. That's the same day the organization's older members will wrap up its Prom Dress Sale at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds. The event itself runs  January 16th-18th, and all proceeds benefit the Kewaunee County 4-H Teen Association. You can learn more about the event here.

If you want to hear from the people who could potentially represent you in local government, the League of Women Voters of Door County wants to hear from you. Six communities in Door County will have contested elections this spring, including the City of Sturgeon Bay, which has multiple candidates for mayor and District 5 alderperson. League of Women Voters of Door County's Dan Powers says forums are especially important at this level of government because the lack of money in the races often means a lack of communication about their stances on issues.

Residents interested in hearing from their potential representatives can make their request by contacting the League of Women Voters between January 15th and January 31st by contacting Powers. The spring primary is February 18th, and the spring general election is April 1st. Headlining the spring general election will be races for State Superintendent and State Supreme Court.

The Sturgeon Bay Clippers continued their dominance in the Packerland Conference in the second math meet of the season, scoring 314 points while having three students ace the competition.  Seniors Jack Konop, Luke Selle, and junior Ava Estes tallied a perfect score of 40 points for Sturgeon Bay.

Sturgeon Bay High School math teacher and coach Cliff Wind says the program's success reflects the students' commitment to learning and improving their math skills.

Kewaunee finished in second place with a score of 243 points, with Junior Lily Hudson tallying 37.

Overall, Southern Door finished third and Sevastopol fourth in the math meet.

After two meets, Sturgeon Bay leads the conference with 40 points, followed by Kewaunee with 36 and Southern Door with 32.   The complete results from Monday’s math meet, as well as the Packerland Conference standings, are listed below.

(Results courtesy of Cliff Wind)

With daily low temperatures expected to fall below zero later this weekend and no snowfall forecasted in the area for the next week, local farmers are paying attention to the lack of snow coverage on their fields this winter.  Rich Olson of Olson Family Farm in southern Door County says with no snow cover, crops like alfalfa and winter wheat could suffer damage to their roots if bitter cold temperatures exist over some time. 

Olson notes that fluctuations in weather temperatures can also be challenging for cattle on the farmstead. Farmers are conscious of proper ventilation during varying temperatures this time of year to ensure enough fresh air is circulating through barns and that the moist air is vented outside to prevent possible respiratory diseases in the herd.

You can customize a fitness plan to improve your overall health with help from a personal trainer at the Door County YMCA.  Healthy Living Coordinator Sarah Gavin says having a personal trainer is an excellent way for you to achieve your fitness goals for 2025.  As one of the personal trainers on staff, Gavin shares the way they will work with you on a plan to keep your resolution. 

Gavin says personal trainers can help motivate and encourage you to take your fitness to the next level. She says it does not matter what kind of shape you are in; with a customized plan, you can increase energy, mobility, and strength. Interested individuals can contact the YMCA for a free consultation appointment with a personal trainer.    

Door and Kewaunee County Sheriff departments are saying goodbye to three long-time officers retiring in the next four weeks. In Door County, Chief Deputy Pat McCarty will retire this Friday after more than 30 years of service with the Sheriff's Office. McCarty worked as a dispatcher, jail deputy, and patrol officer before becoming the chief deputy in 2015.

John Haase will officially retire on February 9th with the Door County Sheriff's Department after a 20-year career as a Reserve Deputy in 2004.  He took on a full-time deputy position as a Security Deputy shortly after and transferred to a patrol position 12 years ago.     

Deputy Mark Jandrin, of Kewaunee County, retired this past weekend after 34 years of service with the Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department. Receiving a police escort on his final patrol shift, Jandrin gave his final 10-42 sign-off.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day was last Thursday.  

After years of not having a 4K program at all, you will see another positive change for early childhood education this fall at Gibraltar Area Schools. The Gibraltar Area School Board unanimously approved extending the four-year-old kindergarten to a full-day program on its campus in Fish Creek and at the Northern Door Children's Center in Sister Bay. The move comes ahead of the enrollment period for 4K, which runs from February 1st to March 7th. Gibraltar Elementary School Principal and 4K Director Lauren Ward says that before the decision, the district was the only one on the Door County mainland without a full-day 4K program. Like they did before creating their half-day program two years ago, Ward also wanted to make sure that the area's existing early childhood centers would be able to survive if the district entered the 4K education space.

Ward says they will still offer half-day options at Gibraltar, Northern Door Children's Center, and The Ridges Sanctuary Dragonfly Nature Preschool. However, those wanting to enroll into all-day 4K will be given preference. The district is having an informational meeting on the full-day program on January 16th at Northern Door Children's Center in Sister Bay at 5 p.m.

Local Republicans are excited to celebrate the victory many of them worked so hard to secure last November when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated for the second time. Trump won the Electoral College 312-226 over Vice President Kamala Harris, including 10 votes from Wisconsin. That marked only the second time in 40 years that Republicans carried Wisconsin for the Presidential ticket. Door County Republican Party Chairperson Stephanie Soucek says she could feel the enthusiasm for a Trump White House and expects it to hit a fever pitch next week when he takes the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Soucek says she will be among the over 200,000 people expected to attend Inauguration Day, which includes the swearing-in ceremony, parade, and formal balls throughout Washington, D.C. 

Make sure you bundle up with cold temperatures and frigid wind chills settling in this week in Door and Kewaunee counties. Monday and Tuesday saw wind chills that made it feel below degrees, with low temperatures in the single digits. Residents and visitors will get a reprieve from the extreme cold during the middle of the week before it returns for the weekend. Next week, temperatures will struggle to get out of the teens, with overnight temperatures failing to get above zero degrees on some days. Kewaunee County Emergency Management Director Tracy Nollenberg says cold-related ailments such as hypothermia and frostbite can happen quickly if you are unprepared.

Nollenberg says her department makes decisions on whether or not it will open warming sessions on a case-by-case basis, especially if they are needed for the overnight hours. 

You can participate in a new community outreach effort in Algoma at the end of the month.  Mayor Steve Lautenbach is showcasing a new communication opportunity for his constituents.  Wanting to hear from the Algoma community while encouraging teamwork, The Mayor is hosting a forum for residents to voice their opinions and help with the city's direction.  "Casual Conversations with Mayor Lautenbach" will be held at the Algoma Youth Club, allowing you to ask questions, express concerns, and be more informed about the city's plans.  Lautenbach hopes the open dialogue will keep everyone up to speed as the City of Algoma moves forward in 2025.  He says the goal is to be very transparent and work as a team with residents to find out what Algoma can do more of in the future. 

Lautenbach welcomes participation from all City leaders when situations and concerns arise, hoping to get the most accurate information possible. He notes that more affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and a new fire station are key issues facing Algoma. The first Casual Conversation will be from 2:00 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 30, with City Administrator Matt Murphy joining Mayor Lautenbach.  

Your medical information will have a better chance of traveling with you thanks to a switch in its electronic health record system announced by Door County Medical Center this week. Leaders at DCMC and Epic signed an agreement to make the Verona, Wis.-based company the new electronic health record system (EHR) provider for the hospital. Epic is used by providers who care for approximately 72 percent of the U.S. population, making it the country's most widely used EHR system. For patients, it will mean a new app to download to have your health information at your fingertips. For everyone else, Chief Information Officer Erick Schrier says it will bring peace of mind to clinicians and providers that the best and correct medical care is being provided no matter where you go.

The investment to replace DCMC's current Meditech EHR system is the largest Door County Medical Center has made in its technology in its 80-year existence. Schrier expects the transition will take about a year, but patients could see some of the technology at work ahead of its official launch date of February 7th, 2026.

Door County Candle is again inviting you to light a candle in your home to support those hundreds of miles away. In four days since launching its Golden State candle, owner Christiana Trapani says the business has been able to raise more than $10,000 for California wildfire relief. According to NBC News, the wildfires have killed at least 24 people and damaged more than 40,000 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area, destroying more than 12,300 structures in the process. With three more days of critical fire conditions on the way for the area thanks to the Santa Ana winds, the worst is not over for residents in California. The Palisades fire is only 14 percent contained and now threatens Brentwood, Encino, and Westwood. Trapani says she has heard from many people affected by the wildfires, including the more than 105,000 Los Angeles residents under evacuation orders and 87,000 more who may need to leave at a moment's notice. She adds that even though it causes a little bit of crunch along the supply chain, the community's response has been remarkable.

In 2024, the Candles Creating Change program at Door County Candle raised more than $39,000 for causes such as Feeding America, Make-A-Wish, and Girls on the Run. Combined with its groundbreaking Ukraine candle, Door County Candle has donated more than $1 million to causes around the world. 

Another dose of wintry weather is partly to blame for a 65-year-old Sturgeon Bay man and his passenger sliding off the road near the Town of Gibraltar Sunday night. Deputies responded to State Highway 42 near Gibraltar Bluff Road at approximately 5:40 p.m. after the man struck a guardrail while traveling northbound and lost control. The collision sent the man’s vehicle spinning across the highway into a rock wall. As a result of the crash, the vehicle suffered significant damage, and the man hurt his arm. He was not transported to Door County Medical Center for further treatment, nor did he accept EMS. His passenger, a 65-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman, was not hurt in the crash. It took over an hour to reopen the roadway following the crash. Poor road conditions due to the ice and snow were to blame for the accident, and no citations were issued. Despite the wintry weather that triggered an advisory between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, the Door County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center took only one other call for a car in the ditch and another for road conditions related to the warning.

Sturgeon Bay High School needs your help to ensure the auditorium is as beautiful as the music made inside of it. The school started fundraising efforts on Friday to fully renovate its auditorium. The planned $2.025 million project aims to install new seating, improve accessibility, upgrade the sound and lighting controls, apply new finishes to the floor, walls, and ceilings, and install new safety and sustainability technology. The efforts pay tribute to former Sturgeon Bay Principal Robert Nickel, who passed away shortly after his retirement in 2022. Nickel’s legacy has left a big impression on his successor, Sturgeon Bay Principal Keith Nerby. He says the stories he has heard about Nickel’s commitment to the performing arts at Sturgeon Bay makes the “Leaving a Legacy” campaign a noble cause.

The campaign is seeking a $1 million lead donor to launch the program with other sponsorship opportunities available to improve the space that will be named in Nickel’s honor when the work is completed. You can learn more about the Launching a Legacy campaign by clicking this link.

Health officials are urging you to take proper precautions when it comes to protecting yourself from respiratory illnesses. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reporting a surge in hospital visit-inducing respiratory illnesses across the state, but especially in northeastern Wisconsin. Overall, respiratory illness activity is very high in the region, with 23 percent of emergency department visits related to an ailment like COVID-19, RSV, and Influenza. It has been at 15 percent or higher since October 19th. By virus type, COVID-19 activity has been high, while RSV and influenza activity has been moderate. Earlier this month, Shauna Blackledge from the Door County Public Health Department said there are things you can do to keep yourself from getting seriously sick.

According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, DHS respiratory disease epidemiologist Tom Haupt expects respiratory illnesses to peak at the beginning of February.

Even though days are getting (a bit) longer, we at Crossroads at Big Creek know that many people experience falling spirits and even seasonal depression enduring the dark days of winter. For the primitive people of Northern Europe, limited hours of daylight must have been terrifying….." All the leaves were brown, and the skies were grey."  We crave light!

Without the benefit of science, superstitious people of the far northern regions allegedly (this is, at best, speculation) hoped that if they created bonfires and carried lights, they might entice the Sun to return. And one can only imagine what people of the far north believed when they gazed in awe at the Aurora Borealis.

Our light-related programs this week will include daytime outings for students and adults, a bonfire and luminary-lit hike, and a Saturday Science program featuring the "Auroras."

Due to their increasing popularity, free Luminary-lit Hikes at Crossroads are scheduled monthly through the "dark" months. Because the sun sets so early in January, the family event will be held at a bedtime-friendly 5:00 to 6:30 PM. Participants will see the trails of Crossroads in the magical glow of candlelight and then gather for fellowship at the flickering light campfire, where Crossroads volunteers will provide cups of hot chocolate.    

The Saturday Science program:  "Auroras,"  at 2:00 on January 18, will be presented in collaboration with the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society. Because strong solar storms are anticipated in 2025, we in Door County have a good chance of seeing aurora. This program, geared for elementary-age children but open to learners of all ages, will combine videos, images, and demonstrations, will provide information on when to look for the northern lights, and help people understand what the ethereal lights in the sky are.  

Several mood-elevating daylight hikes will be offered this week. The Learning Center will be closed on January 20, but the trails will be open. As soon as there is enough snow to create a base, our Ski-for-Free program will give visitors the benefits of outdoor exercise. Watch the ticker on our website for current ski conditions.

The Door County Beekeepers Club will host a special speaker at their January Meeting on Tuesday, January 21, at 6:30. Sue Dompke, owner of Sweet Mountain Apiary on Washington Island, will present “Raising Russian Honeybees”. She will explain why Russian honeybees are ideally suited for Wisconsin and describe the life of a successful apiary from startup to established market. Beekeepers and interested community members are encouraged to attend. 

Tuesday, January 14

3:30 Environmental Exploration: Animal Tracks

This after-school program will begin with a make-and-take activity. If conditions are favorable, participants will go outside to look for animal tracks. This program is geared to elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

Wednesday, January 15                                                                                                       

1:30 Wandering Wednesday

This naturalist-led hike will follow the trails of the Big Creek Preserve to explore the wonders of the winter landscape. About an hour. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay

Friday, January 17th

5:00-6:30 Crossroads Luminary-lit Hike

Follow the enchanting glow of luminaries along a designated trail, which ends at a campfire, where you can warm up with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the company of good people. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are allowed. The trail is free and open to the public. It begins in the parking area by the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.  

Saturday, January 18 

2:00 Science Saturday: Auroras

The Sun has become quite active, so families have a good chance of seeing northern lights this year. With videos and demonstrations, kids (and learners of all ages) will learn how charged particles from the Sun create spectacular light shows in the sky: the Aurora Borealis. Free and open to the public. Meet in the Collins Learning Center lab, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

Monday, January 20  Learning Center Closed

Tuesday, January 21  

3:30 Environmental Exploration:"Hear, Hear"

This afterschool program will offer videos and demonstrations to help elementary students (and learners of all ages) learn about the sense of hearing. Meet in the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

6:30 Meeting of the Door County Beekeepers Club: Raising Russian Honeybees

Sue Dompke, owner of Sweet Mountain Apiary on Washington Island, will present “Raising Russian Honeybees.” Discover the unique behaviors that make Russian honeybees ideally suited for Wisconsin. Journey through the life of a successful apiary from startup to established market. Learn how to be a better beekeeper. The event is free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

A Sturgeon Bay service organization with roots dating back to right after World War II is trying to help veterans find the help they need while providing fellowship and camaraderie.  Wisconsin AMVETS Executive Director and Weber-Tess Post 51 member Dale Wiegand says the goal of AMVETS is to preserve the American way of life, promote world peace, and help veterans help themselves.  He says AMVETS accepts all people who served in the military, including the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. 

With many veterans struggling with mental health issues, Wiegand notes that belonging to an organization and meeting with fellow servicemen who have similar experiences can be very beneficial. According to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, Veterans are at a 72 percent higher risk of suicide than those who haven't served.    

The AMVETS Post 51 meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at The Lodge at Leathem Smith and is open to anyone to attend. 

Your Sunday morning drive might take longer as significant snowfall is expected late tonight and through Sunday in Door and Kewaunee counties.  The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 3 a.m. Sunday until 3 p.m. with three to five inches of snow accumulation possible.  You can plan on slippery road conditions and poor driving visibility. 

Kewaunee School District residents will have an extra reason to head to the polls on April 1st if the school board approves a proposed referendum question on Monday. The school board will decide on an initial resolution authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $24.5 million to fund improvements to its facilities. Last month, school officials released the findings of its facilities study, including feedback from over 550 residents following a facilities plan update with help from EUA and Miron Construction. 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. The second option that was closer to $32 million would have added onto the Kewaunee Grade School. Kewaunee Superintendent Scott Fritz says if there was ever a time to make these improvements, doing so now as prices continue to rise makes perfect sense.

Monday’s special board meeting will open in closed session at 5:45 p.m. before returning to open session at 6 p.m. If approved, the referendum will appear on ballots in the Kewaunee School District when they go to vote on April 1st. If the referendum is approved in April, the average tax bill on a $300,000 home would increase by about $30 to fund the improvements.

The United Way of Door County announced Friday afternoon that it reached a new record-high in donations for its annual campaign. Setting an aggressive $1 million goal, the United Way raised $942,686.14, coming up just short of the projected need. Last year, the organization collected a then-record $800,728.14 for its 2023 annual campaign. Executive Director Amy Kohnle says although the million-dollar mark was not reached, the incredible generosity of so many will make a huge impact in the community.

The annual campaign deadline was Tuesday, January 7. Kohnle adds that the United Way of Door County has been working on a big project to address the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constraint Employed) population in Door County and will make an announcement in February. This year, the United Way will serve about 25 agencies representing 40 different programs throughout Door County. 

What is going on inside the classrooms at Algoma School District is changing just as much as it will on the outside when its referendum-funded project begins later this year. Like many school districts, Algoma is changing its reading curriculum to comply with the newly implemented Act 20. The law, initially introduced by Rep. Joel Kitchens, thanks to feedback from Door County residents, is designed to provide early literacy instruction and pathways to get students additional help if needed. While some school districts have had mixed feelings about Act 20, Algoma School District Superintendent Jesse Brinkmann says it has been well received among its staff and students.
 

Algoma High School's precision agriculture courses are new this school year. While Kewaunee's agriculture courses focus on animal science, and Luxemburg-Casco has cornered horticulture, Algoma's looks at farming management strategies that consider sustainability. Brinkmann says the precision agriculture courses fill a need in the community.
 

Work on $10.2 million in referendum-related projects is expected to start later this year. The work includes new plumbing and roofing at Algoma Elementary School, safety upgrades at the middle/high school, replacing the middle/high school's parking lot and track, updating the lighting, sound, and ceiling tile at the Algoma Performing Arts Center, and remodeling portions of the middle/high school including the band and choir room, the Algoma Venture Academy, agriculture classroom, and restrooms. Brinkmann expects the work will be finished by the fall.

Your ballot for the 2025 Spring Election is beginning to take shape after the deadline to return nomination papers passed on January 7th. The cities of Sturgeon Bay, Algoma, and Kewaunee all had at least one member of its current city council decide to not run for re-election. 

In Algoma, District 4 alderperson Lee Dachelet filed his non-candidacy papers, prompting Jake Maring and Dawn Kidd to run for his position. John Ortlieb (District 1), Midge Swedberg (District 2), and Wayne Schmidt (District 3) are all running for re-election. 

In Sturgeon Bay, District 7 alderperson Kirsten Reeths opted not to run for re-election. Nicole Matson is running unopposed to fill the position. Two other Sturgeon Bay Common Council seats are being contested, with Heather Weasler challenging District 5 alderperson Gary Nault and Andrea Frank running against Mayor David Ward. 

Kewaunee could see at least three new faces on its city council. In addition to its ongoing search to fill a seat representing District 4, Robin Nelson (District 3) and Russell Anderson (District 2) filed their Non-Candidacy papers. John Blaha (District 1) and Jeffrey Kohnle (District 4) will run again for their seats as Joe Mills (District 3) seeks a return to the council.

While some municipalities may require a primary on February 18th, the spring election is set for April 1st.

This week, a "hidden crime" not usually associated with Door or Kewaunee counties is getting statewide attention.  Governor Tony Evers declared January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The Department of Children and Families and local law enforcement are encouraging residents to educate themselves and their loved ones on the signs of human trafficking to help combat this crime in Wisconsin.  The Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative is underway, and Door County Sheriff's Department Professional Standards Captain Carl Waterstreet says that human trafficking is a transient business that can still impact the area. He says it is sometimes viewed as a victimless crime, which is not true. Most avenues of human sex trafficking are being done online but can be identified by certain tattoos and unusual behavior and actions when you encounter someone in public.  Although Door County is not a hub for human trafficking, it can still be readily available, especially during the prime summer tourist months, according to Waterstreet.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates human trafficking globally as a multibillion-dollar industry, with an estimated 27 million victims. You can find tips on how you can help prevent Human Trafficking with this link.

The Wisconsin Department of Administration expects you will have fewer neighbors in the future based on its neighbor. In its recently released report, the department suggests that the state will have a net loss of residents over the next 25 years. The state’s total fertility rate has fluctuated between 1.6 and 1.9 since 1975, suggesting that families are having fewer kids. The state’s population is expected to be around 5.71 million in 2050, down from its 2020 high of 5.893 million people. That means that the population could continue to drop without more people moving to the state.

Closer to home, Door County’s growth is slowing after the population increased by eight percent between 2010 and 2020. That growth goes down to two percent between 2020 and 2030 and starts going in the opposite direction. According to the data, Door County will see a two percent population drop between 2030 and 2040 and four percent between 2040 and 2050. The population shift is a little more dire in Kewaunee County, one of more than a half dozen to experience no growth between 2010 and 2020. It is expected to drop by four percent by 2030, five percent between 2030 and 2040, and another seven percent between 2040 and 2050.

Only a handful of counties, including Brown, Dane, and Trempealeau counties, are expected to grow over the next 25 years. By 2040, more than a dozen counties could experience double-digit percentage drops in population. You can read the full report here.

The law itself is not changing, but your vote in April could make bringing a photo identification card to your polling place part of the Wisconsin Constitution. Republican legislators announced their push to enshrine the state's voter identification law into the constitution via a constitutional amendment. The push for the amendment started in 2023 and was approved in two consecutive sessions so it could be placed on the spring election ballot. Rep. Joel Kitchens asks that if we need an ID to buy alcohol and check out a hotel room, why should we not need one to vote? Many Democrats and voting rights groups say the current voter ID law is too restrictive and makes it harder for some groups of people to vote. Kitchens says the numbers do not support that case.

The state Assembly will vote on the constitutional amendment on Tuesday, paving the way for its inclusion on the April ballot. Kitchens says the current voter ID law would not change whether the referendum is approved or not. According to Ballotpedia, 35 states require voters to present identification to vote. 

You will continue to see Megan Salentine promote all things agriculture and fairs in the coming year after she captured the Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs crown on Wednesday night at the Wisconsin Associational of Fairs Annual Convention in Wisconsin Dells. The Luxemburg native and current Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair competed against over 30 other girls from across the state for the title that now tabs as an ambassador for the Wisconsin State Fair and an advocate for the entire industry. Ozaukee County Fair's Maria Lee, Wisconsin Valley Fair's Aubrey Behling, Waupaca County Fair's Tori Havlik, and Lodi Ag Fair's Sami Rake round out the list of the other four finalists in the competition. Heading into the week, Salentine said she was not ready for her fair story to be over. She said last week that she received great advice from former Wisconsin Fairest of the Fair and former Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair Isabella Haen leading up to the competition.

Salentine was Haen's Kewaunee County Junior Fairest of the Fair in 2017, potentially marking the first time a fairest duo from a county has both held the state crown. Salentine's reign will include crisscrossing the state to promote the positive aspects of fairs, including the Wisconsin State Fair from July 31st to August 10th in West Allis. She will officially pass off her Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair crown at next week's gala event at Ryan Park in Kewaunee on January 17th.

Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs 

Parents learned on Wednesday that hackers attempted to steal information from thousands of school districts nationwide, including four in Door and Kewaunee counties.

The student records information system PowerSchool notified districts of the cybersecurity threat on Wednesday that a threat actor accessed several databases on December 22nd. The information stolen included names, demographics, addresses, emails, and phones. The threat actor contacted PowerSchool on December 28th, and the company paid a ransom to prevent the data from being released. PowerSchool has since secured its systems by deactivating compromised credentials, resetting passwords, and strengthening its security controls. Nationwide, PowerSchool supports over 50 million students, including those attending Sturgeon Bay, Algoma, Luxemburg-Casco, and Sevastopol schools. Sturgeon Bay School District addressed the cyberattack Wednesday afternoon, ensuring parents that the breach only impacted PowerSchool and not their other systems.

PowerSchool has told school districts the incident is contained and will contact them if other issues arise.

You will see a familiar face leading the Bank of Luxemburg in 2025. The Bank of Luxemburg recently announced a leadership transition, as Darren Voight has taken over as the new president and CEO. Voight replaces longtime president and CEO Tim Treml, who retired after 29 years at the bank, the last eight as president. 

 
“Treml has been instrumental in the bank’s success. He led a rebranding effort that transformed the bank’s image, replacing its 100-year-old logo with a fresh, vibrant orange design and introducing a modern look and feel for the entire company. This included updating physical branch locations to reflect the new brand identity. Treml also oversaw the expansions into the Howard and Fish Creek markets. He has always focused on building strong relationships with customers and employees and is proud of the positive impact the bank has had on the community,” 

 
“I’m grateful for the chance to have lead Bank of Luxemburg,” added Treml.
“It’s been an honor to work with such great people and help our community.”

The Bank of Luxemburg has nine locations throughout  Door, Kewaunee, and Brown counties. 

You have a second chance to savor some homemade soups while supporting the Door County YMCA in Fish Creek this month. After a successful Soup Day in Sturgeon Bay on December 9, the Door County YMCA is hosting the same event at the Kane Program Center in Fish Creek on Monday, January 20.  Communications and Outreach Executive Amy Gamble says over 40 businesses and members have donated their talents and unique soup recipes to help raise money for the annual campaign.

The 16-ounce soup containers are $7 each and can be picked up on the day of the event or preordered online in advance.  If you are interested in donating soup, contact Holly Butenhoff at hbutenhoff@doorcountyymca.org or by calling the Door County YMCA in Fish Creek. 

In a relatively short Sturgeon Bay Common Council meeting Tuesday night, the city council passed three-second readings and consideration for a Right-of-Way Plat and Relocation Order for the South Duluth Avenue project.  

Mayor David Ward says South Duluth Avenue will be rebuilt entirely from Walgreens' corner to the Door County Justice Center. He notes that curb and gutter construction with sidewalks will connect the Government Center to the rest of the commercial area. 

The council approved a recreation of an ordinance to address vendors, seasonal merchants, and food trucks.

The second reading of an ordinance concerned salaries and compensation for city elected officials. Starting after the first reorganizational meeting in April, salaries for alderpersons will be $750 per month and $1350 for the mayor.

A housing project on 54 East Maple Street planned by Sawyer Park Flats for a four-story, 54-unit apartment building is moving forward after the council approved the rezoning of the west waterfront side property from Central Business (C-2) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD). 

During his Mayor Report, Ward added that the Sturgeon Bay Ice Rink across from Sunrise School opens Wednesday for the first time this season and will stay open as long as the weather cooperates.

Local authorities are asking for your help in finding  65-year-old Bradly William Pelletier, who had a felony arrest warrant issued against him back in October and remains at large.  The Sturgeon Bay Police Department has received a few leads since then and believes he is still in Door County but is hoping for more tips before the trail grows cold.

Pelletier was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a child in 1999.  He is also wanted by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for a Parole Violation for removing a GPS bracelet and failing to report to his parole officer.   A lifetime registrant on the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, Pelletier, is required to be on GPS monitoring. 

He is white, standing 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, with balding hair and brown eyes.

Photos of Pelletier are shown above with and without glasses.

If you have seen or know Bradly Pelletier's whereabouts, please contact the Sturgeon Bay Police Department.  

Door County Democratic Party Chairperson Kris Sadur hopes former President Jimmy Carter is remembered long after he laid in his final resting place in his home state of Georgia on Thursday. Carter passed away on December 29th at 100, triggering President Joe Biden to order a state funeral and for federal government executive departments and agencies to close on January 9th as a sign of respect. According to the U.S. Department of State's Office of the Historian, Carter played a significant role in brokering peace between Egypt and Israel in 1978, completing the normalization of relations with China started by Richard Nixon in 1979. With the combination of the Iranian Hostage Crisis and a series of domestic economic problems, Carter's re-election bid in 1980 was thwarted by future President Ronald Reagan. Serving as a delegate for Carter's 1980 re-election campaign was Sadur, who got to have lunch with Carter and other delegates at the White House. She calls Carter a great man who created a caring environment in the country. She believes what he accomplished after leaving the White House could be just as important, if not more so, than what he did during his four years in office.

After lying in repose for two days inside the Carter Center in Atlanta, Carter is brought to Washington D.C., where his body will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol. The public will be able to pay their respect from 7 a.m. Wednesday until 7 a.m. on Thursday before a funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral. He will be buried near his hometown in Georgia on Thursday evening.

Southern Door School District officials will wait at least a year before returning to voters for additional funding. According to a community survey distributed by the district, only 31 percent of Non-Staff/Non-Parent residents who filled out the survey said they would have definitely said yes or probably said yes that would have allowed the district to exceed its revenue limit by $2.525 million for the 2025-2026 school year and $3.5 million annually for the three subsequent years. The district is already operating under a three-year referendum that expires in June 2026. With respect to the community’s feedback and the timing of the question, this decision means that an operational referendum will likely placed on the ballot in April 2026. In its statement, the district states its immediate focus is on maintaining financial stability without additional taxpayer support while staying committed to ensuring students receive the best education possible. Operational referendums are not used for capital projects like what was recently completed but for sustaining current programming and addressing emerging needs. 

You do not have to look far to help support yourself, friends, and family if you live in northern Door County. Senior Advocacy for Independent Living (SAIL) was born two years ago due to a survey done by Do Good Door County and its partnership with St. Norbert College. According to the survey, 86 percent of respondents would like to stay in their Door County home as long as possible but need assistance with some tasks like home maintenance (66 percent), yard work like snow removal and lawn mowing (68 percent), and housework (56 percent) to do so. SAIL President Margaret Connar says the organization is trying to fill in the gaps by offering its members in Sister Bay and Liberty Grove personalized assistance, social engagement, and wellness support, which currently stands at about 20.
 

Connar hopes the organization continues to expand as it learns more about the people it can help and the volunteers it offers to assist. SAIL currently charges a membership fee, though Connar hopes that as it expands, it will be able to offer its services for free. There are currently membership waivers for seniors at 150 percent or less of the poverty level for the state of Wisconsin.

Watching your electricity consumption could go a long way in helping your neighbors in times of extreme heat or cold. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation released its 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment last month, placing risk levels on the reliability of bulk power systems on the continent. The report put a large portion of the upper Midwest and a region in and around Louisiana at high risk for shortfalls occurring during normal peak conditions. It states that "resource additions are not keeping up with generator retirements and demand growth" and "reserve margins fall below reference margin levels during the winter and summer" when demand reaches its highest. Sturgeon Bay Utilities General Manager Jim Stawicki says they have been watching it for years, especially as electrification grows across the country.

Stawicki says there are ways residents can help utility companies like Sturgeon Bay Utilities handle peak loads, especially as overnight lows dip below 20 degrees this week.

He adds that all of the important stakeholders are aware of the issues at hand and that it will take a diversified response across the country to ensure that customers have affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.

It took a little longer than other hospitals in northeast Wisconsin, but Door County Medical Center has welcomed its Baby New Year. Esmeralda Garcia Jauregui and Wilmer Efien Zeledon Rodriguez of Sturgeon Bay welcomed their daughter on January 4th, marking her as the first baby born at Door County Medical Center. Hospitals in Green Bay welcomed their Baby New Year on January 1st, with one born over 20 minutes after the ball dropped. Another Sturgeon Bay couple missed having the distinction for their child by mere hours. Justin and Sarah Craig welcomed their daughter into the world on December 31st.

Picture courtesy of Door County Medical Center

You will see the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay in action more often beginning today (Monday).

At the order of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes, Operation Taconite is underway to prevent newly formed ice from hindering commercial vessel traffic on the Great Lakes. Four ice-breaking vessels, including the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay, are assigned to keep the ship channels open, with additional icebreakers prepared to assist if needed. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay is assigned to manage Green Bay's ice-breaking needs. 

The announcement comes as freighters such as Burns Harbor have made their way to Sturgeon Bay as part of the Winter Fleet at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. It also reminds ice anglers on the bay to be aware of the icebreakers’ schedule and location. 

On the first day of the new session of the Wisconsin Legislature, Governor Tony Evers is proposing a way to put you on a similar footing when it comes to putting issues on the ballot. The Democratic governor announced Monday a budget proposal that would require the Wisconsin State Legislature to allow voters to place binding referenda on the ballot without the approval of the Assembly and Senate. The move would put Wisconsinites on a similar footing with those in 20 other states like Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. In his release, Evers took aim at issues like abortion, medical marijuana, paid family leave, and gun control that have public support, but he says Republicans have refused to entertain. "The will of the people should be the law of the land. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly worked to put constitutional amendments on the ballot that Republicans drafted, and Republicans passed, all while Republicans refuse to give that same power to the people of Wisconsin. And that's wrong," said Evers. Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck says now is a good time to educate citizens that there can be another way to get things they care about on the ballot rather than hope and pray that it might.

Heck admits that the measure will likely be removed from the budget after Evers releases his version of the 2025-2027 biennial budget next month. Evers made a similar call to action via a special session in September 2022 after the reversal of the Roe vs. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision. The Republican-held Wisconsin Legislature gaveled in and out of the special session without discussion. They called the request a political stunt and a distraction from other issues while Evers was campaigning for re-election.

You can demonstrate your artistic abilities for Destination Sturgeon Bay's annual Fire & Ice Festival next month.   The two-day event, February 14-15, starts with a candle-lit hike on the trails at Crossroads at Big Creek on Friday night with the carving of sculptures from ice blocks throughout the day on Saturday.  Marketing Coordinator Alexa Soto says the ice carving applications are available online for anyone to participate.  She notes teams can participate and that you can be a seasoned pro or an enthusiastic beginner. 

Soto adds that the 2025 Fire & Ice Gala will be held on Saturday evening at Stone Harbor Resort and include live music, roulette, silent auction and dinner.  You can find more information on the Fire and Ice events online at the Destination Sturgeon Bay website.  

You can find a new way to stay fit and improve your health at the Door County YMCA this year.  The new POWER course, which stands for Progression, Optimization, Wellness, Endurance, and Resilience, started on January 2 and runs through 21.  Specialty Wellness Director Abby Tesch says the sessions offer a full-body workout led by a certified trainer.  She notes that the class is perfect for any level of fitness, from beginner to advanced or even a pro athlete.

Tesch adds that POWER is a great way to develop new strength and muscle. The classes start as early as 5:30 in the morning and as late as 5:15 p.m., with a POWER Express program on Saturday mornings from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. You can find more information on class availability by contacting the Door County YMCA.  

The United Way of Door County thanks you for supporting their mission in record-setting finish, but there is still some distance to cover in the final days of its 2024 annual campaign. As of Friday, the organization was at over 85 percent of its $1 million goal. It is already over its all-time record set last year when more than $800,000 was donated to the 2023 annual campaign. United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle is proud of how much the community's support has grown over the years. A decade ago, the organization was shooting for $500,000 as its annual campaign goal. Kohnle reminds current and prospective donors that its $1 million annual campaign is not based on a want, but a community need.

All donations and pledges for the 2024 United Way of Door County annual campaign need to be made by midnight on January 7th.

It's January, so at Crossroads at Big Creek, we are looking into the future, which is fitting. January was named for the Roman god of doors and transitions, Janus, because he was depicted as having two heads, one looking forward and one looking back.

A double face would have been necessary to see both forward and backward. Human eyes (and apparently the eyes of mythological gods) are located on the very front of the face, resulting in binocular vision. The two eyes work together to provide an image, complete with depth perception. 

Binocular vision is so much a part of us that we find it difficult to imagine seeing any other way, but many birds, fish, and insects rely on monocular vision. These creatures also have two eyes. But their eyes are on the sides or near the top of their heads. Each eye works independently. I'm not sure how their brains process the double images. 

But I do know that these creatures can see in two directions simultaneously. Of course, monocular vision has its problems. The creatures cannot judge distance, and they have to cock their heads if they want to pick something up. But it works for them. In fact, it has immense survival value, for the animals can detect predators coming from either direction.

Wildlife biologists can tell a great deal about an animal based on eye position.  Creatures with eyes on the sides of the head tend to be prey species. Their survival  of depend on constant wariness. 

In contrast, predators usually have binocular vision, so they can look straight ahead to focus on their objective or to search for opportunities.

We at Crossroads are looking straight ahead, knowing that sometimes that means being "blindsided, " which calls to mind the Rumsfeld Matrix. Remember Donald Rumsfeld? Then, during a press briefing, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld suggested that there are "Known Knowns," "Unknown Knowns," "Known Unknowns," and "Unknown Unknowns."

So for Crossroads, the "Known Knowns" include a significant restoration project at our Ida Bay Preserve and expanding educational programs for learners of all ages. In collaboration with the Door County Library and with support from Healthy Water Door County, we have scheduled our Fish Tail Lecture Series. Learning in Retirement will offer many programs for lifelong learners, including Master Gardeners, Wild Ones-Door Peninsula, and the Door County Beekeepers, and we have scheduled lectures, webinars, demonstrations, and hikes.

Another" Known-Known" is that our youth and family programs will continue with Junior Nature Club, Science Saturdays, afterschool Environmental Exploration, and School's Out Excursions, in addition to offering field trips to area schools. Thanks to a Cellcom Green Gift, we are upgrading the drop-in children's nature play area in the Collins Learning Center.

We know that, in collaboration with other Door County environmental organizations and agencies, we will continue expanding our citizen science and restoration efforts.

"Known-Unknows" are situations we know exist but don't know the outcome. For example, our Ski-For-Free program is ready to go, but the answer to the question, " When will we have adequate snow to groom our trails?" is unknown. An even greater unknown is whether we will receive foundation or grant funding and permits for some of our projected projects. 

And then we anticipate the "Unknown Knowns" --issues buried in our collective subconscious and "Unknown Unknowns'"-- the true surprises, perhaps good: perhaps troublesome.  We plan to be prepared for contingencies.

This week, (unless we have a Snow Day-clearly a Known Unknown--watch the ticker on our website for cancelations), our activities will  include a Saturday Science program called Kitchen Chemistry,  a Wild Ones Webinar called Genetic Diversity and the after school Environmental Exploration program will feature Animals. Tracks.

Crossroads is looking forward and focused on our objectives and opportunities. Our overriding objective is " to inspire environmental stewardship in learners of all ages and from all backgrounds through education, research, restoration, and outdoor experiences."

Saturday, January 11

2:00 Science Saturday-Kitchen Chemistry

Chemical reactions happen frequently in the kitchen, so this Science Saturday program will include several safe (but exciting) chemical reactions, which can be done using everyday household products. This weekly family program is intended for elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Registration is not required. Free and open to the public. Open to the public and free,e thanks to the generosity of donors like you!

Monday, January 13

1:30 Wild Ones Webinar-"Genetic Diversity"

This pre-recorded webinar features Neil Diboll, who will discuss plants' genetic diversity and their role in our gardens, landscapes, and natural areas. The divergence between the goals of horticulture and ecology creates a conundrum for the modern gardener, especially those committed to preserving plant species and the organisms that depend upon them for survival. Sponsored by Wild Ones- Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

Tuesday, January 14

3:30 Environmental Exploration: Animal Tracks 

This after-school program will begin with a make-and-take printmaking activity, but if conditions are favorable, participants will go outside to find and identify tracks. This program is geared toward elementary students, but learners of all ages are welcome. It is free and open to the public. Meet in the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

When your students are out of school this summer, construction work will be in session at Algoma School District. Last month, the Algoma School Board approved a proposal from Bayland Buildings to perform the work approved by voters through a $10.2 million referendum passed in April 2024. The improvements include new plumbing and roofing at Algoma Elementary School, safety upgrades at the middle/high school, replacing the middle/high school's parking lot and track, updating the lighting, sound, and ceiling tile at the Algoma Performing Arts Center, and remodeling portions of the middle/high school including the band and choir room, the Algoma Venture Academy, agriculture classroom, and restrooms. Algoma Superintendent Jesse Brinkman says the work will be done in phases to cause the least disruption for staff and students.

Brinkman is hopeful the work will be finished by the fall.

Your visit to Wisconsin State Parks will carry extra meaning this year as they celebrate a benchmark anniversary. On New Year's Day, state officials kicked off the system's 125th anniversary as a part of the First Day Hike Event hosted at Mirror Lake State Park in Baraboo. Governor Tony Evers was there for the festivities, saying it was exciting to kick off more than a century of land stewardship as a part of growing state tradition. "Since 1900, our state parks have represented Wisconsin's rich history of conservation and stewardship while also being a place where Wisconsinites for generations have made memories together," said Evers. Visitors to Whitefish Dunes, Peninsula, and Newport state parks celebrated similarly on Wednesday, welcoming dozens of people to start the New Year outdoors. Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park President John Swanson says it was the first of many events they are excited to host this year to encourage people to explore Door County's state parks.

Whether there is enough snow to ski or not, Whitefish Dunes State Park and Newport State Park are hosting candlelight events on January 25th and February 8th, respectively. The attendance numbers for 2024 have not been released yet, but park superintendents across the county said early last year that the mild winter slowed down park traffic because of a lack of winter activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

The name may change, but many of the faces you have trusted with your teeth will stay the same at the former Door County Medical Center Dental Clinic. January 1st marked the official transition of the dental clinic to the Green Bay-based N.E.W. Community Clinic. Door County Medical Center and N.E.W. Community Clinic announced the changing of the guard in August 2024. The Sturgeon Bay office will become N.E.W. Community Clinic’s third facility in northeast Wisconsin in addition to its mobile health clinic vehicle. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, N.E.W. Community Clinic has greater access to federal and state funding sources. This designation will create opportunities to expand services and have a wider-reaching impact within the region, particularly benefiting underinsured and uninsured residents. In August, Executive Director Kim Franzen said the shared mission of serving underserved populations, keeping a sustainable approach to the future, and showing a commitment to the community attracted them to the Door County Medical Center partnership.

In the wake of the August announcement, Door County Medical Center President and CEO Brian Stephens said their pride in the dental clinic made it a bittersweet decision to pass the reins to the N.E.W. Community Clinic.

Outside of the name change to N.E.W. Community Clinic Door County Dental and adding a mobile unit, you should not experience much change if you have relied on the dental clinic for services. Patients have been added to the N.E.W. Community Clinic Door County Dental registry and can continue to visit the Sturgeon Bay office for services. The existing staff will also remain in place and have worked collaboratively with N.E.W. Community Clinic to ensure a smooth transition.

Whether you planned to or not, you may have brought home an unwanted present for you and your family from your holiday gatherings. The Centers for Disease Control is reporting a surge in norovirus outbreaks nationwide. The most recent data showed 91 norovirus outbreaks during the first week of December, up from 69 the week before. The numbers could be even higher, but many people do not report the norovirus unless hospitalized. The leading cause of foodborne illnesses in the United States, outbreaks of the "stomach bug" usually occur in places or functions where people are close together and can lead to bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, body ache, headache, and fever. You could get sick from the norovirus up to two weeks after exposure. Door County Public Health Department Strategist Shauna Blackledge recommends practicing good hygiene habits to potentially ward it off and being prepared to weather the storm.

Blackledge says respiratory diseases like flu, COVID-19, and RSV are also very prevalent this time of year because people spend more time indoors. She has also been paying close attention to the growing number of pertussis, better known as whooping cough, cases in Wisconsin. As of December 28th, there were 2,419 confirmed cases statewide, including at least one in 71 of the 72 counties over the past year. In all four instances, there are vaccines available that can at least lessen the impact of an infection.

With the holidays in the rearview mirror, you can properly dispose of your real Christmas trees with the help of area city crews this weekend.

In Sturgeon Bay, the collection of Christmas trees has already begun. The City of Sturgeon Bay requests you put your tree at the nearest corner and remove any garland, lights, or decorations. Crews will pick up the trees over the next three weeks.

The Algoma Fire and Rescue crews will make their rounds in the city this Saturday, January 4th. Fire Chief Tom Ackerman says you should have your undecorated trees curbside by noon, as crews will pick them up for disposal in the afternoon.

Christmas tree pickup in Kewaunee will be on Monday, January 6, and Monday, January 20. 

Homeowners should not place the trees at the curb more than 24 hours before collection to ensure they do not get buried with possible snow from plow trucks. 

While the 2025 Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair competition has been delayed until later this month, there is no stopping Megan Salentine this upcoming week as she chases the crown of the Wisconsin State Fairest of the Fair. Salentine, a former Kewaunee County Junior Fairest of the Fair, was initially reluctant to take on the role after last year's winner decided to step aside. Salentine is a junior at St. Norbert College pursuing a job in education, which has already led her to a part-time role at the CP Center in Green Bay. That pursuit was one of the reasons why she did not apply to be the Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair and why she had to be gently persuaded to take on the role a month before the fair kicked off in Luxemburg. Despite potentially taking on a more significant commitment as the Wisconsin State Fairest of the Fair, Salentine has realized that the timing was right after all, and she is ready to write the next chapter.

The Wisconsin State Fairest of the Fair competition coincides with the Wisconsin Associational of Fairs Annual Convention, which runs from January 5th to January 8th. The rescheduled Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair competition will occur at Ryan Park at 7 p.m. on January 17th. It was originally scheduled to take place on Friday, January 3rd.

The same system used to send you emergency alerts in Door and Kewaunee counties could have also given you valuable information if you were in New Orleans for New Year's festivities.

In the early morning hours on Wednesday, at least 15 people were killed, and dozens were injured when 42-year-old suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove his pick-up truck down Bourbon Street in the city's French Quarter as revelers were celebrating the coming of 2025. The FBI called it an act of terrorism as it investigates possible connections to ISIS and a truck explosion in front of a hotel in Texas. As the incident continues to play itself out, people connected to NOLA Ready, which uses the same Smart911 platform as Door and Kewaunee counties, are getting updates on everything from building and street closures to a new kickoff time for the Sugar Bowl.

Door County has not had to activate its system on a large scale since it switched to the Smart911 platform in September. Door County Emergency Management Director Jeb Saelens says the New Orleans tragedy shows the importance of having emergency information at your fingertips.

Saelens says that approximately 16,000 people are signed up for Door County Ready, and he hopes always to improve that number. He adds that downloading the Smart911 app will give you Door County emergency updates and information from other communities based on your locations.

Sign up for Door County Ready here

Download the Smart911 App for Apple and Google

The sight of snowflakes only added to the ambiance of the 39th Jacksonport Polar Bear Club Swim on Wednesday. Now hosted by the Jacksonport Fire Department, hundreds of swimmers made the short sprint into the Lake Michigan waters from the Lakeside Park beach to welcome the New Year. Newcomers and old pros alike joined in the fun started by the Jarosh family nearly four decades ago.

It was just part of a busy New Year’s Day celebration in Door County, which featured a New Year’s Eve celebration in Sister Bay, a similar swim benefitting the Nasewaupee Fire Department in Sturgeon Bay, and a parade in Egg Harbor.

A visit to a small town park in Sturgeon Bay led to an unexpected spotting of a bird rarely found in North America.   According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Rush and Candy Evans visited Portage Park this past Saturday in Sturgeon Bay and spotted a white wagtail bird.   The small grayish-white bird is rarely found in America but is a more common species in Asia and Europe.  The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology states it is the first-ever sighting of a white wagtail in Wisconsin. The white wagtail is the national bird of Latvia in Europe and has been featured on stamps from several countries.  

(photo courtesy of Candy Evans)

Your kids can stay active and participate in a new Super Kids Fun Night, the first-ever volleyball league for teens at the Door County YMCA, later this month.  Youth and Sports Director Paul Briney says the theme for the Super Kids event on Friday, January 17, is Nerf night, which allows the kids (2nd to 6th grade) to have Nerf battles in the gym.  

Briney says the Nerf night idea came from other YMCAs and helps kids, who may not necessarily play sports, stay active and have some fun. The volleyball league night is on Friday, January 24. It is a pick-up, tournament-style contest for ages 12-18 and will be held from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. You should preregister for the events by contacting the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay.

With all of the Christmas excitement behind us, I wanted to take just a moment to share the outcome of our 2024 season of giving. Just as in the past, this year’s Kewaunee County Kettle Campaign was a testimony to the generosity of our communities. Overall, we received $28,485.10 in donations between November 23rd and December 24th. This was slightly down from last year when we received $29,729.14, but still a huge increase over previous years.

This is an amazing testament to the commitment and dedication of all those who took the time to ring bells and the generosity of those who gave what they could throughout the giving season.

Leading the giving this year were the Kewaunee sites, with a total of $10,948.39, followed by Luxemburg, at $10,272.68, and Algoma, at $7,245.36. These donations are a total of both what was received in the kettles and donation checks received throughout the 2024 season. A relatively new addition to our campaign has been the countertop kettles at area businesses. Each year, they tend to draw a bit more attention and donations. Thank you to the businesses that hosted those as well.

These are impressive numbers when you consider that most of these donations are small as people come and go from the Kettle sites. We would like to thank the businesses who allowed us to place these kettles and the bell-ringing volunteers at their entrances. We would also like to thank the many volunteers who took the time to ring bells and encourage giving. There is no way we would have been as successful in our fundraising had the bell ringers not been at the sites as often as they were. I am always encouraged by the many new faces that volunteer each year and look forward to more new faces next season.

I want to thank Jake Blazkovec for all his efforts in the Algoma area. I would also like to thank Annette Wuest for her coordination at the Luxemburg sites. In addition to the volunteers of all ages, young and old, A special shout out to all of our Kewaunee County youth for showing us that there is no minimum age for volunteerism, as we had students, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, Cub Scouts and student/ staff members of various organizations and schools giving of themselves and their time.

Big thanks also to all of the Nicolet Bank staff, especially Lynn LaCrosse, for processing all of the transactions and patiently sorting the contents of the Kettles. Many hours were spent flattening out all of the rolled-up, crunched-up, and otherwise jammed-packed currency from the kettles that were brought in.

It is important to note that these funds stay here in Kewaunee County to help those around us who find themselves in short-term need. These needs could be due to a sudden loss of employment or an unexpected medical bill. In these instances, the resources are sent directly to the vendor so that there is no doubt that the money is going towards its intended purpose.

I have the unique privilege of being the Voucher Writer for the Salvation Army here in Kewaunee County, which allows me to meet with and assist our neighbors throughout the year with needs such as Utilities, Rent, Lodging, Food, Clothing, and Fuel. While I may be the person filling out the voucher for them, I know that I am merely a representative of our community and all of its amazing generosity. I am grateful for the role I play in changing people’s lives for the better, and I would encourage anyone interested to please join our county unit of the Salvation Army. We meet quarterly and are always looking for fresh insight and perspective on how we can better serve our community. Please give me a call if you are interested. 

A response call by local fire departments on Tuesday afternoon for a chimney fire in Sturgeon Bay is a good reminder to have your chimney inspected regularly.  The Sturgeon Bay Fire Department was called to a residence on County T at about 1:30 p.m., and a chimney fire had quickly been contained before it could cause substantial damage.   According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), nearly 25,000 chimney fires occur yearly.  The most common cause of chimney fires is creosote buildup, a chemical byproduct of burning wood. Gibraltar Fire Chief Andy Bertges suggests you take preventative steps before sparking the next flame in your fireplace or wood burner stove.

Quiet, slow-burning chimney fires are usually caused by either a stray spark or high temperatures that ignite creosote buildup in the chimney. The CSIA recommends having your chimney inspected and cleaned once a year.