You will have another chance to connect with others in the community. On June 6th, Algoma Venture Academy and Wilson’s Wish partnered together to create a space for those with disabilities to interact. The event was held at Wilson’s Wish in Luxemburg, an animal rehabilitation farm, where animals who are displaced or disabled are given a second chance. The venue was a wonderful place for those of all abilities to come together and feel accepted. 

Harmonii Gerlach, the event's organizer, said, “I wanted to use my passion to give everyone the same opportunity. I'm excited that this meaningful event at Wilson’s Wish was a success.” Algoma Venture Academy board member Adam Peronto added that “all individuals, regardless of ability, should have the opportunity to connect and thrive. By coming together for this event, we were able to share and recognize that despite perceived differences we are all alike.”

If you would like to visit Wilson’s Wish, you’re in luck. The farm normally only takes private tours but on Friday, June 9th, you have the opportunity to stop by from 5 pm- 9 pm. Along with local art vendors, you and your family can shop, play, and eat. Co-founder and owner of Wilson’s Wish, Tonya Edwards, goes more in-depth about why events like these benefit the community. 

For more information on future events, check out their Facebook. 

Picture courtesy of the Algoma Venture Academy and Kinect M1

The first main northern door trail will be coming soon thanks in part to a grant, and it will stretch through multiple jurisdictions in the northern municipalities of Door County. 

This multijurisdictional trail would give much needed relief to the traffic on Highway 42 and give community members opportunities to feel connected between the northern towns. The trail will run from Sister Bay to Ephraim and Gibraltar, who is working with the state to put a trail through the parks that would run up to Fish Creek. The final leg of the trail would run south to Egg Harbor and connect all of the participating towns and villages. Village of Sister Bay Administrator Julie Schmelzer talks about the trail and the big effects it will have on the areas involved. 

Destination Door County played the biggest role in this process of the trail, as they gave a $90,000 grant to the Village of Sister Bay. This grant covered the entire design of the trail, and was the leading factor of this becoming possible, Schmelzer said. 

The hope is that the design is done in six months, and the bid for the construction can be out next spring. 

You may not be happy with the rain forecasted for this weekend, but you will see plenty of farmers smiling at the prospect of it. The weekly report from the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service has not shown measurable precipitation for Door and Kewaunee counties since the week of May 15th. The dry weather has allowed farmers to get into their fields at least, with 6.7 suitable days for fieldwork for them to work with over the last week. Over 90 percent of the oats, wheat, and corn crops have been planted, which is two to three days ahead of last year’s pace. Now those plants need water, something farmers in northeast Wisconsin depend on since very few rely on irrigation systems to get by during drier periods. Rio Creek Feed Mill agronomist Adam Barta says it is nothing to panic over quite yet, but the rain is definitely needed at this stage of the growing season.

Mother Nature could provide assistance for farmers as soon as Saturday afternoon when storms are expected to hit the area. According to The Weather Channel, there is at least a 50 percent chance of rain through Tuesday morning. 

Depending on the season, this weekend may be your only chance this year to get up and close to some of the lighthouses in the area. The Door County Maritime Museum once again hosts its Spring Lighthouse Festival with more than a dozen unique tours to choose from over the course of three days that take you by land, by water, and by air. In the cases of the Chambers Island, Plum Island, and Sherwood Point Lighthouses, this is your only opportunity to tour them.  Door County’s lighthouses are not the only ones being featured. You will also have the opportunity to visit the pierhead lighthouses in Algoma and Kewaunee and Green Bay’s Grassy Island Range Lights as they will also be open to the public. Tickets are still available for some of this weekend’s tours by clicking this link. You can also plan ahead for the Fall Lighthouse Festival scheduled to take place from September 30th to October 2nd. All proceeds from the festival go to support the work of the Door County Maritime Museum. 

For the summer and fall months, you will notice that Door County turns into a mini-United Nations as they provide a critical service to the area’s businesses. Almost 530 international students will participate in the summer work and travel program in Door County, commonly known as the J-1 Student Visa. The students represent 27 countries and they will be working primarily in eight municipalities, with most of them serving the Egg Harbor and Sister Bay communities. Destination Door County Director of Advocacy Phil Berndt says the program has rebounded and then some since the pandemic severely limited international travel for almost two years.

Over 180 students are already working in Door County with the remainder coming in the coming weeks. As a result, Destination Door County is hosting J-1 Social Security Sign-up Days on Wednesday, June 21st, and Friday, July 14th at the Ephraim Village Hall to help ensure a smooth transition for the students and their employers when they arrive. The Door County Bridges program, which sets up activities for the students to participate in throughout the summer, has already hosted one of its events when it took some of them on a cruise around the peninsula.

Feeding calves, milking cows, and fixing machines are just some of the chores you will see some Kewaunee County middle schoolers complete this week as a part of the Pagel’s Ponderosa Boot Camp running through the end of the week. Thirty students from Kewaunee, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Luxemburg, and Holy Rosary Church in Kewaunee will participate in the five-day program, allowing them to participate in hands-on activities featuring jobs in the agriculture industries. Kiley Pagel was in the first Pagel’s Ponderosa Boot Camp when her grandpa, the late John Pagel, started the program in 2015 as one of his many ideas to get kids involved on the farm. Pagel says the connection the community has with the industry makes Boot Camp an important tradition to continue.

Coy Anderson of Luxemburg says it has been a fun week so far learning about the different jobs on a farm, including his favorite in the machine shed.

The Pagel’s Ponderosa Boot Camp concludes on Friday with the kids doing presentations on all of the things they learned over the five days and conducting farm tours for the families.

You will see more than $62,000 directly impact Door County as a result of the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s (DOA) Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. Governor Tony Evers announced a total of 34 grants worth $1.4 million that were distributed to Wisconsin’s coastal communities. Three of the grants will go towards planning efforts in the Village of Sister Bay, Washington Island, and the Town of Egg Harbor. The largest grant, which was worth $29,434, was received by the Wisconsin Historical Society for a study of settlement-era piers in Door County. According to the state, the Wisconsin Historical Society will expand Wisconsin’s documentation of maritime resources by locating, investigating, mapping, and evaluating the submerged and associated shoreline cultural resources associated with historic lumber and quarry piers of Door County. As a result, the grant will also allow the study to update its website and five area kiosks with new information. Governor Evers says it is important to highlight the area’s history to its visitors.

Door County will also see some of the benefits of a nearly $50,000 grant earmarked for the third phase of the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) designation process. Not only are sites in Door County included in the NERR, but the City of Sturgeon Bay is also vying for the opportunity to be the home of its visitor center.

A LOOK AT THE DOOR COUNTY-CENTRIC PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE COASTAL MANAGEMENT GRANTS

Project Name Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve – Public Engagement and Preparation of the Draft Management Plan

Applicant Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay

Grant Amount $49,866

Category Great Lakes Education

The University of Wisconsin Green Bay will complete the third phase of the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) designation process. This phase is the creation of the NERR Draft Management Plan, which will guide the operation of the NERR’s first five years of operation, and develop content (maps, plans, etc.) for inclusion within the DMP.

Project Name A Short Survey off of Long Piers: Settlement-Era Piers of Door County

Applicant Wisconsin Historical Society

Grant Amount $29,434

Category Great Lakes Education

The Wisconsin Historical Society will expand Wisconsin’s documentation of maritime resources by locating, investigating, mapping, and evaluating the submerged and associated shoreline cultural resources associated with historic lumber and quarry piers of Door County. The Wisconsin Historical Society website and five kiosks will be updated with the new information.

Project Name Town of Egg Harbor Long-Range Planning

Applicant Town of Egg Harbor

Grant Amount $9,000

Category Land Use & Community Planning

The Town of Egg Harbor will update four elements of the Town's comprehensive plan and will address topics that weren’t in the original comprehensive plan, including impacts due to fluctuating water levels, development in coastal areas, best management practices, invasive species control, and economic impacts of tourism. 

Project Name Town of Washington: Planning for the Island Community

Applicant Town of Washington

Grant Amount $9,500

Category Land Use & Community Planning

The Town of Washington (on Washington Island) will prepare four elements of a comprehensive plan: Natural, Agricultural, and Cultural Resources; Housing and Economic Development; Land Use/Future Land Use; and Implementation, leading to a complete municipal comprehensive plan.

Project Name Village of Sister Bay: Vision 2044

Applicant Village of Sister Bay

Grant Amount $14,700

Category Land Use & Community Planning

The Village of Sister Bay will update four elements of their comprehensive plan: Natural, Agricultural, and Cultural Resources; Housing and Economic Development; Land Use/Future Land Use; and Implementation.

Click here to read about all of the grants distributed on Wednesday 

The world premiere of a musical you can see at Peninsula State Park beginning next week will carry extra meaning to all involved with the production. Rehearsals for “The Fish Whisperer” have been going on for about three weeks already with the cast and crew taking the show to the outdoor amphitheater for the first time on Monday. “The Fish Whisperer,” written by Scott Guy, Robin Share, Dan Wessels, and Ron Barnett in association with New Musicals, Inc., is about a small Wisconsin town where fishing is king and the fish that help drive tourism stop biting. The story weaves its way through the town and a person who claims they can help for a $10,000 fee. The musical is not just a part of Northern Sky Theater’s summer outdoor season, but also a part of World Premiere Wisconsin, a festival encompassing original works across the state. Artistic Director Jeffrey Herbst says the trust they have developed with their audiences helps make world premieres performed at Northern Sky Theater work for everyone.

The first performance of “The Fish Whisperer” will take place on June 14th and will alternate performances with the familiar but revamped “Cheeseheads: The Musical.” Herbst is optimistic about the upcoming season, citing high ticket sales and low COVID numbers across the state.

A structure fire on North 7th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay devastated a multi-family dwelling Wednesday morning.  At about 10:30 a.m., the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department responded to a fire at 404 North 7th Avenue with flames and billowing black smoke coming from the upper and lower levels of the complex.  The fire was contained to the building and as of 12:30 p.m. the fire department and police personnel are still at the scene.  Fire Chief Tim Dietman was not available for comment and no other details are available at this time.  Door County Daily News will update this story as more information is released.

Traffic along Highway 57 north of Valmy was slowed considerably Wednesday morning after a delivery truck and a passenger car were involved in an accident that sent three people to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The Door County Sheriff’s Department responded to the accident just before ten o’clock at the intersection of Highway 57 and Clarks Lake Road.    Deputy Sheriff Pat McCarty says it appears that one vehicle was eastbound on Clarks Lake Road while the other was traveling south on Highway 57 when the accident occurred. 

Traffic on Highway 57 remained open while emergency response vehicles were present at the scene.  Door County Daily News will update this story as more details become available.

The mild winter and early summer-like weather may have you encountering more ticks as you spend extra time outdoors.  Tick season typically occurs from May through October and can impact your health considerably.  Door County Public Health Registered Nurse Marggie Moertl says ticks can carry many other diseases than the more-known Lyme Disease.  She says you should be mindful as you hit the trails and outdoors this summer. 

Moertl adds you should examine your body closely for any ticks after hiking or walking through tall grasses.  If you find a tick on yourself, remove it immediately and observe the area you found it.  The most common symptom of an infected tick is a circular, reddish rash that can lead to fever, sweats, chills, fatigue, headaches, as well as muscle and joint pain.  Lyme disease and other similar infections can create lifetime issues.  Moertl advises you to seek medical attention right away if you notice a rash on your skin where a tick was present.  You can find tips on protecting yourself and your pets from ticks this summer below. 

Tick bite prevention

1. Use a chemical repellent with DEET, permethrin or picaridin.
2. Wear light-colored protective clothing.
3. Tuck pant legs into socks.
4. Avoid tick-infested areas.
5. Check yourself, your children, and your pets daily for ticks, and carefully remove any ticks.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council narrowly passed a new “weigh on the water” fishing rule for tournament contests held at city facilities starting in 2024. No permits for tournaments will be issued in May or June unless the organizers of the event use a “weigh on the water” format, due to the timing of the smallmouth bass spawn.  No permits will be issued either for walleye tournaments before May 15th unless the weigh on the water” format is used. After more than a dozen people spoke for over 45 minutes during public comments, Mayor David Ward broke a three-to-three tie, voting yes to the updated fishing rule. Council members Dan Williams, Spencer Gustafson, and Kirsten Reeths voted no, while Seth Wiederanders, Helen Bacon, and Dennis Statz voted to approve the measure. Gary Nault abstained because of his involvement in fishing tournaments in the area. The Parks & Recreation Committee held four meetings addressing the “weigh on the water” proposal, before making the final recommendation that was approved at Tuesday’s council meeting.

In other business, four recommendations from the Finance, Purchasing, and Building Committee were approved by the Sturgeon Bay Common Council. A bid for resurfacing the Otumba Park tennis court, a consulting services agreement with Santec for $58,000, the hiring of Cedar Corp for engineering services for an Industrial Flex building, and the hiring of R.W. Baird for consulting services on the possible future creation of TID #9 in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park, all passed unanimously.  

Mayor David Ward also read a proclamation declaring June “Open Door Pride Month” reflecting the City’s support of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism confirmed what you may have already known: a lot of people spent time and money in the state last year. Tourism generated $23.7 billion in total economic impact in 2022, surpassing its previous record in 2019.  Every county in the state saw an increase in total economic impact year-over-year, thanks in part to the highest-ever overnight visitation. Door County saw an economic impact of $582 million, which was an increase of just under 10 percent over 2021. Direct visitor spending was up $41 million over the previous year to $467 million in 2022. Destination Door County President and CEO Julie Gilbert says a big reason why they have continued to see growth is the driving market continues to be strong while airlines continue to play catchup from the pandemic.

Gilbert is also proud of the over 3,300 jobs supported by tourism in 2022. You can see more about the year in tourism in Wisconsin by clicking this link.

DOOR COUNTY NUMBERS

• Tourism’s total economic impact in Door County increased by $51.7 million over the previous year, totaling $582.4 million in 2022
• Direct visitor spending led the way, totaling $466.5 million last year, with indirect and induced spending representing the remaining $115.9 million and bringing the total economic activity from tourism to $582 million.
• Door County’s visitor economy supported a total of 3,335 jobs, which earned local jobholders $113.3 million in labor income in 2022.
• $47.8 million in state and local taxes was generated as a result of tourism-related spending.

For now, your backyard campfire is all you can do in many Door County municipalities as the area deals with drought. Brussels-Union-Gardner, Baileys Harbor, Egg Harbor, and Ephraim are among the fire departments in recent weeks to opt not to issue burn permits until further notice due to the lack of rain the area has seen over the last few weeks. Door County is not alone in the course of action as they are one of the fifty Wisconsin counties in the high fire danger zone. Much of northwestern Wisconsin is listed at the moderate level. BUG Fire Chief Curt Vandertie says that even though burn permits will not be issued, campfires can still occur with the proper precautions.

Mother Nature will not be doing its part to help end the drought with less than a 25 percent chance of rain being reported for almost the next two weeks.

You will get to see some new sights during this year’s Crossroads Trail Run taking place on June 17th. Volunteer Race Director Morgan Rusnak says pre-registration numbers are climbing to where they were pre-pandemic, a feat that other race directors across the country have found to be elusive. While you will still receive a t-shirt, a plant, and other goodies with your registration, Rusnak says the biggest difference you will find is the route itself.

Registration for the 14th annual Crossroads Trail Run and its three distances can be found here. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit programming at Crossroads at Big Creek.

In front of dozens of family, friends, and community members, David Allen was sworn in as the new Police Chief of the City of Algoma Monday evening at the monthly council meeting.  Allen replaces Randy Remiker who retired on June 1 after more than four years as the police chief. City Clerk Erin Mueller, did the honors, first recognizing Remiker, who could not attend due to a military commitment.  Allen then officially assumed his duties as the Chief of Police.

Allen has over 20 years of law enforcement experience as a DNR conservation warden, including in Kewaunee County.  First Assembly Rep. Joel Kitchens was present for the ceremony and spoke during public comments.  After congratulating Allen as Algoma’s new police chief, Kitchens noted that the state legislature is working on a shared-revenue bill that would mean up to $147,000 in state funds for the City of Algoma.

You may not even recognize your driver’s license and identification card anymore the next time you renew. The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles announced on Monday new changes to the cards to make them more resistant to fraud. In addition to new design elements and embossments, the new cards will feature transparent windows along the card’s right edge and bottom edge. According to the DMV, Wisconsin is the first in the country to have this security feature that allows a clear ribbon to flow off the edge of the card and be integrated with cardholder data. The upgraded security features will be available on regular and REAL ID cards, which will replace the current ones when you either renew your license or order a replacement through the DMV.

You will find a familiar name behind the Mobil station on County S/Duluth Avenue in Sturgeon Bay.

Parvinder Jandu became the new owner of the S-Stop last month, filing the necessary paperwork for some of his licenses on May 15th according to the agenda packet for the City of Sturgeon Bay Common Council. He officially took over the Mobil gas station and convenience store just before Memorial Day weekend.

Jandu is no stranger to operating gas stations in Door and Kewaunee counties, including a pair in Algoma and one in Carlsville. Along with his wife Renu, Jandu is also well-known in the area for his philanthropy, having donated $15,000 to the Town of Brussels in 2018 to replace the fencing surrounding its baseball field and thousands more through its pride pump sales at its Carlsville and previous Sturgeon Bay locations. 

You are about two weeks away from seeing the first cruise ship of the summer stop in Algoma for a quick visit to northeast Wisconsin. The Viking Polaris represents the first of several cruise ships to stop in Algoma this summer, with the first one arriving on June 16th at approximately 8 a.m. Boat tenders will shuttle visitors between the cruise ships and Algoma’s shores before they potentially hop on buses for excursions around the area. Algoma Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rosemary Paladini says it is pulling out all the stops to welcome its visitors, whether they are coming from the ship or coming from the mainland to see the ship.

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

The Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation held preparation meetings in March and hosted Great Lakes Shore Excursions President Theresa Nemetz at its annual breakfast in May in anticipation of the cruise ship visits. Viking Cruises will also be bringing their ships to the area in 2024.

The picture you think of when you imagine the typical user of Door County Connect and Door 2 Door Rides is changing. The services are averaging approximately 3,900 rides each month, which is higher than the 3,500 rides monthly average last year. At this pace, Door County Connect and Door 2 Door Rides could hit over 46,000 in 2023, which would be close to the over 47,000 rides the services delivered in 2019. Transportation Manager Pam Busch says the trend that has been really encouraging is who is using the service. Before, Door County Connect and Door 2 Door Rides were primarily used by those 60 years and older and for medical purposes. Busch says they are now seeing younger people use the system for reasons of employment and for personal errands.

Door County Connect is available Monday through Friday beginning at 7:45 a.m. primarily in the Sturgeon Bay area starting at just $2.00 a ride. Door 2 Door Rides operates seven days a week with fares and hours varying on where you live. 

The City of Sturgeon Bay could create its second Tax Increment District this year in the near future in order to stimulate more economic growth.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council is looking at working with R.W. Baird to create the city’s ninth TID district as it looks to build a 40,000-square-foot industrial flex building on the former Zak property near Neenah Avenue and Shiloh Road in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park. Once built, the Sturgeon Bay Business Center could potentially house four to five businesses. The Sturgeon Bay Common Council will also weigh in on hiring Cedar Corporation for engineering services for the proposed project. The Sturgeon Bay Business Center is not the only building project the council will discuss at the regularly scheduled meeting.

The council will also discuss hiring Stantec for surveying/engineering services for a potential affordable housing project on the west side of S. Hudson Avenue and the south ends of S. Fulton and S. Geneva  Avenues. If the project is fulfilled, approximately 23 lots of housing could be developed.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council will also discuss new rules for fishing tournaments and how they use city docks when they meet on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Just as much as they want to be there for you when you are dealing with an emergency, local law enforcement is asking for you to stick with them when you accidentally call them. Of the 313 calls received by Door County Dispatch over the weekend, nearly 60 of them were considered as either 911 hang-ups or 911 follow-ups, which are often triggered by a misdial. Door County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Pat McCarty says every one of those calls requires a lot of resources and often means diverting deputies from more pressing issues. In Kewaunee County, the number of 911 misdials and hang-ups so far this year is 513,  compared to 586 total in 2022 and 990 total in 2021. Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski says cell phone users need to be aware of how their apps work and if they do mistakenly dial 911 to stay on the line.

Both Joski and McCarty agreed that 911 hang-ups and misdials are near the top in the types of calls their respective dispatch centers receive every month.

Picture courtesy of Pixabay

MORE FROM SHERIFF MATT JOSKI

As we reach the midpoint of 2023, it has become apparent that the calls for service in regard to 911 hang-ups, continues to be an issue. In 2021 we had a total 990 calls due to 911 Hang ups, however in 2022 it decreased to 586. Thank you to everyone for being vigilant and helping to reduce those calls. So far in 2023 our calls numbers for 911 hang-ups are at 513 and continue to be an all-too-common occurrence which draws resources from our Dispatch Center as well as our Patrol Deputies who follow up on these calls. At this rate we will be over 1,000 of these calls.

As you can imagine, in either of these cases, we must ascertain the dynamics behind that hung up call as we cannot run the risk of assuming all hang ups were innocent in nature. While many were in fact a result of operator error, there have been those calls where only after following up do we determined that an assault, domestic or other violent situation was occurring.

Just a few quick reminders and mentions of some contributing factors that have lead to these incidents.

-Avoiding placing your phone in areas of your vehicle which may inadvertently activate a 911 call such as a cup holder.

-Avoid putting your phone in your pocket when you are engaged in dynamic physical activity such as cutting lawn, or operating an ATV where the phone is not stable as hitting the power button numerous times can activate a 911 call.

-Avoid leaving your phone in areas where small children can access it. This also pertains to phones you have that are de-activated as these phones are still capable of dialing 911.

-Be mindful of devices such as smart watches which have also shown the tendency to be the source of inadvertent 911 calls.

If you do find yourself on the line with one of our dispatchers due to an accidental dial, please stay on the line and provide the proper information to our Dispatcher so that we can close out the call and prevent the need to send officers to your location. If you have already hung up realizing your error, please answer when the Dispatcher calls you back.

We appreciate everyone’s attentiveness to this issue and I have no doubt we can decrease the number of these calls thus reducing the time and costs associated with them. Take Care & Stay Safe!

The next two months could be the worst spongy moth caterpillar outbreak in more than a decade, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says. 

The spongy moth caterpillars, formerly known as gypsy moths, feed on oak, birch, crabapple, aspen, and willow leaves and can cause harm to high-value trees. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection will be setting over 10,000 traps for the spongy moths. The traps are small green boxes tied to tree branches and contain the scent of female spongy moths and are undetectable to humans and other insects. These boxes are used to attract and catch adult male spongy moths. 

Southern Wisconsin and parts of the north are already in a high-population outbreak that is predicted to continue and spread. 

Those who find spongy moth caterpillars should avoid touching them as the hairs often cause a skin rash, welt, or other irritation. Rubbing alcohol can help to remove the hairs and chemical irritants from the skin that is exposed to the hairs.

 If you have not had a reason to check out their new Sister Bay Clinic and Rehab facility, Door County Medical Center is giving you one on June 11th.

That is when Door County Medical Center is hosting its open house for its new facility, which first opened its doors at the end of March. The building replaced their clinic in Fish Creek, which proved to have tight quarters for all of the services they provided and their staff. Door County Medical Center President and CEO Brian Stephens touted the facility’s benefits earlier this year.

Stephens and Board of Directors President, Patti Vickman, will present a dedication ceremony at 11 a.m., followed by guided tours through the new clinic and rehabilitation facility. The open house runs until 2 p.m.

A problem the City of Sturgeon Bay has been dealing with for a while will be getting some relief as the city was awarded a grant towards a new aquatic weed harvester. 

Many boaters will be breathing a sigh of relief with this news as there will be less weeds in shallow areas, which has caused many headaches for boaters. The city received a $45,551 grant from Destination Door County as part of their Community Investment Fund grants, which is made possible by room tax revenues. Josh VanLieshout, the City of Sturgeon Bay’s City Administrator, talks about what the aquatic weed harvester truly is and why the city truly needed it. 

The new harvester will join two other ones that were currently in use beforehand. The weeds will not be permanently gone, but the tops that were causing the issues for boaters will be eliminated, as well as some of the stray weeds that VanLieshout called “floaters.” 

The harvester will soon be built, and the City of Sturgeon Bay expects to have it in use by the spring of 2024.