Last week I touched on the need for Physical and Emotional Wellness, and this week, I want to round out that discussion with Social and Spiritual Wellness. In last week’s article I shared the need for personal responsibility in the pursuit and sustainment of our wellness, and this week, I want to share a story that speaks to how we become captive in our minds, even when reality tells us different.

The story has to do with the training of an elephant. When an elephant is young, the trainer chains it to an anchor point in the ground. No matter how it tries, the young elephant can not break away, and ultimately accepts it captivity. Now as the elephant grows, it continues with the belief that its circumstance has not changed and will, despite any efforts, remain captive, although the stake in the ground has long ago lost its ability to hold that larger and stronger elephant. At any time, the elephant could free itself with little effort, but remains captive due to its previous experience, and acceptance of its previous limitations.

Our life’s story is being written each and every day, by our experiences and actions. What once held us back, no longer has that same power over us, that is, if choose it. To often in our journey for wellness, we become our biggest limitation. This is especially true in our Social Wellness. We have to be willing to step outside our comfort zone, go against our past practices, and be present in the moment with those around us. Each and every moment with another person is truly a gift. That’s why they call it the “Present”

Our Social wellness is reliant on three “Cs”- Communication, Connection, and Commitment. Each and every day we should be nurturing our social wellness by engaging in meaningful and authentic communication. In doing so, we establish a human connection with those near us, which will naturally lead to a shared commitment to each other. This is the essence of Social Wellness.

In the limited space of this article, I want to conclude with the most important tenant of wellness, that being our Spiritual wellness. When I teach resiliency, this one brings with it the greatest hesitation, which is unfortunate, as it is truly the foundation. I think the reason for the hesitation is the assumption that spirituality brings with a conversation which is strictly based in religious beliefs. Although a person’s religious faith may play a large role in their spirituality and spiritual wellness, it is actually defined by the active search for meaning and purpose. It includes things like our morals, beliefs, and values. It is that which brings about inner peace and harmony, knowing that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. What spiritual wellness should not be, is something tied to a superficial or materialistic existence.

A good formula for determining if your current activity or lifestyle is in fact one of purpose, is to answer three basic questions; 1. Do I enjoy this activity? 2. Does this activity come naturally, and allow me to use my gifts and talents? 3. In doing this activity, am I having a positive impact on others? Give that some thought. Only if you are able to answer yes to each of these, are you on life’s path of purpose. Enjoy the Journey!!

Improvements to Nautical Drive took another step toward reality this week when it was announced that the City of Sturgeon Bay has been tentatively awarded a $561,684 federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grant through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

It is the third such grant the city has received for the project this year. In February, the city celebrated receiving a $518,414 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Recreational Boating Facilities grant and a $188,000 Wisconsin Department of Transportation Harbor Assistance Program grant.

With more than $1.2 million in grants, the city is getting closer to developing the site, which will include a Sail Training Foundation building, a new E-Dock and a renovated boat ramp at the city-owned property next to the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club. Sturgeon Bay City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout has said grants like these make projects attainable and help move them forward more quickly.

Sturgeon Bay District 4 Alderperson Spencer Gustafson shared with constituents online that the grant is still considered tentative and must go through the final review and approval process. About 20 applications statewide are vying for approximately $6.7 million in funding for public outdoor recreation projects.

The project is expected to start early next year.

Another Door County shipwreck has become a treasure for years to come after the Jennibel shipwreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places earlier this month.

Constructed in Manitowoc in 1863, the Jennibel operated in the Great Lakes lumber and other bulk cargo trades until 1881, when it capsized due to a sudden gale while carrying green lumber and tanbark on its way to Milwaukee from Egg Harbor.

The tug John Gregory was able to rescue the crew, but once the ship sank near Chambers Island, attempts to salvage the Jennibel were abandoned.

The Jennibel was documented by the Wisconsin Historical Society in June 2025 and placed on the State Register six months later.

Since the ship is sitting upright with its hull intact, the Wisconsin Historical Society suggests the Jennibel could provide historians and archaeologists with an opportunity to study wooden schooner construction and its use in other bulk cargo trades.

The Jennibel is the fourth Door County shipwreck this year to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, joining Liberty Grove’s F.J. King, Maria and Sardinia and Baileys Harbor’s Joseph Cochrane.

The battle against Alzheimer’s disease stretches across the entire peninsula this year, with three events united for one cause.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place in three Door County communities this year after being primarily held in Sturgeon Bay in years past.

The first of the three events will take place on Washington Island Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m., with activities followed by the walk to and from Nicolet National Bank starting at 10 a.m.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will return to Sturgeon Bay on Sept. 12 in conjunction with Sunshine Resources’ Sunflower Fest at the city’s Martin Park. The walk will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The third Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place in Fish Creek, beginning and ending at Stella Maris Church at 8:30 a.m.

With the positive momentum building to help support people with Alzheimer's, event organizer Cari Josephson says every little bit helps.

Registration is still open for all three events, either online or in person.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, more than 120,000 residents are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and accounts for the majority of all dementia cases.

While students may not see them in action until they start school Sept. 1, two of the Southern Door School District’s newest additions are already making an impact thanks to the Southern Door Community Foundation. Last May, the school board accepted the donation of two robotic lawn mowers that are being used primarily on the district's baseball and football fields.

“By saving significant time on daily mowing and clipping collection, our maintenance crew can now dedicate more hours to crucial pre-school year preparation and other vital maintenance work across the district,” Southern Door Director of Transportation and Maintenance Dan Viste said.

This past week, the Southern Door Community Foundation made possible the purchase and installation of a new flagpole, along with the flags, appropriate lighting and landscaping. A formal dedication of the flagpole will take place Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.

Fire departments in Door and Kewaunee counties responded to a house fire Thursday morning in the Town of Ahnapee, limiting the damage to the home’s exterior.

The Algoma Fire and Rescue Department was called to Cherry Tree Road at approximately 11:30 a.m. for a house fire and activated MABAS Division 138 Box 6-1-2 to the working still level, calling in mutual aid from the Kewaunee, Casco and Southern Door fire departments.

When firefighters arrived, the homeowner believed the fire was out. However, when crews inspected the home, they discovered the fire had extended into the attic and quickly extinguished it.

The home was ventilated, and mutual aid units were released shortly after arriving, with some departments turning back before reaching the scene.

There were no injuries, and the scene was cleared by 1:30 p.m. During the incident, Algoma Rescue was able to return to the city for a secondary EMS call.

In addition to the responding fire departments, Wisconsin Public Service and the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department also provided assistance.

Using a quilt as a metaphor for the work to come over the next few months, the United Way of Door County announced Wednesday that its 2026 annual campaign goal is $1.25 million. The annual kickoff event at Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor started with board members and individual donors sharing their “why” when it comes to supporting the organization. Many of the stories focused on the scope of the United Way’s work and the collaboration it fosters with other local nonprofits.

Individual partner programs took center stage later in the evening, with their respective coordinators sharing their accomplishments from the past year and the work that still lies ahead.

Ahead of the announcement, Executive Director Amy Kohnle called for those in attendance to participate in an arts and crafts project in which everyone received a square to share what the community means to them. Along with the stories shared earlier in the evening, those squares represented the effort needed to strengthen the fabric of the community, something Kohnle knows Door County is up for.

The 2026 United Way of Door County annual campaign continues through early January. The 2025 annual campaign brought in $937,969.33 toward its $1.2 million goal, second only to the 2024 campaign total of $942,686.14. The funds raised supported nearly two dozen programs and partners, including the United Way of Door County’s Child Care Initiative, Healthy Door County, STRIDE — School-Based Mental Health Services, the Door County Alcohol and Other Drug Coalition, and the Door County Partnership for Children and Families.

You will have an extra item on your ballot this November if you live in the Sturgeon Bay School District. Earlier this month, the Sturgeon Bay School Board approved resolutions that will ask voters to support an operating referendum that would allow the district to exceed its revenue limits by $3.75 million in each of the next five years. The goal of the referendum is to address higher costs for transportation, utilities, insurance and special education services; declining federal funding and state general school aid; and the need to pay teachers more competitively. Surveys showed the option received marginally less support than a $3.5 million-per-year option that would have addressed only operational needs, but much more support than a $4 million-per-year option that would have included additional maintenance needs. Superintendent Dan Tjernagel says the referendum, paired with ongoing cuts, will put the district in a better place financially.

Before you cast your ballot for the Nov. 3 election, the district is planning informational sessions not just about the referendum, but about school funding as a whole. The Sturgeon Bay School District will host Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials Executive Director Mike Barry to discuss the connection between tax increment districts and school funding Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

If you are looking to fill a freezer with venison for the first time this year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is encouraging you to go back to school. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, must complete a hunter education course and have a hunter education safety certificate on file to purchase a hunting license in Wisconsin unless they are hunting under the hunting mentorship program or have successfully completed and can provide proof of basic military training. You can take hunter education courses anywhere in the state, with two coming up locally in Pulaski at the end of September and Fish Creek at the end of October. Since course offerings depend on volunteers, DNR Warden Chris Kratcha urges prospective first-time hunters to keep an eye on the department’s website to ensure they do not miss a course they could possibly attend.

You can click this link to search for available hunter safety courses. The deer hunting season for archery and crossbow opens Sept. 12, with the gun deer hunt for hunters with disabilities taking place Oct. 3-11, the youth deer hunt Oct. 10-11, the traditional gun season Nov. 21-29 and the muzzleloader season Nov. 30-Dec. 9. Kratcha says hunters in Door and Kewaunee counties are also eligible for the antlerless-only holiday hunt Dec. 24-Jan. 1 and the extended archery and crossbow season through Jan. 31, 2027.

The story behind treating fields with the nutrients, pesticides and herbicides needed to keep crops healthy and growing goes well beyond the big equipment you see entering the field. Applicators took center stage during Wednesday’s Peninsula Pride Farms Summer Field Day and Member Picnic, highlighting the little things they do before heading out into the fields. Dave LaCrosse, Adam Barta, Ben Heim, Jeff Kohnle, Jessy Hill and Trevor Balthazor explained how the GPS maps they rely on and the data they collect during previous applications help guide subsequent trips to the field. Barta pointed out that the technology has changed immensely over the years, allowing applicators to customize their approach instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all strategy. Attendees were then given an up-close look at the technology available, ranging from small drones to large sprayers.

 

 

 

 

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Peninsula Pride Farms President Duane Ducat says the technology keeps improving, allowing farmers to use fewer chemicals on their fields while having a more positive impact.

The session comes at a time when input costs continue to rise because of a variety of factors. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, cost-of-production estimates raised fertilizer expense projections for 2026. Despite potential relief next year for fuel and fertilizer prices, higher prices for seed, chemicals, repairs, labor, machinery and cash rents are expected to increase production costs in 2027.

Much like Gibraltar Area Schools, the Algoma School District is prepared to show off its newest features to families and area residents. The district and its construction partners are putting the final touches on $10.2 million in referendum projects that began after voters approved the measure in 2024.

The improvements included new plumbing and roofing at Algoma Elementary School, safety upgrades at the middle/high school, replacement of the middle/high school’s parking lot and track, updates to the lighting, sound and ceiling tiles at the Algoma Performing Arts Center, and remodeling of portions of the middle/high school, including the band and choir room, Algoma Venture Academy, agriculture classroom and restrooms.

The work took place over the past two summers to limit disruptions for students in the classroom. With those projects now nearly complete, Superintendent Jesse Brinkmann is excited for staff members and students to return for another school year.

While students will be welcomed back Sept. 1, it will be a cooler reception for their devices. Under the new school policy, students cannot use their devices from bell to bell during the school day or risk having them taken away by a faculty member. Brinkmann says he is excited to see the impact the policy could have on students’ education.

If you plan on attending Destination Sturgeon Bay’s Harvest Fest this year, you will have to budget time for both sides of the water. Destination Sturgeon Bay announced new details Monday for the 2026 edition, which will kick off Friday, Sept. 18, and run all day Saturday, Sept. 19.

New this year will be activities on the other side of the water, with free Ferris wheel rides and a meet-and-greet with the artists behind the Set Sail in Sturgeon Bay street art projects on Friday before they are auctioned off. Live music, food trucks, and more Ferris wheel rides are in store for Saturday as well. The familiar red Door County Trolley will help connect Harvest Fest attendees travel across the bridges if they do not want to walk.

The Old Bolts Car Show will also see a change to its Friday night festivities, hosting a Cruise-In Meet and Greet at The Lodge at Leathem Smith instead of the usual parade through town. 

Destination Sturgeon Bay Marketing Director Alexa Soto says organizers made the changes because of how popular the event has become in recent years as crowds filled 3rd Avenue. She looks forward to seeing how people respond to the expanded offerings.

Saturday’s activities will bring back plenty of old favorites, including the Old Bolts Car Show, firkin tapping, a stein-holding contest, and the street art auction. You can find the full schedule of events here.

The final movements of the 2026 season for Midsummer’s Music begin Friday. Ensembles will perform works by Johannes Brahms, Paul Schoenfeld, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and others across 10 performances over the next two weeks, culminating with Midsummer’s Music’s Labor Day Gala at Björklunden in Baileys Harbor. Violinist David Perry will take the spotlight for several performances in Sturgeon Bay, Sister Bay and Ellison Bay. Midsummer’s Music Executive Director Allyson Fleck says it is a great way to end the season by celebrating such an accomplished musician.

Tickets are available for all of the shows here. The music will not stop after the season ends Sept. 7. The Griffon String Quartet will take the baton beginning Sept. 17 with a performance in Green Bay, ahead of a series of shows alongside Eric Lewis in Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay, Ellison Bay and Egg Harbor from Sept. 17-20.

Whether you swing golf clubs or not, there are ways you can support the Door County YMCA in the coming weeks. In our latest episode of the Y-Wednesday Podcast, Door County YMCA Marketing and Events Director Makayla Thoma stopped by to talk about the upcoming Tee Up for Kids Golf Outing on Sept. 8 at Maxwelton Braes Golf Course in Baileys Harbor. The scramble-style outing features 18 holes of golf, food and beverages. The event benefits youth programming at the Door County YMCA.

Thoma also touched on two ways you can support your neighbors through the YMCA’s community cupboard and community closet. The Door County YMCA is accepting food items such as pancake mix, peanut butter and jelly, and other staples for its community cupboard. It is also accepting toiletries such as shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper, deodorant and body wash for its community closet.

You can listen to the full episode of the Y-Wednesday Podcast.

The target will be set Wednesday in Egg Harbor when the United Way of Door County hosts its annual campaign kickoff celebration. The 2025 annual campaign brought in $937,969.33 toward its $1.2 million goal, second only to the 2024 campaign total of $942,686.14. The funds raised supported nearly two dozen programs and partners, including the United Way of Door County’s Child Care Initiative, Healthy Door County, STRIDE — School-Based Mental Health Services, the Door County Alcohol and Other Drug Coalition and the Door County Partnership for Children and Families. United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says the campaign kickoff is always an exciting time because it gives the organization a North Star for the rest of the year.

The campaign kickoff will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor. The 2026 campaign will then continue with multiple fundraising opportunities through early January.

Farmers in Door and Kewaunee counties are playing the waiting game after wrapping up their wheat harvest and looking forward to chopping corn for silage in the coming weeks. According to the USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report, Wisconsin farmers had 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork last week, while rain knocked that average to below five days for operations in Door and Kewaunee counties.

Dry conditions continue to affect the quality of corn and soybeans still maturing in the fields, with both crops taking a hit of a few percentage points. Corn and soybeans are still progressing ahead of the five-year average, with 70% of corn in the dough stage, compared with 67% on average, and 91% of soybeans setting pods, compared with 87% on average.

While crops in the field continue to progress, farmers in Door and Kewaunee counties will pause Wednesday to do a little learning. Deer Run Dairy owner and Peninsula Pride Farms President Duane Ducat says Wednesday’s Summer Field Day and Picnic at Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy in Algoma will help farmers and applicators get on the same page as some crops come off and forages are planted as summer turns into fall.

The UW Extension office has set dates for upcoming corn dry-down events for Sept. 9 at Rio Creek Feed Mill in Luxemburg and Sept. 15 at Door County Cooperative. The USDA report also shows that the oat harvest and third cutting of alfalfa are ahead of the five-year average.

The next home build for Door County Habitat for Humanity needs a little more than just volunteers, some pieces of wood and a couple of nails. This year’s home build, the organization’s 51st, has been underway in Sister Bay for the last three weeks. Located on Ava Hope Trail, the home is near others Door County Habitat for Humanity has helped build with assistance from the Door County Housing Partnership. Executive Director Lori Allen says while home No. 51 will likely be completed by the end of the year, the start of home No. 52 depends on whether the organization can secure land in the near future.

You can contact Door County Habitat for Humanity if you have any leads on land to sell or donate. You can also assist with this year’s home build by donating your time at the build site or providing drinks and snacks for the crew.

The Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market is in full swing, with plenty of locally grown produce available now with some fall favorites arriving sooner than you might think.

In Season 4, Episode 4 of Faces of the Farmers Market, Bryan Mazur and Alexa Soto give an update on the 2026 market season. They talk about what visitors can find at the market right now, when locally grown apples will begin arriving, and what's ahead for Destination Sturgeon Bay.

Here’s a hint about those apples: you won’t have to wait until fall.

Whether you’re shopping for something fresh, visiting downtown, or just looking for a fun way to start your Saturday, the Farmers Market is a great place to spend the morning. The market runs from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday until October 10th. 

Watch or listen to Season 4, Episode 4 of Faces of the Farmers Market.

The Door County Land Trust added another 20 acres of wetlands to its portfolio this month, this time in the Big and Little Marsh State Natural Area on Washington Island. Thanks to the generosity of Mike Davis and Susan Buchanan, the acquisition brings the amount of protected land in the Big and Little Marsh State Natural Area to nearly 500 acres, 132 of which are protected by the Door County Land Trust.

According to the Door County Land Trust, the property contains an ephemeral pond that is hydrologically connected to the Big Marsh, helping protect water quality and habitat for migratory birds, fish, rare plants and the federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly.

A portion of the conservation costs for the property is being funded by grants from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration program and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act in partnership with Ducks Unlimited.

The Door County Land Trust is actively trying to raise $915,000 this year to support this land protection effort, along with 12 other projects across the peninsula. One of the organization’s major sources of funding, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, expired last June with no signs of renewal.

Photo by Brian Forest

Unless you drive past Gibraltar Area Schools on a daily basis, your next visit might surprise you. The district is wrapping up its $29.8 million referendum project, which has removed some of the building’s aging sections and replaced them with a new two-station gym, community space, classrooms, cafeteria and office updates.

While some got to see the new spaces during registration earlier this month, staff started their in-service days Monday ahead of an open house for students and their families Wednesday. Gibraltar Superintendent Brett Stousland says it has been exciting to see the project come together and to see new and returning staff get used to their home away from home.

The building is not the only aspect of Gibraltar Area Schools that will be new this year. Middle and High School Principal Andrew Holdmann, District Nurse Stormy Gale and several teachers and paraprofessionals are among the new faces joining the district staff this fall. Stousland adds that the district will host a community open house Sept. 29 beginning at 5 p.m. in conjunction with the Vikings’ volleyball match against Providence Academy.

The half-percent sales tax instituted in 2017 will remain in place in Kewaunee County for the foreseeable future. The Kewaunee County Board approved the second reading of the ordinance last Tuesday, removing the Dec. 31, 2026, sunset date. The action was required to take place at least 120 days before the original repeal date. The amended ordinance would still allow a future Kewaunee County Board to repeal the tax. Keeping the sales tax in place also keeps Kewaunee County among the 70 Wisconsin counties that have one, with Waukesha and Winnebago counties the lone exceptions. Board Chair Dan Olson says the sales tax has proved to be an important revenue source for the county and one that helps county officials form their budget. With the vote in the rearview mirror, Olson is confident the county will not spend beyond its means.

During last Tuesday’s meeting, the Kewaunee County Board also approved the purchase of the property in the Town of Casco where its hot mix plant is located. During his comments, Olson also reiterated the position of the Wisconsin Counties Association that its meetings should not be recorded, pointing to open records maintenance issues as the main concern.

The Door County Board of Supervisors will take a deep dive into forming its budget Tuesday after its regularly scheduled meeting. The board and the county’s department heads will meet to discuss the proposed 2027 budget while also looking at the county’s capital improvement plan through 2031 and a forecast for the 2028 budget. Door County Administrator Ken Pabich says uncertainty surrounding state and federal funding makes the budget a tricky discussion, especially with other major capital projects on the horizon, including the public safety radio system upgrade and a new Door County Emergency Services facility in West Jacksonport.

Before discussing the budget, the Door County Board of Supervisors will consider an application for financial assistance for dock refurbishment at Lily Bay County Park, a Wisconsin Department of Transportation grant for a bus replacement and the next steps for the public safety radio system upgrade. The board meets at 9 a.m. at the Door County Government Center in Sturgeon Bay.

As money from the city’s Premier Resort Area Tax begins to come in, Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward says he knows one project he wants to tackle with the funds. Ward used a portion of his mayor’s comments Tuesday to address increasing traffic in the city and the danger it presents to pedestrians and cyclists. Ward says that as the city has become more popular with visitors, traffic has increased right along with it. He adds that there are ways to improve pedestrian safety while using PRAT funds for road improvements.

Earlier this month, a 75-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman died after she was struck while crossing the street near the intersection of Third Avenue and Michigan Street. A 73-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman told officers she was waiting to turn left onto Michigan Street from Third Avenue while a group of pedestrians crossed another part of the intersection. After the pedestrians cleared, she began her turn without seeing the 75-year-old woman, who was crossing from west to east in the south crosswalk.