County Board Chair Charlie Most filed a declaration of non-candidacy form for the April County Board Election with the County Clerk yesterday at 4:15 PM. Most said it was a hard decision for him to make. The northern Door County resident went back and forth with the decision since June. Ultimately, he could not overcome the negatives that have popped up over the past year and a half. Realizing that, Most knew it was time to move on.
The decision comes after 11 years of public service in politics. Most started with service on the Town Board for Liberty Grove and moved to his seat as the county board chair. Most will see his six years on the county board come to an official end in the second week of April. He explained why he needed to step back from politics.
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For the time being, Most is staying in Door County. His next step is simply, attaining other goals. Charlie Most says it is important to be compensated for the time he invests into a position. Most put in a lot of time above and beyond what was required. He does not regret the time and effort he put in, but believes it is time to move on.
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Most has left all of his options open for future business opportunities. He is not sure where he will land in terms of employment. It appears that another run for Senate will not occur. The county board chair said he was soured on state partisan politics and doesn’t anticipate another attempt.
He will most miss the relationships and problem solving at the county level. The opportunities that presented themselves during his six years as board chair were remarkable.
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No one has taken out papers for Most's county board position. If no one would run, Most said he still would shy away from returning to the county board at this stage in his life. He believes he served the citizens of Liberty Grove and Washington Island well and has no regrets.
Most recapped his time on the board stating that the Justice Center issue was the most challenging and most rewarding item.
Charlie Most is excited to move his life in a new direction.

Senator Alan Lasse believes a big step in the right direction was taken this week in terms of making propane registry mandatory throughout the state of Wisconsin. A Utilities Committee passed a 7-0 vote on Senate Bill 273, a.k.a. "the propane bill." Lasse said since 2006, they have been trying to figure out a way to include propane customers in underground searches with diggers hotline before anyone does any underground construction.
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Door County has worked diligently to forward the importance of a voluntary registry program to the state. Currently, records do not exist for the location of underground propane tanks and lines. Lasse said it sounds like mandatory registration would be difficult to regulate. Instead, he says more pressure needs to be put on Digger's Hotline to ask if there are any propane lines in the area that could be a concern.
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The action passed at the committee level would give notice to propane customers. Penalties could be noticed and people may be fined if they are not cooperating and not acknowledging that the lines are present. The proposed bill applies the criminal penalties in the current liquid propane gas law administered by the Department of Commerce to violations of Commerce's rules for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of equipment. There would be requirements in the bill relating to filling, evacuating, and use of LPG containers, and various requirements to provide information. A change to increases the maximum fine from $100 to $2,000 and the establishment that each day of violation constitutes a separate offense, is in the works. The substitute amendment also adds civil penalties for the violation of these rules and requirements of a civil forfeiture of not less than $10 nor more than $1,000, with each day of violation constituting a separate offense. The Senate could deal with this before Christmas. If not taken up immediately, Lasse hopes they will take a closer look in January.

Midsummer’s Music Festival is proud to announce a Door County holiday tradition is back. “A Renaissance Christmas” performed by the Chicago Early Music Consort will run from December 13 - 16. The series begins at 5:30 PM on Thursday, December 13 at Bjorklunden in Baileys Harbor. There will be a silent auction featuring wonderful items by local artisans and shops, followed by a holiday feast. “A Renaissance Christmas” concert begins at 7:00 PM and the evening ends with desserts. The cost of this event is $75 per person and includes the tax/handling.
The Chicago Early Music Consort will transport you back to Christmas's long ago. Your musical journey will include the joyous Christmas story as well as the merriment and good cheer of wassailing parties and New Year’s celebrations, all provided by some of the most gifted composers of the time.
“A Renaissance Christmas” concert will also be performed on Friday, December 14 at Shepherd of the Bay in Ellison Bay at 7:30 PM, Saturday, December 15 at St. Joseph’s Retreat Center in Baileys Harbor at 7:30 PM and at Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay on Sunday, December 16 at 2:00 PM.
There is a suggested free will offering of $10 per adult for these three concerts.
Gary Berkenstock, founder and artistic director of the consort says this will be a new program this year. “We will incorporate a lot of new songs along with some old favorites,” he explained. “The sing-along is integrated within the main program to reinforce the story we are telling. A special treat for the audience is the addition of FIVE new instruments: the crumhorn, rackett, psaltery, vielle and harp which bring a new dimension to “A Renaissance Christmas.”
“We anticipate families and friends attending together as they have done in the past.” says Kathleen Pearson, Executive Director of Midsummer’s Music. “It’s a true family experience to hear and see medieval instruments played so beautifully by professional musicians. ‘A Renaissance Christmas’ is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season!”
Midsummer’s Music Festival brings world-class chamber music and special seasonal events to Door County and northeast Wisconsin. Reservations can be made by calling their office at 920-854-7088 or visiting www.midsummerSmusic.com.

A wry sense of humor and calm demeanor mask a “no nonsense” approach to the job Mike Neal performs as Marine Conservation Warden for Door County. Serving the entire 492 square-mile peninsula, including 300 miles of coastline, Neal is charged with enforcing Wisconsin’s natural resources laws. “We serve as any officer of the law serves. My job is very straight forward. When a law is broken, it is my responsibility is to issue a citation or ticket, and to enforce the law,” said Neal.

Moving from season to season, the warden’s responsibilities are endless. “When I worked in Milwaukee we had hundreds of wardens. Here in Door County we have two wardens to serve the entire county. It’s a big responsibility, but I really enjoy my work and its diversity. Every day is different; I never know what to expect. I might have a ticket for the ferry to Washington Island and be called to a boating accident. I have to be prepared for the unexpected every day,” explained the warden.

Although his title includes the word “marine,” Neal’s role as warden is inclusive of all conservation activities related to the peninsula. “Most recently we were very busy with the nine-day rifle deer hunting season. Now we are preparing for the winter season which means snowmobiling and ice fishing,” Neal related. Asked when the ice might form, the Warden replied with a smile, “Who knows? When I’m asked if the ice is safe, I always reply ‘never.’ It’s constantly changing. That’s nature, unpredictable.” And did Neal have time to deer hunt? “Hardly! I’d get out for an hour and have to go to work. But I have friends who are willing to share their bounty,” he smiled.

The requirements to become a Wisconsin State warden are very demanding. Of the 2,500 applicants who tested for warden positions in 1994, only nine were hired. One of the nine was Mike Neal.

The Door County Sheriff's Department needs your help to obtain the driver of a silver Dodge Ram who was involved in a hit-and-run incident earlier this month. The dispute began at the Southern Door Snowmobile Club on November 4 says Investigator Randall Tassoul. The intensity rose from there.
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The Door County Sheriff's Department was notified by the Appleton Police Department that the young man who had been hit was seeking medical attention. Tassoul says it is not known if the men in the silver Ram are Door County residents. The vehicle is described as a silver Dodge Ram 1500 half ton, regular cab, two wheel drive with a rear hitch.
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Anyone who attended the snowmobile drag races or in the Little Sturgeon area on November 4 is asked to help identify the suspects involved in this incident. Investigator encourages anyone with information to contact him at the Door County Sheriff's Department at 920-746-2567.

Your support for the annual Door County Memorial Hospital Appeal Drive has made cancer treatment for local families affordable. The David L. Spude Endowment Fund supports the Door County Cancer Center Facility. Next week over 5,000 mailings will be sent out to Door County residents sharing the good news surrounding the Cancer Center Facility. Executive Director of the Door County Memorial Hospital Foundation Mike Herlache is proud of what the hospital has to offer.
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The proceeds will go directly into the David L. Spude Endowment Fund. The money supports the Door County Cancer Center Facility and helps to ensure that there is affordable cancer care in Door County for many generations to come.
Herlache said David Spude was a devoted husband and father, loved and respected by all who knew him. The endowment fund will help to insure that a full complement of cancer treatments will be available and affordable for all Door County residents and visitors. He feels this is allowing the hospital to build a legacy of quality and affordable cancer care.
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Ninety percent of the annual capital appreciation and income will be distributed to benefit the Door County Cancer Center facility. The fund appreciated 16.50% in 2007. Ten percent of the annual capital appreciation and income will be invested back into the fund to insure perpetual growth. Herlache added that annual fund-raisers will be held to build the principal balance and over $35,000 was raised in 2007. They will try to hit that mark again this year.

Hunt For the Hungry, a non profit organization working to donate wild game to food pantries across the state of Wisconsin, recorded a record amount of venison donated during the 2007 nine day gun-deer season. 1,950 deer have been donated so far for the 2007 deer hunting seasons. The total includes 1,215 deer that were donated during the 9-day gun hunt. Add to that, 71,500 pounds of venison and other wild game from hunter's freezers and that equals 159,250 total pounds in all this year. Founder of Hunt for the Hungry Lee Dudek has been moved by the support local hunters have shown for this cause.
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Over 513 tons have been donated to Hunt for the Hungry in 13 years. Dudek said this is a great blessing to many needy families in our area.
While the nine day deer hunt is over that does not mean that they are done. The muzzleloader hunters are in the woods this week and the late season bow hunters are back in force so additional donation is encouraged.
December 6th through the 9th is the special statewide Zone-T antlerless deer gun hunt. Deer hunting continues into early January with the late bow season. Therefore, deer hunters of all methods and skill levels have additional opportunities to harvest and donate deer to the program. 
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With Christmas less than a month away, deer hunters are already giving gifts of food to many needy families they may never meet. Dudek commented that it is an honor and privilege to be associated with deer hunters like these, who care about others and back that up by donating deer.
The program is running very close to last years numbers. They anticipate more than 2,000 deer donated this year. If you would like to donate to the program or for more information, visit huntforthehungry.com.

 The 2007-2009 school calendars were settled for the Sturgeon Bay District last night. The school board would like to see a countywide calendar including times and dates for all district's meetings along with city and county meetings. The calendar would also include the same schedules for days of school for all four districts. Superintendent Joe Stutting said the school calendars look a little different from other districts in the county.
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Filling coaching vacancies was a major topic of discussion. The board accepted resignations from Todd Moore as the freshman boys’ basketball coach and the head volleyball position Jody Wheat.
The school board also renewed athletic coop programs. Stutting said this happens every two years. He is excited with the way the co-op is working.
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The meeting concluded with a Superintendents report. He readdressed the school's mill rate. The $8.80 mill rate would have been $8.52 had the state legislature passed the state budget in a timely manor. Stutting estimated the district lost $27,000 because the state took so long on the budget process.

The Francis Hardy Center for the Performing Arts in Ephraim has provided children’s programming since 2001, but the focus of its youth art programs has been children visiting the community…that is until this year. Last spring, under the direction of executive director Jan Comstock, The Hardy initiated a new collaborative program that introduced Gibraltar High School students to the arts in an up close and personal format. Working with Friends of Gibraltar facilitator Vinni Chomeau and Door County artists, Exposure to Creativity, (acronym ETC), was created to introduce students in grades 9 – 12 to the arts.
Selecting from digital photography to the culinary arts, woodworking and poetry, theater and songwriting--to name just a few of the subjects—200 students participated in 32 workshops under the direction of some of the finest professionals in their particular media. “The response of the students demonstrated that this type of program can have significant impact,” said Comstock. “Following the workshops one student told me ‘its amazing that people care about me like this.’ This program was a real confidence builder.”
At the conclusion of the November workshops, 86 students expressed an interest in continuing a mentorship with an artist. “We were so pleased,” continued Comstock. “This is a real success story of the arts in education.” Asked if she was surprised by aspects of the program, Comstock concluded, “There were two. Adults told us they wished there was something like this for them, and the response of the students was so rewarding.”
Funding for Exposure to Creativity was provided by The Wisconsin Arts Board and contributions from members of the community. For additional information about The Francis Hardy Center for the Arts and Exposure to Creativity visit www.thehardy.org <http://www.thehardy.org/>.
The Hardy will host a holiday open house on Saturday, December 1 from 10 – 5 pm. Guests are invited to shop in the gallery; refreshments will be served.

Two children were killed and five others were injured in a van fire yesterday in Luxemburg. Six children were in the vehicle while the 38 year old driver was in nearby store in the 700 block of Main Street. According to Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski, one child was pronounced dead at the scene and the other died on the way to Green Bay hospital.
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The cause of the fire is unknown.
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The vehicle was taken to the county's impound facility and officials will continue to investigate this incident. We'll bring you more information as it becomes available.