(Photos are from last year's Door County Idol contest)

A parent or responsible guardian must be visible to the bus driver in order for the Sturgeon Bay School District to allow a pre-school student off the bus. The adopted policy dealing with school bus scheduling and routing regulates how the district buses students to and from school. Middle School Principal Randy Watermolen sat in for Superintendent Joe Stutting at last night's meeting and said this agenda item made sense. Watermolen commented that having a responsible adult waiting at a drop off location whether it is at the home or on the corner just down the street is safe practice.

The Sturgeon Bay School Board also accepted the hiring of new varsity volleyball coach Nikki Suleski. In addition, a policy that requires the school district to continually inspect the school facilities for safety was unanimously passed. The plan calls for the Support Service Administrative Assistant to serve as the school safety coordinator.
School Board President Joel Kitchens said a brief conversation dealing with consolidation occurred. He explained where the talks stand between Sevastopol and Sturgeon Bay.
(Audio Here)
The School Board will meet again next month on January 16.

A member of the Kewaunee County Sheriffs Department was making suicidal threats and after a 911 call at 3:55 p.m. yesterday the Brown County Emergency Response team was called in to assist local authorities. The call came in from a village of Luxemburg resident and the Luxemburg Police Department and Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department responded immediately. They secured the area around the residence before Brown County responded to the scene.
Dialogue with the subject was initiated, and ultimately led to the resolution of the situation without incident. The subject was safely transported to Aurora Bay Care for treatment. Sheriff Matt Joski reports that this incident is under investigation with the assistance of the Brown County Sheriff's Department.

The Propane Safety Act, authored by State Representative Garey Bies and Senator Alan Lasee, received a public hearing yesterday in the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities. The legislation, Assembly Bill 515, has bipartisan support from legislative members and from those that appeared to speak on the issue before the committee.
“This legislation has been a long time coming, and this proposal is a very important step for propane gas safety,” said Bies. “Nobody wants to see another tragic event like the explosion at the Pioneer Store in Ellison Bay in 2006. Assembly Bill 515 moves us in that direction and I am very encouraged by its enthusiastic reception by my fellow legislators.”
Senator Alan Lasee 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.
(Audio Here)
One of the two main components of the legislation is establishing new requirements for propane suppliers to meet certain financial responsibility standards in order to be licensed by the state. The new standards are designed to ensure that the propane suppliers operate a safety-conscious business with a well-trained staff and possess the financial backing necessary for commitment to their industry and customers.
Lasee said this legislation was developed with representatives of the propane industry as well as other interested parties. The financial responsibility portion of the bill is important to establish that companies are invested in the industry and have the long-term interest in their business and customers as their top priorities, according to the Senator.
The second main component of the Propane Safety Act focuses on new communication requirements between propane suppliers and customers as well as changes to the Statewide Communication System, or Digger’s Hotline. The new requirements will work to make sure that propane suppliers and their customers stay on the same page concerning gas lines. In addition, Digger’s Hotline will modify the information they provide on the phone and in their printed materials to reflect the importance of the caller to also contact their propane supplier in order to have their propane lines marked prior to commencing any digging.
The next step for the Propane Safety Act in the Assembly following the public hearing will be executive action by the Energy and Utilities Committee. Following the anticipated approval by the Committee, the legislation would then move on to consideration by the full Assembly.

Funding of consolidated school districts could make a super-district difficult. The Sevastopol Board of Education conducted a regular school board meeting on Monday. The board was told that in terms of consolidation, definitive answers should be available from DPI this week.
The Sevastopol School Board also approved employment for Allison Vroman as the girl’s soccer coach. The Board approved the hiring of Craig Storlie as the new Computer Science Teacher/Computer Coordinator for Sevastopol. Storlie will begin employment with the district on January 2, 2008.
The five-year financial forecast for the Sevastopol District done by Baird and Co. was reviewed. The timeline for holding a referendum election was also discussed.
January 16, 2008 was set as the date for a Joint Board Meeting with Sturgeon Bay to discuss consolidation issues. The Sevastopol Board has tentatively scheduled a Special Board Meeting on January 14, 2008 to discuss referendum related issues. The next regular meeting of the Sevastopol Board of Education is scheduled for January 28, 2008 at 7:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room when consolidation and referendum will be discussed.

Click Here For Maple To Oregon Bridge Photo Gallery!!!

The Door County Board of Supervisors turned down an ordinance dealing with a proposed wind energy facility today at the Door County Justice Center. A large contingency of residents on both sides of the wind energy conversation attended the meeting to hear the board's decision. The ordinance was voted down 10-10-1. The concerns voiced by the board centered on noise and the setback issues. A seven-hour public hearing was held by the RPC and the two sides could not come together on an appropriate dbA level. The RPC forwarded a 55 dbA noise restriction for outdoors. This is five decibels higher than what the state recommends. The minimum setback distance was set at 1.1 times the total height or the fall zone plus 10%.
Later in the meeting, Supervisor Ken Fischer moved to bring the ordinance back up for reconsideration. It was settled that the wind energy ordinance would be tabled for one month and brought back to the county board in January. A number of Supervisors including Dale Wiegand said they needed more time to look over the information because the item was added to the agenda late on Thursday.

The County Board also moved forward on a request for approval on the fiber optics network. The board passed the resolution with a 2/3 vote and will hope to hear back from companies looking to provide a countywide communications project. Door County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Bill Chaudoir said the network is essential when trying to lure business to the peninsula.
(Audio Here)
The board hopes to hear back from multiple firms including Brilliant Cities with a plan to cover the entire county with a wireless network. Bill Chaudoir said this has been a concern of businesses for a number of years. The DCEDC sent out a survey to 100 Door County businesses three years ago and one of the biggest concerns was the lack of a wireless network.
(Audio Here)
The County Board approved two invasive species grants, dissolved the Veterans Memorial Committee and approved the Door County Facilities Usage resolution, among other actions.
The next County Board meeting will be held at the Egg Harbor Town Hall at 8:30 a.m. on January 29. The town hall is located in Carlsville on County Highway I.

The Sturgeon Bay School Board will round out the calendar year with a meeting tonight at the High School Library. Superintendent Joe Stutting will not be present so Principal Randy Watermolen will assume the responsibilities of giving background information on agenda items. The board will look to approve the hiring of new varsity volleyball coach Nikki Suleski. She is the 8th grade volleyball coach and has college experience.
Truancy is a concern for all high schools in Door County and Sturgeon Bay School Board President Joel Kitchens said a uniform attendance policy adopted by all four county schools would govern truancy. The policy will be discussed this evening.
(Audio Here)
Last month, High School Principal Bob Nickel hosted a countywide truancy meeting to discuss the current policy and procedures. It was determined at that meeting that the local districts would all have a policy that covers the Door County request, so the county policy could be deleted.
The board will also discuss school bus scheduling and routing and the inspection of the school facilities for safety at the regular monthly meeting.

Algoma youth will be visiting with senior citizens again this holiday season. This is a long running tradition for the Algoma Youth Club. Park and Recreation Director Terry Qualman says he takes many calls every year from seniors who have moved to a new home in Algoma or those who are new to the area.
(Audio Here)
Qualman says eight or nine groups of kids will get together for Saturdays delivery. Both the kids and seniors enjoy this annual event he adds.
(Audio Here)
Qualman and the group have spent weeks preparing for this event. The deliveries will take place on Saturday. Gifts that are not delivered on Saturday are scheduled to go out on December 26. Qualman says to give a call the the Park and Rec Department (920) 487-5480 if you are new to the area or have never received a gift through this program.

The Door County Board of Supervisors will meet at 8:30 a.m. to discuss a number of controversial issues today. Resolution 2007-94 will bring back the conversation regarding Brilliant Cities request for fiber and high speed internet to turn into the County Wide Communications Project. County Board Chair Charlie Most said the economic impact of this project would be drastic. He said this project has been on the shelf for a while.
(Audio Here)
Invasive species will take center stage at the board meeting as well. The approval of two grants is pending. A National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Grant for Door County Invasive Species Control and a Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources Aquatic Invasive Species Grant are on the table. Most said the money is appreciated but so much more is needed.
(Audio Here)
Door County residents had a chance last month to speak at public forums on wind energy and now the County Board will dissect a Wind Energy Facility Ordinance. Residents are allowed to speak before the board gets into the agenda. If you are interested in speaking out on an issue listed on the agenda, residents should report to the Justice Center at 8:30 a.m.

American Folklore Theatre received so much positive feedback from Home for the Holidays with AFT one year ago that they are bringing it back for Door County audiences. The second annual Home for the Holidays with AFT concert will be a celebration of holiday music featuring longtime AFT performers Claudia Russell and Scott Wakefield.
Back by popular demand after its 2006 debut, Home for the Holidays adds a winter chapter to AFT’s calendar, which already features several summer and fall shows each year. Home for the Holidays is set to run from December 28-31 at the Gibraltar Town Hall in Fish Creek. All shows are at 7:30 pm except the December 31 show, which will take place at 4:30 pm. Managing Director Kay Christman said the response from the Fish Creek business community has been astounding.
(Audio Here)
The holiday show will include a variety of traditional holiday music, including a sing-along of carols led by Russell and Wakefield. The duo will also perform songs from past AFT fall shows. As a special holiday treat, each show will also feature a drawing for gift certificates to local businesses.
Christman said the old Gibraltar town Hall is one of her favorites in Door County. The sing-a-longs seem to be fan favorites. She said crowds can expect a lot of fun.
(Audio Here)
Scott Wakefield and Claudia Russell have performed in many fall shows at AFT, including Old Friends, Goodnight Irene: The Music of the Weavers, and Fish and Whistle: The Songs of John Prine. Wakefield and Russell are also accomplished singer-songwriters in their own right. Tickets for Home for the Holidays are $15 for adults, $10 for teens (ages 13 through 19) and $5 for children.

A number of vehicles are being pulled over because of obstructed view by local law enforcement officers. People are not taking the time to clean off their windshield, side or back windows before they begin their morning commutes.
Door County Sheriff Terry Vogel reminds all motorists to completely clear your windows of snow or frost. It is also important to scrape your side mirrors. Vogel talked about the safety concerns with this issue.
(Audio Here)
Officers will pull a vehicle over if there view is obstructed. Many times already this winter, cops have pulled vehicles over and warned them to clear all obstructions. Vogel said tickets are usually not issued when this type of stop occurs.
(Audio Here)
The Door County Sheriff's Department and Sturgeon Bay Police Department will be on the look out for vehicles with snow or frost obstructing a drivers view. Vogel said to take a few minutes and scrape as much ice or snow off as possible.

The seven snowmobile clubs in Door County are working hard to keep the trails open each year. Door County Parks Department Director George Pinney says without these clubs, there would be no snowmobile trails. These clubs maintain the trails that are broke down into four sections. 
(Audio Here)
If you enjoy snowmobiling, Pinney says you really should join a club. These clubs are volunteer driven and the trails would not open without their endless hours of work. First, clubs communicate with the land owners who allow the trails to run on their property. Clubs are responsible for installing and taking down the proper signage, as well as brushing and grooming the trails. Pinney explains grooming.
(Audio Here)
Grooming is usually done late at night says Pinney. Most club members also have regular jobs during the day and only have time in the evening and late into the night.
Pinney talks about brushing.
(Audio Here)
Pinney says a lot of time goes into maintaining the snowmobile trails in Door County. Whether its three days of riding of three weeks, volunteers are out working hard all winter long. Pinney says all snowmobilers should join a club. If you do not have time to volunteer, your dues will help keep the snowmobile trails open in Door County.

The Adopt-A-Highway Program has proved to be a great way for families, church groups and non-profit organizations to give back to the county and the environment. Door County Highway Commissioner John Kolodziej oversees all applications for interested parties
looking to lend a helping hand to the counties’ highways. Kolodziej said there has been some confusion in terms of who is eligible to participate in Adopt-A-Highway.
(Audio Here)
Collection consists of picking up debris and garbage in the roadside ditches. The program keeps the highways looking sharp and reminds people that littering is against the law. Kolodziej said the Highway department is looking for people or groups to commit to taking over segments of the county highways. Sections are available throughout the county from Gills Rock to Namur. Participants receive positive recognition for their efforts.
(Audio Here)
The Highway Department provides garbage bags and blaze orange safety vests. The pinneys help keep Adopt-A-Highway participant’s safe on the roads. All work on the highway cleanup should be performed during daylight hours and in good weather. Applications are to be submitted to Highway Commissioner Kolodziej's office. A signed agreement explains the terms and conditions of the collection. The Highway Department is located at 1001 South Duluth Avenue in Sturgeon Bay.

The Luxemburg-Casco High School Christmas party for senior citizens is taking place Friday. This is the 17th annual celebration and every year it seems to get bigger and better. L-C High School Principal Steve Okoniewski said the students truly enjoy entertaining, conversing and helping the elderly in the community for the afternoon. Okoniewski said the party is meant to honor the senior citizens that have contributed so much to the district over the years. The two-hour party is filled with food, games and entertainment. The High School Principal talked about the annual event.
(Audio Here)
The event will begin in the auditorium with performances by the band, chorus and dance team. Then the senior citizens go into the cafeteria for refreshments and to play bingo. The biggest crowd that has ever showed up for the party has been 320 people, according to Okoniewski. He said the turnout depends on the weather. It is a popular event for many in the community.
(Audio Here)
Groups of students volunteer their time to host this party. There is a half-day of school on Friday so the students are not missing class for this event. The High School Principal said this day could not be possible without the help and generosity of local businesses. They donate prizes and gift certificates so every senior citizen leaves with a nice prize. Others win higher valued prizes through bingo. Okoniewski estimates that over $800 in gifts are given away during the senior citizen Christmas party at the L-C High School.

A smoker can expect to physically feel better within weeks of quitting, says Lung Specialist and American Lung Association volunteer Dr. John Stevenson. He says it won't take long until you'll feel better for not smoking.
(Audio Here)
After that, the lungs will gradually recover Stevenson says. In addition, he says coughing up phlegm everyday is a great reason to quit.
(Audio Here)
If you are serious about quitting, Dr. Stevenson suggests you see your general practice physician and let your family and friends know. Their support can be very helpful.