When the Kewaunee High School National Honor Society hosts its Neon Run in June, it is about much more than just raising money and spraying paint powder onto people. Alum Cole Pawlitzky formed the event as his Senior NHS project as a way to bring back events like the Kewaunee Troutman Duathlon/5K and the Lakeshore Firecracker 5K that had brought the community together that had gone missing in recent years. Now in its third year, the current crop of Kewaunee High School National Honor Society members have made this their signature NHS project, raising more than $1,700 last year for Kewaunee Area Scholarships. The scholarships are excellent, but the Neon Run means something more to Kewaunee NHS President Hannah Morton and Vice-President James Joski. It is about learning the soft skills they will be able to use down the road and creating a legacy in the community they call home.

Joski and Morton are also happy that the event is inspiring future runners through the Kewaunee Running Club. Registration is open for the third annual Neon Run, which will occur on June 2nd at 10:30 a.m. 

You will not have to drive to Green Bay to have a unique experience watching the Griffon String Quartet perform. The outreach arm of Midsummer’s Music recently announced that its Gather with the Griffon Concert Series, which has been well received in the Green Bay area, will have dates in Door County in the coming weeks. The series features midday performances in intimate locations that features not just music, but conversations with musicans Roy Meyer, Alex Norris, Kayla Patrick, and Jesse Nummelin. Midsummer’s Music Executive Director Allyson Fleck says it is a great opportunity for community members who cannot make their evening performances or drive to Green Bay to experience their music and interact with the performers.

The quartet will play at noon on April 24th at Eagle Harbor Inn in Ephraim and Country View Farm in Baileys Harbor on May 22nd.

Giving you more options when it comes to voting is the goal of a renewed push by the state’s chief executive regarding absentee voting ballot boxes. Earlier this month, Governor Tony Evers urged the Wisconsin State Supreme Court to take up the case Priorities USA, v. Wisconsin Election Commission, arguing that the state’s election laws do not prohibit drop boxes. “All across our country, election officials have chosen to use drop boxes to ensure that all eligible voters can freely cast their ballots. And they’ve done so while keeping ballots safe and secure,” said Gov. Evers. “At the very heart of our democracy is the fundamental freedom to vote.” The voting method popularized in 2020 during the pandemic was axed in 2022 when the state Supreme Court ruled that state law does not permit drop boxes anywhere other than election clerk offices. Only state lawmakers could change that through new policy. According to the Movement Advancement Project, the decision made Wisconsin one of 12 states that ban the use of drop boxes, representing approximately 24 percent of the population. Common Cause in Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck hopes reinstating the practice is what is decided.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the case regarding ballot drop boxes will be heard on May 13th. Adding extra urgency for voting rights advocates is the retirement of Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who announced last week that she would not be running again for her seat in 2025. Bradley is one of the four justices of the court’s liberal majority that could flip back to conservatives next year.

Some changes could be made to a portion of the Ahnapee Trail in Kewaunee County to improve the user experience.

The Friends of the Ahnapee Trail and the county are discussing installing a rest area along the trail’s route in Algoma that would feature a covered shelter, benches, and picnic tables. Currently, the trailhead in Algoma has some signage and a parking lot but not much else for trail users. With over 30 miles of the Ahnapee Trail located within its borders, Kewaunee County Promotions and Recreation Director Dave Myers says investments like these are essential as the trail becomes even more popular.

Last year, an Eagle Scout project led to the installation of bike repair stations to select parts of the trail. Myers says approximately six of those are scattered along the trail for people to use in cases of emergency.

One of the premier fishing contests on Lake Michigan, and the first of 2024, will launch this Thursday.  The 36th annual Baileys Harbor Brown Trout Tournament will start at 4:00 a.m. Thursday and run until noon on Sunday.   Over 100 anglers have already signed up to participate this year with weigh-in stations in Baileys Harbor, Sturgeon Bay, Algoma, and Kewaunee.  Baileys Harbor Destination Director Cynde Krowas says the tournament has drawn up to 400 anglers in the past, with the winning brown trout weighing in at 22 pounds last year.  During the four-day tournament, a special "Blessing of the Fleet" will be performed at the Baileys Harbor Marina. Krowas shares the history and details of the event, which will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The Baileys Harbor Brown Tournament pays out to the top 25 anglers with a first-place price of $1,000 that will be distributed at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday during the Baileys Harbor Town Hall awards ceremony.  The Baileys Harbor Community Association sponsors the tournament. 

(photo courtesy of Baileys Harbor Brown Trout Tournament Facebook page)

Hundreds of Door County community members came together Tuesday evening in Sturgeon Bay to celebrate the United Way’s annual meeting and honor this year’s Bob Stiefvater “Magnificent” Volunteer Award winner. 

Mary Ellen Smith, who was known as the “shot lady” from her work at the Door County Public Health Department giving children their vaccines, was the 2024 recipient.  She has served on the HELP of Door County and Families Services of Northeast Wisconsin boards and worked with a group that developed the Door County Partnership of Children and Families, becoming the co-chair.  The United Way has given the Bob Stiefvater “Magnificent” Volunteer Award every year since 1998.

Denise Stillman will be stepping down as the president of the United Way, with vice-president Andy Anderson assuming that role on the Board of Directors.  Three outgoing board members were recognized for their dedication and service to the United Way: Heidi Neubauer and Jason Palmer for six years and Patti Vickman for three years.

The United Way also celebrated raising $800,728.42 during last year's annual campaign.  

Your children can participate twice in an annual free event at the YMCA that promotes and reinforces healthy lifestyles.   The Kane Program Center and the Sturgeon Bay Program Center are among more than 1700 YMCAs nationwide that bring a Healthy Kids Day to local communities.   Member Services Director Rachel Stoehr says the Healthy Kids Day will be celebrated in Fish Creek and Sturgeon Bay over the next two Saturdays.  She says facilities are open to everyone in the community and that over 20 vendors will be on hand, providing fun activities and valuable resources.

The Healthy Kids Day will be from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, in Sturgeon Bay, and Saturday, April 27, in Fish Creek. You will find the list of organizations and agencies with booths and displays below.

A packed gallery of over 40 people in Council Chambers at City Hall greeted the Sturgeon Bay Common Council on Tuesday night as they addressed an extended list of 25 agenda items over two hours

.  
The first piece of business was the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Dennis Statz for his years of service as District 2 alderperson. The newly elected council member Matthew Huston was then seated to replace Statz.

During public comments, two local professional anglers asked the council to reconsider the proposed elimination of weigh-ins during fishing tournaments at city parks. Four people spoke against the proposed sidewalks and assessment for installation along S. 9th Avenue, South Hudson Avenue, and South Hudson Court.

Before the vote, the council talked extensively about the process of doing special assessments, namely new sidewalks, and the need to make it fairer and more consistent in the future. The council then approved the recommendation by the Local Transportation Board to remove the planned sidewalks from the east side of South Hudson Avenue and South Hudson Court and table the preliminary resolution for levy special assessments for sidewalk installation on the three streets until a better solution is found.

Another long discussion centered around the proposed recommendation by the Park and Recreation Committee/Board to change the fishing tournament rules in city parks to not allow for weigh-ins on land, making only the weigh-on-the-water format an option for tournaments utilizing the city parks. The city and the Department of Natural Resources collaborated to update the policy to omit references to spawning and fishing activities and focus more on what occurs on dry land. However, after the original proposal was amended, leaving out rule 1, which stated the “city park property shall not be used as a weigh-in site,” the council approved the amended, revised rules by a 4-2 vote with one abstention. This means the weigh-in option on land for future tournaments will still be allowed in city parks.

In other business, Dan Williams was re-elected as the Council President, and resolutions for designating public depositories and the official newspaper were approved. After a brief discussion, the increase in Sidewalk Café Permit Free without alcohol, which would go up from $55 to $110, was unanimously approved.

Second readings for rezoning parcel properties located on the corner of South Columbia Avenue, Highway 42-57, and Cove Road were also approved.

Kyle Luedtke is resigning at the end of June after serving as the Sevastopol Schools superintendent for the past seven years.

In his resignation letter sent to the Sevastopol School Board on Monday, Luedtke says “It is bittersweet as we have accomplished many things over the past seven years here at Sevastopol”.

Sevastopol School Board President Lisa Bieri says Luedtke has done great things for the school district over the past seven years and will be hard to replace.

Luedtke is taking a new position as the superintendent at Frederic School District, which is in northwestern Wisconsin and closer to family for himself and his wife.

Taking on the superintendent role at the Sevastopol schools in 2017, Luedtke managed the district through the pandemic and oversaw the district’s referendum project, encompassing the academic additions for elementary classrooms, the library, special education, and a fab lab.

At Wednesday's regular school board meeting, the Sevastopol School Board will accept Luedtke’s resignation and begin the search for a new superintendent. 

If you ever wanted to learn more about some of the many products produced in Wisconsin, Alice in Dairyland candidates would like to be your guide.

Part of the Alice in Dairyland Finals taking place in Door County next month is the Wisconsin Products Showcase taking place at the Door County Gala in Sturgeon Bay. Attendees can interact with the candidates while learning about Wisconsin products. This marks the first year the candidates could pick their products to showcase, including Christmas trees, honey, maple syrup, ginseng, snapbeans, and cherries.

Steering Committee Chair Denise Plassmeyer says this event will not only give the candidates a preview of what the next year will look like for them if they are chosen to be the next Alice in Dairyland, but it will allow attendees to learn more about Wisconsin products they either did not think was important to the state or even existed.

Tickets are on sale for the Alice in Dairyland Finals’ two main events: the Wisconsin Products Showcase on May 3rd at Door County Boardwalk’s Gala location and the finale at Stone Harbor Resort on May 4th. Click this link to buy your tickets before Friday.

Volunteers will continue to be hard at work for Door County Habitat for Humanity in 2024, you just will not see them building a new home for a deserving family.

The Door County Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors decided last week to forgo building a new home in 2024 after building two new homes in Door County and completing a major remodel in Algoma in recent years.  The rise in home construction costs and the lack of a partner family were why the organization will not build a new home this year. Out of the disappointment, Door County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Lori Allen believes they have an opportunity to showcase the other ways they have an enormous impact on the community.

Allen adds that they will assist the Door County Housing Partnership in their efforts to build affordable homes in the Sister Bay area. The organization seeks volunteers to help with critical home repair, ramps, deconstruction, and ReStore operations.

For the second cycle in a row, Milt Swagel will try to unseat Rep. Joel Kitchens for the Republican nomination for the Wisconsin State Assembly. Swagel is a farmer from Kewaunee who has served multiple terms on the Kewaunee County Board in recent years. He has also run for West Kewaunee Town Chairperson in the past. Swagel has a passion for public service, having previously served in the U.S. Army. Even though Kitchens bested him in the Republican primary last year, Swagel feels confident that his conservative principles are needed in Madison.

Kewaunee resident Renee Paplham joined the race for the First Assembly District as a Democratic candidate. Monday was the first day candidates could begin circulating nomination papers for the August primary.

The newest parcel of the Door County Land Trust is just a fraction of the size of its neighboring Three Springs Nature Preserve in Sister Bay, but you can expect it to do a lot for the area’s water quality.

The newest property acquired by the land trust is just 10 acres but includes groundwater springs that are a part of the headwaters of Three Springs. It is vital because Three Springs flows into North Bay and then moves toward Lake Michigan. Land Program Director Jesse Koyen says the new parcel’s ecological significance is high despite its size. "Protection of this property furthers the Land Trust’s goal of protecting water quality throughout Door County," Koyen said. The property also includes wetlands and an old agricultural field that can act as groundwater filtration before it flows into Three Springs. The field is also used as a breeding habitat for birds and insects.

The Three Springs Nature Preserve made news last year when the Door County Land Trust announced plans to preserve the Three Springs Barn in Sister Bay so the area's bat population has a reliable place to call home at its Halloween social on Thursday. The barn at the preserve is a maternity roost for the endangered brown bat mothers and their pups, while other farm buildings and old stone fences also provide an essential habitat for area bats.

The turkeys you have seen in the fields throughout Door and Kewaunee counties will be on notice later this week.  Local Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Warden Chris Kratcha reminds turkey hunters that the 2024 spring turkey season opens this Wednesday, April 17.  He shares some vital gun safety reminders all hunters should follow when heading out to the woods to bag a tom.

Kratcha emphasizes the importance of planning your hunt and hunting your plan.  He says the mild winter will probably mean more birds on the landscape for hunters.     

The 2024 spring turkey season will run from April 17 through May 28 and includes six, seven-day periods running Wednesday through the following Tuesday.

For more information regarding turkey hunting in the state, visit the DNR's Turkey Hunting website here.  

After spending the winter at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, the Tug John Purves is back in its rightful spot behind the Door County Maritime Museum. The former World War I and World War II vessel made its trip across the bay on Monday morning, with other tugboats acting as an escort.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Door County Daily News.com (@doorcountydailynews)

Door County Maritime Museum Executive Director Kevin Osgood said earlier this month that while some repairs were related to being tied up next to a barrier all year long, others could be attributed to its time sailing in saltwater missions during World War I and World War II. Deputy Director Sam Perlman says it was a great experience seeing the tug come through the Michigan Street Bridge, but there is still some work to do before May 1st due to all the work that was done.

The move puts the Tug John Purves in a position to welcome guests beginning May 1st.

Property owners will get a reprieve later in the week, but you are still being advised by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to be highly cautious if you plan on starting a fire or using off-road vehicles. Of the 72 counties in the state, 44 of them, including Brown, Door, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc counties, are at a very high fire danger level. The other 28 counties, primarily in far northern and southern Wisconsin, are listed at high fire danger levels. The National Weather Service says elevated fire weather conditions are expected to stay in the area through Tuesday due to mild temperatures, low humidity, and wind. Embers from fire and sparks from off-road equipment could be enough to start a fire. Saturday was a busy day for fire departments across the state as they responded to 35 wildfires that burned approximately 300 acres. You can expect the fire danger level to drop later in the week when rain hits the area Tuesday night into Wednesday.  

The use of alcohol is alleged to be a contributing factor in one vehicle rollover crash Sunday morning that sent two men to the hospital for suspected injuries. At approximately 6:30 a.m., 20-year-old Levi Kleiman of Kewaunee and his passenger, 19-year-old Dakoda Cornette of Brussels, were driving south on County Highway C near Fox Lane when it crossed the centerline and entered a ditch on the left-hand-side of the road. According to the accident report, Kleiman overcorrected his mistake, re-entering the roadway and crossing both lanes of traffic on County Highway C before returning to the ditch. It was there that Kleiman’s truck re-entered the ditch and overturned several times before coming to rest in a wet, grassy area. By the time deputies arrived, Kleiman and Cornette were both outside of the vehicle, with Cornette being ejected through the side window when the truck was rolling over. Both were taken to Door County Medical Center to be treated for suspected minor injuries. Kleiman was cited for causing injury while operating under the influence, failure to keep the vehicle under control, and keeping open intoxicants in the motor vehicle.

A Sturgeon Bay man was sent to the hospital Friday afternoon after his vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a structure. At 11:15 a.m., 80-year-old Richard Bohn was traveling north on County Road M near High Cliff Road when he crossed the center line and the southbound lane before entering a ditch. His passenger van struck some large chunks of cut wood as it traveled through the ditch. After it crossed High Cliff Road, the vehicle crashed into concrete and stone structure where it stopped. According to the accident report, Bohn said he may have looked down at his phone, but that he did not remember doing it. He also told the Sheriff’s Deputy that by the time he entered the ditch, it was too late to take any corrective measures. The crash caused significant damage to the structure and the van, which had to be towed. Bohn was cited with failure to keep his vehicle under control and taken to Door County Medical Center for a suspected minor injury. 

Beginning next month, a group of community members hope to show you how far a haircut and a couple of loads of laundry can go to improve mental health in Door County. Studies show that putting on clean clothes every day and regular haircuts can give people a boost in confidence, reduce anxiety, and a positive self-image. Like everything, inflation has damaged people’s ability to afford to do their laundry or keep up with haircuts. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, laundry, and dry cleaning services experienced an average inflation rate of just over three percent, about half a percentage point higher than the overall inflation rate. It’s part of why Lori DeJardin from DC Laundromat, Ron Wehringer from Door County Trolley, Trent Snyder from Bridge Up Brewing, and the Sturgeon Bay United Methodist Church teamed up to form the Clean Start Initiative. Once a month, community members in need can bring their items to the laundromat to have them cleaned and receive a haircut while they wait if needed. Wehringer says he helped start a similar program in New Jersey, where he owned a salon. Snyder said when Wehringer told him about the idea, he knew he wanted to be a part of it.

Snyder adds that you can donate laundry pods, dryer sheets, or money to the brewery or to Sturgeon Bay United Methodist Church. The first Clean Start event will take place on May 6th from 6 to 9 p.m.

Picture courtesy of Bridge up Brewing

You will be able to weigh in on how the state runs the 2024 deer hunting season in your county in the coming weeks. Each county in Wisconsin has a County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) to provide input and recommendations to the department on deer management within their county. Councils work with local department staff to schedule meetings, provide community outreach and an opportunity for public input, review population data and deer impacts on forests and agriculture, develop three-year recommendations on county population objectives and create annual antlerless harvest quotas. You have until April 14th to click this link to let your thoughts known ahead of the dozens of meetings being held across the state. The DNR will host its deer advisory council meeting in Door County on April 24th at 6 p.m. at the Door County Government Center in Sturgeon Bay and in Kewaunee County on April 29th at 7 p.m. at the Kewaunee County Highway Department in Kewaunee.

You will be able to experience some of the history of the Belgian community this summer in Door County while touring an early 1900s school classroom.  The Belgian Heritage Center renovated the old schoolhouse facility in Namur last year and added to an already impressive cultural history exhibit.  President Joe Alexander shares the improvements done to the building this past year as the Belgian Heritage Center prepares to open for the season on May 24th. 

Alexander notes that Northeastern Wisconsin was the largest settlement of Walloon people in the United States, peaking at 5,167 in 1880.  Walloon is a language of French dialect spoken in southeastern Belgium.  The Belgian Heritage Center will host a Booyah and Bread lunch event on Sunday, April 21, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  You can find more details on that event and the history of the Belgian settlement in Door County here.

You will not be able to have your fish weighed in city parks during fishing tournaments if the Sturgeon Bay Common Council approves the recommendation on Tuesday.

Last June, the city modified its rules to encourage weigh-on-the-water formats to be used for fishing tournaments, especially if they took place during the early parts of the season when some species of fish are spawning. According to a memo from City Administrator Josh VanLieshout, some of the language in the new policy was interpreted as regulating fishing, which municipalities are not allowed to do. The city and the Department of Natural Resources collaborated to update the policy to omit references to spawning and fishing activities and focus more on what occurs on dry land. Because of tournaments already booked on consecutive weekends in May, the revised policy will not go into effect until next year. Tuesday’s meeting, which will take place inside Sturgeon Bay City Hall at 6 p.m., will be the first for District 2 alderperson Matthew Huston, who defeated incumbent Dennis Statz earlier this month in the spring election. The council will also weigh in on new pricing for the workforce housing built in the Geneva Ridge development and discuss a special levy assessment for sidewalk installation on and near Hudson Avenue.

Every Day is Earth Day is an annual event celebrating the people, organizations, and businesses that uphold our sustainable culture in Door County and beyond.  On Sunday, April 21, from 1:00-4:00, Crossroads at Big Creek will host the third day of the four-day festival.  

During the family-friendly event  “Capturing the Energy of the Sun,” Crossroads and many of our partner organizations will offer tree planting, displays,  demonstrations, films, kids’ activities, guided hikes, free tree seedlings, free native wildflower seeds, and educational materials, and if we are lucky, experience safe solar viewing and naturalist-led tours to see the annual sucker run.

So how does the Sun fit the 2024 Door County Every Day is Earth Day theme: “Energy-Making It and Saving It”?

One of the basic concepts of ecology is that (almost) “all energy begins with the Sun and passes through organisms within an ecosystem.”

Take, for example, planting trees. Our partners from the Door County Climate Change Coalition, in collaboration with Crossroads Habitat Healers, will hold one of their Big Plants at the Crossroads event. Volunteers are invited to help plant native trees at Crossroads.

Most people realize that green leaves, through the seemingly miraculous process of photosynthesis, can capture the sun's energy, combine it with water and air, and convert it to sugar…food.

I thought I understood the food web---- that energy from the Sun is captured by plants, and then animals eat plants, and other animals eat them, so the energy is passed along. And in many cases, that is true. But it’s complicated.

Until I read Douglas Tallamy's book Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, I did not realize that “insects are able to eat only vegetation from plants with which they share an evolutionary history." In other words, most native Wisconsin insects can eat only one or two species of native Wisconsin plants. All other plants are distasteful or even poisonous to them. 

But consider that in our region, during breeding season, almost all of our songbirds feed themselves and their young with soft, juicy, nutritious caterpillars. Exclusively. And most moths and butterflies lay eggs only on native plants.  But even locally native plants are not equally beneficial. Research by Dr. Tallamy and his team at the University of Delaware has determined that 14% of native plants support 90% of butterfly and moth species. And that matters. Without caterpillars, there can be no baby birds. And, actually, mammals and even fish also relish caterpillars this time of year.

It becomes even more complicated with bees. Most bees – native wild bees and domestic European honeybees – will visit a variety of flowers to gather nectar, but in order to raise their young, they require high-quality pollen, pollen containing four essential amino acids from which to make protein. According to horticulturist Jarrod Fowler, “15-60% of native bees are pollen specialists who collect pollen from only 40% of regionally native plants.”

Consequently, representatives from the Door County Master Gardeners and Wild Ones-Door Peninsula will have booths at which they can help visitors learn about host plants, pick up free wildflower seeds, and perhaps most importantly, learn which locally native trees will support the greatest number of butterflies, moths, and native bees.

Researchers are just beginning to understand how the Sun’s energy becomes food in the leaves, passes through tree trunks to their roots, and grows in association with fungi. The food from the trees supports vast networks of fungi, which in return help trees absorb water and nutrients and, unbelievably, enable trees to communicate with each other and share resources.

So much to learn!  So many ways to learn. And thanks to the generosity of Crossroads donors and volunteers, and our partners in conservation, learners of all ages (please bring the kids!)  can enjoy the Sunday afternoon event free of charge.

Other programs at Crossroads this week include a Door County Master Gardener Program on heirloom vegetables, our weekly family program, Saturday Science, will enable learners of all ages to “Meet the Squirrels” and the League of Women Voters will present a forum aptly named “The Big Stink-A Question of Manure.”

Thursday, April 18

 6:30 pm  DCMGA: Heirloom Biographies

Delve into the intricate histories of cherished heirloom plants with Janell Wehr. We’ll explore captivating stories, including AW Livingston, the father of the modern tomato, and Wisconsin’s own Beaver Dam peppers and Picha potatoes. We’ll unravel the unique narratives behind these beloved varieties and many more, each rooted in cultural and agricultural significance. The program culminates in an insightful understanding of terms heirloom, open-pollinated, hybrid, and GMO.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be live streamed at Crossroads at Big Creek at 6:30 p.m. and also available for at-home viewing via Zoom. Those who prefer to watch at home can join the zoom meeting on the day of the event by clicking  at https://www.dcmga.org/

The Wehr lecture is presented in collaboration with Crossroads at Big Creek and Door County Seed Library.

Saturday, April 20

2:00 pm  Science Saturdays: Meet the Squirrels

Learners of all ages will learn about the bushy-tailed  grey squirrels and red squirrels through a video, games and a hike to visit a red squirrel midden.

Science Saturdays is a free, family-friendly program geared toward elementary students but we welcome learners of all ages. Hopefully, part of this  program will  be outdoors. Please dress for the weather. No registration required. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay,

Sunday, April 21  

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Every Day is Earth Day : Capturing the Energy of the Sun

A celebration of energy in nature featuring  demonstrations, nature journaling walks, films,  tree planting with The Big Plant, demonstrations, citizen science, and other family-fun activities. Free trees, free wildflowers seeds, conditions permitting, Safe Solar Viewing and Naturalist-led Sucker Run Tour. In the Collins Learning Center and grounds of Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay.

1:00-4:00--Habitat Healers: Earth Day Plantings with The Big Plant

This week volunteers will be planting tree seedlings! Wear clothing and footgear that can get dirty and wet and bring a water bottle. Instruction, equipment, and gloves provided along with cookies and lemonade at the end! Meet at the Workshop, Crossroads at Big Creek,  2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay

Tuesday, April 23  

6:30 pm  League of Women Voters Forum: The Big Stink – A Question of Manure

LWV: The Big Stink - A Question of Manure - Crossroads at Big Creek

The League of Women Voters invites you to a public forum surrounding the topic of manure. Manure management is a...

The League of Women Voters invites you to a public forum surrounding the topic of manure. Manure management is a complicated subject, especially given Door County’s Dairy fragile karst substrate and the importance of water health.  We hope to make sense of the benefits and challenges of manure management through a presentation involving regulators, farmers and environmental experts.

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

Wednesday, April 24

10:00 Crossroads Book Club

This month we’re reading Rooted by Lyanda Lynn Haupt. Crossroads will have a few copies of the book available to borrow if needed. Whether you’ve read the book yet or not, we would love for you to join us as we explore the stories, ideas, and concepts shared within the pages of this awesome books! Gather around the fireplace at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan Sturgeon Bay.

Door County Medical Center staff will guide you through four health-related topics during a special event at its Sister Bay Clinic on Tuesday beginning at 1 p.m. In the opening session (1 p.m.) and closing session (4 p.m.), Door County Medical Center Lead Chaplain and Social Worker Erin Szakala will discuss the steps families take when making end-of-life medical care decisions.  At 2 p.m., Senior Life Solutions Program Director Jennalee Lundquist will cover her program that helps seniors experiencing depression or anxiety due to the life changes that come with getting older. Door County Public Health’s Shauna Blackledge will introduce attendees to the new Door County CredibleMind platform launched earlier this year, which offers mental health resources online during her 3 p.m. session. At 3:30 p.m., Beverly Beyer from the Door County Medical Center Sleep Lab will present information about the potentially serious issues that could come if you suffer from sleep apnea. Lindsey Donohue from the Door County Medical Center Sister Bay Clinic hopes this is the first of many learning opportunities the facility hosts.

You are encouraged to register for the sessions, which are taking place in the center’s second-floor education room, by calling 920-868-3511.

During this time of tax preparation, many focus on their financial state's wellbeing. Countless hours are spent calculating expenses, evaluating revenues, and accounting for assets. This is a necessary exercise that is part of adult life, and I am grateful to be able to contribute to the perpetuation of this great nation and the resources we have available through the collective sense of obligation we have to each other.

I have spoken before about the four tenants of wellness, with financial wellness being one of them, but I want to focus on the word that we usual associate with financial wellness, and the limitations it places on our ability to truly thrive in life. The word is wealth, and it has taken on a very limited application as to financial status, so I am going to attempt to broaden it.

I will start with my own story of growing up on a small farm and how money, or in this case, the lack thereof, was an early lesson in the true meaning of wealth.

My parents raised six kids on 38 head of dairy cattle. Let that sink in for a bit. During that time, they battled, drought years, flooding years, decimated milk, and crop markets, along with cancer and many other struggles. While most of our nation was experiencing the boom of the 80’s we were living in the realities of the 30s. But here’s the thing: we didn’t know it.  We were being raised by two people who loved each other as much as they loved each one of us. They knew their purpose and remained steadfast in their commitments. There was never talk of poverty or want for more, just appreciation for all that we had. We were in fact wealthy beyond our own ability to grasp it.

So, let’s get back to that word from earlier: wealth. For a moment, set aside its association with finances, and apply it to the other tenants of wellbeing. Are you emotionally wealthy, with a sound portfolio of optimism, appreciation and contentment?  How is your Social Wealth? Have you invested in the relationships that truly matter in your life and support those relationships with meaningful interactions? Finally and most importantly, how is your Spiritual wealth? Do you rise every day knowing that you are part of something bigger than yourself? Knowing that you were placed here for a specific purpose. Does your existence have meaning beyond material accumulation or social status?

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Wealth is Poverty. I fear that in our world today, especially in this great nation, we are, in fact, suffering from poverty—a poverty of the soul, the heart, and the mind. The good news is that we have the ability to raise ourselves from this state of poverty into lives of unlimited wealth—wealth of Mind, Heart, and Spirit. Once you have established those foundations of wealth, your returns are unlimited.