Door County Pulse Podcast

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Myles Dannhausen Jr. to remember Curtis Mickelson, a 22 year-old airman who died in a plane crash in 1951, and Bill Guenzel, a founding board member of Write On, Door County and a generous donor to dozens of Door County nonprofits and causes ranging from arts and culture, to health care, to youth projects, who died on May 7 at the age of 74. Also, a preliminary conceptual plan for a subdivision of 43 lots on the quarry property near George Pinney County Park is proposed.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by David Eliot to kick off Memorial Day Weekend with a quick list of some of the great new and returning events this year, including the first in-person run in the county this summer, live music is back in a big way, several gallery openings and exhibits to see, and much, much more. Check out the events calendar at www.doorcountypulse.com for even more great stuff to do all summer long.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen chat about some of the new businesses and experiences available this year, from Myles' jaunt up the newly completed Eagle Tower, a look inside the Dorr Hotel, and a few shoutouts from the New Business issue of the Peninsula Pulse, available now.

Debra Fitzgerald sits down with Annette Langlois Grunseth, a Green Bay poet who recently launched her latest book, Combat and Campus: Writing Through War, with a virtual event at Write-On. The book of poems was inspired by her brother, Sgt. Peter Langlois, and includes his correspondence home during the Vietnam war.

How does Door County get big acts? Vanessa McGowan joins Andrew Kleidon to discuss the hacks that touring artists use to squeeze big shows into small towns like Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek. But first, Myles Dannhausen Jr. joins Kleidon to talk about a county coming to life after a year in lockdown. Galleries are hosting shows, restaurants are re-opening their doors, and event directors are making plans for a summer sort of normal.

A proposed ordinance in the Town of Sevastopol would have crippling implications for vacation home rental operators in the community. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Debra Fitzgerald about why the town is considering limits on short-term-rentals, how it could impact the industry, and the larger questions about STRs raised in communities throughout the peninsula.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. discuss what's in store for The Alpine now that it has sold after 100 years in the Bertschinger family. They also take a look at what's happening with another historic lodge, the former Little Sister Resort property, and the ongoing development pressures in Egg Harbor.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Door County's resident Star Wars Super Fan Lauren Ward to talk about all things Star Wars, including how she would include Star Wars trivia as extra credit when she was a teacher at Gibraltar, the three generations of Star Wars Fans, and the different levels of fandom, controversial Star Wars opinions, and more. May the Fourth be with you!

Debra Fitzgerald sits down with Sturgeon Bay poet Mike Orlock, who was appointed Door County’s new poet laureate during the March 23 meeting of the Door County Board of Supervisors, to talk about his upcoming tenure, his approach as a poet, and his two poetry collections: You Can Get There From Here: Poems of Door County & Other Places and Poetry Apocalypse & Selected Verse.

Debra Fitzgerald sits down with the Door County Economic Development Corporation's Executive Director Steve Jenkins, and Director of Communications & Workforce Development Kelsey Fox to talk about the challenges that face Door County businesses in 2021, including challenges with J-1 workers, limited workforce housing, and more.

Andrew Kleidon sits down with Debra Fitzgerald to talk about this years Sustainability special issue, including answering the question: "Do trees talk to each other?" Also, a short discussion on the difference between a town, a village, and a city, following questions about the Bailey's Harbor vote to purchase the Nelson's property on April 20th, and a look the upcoming season as more businesses begin to open each week.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Myles Dannhausen Jr to discuss the town of Bailey's Harbor's vote to purchase the waterfront property that was once Nelson's Hardware. Also, Eagle Tower will be open to the public on April 30th, and an update on the current percentage of vaccinated people in Door County.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the 2021 Door County Living Magazine Philanthropy Issue – how it was put together, some unique stories from the past year, including how nonprofits and other organizations took their meetings online and the advantages that provided some of them, a look at several community members who stepped up and lead by example, and the announcement of the 2021 Philanthropist of the Year: David Eliot.

Andrew Kleidon and Debra Fitzgerald discuss a few stories of the week, including the city of Sturgeon Bay's decision to remove their tornado sirens, worker shortages in the manufacturing sector, and the lighting design of Jimmy Balistreri. Also, Deb spoke with leading climate scientist and communicator Katharine Hayhoe about the most important thing you can do to fight climate change: Talk about it.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Pulse Co-Founder David Eliot and his dog, Oxford, to talk about the history of the Peninsula Pulse. On this episode, Dave takes us back to 2008, where a conversation was taking place around a table at Al Johnson's that would lead to the very first Door County Half Marathon, and the formation of the Peninsula Pacers, which would bring thousands of new faces to Door County to run, bike, play hockey, and drink good beer for years to come.

The 2021 Hal Prize is open and accepting submissions in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and photography until September 15th. This week Andrew Kleidon chats with Leena and Glenn Meyers who won the Hal Prize in Photography in 2019 and 2020 respectively, to talk about how their photography journey began, and how Glenn continues to be inspired by his daughters work.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Baileys Harbor Interim Town Chair David Eliot to talk about what the future might look like after the Baileys Harbor Town Board voted unanimously on March 25th to agree to a purchase price of $1.95 million for the former Nelson's Hardware Store property adjacent to the town marina. The proposal will go to a vote at the Baileys Harbor annual meeting April 20.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the Premier Resort Area Tax that Ephraim will vote on April 6, as well as a brief discussion on COVID vaccination progress in Door County. They also touch on Baileys Harbor's proposal to purchase the Nelson's Hardware store property and new businesses are popping up in 2021.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Pulse Co-Founder David Eliot and his dog, Oxford, to talk about the history of the Peninsula Pulse. On this episode, Dave goes over the last five years, coming to call Bailey's Harbor home, how the community has changed, and how it's stayed the same. Also, in 2020 after years of construction to create the Pulse's final home, Dave sits alone in the office one March morning after sending the staff to work from home in response to rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19 in America, wondering when – or if – the newly finished office will be full again.

Andrew Kleidon and Debra Fitzgerald go over some of the stories from the last week, including 13 fishermen were rescued from the ice in Nasewaupee, tracking the strange path of governmental approvals regarding an ATV trail in Sturgeon Bay, and what went down at the Egg Harbor Board of Supervisors meeting to deny the proposed Dollar General, and how residents reacted.

Horseshoe Bay Farms has been an icon of Egg Harbor for more than a century, but a new nonprofit has formed to bring it new life. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to its new Executive Director, Drew Richmond, about its past, present, and the ambitious plans for the future of the historic property.

A few short years into the publication of the Peninsula Pulse, Myles Dannhausen Jr. saw within its pages, not only stories that spoke to him as a kid in Door County, but an opportunity to grow his fledgling family business, Dano’s Peninsula Pizza through advertising. Luckily for him, when Pulse founder David Eliot walked through the doors of Dano’s for the first time, he saw an opportunity in Dannhausen as well – free pizza. 25 years later, Eliot and Dannhausen are business partners, and on this episode of the Door County Pulse Podcast Dannhausen remembers the early days of the Pulse, how his contributions grew beyond pizza to writing, and the journey he and Eliot have gone on together as the Pulse evolved.

Destination Door County’s Jon Jarosh joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about what the 2021 summer might look like. With vaccine news looking better each day, how close to normal should visitors, business owners, and event planners expect things to look?

Andrew Kleidon sits down with Pulse Co-Founder David Eliot and his dog Oxford to tell the story of the Peninsula Pulse. Over the years the Pulse offices have been located all across the county, save for a few spots. In this episode Dave recounts the first five years of the paper, all of the many offices the he's worked out of, and the people who've come and gone through the doors.

When Brett Kosmider pulled out his camera on main street in Fish Creek last July, he didn’t anticipate getting a photo to define the pandemic summer. But that’s what he got when Matthew Moellendorf showed up in a suit and a mask. Mollendorf and Kosmider join the Podcast to share the story behind the photo of the year, which was recently awarded second place in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. sits down with Dave Eliot for an expansive conversation about the future of room tax. They talk about why Eliot is making the case to raise room tax from 5.5% to 8%. They discuss how room tax was originally implemented (1:58), how it has helped to market the county and improve amenities (15:10), and how an increase could be used to address the needs of local communities (23:06). They also explore the arguments against the increase (39:52), how it can be used (43:38) and what might be possible (49:55).

The owners of Shipwrecked Brew Pub are proposing an expansion that would make the restaurant one of the largest in Door County. But with parking at a premium in the center of Egg Harbor, that raises a lot of issues for the plan commission. Myles Dannhausen Jr. breaks down the proposal and the issues at play. Then, Andrew Kleidon and Dannhausen take a look at the latest info on the condominiums proposed for the former Little Sister Resort site, and good news on the COVID-19 vaccine front.

Debra Fitzgerald sits down with Don Niles, President of Peninsula Pride Farms, a farmer-led organization that's committed to addressing agriculture's role in improving water quality in Kewaunee and Southern Door counties.

Andrew Kleidon sits down with Pulse Co-Founder David Eliot and his dog Oxford to tell the story of the Peninsula Pulse. In a time when artists, restaurants, and concert venues weren't posting every upcoming event on social media, how did a fledgling newspaper find stories to tell each issue? Where were young people hanging out in the late 90's in Door County, and are they still there today?

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen sit down to talk about how cold it's been, and what that's meant for winter recreation like skiing and broom ball. Also, a look into 2020's sales tax numbers and how they compare to 2019, and where we're at in Door County with vaccinations, delays, supply and demand, and more.

Andrew Kleidon sits down with Pulse Co-Founder David Eliot and his dog Oxford for the first time on the Door County Pulse Podcast to tell the story of the Peninsula Pulse. On this episode Dave recounts his youth, how he reinvigorated both his high school and college newspapers with a shift to digital layouts, and how he, along with Tom McKenzie and a small group of young artists, came to publish the very first issue of the Peninsula Pulse newspaper in 1996.

Debra Fitzgerald sits down with Captain Dale Stroschein of Wacky Walleye Guide services to talk about the conditions that lead to 66 people being rescued by the coast guard at one location off Sherwood Point in the town of Nasewaupee; another location in the Sand Bay area in the town of Gardner; and a third location in the Little Harbor area in the town of Sevastopol, as well as tips for ice safety.

Andrew Kleidon and Debra Fitzgerald sit down to talk about what's going on in the state legislature, namely COVID relief and mask mandates, and how they will effect the county. Also, a look into the arts and entertainment pages of this week's Pulse, and the artists, musicians, and designers profiled within.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to the writers behind a special report from Wisconsin Watch about the political divisiveness that plagues the state. In the article “In Evenly Split Wisconsin, Partisan Divides May Only Grow,” Anya van Wagtendonk and Nora Eckert investigate why the state has become such a political hothouse, and how Door County exemplifies the shift.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen discuss the next round of vaccinations in Door County, as well as a look at the work of the late Bob Hastings, former executive director of the Door County Chamber of Commerce (now Destination Door County). After the break, Debra Fitzgerald talks with Mayor Dave Ward about accomplishments made during the pandemic in 2020, and what work is still to be done in the new year.

Door County has become a public beta testing site for SpaceX’s emerging satellite internet service, Starlink. The company intends to deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive or completely unavailable. Debra Fitzgerald sits down with Nathan Drager, owner of Quantum PC Services, to talk about his initial findings with the beta, and what residents might want to know about the service as it rolls out.

Andrew Kleidon talks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about vaccines, what Ryan Heise leaves behind in Egg Harbor, and how one group of local students found a way to perform without a stage. Then they dive into Gibraltar’s plan to assess property owners for sidewalks and lights and why it has some people frustrated, again.

Morgan Mann of the Door County Library stops in to unveil this years selection for Door County Reads, an annual series of events, book discussions, and community gatherings centered around one title, available to pick up for free at your local library.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen discuss the latest in COVID-19 information in Door County, including positive cases and percent positives in each municipality, how Washington Island is dealing with their first major outbreak of the virus, and more. After the break Myles talks with Dr. Jim Heise about the vaccine rollout, who has been vaccinated thus far, and when he expects the vaccine will be available to the general public.

Stories of good news this week as Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. talk about some local residents and businesses who have stepped up to make the holidays brighter for people in our community. Then they discuss Myles’s column in this week’s Pulse about people who have filled the leadership void as the community muddled its way through the pandemic.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen look back on the whirlwind of a year that was 2020, including the most read articles on doorcountypulse.com, the year in theater, food, and more.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen recap some COVID-19 news this week as vaccines are due to arrive at Door County Medical Center in short order. This week in the paper Tamara Jilot recounts her experience with the virus, the timeline from infection to symptoms, and her hospital stay and aftermath. Also Andrew parts the curtain with insights on how actors create unique and compelling characters for stage and screen.

Jake Nyberg’s parents have tried out the Door County life multiple times, including once when Jake was a kid. Now Nyberg is 40 with his own family in Minneapolis and feeling the pull of Door County himself. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Jake about how Door County gets its claws in you, the mental battle of wanting a piece of the peninsula to call your own without becoming “that guy” who plays a part in ruining it, and life as a cursed Minnesota sports fan.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen break down this weeks news, including two new proposals for condo developments in Sister Bay, one of which is planned for the former Fred & Fuzzy's and Little Sister Resort property. Also, a look at a piece by Polly Fitz which takes us on a tour through Cheryl and Hugh Zettel’s recently remodeled home to see how one family put accessibility first and how accessibility considerations can increase ones ability to age in place.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen go over the news from the past few weeks, including Dave Lienau stepping down as president of the Village of Sister Bay take a position as manager of the Sister Bay Marina. The board unanimously selected former president Denise Bhirdo, who has served on the board for 22 years, to complete the remainder of Lienau’s term as president. Also this week The Village of Sister Bay has reached an agreement to purchase almost 56 acres of orchard and farmland from the Wiltse family, and Gibraltar residents approved the town budget Monday after 90 minutes of questions and comments during an annual meeting held through a combination of Zoom and in-person attendance.

A Plea From the Hospital with Dr. Jim Heise and County Chair Dave Lienau by Door County Pulse Podcast

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen sit down this week to crack open all the Egg Harbor news of late, including: The village is considering a referendum that would provide more than $100,000 annually to support operations at the Kress Pavilion, the ongoing challenge of parking in the village, and a lawsuit is looming between the village and the owners of Shipwrecked over a small portion of land on Horseshoe Bay Road.

This week on the Podcast, Myles Dannhausen Jr. and Andrew Kleidon discuss the latest in Wisconsin’s neverending election cycle and get you the latest on the local Covid-19 implications. Then they dive into a new proposal for affordable housing in Sister Bay that one village board member says “could be a turning point” in the village’s long-running quest to attract housing for its workforce.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. break down Door County’s election results, including what surprised them, what didn’t, and how the county’s voting patterns are changing. Then Dannhausen talks to Debra Fitzgerald about Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s big expansion plans in Sturgeon Bay, and why some neighbors don’t love it.

Election day is almost here, and Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. break down the ballot for Door County voters as we prepare to go to the polls. The presidential race gets all the attention, but Door County residents will also be electing their state representative, Congressional representative, and treasurer. Plus, voters will weigh in on two school referendums and a question on fair maps.