Door County Pulse Podcasts

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Northern Sky's Artistic Director Jeff Herbst to talk about the 2021 season. What did the company learn from a year of virtual performances? What concessions had to be made to produce a live season this year, and why do those concessions have to be made? And a look at all of the shows coming up in Peninsula State Park and at the Gould theater in Fish Creek this year.

Dave Eliot joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. on the podcast to talk about the return of Fourth of July celebrations to the peninsula this weekend. They talk about where to go to catch big events, fireworks, parades, and why we love Independence Day in Door County. Plus, a look inside the pages of the new Door County Living magazine.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen discuss the latest at Mariners Park in Gills Rock, as well as the recent sale of the old Nicolet Bank building in Sturgeon Bay. Also, a number of festivals are coming up this weekend, from Open Door Pride, to new events like the Sol Grass Music Festival on Washington Island, and the Times of Future Past festival in Kewaunee.

Deb Fitzgerald sits down with Steve Vavrus, Sr. Scientist at the Nelson Institute at UW-Madison, to talk about climate change and what’s in store for Wisconsin in general and Door County’s specifically. They also discussed what’s causing climate change, and some ways people can change their behaviors to reduce their carbon footprints.

Last year parents in Sturgeon Bay nearly lost their primary child care provider. In northern Door County, talk of Gibraltar School adding 4 year-old kindergarten has the area's main child care provider on edge. Myles Dannhausen Jr. is joined by Cindy Trinkner-Peot of Northern Door Children's Center and Alexis Fuller of the Door Community Child Development Center to discuss the challenges that area child care providers are facing and what the future of child care might look like.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Special Issues Editor Grace Johnson and Vanessa McGowan, musician and Pulse music writer, to talk about everything you can find within the 2021 Summer Music Preview. This years issue is full to the brim with featured musicians, including two bands presented by the Peninsula Pulse, weekly live music, performance venues, interesting band names, and more. For more live music, concerts, and more, check out the events calendar at https://doorcountypulse.com/events/

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen sit down to talk about a trifecta of Gibraltar news stories, including a lawsuit between the town and the Alibi Docks, the school district looks at starting 4K kindergarten, and three administrators have resigned in less than a month. Also, Andrew recaps Northern Sky's production of Not Even Remotely, and looks forward to their first in-person show.

A Weekend Full of Festivals by Door County Pulse Podcasts

Myles Dannhausen Jr. and Andrew Kleidon discuss the state of tourism in Door County, specifically whether the county is tapped out. They look back at tourism’s late-90s peak, the impact of room tax and public investments in attractions and infrastructure, and the data that could give us insights into whether tourism has - in fact - reached a new level in Door County. For more context on Door County’s recent tourism history: From 2007: Treading Lightly: Can Door County Maintain its Character While Attracting More Visitors? https://doorcountypulse.com/treading-lightly/ From 2009: How tourism expenditures are calculated https://doorcountypulse.com/playing-with-numbers/ From 2008: Tourism Spending Dropped in 2007 https://doorcountypulse.com/tourism-spending-dropped-in-2007-2/ From 2008: Steve Grutzmacher on the Stagnant Door County Tourism Industry https://doorcountypulse.com/an-outlook-10/ From 2008: Rebounding: Bringing Tourism Market Back Requires More than Marketing https://doorcountypulse.com/reboundin

Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to New York Times best-selling author Andrew Maraniss, author of “Singled Out,” the story of Glenn Burke, Major League Baseball’s first openly gay player and the inventor of the high five. Maranis discusses why Burke was run out of baseball in his prime, as well as the importance of writing trusting young readers with difficult subjects.

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.