Door County Pulse Podcasts

A familiar name returns to Door County in October when musician Tony Brown comes home for a show. Deb Fitzgerald talks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about her interview with Brown in this week’s Pulse, then they talk about Cycling Without Age, a program that gets people back outside and in nature with the use of electric trishaw bikes.

In the first of a series of conversations over the next few weeks, Myles Dannhausen Jr. discusses local initiatives and challenges in piecing the housing puzzle together. We also look beyond the county’s boundaries to examine approaches being used in other communities, such as Vail, Colorado and with local leaders, developers and Fisher Island, New York. This month the Door County Community Foundation launched the Workforce Housing Lending Corporation. Bret Bicoy, the President and CEO of the Community Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss the program and what its creators hope it can accomplish to close the housing gap on the peninsula.

An August windstorm exposed serious problems with the Egg Harbor Marina’s floating pier system. Deb Fitzgerald joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. on the podcast to discuss what happened, plus a proposal for a pop-up roundabout in the village. Then they talk about dog rules at a northern Door County park.

The County of Door is replacing all the emergency, green-and-white fire signs in all of the towns at every single address, at a cost that's been estimated at more than $1 million and is being funded, in part, with American Rescue Plan Act dollars. Debra Fitzgerald talks with Mariah Goode, director of the county's Land Use Services department, about why this is being done and why, in the age of GPS, those signs are still needed. She also touches on the county's comprehensive plan process now underway, and how the county's vision of land use across the peninsula interacts with, and overlays, municipal versions of future land use.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by singer, songwriter, and playwright Katie Dahl to talk about her musical journey thus far. From the broken wrist that got her to pick up a guitar, to making a career in music in Door County, and touring beyond. After the break we dig deeper into her songwriting and performance process around her newest album, Seven Stones.

Door County municipalities are almost all engaged in a process to bring reliable, high-speed internet access to all addresses within their communities. Jessica Hatch, County of Door broadband coordinator, reviews with Debra Fitzgerald exactly where each community is in the process, how much money is out there for grants to get the work done, future challenges that could arise and how they're preparing for those now.

There is nothing like a tragedy to show a community who it is, and the Sept. 5 fire at Rowleys Bay Resort was all that. Myles Dannhausen Jr. and Deb Fitzgerald talk about the Sept. 5 response to the fire, the aftermath, the memories, efforts to help the displaced employees and the owners' vow to rebuild

Author Meghan O'Gieblyn joins the podcast to discuss her book, God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor and the Search for Meaning. She is one of the featured authors at the Washington Island Literary Festival, which takes place Sept. 21-23.

Eric Lewis joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the Camp David Reunion Concert at Fishstock, where Lewis has been packing the barn for 25 years for the Labor Day concert. He returns to the state Sunday night. They talk Fishstock, the legend that is Dave Ellmann, and the way the Fishstock thread of musicians changed the county’s live music scene in the early 2000s.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Eric Simonson to talk about the 2023 Door Kinetic Arts Festival, a celebration of a diverse range of performance styles. From Cocktails to short films, dance to opera, and everything in between.

What does the raid of a Kansas newspaper in early August say about today's society? Has journalism, citizenship and civic discourse disintegrated to such a degree that our democracy is threatened? Here to talk about that with Debra Fitzgerald is Mike Killenberg and Rob Anderson, former professors of journalism and communications, current Jacksonport residents, and authors of the newly released book, Democracy's News: A primer on journalism for citizens who care about democracy.

Few things shape the look and economics of our communities more than parking requirements. Unfortunately, most villages, towns and cities write their requirements to produce the exact opposite of the communities they want to encourage. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to UCLA professor and author Donald Shoup about why parking minimums hurt communities and how thinking differently about parking can help businesses, ease congestion and help pay for other services.

Are municipalities and school boards abusing the spirit of transparency in open meetings and records? Debra Fitzgerald and Myles Dannhausen Jr. discuss the disturbing trend of local boards using closed session meetings for dubious reasons. Plus, a look at Sister Bay’s new facilities plan draft, the search for a pigeon and an update on reporter Sam Watson.

Andrew Kleidon talks with Pulse intern Emma Chamley about her favorite stories and experiences from the summer.

Getting people to engage in democracy and government has been a central theme in the work of artist Bronwyn Mauldin. She joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss the intertwining of art and democracy and her upcoming seminar at Bjorklunden Aug. 6-11. Mauldin is a writer, zine maker and researcher. She serves as director of research and evaluation at the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, where she leads a team that utilizes data and research methods to strengthen the arts ecology and ensure all residents have equitable access to the arts.

Pulse assistant editor, Grace Johnson, is joined by author Edward McPherson who is the nonfiction judge for the 2023 Hal Prize. The two talk about how McPherson got into writing, his three books and what he is working on as a newly minted Guggenheim Fellow.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. sits down with Paige and Cam to talk about Sturgeon Bay’s big maritime celebration Aug. 1-12.

Andrew Kleidon hangs out with Matthew Gordon, one half of the band Chicago Mule, to talk about what it takes to make your band your full time job, gigging in Door County, and much more.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. catches up with Matt Sampson, the brewer and owner of Sway Brewing and Blending, the small brewery that just celebrated its first birthday in Baileys Harbor. Sampson talks about his vision for the brewery, his path to helming his own shop and partnering with others to create a place for beer, food and community.

Door County may seem like paradise to many, but those who work in the wellness and mental health fields understand that trauma, anxiety and depression are just as common here as in other rural communities where there's more isolation and access to services. Local professionals want to help our community become more resilient and are starting with a day-long conference, Aug. 15 in Sturgeon Bay: Hope Beyond the Hurt. Debra Fitzgerald talks with two of its organizers: Rebecca Nicholson, community connector with the Door County Partnership for Children and Families, an internal program of United Way of Door County; and Sophie Sielen, Door County coordinator and victim advocate for the Sexual Assault Center through Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin.