Door County Pulse Podcasts

In this episode, Pulse assistant editor, Grace Johnson, is joined by Sean Hill, poet and judge for the Hal Prize in poetry. They talk about his first steps into poetry, the themes he explores in his work and what he’s looking for in Hal Prize submissions.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. have a few updates to some long-term stories, including Fish Creek’s second chance to purchase the Reddmann Property. Also, Door County will welcome athletes to challenge their bodies in the Door County Triathlon this weekend.

Acclaimed actor Billy Bob Thornton is coming to Door Community Auditorium next week in a new role – as the lead singer of his band the Boxmasters. He joins the podcast with bandmate J.D. Andrew to talk to Debra Fitzgerald about his love of music, performing and creative influences.

The bookmobile was a conduit to the outside world for thousands of Door County children in the days of one-room schools and before satellite libraries existed in every community. Now a committee of the Egg Harbor Historical Society is raising funds to bring it back to life to educate people about the history of education in the county, support literacy programs on the peninsula and revive a cherished piece of local history.

Debra Fitzgerald joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to give a brief rundown on everything going on for the 4th of July holiday week in Door County. Then they dive into the news, including a roundabout that is likely coming to the Culver’s intersection, a graffiti crackdown at Anderson Dock, and the latest on broadband expansion projects.

Debra Fitzgerald talks with state Rep. Joel Kitchens about the Right to Read Act he authored and is on track to becoming law. The bill would transform the way reading is taught in Wisconsin. They also discuss another of his bills that has passed the Assembly that would make hormonal contraceptives available without a prescription and what is and isn't in the 2023-2025 budget, that's expected to go to a vote June 29 and 30.

Wolfe broke onto the Chicago literary scene in 2022 with the release of her debut novel, Last Summer on State Street. Since then, the awards have been piling up for the author, educator and judge for the 2023 Hal Prize in fiction. Now with the Chicago Book Award under her belt, Wolfe is looking towards a year of new writing projects. In this episode, she is joined by Pulse assistant editor, Grace Johnson, to discuss those new projects as well as the upcoming Hal Prize.

Scott Watts joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about his restaurant, Hill Street, and the many twists and turns it took to get it open. Watts shares his theories on how to run a restaurant that doesn’t suck your soul and attracts staff; serving nightmares; business succession challenges; and creating a menu that you actually want to cook.

Debra Fitzgerald talks with Emma Chamley, the 2023 summer intern for the Peninsula Pulse, who arrived a few weeks ago and is already into her beat covering various entertainment and outdoor activities. Emma is a double journalism/political science major going into her junior year at Butler University in Indianapolis who has spent summers in Door County since she was a baby. She talks about her interests in journalism, why she applied for the internship and what she's looking forward to experiencing while spending a summer with us. Also see Chamley's introductory column in the June 9 issue of the Peninsula Pulse.

Pulse assistant editor, Grace Johnson, is joined by author and professor Liam Callanan to discuss his new book, When in Rome. Callanan will be in Door County June 8, 7 pm, at the Kress Pavilion for an author reading and Q&A.

Morgan Rusnak, Community Engagement manager with Destination Door County and Krista Lutzke, Department of Natural Resources district natural resources educator based out of Peninsula State Park, have paired up to meet the challenge of record visitation to provide a multi-day, on-site education and programming through the Leave No Trace Spotlight event that will come to Peninsula State Park, June 8-10. The two partnered on an application that was selected by the Colorado-based Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics – one of about 15 sites the organization selected this year. Debra Fitzgerald talks to the two about the upcoming programming.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. preview the big Memorial Day weekend coming up. Plus, an update on Sister Bay’s short-term-rental debate, and a look at the long list of new restaurants coming our way this summer.

The Door County club merged with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Bay and Lakes Region (Green Bay and Shawano) in March, creating the region's largest youth development agency that serves some 3,000 children annually. Debra Fitzgerald talks with Lisa Kogan-Praska, CEO, and Chelsea Dahms, local director of programs and operation, about the merger and the Club's uninterrupted role in enabling young people to achieve their full potential.

This week we’re bringing you four interviews with the honorees from the Door County Economic Development Corporation’s 33rd annual business awards. Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding was the winner of the Lighthouse Award for established business of the Year Award. In this episode, we talk with Bay Ship’s Tom Martin, director of purchasing and facilities and Justin Slater, director of sales and marketing, about the shipbuilder’s history, its role within the community, and how the shipbuilding business has changed and grown over the years.

This week we’re bringing you four interviews with the honorees from the Door County Economic Development Corporation’s 33rd annual business awards. This episode features Christiana Trapani, the owner of Door County Candle Company, who was named the Lightkeeper Award for woman or minority-owned business of the year for her work building her business and using it to raise more than a million dollars for the people of Ukraine.

This week we’re bringing you four interviews with the honorees from the Door County Economic Development Corporation’s 33rd annual business awards. In this episode we talk to Jason and Sarah White of Peach Barn Farmhouse and Brewery, the winners of the Range Light Award for best new business. We discuss their journey to Door County, a brewery as a family business, and diving into a new community.

This week we’re bringing you four interviews with the honorees from the Door County Economic Development Corporation’s 33rd annual business awards. In this edition we talk to Brad Andrae of Thermotronx, the winner of the Lifetime Achievement award from Door County Economic Development Corporation for his contributions to the local economy and community.

Chris Drosner, the Wisconsin Beer Baron columnist for the Wisconsin State Journal and executive editor of Milwaukee Magazine, joins the podcast to talk about the growth, evolution and future of Wisconsin’s craft beer scene. He talks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about the state scene and how Door County's growing beer palate fits into the mix.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to reporter Sam Watson about yet another no for affordable housing in Door County, this time in the Town of Gibraltar, where a 49-unit studio complex was nixed by the Fish Creek Sanitary District before it could go to the county for rezoning consideration.

A third of caregivers die before the person they are caring for. Former Wisconsin Governor Marty Schreiber has made it his mission to help caregivers find the resources they need to provide the best care for loved ones but also to take care of themselves. He talks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about his journey caring for his wife as she succumbed to Alzheimer's disease.