Jewel Peterson Ouradnik is the 11th child in a family of 12 kids who grew up at Rowleys Bay Resort in Ellison Bay, which was purchased by her parents in 1970. A fire the day after Labor Day weekend destroyed a big part of the resort, lodge and bakery at the end of County Road ZZ that she has owned and operated with her husband, Bob, since 2013. Jewel talks with Debra Fitzgerald about the fire and their decision to sell the property, which is currently on the market for $2.15 million.

The Aftermath of the Rowleys Bay Resort Fire

When the legislature passed a bill overhauling alcohol rules in Wisconsin in December, it was hailed as a grand compromise. But wedding barn operators were left on the sidelines. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Debra Fitzgerald about how the law impacts wedding barns, event venues and breweries and wineries. Plus, look at AI and the art world.

Alcohol Bill Puts Wedding Barns in Limbo

There is nothing about Jennie Bexell that isn’t colorful. From her hair to her clothes, from the interior of her thriving retail stores and her latest restaurant, Sip, to her conversation, there is nothing bland about her. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to her about building a retail brand, what she learned working at Al Johnson’s and behind the bar, and what’s next.

The Colors of Jennie Bexell of Spot and Sip

Loneliness in America has been called an "epidemic" and "public health crisis" by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, but he also said there's medicine hiding in plain sight: social connection. Door County UW-Extension's Paul Salm, who works in the areas of human development and relationships, talks about the work being done in Door County to combat social isolation and loneliness.

Paul Salm on the Medicine Hiding in Plain Sight

In 2019 Amy Kohnle and United Way of Door County decided to tackle the vexing child care shortage. In the five years since then, the sector has experienced the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, with one center closing, another expanding and the opening of a shiny new center. Kohnle and Molly Gary, the Child Care Community Coordinator for United Way, join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the state of child care on the peninsula.

A Child Care Progress Check with United Way

Sister Bay has a long list of projects on its docket in the years ahead. Debra Fitzgerald and Myles Dannhausen Jr. discuss what’s up first and take a look at the housing study the village unveiled last month. Plus, Sturgeon Bay Fire Department has a new person at the helm and the city police department asks for the OK to put cameras up in 10 spots in the city.

Big Projects in Sister Bay

Journalist Henry Grabar joins the podcast to discuss his book Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. Grabar says that parking policies at the town, village and city levels impact much more than where we put our cars. He talks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about how parking minimums shape our cities, our architecture, our streets and even our ability to provide the affordable housing we all say we want.

How Parking Explains the World with Author Henry Grabar

Chicago-based artists Ellen Holtzblatt and Mary Porterfield join Debra Fitzgerald for a conversation about their two-person show at the Miller Art Museum: Vestiges of the Tide. Both artists contemplate a topic in their work that brings awareness to what many of us prefer not to face: senescence, or the process of deterioration as we age, and who we'll be in our final years. The public can meet the artists and view the show March 1. See the Peninsula Pulse for more.

The Art of Senescence with artists Ellen Holtzblatt and Mary Porterfield

The ski hill in Potawatomi State Park hasn’t been open in a quarter century, but a Sturgeon Bay man hopes to resurrect it with a little fundraising, some motivated volunteers and a lot of work. Dana Wangerin joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the effort to bring downhill skiing back to Door County.

Could Potawatomi Get A Ski Hill Again?

Bobby MacDonald of the Bayside Tavern talks about why the family embarked on a refacing of the building to restore its historical look, his parents’ unusual business relationship, and the evolution of the Bayside Alley Shops. They also touch on the tavern’s place in Fish Creek and how the town’s historic charm is at the heart of its tourism draw.

Cheers to the Bayside Tavern with Bobby MacDonald

Peter Gentry’s brewing journey started with his dad and a home brew kit in Madison. It brought him to Door County. Gentry joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the growth of One Barrel Brewing Co. and surviving in a turbulent industry.

The Craft Beer Evolution with One Barrel’s Peter Gentry

Local board, judge, and school board races are on the ballot in Door County on April 2. This week, Debra Fitzgerald joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the candidate profiles in this week’s edition of the Peninsula Pulse, plus the latest on broadband funds making their way to the peninsula and staffing shortages at the Coast Guard.

A Preview of Local Board Races and Shortages at the Coast Guard

The partners that make up the Big Plant aim to add 10,000 trees to the peninsula landscape in April. Coordinator Jeff Lutsey of the Climate Change Coalition joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about his path the CCC, the value of trees and how to make a difference one root at a time.

Planting Trees with Jeff Lutsey and the Big Plant

Gibraltar School will embark on one of the largest and most expensive public building projects in the county’s history this summer. Superintendent Brett Stousland and Project Manager Tim Bickert discuss the multi-year renovation project starting this summer to transform Gibraltar School. Then, Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Stousland about the school’s response to a student who brought a gun into the school building last week.

Brett Stousland on the Gibraltar Construction and the Response to A Gun in the School

What is genocide and is it a term that describes what’s happening in the war between Israel and Hammas? Debra Fitzgerald is joined by Lawrence University Professor Emeritus Paul Cohen, who talks about writer and philosopher, Hannah Arendt, and her brilliant book, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, in the context of today’s war. Cohen will host a Björklunden Zoom seminar book discussion on the topic: “Is Evil Really Banal: Hannah Arendt and The Question of Genocide,” April 4 - May 2.

The Question of Genocide with Paul Cohen

Here we go again. Myles Dannhausen Jr. and Debra Fitzgerald discuss the new proposal to build a hotel on Sturgeon Bay’s west waterfront. Plus, an update on the transfer of operations at Scandia Village, and a brief look at Tuesday’s local elections.

A New Hotel Proposal for City’s West Waterfront

There’s more demand for child care than ever in northern Door County, but soon there will also be more capacity. Cindy Trinkner-Peot and Jen Thompson join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the expansion plans at Northern Door Children’s Center as they enter the final phase of a $3.6 million capital campaign.

Expanding Child Care in Northern Door with Cindy Trinkner-Peot and Jen Thompson

Tales of Our Lives, the story slam presented each spring by the Women’s Fund of Door County, is coming to the Gould Theater on April 20. Slammer Melissa Ripp joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the slam experience, then Ripp shares one of her stories from her college days in Madison.

1111 Mound Street: A Tale from the Life of Melissa Ripp

When Todd Haleen built the new home of Lakeshore Adventures in Baileys Harbor in 2022, he didn’t expect to become the target of social media vitriol, especially after his plans had been met with no opposition in the planning stage. He joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss what he hoped to accomplish with his building, why he designed it the way he did, and to clear up some misconceptions about the building.

Todd Haleen of Lakeshore Adventures

One in four girls and one in 13 boys in the U.S. experiences sexual assault or violence. It happens everywhere, including here. Sophie Sielen, a victim advocate for Door County with the Sexual Assault Center for Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, ought to know. She deals with the reality of these statistics every day. Here, she talks with Debra Fitzgerald about her organization's support, prevention and education efforts – and how people can help during this month of Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness.

Sexual Assault Victim Support with Sophie Sielen

What's up with manure management and how are agricultural land uses impacting Door County water quality? Those questions will be answered during a League of Women Voters public forum scheduled for Tuesday, April 23. A diverse panel of experts has been assembled and the event will be moderated by Virge Temme – who chairs the League's natural resources committee and who led the six-month research project. She talks with Debra Fitzgerald to give listeners a sneak preview of their findings.

What's the Big Stink? with Virge Temme

That’s what we wanted to know for this year’s Peninsula Pulse Sustainability issue. We dig into almost 20-years-worth of data on test results, and research the improvements, programs and practices designed to protect the health of our groundwater, our drinking water and our beach water. Myles Dannhausen Jr. previews the issue with Debra Fitzgerald on what readers can expect and about some of the surprise findings.

How’s the Health of Door County Water?

Julie Gilbert and Amanda Stuck of Destination Door County join Debra Fitzgerald to talk about Destination Door County's efforts to make local goals part of the organization's tourism picture.

Creating a Shared Vision for Tourism

Tourism, housing and isolation rose to the top of areas of concern identified recently by a leadership team while developing the County of Door’s latest Community Health Improvement Plan. Shauna Blackledge, Door County Public Health strategist, joins Debra Fitzgerald to talk about those areas of concern, the focus areas they’ve adopted to address those concerns and the strategies developed to improve mental health, substance abuse and healthy lifestyle outcomes for Door County’s workforce and residents.

The Tourism, Housing and Isolation Impact on Community Health

Myles Dannhausen revisits the words and advice of Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute, who visited the county 15 years ago and gave his advice on how the county could manage growth while preserving its essential character. Plus, a look at what the Door County Half Marathon has brought to the peninsula.

"No Community Stays Unique By Accident"

This year’s edition of Door Wedding is now on newsstands, and editor Aleah Kidd joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the stories and trends in the Door County wedding industry.

Door County Wedding Trends with Aleah Kidd

Sam Watson joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the weak ties and the value of connections in battling the “epidemic of loneliness” outlined in a 2023 Surgeon General’s report. The topic is the focus of the 2024 Door County Living Philanthropy Issue, on newsstands now.

The Value of Connection: 2024 Philanthropy Issue

Water-born illnesses aren’t new to Door County, as Ephraim Historical Foundation director Cody Schreck wrote in a recent History Hub column in the Peninsula Pulse. He joins the podcast to talk to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about an e coli outbreak in Ephraim in the 1950s, plus a little history about an estate on Horseshoe Island and 75 years of the Ephraim Historical Foundation.

Ephraimitis! With Cody Schreck

Myles Dannhausen Jr. gives a glimpse of the Early Summer edition of Door County Living and the pain of finding an error in his story about the fascinating cliff-hanging structure known as Shadowcliff. Then, he’s joined by Orson Dutmer, the 13 year-old co-host of Hot Takes Hoops, to talk about what’s next for the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA Playoffs and how the league is consumed in the modern media landscape.

Into Shadowcliff, and Talkin’ Hoops with Orson Dutmer

Door County’s nonprofit community, like most of the country, is grappling with a shortage of volunteers at a time when their services are in more demand than ever before. Kelly Hellmann, the coordinator of Volunteer Connections for the United Way, joins the podcast with United Way Executive Director Amy Kohnle to talk about the need in Door County and the opportunities at the May 21 United Way Volunteer Fair at Door County Gala.

The Volunteer Gap with Kelly Hellmann and Amy Kohnle

The Door County Pulse Podcast is dedicated to bringing you the news and stories of Door County, Wisconsin.
Hosted by Myles Dannhausen Jr., the podcast brings you interviews with artists, musicians, and business owners who make Door County what it is, hear from journalists from the Peninsula Pulse, and catch up on the news that's shaping our community. 

For Door County news, events and more stories visit www.doorcountypulse.com

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