Door County Pulse Podcasts

Myles Dannhausen Jr. catches up with Nate Bell, the Pulse’s Chief Technology Officer and a Sister Bay Trustee. Bell, who graduated from Gibraltar in 1999, talks about growing into public service in his hometown, how a personal crisis and COVID-19 collided to lead to his own physical and mental health transformation, and how becoming a cyclist made him rethink how we plan our communities.

After a completely tangential conversation about The Matrix, Myles Dannhausen Jr. and Andrew Kleidon give you the lowdown on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day festivities in Door County.

It started with one man and a dream, and now each Jan. 1 J.R. Jarosh is joined by hundreds of friends for a dip in Lake Michigan. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Jarosh about the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club, pro tips for a successful plunge, and what makes a great home bar.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. and Andrew Kleidon discuss the $3.5 million grant to support child care initiatives in Door County. Then Larry “Thor” Thoreson joins the podcast to read his moving eulogy for the late Carol Newman, who kept the light on at the Pioneer Store for more than 50 years.

Before the Year in Review issue of the Peninsula Pulse is available this week, Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. sit down to go over the biggest stories from the year. Topics of discussion include: How restaurants navigated the labor shortage, steps forward on internet access and affordable housing, an ambitious year in theater, and much more. Plus, our predictions on what 2022 has in store.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. is joined by Destination Door County’s new CEO, Julie Gilbert, to discuss what brought her to the peninsula, what she’s learned during her first month on the job and how she’s attacking the challenges facing the organization and the industry.

Heidi Hammel, the Vice President for Science at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch Dec. 22. The telescope is expected to revolutionize astronomy. Hammel, one of the world’s leading astronomers, tells you what the Webb will mean for science and our understanding of the universe.

Dr. Jim Heise of Door County Medical Center talks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about the spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Door County and the strain it is putting on an already taxed hospital staff. Nearly all of the hospitalizations in Door County are unvaccinated individuals, who now make up almost half of the daily inpatient census at the hospital.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Myles Dannhausen Jr. to wish JJ's bartender Dave Johnson well as he moves on to work at the Alpine, and how small town bartenders help create the fabric of a community. Also, Myles does a deep dive on the history of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, who is playing at Door Community Auditorium on Dec. 11, and a car accidentally drives through the Family Video next to Pizza Hut in Sturgeon Bay.

Amy Kohnle, executive director of United Way of Door County, joins the podcast to talk about the convergence of problems pinching the pocketbooks of the peninsula’s working poor. From the rising cost of basic goods to the lack of housing, it’s getting more difficult for people to get ahead. Kohnle talks about what United Way is doing to try to help, and the organization’s goal for the 2021 fundraising campaign.

Amy Kohnle, executive director of United Way of Door County, joins the podcast to talk about the convergence of problems pinching the pocketbooks of the peninsula’s working poor. From the rising cost of basic goods to the lack of housing, it’s getting more difficult for people to get ahead. Kohnle talks about what United Way is doing to try to help, and the organization’s goal for the 2021 fundraising campaign.

Few destinations offer the experience found in Door County – great wages for seasonal work, easy proximity to beaches and incredible outdoor experiences, great nightlife, and as much work responsibility as you want to take on. That’s why Peninsula Pulse is launching a workforce recruitment campaign to put the peninsula back on the agenda of high school students, college students looking for summer jobs, and parents who want to see their kids make money, take on a challenge, and get great work and life experience. Myles Dannhausen Jr. is joined by David Eliot to talk about their experiences working as young adults in Door County, and the need they are seeing to bring a stronger workforce back. Then, a conversation with Peninsula Filmworks intern turned Pulse photographer Rachel Lukas about her experience working in the county for the first time, and why she's chosen to stay.

Morgan Mann and Steven Rice from the Door County Library stopped by the Peninsula Pulse recording studio to talk with Grace Johnson about the featured books, event highlights and 15 years’ worth of Door County Reads. There may even be a few trivia questions, too!

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Myles Dannhausen Jr. to round up all of the upcoming Thanksgiving and Holiday events happening over the next three weekends in Door County.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. discuss what may be the peak of AJ Dillon's career – getting the key to Door County. Then a discussion of COVID-19 hospitalizations. And, on Monday, voters in the Town of Gibraltar approved the purchase of 0.49 acres of property on the shoreline adjacent to the town dock for $3.5 million.

Andrew Kleidon is joined by Grace Johnson to talk about what she's been diving into lately. From her epic homemade Beetlejuice halloween costume, to beginning NaNoWriMo, and her experience with the new Door County Pilates studio. Also, a few weeks back we pondered whatever happened to the Scholastic Book Fair of our youth, and we had several people write us with more information. Johnson did a deep dive into the book fair's inner workings, and answered the question, though the journey left her feeling conflicted.

Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen Jr. share sneak peaks of the Winter 2021 Door County Living Magazine, and the Peninsula Pulse's newest publication, the 1842 Review, a literary magazine which contains this years Hal Prize winners. Also, a look back at the past as the historic ship, the SS Badger, returns to Bay Shipbuilding. And, a reflection on the life of Ephraim artist Franne Dickinson, who passed away in October.

For five years Cal Poly professor Dave Amos has been making complex planning and zoning topics interesting and even fun through his YouTube channel, CityBeautiful. The Sturgeon Bay native joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. for a conversation about what makes a beautiful neighborhood. What makes a neighborhood walkable? What role do trees play in making great public spaces? Should we get rid of parking minimums? Do wider roads make for safer communities? How does single-family zoning drive up the cost of housing? Amos touches on all these topics and more in this episode and dives in even deeper in his video series, which we urge you to explore at https://www.youtube.com/c/CityBeautiful

For the past few months the Peninsula Pulse has been working in support of the team at Wisconsin Watch on a series of articles examining how a climate “tug of war” is driving extreme shifts in Lake Michigan’s water levels. Wisconsin Watch reporter Mario Koran speaks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about what he learned reporting on the issue from Door County. The first story is available here: “The Water Always Wins”: Calls to protect shorelines as volatile Lake Michigan inflicts heavy toll

Andrew Kleidon grabs David Eliot for a quick chat before hundreds of runners make their way into Peninsula State Park for the Door County Half Marathon this weekend. The race was postponed from May 2020 to October 2021, which means runners will have a full summer of training under their belt as they run through the fall colors of the park.