The Town of Gibraltar has finally closed on its purchase of the 118-acre Redmann property to expand Fish Creek Park. Administrator Travis Thyssen joins the podcast to talk about property and discuss what the process will look like as the town embarks on trail and park improvements for what will now be a 150-acre public space.

Most public “input” sessions aren’t actually designed to put constituent feedback to use. John Kamp and James Rojas, authors of the book “Dream, Play, Build” argue that most of these sessions are used simply to tell the public what has already been decided. The sessions are usually intimidating to the average resident and aren’t designed to build community and generate ideas, but to meet statutory requirements. They join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about a different approach to public planning sessions that helps create the communities desired by the people who live and work in them.

Door County Land Trust Executive Director Emily Wood talks with Debra Fitzgerald about the organization’s record year of land conservation in Door County (17 projects concluded in 2024); the role the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund plays in accomplishing the organization’s mission; and how they balance conservation with other priorities, such as economic development

Ryan Mueller talks with Debra Fitzgerald about his frequent UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) sightings in Ellison Bay; his evolving ability to summon their appearance; his theory about what they are and how that relates with the heightened drone activity on the East Coast (and around the world); and what he believes these sightings and experiences are teaching him – and us – about the past, present and future. Mueller is a local business owner (Uncle Tom’s Cabin candy store), husband, father and Gibraltar School Board member who recently completed his PhD in Education, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary and political leadership.

Northern Sky veteran Karen Mal joins Debra Fitzgerald to talk about her upcoming show at the Gould Theater, Dec. 28, 29, 30 and 31, to play some original music, and to talk about her career as a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/actor. Mal found a community in the Northern Sky team back when it was American Folklore Theater, and their fall season box office line rang in her kitchen in a cottage on Gibraltar Road. She talks about that Door County origin story and how she balances different aspects of her career while raising her daughter in Austin, Texas.

The second in command at the Door County Sheriff’s office, Pat McCarty, Chief Deputy/Undersheriff, will retire Jan. 17, 2025 just short of 31 years with the department. He talks with Debra Fitzgerald about his years in law enforcement, including as a patrol officer, and the changes and differences that have occurred over his three decades in law enforcement.

Sister Bay property owners were shocked when they got tax bills showing a 10.8% increase for village property taxes this month. Debra Fitgzerald joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss what we know about what mistakes were made when the village promised that taxes would be flat this year during the budget hearings just one month earlier.

Dr. Greg Kleinheinz, director of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Environmental Research and Innovation Center, has overseen beach-water testing in Door County for more than 20 years. For the past five years, he’s also worked with the County of Door on a well-testing program designed to learn what’s in private-well drinking water. He goes over the cumulative results with Debra Fitzgerald, as well as the most recent testing results released a couple weeks ago. He talks about the hot spots for certain pollutants like nitrates, and what a new tracer program is turning up, and touches first upon how the data-driven beach-water testing program has evolved.

Kayla Larsen spent 25 years working in the restaurant industry before stepping into photography. For the winter edition of Door County Living magazine, Larsen turned her eye toward her old industry, providing a glimpse into the restaurant and food world that most diners never see. She joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the project and their love for the rhythms and banter of the restaurant world, including some of the pranks bartenders pulled on each other.

"One time, for a very special customer who I thought deserved a little extra, I put in a sauce called Dead Heat instead of Tabasco," she recalled. "This man spent about an hour in the Husby's bathroom running his mouth underneath the faucet. I had a moment of like, what if he's allergic to habaneros or something?"

These stories not only offer a glimpse into the vibrant bar culture but also highlight the camaraderie and unexpected moments that make bartending such a unique profession.

Pour yourself a drink, sit back, and dive into the world behind the line.

Reconsidering Local Wine and Spirits with Hatch Distilling by Door County Pulse Podcast