Yes, there are black bears in Door County, but we don’t yet know where the one that washed ashore in Egg Harbor came from. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Debra Fitzgerald about that bear, but first they dig into the news that the U.S. Navy has cancelled contracts for four Constellation-class frigates being built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine with assistance from its Sturgeon Bay yard. What does it mean for local workers when a multi-billion dollar contract ends?

Colin Welford has served as the music director for theater hits like Wicked and Hamilton during their Chicago productions and traveled the world as a music supervisor for The Lion King, but a stint with Northern Sky Theater hooked him on Door County. Now, he has returned to his first musical love playing the organ and shares that passion through his Colin & Friends community concerts. He joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss his journey, leaving the big stage, and finding joy in plying his craft in a tight-knit community.

Angostura Bitters is the essential ingredient in many cocktails, including the Wisconsin staple, the Old Fashioned. And it is the concoction that made Nelsen’s Hall and Washington Island famous. But the company and the beverage have always been a bit of a mystery. Robert Simonson, cocktail writer for the New York Times, journeyed to the distillery in Trinidad to get answers about Angostura, and even found some. His story about the journey appears in the winter edition of Door County Living. He joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk bitters, the rebirth of cocktails, and the evolution of the bartending craft.

This year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Jacksonport will benefit eight-year-old Lucia Ramirez, who is battling leukemia. Her mother, Melanie, joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about how Lucia is fighting and how she and her husband and seven daughters are juggling life and trips to the hospital as they support her, and how the support of the community is helping them beyond finances.

In the early twentieth century, a mysterious ecological crisis nearly wiped out the fish that most people cared about in the Great Lakes. The impact reverberated across the region, ruining local industries, damaging small town economies and indigenous communities, and destroying the livelihoods of people in the United States and Canada. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Lindsey Haskin, the producer of the film The Fish Thief, about how the mystery was solved and the creativity that saved the Great Lakes Fishery and continues today.

The lodging tax numbers are in for this year’s summer tourism season and Debra Fitzgerald and Myles Dannhausen Jr. dive into some of the data, discussing what can – and can’t – be known about the world of lodging revenues, average nightly rates and occupancy averages. They also talk about the corrected beach monitoring data for the 2025 season – the reasons for it and what it reveals compared to the original data about Door County’s beach-water quality.

Cynthia Germain is a true catalyst for creating livable, age-friendly communities – not an easy feat in the essentially rural villages and towns of Door County. As the founder and president/CEO of the nonprofit Do Good Door County, she leads initiatives that empower older adults to age in place, living safely, independently, and confidently while strengthening community connections. She talks with Peninsula Pulse Editor Debra Fitzgerald about the proven programs that have made a real impact, explores the work that still lies ahead, and highlights ways residents of all ages can get involved to shape more supportive communities.

As Congress and the President battle over funding the government, nearly 2,000 Door County residents who receive foodshare assistance are wondering if they’ll be able to cover the next grocery bill. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Debra Fitzgerald about who those residents are and how they’ll be impacted if a funding solution doesn’t come to pass. Plus, the Clippers head to state in soccer, a Halloween thank you and an update on the future of Rowleys Bay Resort.

Peninsula Pulse reporter Eleanor Corbin joins Debra Fitzgerald to discuss the Nov. 5 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) public hearing on the proposed expansion of Gilbert Farms to CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) size, which is larger than 1,000 animal units. The hearing will give residents a chance to voice concerns before the DNR finalizes the permit. Eleanor and Debra talk about the expansion, the permitting process and the opposition’s concerns for water quality if the expansion is granted.

Write On, Door County is offering free registration to its upcoming young writers conference on Nov. 8 at Muse in Sturgeon Bay. Artistic Director Jerod Santek and Executive Director Al DeGenova join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the conference, the growth of the Juddville writing center, and the ongoing program to collect stories from local residents through the Memoir Mondays program.

Do you remember the Haunted Mansion? Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to one of the last people to work summers scaring visitors to the Thumb Fun Haunted Mansion. Rian Hill joins the podcast to look back at the legendary house on the hill in Fish Creek, but first, a rapid-fire bounce around the county to preview Halloween events over the next two weekends, including the haunted house in Baileys Harbor.

Debra Fitzgerald, Peninsula Pulse editor, talks with Pulse journalist Eleanor Corbin about her powerful story on homelessness in Door County, centered on Alex Stanelle’s journey through sobriety, housing instability and resilience. The piece sheds light on the often-invisible reality of being unhoused in rural communities like Door County. Eleanor shares what drew her to Alex’s story and what she learned about the gaps – and strengths – in local support systems.

Fuzzy Sunstrom interrupts a busy retirement to join Myles Dannhausen Jr. for a conversation about Fall Fest past and present, what he misses most about Fred & Fuzzy’s, and why he helped bring back the Fall Fest Derby.

When we tell the story of the cherry industry in Door County, are we leaving something out? Sergio M. González is Associate Professor of History at Marquette University and a historian of twentieth-century U.S. migration, labor, and religion. His work has found that we have overlooked the hardships and vital contributions of migrant labor that were indispensable in the growth and survival of the cherry industry in the middle of the 20th century. He joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss his article in the Wisconsin Historical Society Press – The Cherryland Problem, and what we can learn by uncovering the hard truths of our past.

Keeping Door County’s biggest weekend humming is no easy task. Kaaren Northrop has been a part of it from its humble early years, and now her daughter-in-law, Missy, is tasked with pulling together the many businesses, volunteers and vendors that are part of Egg Harbor’s big fall celebration. They join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about all that goes into the festival and the spirit of community that drives the effort.

Girl Named Tom, a folk-pop band composed of three siblings, made history as the first group to win the reality singing competition show, The Voice. Peninsula Pulse reporter Eleanor Corbin talks with the group, Bekah, Caleb, and Joshua Liechty – who were gearing up for a Door Community Auditorium show in Fish Creek – about that Voice experience, growing up together in Pettisville, Ohio and coming together as a band.

Iuscely Flores – an undocumented immigrant, DACA recipient, and powerful advocate for immigrant rights – joins Debra Fitzgerald to share her personal journey navigating life in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant. Originally from Mexico, she discusses identity, resilience, and the ongoing fight for justice and belonging, regardless of legal status. From her work in policy and community organizing to her writing – including a poignant 2024 commentary in the Wisconsin Examiner – iuscely sheds light on the emotional and political toll of living in “the golden cage” under DACA.

Our podcast editor Hans Christian steps out from behind the sound board to join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about his civic involvement, building a business as a producer in a small town, and helping other artists find their own sound and voice. Christian owns Studio 330 in Sturgeon Bay, where artists from the peninsula and afar come to record albums and voiceovers, and where this podcast is edited each week.

Don Weise is a veteran trail builder, author and advocate with the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference, where he helps care for an extraordinary 2,200-mile trail network. He joins Debra Fitzgerald on the podcast, with Amanda Stuck, Door County Trails board member, to talk about his experience and larger perspective on how trails transform places and connect people, while preserving biodiversity and boosting local economies. Amanda also talks about the local nonprofit that’s working to create a safe, connected county-wide trail for both recreation and transportation – and how they’re learning from professionals like Don along the way. Don will also give a presentation on trail building on Oct. 13 at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor at 9:30 am and again at 5:30 am. Learn more at doorcountytrails.org.

The Door County Granary, built in 1901, carries a rich legacy – from its role in a bygone agricultural era to a near-demolition, and ultimately, a community-driven effort to save and repurpose it as a public gathering space. James Dallman, the lead architect behind the Granary’s ambitious restoration and transformation, was recently in town working on a model that will be unveiled to the public on Sept. 20. He spoke with Debra Fitzgerald about the political and technical journey that brought the structure back to life, the challenges of balancing historic preservation with modern functionality, and what it means to him to reimagine a building so deeply tied to the community’s identity and sense of place.