Juniper Hall at Birch Creek Music Performance Center

In granting this award, the WAB recognizes Birch Creek as an organization with the highest level of quality in its programs, community outreach and administration. Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Inc. is a summer music school in Egg Harbor for advanced young musicians from across the country. Students are taught by nationally known performers and educators during the day, and perform alongside them in concerts at night.  Birch Creek’s mission is to provide their students with significant performance experience in front of live audiences.

When Birch Creek receives an Arts Board grant all of Door County benefits. Since 2002, Birch Creek’s Artists in the Schools program has brought nationally-recognized performers and teachers into local schools to provide hands-on workshops for hundreds of Door County music students. Door County music students have attended Birch Creek nearly every year since Birch Creek opened its doors in 1976. During the concert season, Door County residents and visitors alike have numerous opportunities to hear performances by professional musicians of the highest caliber. Each year Birch Creek has a measurable and documented economic impact of more than $500,000 on the Door County community, bringing nationwide attention to the Peninsula…

Wisconsin Public Television was in Door County to capture an evening of big band jazz, recently broadcasting the sights and toe-tapping sounds of Jazz at Birch Creek on January 30.

The Wisconsin Arts Board operates with funds appropriated by the state legislature and a National Endowment for the Arts partnership grant. With this investment of public funds, the Arts Board helps Wisconsin’s nonprofit arts and culture sector generate millions into the local economy. The Arts Board’s Creation and Presentation grant program helps make the arts available to broad audiences, keep ticket prices down and allows non-profits to plan for future sustainability.

For more information about Birch Creek visit their Website: www.birchcreek.org or call 920.868.3763.

If you, or someone you know, has demonstrated strong community involvement during their high school career, and is beginning college in fall of 2012, you are encouraged to apply. This year there will be four, one-time $500 scholarships for college or technical school awarded.

Applications detailing the criteria for consideration for the awards have been distributed to the local high schools and the Volunteer Center of Door County. The application is also available on the United Way’s Website at www.unitedwaydc.com. All high school seniors residing in Door County, whether home-schooled or attending any in or out of county school district, are eligible for these scholarships.

A few of the goals of the program:

• to encourage volunteerism,
• to promote greater understanding of the stewardship role of the United Way,
• to stress the importance of education in young people’s lives.

Scholarships are given on the basis of their community involvement, rather than academic achievement.

The service-based scholarship program was initiated by former United Way Youth Board members, Michele Lodl and Jacque Jorns of Sturgeon Bay. Volunteerism in general has been on the rise within the younger population, especially in Door County. In fact, 73% of young people nationwide think their efforts can have a positive impact on their communities according to a report released by the Research Department at Princeton University. The report also asserted that the younger a person began volunteering, the more likely he or she would continue later in life.

“United Way of Door County encourages all high school seniors who live in Door County and have volunteered at some point during their high school career to apply for this scholarship,” says Amy Kohnle, Executive Director of United Way of Door County. ”United Way wants to reward young adults for the positive impact that they have had on their communities.”

The deadline for submitting applications for the program is March 31, 2012. This year’s recipients will be announced at the annual awards ceremonies at their high school. Any questions about the guidelines for the scholarship program can be directed to the United Way of Door County office at 920.746.9645.

Individual, confidential sessions will be held the second Tuesday of each month, from 8am until Noon at the Sister Bay Fire Station, 2258 Mill Road. The next date will be Tuesday, February 14th. An appointment is requested and can be made by contacting Sam Perlman at 920.743.3113 x 204 or via e-mail at sam@doorcountybusiness.com. Walk-ins are also welcome, based on availability. (There might even be chocolate involved!)

DCEDC Economic Development Manager Sam Perlman offers free, one-on-one business counseling sessions, providing advice on business planning, financing, business incentives and other issues. As a member of the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network, DCEDC also has the ability to tap into the expertise of the statewide support network to help find solutions to business issues and questions.

Sam Perlman is the Economic Development Manager for the Door County Economic Development Corporation, a position he has held for eight years. His efforts on behalf of local entrepreneurs were recognized by the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center, which named Sam a 2007 “Wisconsin Innovation Champion Award” winner. He is also Past-President of the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Economic Partnership and a member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Economic Development Association.

The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) is a public/private partnership dedicated to improving the economic vitality of the county and its residents. Founded in 1989, DCEDC has been successful in helping existing businesses create and retain thousands of jobs through a myriad of programs and initiatives. Additionally, DCEDC places strong emphasis on fostering entrepreneurial instincts in county residents as well as those who vacation on the Door County Peninsula. Door County Economic Development Corporation offices are located within the small business incubator DCEDC founded in 1997 at 185 East Walnut Street in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park.

Dippel holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Theatre from the prestigious Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy of Classical Acting at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. Professional memberships include Actor’s Equity Association and The Society of American Fight Directors.

Dippel has an extensive background in education, including serving as an Adjunct Professor of Communications at the College of Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wisconsin; a company member and teacher for the Educational Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. and Assistant Technical Director/Guest Lecturer of Theater Arts at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. He co-founded the Stone Theatre Company in Seattle, Washington and founded The Acorn Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin, both producing works of Shakespeare. He served acting internships at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and American Players Theatre, performed at The Utah Shakespearean Festival and The Seattle Shakespeare Company, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Olney Theatre and many others.

A native of Baraboo, WI, he is deeply connected to Wisconsin Theatre and committed to continuing Door Shakespeare’s reputation for quality productions while strengthening its presence in the community and state. Locally, Dippel is a proud graduate of the 2011 Leadership Door County class, co-founder of the West Side Food Cooperative and a graduate of the Door County Economic Development Corporation’s NexLevel Training.  Licensed as an Adjudicator by the Wisconsin High School Forensics Association he served as Interim Forensics Coach for Sturgeon Bay High School. Dippel is a former board member of Isadoora Theatre and directed several of the company’s plays including the highly successful production of the musical Chicago and the timely, Waiting for Lefty.  He directed and performed in staged readings of The Boys in Autumn with the Peninsula Players for The Big Read and the Ray Bradbury One Acts for the Door County Library’s Door County Reads.  Most recently, he performed on stage opposite Mark Moede in Tuesdays with Morrie at Third Avenue Playhouse.

Dippel lives in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin with his wife, Christine Henkel and their enthusiastic daughter, Isabella.

Lili-Anne Brown

Produced in coordination with Door County Reads and its exploration of the novel, the reading will feature Players actors Lili-Anne Brown, Anya Kopischke, Osiris Khepera and Alan Kopischke, as well as local actors Mark Moede, Hervy Hodges, Chad Luberger, David Maier,  Amy Ensign and Brandon Bogenschütz.  Signing actor Robert Schlieffer will portray the pivotal role of the mute John Singer.   Players Artistic Director Greg Vinkler and Players Development Director Alan Kopischke are directing the reading. Brown was last seen at the Players in “Little Shop of Horrors” and will appear Off-Broadway this fall in “A Twist of Water.”

Osiris Khepera

Khepera was in last season’s “A Few Good Men” and has created a one-man show he will launch in Chicago in February. Schlieffer recently played John Singer in the Steppenwolf production of “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” in Chicago.

Peninsula Players is fortunate to be able to work with some fine local talent. Anya Kopischke is a Gibraltar High School junior who was last on stage with the Players in “A Little Night Music” and will perform in Door Idol in February and as Erma (Bonnie) in “Anything Goes” at Gibraltar in April. Moede, Hodges, Luberger and Ensign are all active in the Door County theater community with such companies as American Folklore Theatre, Door Shakespeare, Isadoora Theatre Company, Third Avenue Playhouse and Theatre M. Bogenschütz is a Gibraltar senior who will play Sir Evelyn Oakleigh in “Anything Goes.” Maier, Managing Director of American Folklore Theatre, and Alan Kopischke both had long professional acting careers prior to their theater administration careers in Door County.

Door County Reads is in its second year, having grown out of the Library/Players partnership to bring The Big Read to Door County for three years. This year’s read focuses on the beautiful novel by Carson McCullers, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.” A full listing of events can be found at www.doorcountyreads.org.

Peninsula Players is America’s oldest professional resident summer theater and is unique in the country for its diverse productions, continuing loyalty to a resident company, and its beautiful setting of 16 wooded acres along the cedar-lined shores of Green Bay.  In the past 76 years, the theater has become a Door County landmark and its cornerstone arts institution, attracting audience members from throughout Wisconsin and across the country. 

Acknowledged by peers and press alike as one of the premier political satirists in the country, Will Durst has patched together a comedy quilt of a career, weaving together columns, books, radio and television commentaries, acting, voice overs and most especially, stand up comedy, into a hilarious patchwork of outraged and outrageous common sense.

The New York Times calls him “possibly the best political comic in the country.” Fox News agrees, “he’s a great political satirist,” while The Oregonian hails him as a hilarious stand-up journalist. He is a 5-time Emmy nominee; has been fired by PBS three times; told jokes in 14 countries; racked up 7 nominations for Stand- Up of the Year; and his 800+ television appearances include Letterman, HBO, Showtime, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, the BBC and many more.

Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 students, on sale at the theater box office, 230 N. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, 920.743.1760, from 10 am – 3 pm, Monday – Friday and for one hour prior to performances. Tickets are also available at Dancing Bear, 13 N. Third Avenue, Java on Jefferson at the corner of Fifth & Jefferson and on-line at www.ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com.

“Enter Will Durst who just happens to be this country’s best political satirist. A dapper chap with just the right sense of whimsy, Durst is an equal opportunity slayer of bloated political dragons, making him a solid choice for folks who enjoy witty and thought-provoking comedy. Simply in a league of his own.” – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Now, you can learn the forgotten ways of an herbalist, working with natural ingredients to create a set of naturopathic strategies for managing winter’s ailments. Come to The Clearing for a 2-session workshop on Thursdays, January 5 and 12 to gain an understanding of the use of herbal teas, which ones and why they are effective. Explore the various old world methods of bath therapies, vapor therapies, encouraging sweating and sinus care.

Eliza Moriarity, proprietor and formulator at Fish Creek’s Herbologie will show you how to decoct roots and barks and how to process the resultant mix into an herbal syrup used for soothing sore throats and to ease coughing. In her hands-on course entitled, Traditional Winter’s Remedies, you will learn how to make a big pot of “medicine soup” and take home a large glass bottle of herbal syrup. Discover which are the vapor herbs, how to make herb tisanes and take along many recipes for effective home remedies.

This two-session Workshop takes place in the Stovewood Room at The Clearing in Ellison Bay on Thursdays, January 5 and 12, from 1-4 pm. The tuition is $28 and does not include a materials fee of $10 for herbs and glass bottle, payable to The Clearing at registration. Call 920.854.4088 or toll free 877.854.3225 to register.

The Berrymans were some of the first folk musicians booked at the White Gull Winter Concert Series, established in 1985 and they have returned for sold-out performances every January for the past 26 years. Critics describe their original music as “intelligent and wickedly funny material which is never bawdy or risque but is rich with wordplay and witty images.”

Lou and Peter Berryman began their musical partnership in high school in Appleton, Wisconsin, in the nineteen sixties. By the eighties, they had established themselves as a prominent feature of the songwriting subculture of Wisconsin’s capital, playing their original material every week for almost ten years in the run-down but trendy music room of Madison’s Club de Wash. Gradually expanding their circuit, they began crisscrossing the continent and gaining national attention with appearances on such programs as Wisconsin Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion and NPR’s Weekend Edition. Regular appearances at festivals and folk music clubs all across the country now serve as venues for the songs contained in their twelve recordings and three songbooks, which have been performed by everyone from Garrison Keillor to Peter, Paul and Mary.

The White Gull Inn will serve an optional pre-concert, fixed price dinner at 6 pm. The menu consists of pork loin chop stuffed with Italian sausage, fennel garlic mashed potatoes and cranberry walnut pie for dessert. Price of the dinner is $19.95.

Tickets for the 8 pm concert, the third in a series of six scheduled at the inn this winter, are $16. Tickets for the concert, dinner reservations and information are available by calling the White Gull Inn at 800.624.1987.

Steven Link at "Untitled" - Sturgeon Bay's Used and Rare Book Store

The first Friday of each month will offer area residents the opportunity to enjoy downtown Sturgeon Bay with many shops remaining open until 8 pm. Participating businesses include the Shops on Jefferson Street, Third Avenue and Madison Avenue.

The goal of these monthly events is to increase business traffic in downtown Sturgeon Bay and to increase public awareness of Door County’s local non-profit organizations. United Way of Door County will be the featured non-profit for January followed by the Wellness Center in February. Subsequent months will feature FISC, Sexual Assault Center, HELP, The Community Garden, Women’s Employment Project (WEP), Neighbor-to-Neighbor, the Door County Maritime Museum, and many more. Information on the organizations will be available at various locations throughout the shopping district.

“Untitled” Used and Rare Books will celebrate its first anniversary by initiating First Friday Poetry Readings. Readings will take place from 5 to 8 pm with coffee and tea available. Local residents are invited to read from their own works or those they love during the poetry and spoken word open mic. A salon will follow with wine and cheese.

Come support our local businesses, learn more about our non-profit organizations that serve the community and just enjoy the lively downtown scene in Sturgeon Bay. For more information please contact United Way of Door County at 920.746.9645 or info@unitedwaydc.com.

On Sunday, December 4, several of Sturgeon Bay’s top Bed & Breakfast hospitality providers participated in the Annual B&B Christmas Walk, collecting more than $600 in donations for United Way of Door County.

David Tauber, Jr. and Rebecca Fredrickson presenting a check for $600 to United Way

On Thursday, December 22 the students of Sturgeon Bay High School hosted a Talent Show which helped their Student Council to support United Way of Door County with a $600 donation.

But the local United Way chapter still has a bit further to go to meet its annual goal. Your donation to Door County’s United Way is invested locally in nonprofit programs that focus on helping needy families and individuals meet basic needs, provide community wellness programs, health care and assist in addressing alcohol and other drug related issues.

The money that is raised in Door County stays in Door County to help nearly 7,000 people from Brussels to Washington Island and all areas in-between, who receive assistance from 42 human service programs. The staff and volunteers at those agencies thank you for your support of their work through your donation to United Way of Door County.

To learn more about United Way of Door County, please visit their Website at www.unitedwaydc.com. If you would like to help your neighbors in 2012 by making a donation, or by making a pledge towards the 2011 goal, you can call the office at 920.746.9645 or visit online. All pledges and donations for the 2011 goal must be postmarked no later than January 7, 2012.