The public shared ride taxi service is affordable and wheelchair accessible and will now accommodate a larger Sturgeon Bay service area, as well as select portions of northern Door County.

The expanded south service area will include Towns of Nasewaupee, Sturgeon Bay and Sevastopol and the entire City of Sturgeon Bay. The south service will continue to operate 7 days per week with additional taxis available during all scheduled hours.

The new north service area will provide localized public transit (shared ride taxi) in the Villages of Ephraim and Sister Bay, the Town of Gibraltar, and the southern portion of the Town of Liberty Grove. The Northern Door service area will initially operate Monday through Friday only.

Roger Tepe, director of the Door County Department of Social Services is excited about the expansion. “This is a community effort that will have beneficial side effects for individuals, families, seniors, and persons with disabilities to take fuller advantage of all the opportunities in Door County, whether for work, recreation, education or any other purpose they can think of.”

Door 2 Door Rides is a collaboration between the County of Door and the local non-profit transportation organization Door-Tran. The vans are all wheelchair accessible; and drivers have experience and training to assist passengers with special needs – whether they use a wheelchair, have mobility limitations, or are students needing a ride home from basketball practice.

“All of the drivers have received Passenger Sensitivity Assistance Training through a certified program. This program coupled with our internal program teaches drivers to treat passengers with dignity and respect,” says Mark Jones, owner of the taxi provider, Abby Vans, Inc..

For additional information on the Door 2 Door Rides program or other Door-Tran initiatives, visit www.door-tran.com or contact Pam Busch directly at 920.743.9999 or 877.330.6333.

Door 2 Door Rides is a shared ride taxi service offering public transportation in the Sturgeon Bay and select Northern Door areas. Their mission is to offer safe, clean and wheelchair-accessible transportation at an affordable price to persons of all ages.

Paul McComas brings the human condition to light and to life through fiction writing and live performance, using dramatic and comedic enactments of scenes from his own work to demonstrate “the lies that tell the truth.”  You will be entertained and inspired by this candid and lively “inside look” at narrative, characters, and the creative process.

McComas has earned international and national awards for his short-form dramatic and comedic movies.  He has taught at Northwestern University, National-Louis University, and Lawrence University’s Bjorklunden Center.

McComas is the author of four and editor of two books of fiction. His 2008 coming-of-age novel Planet of the Dates is in development as a feature film. He is currently co-authoring Logan’s Journey (slated for 2013 publication) with William F. Nolan, author of the science fiction classic Logan’s Run.

Tickets are available at the door for $10. A reception and opportunity to meet McComas will follow the performance. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is located in north Ephraim, adjacent to the Green Gable Shops.

The exhibition features fiber artist Martha Fieber, glass artist Scott Hartley, oil painter Tracy Lynn Pristas and watercolor artists Jeanne Larson.  Martha Fieber and Tracy Lynn Pristas will be at the gallery demonstrating on the following day, Sunday, June 12 from 11 am – 2 pm.

One of Martha Fieber’s favorite things to hear from viewers of her work is that they “don’t know what it is until they look closer.” “One person who collects my work told me that looking into one of my pieces is like being introduced to a new microcosm of the world,” Fieber says.

Red Reeds, by Martha Fieber

Having given up her engineering career for the world of art in 1999, Fieber still uses her process of planning and execution to design her fiber art pieces. Martha explains that her art has both concrete and personal levels – the physical objects in the environment, and the personal idea that the image suggests a universe that can be shared.

“Art doesn’t make a simple or obvious statement,” she says. “There’s a depth to it that holds our interest and allows the art work to be reinterpreted over time.”

Self-taught oil painter Tracy Lynn Pristas typically concentrates on large-scale abstract landscape paintings as her main body of work. For this year’s Fine Line show, however, she’s exploring another one of her interests – winged creatures. For her Honeybee Series, Pristas engaged several different mediums, including mixed media, photography, printmaking, and her first-ever foray into acrylics.

Honeyless Days, by Tracy Lynn Pristas

“I love the movement of the bees, and honey itself is something that is so textural,” she says. “The plight of the honeybee is one that is being threatened, so I also wanted to lend a specific message with these pieces that we can do more to help them.”

Jeanne Larson paintings illustrate her fascination with the layering process – which she finds both meditative and energizing.

“My underlying process has always involved the building of many layers – whether I’m working in traditional watercolor or exploring another direction,” she says. “I feel it creates a depth and mystery that sets my paintings apart.”

While Larson says she spends a lot of time building layers in a specific area of a painting, she also strives to maintain a spirit of freedom by using wet techniques and large brushes. She continues to be entranced by her favorite subjects – her garden and woods.  Larson says abstract work has become a large part of her focus.

Kansas-based glass artist Scott Hartley says that like watching a child grow, the process of glassblowing is one of amazement and wonder.

“I pour myself into my glasswork,” Hartley says. “I believe that the glass speaks both for itself and for me. Nothing gives me more peace of mind than the quiet roar of a glass furnace on a clear day, a blowpipe in my hand, and a piece of myself on the end.”

Glass is Hartley’s escape, the glimmer in his eye. “Glass is the perfect marriage of art and science,” he says. “It’s hard work – both mentally and physically draining – but it’s the most rewarding work I’ve ever done in my life.”

The work for Exhibit II will be on display through Sunday, July 10. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm and 10 am – 5 pm on Sundays.

The Ephraim Business Council says it best, “Ephraim explodes with summer excitement as the annual Fyr Bal Festival re-creates traditions of early Norwegians celebrating Midsummer’s Eve. Artists, musical entertainment, shopping, trolley rides, family activities and a fish boil along the picturesque shoreline of Eagle Harbor welcome the arrival of summer. Evening bonfires represent the burning of the winter witch and fireworks complete a perfect day. A warm Scandinavian welcome awaits you in Ephraim anytime of the year, but especially so during Fyr Bal Festival.”

Friday, June 18

• 10:30am – Ephraim Historical Walking Tour – Depart Anderson Barn History Center

• 11am – Ephraim Historical Exhibits and Museum Opening – Anderson Barn History Center

• 4-6pm – Anderson Barn Museum Exhibit Reception – Stitches in Time

• 6:30pm – Sonora Strings – Anderson Dock

• 7:30pm – Midsummer’s Music Festival – Hardy Gallery on Anderson Dock

Saturday, June 19

• 9am-throughout the day – Enjoy the music of Sherman’s Tunes to Go – Outside Village Hall

• 9am-2pm – Used Books Sale – Outside Ephraim Library

• 9am-5pm – Arts & Crafts Show – Artisans along the shoreline downtown

• 9am-5pm – Henna Art by Henna with McKenna – Arts & Crafts area

• 9am-5pm – Summerwind Alpacas, Carey Alpacas & Iron Wood Croft Llamas – Visitor Information Center

• 9am-5pm – Fyr Bal raffle tickets on sale outside Village Hall, at participating businesses and Visitor Information Center – $500 Cash Grand prize!

• 9:30am – Fyr Bal Regatta – Ephraim Yacht Club

• 10am-10pm – Family Fun – Red Putter Mini Golf – $3 for everyone, children under 6 free

• 10am-12pm – Kids Craft – Make Your Own Fyr Bal Medallion Necklace – Inside Village Hall, Sponsored by Beach People

• 10am-12pm – Family Fun – Cake Walk – Inside Village Hall, tickets $.50, Sponsored by Ephraim Shores Motel

• 10am-5pm – Free Trolley Rides – Historical guides on-board, wave and trolley will stop. Parking at Fine Line Designs Gallery (north) & Wetlands Preserve (south)

• 10am-5pm – Festival Food – Brats, pulled pork, corn on the cob and more. Ephraim Fire Department, Sister Bay Lions Club and Snowmobile Club

• 10am-6:45pm – Silent Auction – Inside Village Hall

• 10:30am – Ephraim Historical Walking Tour – Depart Anderson Barn History Center

• 11am – 3rd Annual Fur Ball Pet Parade – Participants meet at USPS at 10:45am

• 11am-2pm – Acoustic music of D’Arez & Friends – Harborside Park Gazebo, Sponsored by Village Green Lodge & Thomas M. Schuder, S.C.

• 11am-7pm – Festival food – Deep-fried Whitefish sandwiches, Fyr Bal cookies, cherry pie-in-a-cup, outside Village Hall, Sponsored by the Ephraim Business Council

• 12-1pm – Kids get Creative! Bubbles, face paint – Ephraim Shores Motel lawn. Sponsored by Ephraim Shores Motel

• 12-2pm – Music – Fiddlers: Traditional Scandinavian music and costume, strolling throughout the Village

• 1-2pm – Family Fun – The Entertainment of Randy Peterson, Ephraim Shores Motel Lawn

• 1pm & 2:30pm – Guided Hikes at the Door County Land Trust’s Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond

• 2-3pm – Music – Fiddlers: Traditional Scandinavian music and costume, outside Village Hall

• 2-3pm – Kids Craft – Make Your Own Tie-Dyed T-Shirts, Ephraim Shores Motel lawn, $10 (includes shirt and all supplies)

• 3-5pm – Local Music – Julian Hagen & Friends, Harborside Park Gazebo

• 5-7pm – Acoustic Music – Tim Byers, Outside Village Hall, Sponsored by Evergreen Beach Resort

• 5-7:30pm – Traditional Door County Fish Boil – Inside Village Hall. Tickets at the door. Watch the boilover outside!

• 7:15pm – Announcement of Silent Auction winners. Must be present to win, outside Village Hall

• 7:20pm – Raffle Drawings and music from Door County Idol, Lilli Nelson – outside Village Hall

• 8pm – Traditional Scandinavian Dancers and Singers – outside Village Hall

• 8:30pm – 46th Annual Chieftain Ceremony – With ceremonial bonfire lighting, Village Hall area, Chieftain Medallion by Ephraim artist Michael Beaster

• Sunset – Fireworks over Eagle Harbor, sponsored by the Village of Ephraim

Sunday, June 20

• 9am-throughout the Day – Enjoy the music of Sherman’s Tunes to Go – outside Village Hall

• 9am-3pm – Henna Art by Henna with McKenna, Arts and Crafts area. Get your own Fyr Bal tattoo!

• 10am-3pm – Arts & Crafts Show – Artisans along the shoreline downtown

• 10am-10pm – Family Fun – Red Putter Mini Golf – $3 for everyone, children under 6 Free!

• 9:30am & 10am – Area Church Services: 9:30am Bethany Lutheran, 10am Unitarian Universalist, 10am Ephraim Moravian, Special music “The Bone Boys”

• 10am-3pm – Summerwind Alpacas, Carey Alpacas and Iron Wood Croft Llamas – Visitor Information Center

• 10:30am-2pm – Festival Food – Brats and More! Outside Village Hall, Sponsored by Ephraim Business Council

• 11:30am – Meet Bucky the Badger! Take pictures with the UW mascot – Outside Village Hall

• 1-3pm – Music – American Folklore Theatre’s Doc Heide & Friends – Outside Village Hall

• 7:30pm – Sunday Family Sing-Along– Inside Village Hall, sponsored by Ephraim Historical Foundation

For more information about Ephraim and Fyr Bal Festival activities, please visit www.Ephraim-DoorCounty.com or contact the Ephraim Visitor Information Center at 920.854.4989. The Visitor Information Center is located at 10049 Water Street (Highway 42) and is open seven days a week.

Winter in Ephraim by Kathy Glasnap

With activities planned throughout the day, Christmas in the Village promises to be holiday fun for the whole family. The most notable addition to this year’s event is a live reindeer display by Santa’s Crew of Luxemburg, Wisconsin. Two adult reindeer, one baby reindeer, two elves, Santa and his sleigh will be on hand to greet families. The display will be just outside the Ephraim Village Hall from 2:30 – 4:30 pm.

Pictures with Santa and company will be taken by Santa’s Crew staff and may be purchased on-site for $8. Attendees are permitted to take their own photos as well. Children will delight in seeing Dasher and Dancer, both 2-year-old females weighing about 300 pounds each, along with baby Comet, a 7-month old male. This holiday season, Santa’s Crew celebrates its third year touring regionally with the display, and Ephraim is excited to welcome them for the first time.

Christmas-themed tales told by the Northern Door Storytelling Guild
Children’s activities begin at the Ephraim Village Hall at 1 pm, with Christmas themed tales from the Northern Door Storytelling Guild, sponsored by the Ephraim Library Committee’s Martha Cherry Estate Funds. A group spun off from the wintertime storytelling classes taught by Lloyd Michalsen at Ellison Bay’s Clearing Folk School, the Northern Door Storytelling Guild has entertained at venues throughout Northern Door for nearly three years.

From 2 – 3:30 pm kids will get creative with holiday cards and crafts sponsored by the Ephraim Library Committee. All materials needed, will be supplied. Kids may also frost their favorite holiday-shaped sugar cut-outs at a cookie decorating table. There will be heritage games such as shuffleboard, pick-up sticks and tiddly winks, courtesy of the Ephraim Historical Foundation. All activities take place in the Ephraim Village Hall and are free of charge.

From 3:30 – 4:30 pm the Ephraim Historical Foundation will host a Christmas Family Sing-A-Long (in the tradition of their Summer Sunday Sing-A-Longs) in the Ephraim Village Hall. Song leader Dave Olson and pianist Bernice Koehler will lead participants in the holiday classics.

Holiday Cookie Decorating
The Ephraim Moravian Church will have its doors open from 11 am – 2 pm to share the Advent season. Displays of crèches, lovefeast, traditional women’s dress, Christmas Eve candle-wrapping and Moravian Stars will highlight the history and tradition of Door County’s oldest church. Visitors will enjoy festive decorations and refreshments.

The Eagle Harbor Inn and Village Green Lodge, two quaint Ephraim B&Bs, will host holiday open houses from 1 – 4 pm.
Visitors may tour the businesses decorated for the season, and enjoy homemade holiday goodies or festive tea time treats. Eagle Harbor Inn will offer “Inn’s Favorite Recipes,” tied up with ribbon as their gift to you. Additionally, the Anderson House Shop & Gallery, will host an open house and Jewelry Trunk Show featuring affordable sterling sliver jewelry, from 10 am – 5 pm. Refreshments will be served.

The 10th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will close the day at 4:30 pm.
This year’s ceremony has been moved from the Wetlands Preserve to Harborside Park. Ephraim resident and volunteer firefighter, Scottie Weborg will do the honor of lighting the tree. Hot cider will be shared. In years past an unidentified Christmas Grinch has attended the event. Hopefully Mr. Grinch will decide to join us again!

The Ephraim Business Council would like to thank the following Ephraim businesses and community members for their generous donations toward Christmas in the Village. Santa Sponsor: Jane Olson. Reindeer Sponsors: Ephraim’s Library Committee and High Point Inn. Elf Sponsor: Bay Breeze Resort. Jingle Bell Crew: Tad & Andy Dukehart.

For more information on the Ephraim business community and the weekend activities, please visit www.Ephraim-DoorCounty.com or contact the Ephraim Visitor Information Center at 920-854-4989.

Ephraim’s temporary winter Visitor Information Center is located at 10329 Water Street (Highway 42) and is open Fridays and Saturdays 10 am – 5 pm and Sundays 10 am – 2 pm through April.

Joe Jo’s was packed that evening and everyone enjoyed singing along on the last few Christmas carols.  On Friday, December 19 Jeannie Kuhns, George Sawyn and Lynn Gudmundsen will play from 7 -9 pm. There is a $6 cover charge.