She was born on her father’s birthday, October 16, 1947, in Green Bay to Mary and Carl Witteborg. Ellen attended St. John’s Grade School, graduated from St. Joseph Academy and received a degree from UW Green Bay in Environmental Design.

Ellen Witteborg’s creative talents were manifested in her art, cooking, knitting, graphic design and writing, to name a few. Spring maple syrup production at her Ten High Sugar Bush was an annual event. She was a challenging Scrabble opponent and crossword whiz, and was once a ski instructor in Aspen.

She was a grassroots activist in a host of local community efforts, politics and an advocate of environmental awareness. Her efforts included Citizens for Our Bridge, Steel Bridge SongFest, Sturgeon Bay Main Street Org. and the Baileys Harbor Community Association. She was an advocate of many Door County planning and political issues and author of frequent letters to the editor.

With her dog, Honey, and her nephew, Marty, she regularly harvested invasive weeds at Anclam Beach in Baileys Harbor.

Ellen was a familiar face as a waitress, bartender and hostess at many local establishments, most recently at the Greenwood Supper Club in Fish Creek.

Ellen was a proud aunt to her nephews Marty and Carl Witteborg. She is also survived by her siblings Anne (Dick) Egan, Clark Lake; Fred (Barb), Kansas City, Mo.; Cassie (Oscar) Wallace, Bangor, Me.; John (Morag),Sturgeon Bay; Drew (Mary), Jacksonport, five other nephews, two nieces, their children and many dear friends.

A memorial fund in Ellen’s name has been established at Door County Memorial Hospital (Ministry Door County Medical Center).

Friends are invited to share memories of Ellen at a reception to be held Monday, January 2 from 4 to 7 pm at Bjorklunden in Baileys Harbor. Refreshments and manhattans will be served.

Huehns Funeral Home is assisting the family. Sign online guest book and offer condolences at www.huehnsfuneralhome.com .

LA-based multi-faceted performer, Kim Manning has quickly become one of Door County’s favorite returning artists. First brought to Sturgeon Bay in 2007 by way of an invitation to participate in Steel Bridge SongFest (SBSF), Kim has since become a dedicated performer at both SBSF and its offshoot the ‘Dark Songs’ week-long, Halloween songwriting and concert weekend – both of which are hosted by The Holiday Music Motel.

Kim’s irresistible talent, her down-to-earth affable personality, engaging stage presence and unique fashion sense have crowned her as a sensual icon, a favorite on the scene both as a performer and as a creative artist whose presence helps enrich and inspire everyone she encounters within the Sturgeon Bay music scene.

On Wednesday December 21 at 7 pm, she will perform in a special house concert at the Holiday Music Motel featuring songs from her upcoming release ‘Good People’ and fresh material just written and recorded at the motel studio.

Tickets for the show are $10 each and can be purchased online at www.holidaymusicmotel.com/tickets or by calling 920.743.5571. A pre-concert reception  begins in the lobby at 6:30 pm. Guests are invited to settle in and enjoy complimentary coffee, tea, cider and snacks (beer and malt beverages are also available for purchase). Concert begins promptly at 7 pm.

Following a special 1-hour session of the weekly Writer’s Night at the Holiday Music Motel, Geri X will take the stage from 8 – 10 pm to wow Door County fans once again! A favorite at the Steel Bridge SongFest and regular attendee, performer, and singer songwriter at the recent Dark Songs event, Geri X remains here from her home in St. Petersburg, FL for a few extra days to share her artistry in the intimate studio setting of the Holiday Music Motel. Tickets are $10 per person, beer and malt beverages will also be available.

Geri X is described as “one of the best female vocalists of this era,” by the L.A. Post. She first visited Sturgeon Bay in 2007 to participate in the Steel Bridge Songfest and has been returning to Door County ever since. Geri X played her first concert at the Holiday in October of 2010, and it was a delight to experience her authentic, from-the-heart performance. Her unique style and her adoption of the local music scene in Door County have created a bond between Geri X and her evolving fan base here in Wisconsin.

Here’s your chance to catch this young star’s lilting melodies, moving lyrics, tight instrumental technique and captivating performance style. Attend just one of her shows and you’ll know: one day you’ll be bragging to your grandchildren that you got to see Geri X live. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see her “up close and personal” in this very intimate venue, quite unlike any other. Seating is limited to about 30 people which is what makes these concerts so special. Click to reserve your seats and hear some Geri X or call 920.743.5571 to claim your spot.

The list of creative performers reads like a “Who’s Who” of Steel Bridge Songfest’s regulars: Geri X, Kim Manning, James Hall, Johnny Lowebow, Corinne Lee, Adrienne Hatkin, Andrea Wittgens, Lumberjack Cash and others. They travel from all points to join with local bands of musicians that include Purgatory Hill, Early Thomas and the Tyranny of Evil Men, Darcade, Abnormal Cattle, Dead Horse, Dirty Deuce and others for a week of songwriting and recording.

After a deep immersion into the intensive and dynamic process of collaborative songwriting first introduced by pat mAcdonald as a founding element of The Steel Bridge Songfest, the musicians take to the stage for two nights of performing waves of freshly written songs for the public. But, in this case, they are Dark Songs, seasonally quite appropriate for the Halloween spirit of death and decay. Pat originally dubbed the follow up concerts the Edgar Allan Polka.

Dark Songs 2011! Halloween Weekend Concerts at Cherry Lanes, confirmed artists include: Geri X, Kim Manning, James Hall, Abnormal Cattle, Darcade, Johnny Lowebow, Corinne Lee, Adrienne Hatkin, Purgatory Hill, Dead Horse, Early Thomas and the Tyranny of Evil Men, Andrea Wittgens, Chris Aaron, Miss Meaghan Owens, Rick Wood, Charlie Cheney, Mojo Perry, melaniejane, Mike Bleck, Bruce Reaves, “Tireless” Fred Young, Jimm McIver, Landon Capelle, Jim Schwall, Troy Therrien, Richard Whitney, Lumberjack Cash, Anya Kopischke, Craig McClelland, and more!

This year both concert nights will also feature burlesque artists Savage A-Go-Go who exclaim and explain, “We will rock your face off! with a certified Heavy Metal lovin’, burlesque inspired, sequin infused, go-go dancing, rip-roarin’ good time!” Savage-a-Go-Go’s, Mandie Savage, Ruby Stardust, Shanna She-Devil and Judo perform a variety of acts that combine elements of comedy, burlesque, dance and circus arts.

There will be costume contests and prizes both nights at Cherry Lanes, 127 N. 4th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay, $5 cover. For more information, visit EdgarAllanPolka.com.

Join in the conversation on Facebook: Dark Songs / Edgar Allan Polka.

Michigan Street's Historic Steel Bridge

Citizens for Our Bridge, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the historical significance of Sturgeon Bay’s Michigan Street Bridge, hosts the annual Steel Bridge Songfest, a volunteer event. Central to the festivities is the “Construction Zone,” a week-long, collaborative, songwriting marathon that infuses the festival with a slew of new songs each year. The new creations are performed on stage and recorded on site, then made available for sale at local businesses and through the Steel Bridge Website.

The festival also  features free evening concerts on Thursday, June 9 and Friday, June 10 from 6 – 9 pm in the Martin Park Bandshell, as well as performances by individual artists and bands at 12 different venues across Sturgeon Bay’s historic downtown from Thursday – Saturday. There will be afternoon events on Sunday, June 12, including a group jam from 2 – 5 pm in the Holiday Music Hotel parking lot (weather permitting).

A few of the confirmed acts this year include Grammy nominee pat mAcdonald with Purgatory Hill; P-Funk All-Stars Eric McFadden and Kim Manning; American-classic Freedy Johnston; indie sensations Geri X, Delaney Davidson and Miles Nielsen (son of Cheap Trick’s legendary guitarist Rick Nielsen); one-man sensation Noah Engh “The Kid Fantastic” and more than 150 other bands and solo artists from across the U.S. and as far away as Italy, England and New Zealand.

For a detailed schedule, complete listing of performers or ticket information, visit www.steelbridgesongfest.org. Tickets can be purchased through Ticket Star by visiting TicketStarOnline or by calling 800.895.0071.

Steel Bridge Artists as of May 15, 2011
(in alphabetical order by first name)

Abnormal Cattle (Sister Bay, WI)
Adam Mackintosh (Portland, OR
Adrienne Hatkin (Portland, OR)
Alan Tobin of LOWmountain (West Cork, Ireland)
Al Coppa` (Gello, Itlay)
Alex White (Madison, WI)
Andrea Wittgens (Seattle, WA)
Andy Lubahn (Oshkosh, WI)
Anjl Rodee (Milwaukee, WI)
Anna Sacks (Santa Barbara, CA)
Anya Kopischke (Door County, WI)
Austin Raddatz (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Batto` (Macerata, Itlay)
Ben Larsen (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Ben There Dan That (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Black Market Parts (Chicago, IL)
Boheme ’66 (Madison, WI)
Bruce Lee Rose (Neenah, WI)
Bruce Reaves (South Bend, IN)
Cadillac Church (Tupulo, IN)
Caleb Navarro (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Carley Baer (Portland, OR)
Carlo Angeletti (Macerata, Italy)
Charles Boheme (Madison, WI)
Charlie Cheney (Fremont, MI)
Charlie Faye (Austin, TX)
Chris Aaron (Denver, CO)
Chris Aaron Band (Denver, CO)
Chrissy Dzioba (Milwaukee, WI)
Chump Service (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Corinna Rae (Green Bay, WI)
Corinne Lee (Atlanta, GA)
Craig Greenberg (New York, NY)
Dale Anderson and the Delta Jets (Green Bay, WI)
Dan Mayhew (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Darcade (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
David Cox (Columbus, WI)
David Woods (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Dead Horse (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
The Dearest (Hollywood, CA)
Delaney Davidson (New Zealand)
The Delta Routine (Milwaukee, WI)
Dirty Deuce (Austin, TX)
Don Kahles (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Dorothy Scott (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Early Thomas (Door County, WI)
Early Thomas and the Tyranny of Evil Men (Door County, WI)
Ellie Maybe (Chicago, IL)
Elliot Goettelman (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Eric Hagen (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Erich Herbst (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Eric McFadden (San Francisco, CA)
Favorite Shape Triangle (Milwaukee, WI)
Filter Free Radio (Milwaukee, WI)
Francisco de la Isla (Spain)
Freedy Johnston (Kinsley, KS)
Freddie Lee Band (Milwaukee, WI)
Geri X (Atlanta, GA)
Greg Roteik (Atlanta, GA)
GrooveSession (Ontario, CA)
Helly and the Dazers (UK)
James Hall (Atlanta, GA)
Jamey Clark (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Jam Factory (Los Angeles, CA)
Jay Davidson (Bailey’s Harbor, WI)
Jeff Miller (Fish Creek, WI)
Jenna Rae (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Jeanne Kuhns (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Jeremiah Nelson (Madison, WI)
Jess Holland (Sister Bay, WI)
Jim Schwall (Madison, WI)
John Hadley (Norman, OK)
Johnny Lowebow (Memphis, TN)
Josh Gregory (Madison, WI)
Justin Bricco (Madison, WI)
Justin Chaudoir (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Katie Dahl (Door County, WI)
Kim Manning (Los Angeles, CA)
Kurlo Angeletti (Macerata, Itlay)
Kurt Gunn (Green Bay, WI)
Landon Capelle (Appleton, WI)
Lantz Lazwell (Los Angeles, CA)
The Last Dancers (Venice, CA)
The Legendary Sons of Crack Daniels (Jameson, KY)
Leilani Frey (Chicago, IL)
Liam Hall (Atlanta, GA)
Lithic (Wauwatosa, WI)
Little Marsh Overflow (Madison, WI)
Liv Mueller (Milwaukee, WI)
Loren Wollerman (Madison, WI)
Lumberjack Cash (Chandler, AZ)
Malignance (Green Bay, WI)
Manny Sanchez (Ontario, CA)
Marybeth Mattson (Jacksonport, WI)
The Maybenauts (Chicago, IL)
Mike Bleck (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Miss Meaghan Owens (Nashville, TN)
melaniejane (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Miles Nielsen (Chicago, IL)
Mojo Perry (St. Paul, MN)
mo rose (Green Bay, WI)
Noah Engh (California)
Nolan Scott (Milwaukee, WI)
Offseason (Door County, WI)
Orpheus (DePere, WI)
Pat Bohan (Portland, OR)
pat mAcdonald (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Pete Ress (Madison, WI)
Purgatory Hill (Heaven/Hell, WI)
The Ragadors (Milwaukee, WI)
Randy Bruce (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Rick Wood (Door County, WI)
Robin Bienemann (Chicago, IL)
Ronnie Sanchez (Ontario, CA)
Ryan Moreno (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Rene Pynaert (South Bend, IN)
Ruby James (Austin, TX)
Sara Moilanen (Milwaukee, WI)
Sarven Manguiat (Ontario, CA)
Scott E. Berendt (Milwaukee, WI)
Seth Raddatz (Bailey’s Harbor, WI)
Shamaniac Vacaltion (Milwaukee, WI)
Solo per Adulti (Firenze, Itlay)
Steve Smith (Chicago, IL)
Storitela (Washington D.C.)
Taki Allstars (Madison, WI)
Tarl Knight (Ashwaubenon, WI)
Thacia (Oshkosh, WI)
Tim Johnson (Lake Geneva, WI)
Timothy Severns (Torrey, UT)
Tiny Riots (Madison, WI)
TireLess Fred (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
TOIVO (Fish Creek WI)
Tony Menzer (Madison, WI)
Trance Halo (Milwaukee, WI)
Troy Therrien (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Troy Heinz (Green Bay, WI)
Underground Day 1 (Pardeeville, WI)
Vee Sonnets (Chicago, IL)
Victoria Vox (Baltimore, MD))
Wahnder Lust (Los Angeles, CA)
Weapons of Mass DeFunktion (Madison, WI)
West Of East (Milwaukee, WI)
Whiskey Belles (Milwaukee, WI)
Whiskey of the Damned (Milwaukee, WI)
Will Sexton (Austin, TX)
Wisconsin Beef Commission (Milwaukee, WI)
Z-Man (Green Bay, WI)

Miss Meaghan Owens

Her lyrics are sweet and switchblade sharp, ringing out in a distinctive and winsome style. Miss Meaghan Owens weaves together her collection of musical snapshots – life, love, dreams and despair. She spins the tales of the America she knows – a place she’s proud of and frustrated with and fascinated by – with a voice as eclectic as the land itself. Experience Meahghan Owens and you will hear the influences of blues, country and jazz in an original indie-folk sound that pays tribute to all the grit and glory of the life she’s living.

A Madison native, Owens came to Sturgeon Bay from Tennessee in 2009 to participate in her first Steel Bridge Songfest (SBSF). She drove the fourteen hours from Nashville straight through and didn’t know any of the other participating musicians. Since that time she has become one of the group’s core writers and performers, participating in SBSF and the Holiday’s annual Halloween songwriting week of Dark Songs, as well.

Owens will be performing with her new guitarist Craig Baumann (formerly of Fat Maw Rooney), a young Wisconsin record store owner she describes as “a fantastic songwriter and musician.”  Since the dissolution of Fat Maw, Baumann has been a regular on the scene at the Jazz Estate, the dark little ‘50s-style jazz club that has been nourishing Milwaukee’s music scene since 1976.

“He’s got a really natural, laid back, mellow, blues and jazz tone. He plays an arch-top guitar that lends that flavor,” says Owens.  “He is also a really nice guy and he runs his own non-profit called Jam for Jamaica to raise money and build homes for folks there.”

Owens, who works with Guitars For Vets, a non-profit that provides ailing and injured military veterans with a means of self-expression and the gift of music’s healing power by providing them with guitars and music instruction, says all that adds up to a good fit for her.

Miss Meaghan Owens takes the stage with Craig Baumann at 7 pm on Friday, February 11 in the studio at the Holiday for a very special concert event.  Seating is limited. Tickets at $10, by general admission are available now at www.holidaymusicmotel.com/tickets. Travel to Holiday Music Motel for the concert and relax in Door County with an additional 20% discount on your room.

The NTHP Midwest Region covers eight states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Each year they publish an Annual Report and this year, the cover features a great photo from Door County’s Steel Bridge Songfest – a shout out saying, “This Place Matters!”

America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places lists some treasures in the Midwest among the more than 200 one-of-a-kind historic sites recognized since they began the program in 1988. From urban districts to rural landscapes, Native American landmarks to 20th-century sports arenas, entire communities to single buildings, the list spotlights places across America that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development, or insensitive public policy.

Please, click to read the full report of the Midwest Office’s work in 2010 – including grants for 49 preservation projects in eight Midwest states.

Royce Yeater, Director
53 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 350
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Phone: 312.939.5547
Fax: 312.939.5651
Email: mwro@nthp.org
Website: www.preservationnation.org/midwest

As in Steel Bridge Songfest’s Construction Zone, the songwriters who participate in the annual Dark Songs for Halloween are challenged to gather for a week at Sturgeon Bay’s unique Holiday Music Motel & Recording Studio to write around a theme. Dark Songs, consists of a commitment to collaborative work with other artists in songwriting, recording and performances during several days leading up to  Halloween. Over twenty musicians have accepted the challenge to write a variety of macabre works that they will debut in live performances on Friday and Saturday of Halloween weekend.

A mixture of local and worldwide talent is fueling this event, including Door County’s Purgatory Hill, Abnormal Cattle, Dirty Deuce, Corey Carlson and Jeanne Kuhns, along with imports James Hall, Geri X, Kim Manning and Johnny Lowebow, to name just a few.

The participating musicians will make up teams that collaboratively write new songs at the Motel during Dark Songs week. The songs will be recorded in the motel’s in-house sound studio by world-class engineers Billy Triplett (Prince, James Brown, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.) and Steve Hamilton, to produce the second CD in a series, Dark Songs For Halloween, Vol.2. The new music debuts in two performances.

Members of the community are also invited to contribute their talent to the event. Anyone interested in sharing a few songs or a performance art piece is encouraged to do so. Contact pat mAcdonald or melaniejane by email: pr@holidaymusicmotel.com.

The Holiday Motel was Door County first, built in 1952. In 2007 it underwent complete restorative renovation and became the historic Holiday Music Motel, under new ownership that now includes famed songwriter Jackson Browne and local Grammy nominee pat mAcdonald. The motel also took on a mission, to serve as both a hospitality rest stop and a fully-operational year-round recording studio intended to serve as a professional center for Sturgeon Bay’s burgeoning music and arts scene.

The Holiday Music Motel & Recording Studio is located at 30 N 1st Ave in downtown Sturgeon Bay at the foot of the historic Michigan Street Bridge. For information or reservations, please call 920.743.5571 or visit www.HolidayMusicMotel.com. Details and breaking updates pertaining to Dark Songs may be found at www.EdgarAllanPolka.com.

The music and the history of the 1930’s and 40’s will come to life on stage at a matching historic venue when the Glenn Miller Orchestra swings in concert at the beautifully restored Meyer Theatre in downtown Green Bay. Step back to 1941, when the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s Chattanooga Choo-Choo was #1 on the Billboard charts. Featured in the movie Sun Valley Serenade, it sold more than a million copies and was awarded the first-ever, Gold Record. It remains the best selling disc of all time. Other likely classics will include: In the Mood, American Patrol, Tuxedo Junction, Moonlight Serenade, Little Brown Jug and Pennsylvania 6-5000.

All proceeds from this event will go toward WTHP’s sponsorship of the Steel Bridge Songfest, the Midwest’s largest songwriter’s festival honoring the state-owned, historic Sturgeon Bay Bridge with the annual creation of original collaborative music. This year’s SBSF event will take place June 10 to 13 in downtown Sturgeon Bay.

According to current orchestra leader, Larry O’Brian, “Glenn Miller loved to collaborate with composers, vocalists, arrangers and other band leaders. He played with Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa among other greats.”

This historic show will also include some additional special guests:

• Historic Theater Restoration Specialist, Mark Ernst, AIA, of Engberg Anderson and
• Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, Jim Draeger.

Wisconsin Historical Society Press will feature copies of the recently published Encore for Wisconsin’s Grand Theaters, by Brian Leahy Doyle, along with other relevant publications available for purchase in the lobby.

Tickets are $25 each and include a bonus one-year membership in the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation. They can be purchased online at ticketstaronline.com or by calling 800.895.0071 and are also available by stopping in at the Titletown Brewery in Green Bay or the Holiday Motel in Sturgeon Bay.

This nostalgic event is made possible by the generous support from Billie Kress and Arketype, Inc. of Green Bay.

GMO History Brief;

Glenn Miller began his performance career in the 20’s, started his first band in the 30’s, and by 1939 he had recorded seventeen top-ten hits, with his musical recordings topping the charts for the next several years.  In 1942 he joined the U.S. Army in its engagement in World War II. While traveling to entertain U.S. troops in France, Miller’s plane disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel. His body was never found.

With his distinctive compositions and swing arrangements having served as a backdrop to the lives of the “Greatest Generation,” there was an ongoing demand for his music. The Orchestra with Band Leader Larry O’Brian continues to perform to sold-out crowds at venues throughout the United States and Canada.

Delaney Davidson is joined here by Eric McFadden on guitar, Jeff Hammes on bass and Wally Ingram on drums.

“I am always amazed at where influence shows its head. Sometimes Dusty Springfield turns up and I never even listened to her, sometimes the Beach Boys, sometimes The Beatles, Hank Williams – its all the beautiful world of music,” says Delaney. “Tom Waits blew my teenage mind with his unabashed sentimentality, then later with his dark vision, and still later with his lifestyle. He seems to manage it well. But mostly the musicians I know personally have the biggest effect.”

Hear more of his music and keep track on the whereabouts of Delaney Davidson at www.myspace.com/delaneyfdavidson.