Door County Pulse Podcast

Jason Estes joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about life in the kitchen at Sonny's Pizzeria in Sturgeon Bay as they near their 30th year in business. They talk about Jason's path to the kitchen, opening a brewery, go-to pizzas and why deep dish isn't the Chicago staple most think.

Debra Fitzgerald talks with Vanessa McGowan, the New Zealand-born, classically trained bassist, band leader, and music-industry veteran whose career spans over two decades. A Baileys Harbor resident since 2020 via Nashville, Vanessa shares stories from her extensive touring experience, including working with Grammy-winning artists like Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles, Brandy Clark, and currently leadi...

Painter Ram Rojas joins Debra Fitzgerald for a conversation about his journey from Venezuela to Door County, his classical training around the world, and the people and landscapes that have shaped his work. He reflects on what decades of painting have taught him about place, memory and community – from his studio practice in Ellison Bay to the public murals he's created across the peninsula, inclu...

Door County’s large, educated retirement population is a curious, engaged, and eager-to-learn crowd who share knowledge, making Door County’s version of Learning in Retirement a model for the rest of the state. Jeff Schmeckpeper, the nonprofit board’s current president, talks with Debra Fitzgerald about how the program has evolved, the numerous courses offered, the peer leaders who offer the cours...

The tables are turned in this episode, when Annika Johnson interviews Myles Dannhausen Jr. about his journey from pizza tosser to reporter and many steps in between. Originally produced for the Al Johnson's YouTube series Door County Girl, this episode features two people who grew up in businesses at the feet of their parents and includes a look at life growing up here, the restaurant life, and wh...

Dominic Frandrup, Director of Door County Libraries, sits down with Debra Fitzgerald to discuss the future of the Door County Library system. The conversation explores how these public, community-centered spaces are governed, funded and operated, as well as ongoing efforts to strengthen the library system. Consultants from Rethinking Libraries have been working with the county and the Library Boar...

Few restaurant openings have been as hotly anticipated as that of La Sirena last summer. And no wonder - it’s the first time a restaurant has opened with a Michelin and James Beard pedigree. Chef Carlos Salgado and his wife and business partner Emilie Coulson Salgado join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about what called them to Door County from California, how their restaurant vision was formed, lif...

Northern Door County lost a big part of the community Monday when Sister Bay/ Liberty Grove Fire Chief Chris Hecht died from complications of an aneurysm he suffered in April. In this episode, Myles Dannhausen Jr. reflects on the many ways Hecht made an impact on the community, but also on him personally. Read more about Hecht here>>

Leadership Door County has been quietly shaping the future of our community for more than three decades. Since 1990, the all-volunteer organization has brought together professionals from across industries for an immersive, nine-month experience that goes far beyond traditional leadership training. Regan Hendrickson, the current class representative (who works as the Door County Family Court Commi...

In a village with the historic pride of Ephraim, every change is made under a microscope, so when a number of major projects had piled up 10 years ago, the village had to make a plan to address them that took that pride and history into account. Brent Bristol and Ken Nelson join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss how the village prioritized the highway project, north end path, village hall, Anderson...

Now that the calendar has turned, it’s now that special time of year we all look forward to: tax time! If it stresses you out, help is on the way. Steve Hellmann joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the AARP Tax Aide program that is available to help Door County residents file taxes for free.

As the year comes to a close, we look back on the most-read stories of 2025 and the news that defined 2025 in Door County. Debra Fitzgerald and Myles Dannhausen Jr. also discuss the stories that readers should have read more of that will continue to make waves into 2026.

How can a marathon runner be overweight? That was one of the questions that led dietician Jennifer Sherman of Gills Rock to leave a 20-year career in civil engineering and earn a master’s degree in human nutrition. In conversation with Debra Fitzgerald, Sherman shares her own 40-pound weight loss (she’s the marathon runner) and how she now helps clients reach personal goals – from reversing high c...

Dr. Simon Gilroy of UW–Madison joins Debra Fitzgerald to reveal the fast, unseen sensory lives of plants – how they detect danger, send signals through their entire bodies within seconds, and respond intelligently without anything resembling a brain. Gilroy also takes us into orbit, where his NASA-partnered research explores how plants behave in space. If you’ve ever wondered whether your plants a...

In September, Executive Director Cindy Trinkner-Peot celebrated the expansion and renovation of Northern Door Children’s Center’s facility in Sturgeon Bay, increasing the center’s capacity by almost 30%. She joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss what the expansion means for meeting the demand for child care in northern Door County and the many challenges that remain. They’re joined by Molly Gary o...

As the Door County Housing Partnership nears the completion of its seventh home, board members Scott Bader and Mariah Goode join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the long road to putting people in homes and the long-tail impact on the community. But for Bader and Goode, the project is also an example of how people from different ends of the political spectrum can put politics aside to address co...

The South is often characterized as resistant to change, but there have always been Southern writers willing to speak out, even if at great personal cost, to the injustices in their communities and the South at large. Writers Melanie Ritzenthaler, assistant professor at Doane University, and Jenn Alandy Trahan, a lecturer at Stanford University, join Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss Southern writer...

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 i...

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...

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 ev...

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 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 t...

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...

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 Hallow...