Our current issue features:

On Call, On the Edge
Fighting Fire in the Door
By Katie Dahl

“When you’re entering atmospheres that are in excess of 1,000 degrees, you’re living life on the edge,” Caleb Whitney says wryly about his job as a firefighter and company officer for the Baileys Harbor Fire Department. Indeed, the firefighters of northern Door County live on many “edges” simultaneously, straddling the lines between fire and water, firefighter and civilian, safety and danger, on an almost daily basis.

Though Door County fire departments must meet the same professional standards as any U.S. fire department, fighting fire on the peninsula is in many ways a one-of-a-kind experience, made unique by the geographic and cultural fabric of Door County life. (more)

It’s Not Easy Being Green:
Zigzagging Toward Sustainability
By Mariah Goode

By now, you’re probably feeling inundated by all the media buzz highlighting “sustainable this” or “green that.” People talk about how easy it is to become sustainable and how environmentally unfriendly everyone else is, while “to do” lists detail behaviors that will lessen your impact, or “carbon footprint,” on the planet. Even though I’ve written – and been profiled in – such pieces, I’m embarrassed to admit, a carbon footprint test recently calculated it would take five planets to sustain us if everyone lived as I do. (Note: the average American lifestyle would require nine planets.)

I sometimes think these efforts are backfiring, overwhelming rather than inspiring us. I, for one, frequently feel guilty when confronted with such stories. These discussions also often ignore the real work it may take to evaluate and change our behaviors. Some sustainable behaviors we should adopt may be time consuming; others, expensive, at least in the short term; and still others may be merely the lesser of two evils. (more)

The Rocks of Door County
Building with Native Stone
By Stephen R. Grutzmacher

Anyone visiting the Door Peninsula for the first time is certain to be struck by the multitude of stone fences separating the fields. These often-massive structures, in terms of width, are as much a testament to the difficulties faced by farmers as they are to the notoriously limited topsoil available in much of the county.

When they weren’t simply removed from the fields and piled into fences, they were – not surprisingly – used as a building material by early settlers. (more)

Featured Accommodation:
The Thorp House

The story of the Thorp House belongs to its many visitors, its owners Christine and Sverre Falck-Pedersen, and to the Fish Creek community at large. The construction of the Thorp House began in 1902 and was intended to be the private home of Freeman and Jessie Thorp.

While the house was being built, Freeman was traveling back on the Eric L. Hackley steamship when it capsized and claimed his life along with ten others. As his widow Jessie adjusted to her life without him, she had to adapt the original floor plan of the house to accommodate visitors instead of just her and Freeman. After the house was completed, she started renting rooms to tourists along with the help of her orphaned niece, Everil. (more)

Open Mic Scene
By Jake Nyberg

Door County’s emergence as a national arts destination is no secret and, thanks in part to the attention generated by Sturgeon Bay’s annual Steel Bridge Songfest, music shares the arts spotlight during the busy summer months.

But what about when winter arrives and most of Door County seems to shut down? I sat down with a group of local songwriters who do anything but hibernate when the temperature drops. (more)

Quarry House Revisited
An Update on the Project a Year Later
By Julia Chomeau

In Door County Living’s fall 2007 issue, I wrote an article about what most people have nicknamed “The Quarry House.” Located on Spring Road in Fish Creek, the house stands in the center of a large, former rock quarry. Owners Mitch and Mary Heinrichs painstakingly created their dream retirement home by drawing up their own plans and doing much of the work themselves both outside and in.

In September of 2007, much of the outside stonework had yet to be completed. The driveway was mapped out but mostly dirt and there was little-to-no landscaping. Today, there is a beautiful driveway of grass pavers and several landscaped areas with trees and plans for a pond and waterfall. (more)

Kim Jensen – Local Entrepreneur
Megan O’Meara

For most restaurateurs, operating one restaurant successfully proves challenging to even the most driven and talented of owners.

For Kim Jensen, running three restaurants, a bakery and a catering business seems to be the most logical thing in the world. She is genuinely puzzled when people inevitably question: "What possesses you to do this?” (more)