Door County Wisconsin: GOP Defiles Martha's Vineyard of the Midwest

Two futures for Door County Wisconsin: Life is in bloom
v. Our growing dead zones. Only one works for Wisconsin.

Attorney Ted Olson appeared on the national news shows back when federal litigation engaged the question whether states could deny marriage to same-gender couples, (Mal Contends).

In several appearances Olson was seen from Door County Wisconsin, a gorgeous retreat and destination in the northeastern Wisconsin peninsula jutting out into Lake Michigan.

Door County is another region of Wisconsin where generations-long families are attempting to sound the alarm about Republican-abetted water pollution and degradation, while at the same time telling vacationers to come to Door County. It's a mixed message.

If the Republican and Big Ag war on Wisconsin water continues apace, Door County will no longer face its public relations dilemma.

The war for clean, safe water will have been lost, as the lunatic in the White House continues to savage protections for clean water as well. Ted Olson will find another destination.

Former Door County Advocate editor out on his own since about last November, Lee Luft, is sounding the alarm. Wisconsin should listen.

From the Kewaunee County Comet:

In Door and Kewaunee Counties nearly every major waterway and water body is now listed on the EPA’s Impaired Waters List.

Not good. The column echoes concerns of 10,000s in the northeastern peninsula, yet reading Luft's prose resembles listening to a battered wife on TV afraid of retaliation from a felonious husband.

Luft laughingly presents the local Republican member of Congress as working to solve water-pollutions problems. Ahh, yeah.

Luft's warnings are necessary, but writing from fear of the toxic-toilet politicians and polluters is never a good posture

From the Door County Visitor Bureau comes word of Spring and early Summer, "Life is in bloom":

With 300 miles of shoreline, you can watch a sunrise and a sunset over the water without leaving the county. See thousands of acres of orchards, explore art galleries, devour delicious cherry pie, sip on local wines and brews, splash in the lake or paddle along the bluffs, stroll through five state parks or tour 11 historic lighthouses. No matter what you're looking to get out of your vacation, our 19 unique communities allow you to live life well.

Going to have to come up with a new slogan, if Republicans and polluters keep up their war against water.

Live life well just does not comport with millions of gallons of cow shit.

Central Wisconsin Lakefront Communities Look to Study Blue-Green Algae Prevention

 Lake Camelot in northern Adams County, Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin — Resort and recreation attractions in central Wisconsin are a natural.

So is living in this picturesque region of the glacial sands and white pines. Many retirees call it home.

A broad coalition including many retirees have joined forces to fight Big Ag, and they are winning.

Lakeside communities in northern Adams county, (Wisconsin), the Tri-Lakes, is on the forefront. From a new communication:

By Don Ystad

Remember the lake closures for blue green algae last summer. You may recall that a citizens committee has been formed to work with TriLakes to clean up our lakes and 14-Mile watershed.

We've begun communication with upstream neighbors to bring all interested parties to the table. As part of our investigative process, we want to determine if the soil that was excavated from the lowlands and creek bottoms when these lakes were first built may contribute to our water quality issue.  o do that, we are performing soil tests of lakeside properties to determine the nutrients in our soil around the lakes. We need your help to have a reasonable distribution of tests around our lakes.

If you are a lakeside property owner, we would like you to allow us to do a simple soil sample on your property. There is no cost to you, or risk for you.  It's a blind test used only to identify soil and nutrient makeup around our lakes. You will be given the test results which can help you to know the nutrient content or lack thereof for your soil.

This is important in that it will allow us to know what part our lakes play in the water quality issues from which we suffer.

Thanks on behalf of our 14-Mile Watershed committee.

Clean Water Activist Helped Stop Illinois Ag Factory, Hails Central Wisconsin

Saratoga Wisconsin November 2016 update points to disaster
if Wysocki CAFO begins operation.

The Town Board of Saratoga, Wisconsin is meeting April 19th to take stock of the legal effort to stop a predator, a would-be corporate polluter.

A Saratoga legal victory in state appellate court over a proposed massive factory farm in central Wisconsin stops for now a disaster that would devastate an entire region, (Golden Sands Dairy LLC v. Town of Saratoga, (Wisconsin Court System)), (Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune), (Mal Contends), (WSAW-TV).

The Wysocki corporation has until May 13 to file an appeal with the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Susan Turner worked with an Illinois non-profit to stop a similar propsoed ag factory and works with Helping Others Maintain Environmental Standards (H.O.M.E.S.) now in Iowa.

Turner offered congratulations to Saratoga with the cooperate predator looming:

Dear Board Members of the Town of Saratoga, Wisconsin,

My heart is overwhelmed with joy for you and your citizens. Your action, and the choices that you made, are a reflection of the love that you have for your town and it's neighbors. This is becoming a rare thing in our world.

Legal mechanisms are like war, and need to begin immediately, like a military holding action, to protect the public at large.

I speak from my past experience and do not want to make this about my story. I can briefly state that we were the only group to stop a mega dairy after it was 60% constructed, dismantled, and returned the land to corn production. We did this with a 5-year court process and with state and federal government agency. Please visit stopthemegadairy.org for timelines and story.

The citizens had to form a 501c-3 called Helping Others Maintain Environmental Standards (H.O.M.E.S.) to fight the corporate monster because our town board treated this as a non issue.

We actually had to fight our town board to fight the mega dairy as they formed ordinances to silence us.

The town became torn apart as people fled the area as their homes would have a negative number for a property value, had heart attacks, or fought along side or against our 501c-3. They blamed our view of environmental protection for the social strife that occurred. The locals were not equipped to fight. Even though we were rid of the mega dairy, the people left harassed are those who fought for their air and water. I had to move.

Your town has grown together because of the fight. Your beautiful town is more valuable now because of the Board's quick action and commitment to finishing what was started. That equals property value as far as I'm concerned.  Young couples looking to invest in their first home will value the excellent work of the town of Saratoga protecting their community.

Who wouldn't want to move to a place were the quality of life is being preserved with great sacrifice and commitment? What a great example your board is making for all to witness!

That translates into property value.

Your beautiful community and it's people are awesome.  It is an honor to know of your hard work and efforts.

Most sincerely,

Susan Turner
Dubuque, Iowa

Susan Turner: Witnessed Wisconsin’s Water Degradation over 18 Years

Lynn Utesch is a clean water fighter in northeastern Wisconsin.
Utesch is running for state assembly against Big Ag's man in
northeastern Wisconsin, Republican state rep. Joel Kitchens.
Image by Coburn Dukehart
Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

'Dreamed of retiring in Door County,' - No more

Iowa resident, Susan Turner, has a powerful letter in the Door County Pulse.

The Republican war against water is of course an act of insanity, even many Republicans may note water is necessary for life.

Yet, this fact does not stop Republicans from taking money from, and helping polluters pollute, driving families from their multi-generational homes with no remorse.

This is unacceptable.

Writes Turner:

The scale of industrial animal operations, concentration of manure produced in one location, makes this a crime against nature.

We shouldn’t be expected to compromise our water or hold our breath to accommodate agribusiness over community.

I’m a tourist of Wisconsin. I dreamed of retiring to the Door County area. That would be a foolish thing to invest in now. The idea of no swimming or consuming water, due to contamination, throws a wet blanket on vacations and investing in real estate.

April 29, 2013 at 1:30 pm, my three children and I were victims of hazardous gases as we headed south from the Wisconsin Dells on Highway12 between Baraboo and Prairie Du Sac. Center pivots spraying liquid nutrients made us close windows and speed faster as we searched for air that was not burning our lungs and nostrils. When we got a clean pocket of air, the caustic stench happened again. A service van on the opposite side of the road had pulled over with the driver sitting on the ground using an inhaler. He could not even operate his vehicle.

This past week my husband and I vacationed in Bayfield, Wisconsin. We chose Bayfield County because it has the cleanest water. We can swim, boat, fish, and drink the water, for now.

Republicans are destroying Wisconsin, and it's happening little by little, step by step, as implied by Turner. This ought to alarm everyone, particularly Door County, the Martha's Vinyard of the Midwest.

Two elections featuring leaders of the polluters' lobby in the capitol—state reps Joel Kitchens (R) and Scott Krug (R)—show toxic-toilet politicians against two lifelong environmentalists.

At some point, we will come to understand such environmentalists are saving Wisconsin.

Writes environmentalist, farmer, veteran and state assembly candidate, Lynn Utesch from Kewaunee County in northeastern Wisconsin, commenting on his run for Wisconsin's first district assembly race:

The 1st Assembly District is unique — an Island, a Peninsula, the Niagara Escarpment — all make this place we have chosen to call home special. Apart from the shared natural beauty that surrounds us, and the waters of Lake Michigan — the 1st Assembly District also has challenges that must be addressed.

Water is the #1 issue in the 1st Assembly District. Arriving in Kewaunee in 2004, one of the first things our family experienced was the poisoning of the Treml family due to the spreading of liquid manure tainting their well, affecting the entire family, and sending their infant daughter to intensive care.

In fall of 2014, in Jacksonport, a similar scenario played out with an infant and 16 people poisoned due to liquid manure spreading near a sinkhole. Currently in Kewaunee County 34% of the tested wells are unfit to drink due to high nitrates, e-coli, or both. 

Citizens would do well to heed the words of Ms. Turner and Lynn Utesch.