Fall 2016 Newsletter

Have You Noticed …?

As the long days of summer shorten, it is a good time to take notice of some changes in the landscape at Crossroads and prepare for upcoming changes this Fall. Land and Facilities Manager Rich Propsom was very busy this summer.

The hardscape features around the CLC have been evolving, and will continue to evolve into fall. A bog garden, native planting, and a bird feeding station around the Collins Learning Center will be established this fall or next spring.

The parking lot renovation is moving forward with initial expansion and devel-opment happening this fall with an anticipated completion date of next spring.

Dick Weidman,
President, Board of Directors at Crossroads

New Parking Lot Underway!

…and Only $75,000 Short!

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have raised about $225,000 toward our parking lot expansion. With only (ONLY?) $75,000 more to raise, we are launching the project.

We are pleased to announce that the contract for the Crossroads parking lot project was awarded to our good neighbor and low bidder Lily Bay Sand and Gravel. Lily Bay and our engineering firm of Baudhuin Inc. are both local firms with years of experience serving the Door County community. Lily Bay is an especially good neighbor, donating time and equipment to keep our snow plowed in the winter.

Shortly after contract award, Crossroads sat down with Baudhuin and Lily Bay to discuss project scheduling. Of great importance was the lead time for paving materials, managing the limited access to buildings during construction, availability and sequencing of equipment and material for the construction phase, subcontractor availability and timing, and finally, dealing with the upcoming cold weather.
During these discussions, it became evident that lead time for acquiring critical materials and cut-off date for asphalt installation problematic. Our compromise plan involves completing the project in 2 phases.

Phase 1 – 2016 Fall:

Ground will be cleared, filled and graded east of the existing parking lot. Drainage tile and the rain garden detention area on this portion will be installed. The existing lot will remain “as is” so educational activities can continue at the Collins Learning Center this fall and winter.

Phase 2 – 2017 Spring:

Once the weather is warm and ground is dry (enough) we will resume work by breaking up the old parking lot and regrading it to final elevation. As soon as both new and old sections are filled, graded and graveled, asphalt and pervious pavement will be installed. We anticipate that there will be periods where parking may be significantly limited due to construction demands. But we will make every ef-fort to provide access to the Collins Learning Center and the Door County Historical Society’s Heritage Village at Big Creek.

In summary, we believe our compromise will be less disruptive than our original plan. Construction has begun this fall with site preparation to the east of the existing parking lot. During winter, both the old parking lot and portions of the new area will be open for use. Next spring, work resumes, and by early summer, we will have adequate parking and be able to showcase innovative management practices for reducing adverse water impacts and light pollution.

A Half Year of Generosity – Gifts from January 1 through July 31, 2016

*Indicates a special gift designated for the Parking Lot Project.

$50,000 to $99,999

Anonymous Donor*

$10,000 – $24,999

Don and Coggin Heeringa Portland Trust II

$5,000 – 9,999

Door County
Community Foundation Dick and Annie Egan fund of the Door County Community Foundation*

$2,500 to $4,999

James and Cathy Collins*
Christine Gritzmacher and Tom Pollock*
Barb and Mike Madden Fund of the Door County Community Foundation*
Ministry Health Care
MMG Foundation, Inc*
Sturgeon Bay Utilities Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium

$1,000 to $2,499

Rev. Anthony Birdsall fund of the Door County Community Foundation
Dennis and Bonnie Connolly*
Door County Community Foundation
Hislop Family Foundation
John and Nancy Munch*
Eric and Dee Paulsen*
Shelia Turner*
Brian and Joan Wake*

$500 to $999

Anonymous Fund of the Door
County Community Foundation*
Lee and Susan Basten*
C & S Manufacturing
Callsen Fund of the Door County
Community Foundation*
David and Janet Daniel*
Door Propery Owners*
Fran and Arliss Everson
Friends of Crossroads
Green Fund of the Door County Community Foundation
Pat and Judy Fitzgerald*
Grace and Bruce Frudden
Friends of Crossroads*
Cynthia and Jack Follick*
Herlache Fund of the Door County Community Foundation
Jilot Insurance Agency
Diane Jome*
Edward and Cindy Koutnik*
Meissner Family Fund of the Door County Community Foundation*
Bob and Carol Moellenberndt*
Nicolet Bank
Noon Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay
Pinkert Law Firm LLP
Ross Estate Planning
Anonymous
Noon Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay Your Cause-Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Trolley Tours of Door County, Inc.
Volunteer Center of Door County

Planting Trees/Creating Corridors

The 2016 Crossroads Educational theme is Wildlife Corridors

Eagle Scout James Dickson organized a tree planting project at Crossroads.

We have gone beyond teaching about corridors. We have started the task of connecting our fragmented forest habitats by planting native trees.

This spring, Boy Scouts from Troop 1022 planted more than 600 small native trees in the southeast Corner of the Preserve. Several Girl Scout groups have transplanted trees “rescued” from the area soon to become our parking lot expansion.

The first planting phase of the Maki Arboretum was accomplished in early summer. The 275 trees –Quak-ing Aspen, Ironwood, Sugar Maple, Red Maple, and Basswood – represent the species which grew at Crossroads at the time of European Settlement.

Now they are young trees – someday, they will be wildlife corridors.

The Trail (Run) to Better Skiing

The 7th annual Crossroads Trail Run attracted 325 participants from 13 states and 78 cities onto our well groomed trails, in spite of the the heavy roundabout construction. Along with the benefits of providing runners, walkers, and spectators the opportunity to be outdoors, our Crossroads Trail Event made an amazing profit of $11,600.

Proceeds from the Crossroads Trail Run will be used, in part, to upgrade Crossroads SKI-for-FREE program through the purchase of new ski and snowshoe equipment, maintaining ski trails, and preparing for a permanent space for this program.

The Crossroads Trail Run event and the Ski-For-Free at Crossroads program bring community members and guests outdoors, connecting with nature, and building memories. Thank you to The Friends of Crossroads volunteers for making these events happen.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor

Ministry Door County
Medical Center

Major

Evergreen Nursery
LAKESHORE Landscape and Design
Sturgeon Bay Utilities

Maple Tree

Carol DeVault State Farm Insurance
Dentistry by Design
Jilot Insurance Agency
Nor Door Sport and Cyclery
Northern Door Dental Care
Dr. Dan and Heidi Tomaszewski
Deb Whitelaw Gorski
Whitetails Unlimited, Inc.

Dogwood

Roger & Sandy Anderson
Lake Michigan Wind and Sun, Ltd.
Dr. Shaun and Sue Melarvie
Ross Wealth Management
Gretchen and Steve Schmelzer
Staudenmeaier Chiropatric

A Legacy Gift

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
– Nelson Henderson

Though you may not literally plant trees at Crossroads, you can figuratively “plant trees” with a legacy gift to protect and preserve our environmental treasure.

In years to come, thanks to your legacy gift, learners of all ages will still be able to hike and bike through upland meadows and colorful autumn forests at Crossroads … skiers will savor peaceful silence as they glide through snow-flocked trees at our Ida Bay Preserve … grandparents and children will share the excitement of the annual sucker run in Big Creek or watch the sunset from Big Creek Cove.

You can help tomorrow’s children get in touch with nature with experience-based school field trips, help adult learners expand their horizons with a variety educational programs, and know that the community at large will benefit from the research done in the Collins Learning Center Lab. Legacy gifts will change lives in the future, just as Crossroads is changing lives today.

Occasionally, we are aware that people have remembered us in their wills or trusts, or have named us as beneficiaries of IRAs or insurance policies. More often, a bequest comes as a bittersweet surprise.

Obviously, you want to ensure that your loved ones will be provided for in the future, but you can provide for Crossroads as well. Call your attorney, financial planner, estate planner or our good friends at the Door County Community Foundation. They can suggest a variety of instruments through which you can leave a legacy.

Legacy givers tell us that they feel a profound satisfaction in knowing that even beyond their deaths, their lives will continue to have meaning.

Big Creek Cove Preserve

When Crossroads acquired the 9-acre Big Creek Cove Preserve, we did so to protect the Wildlife Corridor. This year, we upgraded the trail and installed a floating dock and observation deck, so people can use the our “human corridor” as another path to get in touch with nature.

Last spring, archaeologists from Midwest Archaeological Consultants excavated artifacts and features along Big Creek that indicate a Late Woodland Period (roughly 1200-1000 years ago) occupation by Native Americans subsisting on fish, small mam-mals and deer.

This fall, students and teachers from area schools, interested adults, under the supervision of the archaeologists will assume the role of “citizen scientists” and conduct systematic excavations and record artifacts at the recently discovered site at Big Creek Cove Preserve.

Download a pdf of our Fall 2016 newsletter