Affects Of Ellison Bay Explosion Still Being Felt
by Nick Freimuth
All of the businesses surrounding the explosion site in Ellison Bay are now open, traffic is flowing through the village on Highway 42, and the Pioneer Store has been demolished. Door County Sheriff Terry Vogel said a lot of travelers are stopping to take pictures and ask questions. He asks that people do not interrupt traffic by slowing down. Reserve officers are still at the scene regulating traffic flow and making sure no one tries to enter the fenced off area.
The Door County Sheriff’s Department along with a number of other agencies spent a tremendous amount of time directing traffic and assisting with evacuations throughout the disaster relief effort. A lot of overtime was worked and there are many wondering what this will do to the budget concerns. Vogel is hoping that the state will assist the agencies that were involved in the tragedy.
The Sheriff’s Department has been working with representatives on the County Board and Vogel believes they realize the enormity of the situation. The Sheriff said he would try to work within their budget and do the best job he can in dealing with overtime pay and other unbudgeted costs. The budget concerns are not viewed as an issue, according to Vogel. He said with the loss of two lives, 12 injuries, and an evacuation of an entire village this was an enormous undertaking.
Cedar Grove Resort and The Pioneer Store are still completely fenced in. The Sheriff is extremely pleased with the all first responders, fire fighters, police officers, and emergency medical responders. Terry Vogel said this county has done the best job possible considering the circumstances. He believes the most gratifying thing is that once the initial explosion occurred there were no further injuries.