Fire damages Ellison Bay home

• A fire damaged the home of Larry and Judy Thoreson in Ellison Bay Jan. 23. The fire took the life of the Thoreson’s dog, Jackson, and left their home covered in heavy, black soot. The fire was called in at 7:05 pm, and by the time firefighters arrived on the scene seven minutes later flames had breached the exterior wall and were burning up to the second floor. The Thoresons own Gills Rock Stoneware, located in another wing of the home, but the studio and storefront were largely untouched.

“Everything else is just stuff,” Larry Thoreson said the morning after the fire. “Losing Jackson, that’s the hardest part of this whole thing.”

Read more and find a link to a Facebook page set up in support of the Thoresons at http://www.ppulse.com.

• The Ephraim Village Board voted unanimously not to continue pursuing the purchase of land on German Road to construct a parking lot Jan. 26. The village had been pursuing the purchase to add parking for the marina and other uses, but many residents objected to the project at a Jan. 24 Plan Committee meeting. The two-acre parcel behind the Water Street Gallery would have cost the village approximately $600,000 to purchase and construct a parking lot. The Plan Committee cited run-off concerns and questioned whether it would aesthetically fit in to the neighborhood.

• The Village of Sister Bay decided not to pursue the purchase of the Sister Bay Café property adjacent to its Waterfront Park.

“Now that we’ve secured the shoreline parcels,” explained Village President Denise Bhirdo, “we feel that the village would be better served to have a private business operating in that prime location contributing to the tax base. It basically came down to the question of, ‘Do we really need that property for the park?’ And we don’t think we do.”

• The Savory Spoon Cooking School in Ellison Bay was featured on the Discover Wisconsin television program. The segment, “America’s Dairyland: Dairy Heiresses” is available to view at http://www.discoverwisconsin.com. The crew filmed and interviewed owner Janice Thomas and one of her classes featuring Artisan cheese makers.

• Sister Bay Pamida and the Pamida Foundation awarded $1,000 to support the Door County Transportation Options Program, which is primarily funded by the Wisconsin Employment Transportation Assistance Program. Funds will be used to support the employment van pool that runs to and from Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay. The pool has eight active riders and has provided 5,564 rides. Funds received will go towards expansion of the van pool and will hopefully add routes.