News May 2021

Put-in-Bay Ferry News May 2021

Thu., April 1st – There’s a surprise 60th birthday party for Caroline Conrad which includes wine at Heineman Winery and a freezing ride around the island with partygoers on the Tour Train with Chip Duggan at the wheel. The Miller Boat Line’s new ferry, Mary Ann Market, is moved from the small drydock to the large one at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin.

Fri., April 2nd – Justine Cultice is busy getting the kitchen ready at Cameo Pizza in Mr. Ed’s. Paul Jeris is the first to use the Venmo app on his cellphone to purchase a Put-in-Bay Gazette from newsstands. An interesting article appears about How To Travel Safely mentions Put-in-Bay.  and about visiting Put-in-Bay

Sat., April 3rd – The Put-in-Bay Recreation Committee is unable to host the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, as in previous years. Instead, it hosts a bunny hop trail allowing for ages birth to sixth grade to make stops at designated locations to receive goodies and then an additional stop to have a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny! A group of guys takes a polar bear plunge into the 36-degree lake water at the Bathing Beach at the end of Delaware Ave.

Commodore Marcia Ashley and a group outside the Yacht Club draw the week’s winning number for the Rolling Raffle. Lucky Laureen Mooney wins for the second time.

Sun., April 4th – Mother Mary from St. Paul’s conducts sunrise services at the seawall on the south side of Perry’s Monument. Rob Stacey enjoys a little fishing. The orange sky at sunset is beautiful over the flat lake.

Mon., April 5th – Julene Market is hunting salamanders and watching the bird migrations with her nephew Liam Market. PIBVFD announces the date for their 45th Clam Bake Dinner will be September 18th from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tues., April 6th – Put-in-Bay Village Council meets in a special session and votes on the recommendation from Mayor Dress that Interim Chief Jim Kimble be hired as the permanent Chief of Police. The Put-in-Bay Twp. Trustees hold a public hearing for a zoning change for property owned by Dan and Valerie Kowalski on Mikes Dr.

Wed., April 7th – Richard Warren’s new Cigar Ambassador address sign goes up at the front of his property on Langram Rd. thanks to the help of Monk Nemec. Sue Ferguson is helping clean up the beaches at Scheeff East Point Preserve. Jill Warga is secretly hunting beach glass after being called out by Justin Curtice in the April Letter to the Editor about how to make a perfect beach vacation.

The Put-in-Bay VFD is practicing at the new ice ramp on West Shore Blvd. at sunset. The lake is flat as the sun goes down. New dart league champs are crowned at Topsy. This year’s champions are Lance Saunders, Madeline Pugh, and Doc.

Thu., April 8th – The island is filled with fishermen from all over the country. License plates we’ve spotted so far include North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and even Oregon. Cameo Pizza opens for the season in the afternoon.

Fri., April 9th – Pelee Islanders awake to the news that Prince Phillip has passed away at the age of 99. Ray Fogg takes his first bike ride for the season on South Bass Island.

Sat., April 10th – Bobbi Dobos is a happy camper. Not only does the Dobos boat get in the water, but she also catches three walleye. Ray Fogg also puts his boat in for the season. The Middle Bass General Store sets up a pizza delivery for those on South Bass Island. JR Domer, Postmaster, and Put-in-Bay volunteer fireman are attending a “Heavy Rescue 101” training class in Norwalk. The Village Pump on Kelleys Island has its Early Bird Party.

Sun., April 11th – Barry Koehler, PIBHS Class of 2000, celebrates his 39th birthday with his wife Phoebe in Las Vegas. There are loads of fishermen on the lake. Simona, Emma, and Emil Michael are pulling invasive garlic mustard in Cooper’s Woods.

Mon., April 12th – Put-in-Bay resumes publication after taking an Easter break. The April Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce Meeting takes place via Zoom. The Put-in-Bay High School sailing team is practicing in the Bay at the same time a Coast Guard boat is setting buoys marking the harbor channel. The Goat Soup & Whiskey in the Virgin Islands holds a closedown party in St. Croix.

Bobbi Dobos photographs a stunning orange-sky sunset over Green Island with her father Gary’s fuel boat, Cantankerous, going by in Lake Erie’s still waters. JR Domer takes a photo of the same sunset from the end of East Point and the sky is a beautiful yellow.

Tue., April 13th – A crew is working on getting the Boat House ready for the season. After 40 years of public service as the village clerk and as a councilman, Kelly Faris submits a letter of resignation from the Council. Patrick and Tina Rogers from PIBEMS meet with the Put-in-Bay Girl Scout Troop to talk about first aid.

Wed., April 14th – Bob Stausmire and Tommy Chrysler head out to the west basin on the M/V Islander to set the Camp Perry firing range buoys with the boys from Rescue Marine on the mainland. A new house is brought to the island for The McGahee family off of Portsmouth Rd.

Thu., April 15th – The weather station at the South Bass Island Lighthouse, Station SBIO1, has now been out of order with no reports for three and a half months a little concerning since it was named one of the Top 5 Lake Erie Lighthouses. There’s a beautiful rainbow over the islands after the rain.

Fri., April 16th – Pasquale’s opens for the season. Frosty Bar opens with half-priced food rather than the traditional pizza buffet keeping in mind the concerns of the Covid pandemic. Tina Rogers and Wendy Chambers officially open the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce office for the season. There’s a weather forecast that includes snow for Tuesday after the weekend. The first official boat of the season docks at the DeRivera Park’s B-Dock.

Sat. April 17th – A crew is taking off the thatch roof at Mojito Bay. The theme for the opening at the Round House is “Winter Wonderland.” If today is a preview of things to come this summer, we’re going to be in for a very busy summer.

Sun., April 18th – Island Hardware starts seven-day- a-week hours. The Round House is hopping as Ray Fogg officiates over the turning on the “Whiskey Light.”

Mon., April 19th – The Village Council holds a committee meeting to discuss the sewer line options with Sybil Blvd. residents. The Crew’s Nest crew is busy getting the club’s grounds ship-shape for the season.

Tue., April 20th – The day is somewhat gloomy as a cold front begins to come through the island area. Cameo Pizza says goodbye to their beloved Smart Car after an over 10 year run as their delivery car. During a wintery mix of weather, Renee Market hosts Trivia Night at Topsy Turvey’s in the evening. If you haven’t participated in a Trivia Night emceed by Renee, you haven’t played trivia.

Wed., April 21st – There’s snow overnight for parts of the island, plus a couple of brief snow squalls late in the day. The white stuff is gone by dinner time.

Thu., April 22nd – On Delaware Ave., workers put in the planters in front of the Beer Barel Saloon Miller Boat Line, and the Jet Express are working together in a “Mutual aid” exercise drill in the morning. It’s Earth Day and a group is in Cooper’s Woods eradicating garlic mustard weed. The Butterfly House gets its first shipment of chrysalis from Costa Rica.

Fri., April 23rd – The Village Council meets in a short special session and votes to have street striping and painting done. Fox’s Den opens for the season. Tipper’s opens for the season with a perch dinner special and half-price pizza. Allie Market and the Rockers are at The Beer Barrel Saloon in the evening!

Sat., April 24th – Funeral services are held for Pam Niese Hughes at Mother of Sorrows. A celebration of life reception is held at the Niagara Event Center. On Middle Bass, there is a celebration of life for Gerry Sheller at the General Store. The Put-in-Bay High School Sailing Team is one of 21 teams competing at Hoover Reservoir in Westerville, Ohio, in the High School State Sailing Championship.

Sun., April 25th – At the Islander Inn, there are open interviews for hiring a variety of positions: bartenders, servers, front desk, cooks, security,
housekeeping, golf cart rentals, front of the house manager, and pizza shop manager. PIBYC Commodore Marcia Ashley and club manager CC Wiesnewski draw the next number for the club’s weekly Rolling Raffle.

Mon., April 26th – Workers at Put-in-Bay Resort Blue Marlin pool bar are working hard to get the pool ready for the incoming heatwave. A fresh coat of bright blue paint is being applied to the pool in the afternoon. Topsy Turvey’s is packed at dinner time. It’s the only restaurant open on the island.

Tue., April 27th – The Ottawa County Health Dept. is back on the island at the fire station giving covid vaccine shots to residents, seasonal workers and high
school students 16 and over. It’s a nice warm spring day on the island. Workers continue putting the new thatched roof on at Mojito Bay.

Wed., April 28th – The Put-in-Bay Township Board of Trustees holds a public hearing in the evening at the Township Hall to address a zoning change application from R-2 to R-1 submitted by Raymond Ebersole for his lot 29 on Airline Dr. in Airport Subdivision No. 4.

Thu., April 29th – While the NFL Draft is Making news May 2021 taking in downtown Cleveland, islanders gather at Mr. Ed’s to watch the picks come in.

Fri, April 30th – Put-in-Bay‘s Arbor Day Celebration takes place by the post office near village housing. A hophornbeam tree (Ostrya virginiana) and spicebush (Lindera benzoin) are planted. The Put-in-Bay Spring Fling begins at the Put-in-Bay Resort. The Spring Fling party has been going on for more than two decades.

Proposals for Seawall Restoration Project Makes News May 2021

In April, the National Park Service (NPS) began soliciting proposals on a full and open basis from all interested businesses having the capability to perform the renovation work on the Monument seawall. The solicitation was issued electronically on the Governmentwide Point of Entry. This website has a “watchlist” where a company could add their interest by registering in beta.sam.gov. Specific instructions could be found on this website. Registering provides the opportunity to receive notifications; this is a tool of convenience only and does not serve as a guarantee of notification.

Upcoming Put-in-Bay Events in News May 2021

EMS Fundraiser – Tacos to Go – May 2nd tacos are back! Come see Put in Bay EMS slinging some “Tacos To Go” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until sold out)
behind the Village Town Hall on May 2nd! One of the local Put-in-Bay Money Saving Tips from media sources!

Put-in-Bay Draft Day 5k – May 2nd The Annual Draft Day 5k will take place on May 2nd, 2021, on the historic island of  https://www.ohio-put-in-bay.com sponsored by the Lake Erie Islands Browns Backers. Whether you like to run or walk, make plans to enter one of the races and then celebrate the NFL draft with us!

Every participant will receive an Official Draft Day 5k Jersey, Draft Day 5k reusable tote bag, free lunch, drink discounts, tickets into a raffle for Cleveland Browns autographed footballs, framed and signed pictures, and more! This event will benefit the Lake Erie Islands Browns Backers charities.

Mardi Gras Weekend – May 7th & 8th Did you miss Mardi Gras week in New Orleans? Don’t fret, we will bring Mardi Gras to Put-in-Bay, Ohio instead!
You know we are a bunch of suckers for a good party. Put-in-Bay will be celebrating an island-wide Mardi Gras weekend on May 7th and 8th. Get ready to collect some beads, because things are about to get crazy. Join your friends and head out to some of Put-in-Bay’s Best Bars for a New Orleans-style celebration.

Garlic Mustard Competition – May 8th The city of Green has issued a challenge to see which community can pull the most garlic mustard in one day, May 8th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. We’ve accepted the challenge but need help! This invasive wildflower is everywhere in Cooper’s Woods (located between The Goat and Mother of Sorrow’s Catholic Church), and now is the perfect time to pull it.

Brendan Morgan of EnviroScience will be at Cooper’s Woods parking lot to arm us with strong garbage bags and an educational session on what garlic mustard looks like. Please bring gloves or there will be extra available. After you fill your bag it will be weighed and emptied and can be filled again.

Nature Center Native Plant Sale – May 9th Come to the Native Plant Sale at the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center. Make your land more attractive
to birds, bees, butterflies, and a host of other desirable pollinator species by planting native. The Nature Center will be selling extra plants from their Native Plant Sale. Order now at lakeerieislandsconservancy.org or email leinwc@gmail.com. There will also be Milkweed plugs to add in your spring garden to help butterflies and a Mother’s Day activity.

Blessing of the Fleet – May 11th The annual blessing of boats and aircraft servicing the Bass Islands will be held at 11:00 a.m. off Fox’s Dock, adjacent to the Jet Express Dock downtown. Local clergy will bless the vessels, a centuries-old tradition in ports worldwide. Social Distancing and masks will be required.

Put-in-Bay Day – May 12th The Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce and the official Put-in-Bay Vistors and  Convention Bureau is hosting “Put-in-Bay Day” media day on May 12th at the Boardwalk Upper Deck.

Island Wide Garage Sale – May 15th Island homeowners join for one big Island Wide Garage Sale on Saturday, May 15th, 2021. A Map with locations
for the Garage Sale will be available the week of the garage sale. Don’t miss the big bargains at the Heritage Resale Shop at the Historical Museum. Local Put-in-Bay Hotels will be offering discounted rates and great hotel deals at Put-In-Bay for those wishing to stay the entire weekend.

Planting in DeRivera Park – May 19th Volunteers needed! Help Put-in-Bay’s Garden Club plant flowers that grace the enchanting DeRivera Park. Each
year the Put-in-Bay Garden Club purchases and plants new flowers. Volunteer members lovingly water, fertilize and maintain each basket on a daily basis. Everyone is welcome and the help is appreciated. Help keep our island beautiful!

Time to Fight – Half Marathon – May 19th On Wednesday, May 19th, a group of Tommy Dailey’s extended island family will run a half marathon on Put-in-
Bay to raise money for his cancer treatment. Anyone is welcome to join us for all or part of the run (from anywhere too, if you are not on Put-IN-Bay), and anyone is welcome to bike if running isn’t your thing!

It is Tom’s time to fight and we will run the distance with him in his fight! The run will start in front of Boathouse with the finish line being in front of Mojito Bay. Fundraising Page: https://givebutter.com/timetofight

Steven’s Home Content Sale – May 21st & 22nd Join the Lake Erie Historical Society in the sale of all things Put-in-Bay at the Stevens House Content Sales from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, May 21st and 22nd. The sale preview will be held on May 20th at 6 p.m. Tickets for the preview are $25 per person, this includes beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres. The sign-up sheet for the sale will be available after the preview and early the next morning. A limited few will be allowed into the house at a time.

They will be taken in by the order that they have signed in on the sheet. You will be responsible to move what you purchase – no help will be provided and the Historical Society is NOT responsible for accidents.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Historical Society. Perry’s Monument Opening – May 22nd
Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial will open to celebrate its 106th year in operation. The 25- acre Park and Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. And don’t forget the Planting the Seeds of Peace.

In celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial will show visitors how to make newspaper seed pots and give a program on the importance of native plants. Island Vaccination Clinic – May 25th The Ottawa County Health Department will be offering a vaccination clinic at the Put-in-Bay Fire Station on

May 25th. The shots will be administered by appointment only and participants must register at http://www.ottawahealth. org. A follow-up vaccination clinic will take place on June 22nd, for those people who receive their first vaccination shot on May 25th. Ottawa County Health Department is currently only using the Moderna vaccine, which is only approved for ages 18 and over.

Rudy & The Island Girl Live – May 28th Stop by the Goat Biergarten on Friday, May 28th, at 6 p.m. to see Rudy Cooks and Christie Ontko broadcast their popular WPIB Digital Radio show.

Carronade Weekend – May 29th & 30th Park Rangers and volunteers at Perry’s Monument will demonstrate firing Historic Firearms and the Park’s carronade from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Mary 29th, and Sunday, May 30th. Ranger programs will cover the nuances of the 1812 military
uniform, the proper handling of black powder, and the steps to firing a musket.

The carronade, a small short-barrel gun like those used IN THE Battle of Lake Erie will be fired by the Park’s Gun Crew. The carronade program will discuss the proper steps in firing the short-range gun and its limitations during the Battle of Lake Erie. Historic Firearms demonstrations will take place at 11 a.m., 3, and 5 p.m. Carronade demonstrations will be given at noon, 2, and 4 p.m. There will be a Junior Ranger program: “Join the Army” at 1 p.m.

LEINWC Grand ReOpening – News May 2021 reports that on May 30th you can come to join the excitement of the Grand Reopening of the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center! The celebration will take place Sunday, May 30th from 1 to 5 p.m., with FREE admission all day! The festivities will include live music, hot dogs, beverages (including beer and wine), and lots of fun activities for kids!

13 Haunted Ghosts of Put-in-Bay – May 30th On May 30th, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., join in on a new family-friendly island adventure where you become the paranormal investigator! Part whodunit, a part escape room, and a part scavenger hunt. Discover the hints, follow the clues and solve the mystery! Admission is $50 per team (cash only) and children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased at the Boardwalk Dock. Special prize awarded for the Best Completion Time.

Put-in-Bay News 2021 Announces 15th Annual Downtown Golf Cart Scavenger Hunt

The 15th annual Victoria Weekend “Put-in-Bay Downtown Scavenger Hunt” will take place on Saturday, May 22nd, from noon to 4 p.m. This Family Fun Scavenger Hunt is open to all who have made an online golf cart reservation at Put-in-Bay Golf Carts. Rent your Delaware Cart golf cart at https://www.putinbaygolfcarts.com and you are entered! This is a timed event with the most correct answers in the shortest amount of time deciding the winners!

There are lots of great prizes including Put-in-Bay Vacation Hotel Stays for up to 4 (lodging, transportation, meals), attraction tickets, and more! This is one of the best ways to see just about all of South Bass Island! Registration will take place at Delaware Carts located at the Edgewater Hotel at 266 Delaware Ave. when you get your golf cart!