News July 2020

Put-in-Bay News July 2020

Greg Dobos, Put-in-Bay’s Fire Chief, posted this on social media shortly after the storm that went through the islands on Wednesday, June 10. As the sun sets on another day here on Put-in-Bay, I look back on the past 24 hrs, and it has been pretty crazy for our little Island! But regardless of the headlines in some papers, I have to say that certainly does not define who we are! As I went around today working, I saw Terry working on electric lines. I saw neighbors helping each other clean up debris from the storm.

Richard was bringing generators to the homes of people who still didn’t have power. We had our first responders watching downed lines last night and community members out with their chainsaws clearing roads for crews as well. I think to myself, that’s what defines us as a community; when things get tough, we work together and get through it. Like last night’s storm, this all will pass, and we will be stronger and better in the end!

I love this community as we all do, and it’s nice to see us all work together! Be safe, everyone, and let’s get through this weekend!

Put-in-Bay Explorer Packs

Are you looking for a fun nature adventure for your island visit? Look no further! The Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center is now selling Island Explorer Packs! The center is selling a bird-themed Island Explorer Pack, with more themes to come! These packs take you all across the Island to different stops with challenges/activities at each place.

They include an Explorer booklet with a map and activities, Explorer gear (binoculars, compass, flashlight, and magnifying glass), colored pencils, brochures about the Island, and more! Take your family on a fun and educational adventure as you become Island Explorers!! Contact the LEINWC for ways to purchase!

The center is closed this summer due to the construction of an addition, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with Renee Fultz, Director, Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center Cell: 646-678-1262 or leinwc@gmail.com to get more information.

New Put-in-Bay Yacht Club Member Welcome!

Are you a new Put-in-Bay Yacht Club member? Plan to stop by for this Special Event on Saturday, July 4, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., created with you in mind! Please RSVP online at PIBYC.org. Enjoy a complimentary mimosa and breakfast “nibblies,” relax at the Club and meet fellow members, pick up your Put-in-Bay Yacht Club Burgee (remember to bring your blue slip from your welcome package) and request your reciprocity privileges!

Current members, please come and mingle with our new friends! Our Bar & Galley Menu will be open after the Welcome for everyone’s enjoyment from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

TIPS Training

Steve Heineman is happy to announce there will be TIPS Training on the Island. The dates are Monday, July 13, and Tuesday, July 14. TIPS (Training in Intervention Procedures for Servers of Alcohol) was founded to address the tragedies that can occur when a customer is overserved and to combat the use of alcohol by underage consumers. The topics discussed in the 3 1/2 hour seminar are:

1. Alcohol and its effects on the individual.
2. How to spot visual cues and use TIPS guidelines to respond to those cues.
3. The individual server’s responsibilities to the community.
4. Help law enforcement and your management ensure that underage people are not served. TIPS training is reinforced through role-playing and a brief quiz. The successful TIPS-trained individual will receive a 2-year card and has access to the many useful features on the TIPS website.

Steve has secured a place for this critical training at the Niagara Conference Center. The class begins at 8:30 a.m., costing $60 per student. Please call Steve with any questions at 419-341-2501. Social distancing will be practiced, and a face mask is strongly suggested.

No Fireworks on July 4

For the first time in decades, there will be no huge fireworks show on the 4th of July at Put-in-Bay. Kelleys Island has also canceled theirs but may postpone them until Labor Day. Pelee Island usually sets off fireworks on July 1 to celebrate Canada Day. However, with restaurants still not open and regular tourist visitation reduced, they, too, have canceled their display from West Dock.

George Stoiber Steps Down from DeRivera Trust

As we went to print last month, we learned George Stoiber had announced he was stepping down from his position as a Trustee of the DeRivera Park Trust. George said he became one of three trustees about 40 years ago. Among other things that changed over the years was the dramatically improved condition of the downtown park. Some 50 trees were removed; the lawn was fertilized, new sidewalks around the park, and an irrigation system was installed.

George was also on the board when Cooper’s Woods was purchased 23 years ago and sold to the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy this year. The last time there was an opening on the board, community members elected a replacement.

Thank you, Terry!

We thank Terry Jenkins from Ohio Edison every month in the Gazette for his work getting electric service restored whenever it goes out. This past month, the one storm that went through the islands downed trees and power lines all over the Island. Terry worked hours and hours to get things up and running again. Ironically, Terry’s wife, Lesa, had to wait patiently to get their electric back on.

Just because you’ve got an in with the powers-to-be, doesn’t mean much about getting your power turned back on before others do. Thanks again, Terry and all the others who worked on restoring the power. Lake Level Appears to be Heading Down The water level in Lake Erie set another record for May, the highest water level (574.40 ft.) recorded on Lake Erie ever.

The good news is there is every indication that a new record high water mark was not set for June. This can be attributed in part to the lower rainfall this June compared to last.  The lake is still about 30 inches above its long-term average. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expecting the lake level to go down during the next few months and
not set any new monthly records.

Great Idea!

He asked for donations to the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy for Lee Hisey’s birthday this year. He chose this nonprofit because its mission means a lot to him. He asked people to consider contributing as a way to celebrate with him. He reached his goal. This is a great idea! You can choose your own favorite island non-profit and do the same.

Glauser’s are Great Fundraisers

Anyone who has met John Glauser on Middle Bass or Put-in-Bay over the last 30 years always remembers him. He was a member of the Put-in-Bay Fire Department (7 years) and the Middle Bass Fire Department (10 years); John is a craftsman and has worked with Karl Schmidlin Construction for over 30 years. If you live on Middle Bass, chances are John had a hand in helping build your house or improving your property. John kept our roads plowed and Middle Bass clean and tidy for over three decades.

John and his wife, Robin, were on the Middle Bass School Board for over ten years. More importantly, their daughter Cecilia led the Put in Bay Panthers to their undefeated season (She is headed to Bowling Green State University in the Fall for her freshman year)! John’s other daughter Jennifer has been one of the foundation employees for Chris Zeitler’s J.F. Walleye’s and always greets her customers with a smile.

John is fighting cancer, and his Middle Bass friends and family invite you to join them Saturday, July 18, 2020, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the MBI Pavillion by Lonz Winery for a spaghetti dinner and fundraiser to support John and the Glauser family.

Dinner/ raffle tickets are $10 each, and there will be a special drawing for cash prizes of $300.00, $100, and two $50. There will also be a basket Raffle filled with other goodies. Robin and John also invite you to join them in a “Celebration of Love” ceremony where they will renew their wedding vows.

The honorable Mitch Bartels will officiate. Join the Glausers on Facebook: The Glausers R Great. Or for text updates: Text Glausers to 330- 388-2734. Donation and basket drop-off can be arranged through Joyce Shramo, Julie Martinez, or Loretta Beachy. They can be contacted through the Middle Bass General Store.

Property Owners Push Projects, Proclaim Heroes, and Promote Discussion

The next meeting of the Put-in-Bay Property Owners Association will take place on Saturday, July 18, at the Perry’s Cave Shelter at 9 a.m. Members may pay their $25 per household dues at the meeting or mail them to PiBPOA at P.O. Box 324. The 2020 officers are President Bob Smith, Vice President Bill Slough, Secretary Barb Mehling, and Treasurer Joyce Slough. Members will be asked to select one or two topics for Board emphasis and future meeting themes.

Suggested topics include States of the Village and Township, Real Estate taxes and future zoning, water and sewer, Island government and cart and taxi rules, and more. With the help of the Put-In-Bay Garden Club, the Put-in-Bay Property Owners Association purchased a mixer, two wireless microphones, and dual speakers to be used for meetings and events at the Senior Center. The Directional Sign project progresses with the purchase of two additional signs to be placed at the Boardwalk and The Keys.

Again, with the Garden Club’s help, the PIBPOA replaced the directional sign on Langram with a beefed-up cart-proof model. See the picture on page 19. The Association celebrated local heroes by presenting banners to the Put-in-Bay Post Office, Police and Fire Departments, EMS, Village Council, and Township Trustees, the school faculty and staff, Miller Boat Line, and the Island General Store. We are all grateful for their service.

Put-in-Bay High School Class of 2020 Graduation Ceremony Held at Monument

Put-in-Bay High School Class of 2020 had its commencement ceremony on the plaza at Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial on Friday evening, June 18, three weeks later than initially planned due to coronavirus delays. This year’s graduates were Joseph Byrnes, Cecilia Glauser, Carin Kirsch, Alexandra Knauer, Hannah Lentz, and Morgan Stacy.

Put-in-Bay Board of Education member John Domer read the address by keynote speaker Sandra Hauck Brausch (Put-in-Bay High School Class of 1972) who could not attend. Alexander Knauer gave the valedictory address, and Joseph Byrnes gave the salutatory address. Over $30,000 in local scholarships were awarded to the seniors. After the ceremony, the graduating class rode around the village in an old Put-in-Bay fire truck with the siren blowing.

Also taking part in the ceremony were the Put-in-Bay School 8th graders, who graduated as middle schoolers and will be high school freshmen this coming fall. Those students were April Baca-Regalado (who was off-island), Joe Blumensaadt, Hope Cooks, Elora Hubner, Emil Michael, Lyla Steidl and Eleanor Kostura

2020 HABs Forecast

Experts from NOAA and their government and academic partners will discuss the 2020 Seasonal Forecast of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) for Lake Erie and Ohio’s response to the problem during a free public webinar hosted by Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory on Thursday, July 9, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

Registration is required to receive log-in information. Go to Ohio Sea Grant for details about registration. Due to The Ohio State University’s COVID-19 guidelines, there will be no in-person event at Stone Lab this year.

Did You Miss Them?

Did you miss the Put-in-Bay Music Festival, the Pooch Parade, Founder’s Day, Pirate Fest, or any of the other regular events that happened in June but were eliminated this past month due to Covid-19 concerns? We’ve talked to some islanders who say it was somewhat refreshing not to have everything going on. And in retrospect, it might have been problematic putting the events on with many of the island businesses short-staffed and seeking employees with help-wanted advertisements.

Skunk(s) on the Island? -A recent post on Facebook had several people reporting they thought they smelled skunk odor on the Island. Mandy Sobola said she saw a skunk one night on the Island last year. Put-in-Bay has always been skunk-free, but someone might have brought one here, like the chipmunks and black squirrels. Stay tuned as the smell progresses.

Nature & Wildlife Center Update

Although the Nature & Wildlife Center can open per the Governor’s order, due to ongoing construction, it cannot open for the time being. They plan to have some back porch programs later in the summer, which will be announced when more details are available. They apologize for the inconvenience but are looking forward to reopening with their finished building addition! Stay tuned for off-site programs they are rolling out. Thank you for your patience and
Understanding!

Property Owners to Meet at New Location in July

The Put-in-Bay Property Owners Association’s July meeting is scheduled for Saturday, the 18th, at 9 a.m. in Perry’s Cave Pavilion by Dan Dee’s Snack Shack. This is a new time. Social distancing will be observed, and face coverings are required. Picnic tables exist in the pavilion but may be filled, so bringing a chair is recommended. The speakers will be announced at a later date. Future meeting dates are to be determined. Please refer to PIBPOA.com or Put-in-Bay Property Owners’ Association Facebook page.

Alcohol Sales ’til 4 a.m.???

Legislators in Columbus are contemplating a liquor license that would permit sales to 4 a.m. The proposed “J” permit would cost $100 and allow sales until 4 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays instead of 2:30 a.m. The Ohio House already passed House Bill 674 which would allow this. It now heads to the Ohio Senate. The bill would also make it easier to establish or expand outdoor drinking areas, permit voters to allow 24-hour liquor sales and ban authorities from revoking the liquor license of a bar or restaurant that violated Ohio’s Coronavirus orders before June 1.

Funny Money Passed on Kelleys Island

Kelleys Island police took a report on Monday, June 22, about counterfeit $50 and $100 bills being passed on their Island. Police Chief Shawn Craig wrote in reference to the phony bills, “If you’re busy and you’re working as a server or bartender, you might not have the time to look hard enough. Take the time and make sure.”

Put-in-Bay Police Arrest Rape Suspect Big News July 2020

Put-in-Bay police arrested a Columbus man on Sunday, June 14, and charged him with rape and resisting arrest, according to news July 2020. Not many details are available besides that the victim was transported to the mainland for treatment, and the suspect was taken to the Ottawa County Jail.

No Fireworks this 4th After much deliberation, the Put-in-Bay Community Fireworks Fund decided there will be no fireworks show on Saturday, July 4, 2020. After discussions with local community members, including local law enforcement, EMS, and local businesses, they feel they have reached the best decision. The decision was made based on multiple factors, including lessening the pressure on local law enforcement and emergency services during an already high volume day, high water/possible flooding in viewing areas, and input from community members.

Please know this was a tough decision and was not made lightly, but it was made in the best interest of visitors and the Put-in-Bay Community. The Put-in-Bay Community Fireworks Fund appreciates everyone who has reached out and voiced their opinions and concerns. They took everything into account
when making this decision. They look forward to your support and to putting on a spectacular display in 2021

Middle Bass Island East Point Addition-Cleveland Parcel Purchased and Preserved

On May 29, 2020, the Put-in-Bay Township Park District (PIBTPD) purchased 2.83 acres of lakefront on the easternmost point of Middle Bass Island from the Cleveland family. This makes our current preserve of 8 acres almost 11 contiguous acres of wooded shoreline-superb migratory bird habitat. It has been the site of Tom Bartlett’s bird banding operations since 2009. We are also excited that the PIBTPD and Lake Erie Islands Conservancy (LEIC) have been able to preserve over 113 acres now on the Bass Islands.

In part, these lands are being conserved by funding and technical assistance made available by T.C. Energy and its subsidiary Columbia Gas Transmission’s Leach XPress Pipeline Project in partnership with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Conservation Fund.

The Clean Ohio Conservation Fund provided a large grant through their District 5. The Put-in-Bay Township Park District and donations from the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy provided the remainder of the funds. We wish to thank the Cleveland family for working with us on the purchase, Neal Hess a conservation realtor, Marsha Collett as legal advisor,

This & That News July 2020

Congratulations to Steve and Jill Cooks of Shore Villas, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past month. The Erie Islands Library thanks Dr. Charles “Ed” Herdendorf for presenting the library with a copy of his latest book, Geology of Catawba Island. It will make a fine addition to the local history collection. Are you stymied looking for the best place to fish at Put-in-Bay? Just call Justine! That’s right, Justine Cultice brags she knows every hotspot around.

Vicky Wigle reports Kayak the Bay will not be open this season. CC Wisniewski at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club posted on social media in June, “Put-in-Bay Golf Cart rentals golf cart owners… would you like me to start a list of all of your cart numbers who are ignoring the high water sign and driving right through some serious water in front of the club?” Running the carts through high water can really damage the carts. IBR manager Adam Riley warned renters that if they go through deep water and ruin their cart, they will be charged $300.

Fortunately, the lake level is going down, and there isn’t as much flooding as last summer, even though flooding is still an issue on some days. In June, we found this question on the Internet: “Where is the best place to stop along the route from Put-in-Bay to Middle Bass Island Airport?” Here’s our answer: If you’re flying, you may not want to stop anywhere, according to news July 2020

You may have noticed the arrival of the Mayflies around the summer solstice this year. Mayflies and the summer solstice have little to do with each other. Here’s a helpful hint; Remember to turn off the lights around your house at night. There’s also a rumor that Mayflies are a lot fewer this year because of the high population of hungry walleye in the lake feeding on them. We think there are so many of both that it doesn’t matter.

Ty Burgess was Life Flighted to St. Vincent Mercy on Saturday night, June 13, after a stroke. He received emergency care within minutes. Thank you. Goes to the Put-In-Bay EMS for their life-saving action. We look forward to seeing Ty out and about on the Island soon! Calling all Junior Rangers. There’s a new program this summer at Perry’s Monument. Join Ranger Andy and learn to fish. Thursday- Monday at 10, 12, and 3. Ask at the Visitors Center for more information.

Everyone loves the climbing wall and water slide at the new Crew’s Nest swimming pool. Miller Ferry tells us that the new ferry, the M/V Mary Ann Market, is still at the shipyard in Superior, Wisconsin, and islanders anxious for her appearance at Put-in-Bay are going to have to wait a little longer. Jake had no definite date for the arrival. The Community Swim/Sail Program classes filled up fast when registration opened in the news June 2020 edition. Classes began in late June and will only run over three weeks.

Scott Market reports it was with a heavy heart that they had to cut the willow tree down at Miller Marina, reporting to News July 2020. The severe storm in June split the tree down the middle of the crotch When Scott was a kid. He used to weed whip this area before the Marina was put in. That was before gas weed whips. He decided not to cut it down back then and let it grow. It was only a couple of feet high. Rest assured; a new tree will be planted in its place.

Don’t look for any visiting tourists from Canada soon! The latest is that the border will not open until July 21. That means that Americans can’t visit Pelee, nor can Pelee islanders visit any of the U.S. islands. It’s sad since we can all see each other outside our windows. We found this little post on the internet. “ATTENTION, you are no longer allowed to throw peanut shells on the floor at the Roundhouse at Put-in-Bay. This message is from the Emergency Response team.”

News July 2020 From The Friends of Stone Laboratory

(FOSL) awarded Stone Laboratory scholarships to 15 high school students from across the state at the 2020 State Science Day, held virtually May 26 to June 2, 2020. The event is organized each year by The Ohio Academy of Science. If you are looking for a free fun family activity, take a walk along with the beautiful Putin-Bay StoryWalk located at Dodge Woods Nature Preserves at the corner of Thompson and Airport Roads. The featured story is a delightful folk tale, sure to delight all ages!

The antique car parades take place on Sundays, but there are no pre- or post-parade parties. We’ll have to talk 4-barrel carburetors and transmission problems with our friends at the Garden Club. Former Island summer resident Betty Finkbeiner donated a copy of her latest children’s book to the island library.

It’s a delightful story of two cats who visit Perry’s Monument. Players in the Lake Erie Islands Softball League took the field in June. Playing this season are teams from Middle Bass Island and Kelleys Island, Heineman’s Winery, Boardwalk, Round House, and Blue Marlin from Put-in-Bay.

Former Put-in-Bay Police Dept. Lieutenant Michael Russo, who resigned after the multiple-arrest incident the evening of June 6, was also in another incident over Memorial Day Weekend in which he is alleged to have body-slammed a black woman to the ground near the Put-in-Bay Resort and Conference Center.

One report said the lady weighed 90 pounds. Reports show evidence has been turned over to the county prosecutor and the FBI. With the Coronavirus, the crazy economy, and the race riots, no matter how bad the Mayflies get this season, they won’t be that bad.