Island Diary July 2019 Everything You May Have Missed
Diary July 2019 Mon., July 1st – Islanders awake to the shocking news that Patrick Myers was found dead at his home on Mitchell Rd. the previous evening. A new modular home that arrived on Catawba before the weekend is ferried to the island now that the water has gone down a tad. “Big Eagle,” a beautiful 172-ft. yacht with a crew of 10, is docked at the Put-in-Bay Docks in the morning.
Tues., July 2nd – It’s hot and humid, but dark gray clouds bring rain to the island in the afternoon to help cool things off. Middle Bass is spared the rain. Greg Dobos from Clean Cut comes across a fox snake almost seven feet long and about as thick around as a Red Bull can. He posts it’s the biggest one he’s ever seen on the island.
Wed., July 3rd – The Lake Erie Islands Conservancy and the Put-in-Bay Park District finalize the purchase of another 8.2 acres of wetland forest on Middle Bass Island thanks to the Clean Ohio Conservation and Coastal Estuarine and Land Conservation Programs!
Thurs., July 4th – Howard and Elaine Martens start their holiday by watering the downtown flower baskets. The Patriots Band plays a concert in the evening at the Monument a few short hours before the Put-in-Bay fireworks show over the harbor. Mark Ray has guests to his rental cottage at Shore Villas to watch the fireworks on the water.
Fri., July 5th – There’s a Ladies’ Auxiliary yard sale going on at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. The second haunted Put-in-Bay ghost walk takes place. Three tourists show up at the Lime Kiln dock looking for the Tunnel To Put-in-Bay.
Sat., July 6th – Purple Martin banding with Tom Kashmir and Lisa Rock of the Green Creek Conservation Society and Paula Ziebarth of the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy takes place in the morning at the Scherff East Point Preserve. Afterward, AmeriCorps intern Emma Young leads a shoreline cleanup at the preserve. Many boats are at the docks in the morning, but many boaters leave with reports of northeast winds coming. Bob White removes a (deceased) squirrel from St. Paul’s dryer vent.
Sun., July 7th – Waters from the lake fill the low spots in Route 357 (Bayview Ave.) from the Crew’s Nest to around Squaw Harbor and in front of the Monument. Kids have fun canoeing in the street in front of the yacht club, and the Sonny-S curtails ferry service between
Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass due to the northeast wind and flooded docks. The Ford Trimotor is at the airport giving rides.
Mon., July 8th – Funeral services for Patrick Myers take place at Mother of Sorrows Church. The Cornerstone Room is filled, and the overflow gathers in the Undercroft of St. Paul’s Church across the street, where a video feed of the services is set up. Patrick is the first to rest in the new portion of Crown Hill Cemetery. An Irish wake takes place at the Crew’s Nest Pavilion.
Tues., July 9th – Rich Zura (PIBHS Class of 1955) and his sister Sue (PIBHS Class of 1969) visit the home they grew up in on Concord Ave., now owned by Mike and Lyndsay Conshafter. Richard says he hadn’t been to the island in 12 years.
Wed., July 10th – Put-in-Bay Village Council meets in the morning. Council, concerned about the decreasing revenue from the “Island Resort Tax,” learns the State of Ohio Taxation Department will be on the island in September to deal with the non-payers. The Round House softball team is playing the Middle Bass team at the field on Middle Bass Island. This subject was also addressed in the Put-in-Bay news for August 2018.
Thurs., July 11th – The Diversity workshop takes place in the morning. Officials from Stone Lab officially release the harmful algal bloom report for Lake Erie for the 2019 season. The bloom forecast is a 7.5 (roughly between a range from 6 to 9), making it similar to 2017 and one of the 5 worst since HABS reports started. It’s gorgeous weather in the evening for Eric Booker’s 50th birthday party at the Boardwalk.
Fri., July 12th – It is a perfect summer weather day on the island. There’s a Curley’s RibFest Cookout going on in the parking lot at the Island General Store. You can get a full slab of ribs for $12. In George Stoiber’s barn in Victory Woods, the museum is selling items left from an estate sale in Toledo. Nancy Bane is holding another big sale in her yard, too. At the Yacht Club, the young Community Swim/Sail Program youngsters are attending this season’s award ceremony.
Sat., July 13th – The Erie County Sheriff’s marine patrol, along with the Coast Guard, pulls a couple to safety after their boat begins to take on water off Kelleys Island. Over at Lonz Winery, the Middle Bass Music Festival is taking place. A fantastic, perfect-weather Community Swim/Sail Program fundraiser cruise takes place in the evening. Toby Landreth takes the honors as the best-dressed cruiser!
Sun., July 14th – Liesl Jackson, the daughter of Scott and Caroline Jackson from the Goat Soup & Whiskey, celebrates her third birthday early with a barbecue party at Jackson’s stone press house home near the airport. There are 46 cars in the antique car parade in the afternoon. The parade sponsors are Bill and Gail McCracken, Bob and Dianne Smith, and Jack and Kathi Spayde. This is the fourth day in a row that you can say it’s been perfect summer weather. Joe Charboneu, the Cleveland Indians baseball team’s American League Rookie of the Year almost 40 years ago, is on the island.
Mon., July 15th – There are scores of young sailors on the island competing in the first races of the Junior Regatta. The Village Council meets to discuss future options for its Frederick property on Erie St. The monthly Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce meeting takes place at The Keys for the first time. A couple of good downpours get the islands wet in the late afternoon. Dottie Sweeney (Put-in-Bay High School Class of 1975) is on the island visiting old friends.
Tues., July 16th – Kristin Stanford is at the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center talking about snakes for the weekly Wild Tuesday program. The kids get a hands-on chance to get to know snakes better. Lake Erie Islands Conservancy AmeriCorp Intern Emma Young leads volunteers who want to help mulch the Jane Coates Wildflower Trail. The HMCS Oriole anchors off the North Shore of MBI. It is a training ketch of the Royal Canadian Navy based in Halifax. It is the oldest commissioned vessel in the Canadian Navy. Beautiful. Christine Ontko at Freshwater Retreat & Remedies is conducting a soap-making class at her shop!
Diary July 2019 Wed., July 17th – The July Sunset Tour occurs at Perry’s Monument. It’s a chance to experience a sunset from the 317-ft.-high observation deck on top of the Monument. Thurs., July 18th – The Island Artisan Fair is at the Put-in-Bay Town Hall. American Legion Post 542 heads to Middle Bass for its monthly meeting at the Middle Bass Town Hall. The appointment follows a pizza lunch at the Middle Bass Island General Store. Shortly after 4 p.m., a rainstorm goes over the island.
Fri., July 19th – The Put-in-Bay Jeep invasion begins on this scorching day. The heat makes us wonder what people did to keep cool when there was no air conditioning. Jack Zimmerman celebrates his birthday with close friends and family.
Sat., July 20th – It’s Pink Day at the Bay. Tom LaPlante from Megabits, LLC is at the Put-in-Bay Property owners meeting at the Put-in-Bay Senior Center to speak about the new powerful MiFi internet service on the island. The other guest speaker was Keara Stanislawczyk, a water quality technician from Stone Lab, who talked about the algae blooms that plague Lake Erie.
The staff at the Goat gets its 2019 group photo taken in the morning. The Perry Group is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Lunar Landing with an evening visit to the top of Perry’s Monument. Island astronomer Gene Zajac is on hand to talk about the Apollo missions to the moon.
Sun., July 1st – Due to the hot weather, St. Paul’s relocates their worship to their air-conditioned undercroft. Several island families with young kids head to Middle Bass Island for fun at the State Park and J.F. Walleye. The antique car parade sponsors are Travis and Missi Kowalski. The post-parade stop is at the Reel Bar.
Mon., July 22nd – It’s noticeably cooler, with temperatures at breakfast time in the 60s. An overall slow day and a great time to look back at the July 2018 Diary!
Tues., July 23rd – Former Put-in-Bay summer cottage owner Lee Stifter is on the island celebrating her 90th birthday with family and island friends at her old home, formerly known as the Beebe House, before being moved from Toledo Ave. to the east side of the Monument. 70 Vietnam Veterans from the Veterans Home in Sandusky enjoy a picnic in DeRivera Park. After dinner, a wind squall goes through the islands, and Bob Bahney clocks it at 54 mph.
Wed., July 24th – Put-in-Bay’s Solar System Ambassador Gene Zajac presents a talk about moon exploration at the Senior Center. It’s perfect weather for Lobster Mania at the Boardwalk or the Wagyu burger special at the Reel Bar.
Thurs., July 25th – The Port Authority holds a meeting to discuss having two Bash at the Bay concerts on two back-to-back days next season. Speakers from the ferry boat lines were optimistic they could handle the extra passenger load. Comments from the audience were all in favor of having the event be two days long. A group from Put-in-Bay heads over on the Jet Express to Kelleys Island to celebrate Theresa Finney’s 60th birthday. Chip Duggan is giving a tour with the train on Middle Bass. Spotted downtown Put-in-Bay, three guys wearing Santa or elf hats.
Fri., July 26th – The Put-in-Bay Nature Camp kids are seen kayaking in the harbor. An ice cream stop at Gibraltar Island was in order.
Sat., July 27th – This is the day everyone has been waiting for. The island is back to a typical Saturday in July and a dramatic, complete reversal of this weekend from the last few years. 70-90 riders took part in the 5th Annual Middle Bass Island Tandem Bike Crawl. The “Our Survivors Party” party takes place at the yacht club. Members cook their steaks.
Diary July 2019 Sun., July 28th – Antique Car Parade sponsors are Toby and Stephanie Landreth and the Getaway Inn at Cooper’s Woods. There’s a benefit for Jill Turner Fisher, who is fighting breast cancer at Das Lokal, the Biergarten at The Goat. A wonderful turnout for a wonderful lady.
Mon., July 29th – Happy 70th Birthday to Woody!!! Vacation Bible Camp begins at the Put-in-Bay Town Hall. The Put-in-Bay Village Council meets to consider denying the IV Joint’s business license; The Put-in-Bay IV Joint is a van offering rehydration to people who party a little too much. Miranda Krueger (Put-in-Bay High School Class of 2012) completes her 4,000-mile Bike & Build coast-to-coast fundraiser bike ride in Santa Cruz, California. The 2019 Luau is taking place at the Keys in the evening.
Tues., July 30th – A group from Heineman Winery heads to North Bass on one of the Miller ferries to drop off spraying equipment and other supplies needed to work the vineyards there. Roger Rhoad from Cameo Pizza stops at the Crew’s Nest pool while recovering from spinal surgery. Here’s to wishing Roger a speedy recovery! Did you see the parade of amphibians in Put-in-Bay harbor? It was one of our 2019 Predictions for Put-in-Bay!
Wed., July 31st – Friends honor and remember the late Bob Wolford with “Bob Day at the Bay.” Marie Schiller from Steyr, Austria, arrives on the island to visit the Scott and Caroline Jackson family. Steyr is where Caroline (Put-in-Bay High School Class of 2004) attended high
school for a year in 2001-2002. James Lewis from Mr. Ed skydives for the first time with Sky Dive Put-in-Bay
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