Diary August 2019 Put-in-Bay Ohio Everything That Happened!
Diary August 2019 – Thurs., Aug. 1st – There’s a soft opening at the new Tree Bar at Mist at Mr. Ed’s in the late afternoon.
Fri., Aug. 2nd – There are plenty of people on the island enjoying a perfect-weather summer day. The I-LYA Sailboat Regatta begins.
Sat., Aug. 3rd – The go-fast boats participating in the Rolling Thunder Poker Run pull out of the harbor headed for their next destination in the morning. As someone posted, there’s “so much boat and not a rod holder or fishing rod on any of them.” Over on Middle Bass, the Middle Bass Island Kayak Poker Run takes place. There’s a celebration of life at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for Mark and Barbi Barnhill, who both passed away this spring.
Gabriela Kaplan is hosting several Sierra Club members at her home at the airport. They are also musicians. Kira Hubner and Dustin Hayes are representing Heineman Winery at the Vintage Ohio Wine Festival in Kirtland, Ohio. Sheryl Patry and Gretchen Brubaker report seeing a 30-something man with arm swimmers on at the Sand Bar. Bob and Dianne Smith host three foreign students at a potluck at their home on the South Shore.
Sun., Aug. 4th – The yard sign on a vacant lot on Langram Rd. that says future home of Dollar General Store. Mark and Nan Burr from the West Shore sponsor the pre-parade antique car activities. A big hook and ladder fire truck is among the 40 or so vehicles in the parade. Following the parade, the group gathers at the Perry’s Cave pavilion. Nora French is celebrating her 40th birthday with friends and family at the Pelee Island Winery.
Mon., Aug. 5th – Repairs begin on the North Bass Dock. The two-day Eco Tour of South Bass Island begins. This unique ramble and tour includes over 32 fun nature- and history-related stops with docents. Local artisans are at the Town Hall to sell their wares.
Tues., Aug. 6th – There’s a dedication ceremony in the morning at Oak Point State Park for the island water trail. ODNR Director Mary Mertz takes time to lead kayakers on a tour to around Gibraltar Island. The Ottawa County Commissioners Donald Douglas, Mark Coppeler, Mark Stahl, and Put-in-Bay Twp are among those at the ribbon-cutting. Trustees Eric Engel and Chris Cooper. Fortunately, a storm waits to sweep through the island until after the ceremony. There’s a Hotel Victory Lantern Tour at the State Park in the evening.
Wed., Aug. 7th – The morning starts off with a power outage for parts of the island caused by a 7-inchlong blackbird who went out with a flash and puff of smoke after hitting something he shouldn’t have. Beautiful cars from the International Thunderbird Club are on display parked along Bayview Ave. from Catawba to Hartford. The 7th Annual Pig Roast & Raffle benefiting the Nature & Wildlife Center takes place in Das Lokal Biergarten at the Goat.
Tour trains are transporting ILYA Powerboaters around the island on a bar crawl. It’s the last day for Wednesday night BINGO at the Town Hall. Over on Kelleys Island, the green team defeats the Boardwalk in the first round of a two-out-of-three-game series for this year’s LEIML softball championship.
Thurs., Aug. 8th – Just before noon, a Coca-Cola delivery truck snags a low-hanging Spectrum wire by Mossbacks and pulls down an electric pole snapping it like a toothpick. Bayview Ave. and residents to the west are without power for more than 13 hours. The I-LYA powerboaters are having inflatable boat races in the harbor.
The annual Lake Erie Islands Historical Fundraiser Auction takes place at Heineman Winery. Scott Market purchased the old Chamber of Commerce building in DeRivera Park for many years. He says he will put it in the vineyard behind his house. Fri., Aug. 9th – It’s Clean & Safe Boating Day at the Aquatic Visitors Center on Peach Point. U.S. Senator Rob Portman visits Stone Lab. The Barbershop Quartet singers perform at the Monument in the evening.
Sat., Aug. 10th – Former island residents Chip and Anne Wyant are visiting on this absolutely beautiful August Saturday. A gang from Fremont airport rents the ODNR’s Lake House on North Bass for the weekend and enjoys a cookout. There are about 20 planes parked along the side of the NBI runway at one point.
Sun., Aug. 11th – It’s another busy day on the islands. At the Boat House, Ben Dover and the Screamers are performing for the last time to benefit Alzheimer’s. With them on stage are the Reese Dailey Band and Bob Gatewood. At the ball diamond, Put-in-Bay fans see the Boardwalk’s hopes for this year’s softball championship end after the Kelleys Island team beats them 14 to 5 in the best of three series. Over on Middle Bass at the General Store, there a real luau for 75 people. Jill Warga waits on former OSU Coach Urban Meyer at Mossbacks.
Mon., Aug. 12th – The PIB Chamber of Commerce holds its August member meeting at the Red Moon at the Park Hotel. The J.F. Walleye’s crew from Middle Bass is at Cedar Point for the day. Put-in-Bay’s Wine Club meets for adult refreshments at the Tiki Bar at the Bayshore Hotel.
Tues., Aug. 13th – It’s a gloomy day in the morning. Adam Riley leaves for Niagara Falls with foreign student workers from Island Bike Rental. Cameo Pizza is closed, so their workers can enjoy a staff appreciation party at Cedar Point. There’s also a group called “Painting on the Porch” at the Nature & Wildlife Center. Verizon’s cell phone service goes out for a few hours around dinner time. Volunteer members of the PIBVFD are at Stone Cove trying out new fire hose nozzles. On this day 25 years ago, Carl and Chris Krueger purchased the old fire department building, which today is their Put-in-Bay Brewery & Distillery.
On Wed., Aug. 14th – 100 years ago, the Hotel Victory burned to the ground. Renee Market is giving afternoon tours of the state park campgrounds showing people where the hotel is located. In the evening, there’s stargazing from the observation deck on top of the Monument. Although there were clouds, gazers did see some meteors. After the Goat closes for the
Fri., Aug. 16th – People start pouring onto the island for another great weekend. There’s a long wait at Miller’s Catawba dock to
bring cars to the island.
Sat., Aug. 17th – At McCann’s field, 133 teams compete in the Battle of the Bay Volleyball Tournament. The Put-in-Bay Property Owners meet in the morning. Brad Ohlemacher from the Safe Island Task Force, Todd Blumensaadt from the Jet Express, and Put-in-Bay Police Chief Steve Riddle review the successful outcome of the last weekend in July.
Kathi Spayde checks the wonderful new PIBPOA website she’s created for everyone to see. At the Goat’s Biergarten, the inaugural Sausage Fest with a real live Polka band takes place in the afternoon. A few sprinkles dampen things for a short time, but the players in the band keep on playing. Andy Blumensaadt (Put-in-Bay High School Class of 2007) celebrates his 30th birthday with a party in the evening.
Diary August 2019 Sun., Aug. 18th – With a forecast of rain coming through the islands, boaters in the harbor leave their docks early and head home. Dustin Schaffer wraps up sky diving at the Put-in-Bay Airport for the season. Today is the day Tyler King (Put-in-Bay High School Class of 2017) heads off to his junior year at Ohio State. Bob Bahney records 47 mph winds on Peach Point when a storm enters the island just before midnight.
Mon., Aug. 19th – Miller’s ferry changes to the “late summer’ schedule. It’s one of the first signs that summer is closing. The water level in the lake comes up and covers the road by the yacht club in the morning…… the first time in a while. Eli Heineman says harvesting is close but not quite here yet! It might begin a bit later than usual. The Wine Club meets at Jason Cooper’s home on Pinky’s Pond. Charity Vibrator Races to benefit Island Paws Dog Park take place at the Round House in the evening. Emcees Ray Fogg and Duff Spatafore report a lot of buzz going around the island in anticipation of the show.
Tues., Aug. 20th – Lucy Niese, the daughter of Jeff and Kelly Niese, starts 11th grade at Vanguard Tech for Digital Multi-Media. Two of Rob and Kristi Stacy’s youngsters start school at Vanguard on the mainland. Eleventh grader Marshall will be in the electrical trades program, and senior Morgan will start her second year in the culinary program.
Spectrum notifies its island customers by email that service may be interrupted between 2 and 6 a.m. on Wednesday for upgrade maintenance. Joe’s Bar has an employee party. A fixture in Squaw Harbor for decades, Mark Scarpelli’s barge built by Dick Powers in the Quonset hut at the end of Bath St. years ago, is towed out of Put-in-Bay’s harbor by its new owner.
Diary August 2019 Wed., Aug. 21st – The Boardwalk is serving its delicious Tarpon Springs Shrimp Special. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s shrimp served to steam hot with Feta cheese, olive oil, Old Bay, lemon, and butter on pita bread.
Diary August 2019 Thurs., Aug. 22nd – The Ottawa County Improvement Corporation hosts its Experience Ottawa County networking and dinner reception at the Keys in The purpose of EOC is to bring local business leaders, County and community leaders, elected officials, and prospective clients together to demonstrate that Ottawa County is a great place to expand existing business and relocate a new business.
The Garden Club meets at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. Members create a small wreath with succulents. Bobbi Dobos puts on a “Drive-In Movie” and bonfire for families and kids at the old Market home next to Joe’s Bar in the evening. A Canadian icebreaker is spotted in the channel between Middle Bass and Put-in-Bay
Fri., Aug. 23rd – The Put-in-Bay Vistors & Convention Bureau posts its 2020 event schedule for the island. The 2nd Annual Lake Erie Islands Historical Art Auction fundraiser occurs at the Crew’s Nest. Seventeen artists transformed items from Back Bay, the home of the late Bob and Winnie Schmidt on Toledo Ave., that are auctioned off to benefit the island museum.
Diary August 2019 Sat., Aug. 24th – It is a fall-like day at the Bay….cooler, light wind and sunny sky. Rosann Keiser is in her Port Authority office at the airport, giving out passes to residents who will need them on the day of the Kid Rock concert to get to their homes on Langram Rd. Airline Dr. She is also handing out concert tickets to property owners living around the airport. Mike and Alice Kreuzberg join Anne and Greg Auger for a combined housewarming at the former Hildebrandt cottage on the West Shore and a party for Gunnar Auger (PIBHS Class of 2015), who graduated from college last spring.
Diary August 2019 Sun., Aug. 25th – To celebrate its 103rd anniversary, the National Park Service has a fee-free day. Visitors can go to the top of the Monument for free and don’t have to pay $10 per person. Pre Antique Car Parade sponsors, are Steve Yeager and Sean William Koltiska. The Post Parade sponsors are the Fishbowl and Mossbacks. At the Monument, there’s a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s death at the age of 28. It’s a scene at the public docks and B dock with most slips full of boaters waiting for the Bash on the Bay on Thursday. You’d think it was a Friday in July!
Mon., Aug. 26th – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) satellite imagery shows harmful algal blooms (HABs) for the cyanobacteria Microcystis in the lake all around the Bass Islands. The water around Kelleys and Pelee Islands is still clear. Put-in-Bay Township and partners announced the protection of 4.4 acres of land on Ohio’s Lake Erie Islands. The newly conserved land will support additional opportunities for public recreation, migratory bird and wildlife habitat, Lake Erie water quality, and more.
Diary August 2019 Tues., Aug. 27th – It’s taco night at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club, plus the Indians/Tigers game is on. Setup for the 3rd annual “Bash on the Bay” is underway as lifts, lights, food trucks, and stage equipment arrive on the Miller Ferry throughout the day.
Wed., Aug. 28th – Many island establishments are advertising “Bash on the Bay” pre-parties, including Mr. Ed’s Bar, the Blue Marlin Bar and Frosty’s. Frosty’s brought in world-famous DJ Soulman to play during the day. At 4 p.m., there is a 4-hour wait to bring a car over on the Miller Ferry.
Thurs., Aug. 29th – The third “Bash on the Bay” takes place at the Put-in-Bay Airport. An estimated 15,000 fans attended the Kid Rock concert.
Horses, bomb dogs, 100 deputies, and 200 security personnel are in and around the event to keep things safe. The Port Authority reports the harbor is at max capacity with all slips and mooring balls full of boats.
Fri., Aug. 30th – The September issue of the Put-in-Bay Gazette is out on the stands around the island and it’s not even the 1st of the month. The Put-in-Bay Visitors & Convention Bureau 2018 Vacation Winner was on the island enjoying their free weekend.
Diary August 2019 Sat., Aug. 31st – Put-in-Bay Labor Day Weekend!, Season 2019! We don’t know where the season went. If you know, please contact us Stay tuned for some great September 2019 Events coming up!
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