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Island Diary April 2023
Sat., Apr. 1st – It’s not a joke! The weather turns in the afternoon as strong 45 mph+ winds halt ferry service for the fifth weekend in a row. A group of five couples from Channel Grove who come to the island in the morning are forced to find accommodations for the night when ferry service is halted. It’s the last Saturday for the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club’s winter season.
Sun., Apr. 2nd – Beckett Dobos earns his green belt and Braylee Dobos earns her green stripe belt in Taekwondo at a ceremony at the Town Hall. James Taylor gives the island kids lessons. Coming over on the 4:30 afternoon ferry is a vehicle pulling a trailer with a full-size pick up truck on it. Just wondering if that’s a first or if anyone remembers seeing this happen before. Carolyn Young from Put-in-Bay Rd. makes her first trip to the island of the 2023 season.
Mon., Apr. 3rd – There’s a meeting at the Town Hall to discuss the proposed parking permit legislation. At the school in the afternoon there’s an Easter Bunny Scavenger Hunt for the kids.
Tue., Apr. 4th – At the Village Council meeting, Judy Berry is sworn in as PIB Mayor. Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick attends the council meeting. Many of the PIB students are on a field trip to Toledo where they stop at Tony Packo’s for lunch. Brian Hovey explores Coopers Woods where the signs of spring are in abundance.
Wed., Apr. 5th – At 7 a.m. the temperature reaches 70 degrees, plus there’s a forecast of severe weather coming.
Thurs., Apr. 6th – There’s another meeting to discuss permit parking in the Village, plus the need for housing for police officer and other village employees. Over at the Kelleys Island School’s Field Station the students learn about Phenology, the study of recurring biological events (i.e. animals coming out of hibernation and starting to migrate north for the summer, trees beginning to bud, and longer days, etc.).
Fri., Apr. 7th – The Put-in-Bay High School seniors head out to Washington and Oregon for their class trip with chaperones Kim and Madeline Pugh. Bill and Lisa Kehoe from Chapman Rd. open their cottage for the season.
Sat., Apr. 8th – Thanks to the PIBVFD the Easter Bunny arrives on the firetruck in the nick of time for Easter Egg Hunt in the east end of the downtown park. There are lots of treats in the colorful plastic eggs, plus additional big prizes for the luckier ones. On this date one year from now, there will be a total eclipse of the sun over Put-in-Bay.
Sun., Apr. 9th – Deacon Jim O’Donnell from Mother of Sorrows and Fr. Bob Solon from St. Paul’s are at Oak Point State Park for an ecumenical Easter sunrise service. Patty Bauer is at Miller’s ticket booth at the Lime Kiln welcoming all with bunny ears on. The PIB Senior Class is enjoying Seattle where they visit the Museum of Pop Culture, the Space Needle, the Seattle Aquarium and the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum.
Mon., Apr. 10th – Joe’s Bar opens in the late afternoon for the season
Tue., Apr. 11th – Among the issues addressed at the Village of Put-in-Bay Planning Commission meeting are the plans for what will be built on the Crescent property plus an application for a golf cart drive-thru food stand at the BayShore Resort. Over in Port Clinton, the Jet Express II is put into the water for the season.
Wed., Apr. 12th – Dolores Kowalski from Saunder’s Resort is celebrating her 90th birthday! There’s a spring clean up at the Wildlife Center. The temperature hits 74 degrees in the evening.
Thu., Apr. 13th – The sky is blue, there’s a slight breeze a flat lake and an afternoon high of 75 degrees. The forecast for Monday includes snowflakes. At Cameo Pizza the first “test” pizza comes out of the oven. Ava Heineman and Elias Wright are out selling pizzas for the PIBHS Class of ‘25 fundraiser. In the evening, the PIB firemen are called out to douse a fire in Victory Woods.
Fri. Apr. 14th – The township gives public notice that the fish waste disposal container near the entrance to the transfer station is full and cannot accept any more fish guts. It is scheduled to be emptied on Monday, the 17th. The notice suggests fish waste can be put in bags and frozen in the meantime. Justine Cultice celebrates her birthday by opening Cameo Pizza for the season. The first Pickle Bread order comes in before she even opened the store. Patty Bauer is the first Cameo customer of the season! Justine’s sister Jill Koch and her husband Mike open the Put-in-Bay Brewery and Distillery for the season. The red light at the Firetruck Bar is turned on.
Sat., Apr. 15th – The Erie Islands Library hosts a tea at the Cornerstone Room at Mother of Sorrows. There are lots of beautiful coffee cups and saucers, plus some tasty treats to go along with the tea. For a day in mid-April, the Village is pretty busy with fishermen and golfcarters. The Friends of Stone Lab are holding their annual clean up on Gibraltar Island. A group of pickle ball players is at the Crew’s Nest tennis courts showing off their skills and all pretending to be younger. We hear Diane Nemec is the leader of the group.
Sun., Apr. 16th – Great Lakes Tobacconist Richard Warren serves coffee to anyone wanting to stop his place for a chat or cigar. There are only two cars in the first preseason unofficial antique car parade of the season. The winds are gusting at 50 mph. Mark and Karen Wilhelm celebrate there 40th wedding anniversary with a stop at the Put-in-Bay Winery and then chicken wings and nachos at the Put-in-Bay Brewery and Distillery.
Mon., Apr. 17th – Earth Week at Put-in-Bay begins. It’s cold and windy and the last ferry is canceled. The office at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club opens for the season. On this date in 1900, the famous Perry Willow Tree by the cannon ball monument in DeRivera Park collapses. The tree is reportedly where six American and British officers were buried together after the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.
Tue., Apr. 18th – Several Sheriff deputies are at the fire station after lunch to show off the Ottawa County Sheriff’s specialized vehicles! After school, the deputies participate in an active shooter drill at Put-in-Bay School,
Wed., Apr. 19th – At the Nature & Wildlife Center there’s a Sip & Thrift Clothing Swap going on. Miller Boat Line runs an off-schedule, late ferry trip. Scott Market spots a mother Canada Goose with her waddling youngsters for the first time this spring.
Thu., Apr. 20th – At the Town Hall, there’s a fundraiser lunch for baton twirler and PIB High School student Jacob Seaman who will be heading to Liverpool, England to compete this summer in the International Baton Twirling Federation Nations Cup and World Competition, The Tip & Sip Clothing Swap at the Nature Center is extended an extra day. The parents of the students performing in the Spring Play at the Town Hall get a sneak preview of the performance. The water temperature in Lake Erie is just shy of 48 degrees. This is above average for this time of year.
Fri., Apr. 21st – It’s another busy Friday at the Bay. The number of ferry trips per day increased. Among the openings are the Red Moon at the Park Hotel with its craft cocktails and Frosty Bar & Family Pizza with it’s half off food special. The Boathouse also opens. The upstairs of the Town Hall is filled with for the PIB Arts Council’s production of “Wine, Cheese, and Murder.” Thirteen talented students grades 7th through 12th make the play a winner.
Sat., Apr. 22nd – There’s a Garlic Mustard Pull in Cooper’s Woods in the morning. The Round House opens and down the street Mr. Ed’s is hosting its annual pajama party. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Round House and there’s a special Round House Anniversary Bucket to mark the occasion.
Sun., Apr. 23rd – When the day starts, the temperature is below 40 degrees. Braylee Dobos and Erin Stapleton have First Communion at Mother of Sorrows. Customers are standing in line outside the Round House to get in when the doors open for the Whiskey Lighting Ceremony with emcee Ray Fogg. It may be warm outside, but there are drizzle and hail falling from the sky.
Mon., Apr. 24th – Two of the PIB Police Department’s vehicles, a 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 2005 Chevrolet Impala, are up for auction on Govdeals.com. The vehicles will be sold to the highest bidder and are labeled in “as is” condition. At a special Council meeting, members vote for Phil Hahn to replace Judy Berry’s seat on Council after Mayor Jessica Dress resigned and Judy became mayor. There are discussions about the proposed parking permit ordinance, the purchase of new radios for the police department, the issuance of a new liquor license, street striping and the replacement of the ozone compressors at the water plant. There are a couple of public hearings for zoning variances before the regular meeting. An application for a mobile hot tub facility at the Islander Inn, details for a new townhouse project on Lorain Ave. and a new accessory building in front of the BayShore Resort are among the topics covered at the hour and a half meeting. The Stone Lab staff on Gibraltar Island welcomes students from Hudson High School for the first field trip of the season.
Tue., Apr. 25th – There are complaints on social media about how the fishermen with their boat trailers are parking in the downtown area. Nick Cartwright is working at the Blue Marlin and pulls up 10 big floor mats from behind the bar.. Like many, he announces on Facebook that they are free for the taking. They are gone before the day is over. In spite of the chilly rain, Brian Hovey and Sandy Funtal are out exploring the island. Among the species they spot are Blue Herons, Green Herons, Bonaparte Gulls, Bald Eagles, Cooper Hawks, and crazy big fish tails flopping in Pinky’s Pond
Wed., Apr. 26th – One of the long-term weather forecasts for our area says below-normal temperatures could last through at least mid-May and possibly beyond that. The sun is out and it’s not a bad day for working inside or out.
Thu., Apr. 27th – Boardmembers Kelly Faris and Kendra Koehler from the PIB Twp. Park District head to Middle Bass Island in the morning to meet with contractors bidding on the shoreline protection project at the East Point Park Preserve. Chris Helman who oversees the preserve provides transportation on Middle Bass. Kevin Dailey from the Boathouse, after talking with island friends about local politics, says he’ll sleep on the idea about running for PIB mayor this fall. “Mayor Dailey” certainly has a good ring to it.
Fri., Apr. 28th – Did someone say rain? Apparently, someone did. The Arbor Day Celebration behind the post office was a wet affair as a few dedicated participants planted two trees, a Burr Oak and a Sycamore, in pouring rain. Thanks Cameo for the pizzas for the participants. Dick Bliss from Fox’s Den celebrates his 80th birthday.
Sat., Apr. 29th – You can tell the season is starting. Even with the below normal temperature, there are still some boats at the docks and plenty of golf carts parked on Delaware Ave. A thunder storm rolls through the islands after dark.
Sun., Apr. 30th – The 9th Annual Browns Backer Draft Day 5k starts on time despite rain in the morning. This years race drew over 120 participants. Members of both St. Paul’s and Mother of Sorrows share a hospitality session in MOS’s Cornerstone Room. Jack Spayde from Fox’s Den and Carol Rees from New Colony celebrate their 80th birthdays. Taylor’s Tae Kwon Do, Tumbling and Dance has their annual recital in the Town Hall in the afternoon.
Putinbay.com is proud to present the Put-in-Bay Gazette’s Island Diary for April 2023, in the May 2023 issue of the Gazette.
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