Put-in-Bay Island Diary: August 2021

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Island Diary August 2021

Sun., Aug. 1st – A waterspout is observed off the East side of Kelleys Island. The fundraiser for Larry Larson from the West Shore at the Getaway Inn is very well attended and successful. Larry was diagnosed with ALS several months ago. The Awards and Closing Ceremony for this year’s Sailboat Regatta takes place.

Mon., Aug. 2nd – PIB Twp. Trustee Matt Miller, PIB Village Councilman Jeff Koehler and Suzanne Kostura who is running for the PIB School Board stop by the Ottawa County Board of Election office in Oak Harbor to file their election petitions in the morning. The Nature and Wildlife Center announces it will be closed on Mondays due to lack of staff. Cameo Pizza has its staff appreciation party.

Tue., Aug. 3rd – Candidates for Village Council Craig Cox who lives by the Bathing Beach and Jeff Biery from Banyan Cove are at the Council’s workshop meeting getting signatures on their election petitions. The power goes out in the afternoon. Al Gebhardt, who was Inter-Lake Yachting Association Commodore in 1983 and has come to Put-in-Bay for every Bay Week Regatta since, tells us that this will be the last year he takes part in the event. He is the oldest living I-LYA Commodore. Kristin Stanford, aka The Snake Lady, is at the Nature and Wildlife Center’s Wild Tuesday discussing snakes.

Wed., Aug. 4th – Mike McGlothlin from Pristine Marine is on island measuring boats for the new custom Seadeck covering he sells. Dan Savage is putting out signs for the big museum auction fundraiser that will take place in the late afternoon tomorrow at Heineman Winery. The first game of a “best 2 out of 3” Lake Erie Mens League Softball Championship Series is won by the Boardwalk by a score of 16 to 12 over Kelleys Island.

Thu., Aug. 5th – Bob Smith is busy mowing his property at the north end of PIB Airport. A Coke truck snips a power line on Toledo Ave. The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society’s annual fundraiser auction takes place at Heineman Winery. Sue Ferguson stops by the Erie Islands Library to pick up her “Zoo Fun Pack” for being the adult winner of the Summer Reading Challenge!

Fri., Aug. 6th – Dan Savage and Kendra Koehler are at the museum wrapping up things from the auction that took place the day before at Heineman Winery. The I-LYA Power Boat Regatta is underway. A woman is spotted driving the shuttle between the public docks and the yacht club.

Sat., Aug. 7th – Thanks to Miller Boat Line, E’s Carts and Heineman Winery, about 180 people enjoy a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes at Heineman Winery. This is the 21st year the group has met at Heineman Winey. Among their activities is an island-wide scavenger hunt. The 6th Annual Middle Bass Poker Kayak Day is held at Middle Bass. The event benefits the Middle Bass Island Preserves and is part of Island Green Week. Real Germans from the Bavarian Sports Club are serving freshly made German potato salad at the Middle Bass Island Yacht Club’s Schutzenfest! There’s also a “To Go” pig roast on Middle Bass which benefits their fire department. Up on North Bass a group of small private planes lands at the airport to enjoy some leisurely time on the island.

Sun., Aug. 8th – It’s a busy day with a 75th birthday gathering at Heineman Winery for Kathy Crowe Patton Brown (PIBHS Class of 1964), a dedication and ribbon cutting at the new Benjamin Woods dedication, the antique car parade, a 75th birthday party for Rich Hahn from Mitchell Rd. at the Goat’s “Das Lokal” Biergarten, a Lantern Tour conducted by naturalist Renee Market of the Hotel Victory Grounds, and a late wine party for a few friends at the home of Gabriela Kaplan. Plus, to top everything else off, the Boardwalk goes to Kelleys Island and beats their team to take this season’s Lake Erie Islands Mens Softball League Championship.

Mon., Aug. 9th – It’s the first day of Vacation Bible Camp which takes place in the Assembly Room at the Put-in-Bay Town Hall. The monthly Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce membership meeting is held in person at the Miller Marina Pavilion and is also on Zoom. The Canadian Border to open, but there won’t be any boating to Pelee Island. Pelee is not an official port of entry due to Covid travel requirements for crossing the border. Americans who want to visit their cottages on Pelee will not even be able to fly in with Griffing Flying Service, but will need to drive across the border and then take the ferry from the Canadian shore. The rain stops just in time for the Stargazing Cruise on one of the Miller ferries to go off without a hitch except for the cloud cover which keeps spotting stars to a minimum.

Tue., Aug. 10th – The PIB Village Council and the PIB Twp.Trustees hold their August meetings in the morning. Jay Reynolds is at the Nature and Wildlife Center’s Wild Tuesday discussing the sun. For those who have a tie to Austria, Presshouse Joe Suttmann is at the Biergarten at the Goat continuing the Austria tradition. To qualify to take part, all you need to do is to have travelled there, lived there, studied there or can speak Austrian, and even if you don’t qualify with those things, you can still enjoy an imported Stiegl Bier with the group. In the evening, former Round House bartenders Justine Rhoad Cultice, Audrey Socha and Austin Bolyard are among the guest bartenders at the Roundbar so the regular staff can enjoy an employee party.

Wed., Aug. 11th – In the early a.m., Bob Bahney recorded a gust of 52 MPH out of the west northwest at his home at the tip of Peach Point. There’s a tree down on a parked van on Middle Bass. The electricity goes out on the island for awhile and there are trees down on Victory and Lakeview Avenues in the Village. The rain doesn’t stop the PIB Garden Club from holding its meeting at the yacht club where Master Gardener Susan Hildebrandt shares tips, tricks and interesting information on pruning and deadheading plants to keep your gardens looking fabulous. The stormy, rainy weather with wind gusts topping 50 mph stops just in time so the Lake Erie Islands Wildlife and Nature Center pig roast, complete with Pauline Garsteck’s homemade desserts, can take place at the Goat at dinner time. The last Lobster Mania of the season takes place at the Boardwalk. The Perry Group sponsors a sunset visit to the top of the Monument.

Thu., Aug. 12th – Tree trimmers are thinning the trees at Chan Stevens’s old house just east of the Monument. The old and long-abandoned Davis cottage next to the Bergan home on Victory Ave. is now a pile of rubble ready to be hauled away. The PIB High School Girls Volleyball team welcomes the Hilltop High School team to the island for a joint practice.

Fri., Aug. 13th – Some of the Miller crew are washing down the exterior of one of the ferries at the Lime Kiln Dock. A three-day wine tasting event begins on the grounds at Lonz Winery. At the Scheeff East Point Preserve on South Bass Island, a group is celebrating Plastic Free Day. Around dinner time a squall with at least one gust of wind at over 50 mph goes through the islands. The north half of South Bass Island is dumped on, while the south half only gets a few sprinkles. Because of the weather the Barbershop Quartet Concert is held inside Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church.

Sat., Aug. 14th – The Deutscher Musik Verein German Orchestra draws a great crowd at Das Lokal, the Biergarten at the Goat.

Sun., Aug. 15th – There are tours of the landmark Benson Ford Ship House on the West Shore in the afternoon. Proceeds benefit the Community Sign Project and Parker’s Park. Chuck and Katie Schweinsberg from Fox’s Den and Put-in-Bay Condos are the sponsors of the Antique Car Parade. There’s a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center. Zoe Titchener cuts the ribbon which officially opens the new addition to the facility. She and her husband Brad from Toledo Ave. were recognized by LEINWC Director Renee Fultz for their generous support of the project.

Mon., Aug. 16th – Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. Put-In-Bay’s Upscale Wine Club is on a field trip via the Jet Express to Kelleys Island where they visit the KI Winery, Bag the Moon and Village Pump.

Tue., Aug. 17th – Village Council meeting to discuss repainting of Water tower and funding for Sybil Blvd. sewer. Funeral services for Yvonne Beatty are held at Mother of Sorrows. After a graveside service at Maple Leaf Cemetery, there is a reception at the Cornerstone Room at the church.

Wed., Aug. 18th – A C-27 Spartan is spotted landing at and taking off from Put-in-Bay Airport. We’re pretty sure it’s the largest plane ever to come into Put-in-Bay. At the PIBVFD station, there’s a farewell party to thank the island’s EMS director Patrick Rogers for his years of service. The Lake Erie Islands Library’s Words & Wine Book Club meets in Duffs Vineyards. We hope no one spilled wine on any of the reading material.

Thu., Aug. 19th – Among those from Put-in-Bay enjoying some time on Kelleys Island are Scott, Caroline, Liesl and Cal Jackson, Barry, Phoebe, Piper, Teddy and Greta Koehler, Jeff and Kendra Koehler and Miller ferryboat captain Glen Cooper and Jackie Taylor.

Fri., Aug. 20th – There’s a nice turnout at the Crew’s Nest for the museum’s auction of custom artwork created by island artisans using antique barrel staves from the E&K Winery in Sandusky. E&K was one of the wineries that had vineyards on South Bass Island. The auction brought in about $13,000 for the operation of the museum.

Sat., Aug. 21st – John Ballas drops off boxes of island grown vegetables to friends on the island from the garden his wife Ellen tends on East Point. With perfect weather, there’s a good crowd on the island. McCann’s field is filled with athletes competing in the Volleyball Tournament. The Phil Yan Polka Band is playing at the Gemütlichkeit Festival at Das Lokal, the Biergarten at the Goat.

Sun., Aug. 22nd – The Jet Express II makes a 300+ passenger charter trip to Toledo for a Mud Hens baseball game. A beautiful Sturgeon Moon rises over the harbor in the evening. August’s full moon is traditionally called the Sturgeon Moon, after the giant sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes which were most readily caught during this time of the summer, according to The Farmers’ Almanac.

Mon., Aug. 23rd – Rosann Keiser is at the airport terminal office and available for handing out Bash on the Bay traffic passes to those who need to access their homes and property around the Put-in-Bay Airport. The Bash on the Bay stage is being set up at the airport.

Tue., Aug. 24th – Things are really coming together at the Put-in-Bay Airport with porta potties lining the fenced perimeter of the Bash on the Bay venue. On social media, Put-in-Bay Fire Chief Greg Dobos warns concert goers against the dangers of the hot humid weather forecast for the concert and says water is better than beer when it comes to dehydration problems. By late afternoon, there’s a more than 2-hour wait to get over to PIB from Catawba with your vehicle. The PIBHS Panther Girls Volleyball team travels to the mainland and plays against Toledo’s Waite High School team. Cheap tickets for Bash on the Bay are popping up on social media. You can buy Section B tickets for $20 or less per show, a far cry from the original multi-hundred dollar prices.

Wed., Aug. 25th – There’s thunder, lightning and rain in the early part of the day and ends around noon. The Sonny-S schedule for those travelling between Middle Bass and PIB begins at 10:30 a.m. from Middle Bass and ends at midnight with a final trip from PIB. There are as many trips off PIB to MBI as needed as long as people are in line by midnight. The Bash on the Bay begins in the afternoon as scheduled. Gwen Stefani, the new bride of headliner Blake Shelton, make a cameo appearance at the Bash. The Nature Center is closed as they are running one of the parking lots for the Bash on the Bay! Visitors can go up in the Monument for free.

Thu., Aug. 26th – A fake $100 bill is found at one of the golf cart rentals. Police warn island businesses to be on the lookout. Later, a social media post says someone said there was a whole bunch of these dumped on the ground at the Bash on the Bay concert. Randy “Baja” Fletcher, the production manager for Keith Urban for the last 10 years, suffers an injury while setting up Urban’s Bash concert. He is Life Flighted off the island, but dies the next day. You can buy a Bash on the Bay concert ticket to get you inside the fenced venue at the Put-in-Bay Airport to see Keith Urban for $14. Scott Jackson says, “It’s easier to get Bash tickets than it is to get a reservation at the Goat.” LoCash, formerly the LoCash Cowboys, replaces Walker Hayes in the Bash lineup and then after the show the duo makes an appearance and performs at the Beer Barrel!

Fri., Aug. 27th – The airport is back to normal and the only hint that thousands were listening to Keith Urban just 12 hours earlier are a few pieces of equipment and some squashed horse manure left behind by the horses used by the mounted sheriff deputies at the Bash. About 10 a.m., a lone bagpiper plays Amazing Grace at Oak Point State Park where the flag is at half mast to honor the 13 service people who were killed in Afghanistan. In the afternoon, there’s more than a 2-hour wait to get your vehicle off the island. At the end of the day, Miller Boat Line finishes 41 continuous hours of non-stop service making 109 trips to get Bash fans, suppliers and equipment back to the mainland.

Sat., Aug. 28th – The Put-in-Bay Property Owners Association meets at the Perry’s Cave Pavilion to hear guest speakers Superintendent Barbara Rowles discussing the seawall reconstruction at Perry’s Monument, Rich Hahn and Doug Seib talking about the upcoming Road Race Reunion and Pastoral Leader Jim O’Donnell from Mother of Sorrows giving an update on the progress for putting the Carillon back in good working order. At noon, about 30 Bikers for Trump meet at the Monument. They arrive not by Harley, but by golf cart. Off the east side of South Bass Island, sailors in the Sandusky Islands Race are on a 28-mile triangular course that goes around Kelleys Island and Scott Point Shoals by Starve Island before returning to Sandusky.

Sun., Aug. 29th – Kevin Noon is at Island Hardware Sharpening knives and just about anything else that needs sharpening. Sponsors for the Antique Car Parade are Titus “Toby” Werts and Perry’s Cave. There’s a 90th birthday party at the Boardwalk for twins Elaine Martens and Carole Craigs. Allen (from the Hardware Store) and PIBYC Commodore Marcia Ashley celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Mon., Aug. 30th – Classes start for Put-in-Bay School students. Bright and early at 8 a.m., island parents gather for pictures in front of the school of their little munchkins as they start the school year. Susan Market takes her Dockside crew to the mainland for an outing in town and dinner at The Orchard on Catawba. Susie Cooper, the former curator of the island museum, is on the island for a visit. The Upscale Wine Club puts their golf carts on the ferry for a cruise out to Middle Bass. There is a fundraiser “Brazilian Dance Party” with DJ Noxx at the Boardwalk. It benefits Tropa, a non profit NGA in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil that aids the poor there.

Tue., Aug. 31st – On this date in 1878, fire destroyed the huge Put-in-Bay House Hotel on the PIB’s main street, Delaware Ave., and several other buildings nearby. What a quiet, relaxing day compared to recent weekdays with thousands of visitors.

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