Put-in-Bay Island Diary August 2024

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Island Diary August 2024

Thu., Aug. 1st – The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society holds its annual fundraiser auction at Heineman Winery. A new modular home arrives on Middle Bass Island.
Fri., Aug. 2nd – Some of the Middle Bass Mens Club members and their wives enjoy an excursion on the Gibraltar 3, the OSU Stone Lab boat, to learn about marine science topics such as aquatic biology, water quality management and more. Miller Boat Line captain Eric Engel is about to depart on a once in a lifetime trip… Pearl Harbor to San Diego aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25). His daughter Meredith Engel (PIBHS Class of 2016) who is a navigator of the ship!
Sat., Aug. 3rd – Rose Kahler hosts a lawn party at her home on East Point. The Duff Homestead & Bayfront Preserve is dedicated by the Put-in-Bay Twp. Park District. Scott Jackson fires off fireworks in the Biergarten at the Goat as the first keg of imported Oktoberfest Bier is tapped. Police chase a man on a golf cart who goes out of control on Catawba Ave. and hits the side of a cab driven by Dave Warga. He flees, but police catch him. Fostoria’s St. Wendelin High School Class of 1989 holds their reunion on the island. Island Green Week kicks off, two PIBYC sailors, Jacob Myers and Ava Heineman, take 1st place in the c420 fleet at the I-LYA Travelers Series #8 at Hoover Sailing Club and 2nd place overall in the 2024 I-LYA Travelers Series c420 fleet!
Sun., Aug. 4th – It’s free to go to the top of the Monument in celebration of the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act. After the antique car parade, drivers stop for a little hospitality at Danny Drake’s Getaway Inn. As part of Green Week, there’s a tour of the grounds where the Hotel Victory was located at the South Bass Island State Park. Softball league playoffs begin. The Jet Express IV makes a charter trip to Toledo.
Mon., Aug. 5th – It’s a quiet day at the Bay except for the Crew’s Nest employees who have an employee party which includes a ride on the tour train, watching their team lose at the softball game and a fun time at the Sandbar.
Tues., Aug. 6th – PIB Village Council meets. There is a discussion about paid parking. The weather is iffy and Miller Boat Line stops running late in the afternoon.
Wed., Aug. 7th – It’s a special day for the island’s “Sunglass Ladies.” It’s Anne Spettel’s 60th birthday, plus she and Laurie Utterberg, who recently turned 70, are celebrating their 35th anniversary of being in business on Put-in-Bay. There’s a big party at the Boathouse to celebrate. The Nature and Wildlife Center is holding its annual fundraiser hog roast in the Biergarten at the Goat. A massive flock of white pelicans is spotted between Sugar and Middle Bass Islands.
Thu., Aug. 8th – Keys manager Bret Klun celebrates his 50th birthday.
Fri., Aug. 9th – The historical society’s annual art auction takes place at the Crew’s Nest. The art pieces were created using wood from the cupola on the Mammoth Cave building that was recently rebuilt. The barbershoppers are singing at Mother of Sorrows in the evening. The employees at the Goat enjoy a taco party after work. Lester’s Tacos supply the tacos. Over on Middle Bass they’re celebrating Aimee Held’s birthday at JF Walleye’s.
Sat., Aug. 10th – Volleyball is the sport of the day at Put-in-Bay. Numerous teams are on the island for a day of competitive fun. The “Trump Flotilla,” the boat parade of Trump supporters, arrives at Put-in-Bay in the afternoon, but is a shadow of the one held in 2020 leading up to the last Presidential election. The barbershoppers perform in the wine cellar at Lonz Winery in the afternoon and at the MBI Town Hall in the evening. The Coast Guard comes across a capsized kayak with two people in the water while on patrol near Put-in-Bay.
Sun., Aug. 11th – There’s a two hour wait to get off island in the morning. Volunteer Bill Slough is manning the entrance desk at the museum. If you look at the empty ball diamond, you never know scores of volleyball players were competing there the day before.
Mon., Aug. 12th – Petrarca Arborcare is taking down a tree at Mother of Sorrows. Dockmasters are busy cleaning up lake grass around the docks in the harbor. The Boardwalk holds an employee party at the Sandbar. A 50-ft. yacht making the “Great Loop,” through the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi, around the tip of Florida, up the east coast and back into the Great Lakes, stops at Middle Bass for the night.
Tue., Aug. 13th – At the Village Council meeting, Ray Fogg talks about the severe storm water drainage problem behind the Reel Bar, Forge, Brewery and museum/resale shop. Sparking power lines on Langram Rd. force the gas station to close.
Wed., Aug. 14th – There’s a nice turn out at the Town Hall assembly room for the release of Dr. Charles “Eddie” Herdendorf’s new book, Lake Erie Islands, Reefs, Shoals: Geology, Natural History, Cultural Development. The last Bingo game of the season takes place. Over on Middle Bass, Carl Johnson is celebrating his 92nd birthday. Kelleys Island tops the Boardwalk in scoring and takes the 2024 Lake Erie Islands Softball League championship.
Thu., Aug. 15th – It’s Andreanna Zaverl’s last official day as intern at the museum. She will be missed for sure! The Garden Club members learn about snapping great photos of flowers at their meeting at PIBYC in the afternoon. The Ottawa County Improvement Corporation holds its 29th Experience Ottawa County event at the Boardwalk.
Fri., Aug. 16th – History is made when a drone flying from Catawba Island delivers a package to the island. PIB High School student Cody Kowalski is on hand at the SBI Lighthouse to retrieve the small package of candy Dum-Dums it carries.
Sat., Aug. 17th – The PIB Property Owners Association meeting is at the Senior Center. Among the speakers are Ottawa County Auditor Jennifer J. Widmer who discusses real estate taxes and Douglas C. Wattroff, the Director Flight Operations President of Mercy Health Life Flight Network. There’s good news and bad news. Real estate taxes are going up, but the LifeFlight membership program islanders have been purchasing for years will be free for all island households starting in 2025. In honor of Pat Dailey, entertainer Pat Shepard is at Frosty’s performing only Pat Dailey tunes.
Sun., Aug. 18th – There’s a Celebration of Life at Boathouse for Pat Dailey. The street is closed to accommodate the overflow of people. 45,000 ft. in the air is a Dassault Falcon 2000EX, a high end private jet, that circles the islands four times before resuming its flight to somewhere in the east.
Mon., Aug. 19th – Miller Boat Line makes the first reduced ferry schedule change of the season. There’s a blue sailboat docked between the Village’s launch ramp and C-Dock getting beat up in from the northeast wind. PIB Village Council meets to officially start the process of building a new triplex to house police officers on the Frederick property. The “Ladies of the Lake,” as they call themselves, Rose Kahler, Joan French, Julene Market, Anne Dailey and Jody Frimel meet for lunch at the Goat. The PIB Panther volleyball team is in Toledo and beats the Rogers varsity in a non-conference match by a score of 3-2. Put-in-Bay Taxi Co. owner Larry Kowalski celebrates his 60th birthday. The workers at the Boathouse corner enjoy an employee party.
Tue., Aug. 20th – At 6 a.m., Put-in-Bay has officially had 24 continuous hours of below 70 degree temperatures, a first in many weeks. A big semi truck with “JELLY ROLL” and a gold crown on a huge skull on its side comes over to PIB on the ferry. In the afternoon, all four lanes of the lot across from the Miller Boat Line ticket booth on Catawba are full of vehicles waiting to come to Put-in-Bay for the Bash.
Wed., Aug. 21st – It’s a beautiful day for Bash on the Bay. No sign of a storm brewing like last year. The crowd at the Bash looks like the biggest ever. During the performances a plane flies over with an advertising banner. Later there’s a drone overhead taking photos. The private boat returning Jelly Roll, the headliner of the Bash, to the mainland after the concert is pulled over by the Coast Guard. Reportedly, the vessel was stopped because it was allegedly making a wake in a no wake zone. No violations were given and the vessel was free to go, shortly after, said officials.
Thu., Aug. 22nd – On Langram Rd. after midnight, a golf cart on its side is spotted. Donations for the pears at the fruit stand in front of the Duff Homestead go to the Duff Vineyard Capital Campaign. It’s Jerry Percher’s birthday. It’s another perfect day for The Bash on the Bay with Hardy headlining day two.
Fri., Aug. 23rd – Driving by the PIB Airport, you’d never know that thousands of people had been there for the last two days for Bash at the Bay. The line of vehicles at the Lime Kiln waiting to get off the island makes one want to buy stock in Miller Boat Line. Great Lakes Brewing holds a beer tasting event in the late afternoon at Island Hardware & Market. From 5 a.m. Thursday morning through 9 p.m. Friday evening, the Miller ferry crew works 41 straight hours (94 trips) to get everything for the Bash moved. Over on Kelleys, three young ladies are Life Flighted after losing control of their golf cart and turning it over on its side.
Sat., Aug. 24th – It appears to be one of the busiest Saturdays of the season. There’s a fundraiser pulled pork dinner for Children’s Cancer Cures at the Middle Bass Town Hall.
Sun., Aug. 25th – Bishop Anne Jolly, the Bishop of Ohio, makes her formal visitation to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. After services, she blesses the wood-carved statue of St. Paul overlooking the labyrinth. Drew LaPlante is back on the island and entertaining at the Fishbowl.
Mon., Aug. 26th – Temps are in the 80s in the afternoon for the second day in a row. The public restrooms next to SBI State Park boat ramp are permanently closed for construction. A new restroom building will be built in the same spot.
Tue., Aug. 27th – It’s the first day of school for ‘24/’25. Toby Landreth from Conlan Rd. is celebrating his 80th birthday with family on the island and from Florida. His wife Stephanie can’t believe she’s married to an octogenarian. Several international employees from the Boardwalk are visiting Niagara Falls before they leave for the season. High temp for the day is 89 degrees.
Wed., Aug. 28th – There is a much needed rain overnight. The Island Band, Capt. Russ Brohl, Steve Stapleton and Bruce Miles, is playing at the Crew’s Nest pavilion. A group won a party with them at one of the fundraisers for the Duff Homestead that was held at Das Lokal, the Biergarten at the Goat.
Thu., Aug. 29th – The September Put-in-Bay Gazette is printed in Sandusky.
Fri., Aug. 30th – It’s hard to believe the Labor Day Weekend is upon us.
Sat., Aug. 31st – Put-in-Bay Yacht Club’s annual membership meeting takes place in the morning, and later there’s a Parrot Head party for members. Over on Middle Bass, the Senior Men’s Club dinner takes place at the Town Hall.

 

Putinbay.com is proud to present the Put-in-Bay Gazette’s Island Diary for August 2024, in the September 2024 issue of the Gazette.

To subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette please visit their website by clicking here.

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