putinbay.com is proud to present the Put-in-Bay Gazette’s Island Diary. For the best South Bass Island journalism, visit putinbay.news and subscribe to the Gazette today!
Island Diary July 2023
Sat., July 1st – It’s a pretty low-key Saturday start to the long July 4th weekend. The new coffee window on the deck of the PIB Candy Bar opens in the morning.
Sun., July 2nd – There’s rain in the wee hours of the morning that cleanses the sky over the islands of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. The Arth and Miller families are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their lakefront home, “The Second Last Thing,” overlooking Stone Cove with an open house in the afternoon. A squall with wind-driven rain goes through the islands at dinner time.
Mon., July 3rd – Joy Cooper is among the well-wishers at a retirement party for Scott Sneller at the Boathouse. Surprisingly, she is on her good behavior. Fireworks are spotted going off PIB’s East Point and on Middle Bass after dark.
Tue., July 4th – There’s a beautiful fireworks display over the harbor after the sun goes down. Bob Gatewood sings three songs from his new album at the top of the monument for the Perry Group before they watch the fireworks.
Wed., July 5th – Some of the PIBYC staff enjoy a day off together at Kelleys with Commodore Steve!
Thu., July 6th – Volunteers are banding Purple Martins at the Scheeff East Point Preserve. This is a great opportunity to get a close look at purple martin young and help with nest material changes! Ray Fogg is judging Lake Erie Idol with Duff Spatafore at Reel Bar. Over $5,000 is raised for the LEI Wildlife Center this season thanks to the contestants and all the fans! Congrats to Zane from the Boathouse, this summer’s Lake Erie Idol.
Fri., July 7th – Each diagonal parking post on Delaware Ave. get a “4 Passenger Cart Carts Only” sign stenciled on it.
Sat., July 8th – Some PIBYC race team sailors attending the USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival at Mentor Harbor Yacht Club this weekend! This two day event offers Opti, 420 and Laser sailors a chance to get up close and personal with professional coaches and improve their sailing skills, learning both on and off the water. The family of the late Jim Burgess hosts a Celebration of Life at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club from noon in the afternoon. Fireworks are shot off Middle Bass. Better late than never.
Sun., July 9th – A group of more than 35 classy Model T’s and one Model A from the mainland join the PIB Antique Car paraders for the trip from the Twine Shanty to the downtown. Miller Boat Line had the privilege of transporting over 35 Ford Model T’s to Put-in-Bay today. These cars are 100 years older than the Mary Ann Market, the newest ferry in the Miller Boat Line fleet that brings them to the island. The Middle Bass Docker softball team is batting it out with the Mojito Bay team on Middle Bass in the evening.
Mon., July 10th – The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society Board meets at the museum.
Volunteers at the yacht club give of their time to fold, roll, count, stack, count again, schlepp and fulfill pre-orders for the PIBYC auxiliary regatta fundraiser shirts. 900+ shirts are tucked into their cupboards awaiting the first day of sales this upcoming Sunday.
Tue., July 11th – The Village Council meets and rescinds the unpopular permit parking ordinance. The ladies of the PIBYC Auxiliary have their weekly luncheon at the yacht club. The Wild Tuesday program topic at the nature center is about spiders. Being islanders, we already know plenty about them. Susan Thwaite is having a yard sale at her house on the South Shore.
Wed., July 12th – A C130 flies over the islands this morning. Bob Gatewood gets a crowd going at the Gazebo in DeRivera Park singing “Friends of the Bay” for the video crew from Good Morning America. GMA reporter Ike Ejiochi stops by to the delight of the crowd. At the Goat Biergarten, Das Lokal, there’s a 17-piece band, the Grainet Blaskapella, from Germany playing in the late afternoon. Eric Booker celebrates his birthday by preparing lobsters at the Boardwalk’s Lobster Mania. The Middle Bass Island Docker’s softball team comes to PIB to play Mojito Bay.
Thu., July 13th – Put-in-Bay welcomes ABC’s Good Morning America to the island in the morning with a happy crowd excited to be on the show during its “Diving Into Summer Series” segment. A few Jeeps are starting to come to the island on the ferry for the 8th Jeep Invasion weekend. If you want to learn how to play Mahjong, there are folks at the yacht club anxious to teach you.
Fri., July 14th – Today marks one of two opportunities to tour and go to the top of the South Bass Island Lighthouse this summer! Swimming and sailing classes are over for the season. There’s a party for the island kids who are learning to play soccer. North Coast Integrated – Cleveland Custom A/V Control 4 Elan Dealer Joe Hart from the Middle Bass General Store heads off to Rattlesnake Island to wire a house. It’s Awards Night at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club for all the young people who participated in the Community Swim/Sail program. Swimmers and sailors arrive early to get a group photo on the front lawn before awards are given out.
Sat., July 15th – It’s a rainy day in the islands. In the morning the Put-in-Bay Property Owners meet and hear Peter Huston discuss the Island Survey that was conducted in the spring, Sally Stuckey and Joe Cerny talk about One Island/One Government issues, and Chris Arnold, president of the Kelleys Island Landowners Association, talk about what that group does on their island. At Heineman Winery, all the great Jeeps here for Jeep Invasion weekend are on display for all to see. Afterwards, scores of Jeeps parade around the downtown area. Over on Isle des Fleurs, the Middle Bass Island Music Festival is taking place, and on Kelleys Island their Island Fest with its great parade is the big event. In the evening, the Put-in-Bay Yacht is holding its Reverse Raffle.
Sun., July 16th – It’s another one of those hazy days fueled by the smoke from the forest fires in Canada. The Jeeps are leaving and the young sailors and their boats are arriving for the I-LYA Junior Sailing Championship races. Mother of Sorrows is hosting a special Hospitality Hour, plus there’s music by “Sanctuary In Concert, a music ministry group, in the afternoon. The only Jeep in the antique car parade is the white Boardwalk Jeep. The Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center has two great free events, a Nature walk at Cooper’s Woods, and a live animal program at the State Park.
Mon., July 17th – Sailers Rider and Jacob Myers finish first as the Junior Bay Week races begin, The sky is hazy from the smoke from the fires in Canada. There’s an inquiry on social media about horse and carriage rides being approved. Talk about a traffic nightmare! The PIB Village Council meets and votes to purchase two new police cars.
Tue., July 18th – The young sailors participating in the Junior Bay Regatta races find the weather and lake conditions perfect in the morning for the second day of the Junior Regatta racing. Conditions change in the afternoon. At the Nature Center, Renee Fultz rescues a fox snake that was found all tangled up in some netting in a shed at Joan and Roger Rhoad’s on East Point. The snake was uninjured and returned to its natural habitat. After lunch, there’s a first birthday party for Dylan Riley, the son of Adam and Acka Riley, at the Goat. Among those attending were grandparents Mike and Shelley Riley from Tiffin and grandmother Danka Apostolova from Macedonia. It’s Tequila Tuesday at the Keys. You can take the water taxi from the Boardwalk to the Keys for free from 1 to 8 p.m. There was a very nice gathering and potluck at The Getaway Inn for the PIBYC Junior Bay Race Team and parents.
Wed., July 19th – The Fuchs, Ohlemacher, Stoehr, Dodge, Gump, Parker, Heineman, Schnoor and Traverso Family Reunion takes place at Heineman Winery. Lots of Parkers and Heinemans were there! A wonderful group of ladies attends the Words & Wine Book Club meeting at Duff Vineyards. On this day in 1893, the three-day annual meeting of the Ohio State Bar Association was beginning here at Put-in-Bay. A Viking cruise ship passes between Point Pelee, Ontario and Pelee Island in the afternoon.
Thu., July 20th – The Middle Bass Island Women’s Book Club holds its first meeting in the afternoon at the General Store. A man working on his boat at the Oak Point State Park docks gets wedged in by the motor. Someone finally hears his yells for help and helps him get out. After a squall goes through the island, there’s a beautiful double rainbow over the Monument. Burger Night at PIBYC is packed! There’s an electrical outage for some on the island.
Fri., July 21th – Penny Schmidlin from Middle Bass celebrates her 80th birthday. Tipper’s begins serving brunch. Jacob Seaman gives a twirling performance at The Crews Nest in the evening. Part of the performance includes flaming batons.
Sat., July 22th – If you are counting sirens, today is a high. There are probably more sirens heard today than in all the days put together this season. The Delaware Show is in full swing with unruly crowds, open alcohol, wrong way drivers, traffic snarls, litterbugs and, of course, the twerkers. Delaware Ave. is closed for a time. Extra police are called to the island to contend with those who think the island is a free for all. The safety services, EMS, Village police and sheriff deputies, were busy non-stop until after the bars closed. Mike and Peggy Russell from Bath St. host a great party at their beautiful lakefront home!
Sun., July 23th – There’s lots of chatter on social media about the behavior of the crowds on the island the day before. If you’re out and about early, the island looks quiet, peaceful and litter free. You can commend Village and Township staff and business people for this. The day starts off warm, but is soon cooled by bands of showers.
Mon., July 24th – At the Picnic Basket there’s a wine tasting event with six generous pours, delicious food and cheeses, and samples of a few of their food items. PIBPD officer Lt. Eric Seitz stops on Bayview Ave, while on patrol and passes out Put-in-Bay Junior Officer Police stickers to kids playing.
Tue., July 25th – There’s a 7th birthday party in the afternoon for Liesl Jackson, the daughter of Scott and Carline Jackson, at their 150-year-old presshouse home near the airport.
Wed., July 26th – Paul Jeris reports that the webcam at the Boardwalk hits the 1,000,000 views mark. It’s the first of several webcams installed last year to reach that mark! The five day I-LYA Powerboat Regatta begins. The event hosts docking competitions, races, games, food, and of course, entertainment and beverages. After a warm start to the day, storms in the afternoon and into the night pummel the islands. Tornado warning sirens sound twice during the storms. The 4 p.m. Miller ferry rides out the storm between the Lime Kiln and Catawba and is further delayed when there’s a cardiac arrest situation requiring the Catawba paramedics to come to the dock. Passengers and cars get off the ferry just shy of the time they leave PIB. Friends and family gather at the Doller Estate in the evening to wish Mack McCann a happy 87th birthday.
Thu., July 27th – Reports of how much rain fell yesterday run anywhere from 2.6 to just over 4.5 inches. It’s a pretty comfortable day in the 70s with just enough breeze to make for a perfect day to visit the islands.
Fri., July 28th – The annual “Austria Day” gathering takes place at Das Lokal, the Goat Biergarten. More than half of those present have lived or visited Austria and many speak both English and German. Someone reports on the social media site REAL Talk of Put-in-Bay that they heard on the news in Cleveland that the number of golf carts is going to be limited next year.
Sat., July 29th – Lots of rain, thunder and lightning in the early hours gives way to a gorgeous day by noon. The elevator at the Monument is not functioning, possibly due to the nearby morning lightning storms, and tours to the observation deck are suspended. Police are ticketing golf carts illegally parked on the north side of Bayview Ave. by the public docks because they can’t find a parking spot.
Sun., July 30th – PIB kindergarten student Cal Jackson hops on a bike for the first time ever and starts riding without training wheels at the parking lot at Heineman Winery. After the antique car parade, Inter-Lake Yachting Association officials ride and a bagpipe band marches from the yacht club to the memorial across from B-Dock for a ceremony.
Mon., July 31st – It’s a perfect-weather summer day. Vacation Bible School, hosted by Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church begins for Island preschool through grade 6 kids. The Crew’s Nest employees enjoy a cruise on Jet Express II for their employee party. On this date in 1931, a formal dedication ceremony was held at Perry’s Monument. The NBC radio network carried the ceremony live. Paul Sanfilippo celebrates his 60th birthday.
Putinbay.com is proud to present the Put-in-Bay Gazette’s Island Diary for July 2023, in the August 2023 issue of the Gazette.
To subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette please visit their website by clicking here.
