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Island Diary March 2024
Fri., Mar. 1st – The M/V Put-in-Bay leaves the downtown dock to begin the 2024 ferry service to South Bass Island.
Sat., March 2nd – The first ferry runs from the Lime Kiln. Deacon Jim O’Donnell from Mother of Sorrows is on hand to bless the vessels, crews and passengers to start the season!
Sun., March 3rd – Everyone is saddened to learn of the passing of Tyrus Burgess at the age of 88. Island families are returning to PIB after winter break. Rob Hard has fishermen from Wisconsin at the Black Squirrel.
Mon., Mar. 4th – PIB School is back in session after mid-winter break. The temp hits 70 degrees.
Tue., Mar. 5th – A low cloud ceiling hangs over the island. Islanders learn of Cigar Ambassador Richard Warren’s death in the Dominican Republic.
Wed., Mar. 6th – Jack and Lorraine Zimmerman from Airline Drive are honored with the Bill Mack Business Leader Award at the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation’s Business and Industry awards in Port Clinton. PIB school students and staff take part in a scavenger hunt that is part of the PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) program, Participants split into groups and have to collect clues inside and outside the school. It’s a fun night at the yacht club playing euchre and celebrating Mary Ann McCann’s 89th birthday!
Thu., Mar. 7th – Put-in-Bay Township announces a plan for potential vehicle/deer collisions in the future. Drivers have a right to claim the deer they hit, but if they choose not to, a list will be established for those who would like to collect and process the animal. The water is turned on for Mr. Ed’s, Cameo Pizza and the Brewery. Island Hardware & Market has a big sale on vitamin D milk.
Fri., Mar. 8th – Put-in-Bay is sitting in 6th place in the USA Today “Top 20 Small Towns in America” contest. The voting runs through the rest of March. It’s a rainy cool evening.
Sat., Mar. 9th – Several island baton twirlers perform at a competition at North Baltimore High School in the morning. The chef’s special at the PIB Yacht Club is Chicken Milanese. Greg Rumph is the lucky winner of the PIBYC weekly rolling raffle. The Girl Scouts of Troop #10828 are going door to door selling Girl Scout cookies. There’s nothing like pairing Tagalongs with Pink Catawba! Sharon Cox spots a couple deer in the lawn by the cottages next to the bathing beach.
Sun., Mar. 10th – Winds are over 35 MPH for most of the early morning and afternoon. Miller Boat Line cancels all afternoon ferries to and from PIB due to wind and cold temperatures.
Mon., Mar. 11th – The PIB Vol. Fire Dept. participates in landing zone training with Mercy Health Life Flight at the Put-in-Bay Airport in the afternoon. Miller Boat Line starts taking commercial reservations for 2024 and season passes are valid. Fr. Robert Solon, Jr. is feeling delighted to be cleared to begin walking after breaking his leg this past winter.
Tue., Mar. 12th – Village Council meets at the Town Hall in the morning. Among the items on the agenda is a cap on golf cart rentals. On this date in 1964, the Schnoor and Fuchs Store was destroyed by fire.
Wed., Mar. 13th – Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce Executive Board holds its regular monthly meeting. Final preparations for the total solar eclipse event in April are discussed in detail. Construction is underway on an addition at English Pines B&B. The PIB library’s Craftapalooza takes place at the yacht club where there is a $2 beer special. Happy Birthday wishes go out to Angie Berger from the Bird’s Nest who is celebrating her 40th birthday. Mike and Susan Byrnes and Mariah Loud enjoy a little kayaking in a very still lake.
Thu., Mar. 14th – The PIB High School’s freshman class hosts a Community Lunch Fundraiser at the Town Hall. Tipper’s opens for the season. Pinky Batt and Patrick Widmer are the first two customers. ES Wagner is removing the remnants of the rubber aquadam that was left in front of the Monument all winter. The annual Talent Show takes place in the evening at the school. Melody O’Donnell takes first place by playing a song on her mini piano.
Fri., Mar. 15th – Jim Hurst is busy de-winterizing most of the houses in the Island Club. There’s a wedding at the Anchorage on East Point for Kate Ostapchuk and Jacob Fresch. An excavator is busy placing armor rock at the end of East Point. This will help prevent future shoreline erosion.
Sat., Mar. 16th – The Put-in-Bay EMS is conducting a practice drill at the State Park. Volunteers play the roles of victims, bystanders, etc. Funeral services for Ty Burgess take place. Members of the Put-in-Bay Panther Twirling Club are working on choreography at the school gym.
Sun., Mar. 17th – Highlight of St. Patty’s Day is the dozen or so people who jump off one of the docks into the frigid lake in front of Topsy Turvey’s.
Mon., Mar. 18th – What the heck? It feels like 15 degrees thanks to the windchill factor. Winter is apparently getting its last licks in with a wintery mix.
Tue., Mar. 19th – Most of the day the temperature has been in the 30s, but it goes up into the 40s mid afternoon. This year’s Spring begins at 11:09 p.m. tonight! It’s bonus day on the Miller ferries. You get a free car wash with every trip you make.
Wed., Mar. 20th – Temperatures are in the 40s overnight then fall back into the low 30s as the sun rises. The PIB Township Port Authority posts that three vehicles need to be removed immediately or they will be towed due to construction of the new terminal. Among those who are at the PIB Yacht Club for the Words & Wine Book Club meeting are Val Chornyak, Amy Huston, Dianne Smith, Karen Wilhelm and Susan Byrnes. They share a number of diverse books.
Thu., Mar. 21st – Ferry service to Middle Bass begins for the season. Delaware Ave. is closed for sanitary tie-in work being done by the old Crescent property. At noon the temperature is 25 degrees with a windchill factor of 15. Sure doesn’t sound like spring. Cantankerus makes the first fuel trip of the year. Howard Martens is celebrating his 93rd birthday.
Fri., Mar. 22nd – Former island resident Gene Zajac presents a program about the coming eclipse at the library. Gene is an expert when it comes to the stars and planets. PIBHS Senior Emil Michael celebrates his 18th birthday.
Sat., Mar. 23rd – There’s a bit of snow overnight. Palm Crosses are being made in the Undercroft at St. Paul’s. The Girl Scouts pop up a stand at the Island Hardware store late in the afternoon to sell cookies. Put-in-Bay School has four students who qualify at regionals for the state Science Fair. Congratulations to Joe Blumensaadt, Emma Michael, Kate Hubner and Caleb Kowalski. Walt Duff wins this weeks rolling raffle at the yacht club.
Sun., Mar. 24th – It’s a quiet, uneventful Palm Sunday on the islands. There’s no truth to the rumor that island security forces hold a joint-agency drill session in DeRivera Park to prepare for the eclipse on Monday, April 8th. PIB Township Zoning Inspector Greg Dobos resigns from his position to take a full-time position as the new general manager for Commodore Resorts.
Mon., Mar. 25th – Middle Bass General Store opens. Over in Port Clinton, the Jet III is put in the water. Put-in-Bay Arts Council set designers are putting the finishing touches on the set design for the upcoming play Peter Pan & Wendy. The newest PIBVFD members have training on the ladder truck. The new members are able to get comfortable setting up, climbing and operating the truck.
Tue., Mar. 26th – Ferry service is halted for the day as conditions at the Lime Kiln Dock are not favorable for loading. On this date in 1934, 30 Kelleys Island residents get stuck in Sandusky after making a trip to stock up on merchandise. The steamer Mascot was unable to reach the island due to ice floes. The Village is asking for all minnow cars/carts be removed from the public docks by April 1st. Miller Boat Line asks for the removal of them at their downtown dock, too. Lake Disposal is busy hauling away what remains of the old concrete block Shork house on Doller Ave.
Wed., Mar. 27th – PIB School grades elementary students have a field trip to King’s Dairy Farm in Fremont, Ghostly Manor in Sandusky and the Sandusky Maritime Museum. Due to so many people off the island, the Senior Center decides to cancel its morning eclipse program.
Thu., Mar. 28th – Members of the PIB High School Class of 2024 head off to Hawaii for their class trip. The PIB School National Honor Society’s book drive to benefit kids in the Cleveland area ends. The restaurant/bar at the Middle Bass General Store opens.
Fri., Mar. 29th – There is no school at Put-in-Bay as the long Easter weekend begins. Miller Boat Line adds more trips to its schedule. The PIB Vol. Fire Dept. holds a Fish Fry dinner fundraiser at the fire station. You can choose perch, walleye or cod, along with cole slaw, french fries, dessert and beverage. Lucas Guy provides the live entertainment. Diners also get to meet the new members of the department. All proceeds go towards new equipment to better serve the community.
Sat., Mar. 30th – Due to inclement weather, the PIB Recreation Committee’s Easter Egg Hunt becomes a “drive thru” event at the Fire Department. The kids are still able to collect their treats as well as have a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny! Later, there’s a graduation ceremony and reception in the Cornerstone Room at Mother of Sorrows for those who took the EMT class this winter.
Sun., Mar. 31st – There’s an ecumenical Easter sunrise service at Oak Point State Park. Up on Pelee Island, the transfer station begins its summer hours.
Putinbay.com is proud to present the Put-in-Bay Gazette’s Island Diary for March 2024, in the April 2024 issue of the Gazette.
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