Put-in-Bay Island Diary: May 2021

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Island Diary May 2021

Sat., May 1st – Rita’s Cantina at the Boardwalk and the Butterfly House at Put In Bay at Perry’s Cave opens for the season. There’s a birthday party for Maisie Ruchala at the Fishbowl.

Sun., May 2nd – Jeremy Koebel is helping Matt and Jenny Fuchs take down an old garage with a backhoe at the Fuchs home on Bayview Ave. The Lake Erie Islands Browns Backers Draft Day 5K takes place in the morning. The oldest participant is 81 years old.

Mon., May 3rd – Up on Pelee Island, they’re happy to see the Pelee II bringing big equipment to the island. Marie Schroeder takes Mike Catey out to find his first morel. Mike later goes out fishing for smallmouth bass.

Tue., May 4th – Village Council meets at the Town Hall in the morning. It’s meeting is followed by a Planning Commission meeting.

Wed., May 5th – It’s chilly out! Liam Market is buttering up his preschool teacher, Miss Jackie, by bringing her a bouquet of purple flowers for Cinco de Mayo.

Thu., May 6th – The mooring balls are placed in chilly, mid-50°F water in the Bay. Spectrum is doing some directional boring for some installation work on Langram Rd.

Fri., May 7th – It’s the last day to get your address listed on the Island Wide Garage Sale Map put out by the Chamber of Commerce. Mossbacks opens for the season. Bill Boag and Jim French are the first customers as Hooligans opens for the season. They are later seen at the Crew’s Nest’s opening party. Before midnight a storm goes through the islands leaving enough ice pellets to make the roadways slushy and coat roofs, sidewalks, lawns and cars white.

Sat., May 8th – There’s a great turnout for Cleanup Day at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. Volunteers are in Cooper’s Woods pulling invasive garlic mustard weed. Mary Ann Wilhelm celebrates her 90th birthday with a big cake! Frosty’s starts breakfast service during the week. The high schoolers enjoy their prom with fancy photos on the waterfront, dinner at The Forge and dancing in the Goat’s dining room especially decorated for the occasion.

Sun., May 9th – It’s rainy and cold all day. There’s a wonderful Mother’s Day Brunch at Crew’s Nest. The last ferry trip leaving PIB is skipped due to weather.

Mon., May 10th – Officials from the Inter-Lake Yachting Association (I-LYA) attend the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce meeting on Mr. Ed’s Patio. Cameo Pizza helps feed the crowd.

Tue., May 11th – The annual Blessing of the Fleet takes place with Rev. Mary Staley from St. Paul’s, Deacon Jim O’Donnell from Mother of Sorrows and Rev. Dane Meuschke from St. John’s at the Bay blessing the boats on the lake, the Life Flight helicopter in the sky and several public safety vehicles parked on the dock. Greg Dobos from Clean Cut lawn service finds a fawn lying on one of the lawns he’s mowing. Billy gives a warning about being down one ferry for the coming weekend and to plan accordingly. Four sections of Crew’s Nest fence is taken out by a utility golf cart that jumps the Bayview Ave. curb.

Wed., May 12th – It’s a busy day at the Bay. A state highway crew is sealing the cracks on Bayview Ave. (State Route 357), streets in the village are being painted, the fence in front of the Crew’s Nest is being repaired, plus Kenny Fox is close to wrapping up the seawall project in front of the Slatmeyer house next to the Crew’s Nest. The Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau host a media day to launch its new branding campaign. Media people from 30 outlets travel by Miller Ferry and Jet Express to visit Perry’s Monument, the Boardwalk and the attractions at Perry’s Cave. Lucy Niese graduates from Vanguard in Fremont where she studied digital technology. Dan Skoufos enjoys his last bonfire with island friends at his home, Cedar Star Lodge, before leaving the island for a new home in Missouri.

Thu., May 13th – The wild hyacinths are in full bloom at the Ladd Carr Wildlife Woods on Put-in-Bay Rd. Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab are offering a virtual benthic macroinvertebrate identification Zoom workshop covering various methods that aquatic ecologists use to collect invertebrates from the bottom of streams and lakes. Staff from Stone Lab launch both the Stone Lab water quality buoy and the PIB water treatment plant buoy off the Aquatic Visitors Center dock to make sure everything’s in working order for the summer.

Fri., May 14th – It’s a gorgeous day at the Bay and recreational boats start arriving right after lunch. Zak Gardner, the Schwans man is on Middle Bass delivering frozen food from his big truck. The Bayview Room Bar opens at PIBYC.

Sat., May 15th – Jim French wins weekly draw at PIBYC. The Island Wide Garage Sale takes place with about 30 places where people can find bargains. The PIB High School Class of 2023 hosts a car wash at the Fire Department. Funds raised go towards their class trip! Ray Fogg starts his 8th season at the Reel Bar and 33rd on the island entertaining on the island. The Cooper family wins PIBYC’s second annual Soup Cook-off with Tom Cooper’s Walleye Chowder and Joy Cooper’s Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup. The evening culminates with the Lighting of the Cupola on top of the club house to officially start the season.

Sun., May 16th – Miller Boat Line adda a 6 a.m. trip leaving PIB for the early risers! Mother Mary holds outdoor service for golf carters in the backyard of the St. Paul’s.

Mon., May 17th – New PIBYC member Debbie Larcey and her Fox’s Den neighbor Barb Hunter reenact Debbie’s being the first customer at the club’s bar opening for the 2021 season so they can get their picture in the June Gazette.

Tue., May 18th – Flower basket planting begins in the downtown park. Graduation ceremonies for the island kindergartners and first graders take place at the school. Awards are also given out to many of the other students at PIB School. The PIB Vol. Fire Dept. takes delivery of a used high pressure compressor and fill station that is needed for the department’s self-contained breathing apparatus units. Out at the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center there’s a very well-attended soft reopening for the 2021 season. At the Goat, the staff is in training sampling vinos on the wine list so they can tell customers about the wines they serve.

Wed., May 19th – It’s day two of flower basket planting in the park. The old Korean War-era piece of field artille-ry returns to its spot in DeRivera Park after being restored. Island mystery writer Bob Adamov is on the island delivering copies of his newest book, Memory Layne. There’s a half Marathon (13.1 miles) benefit run to raise funds for Tommy Dailey who was diagnosed with advanced cancer and has undergone radiation and chemotherapy treatment. The island comes out big time and raises more than $40,000.

Thu., May 20th – The reenactors are doing carronade training at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial’s maintenance facility. Annie Parker is celebrating her 92nd birthday. Dick Bliss from Fox’s Den starts Thursday night Dick’s Burger Nights at the yacht club. There’s a preview party for the content sale at the home of Chan and Boo Stevens scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

Fri., May 21st – The first day of the sale of the contents at the Stevens home takes place. The Dairy Isle, Splash and the Goat open for the season. Still down one ferry boat, the Miller Boat Line crew does a great job running off schedule as fast as they can to bring traffic to the island.

Sat., May 22nd – The Put-in-Bay Port Authority holds a special meeting to discuss a new terminal building for the airport and striping the PIB runway/taxiway. PIB’s American Legion holds a Veterans meet and greet at the Goat’s Biergarten, Das Lokal, to celebrate their post’s 100th anniversary. The Sonny S runs between PIB and Middle Bass for the first time this season. It’s a warm sunny day for the opening of the Crew’s Nest’s big swimming pool. The Put-in-Bay Floating Tiki, owned and operated by Captain Miranda Krueger, sets sail on its first charter cruise. Some PIB islanders spot the lights of emergency vehicles on Kelleys Island who respond to a fire at the West Bay Inn.

Sat., May 22nd – The visitor center will welcome guests beginning at 10 AM. Rangers will be available at the park to answer your questions. Put-in-Bay’s American Legion Post 542 hosts a meet and greet at Das Lokal, the Goat’s Biergarten.

Sun., May 23rd – It’s the second Sunday in a row that Miller Boat Line adds a 6 a.m. trip leaving PIB. The Jet Express also adds trips to it normal schedule. The Antique Car Parade sponsors are Marc and Nan Burr. Joe’s Bar & Restaurant is the post-parade sponsor the post parade gathering.. Kendra Koehler enjoys a little pre-birthday birthday party at the stone presshouse home of her daughter Caroline and son-in-law Scott Jackson.

Mon., May 24th – PIB Village Council meets in the morning and passes emergency ordinances dealing with sewer treatment plant sludge, establishing rates for the public docks, and hiring an attorney to represent the Village in mayor’s court.

Tue., May 25th – Heineman Winery takes a sprayer over to North Bass for use in their vineyards there. There are graveside services for islander Roy McGary at Maple Leaf Cemetery in the afternoon with a get together afterwards at The Goat. There’s a Covid vaccination clinic at the Town Hall instead of at the fire station due to annual hose and ladder testing going on. The Aquatic Visitor Center at the west end of Put-in-Bay harbor has their first group tour of the season. They enjoy fishing off the dock there.

Wed., May 26th – There’s rain in the morning. About dinner time a nasty dark squall goes over the Lake Erie Islands. Wednesday afternoon entertainment starts at the Round House.

Thu., May 27th – The Put-in-Bay High School graduation ceremony is moved up a date due to weather. There’s about a three-hour wait in the evening for cars coming to PIB. Cleveland Channel 5 is filming at Catawba Dock for the 11 o’clock news. They interview Kendra Koehler who is trying to get home after a day on the mainland with her grandkids Liesl and Cal and their mother Caroline Jackson.

Fri., May 28th – There’s one ferry trip in the morning, then trips are cancelled for the rest of the day. The Jet doesn’t run either. The winds are a constant 30 mph plus with gusts reach 50 mph out of the NE most of the day. Rob and Maria from the Black Squirrel open their new business “The Nut Shuck” at the State Park. They’ve got a great breakfast and lunch menu! Due to the inclement weather forecast, Rudy & The Island Girl’s Live Show at the Goat Soup and Whiskey is rescheduled to Friday, June 4th, at 6 p.m.

Sat., May 29th – Miller ferry trips are on hold in the morning, but an 11 a.m. boat is run to see how conditions are out on the lake. The ferry line is only able to run one vessel to PIB due to the inability to safely load/unload the smaller ferry. The Town Hall library at Middle Bass reopens. Hours this season are Saturday & Monday 10 to Noon and Thursday 1 to 3 p.m. The Memorial Day meeting and picnic at the yacht club on Middle Bass is postponed and rescheduled for the next day due to the weather. Although the road to East Point is dry and passable, there is still considerable water left over on the Monument lawn. At 1 p.m. there are about seven golf carts and a couple of cars parked on Delaware Ave., and this is Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend! Jill Junkin from Toledo Ave. takes a walk and checks out the condition of their dock in Squaw Harbor. Clean up crews from Miller Boat Line, the yacht club and the Crew’s Nest are cleaning up the flood debris left behind by the high water of the previous day’s storm.

Sun., May 30th – The Eye Opener Brunch and Memorial Day Service honoring those members who are no longer with us takes place at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. The Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center holds it’s Grand Reopening Party in the afternoon. At Das Lokal Biergarten in the Goat’s front yard, Polka Revolution is playing. A Miller’s crew is bringing the M/V Wm. Market back to PIB from Cleveland after several days in drydock. On this day 25 years ago Carl and Chris Krueger opened the Put-In-Bay Brewery and Distillery. Congrats to the Kruegers!

Mon., May 31st – The Forge offers free sweet crêpes to all active and retired military to say thank you to those who answered the call of service. A Memorial Day ceremony is held on the plaza at Perry’s Monument in the morning. A short ceremony is held at the Middle Bass Cemetery to honor those who served our nation in the Armed Forces. Put-in-Bay’s American Legion Post 542 holds its annual Memorial Day steak picnic at the State Park. There’s a baby shower for club manager CC Wisniewski at the Yacht Club.

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