Put-in-Bay Island Diary May 2022

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Island Diary May 2022

Sun., May 1st – A rolling thunder and rain storm goes though the island area before breakfast, but the weather turns perfect for Browns Backers 5K Draft Day Run. Runners start and finish on Bayview Ave. by the Boardwalk.

Mon., May 2nd – The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society holds a board member meeting in the morning at the museum. The tower at the Park Hotel is getting some maintenance. The Viking Octantis, the newest Great Lake cruise ship, passes through the island area on its way to Detroit. Emergency drills are conducted with the Jet Express, Miller Boat Line, U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol and local law enforcement agencies.

Tue., May 3rd – Islanders head to the Senior Center to cast their votes in the Primary Election. The Village Council meets for their workshop session and a bit later its Rules/Ordinance Committee and Safety/Streets Committee meets to discuss parking issues. Power goes out briefly in a few areas after dinner time on the island.

Wed., May 4th – There’s a cold drizzling rain in the morning. Islanders learn the police protection levy went down to a 95 to 75 vote. They’re getting new shelving for the grocery side at Island Hardware. Back To The Wild, a Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic in Castalia, visits with their birds and critters for a program at the PIB Town Hall. The visit is sponsored by the PIB Recreation Committee, the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center, the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy and the Miller Boat Line. There’s a dress rehearsal in the evening for the play “Breaking the News’ that will be performed at the Town Hall this coming weekend. To celebrate International Firefighter Day, the PIB Vol. Depart conducts some extrication training.

Thu., May 5th – Public safety forces have a “weapons of mass destruction” training exercise at the PIB Airport. Mossbacks opens for the season. Billy Market warns that the weekend weather is not looking nice at all. The grass on the east end of DeRivera Park is being aerated, which makes for a much healthier lawn.

Fri., May 6th – The newest Kelleys Island ferry, the Carmen Lee, arrives in the island area on this rainy day. Griffing Flying Service is not flying to the islands due to low ceiling conditions. There are no afternoon ferries due to the wind, and many of those planning to come and spend the weekend for the annual Spring Fling never make it to the curtailed affair. The Boardwalk Upper Deck opens. The Crew’s Nest opening party takes place with mostly island members present. There are no boats at the club’s docks.

Sat., May 7th – There’s water over the Lime Kiln Dock as dawn breaks. Winds as high as 49 MPH are reported. By afternoon, the ferries are running from Catawba and Port Clinton. Clean-Up Day at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club is not canceled in spite of the weather. There’s a morning rehearsal for the play that will take place in the evening at the Town Hall. Thirteen people take part in the Garlic Mustard Challenge and pull 959 pounds of garlic mustard from the Cooper’s Woods Preserve. Kudos to Val Chornyak who took part in both the PIBYC Clean Up and the garlic mustard pull in Cooper’s Woods.

Sun., May 8th – There’s a great Mother’s Day Brunch at the Crew’s Nest. First communions for Nicholas Fiorilli and Beckett Dobos take place at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church. There’s an antique car parade in the afternoon. Over on Kelley’s Island there’s an island clean up going on.

Mon., May 9th – A road crew is sealing Catawba Ave. Staff from Stone Lab deploys a water quality monitoring buoy above the intake system of the Put-in-Bay water treatment plant. The buoy sends data to the Great Lakes Observing System.

Tue., May 10th – The PIB Village Council meets in the morning. Put-in-Bay’s 36th Blessing of the Fleet takes place at the Jet Dock on what may be the nicest day in it’s long history. There’s an unveiling of “Blessing of the Fleet,” an illustration by Grant and Jodi McCallum commissioned by Mother Mary Staley from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Clergy from Put-in-Bay, Kelleys Island, Port Clinton and Sandusky officiate. Chip Wyant, who started the event, was on hand. Workers are painting dock uprights on the Crew’s Nest docks and on the DeRivera Park dock. The Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce holds its spring member meeting at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. There are no longer monthly member meetings, just one in the spring and one in the fall. The PIBHS Cross Country Team holds a fun run called the Tough Islander. The challenging and muddy run took place on Todd Blumensaadt’s lot at the corner of Meechen and Airport Rd.

Wed., May 11th – At the baseball diamond across the street from the school, it looks like there’s a pickup game going on after the work day ends. Among those enjoying the prime rib special at Frosty’s are Barb Hunter from Fox’s Den, Jan Anteau from Sybil Blvd. and Diane Nemec from Mitchell Rd.

Thu., May 12th – The mooring buoys for transient boaters are set in the Bay. Dockside Gifts, located at the Lime Kiln opens for the season.

Fri., May 13th – School assessments of preschool and kindergarten kids are conducted at the school. The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society Museum and the Resale Shop open full time for the season. The Put-in-Bay Yacht Club opens for the season. The Schwan’s frozen food delivery truck has about 100 stops to make on Middle Bass. The Last Resort Engine Co. bar opens across the street from the Reel Bar. Their first customer is Perkins Township Fire Dept. fireman Mike Pflieger.

Sat., May 14th – It’s a rainy morning on South Bass Island. Island happenings include the yoga class at the Nature Center, the Island Wide Garage Sale, and the Souper Douper Soup Cook-Off at the yacht club where Phil and Debbie Hahn take top honors.

Sun., May 15th – The EMS holds a taco dinner fundraiser at the Town Hall. Tom Thanasiu is busy putting in floating docks at Squaw Harbor. The pre-parade sponsor of the Antique Car Parade is the Burr Family. After the parade there’s a stop at Joe’s Bar. At St. Paul’s, parishioners enjoy strawberry shortcake after church. Unfortunately, cloud cover over the islands obscures the total lunar eclipse at the end of the day.

Mon., May 16th – There’s a zoning meeting to approve a variance for properties owned by Mark Mathys along Loraine Ave. At the school, members of the PIBHS junior class are holding a car wash to raise funds for their senior class trip.

Tue., May 17th – Planting of the flower baskets on the lampposts around DeRivera Park begins. New owner Miyo Hristovski and his crew are cleaning up the old Parker house on Erie St. He plans on keeping the historic structure rather than tearing it down. Chip Duggan is at the helm of the Put-in-Bay Tour Train as a group of family and friends of Adam Riley bar hop around the island celebrating his 42nd birthday. The school board enjoys a video presentation by Kate Byrnes of the senior class trip to San Francisco. The PIB High School’s Junior Senior Banquet takes place at the yacht club.

Wed., May 18th – Planting of the flower baskets around the downtown park continues. Project Manager Peter Huston from the Great Lakes Islands Alliance is on Manitoulin Island. Artist Janet Stearns is at the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center to start on her new mural around the indoor turtle pond. Flowers from Island Hardware & Market are put on a special ferry headed to Rattlesnake Island. On this date in 1882, 140 years ago, the passenger ship, “The American Eagle” explodes nears Kelleys Island, killing 10 people.

Thu., May 19th – It’s another busy day at the Bay. Nine kids graduate from kindergarten in a ceremony in the school gym. The ceremony is followed with a presentation of awards to students in all the other grades. Das Lokal, the Biergarten at the Goat, and the Chocolate Cafe´ open for the season. In the late afternoon there is a joint PIB Village/Township meeting at the Town Hall to discuss police matters. Dick’s Burger Night begins at the Yacht Club.

Fri., May 20th – Sue Thwaite is at the Picnic Basket getting things ready to open. Ditto for Carol Makruski at Bay Design and Lorie Uttterberg at Sunstoppers. Emmy award-winning journalist Tony Geftos with Toledo’s Channel 13’s “Dine in the 419” interviews Eric Booker to feature the Boardwalk and its famous lobster bisque and manager Casey Back from Frosty Bar & Family Pizza about “the best cheese pull” for an upcoming episode. It’s opening day at The Goat Soup & Whiskey.

Sat., May 21st – Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial opens for the summer. The Garden Club presents a program at the Yacht Club dealing with the Challenge of Chiggers and Chipmunks. There are back-to-back funeral ceremonies at Maple Leaf Cemetery, one for Chuck Lunt (PIBHS Class of 1973) and the other for Barb Chrysler from the West Shore. Celebrations of life take place afterwards, one for Chuck at the Town Hall and the other for Barb at the yacht club. At the Monument, they are Planting Seeds of Peace in celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday. The Put-in-Bay Property Owners Association meets at the Senior Center. Among the speakers is Ottawa County Auditor Jennifer Widmer who discusses the rising property taxes. Island entertainer Ray Fogg, who just returned from a trip to Italy with his wife Laura and neighbors Rick and Paula Ziebarth, has his 2022 opening at Reel Bar.

Sun., May 22nd – It’s the last day to sign up for the Put-in-Bay Community swimming and sailing classes. At Put-in-Bay Yacht Club, there’s a retirement open house for PIB School Superintendent Steve Poe. Park District members meet with property owners along Massie Lane on East Point to discuss access issues. At Bryan Kasper’s shiphouse, Mike Petrone, Cleveland’s Piano Man is the first entertainer in the 2022 www.putinbay.com’s sunset concert series, highlighting local entertainers, sunsets and all that is Put-in-Bay.

Mon., May 23rd – The power goes out on part of the island in the morning on Put-in-Bay Rd. Joe Cerny from Sybil Blvd. celebrates his 70th birthday. Propane is being burned off from tanks at the old Ferrellgas facility on Put-in-Bay Rd. so the old equipment can be removed from the site. Bernice Walton from the PIB EMS is on Middle Bass starting to place address marker signs on properties. She has about 100 green signs with white numbers to place, but arrives to find two flat tires on the van she was going to use. She still manages to get 60 installed.

Tue., May 24th – An island clean up takes place, sponsored by Cameo Pizza, the Goat and the Put-in-Bay Gazette. There’s an afternoon Cabi clothing party hosted by Barb Hunter at Kendra Koehler’s home. Later in the afternoon there’s a Community Appreciation Night at the Nature Center for a sneak peek of the mural Janet Stearns is painting around the indoor turtle pond. On the Sonny-S Ferry Facebook page, it is announced that it is estimated that the Sonny-S, the ferry that connects PIB and Middle Bass, will be out of service until roughly the end of June. Corey Cadez rides his waverunner from the mainland to North Bass Island. He’s dressed like it’s still winter.

Wed., May 25th – There’s a group of about 100 blue-shirted kids in DeRivera Park enjoying a school trip to the island. There’s a gathering of friends and family at Scott and Caroline Jackson’s home to celebrate Put-in-Bay Gazette Editor Kendra Koehler’s 70th birthday.

Thu., May 26th – Today is the last day of school for island kids. Paul Jeris and Brad Ohlemacher are at the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce office live on social media promoting the painted dog bowl auction that benefits the Chamber. On this date in 1901, there was much excitement generated by news reports that oil has been discovered on Middle Bass Island.

Fri., May 27th – Local safety forces, the U.S. Coast Guard and Life Flight are called to the island to rescue and evacuate Jeff McGookey who was cutting grass at a High Shores residence and fell off the cliff to the rocks below. A team from WOIO-TV Cleveland is on the island. Two new shops open on the island, Painter Sara Cochran’s Art Studio at the end of Concord Ave. at Airport Rd., and Susan Market’s new shop, Blu Drift Boutique, at the Put-in-Bay Winery at the Doller Estate. The Bayshore Resort Tiki Bar opens for the season. In spite of late afternoon rain, the Put-in-Bay High School graduation ceremony takes place on the plaza at the base of Perry’s Monument. Christie Ontko (PIBHS Class of 1991) is the guest speaker for Jacob King and Kate Byrnes, the entire Class of 2022.

Sat., May 28th – It’s a perfect weather day for a Memorial Day weekend. The two Crew’s Nest Pools are open. There are boats on the mooring buoys and docks in the harbor, and a good crowd downtown. Rick and Sondra Martin from Lakeview Allotment celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

Sun., May 29th – The Put-in-Bay Runners Club starts the day with a 3-mile run. The Put-in-Bay High School Alumni Association Brunch takes place at the Crew’s Nest Pavilion. New members Lucille Schneider (Class of 2021) and Kate Byrnes (Class of 2022) are among the attendees with 50-year grad Terry Heineman Baker. At the Yacht Club there is a Memorial Day Service to remember those members who are no longer with us. It is followed by the Eye Opener Brunch. Dustin Shaffer’s boys, Jaxson and Donovan, are back selling hotdogs, lemonade, sodas and sno-cones for the summer at the PIB Airport. In the afternoon, the first of two Memorial Day weekend antique car parades takes place. The pre-parade sponsors are Steve Yagerz and Sean Koltiska, and post-parade sponsor is Danny Drake from the Chapman House/Getaway Inn. A stop sign at Meechen and Put-in-Bay Road is stolen.

Mon., May 30th – The weekend’s second antique car parade takes place in the afternoon. This parade is sponsored by PIB American Legion Post 542 and Tom and Kathy Priesman at Bay Lodging Resort Pool (formerly the Buckeye Bar). There’s a Salute to the Troops ceremony at Perry Monument. PIB School third grader Erin Stapleton leads the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Over on Middle Bass, there is a Memorial Day Ceremony to honor veterans that includes a C-130 flyover. PIB’s American Legion Post honors veterans at the cemetery, and then in the evening, members head to the PIBYC for a steak fry. After dinner, safety forces respond to a call involving the sinking of a 28-foot pleasure boat with five people onboard between Middle Bass & Ballast Island. The boat apparently hit buckeye reef and just kept going until it sank. No one was injured.

Tue., May 31st – A mayfly is spotted. The Ottawa County Health Dept. conducts another Covid Vaccination Clinic at PIB Fire Station. Salvage boats are out between Middle Bass and Ballast for the boat that sunk the night before. Chef Robby Lucas (PIBHS Class of 1999) presents wines and prepares food pairings for “Summer Wines’’ at the Reel Bar. On this date in 1914 the fish hatchery at the west end of Put-in-Bay harbor burns.

Putinbay.com is proud to present the Put-in-Bay Gazette’s Island Diary for May, in the June 2022 issue of the Gazette.

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