Put-in-Bay Island Diary: October 2020

 

Thu., Oct. 1st – The Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce Paddle Auction kicks off in the afternoon, raising almost $3,000 in the first hour. There’s a “Bourbon Tasting” at the Reel Bar.

Fri., Oct. 2nd – The Tour Train runs its last weekday tours for the season. There’s a wine tasting event for the members of the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club who enjoy six local Island wines and food pairings made by Chef Dave McNew. Over on Kelleys Island the water department is dealing with a boil advisory.

Sat., Oct. 3rd – John Schneider brings the Sonny-S ferry to Put-in-Bay and takes his McCann relatives on a boat ride along the north shore of East Point to check out the cliff shoreline at the Anchorage. Sam Irwin is on the ferry returning to the Canadian mainland from Pelee Island and reports there appears to be a smokey fire on Hen Island. The “Fall Ball” is happening at the Island Club, and at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club the Change of Watch 2020 is taking place. At the PIB Candy Bar there’s an end of season sale! The Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center holds a fundraiser at Heineman Winery. For $10, you can pick up an appetizer plate and enjoy it in the wine garden with a fine bottle of Heineman’s wine.

Sun., Oct. 4th – At the Boathouse fans enjoy tacos and beer while watching the Browns. The “Blessing of the Pets” takes place in a light drizzle in the afternoon at St. Paul’s. Mia Hristovski enjoys a bonfire with friends for her 13th birthday.

Mon., Oct. 5th – At the Borman cottage on Chapman Rd., Debby Parker sees hundreds of swarming Blue Jays migrating. Sally Stuckey’s little red cottage at the tip of the Peach Point triangle is torn down, plus the old Yankee Clipper pilot house in the backyard is being removed. She is having a new and improved house built. The Wine Club meets at Forge. PIB EMS is delivering a new AED to North Bass. The employees from Joe’s Bar enjoy a cocktail/dinner/sunset cruise aboard the charter boat “Gemini” courtesy of Nan and Mark Burr, Angie and Brad Ohlemacher, Nik Pettenski and Mark Petroff.

Tue., Oct. 6th – The mooring buoys are being taken out of the harbor. PIB Mayor Jessica Dress issues Covid safety guidelines for Trick or Treating on Halloween. Erin Urge celebrates turning 21. In Canada, the new episode of “Still Standing” features Pelee Island.

Wed., Oct. 7th – The aroma of freshly pressed grapes at Heineman Winery is a sure sign that fall is definitely here. The Chamber of Commerce Paddle Auction concludes in the morning with a final amount raised of $16,300. Special thanks goes out to all the artists who participated in the fundraiser.

Thu., Oct. 8th – It’s a beautiful day for the preschoolers in the play group who are meeting in the morning at the Crew’s Nest. Some of the Miller Boat Line crew are finishing up their new paint job on the 37-year old M/V Islander. It has taken two weeks to paint her. There’s what appears to be a pontoon-style Tiki bar boat in harbor.

Fri., Oct. 9th – Put in Bay Police Officers, Captain Mariano, D/Sgt. Dana Mullins and D/Sgt. Randy Sehl, present several safety programs to students at Put-in-Bay School. Topics include Stranger Danger for younger grades and Cyber Safety and responsible and safe use of social media websites. Students also practiced lockdown and evacuation procedures. A squirrel climbing on the top of the electric pole at the Dodge House gets fried and knocks out power along Bayview Ave. and parts of the West Shore. In the evening, the weather is great for William G. Krejci and Viktoriya Zakharova’s Haunted Put-in-Bay Ghost Walk around the downtown area. The outside bar at the Crew’s Nest opens in the evening.

Sat., Oct. 10th – It’s a busy Saturday at the Bay. With no Oktoberfest in the downtown park, businesses pick up the slack and have their own specials. The Brewery and Distillery have a craft beer and bratwurst special on their last open weekend open of the season. The Roundhouse has its Roundtoberfest with tables set up in the parking lot behind Park hotel. At the Goat’s Biergarten, Das Lokal, the Sausage Fest takes place with the Phil Yan Polka band playing. Frosty Bar celebrates Oktoberfest  with Ryan Stoiber cooking up his favorites. The Reel Bar serves up Oktoberfest fare along with German music, plus it Ray Fogg’s last show for the 2020 season. The Crew’s Nest is open to the public for the day serving Chef Mike Catey’s famous paprikash! Hooligans is serving a plate full of delicious Oktoberfest favorites: German bratwurst, homemade applesauce, pierogies with sautéed onions and stuffed cabbage! Among those enjoying the lobster bisque at the Boardwalk is Geraldo Rivera. PIB Vol. Fire Chief Greg Dobos celebrates his 40th birthday! It’s the last day for musket demonstrations at the Monument. At the PIBYC there’s a member appreciation party with free food until they run out. Commodore Marcia Ashley and Vice Commodore Jeff Berquist turn out the light on another season and thank Barb and CC and their great staff for keeping members all safe this season.

Sun., Oct. 11th – Emma Michael places first in the 12-year and under female category at the Browns Backers 5K race. It’s the last day of the season at the Boardwalk’s Upper Deck where they are holding the Verhoff Scholarship fish fry fundraiser. Fifty percent of all sales will go to the scholarship fund. There’s a onesie bar crawl of island employees and residents during the Browns game. Out at Joe’s Bar, comedian Molly Kearney emcees the Inter-Island Sloppy Scotty eating contest. Scott Jackson is there to tell about how he and Joe Suttmann came up with the Sloppy Scotty, a sandwich with a split hotdog, chili, cheddar cheese and onions. Winner is Johnny Vandenburg  who eats 7 1/2 in five minutes, and wins the beautiful weiner trophy and a $200 bar tab at Joe’s. The last Jet Express runs its last trip of the season.

Mon., Oct. 12th – An important meeting between Village officials and the Township Trustees takes place to discuss the township’s pre-paying share of police costs for the coming season. The last “in season” meeting of the PIB Chamber of Commerce takes place at Mr. Ed’s. Board member Brian Cultice arranges for members to enjoy some Cameo pizza. The PIB Chamber of Commerce’s Reverse Raffle takes place at the Niagara Event Center. EMS Director Patrick Rogers is on hand to take everyone’s temperature as they enter the venue. Abby Waddle from the Boardwalk is the big winner.

Tue., Oct. 13th – Council members meet at 9 a.m. and do not leave the Town Hall until 2:30 p.m. The majority of the meeting is taken up in an executive session concerning personnel. The PIBHS Girls Freshman Volleyball Team is playing on the mainland against the Clyde High School team.

Wed., Oct. 14th – At PIB School, the School Board meets during the lunch hour.

Thu., Oct. 15th – After school hours, the Put-in-Bay High School’s student council meets. The annual Rock by the Lake concert is starting at Mr. Ed’s and the Reel Bar in the evening.

Fri., Oct. 16th – Burns Pierce is clearing the trail of a downed tree at the Scheeff East Point Preserve so weekend walkers can get through! Life flight is heard taking off in the late hours of the night.

Sat., Oct. 17th – The island’s annual Holiday Bazaar takes place outside at the Goat. Among the items for sale is the LEIC 2021 fundraiser wall calendar with photos by Susan Byrnes from the islands’ park preserves. The event is sponsored by the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy and the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center. Over on Middle Bass there’s a turkey shoot behind John and Katie Schneider’s house. Customers, many dressed in black, mourn the passing of another season at the Round House Bar’s annual “Wake” Party.

Sun., Oct. 18th – There’s a Browns tailgate at Ashley’s Island House in the morning. Mother Mary Staley picks up four 5-gallon buckets of walnuts at St. Paul’s. The Browns Backers are at Joe’s Bar in the afternoon. At the Park Hotel, some islanders gather for a bridal shower for Amanda McCann. Suzanne Kostura (PIBHS Class of 1989) celebrates her birthday.

Mon., Oct. 19th – Rangers hold last flag raising at the Monument for the 2020 season. It’s 50 degrees out and rainy. Chris Krueger celebrates her 55th birthday with her family. Some of the islands’ youth spend the day at the Cleveland Zoo.

Tue., Oct. 20th – It’s the last day for online voting for the candidates for the PIB Chamber of Commerce executive board.

Wed., Oct. 21st – Tom and Diane Brennan are on the island from Connecticut redding up the old Wasson home on East Point. Perry’s victory was a $1000 answer on Jeopardy. Drew Holcepl wins the Hottest Fishbowl chicken wing eating contest at the fishbowl in the evening.

Thurs., Oct. 22nd – Rain during the night gives way to a cloudy morning and warm sunshine in the afternoon. Islanders are getting their flu shots at the Senior Center. Put-in-Bay Volunteer Fire Department members practice on their aerial and put their large portable pump through its paces at different locations on the island.

Fri., Oct. 23rd – Marisa Rence enjoys a boat trip to North Bass where she hunts beach glass with Caroline, Scott, Liesl and Cal Jackson, her father Rudy and Jeff Koehler. Marissa’s motto we discover is “leave no beach glass behind” as she loads her pockets with the little treasure pieces. Just before dinner time, a huge storm from the south hits the island with driving rain, high winds bursts, lightning and thunder. Electricity goes out for a couple of hours on the east side of the island including Delaware Ave., all of East Point and the upper islands. Patty Bauer is at the Island Beverage Center, but customers need flashlights to see and cash to pay instead of swiping a credit card. After the storm Rob Stacy is out night fishing and catches several nice walleye.

Sat., Oct. 24th – The 2020 season closes with a cool Halloween at the Bay. Among those businesses wrapping it up for the season are Cameo Pizza and Perry’s Cave and Family Fun Center.

Sun., Oct. 25th – Scott Bellinger asks on social media if someone lost their Trump/Pence sign. He says they can find it in his yard by his driveway. The Browns Backers are at Mr. Ed’s Bar & Grille for the bar’s closedown party. Frosty’s closes for the season after celebrating the last Sunday Funday. Mossbacks is offering fresh perch and walleye on its last day of the season. The Whiskey Light Celebration at the Round House is well attended with Ray Fogg on stage entertaining before a lively crowd.  Ryte Spyder Night takes place at the Goat in the evening with free food for all.

Mon., Oct. 26th – Tree trimmers are at Dawn Shill’s home on Chapman Rd. working on a limb that fell during Friday’s violent wind. Miller Boat Line’s schedule change has the last trip leaving the mainland coming back to PIB is now 5:30 p.m. Over on Pelee Island, their Council has a meeting on Zoom in the evening.

Tues., Oct. 27th – It’s Cakes for a Cause day at Pasquale’s. Every single sale, tip and even pay goes to charity. This year St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital benefits in the name of the beloved Teri Winchester. Tom Thanasiu is taking out the Sharkey docks in Squaw Harbor during the cold wet afternoon. The Crew’s Nest and Miller private docks are also removed today.  The Clyde High freshman volleyball team travels to Put-in-Bay and wins all three sets they play against the Panther home team.

Wed., Oct. 28th – Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab host the 2020 Virtual Lake Erie Workshop for Science and Outdoor Writers to help you learn about Lake Erie science and opportunities. Due to COVID-19 precautions and The Ohio State University policies, the workshop is held online via Zoom. Miller Boat Line’s M/V Wm. Miller is spotted entering the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland on its way to drydock for its 5-year hull inspection.

Thu., Oct 29th – It’s a gloomy wet day at the Bay. Ashley’s Island house is getting a face-lift with a new roof.

Fri., Oct. 30th – It’s the end of the first nine weeks of school. It seems like school just started! Bob Gatewood celebrates his 60th birthday.

Sat., Oct. 31st – Women on Pelee Island hold their inaugural Black Hat Society  “Witch Walk” from the school to the Co-op in Scutter. Marc Wright completes a virtual NYC 26.2 mile marathon run around the island in the afternoon. The PIB kids are out safely trick or treating. Reel Bar, The Forge and Hooligans are hosting a Catawba Ave. Halloween Party.

 

 

 

Write Review

There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one.

Go to Top