Put-in-Bay Island Diary October 2022

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 October 2022

Sat., Oct. 1st – The annual Wine Festival takes place at the Put-in-Bay Winery at the Doller Estate. There’s a great Silent Auction that benefits the island museum in the rear tent. Down the street later that evening, the Change of Watch and dinner takes place at the PIB Yacht Club. The Island Club hosts their annual Fall Ball customer appreciation weekend.

Sun., Oct. 2nd – The first ferry trips leaving PIB and Middle Bass are canceled. Graveside services for Phoebe Borman are followed by a reception at PIBYC. At the Candy Bar treats are 50% off! St. Paul’s Animal Blessing takes place at the church. Those attending the Great Lake Islands Alliance Summit (GLIA) gather at the Boathouse to check in and enjoy dinner.

Mon., Oct. 3rd – Overnight at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church is vandalized. The Panther Volleyball Team plays it’s last home game of the season. At the DeRivera Park Dock, they are pulling out the lake grass that accumulated around the dock. After the GLIA group has breakfast at the Boathouse, there are tours of Put-in-Bay and in the afternoon one on Middle Bass. On this date 69 years ago, the Steamer Put-in-Bay was towed into Lake St. Clair and set ablaze in order to burn off her superstructure and make her hull easier to scrap.

Tue., Oct. 4th – The GLIA group takes the Jet Express to Kelleys Island where two Lime Kiln buses transport everyone around the island. Upon the group’s return to PIB, there are tours of Gibraltar Island and a heavy hors d’oeuvres dinner at the Boardwalk.

Wed., Oct. 5th – It’s a beautiful “flat lake” day for the GLIA participants to take the Jet Express to Pelee Island in Canada. Mike and Susan Byrnes take bikes on their boat to North Bass.

Thu., Oct. 6th – It’s 71 degrees in the mid afternoon with the wind at 4 knots from the west. By midnight it’s under 60 degrees with the wind at 25 knots out of the NNW. Some of the docks at Squaw Harbor are pulled out for the winter. Bryan Gilles takes home the grand prize and trophy for the “spooky solstice” poker tournament.

Fri., Oct. 7th – Ray Fogg plays “Just The Nice Songs” at his show at the Reel Bar in the evening. Chris Cooper from the Hardware Store has the pleasure of passing on his Boy Scout skills by helping to teach Fire Safety and Fire Building to Put-in-Bay Girl Scout Troop 10828.

Sat., Oct. 8th – It’s the first day of Oktoberfest in the Village Park. The Phil Yan Polka Band is playing. The patio bar at the Crew’s Nest is open. Patty Bauer is celebrating her last shift bartending on the island after 33 years. She started at the Boathouse and moved on to Tipper’s to manage the bar there. She is now working for Miller Boat Line selling tickets at the Lime Kiln. It’s Trivia Night at the Yacht Club. Over on Middle Bass, Jessie and Carl Johnson open up their pumpkin patch for all to grab and enjoy.

Sun., Oct. 9th – The Boardwalk and The Upper Deck hold their closedown fundraiser for the Patrick Myers Scholarship Fund. The Lake Effects Boutique at the Depot closes for the season with a 20% off sale.

Mon., Oct. 10th – There’s a very rare Monday evening regular PIB Village Council meeting. Members vote to annex the Market residence on Squaw Harbor into the Village. Up on Pelee Island, they are celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving and the Pelee Island Co-operative Association is closed for the holiday.

Tue., Oct. 11th – Julene Market finds a 16 inch gar washed ashore. She puts it back in the lake where it will hopefully survive. The PIB Chamber of Commerce’s Reverse Raffle takes place in the Oktoberfest tent across from the Boathouse. Kevin Dailey and his crew have a wonderful dinner for the event. The last two people with tickets, Lesa Jenkins and Eddie Sheller split the grand prize.

Wed., Oct. 12th – The Oktoberfest tent comes down. Behind the scenes there’s a board meeting at the Chamber of Commerce office. State Route 357 by the Monument is closed for about 30 minutes in the morning so the contractor can move a big crane from the northwest section of the seawall, by the Dairy Isle, down Bayview, past the Monument, so it can join the work on the south seawall.

Thu., Oct. 13th – The 9 a.m. ferry leaving the Lime Kiln is running late due to heavy traffic leaving for the mainland. Many of the original windows at the old Crescent have been removed and the building is getting more and more prepared for demolition.

Fri., Oct. 14th – Islanders can get another vaccination at the Covid immunization clinic at the fire station. On this date in 1922, the 168-ft. long, 800-passenger steamer “Arrow” burned in the harbor at Put-in-Bay.

Sat., Oct. 15th – It’s another busy Saturday at PIB. The Phil Yan Polka Band is playing in the Goat’s Biergarten for Woody’s Harvest Fest scholarship fundraiser. Four-year old Cal Jackson plays his toy accordion with the band for much of the afternoon. Woody’s Harley trike motorcycle that’s being auctioned off by members of the PIB Vol. Fire Dept. is won by Liam Market. The Wake is taking place at the Roundhouse. It’s game night at the Yacht Club. Strong west winds drop the lake’s water level.

Sun., Oct. 16th – There’s a baby shower for Audrey Socha Bodenbender at Pasquale’s. Ellen Ballas from Chapman Rd. is surprised and excited by a visit from a trumpeter swan family, two adults with six juveniles. At Rita’s Cantina at the Boardwalk, you can get a bowl of lobster bisque for $5, or get some to go in your container for $5 per ladle full.

Mon., Oct. 17th – There are high winds during the last day the Monument is open for the season. Ferry trips are canceled shortly after lunch. There’s no school today. The big crane at the Monument is moved back from the south seawall to the northside seawall.

Tue., Oct. 18th – There are only a few morning ferries defying the steady 25-mph winds out of the southwest. Later in the day, the wind switches out of the west at 34 knots with gusts at 40 knots. The temperature is in the low 40s with a windchill just below freezing.

Wed., Oct. 19th – 31-knot winds with gusts at 35 out of the northwest at 7 a.m. delay the first ferry off the island. At least the temperature isn’t in the 30s. A couple of the last ferries of the day are canceled. In the evening, the library’s Words & Wine Book Club meets at Heineman Winery to share books and enjoy a beverage. Everyone is always welcome to these events. Paul Haulbach spots two large deer while walking along Burgundy Blvd., near Fox Rd. on Middle Bass. Don and Rosi Stephens celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.

Thu., Oct. 20th – At 3 a.m. the temperature on PIB dips into the 30s for the first time this fall. The PIB High School Panther Volleyball team enters the Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament play for its second time, but the strong Toledo Christian Eagles team is victorious, and the volleyball season closes with 10 wins and 7 losses. This was the last game for seniors Macy Ladd and Lilian Frederick. Chef Marie Schroeder’s amazing BBQ rib dinner is the menu special at Hooligans.

Fri., Oct. 21st – The pavilion and some of the outside structures at the 150-year old Crescent are coming down. Lake Disposal is hauling the demolition debris off the island. You can stock up your winter freezer with meat being sold from Fat Daddy’s meat van in the parking lot at the gas station. Wally and The Beavs play at the Beer Barrel in the evening.

Sat., Oct. 22nd – The Scott Pugh Foundation’s inaugural Bay Day takes place out by the Lime Kiln Dock in the Twine Shanty field. The weather is perfect for the great turnout. Bay Day will raise funds to support island scholarships, elderly island community members and Northern Ohio families facing cancer. There’s fun for all ages. Jessie Greene has the winning ticket for a the golf cart raffle, plus wins the 50/50 raffle. On the sidewalk at the Candy Bar, there’s a glassblowing fundraiser for the Put-in-Bay Arts Council. In the evening, there’s a membership appreciation party at the Yacht Club. Among the businesses celebrating their last business day of the 2022 season is the Reel Bar on Catawba Ave. The Beer Barrel finishes its season with its Halloween Party. Ally Urge Blumensaadt, PIBHS Class of 2011, celebrates her 30th birthday.

Sun., Oct. 23rd – This is the last day of the season for many island businesses. In fact, it may be one of the most beautiful fall days ever for the close of so many businesses. A group enjoys the pumpkin bowl game at the ball diamond on Concord Ave. Len and Glenda Partin boat over from their cottage on the north shore of Middle Bass to attend the Whiskey Light Celebration at the Round House Bar marking the official end of the 2022 season. New PIB Brewery owners Mike and Jill Koch celebrate their first “last day of the season” by serving food until they run out. The glassblowing at the Candy Bar is into its second day. Chuck Edwards from Lakeview Drive puts the finishing touches on the donor bricks at the new Put-in-Bay sign at the State Park. Fireworks are in order for the Jet Express leaving Put-in-Bay at 6:30 p.m. for the 2022 season.

Mon., Oct. 24th – More of the Crescent is coming down. The Put-in-Bay StoryWalk Trail in the Dodge Woods Preserve is filled with kids in Halloween costumes reading the new HalloReads story. There are cookies for all!

Tue., Oct. 25th – The nice fall weather is holding. Kendra Koehler is hosting a Cabi clothes party at her home in the afternoon. The Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Fall Member Meeting takes place in the Town Hall assembly room. There’s a review of 2022 and a look ahead at the 2023 season with some possible big changes for the late summer and early fall schedule of events. Justine Cultice puts together an outstanding charcuterie table for the meeting. The PIB fire department’s volunteers hold a practice on Delaware Ave. after the sun goes down.

Wed., Oct. 26th – Work is progressing on clearing the Crescent property and at the end of the day only the front section that housed the bar on Delaware Ave. is still standing.

Thu., Oct. 27th – Demolition workers knock down the last walls of the Crescent and all that is left on the property are huge piles of debris that need to be hauled off the island in dumpsters. Juan Alvarez, who is overseeing the demolition for the new owners, tells us around 70 huge dumpsters will be used to haul all the debris off the island. They’re planting new trees at the Monument at the same time tree removers are cutting them down at Inselruhe (former Buttrey house) at the corner east of the Monument. In DeRivera Park, John Galvin is working on the old fashion lampposts that sometimes need to be removed so repairs can be made. At PIB School students are scaring themselves in a “haunted house!” BOO! Hooligans is serving up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Fri., Oct. 28th – As the sun goes down, there’s not a single vehicle of any kind parked on Put-in-Bay’s main street.

Sat., Oct. 29th – In the morning, the kids parade down Delaware Ave. in Halloween costumes and then enjoy treats and games in the park. The weather is wonderful for the event! Jessica Reidner and Dallas Mohn get married at South Bass Island State Park in the afternoon. Hooligans “Hoolie” close down takes place. It’s Ryte Spyder Nyte at the Goat and Scott and Caroline Jackson are serving up Tom & Scaries to those who are brave enough to partake. Over at the Middle Bass General Store there’s a costume party going on.

Sun., Oct. 30th – Allen Duff from Mitchell Rd. is celebrating his 75th birthday at a wonderful party at the fire station in the afternoon. Mayor Jessica Dress is on hand to present him with a proclamation acknowledging his many years of service to the South Bass community. Up on Pelee Island 19 witches take part in the annual witches walk! Marty Ketchem tests out his spooky Halloween display at his house on Mike’s Drive.

Mon., Oct. 31st – Mon., Oct. 31st – There’s a new ferry schedule with an added 7 a.m. trip. It rains a bit before sun up and mid afternoon, but it’s a 60+ degree night for the trickers going door to door in the evening. Miller Boat Line’s M/V Islander heads to Cleveland Cleveland for her 5-year hull inspection and new bottom paint. At PIB School grades K-8 put on a delightful Halloween music program for parents and grandparents in the gymnasium. The BrownsBackers are at Topsy’s for Monday Night Football. The Fishbowl closes for the season after the Browns victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

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

To subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette please visit their website by clicking here.