Put-in-Bay Island News For June 2019
EXPANDED RECYCLING HOURS
The newly-expanded recycling hours at the Put-in-Bay transfer station are Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DID YOU FIND A TREASURE?
We hope you found your island treasure on Saturday, May 18th, the day of the Island Wide Garage Sale. A bit of rain in the morning probably didn’t help, but by afternoon the sun was out. There were 22 places to stop on the island if you looked at the map of the island the Chamber handed out.
NEW VISITOR LOGS AT PARKS
The Lake Erie Islands Conservancy recently had a photo posted showing the new visitor logs/surveys going up at our preserves in the islands, thanks to Kristin Parrish and the Put-in-Bay Township Park District. Thanks, Cameron and Ken Farber, Teddi Morris, Russ Brohl and Richard Gump for help in getting them up!
INTERESTING TIDBIT
Gary and Becky Kowalski had their oldest and youngest grandsons both graduate this May from Put-in-Bay School Matthew Stacey from High School and Beckett Kowalski from kindergarten. Matthew is the son of Gary and Becky’s daughter Kristi, and Beckett is the son of their daughter, Bobbi. There was also a very interesting article on the Put-in-Bay Lighthouse that appeared on the Put-in-Bay Ohio Facebook page last month about what our famous landmark might say if the Put-in-Bay Lighthouse Could Talk.
TICKETS TO KID ROCK AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET
We originally heard that the Bash on the Bay Kid Rock Concert on Thursday, August 29th, at the Put-in-Bay Airport, was sold out within hours of tickets going on sale last fall. Well, quite a few must have been bought up by resalers. The tickets on the web start at a mere $100 for standing room as far from the stage as you can get to $1380 for a spot in the “Pit” right up by the stage. There are also tickets for other
sections which cost somewhere in between.
NORTH BASS DOCK
Legislators in Columbus recently passed a transportation spending bill that included $500,000 to repair the main dock on the south shore of North Bass Island. The dock is in need of serious repairs and if they were not going to be fixed, Miller Boat Line would not be able to service the island. The dock at North Bass Island must be repaired to allow ferry service to continue. The dock is critical for getting equipment to the island to repair roads and keep the airport running. If the airport shut down, the Put-in-Bay Port Authority would risk having to pay back millions of dollars of federal grant money. One official said, “If people can’t get there by plane or by boat, it’s going to cause a real problem.” When the transportation bill reached the Senate floor, it was amended to add $500,000 for the dock repair. State Representative Steve Arndt said keeping the dock project in the final bill was a struggle, but that Governor DeWine intervened.
“The governor put his foot down and said we are going to fund the North Bass dock,” Arndt said. The Division of Parks and Watercraft
is creating a master plan for North Bass Island, an expensive piece of property the ODNR purchased to eventually become a state park.
The department also had an interest in the project because they want to be able to have some way to get people to and from North Bass for hiking, exploring and primitive camping there. The ODNR plans on keeping the island as natural as possible.
TRAVELING ISLANDERS
Gwena Market (Put-in-Bay High School Class of 2018) was recently at Stonehenge in England. Ericson Booker (PIBHS Class of 2017) and his cousin Adam Myers from Peach Point have been busy touring Europe. They spent some time in Holland and in Berlin, Germany. Julene Market was in France visiting Mont St. Michel and in England in the Boscastle area of Cornwall.
APRIL FOOL EDITION
What do you think? Should the Put-in-Bay April Fool issue continue to be published with April Fool photos and articles throughout the paper, or should they be limited to a certain “Bayzette” section so people definitely know what is the truth and what is fiction? Recently we have had some great April Fools pranks such as the Put-in-Bay Tunnel and the new Put-in-Bay Submarine Service articles. If you have an opinion, one way or another, please email it to pibgazette@frontier.com.
HABs FORECAST
The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory and Ohio Sea Grant will host NOAA’s annual Lake Erie HABs (Harmful Algal Bloom) Forecast on Thursday, July 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. From initial reports, it appears the harmful algae bloom in Lake Erie will be worse this season than last. This is neither the worse or the best ever recorded
SIGN UP FOR NATURE CAMP
Join us for our 16th year of fun-filled outdoor adventures at Nature Camp! Each year has a different theme, and all are designed to encourage youth’s natural curiosity of the outdoors by engaging them in fun and educational activities. The 2019 Nature Camp Theme for Middle Bass and Put-in-Bay is Reptiles and Amphibians. Do you enjoy searching for snakes, turtles, salamanders, frogs, and toads? Join us as we visit aquatic habitats in search of our amphibian friends, as well as sunny spots where reptiles may be found. We will meet the resident reptiles that call OSU’s Stone Laboratory home and learn about their unique adaptations that enable them to survive. The older campers will go kayaking and camp out one night. Environmental Adventure Camp I will camp out on Middle Bass or South Bass Island, and Environmental Adventure Camp II will campout on Kelleys Island. Contact Jackie Taylor for questions: jackieruthtaylor@gmail.com.
EMPLOYEE WELCOME FAIR
It’s that time again… when students from all over the globe arrive at Put-in-Bay to work and learn about American culture. To help them
make the transition, St. Paul’s Church is hosting Welcome Fairs on June 4th and 5th, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in the church Undercroft (enter through the Food Pantry.) We would like to introduce the student workers to some of the great things that Put-in-Bay has to offer, starting with a homemade soup supper, a gift bag, and information about some of the services that are available. The employees will also have a chance to win valuable prizes, such as Miller Boat tickets! Both nights will be similar, so employees can attend either one. If you would like to help, there are plenty of opportunities: Donate items for the prize drawing (contact Candy Baker 440-708-8176.) Attend the Fair to meet and welcome the students Most importantly, encourage your employees to attend Let’s show everyone the best of the Bay!
COMMUNITY IDEAS
A couple of ideas for our community With the recent Safe Island Task Force report being presented and discussed at two separate meetings this past month, it becomes apparent we need to start thinking how we can serve the big crowds and reduce the kind of questionable behavior some our visitors display. The litter problem and public urination seem to be big causes of concern. Perhaps instead of being so upset about the litter problem after a big weekend, we put out larger trash cans, preferably square ones to accommodate pizza boxes, and then empty them on a regular basis during the day and evening. Lighting the park on a busy Saturday night also helps with public urination to some degree, but how about also putting a big lighted sign on the bathhouse in the park that says “RESTROOMS?” It was nice to see that the Put-in-Bay Police department received grant money for much-needed equipment last month. Read the full article here
There should also be directional signs showing where public restrooms are located. Remember, most of our visitors are not familiar with the lay of the land. Why not have a campaign in the bars to remind people to “Go before you go!” If we expect to change people’s behavior, we probably need to change ours and be more accommodating as well!
PUT-IN-BAY DOG PARK OPENS
Dog park opens at Put-in-Bay Airport After a lot of hard work, the new “Island Paws Dog Park” at the south end of the Put-in-Bay Airpor was officially opened on Monday, May 20th. More than 60 people and an assortment of dogs, the likes of which Billy Market can tell you about, were on hand for the opening event. After a few words from Put-in-Bay Twp. Trustee Eric Engel, Deacon Mike Leahy from Mother of Sorrows said a blessing, and then June Stoiber, the longtime advocate of a dog park here on the island cut the “leash” in the traditional ribbon cutting ceremony. A big thank you to Township Trustee Eric Engel, Port Authority secretary Rosann Keiser, Susan Cooks, June Stoiber and Kim Morrisson, Paula Garsteck who worked on the dog park committee. The Zimmerman Paint Contractors Co., owned by Jack and Lorraine Zimmerman who have a cottage at the airport, put up the fencing and JDM Structures built the pavilion at the facility.
The Put-in-Bay T-Shirt Co. supplied the T-shirts for the event and thanks to all those who brought the food that was served. The dog park has rules posted on the gate for everyone to see. The pavilion offers a place for dog owners to sit and socialize while their dogs romp and play. There is a delightful view of the lake, plus plenty of parking. Everyone who has a dog is welcome to come out and use the dog park.
KAYAK RENDEZVOUS
The South Bass Island Kayak Rendezvous will take place from Friday, June 7th, through Sunday, June 9th. This great event is a weekend of fun, socializing, camping at the South Bass Island State Park, and lots of paddling and exploring around the island area. This is the 15th year the kayakers have come to Put-in-Bay and more than 100 kayakers from the tri-state area and beyond are expected to attend.
There are countless paddling opportunities among the islands of the Western Basin. For beginners, there are paddling opportunities within the Put-in-Bay Harbor, for intermediate paddlers, there are miles of island coastline to paddle and for experienced paddlers, there are dozens of open water crossings between islands to explore. Special Guest for 2019 – Traci Lynn Martin Many in the Great Lakes Region followed with great anticipation Traci’s epic 3,952-mile solo journey circumnavigation the Great Lakes.
Through struggles and triumphant success, her Just Around the Pointe expedition was one of the most talked about kayak stories of 2017. Join Traci (who suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis) as she recaps her attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate all five of the Great Lakes in one calendar year and in the process inspire all individuals who suffer from chronic health challenges to never give up on their personal dreams. She’ll talk about the challenges she faced during this exhausting 10-month expedition and the amazing sights she encountered paddling solo on our inland seas. For more information go to sbikayakrendezvour.com.
NEW FACES AT THE LAKE ERIE ISLANDS NATURE & WILDLIFE CENTER
Ms. Renee Fultz, Director, and Ms. Aerin Doughty, Manager, are the new faces of the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center. They are off to a great start, working with school groups, Roads Scholar, and getting the center ready for a great new season! When Allison Zura Wright had to withdraw as director, Renee took over and with her qualifications, we believe we have found a great leader for our center. She has an M.A. in Biology from Miami University and an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Indianapolis.
She has work experience at the Wild Hearts Zoological Park in Lewisburg, OH, instructing on sustainable living in Panama, as well as working at our Nature Center and camp programs in past years. Aerin Doughty has graduated with an A.S. in Wildlife Management from Hocking College and will be furthering her education this autumn at West Virginia University. She has work experience with Lorain County Metroparks, Tree Campus USA, and doing bat research in North Carolina. We welcome both of these women who are bringing fresh ideas and energy to our center based on their education and work experience.
COMMUNITY REMINDERS FOR JUNE
For those of you who are boaters be sure to read the three-part series Boating Safety At Put-in-Bay where our own Paul Bolden offers advise and years of experience to ensure you enjoy a safe, legal trouble-free boating season this summer. The community Swim Sail Program has had a great turnout and will begin this month. let’s hope we get some weather to go along with the program! Be sure to stop by the airport and watch the new Put-in-Bay Skydiving operation! It’s not for everyone but it sure is interesting t watch the process and people make their umps! Free to observe!
