News November 2019 From Put-in-Bay
New Put-in-Bay Ferry
Miller Boat Line’s new Put-in-Bay Ferry, the “Mary Ann Market”, is taking shape at Fraser Shipyards in Lake Superior. Work is moving along but slightly delayed due to tariffs and other unforeseen circumstances. Delivery of the 140’ Auto/Passenger ferry will be in the Spring. We’re told the “Mary Ann Market” will also be their first boat to have a bow thruster, making her the most maneuverable boat in the fleet. The plans for the new ferry were announced in the June 2019 Diary from Put-in-Bay.
They’ve Been Travelling
David and Kat Holscott have had quite an adventure since they left their summer jobs at the Miller Ferry and the Goat. In September they flew to Alaska where they worked for Holland/Princess cruise lines for 2 1/2 weeks. In October they flew to India, where they plan to stay until mid-November. They are going to take a 4-day side trip to Kathmandu, Nepal. After leaving India they are flying to Barcelona. They will spend 8 days near Las Ramblas, their famous street, and then get on a cruise ship that will stop in Spain, Portugal, and The Azores en route to Florida. Finally, they will fly to Texas to spend the month of December on South Padre Island. It sounds like a great trip!
Jury Awards $4 Million
A jury ordered a Put-in-Bay Bar company to pay a Pennsylvania man $4 million for injuries the man suffered at the hands of a bar’s bouncer in 2017. An eight-person Ottawa County jury made the ruling at the end of a multi-day civil trial in the Ottawa County Common Pleas Court. The $4 million award will go to the plaintiff, Somerset, Pennsylvania resident Zachary Hoffman.
Rock the Lake
The Rock the Lake concert and charity event proved to be a success in its inaugural year. Fans from all over the country visited the island, most for the first time, to take part in the weekend-long festivities. The two biggest bands of the weekend were Blessed Union of Souls and Red Wanting Blue, which both drew crowds of several hundred people. Mr. Ed’s and the Commodore Resort played host to the event, with the Reel Bar joining in hosting a few of the bands as well. Cameo Pizza also donated a portion of their sales from the weekend to support the charities involved. We’ve been told the event is already on the books for next year with a plan to bring even more bands. Be on the lookout for the dates in October 2020.
October Events & Happenings
The weather was perfect for Put-in-Bay Island Wine Fest as people packed the tent at the Put-in-Bay Winery. Oktoberfest brought in a staggering $30,000 with over 2000 people attending the event. All 249 tickets to the Put-in-Bay Reverse Raffle sold out just days before the event. All in all, it was a successful month of fundraising. The Put-in-Bay Visitors & Convention Bureau hosted the Annual Put-in-Bay Fall Ball at the Put-in-Bay Resort & Conference Center and it was a record turnout. The newly relocated event is a vast improvement from year past where is was help out in the center of the island with little refuge from poor weather. Guest appeared to be thrilled with the welcome change and upgraded event.
2019 Island Summit
A group of islanders from Put-in-Bay, Middle Bass, Kelleys Island and Pelee Island headed to Mackinac Island at the beginning of the third week in October to take part in the third annual Great Lakes Islands Association conference. Representatives from 14 islands from all the Great Lakes except Lake Ontario attended the event. Islands in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Ontario were represented. They came from small islands all the way up to Manitowa Island at the top of Georgian Bay where they have two airports, one of which can handle a 737.
This year’s conference was attended by more than 120 people. Next year’s conference will be held at Put-in-Bay and be cosponsored with Kelleys, Middle Bass and Pelee Islands. You can look forward to a more complete article about the conference in the December issue of the Put-in-Bay Gazette.
