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Moss on the Rock
Village Notice to Ice Fisherman
Attention Ice Fisherman: You are welcome to use city docks to tie up your minnow cars. Please carry your minnow cars or use a wagon or handcart to remove them. The special planking on the docks have been severely scratched and chipped. No motorized vehicles are permitted. Please remove all minnow cars by April 15th. Thank you!
Nature Camp Dates
This coming summer’s dates for Nature Camp have been set. On Middle Bass the dates are June 10th through 19th for ages 4 to 10. For Put-in-Bay the dates are July 10th through 14th for 4 to 6 year olds and July 17th through 21st for ages 7 to 10. For both Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass ages 11 to 14 the dates will be July 24th through 28th. The registration forms are coming soon and will be posted on the lakeerieislandswildlife.com website and Facebook next month when they’re finalized.
Start Rehearsing Now!
It’s time to get your act together and rehearse for the Annual Talent Show. Talented island folk from any walk of life or age group are encouraged to perform on Thursday, March 23rd, at 7 p.m. at the PIB School Gym. There will be cash prizes and the show is open to everyone. The talent show is sponsored by the PIB Recreation Committee. To sign-up use the Google Forms link at: https://tinyurl.com/2pjkj595.
Rolling Raffle
Tickets are now available for the 2023 Rolling Raffle, a unique weekly opportunity to win cash and prizes while supporting the Yacht Club. $100 tickets are a at www.pibyc.org. Twenty-five weekly drawings of $50 are announced on Facebook. Tickets can win more than once. All tickets are included in the $5,000 Grand Prize drawing on July 15th at PIBYC.
2023 Pooch Parade
The 2023 Pooch Parade will be held on Saturday, June 10th, at the DeRivera Park gazebo. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the parade at 10ish (island time). Early registration will be in front of Mossbacks on Friday, June 9th from 4 to 6 p.m. The entry fee is back down to $15, which includes 5 raffle tickets.
Put-in-Palooza In Key West
Plan to be in Key West with Ray Fogg for Put-in-Palooza at various clubs on Febrary 15th to 18th. A great line up will be performing…. Hey Monea, The Reese Dailey Band Duo, Nick Brownell, Kari Wolf, Jack Wolf Music and Pete Jarvis. Included venues are Rick’s Key West, Hank’s Hair Of The Dog Saloon, Smokin’ Tuna Saloon and Durty Harry’s.
Benson Ford Shiphouse Tours
Two tours of the Benson Ford Shiphouse on South Bass Island’s West Shore are planned for this summer. The first is on June 11th and the second in on August 27th. See the inside of this incredibly unique home, made out of the forecastle of a ship owned by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. You can read all about the ship at its official website https://shiponthebay.com/. For Shiphouse tour tickets, log on to June 11th: https://bensonford611.eventbrite.com for June 11th and https://bensonford827.eventbrite.com for August 27th.
Reminder from the PIBPD
The PIB Police Departments reminds everyone that 4-Wheelers and ATVs that are operated on the streets in both the Village and Township must be registered and have license plates. See Ohio Revised Code Sec. 4519.02(A) and Put-in-Bay ORD. 476.08(a).
NOCO Supports PIB Road Races
One of Put-in-Bay’s most enjoyable annual events is once again fortunate enough to win the corporate support of NOCO, a manufacturer of premium automotive supplies with world headquarters in Solon, Ohio. With NOCO’s continued support, the Put-in-Bay Road Race Heritage Society is looking forward to our best event ever in 2023!
Kurt Rohrbacher Memorial
Ice Fishing Tournament Feb. 18th
Think Ice! It’s that time of year again. The Kurt Rohrbacher Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament and Banquet are scheduled for February 18th. Stop by Topsy Turvey’s on Friday, February 17th at 6 p.m. to sign up. Fishing will take place, weather permitting, on Sat. the 18th and will be followed with the weigh in at Topsy Turvey’s. Finally the banquet and raffle will be held starting at 6 p.m. at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. Everyone is welcome to participate! If you would like to donate a raffle prize please reach out to Kiel Rohrbacher or Dan Petro and they can coordinate pickup! You can also donate via PayPal at https://paypal.me/kurtrohrbacherfund.
PIBYC Commodores’ Walkway Bricks
You can purchase an engraved brick to be placed in the PIB Yacht Club’s memorial brick walkway which extends from the patio to the street. Remember a loved one or commemorate your connection to PIBYC. Each brick is only $125 and has 3 lines with 14 spaces on each line. A limited number of bricks will be sold on a first-come first-served basis. Proceeds benefit the Building Fund and facility beautification. Stop by the Yacht Club office for more information.
Thank You From The PIB Township Park District
Thanks to volunteers Burns Pierce and Al Duff for removing a large downed tree from the trail at the Duff Woods Preserve early in January. We can all enjoy the trail again. We appreciate our employee Patrick Greene and contractor Mark Lekanka for their work in keeping all our trails open and maintained too.
Lake Erie Islands In The News
Please enjoy and feel free to share these articles found by Katrina Reed from Miller Boat Line.
• Check out these amazing Gibraltar Island photos in the wake of the winter storm – Cleveland.com
• The 5 Most Beautiful Lake Erie Lighthouses – AZ Animals
• What is the Smallest Island in the World? – NextLuxury
• Vessel Review | Mary Ann Market – Ohio Operator Welcomes New Ro-Pax to Fleet – Baird Maritime
• Your Island Guide to the 15 Best Things to Do at Put-In-Bay Ohio – Hip Grandma With a Camera
• Adventures begin for the Put-in-Bay Class of 2039! – The Beacon
Oak Point Docks
The dock repairs at Oak Point are complete and will be in for a full season from April to October! Check back on “South Bass Island State Park” on Facebook for more details on how the docks will work and on when the docks will be installed in April as we get closer to spring.
100 Years Ago This Month On The Ice
The island doctor, Theodore C. Greist, and his nurse, Sylvia Schulz, were drowned in February 1923 when their car ran into an open hole, fifty feet in diameter, west of Green Island. The doctor had planned a trip to the mainland the next day and he went out to scout around the area the night before. Evidence indicated that he tried to stop but could not. A search party of forty islanders found an oil slick in the open hole and recovered the body of the nurse. The car was pulled up from a depth of thirty feet. The body of Dr. Greist was found the next day, the head and hands frozen to the ice.
Put-in-Bay EMS CPR Classes
PIB EMS will be holding two community CPR classes. CPR is a vital life saving skill that anyone can perform and we’d love to train more members of our community to help one another! The “Heartsaver” class is ideal for anyone looking to become a babysitter, lifeguard, etc. who needs a CPR certification. “Friends & Family” is perfect for anyone who wants to learn the skill and doesn’t need a certification. Both classes teach the exact same CPR, but the Heartsaver goes a little more in depth and you get a certification with it. The certification class costs $40 and will take place in the school multi-purpose room on Sunday, February 12th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The non-certification class will take place on Sunday, March 19th, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Senior Center. Space is limited. Sign up by calling the EMS at (419) 285-2401.
Grant Funding
The Ottawa County Park District has begun accepting proposals to use $200,000 in grant funding for outdoor recreation projects.
The money may be used for improvements to public, outdoor recreation facilities, green spaces, and trails. Completed applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on February 24th.
Digital applications will be available online at www.ottawacountyparksoh.org/grants or by emailing Jannah Wilson at jwilson@ottawacountyparksoh.org. Interested applicants may also make an appointment to pick up a paper copy by contacting the Park District office at (419) 707-4051.
The 2022 program funded nine projects throughout Ottawa County, including Put-in-Bay.
Rent A Cabent At The State Park
The Cabents at the South Bass Island State Park are available for the 2023 season. They sleep 6 people and have been recently updated. The rent for the week (Sunday to Sunday) is $749 (includes fees & tax). Reservations and more info can be found at reserveohio.com/OhioCampWeb or call (866) 644-6727.
The previous piece is published in this month’s Put-in-Bay Gazette. The Gazette has been producing incredible independent Put-in-Bay island news for over 40 years. If you have any interest at all in what is happening on South Bass Island, we urge you strongly to subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette. One-year online subscriptions are only $15, and print subscriptions are available as well. To subscribe please click here.
