May 2019 News Another Spring Of High Water

And High Water it is! We’ve lived here a lot of years, but we never saw three high water events in a period of ten days before. Well, that’s what happened in April, Fortunately, they were very short in duration. The water came up relatively fast and went down the same way.

For anyone who hasn’t been around the island for many years and who is surprised to see the island streets flooding as high as they did, they are still in more an even bigger surprise. The water level in Lake Erie is expected to rise several more inches between now and July before it starts tapering off. What that means is if we get a really big nor’ easter of any real duration, you can expect to see record high water Put-in-Bay Flooding water levels six or more inches higher than we experienced last month. Seems one of our Put-in-Bay Predictions for 2019 is sadly coming true.

That would be a repeat of some of the high water levels of the 1970s. One of the problems of concern is getting from the main portion of South Bass to East Point. The nor’ east winds push water over the back seawall of the Monument, then flows across the lawn and floods the road. When the water in the lake goes down, water is trapped behind the northern seawall and keeps the road impassable for many vehicles. The water is trapped because drain basins and lines which let the trapped water back in the lake are clogged with sand and gravel. Perhaps the roadway needs to be raised and scuppers need to be installed in the seawall.

Safe Island Task Force Report to the Community

The Safe Island Task Force, the group established last year to look into issues associated with some of those wild weekends the island has experienced in recent years, will meet at the Senior Center on Tuesday, May 14th, from 5 to 7 p.m. to present its report to the community.
Leaders from the Safe Island Christmas In July Task Force, Brad Ohlemacher, Todd Blumensaadt, Billy Market, and Put-in-Bay Police Chief Steve Riddle will be on hand to present a progress report. Everyone is invited to attend both these meetings. The report will also be discussed on Saturday morning, May 18th, at 10 a.m. at the Senior Center during the Put-in-Bay Property Owners Association meeting.

Who to Call in an Emergency

If you have an emergency here on Put-in-Bay, whether it be the need for medical, fire or police emergency assistance, always call 911. Please do not call local phone numbers for EMS, fire or police aid. The Put-in-Bay EMS is still offering free address signs for those who live in the township. Contact them at 419-285-2401 if you are interested. These green numbers help the island’s responders to find your exact location when you need emergency help.

May 2019 News – Jet Trip from Detroit Yacht Club

The Detroit Power Squadron is sponsoring a one-day-excursion Jet Express Ferry trip from the Detroit Yacht Club to Put-in-Bay on Friday, June 28, 2019. The Jet Express II Ferry will begin boarding at 8:30 a.m. and depart a half hour later for downtown Put-in-Bay for a day of touring, shopping, dining, and fun. The return trip to Detroit will leave at 7 p.m. The cost is $94 per person. For more information, contact Joe Tatham: Mobile (586) 871-9013 or Home (586) 997-3618 or commanderjosepht@gmail.com

Reel Bar Stools

Get your personalized stool at the Reel Bar for 2019. Come in, donate money to some great island organizations and get your name on a Reel Barstool. The benefited organizations are the Put-in-Bay EMS, the Put-in-Bay Volunteer Fire Department, Lake Erie Islands Historical Society Museum or the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy. 100% of all donations go to these organizations!!

Put-in-Bay Garage Sale Map Deadline

The Island Wide Garage Sale will be on Saturday, May 18th. As the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce has done in the past, they are putting together a map of sale locations. If someone wants on the map, the deadline is May 10th to allow for printing and editing. Please call the Chamber office at 419-285-2832 or email them at pibcc.coordinator@gmail. com to be added to the list. You can also stop by the office.
Music Festivals Start planning now for two wonderful music festivals that will take place early this season. The first is the Put-in-Bay Music Festival that will be held June 8th. It’s a day of family fun, with six live bands, beer, wine and free admission on the expansive grounds of Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. The second is the Middle Bass Island Music Festival on Saturday, July 13th, at Lonz Winery on Middle Bass. We’ll have more details in next month’s issue. Stay tuned!

Good news, but confusing!

Last month we reported funding for the Great Lake had been gutted in President Trump’s proposed budget request to Congress. All his proposed budgets since becoming President have all left out funding for the Great Lakes, but fortunately for those who live in this area,
Congress has managed to keep the funding going. Trump, at a recent rally in Michigan, reversed his position in time for May 2019 News. “You ready? Can you handle it? Trump asked the wound up wolverines. “I don’t think you can handle it. I support the Great Lakes. Always have. They are beautiful. They are big, very deep, record deepness, right? And I am going to get, in honor of my friends, full funding of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which you have been trying to get over 30 years. So we will get it done.” We have to ask if Trump enthusiastically endorses this funding for the Great Lakes, why has it always been left out of his initial budget proposals?

Put-in-Bay’s Monument Opens

Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial will reopen Saturday, May 18, at 10 a.m. to celebrate its 104th year in operation according to May 2019 News. The 352-foot tall structure is the world’s largest Doric column and is made of pink granite from Milford, MA. The column has a wood base structure with an outer concrete core. Park Rangers in 1812 period military uniforms will fire a musket salute after the morning flag-raising ceremony. The 25-acre Park, Memorial Column and Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through September 8th. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

World Labyrinth Day

Mother Mary Staley tells us World Labyrinth Day is Saturday, May 4, 2019. Everyone is invited to walk St. Paul’s labyrinth at 1 p.m. and sign the Labyrinth Day guest book. There will be a short presentation about labyrinths by Mo. Mary Staley, the island’s resident labyrinth facilitator. World Labyrinth Day is designed to bring people from all over the planet in a celebration of the labyrinth as a practice for peace. The labyrinth community will “Walk as One at 1” as they join the global rolling wave of prayers for peace as the earth turns. You may choose to walk any time throughout the day knowing you are walking with people in another time zone. St. Paul’s Church labyrinth is a Chartres-style brick labyrinth dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of Rosemarie (Rory) Woischke. The original Chartres labyrinth is inside the cathedral in Chartres France where walkers will walk at 1 p.m. there which is 8 a.m. at Put-in-Bay.

Planting Seeds Of Peace

On Saturday, May 18th, at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m, in celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday, and a nod to neighboring Canada, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial Rangers will help kids make seed pots out of newspaper and give programs on proper planting techniques and on pollinators. Ranger Kathie will give a program emphasizing the importance of choosing native plants and of not introducing invasive plant species into the environment

Blessing Of The Fleet

The annual Put-in-Bay blessing of the fleet of boats and aircraft servicing the Bass Islands will be held in the Put-in-Bay Harbor off Fox’s Dock/Jet Dock on Tuesday, May 7th, at 11 a.m. Local clergy will bless the vessels, a centuries-old tradition in ports worldwide. Ferry boats, water taxis, rescue vessels, commercial watercraft, commercial aircraft, and medical helicopters will be blessed for the 2019 season by clergy representing the island’s three congregations from Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church

Antique Car Parades

There will be two Antique Car Parades over the Memorial Weekend. Parades will take place both Sunday and Monday feature many antique, classic and unique cars. The car parade generally starts around 2:30 p.m. The big hit with the kids is the candy truck at the end of the parade that tosses treats to the kids. Monday’s parade will end up at the Goat Soup & Whiskey’s Biergarten for free hotdogs and Polka Revolution
playing live polka music.

Island-Wide Garage Sale

The Put-in-Bay Island-Wide Community Garage Sale will take place on Saturday, May 18th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Islanders and island businesses are offering bargains galore! Island residences and businesses are on the map for the annual Garage Sale. The map is available the day before the event at the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce office, Miller Ferry docks and office, and several island restaurants that serve breakfast. We don’t set the hours for the garage sale, but look for most sellers to start around 10 a.m. and wrap up by 4 p.m. Don’t miss a trip through the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society Museums resale shop, located behind the Museum. The museum is located behind Put-in-Bay Brewing Company off Catawba Avenue and can be accessed by the alley that runs between the Brewery and the Put-in-Bay Town Hall

Memorial Day Weekend Events

On Memorial Day Weekend at Put-in-Bay, Monday, May 27th, at 11 a.m., there will be a ceremony at the Monument to honor our fallen veterans, including the three American and three British Naval Officers interned beneath the Memorial Column’s Rotunda, at a Memorial Day Service on the lower plaza The Memorial Day Procession will depart the Park’s Visitor Center at 11 a,m, and make its way to the Column. At 3 p.m. bagpipes will play Amazing Grace for the National Moment of Remembrance

May 2019 News  Changes On The Island

There are some new flower baskets on the lampposts around the downtown park, plus several newly repaired lampposts. Did we hear correctly that there was going to be a Jumbotron at the Blue Marlin Bar at the Put-in-Bay Resort and Conference Center? Owner Mark Mathys has confirmed it will the largest of all the Lake Erie Islands

At the Roundhouse, the exterior has been painted red again. For the last several years, the exterior had a flag-themed paint job. The new red beer buckets at the bar will commemorate Mad Dog’s 40th year entertaining there. Also at the Roundhouse, we understand new especially- designed LED lights will help reduce their electric bill, plus make the popular bar easier to keep cool in the summer.

One of the unfortunate changes this season is that Susan Market won’t be opening Bayview Gifts & Apparel downtown at the Miller Marina. We’re sorry to see this upscale shop go. The good news is that she has changed things around at Dockside at the Lime Kiln Dock and combining the best of both her shops. Stop in and see! Workers have been busy in DeRivera park putting up a new memorial to honor those who have served in all the armed forces of our nation. The new memorial being put up by the island’s American Legion Post is just east of the doughboy statue honoring the veterans of World War I.

Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial has designed new banners that will welcome visitors to the park this year according to May 2019 News. They have the park name on one side and DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP on the other.  Next time you visit Das Lokal, the Biergarten at the Goat Soup and Whiskey, check out the new steps leading down from the parking lot. Other things we’re hearing about are eBike rentals and a walking tour of the downtown. Keep your eyes and ears open as we try and bring you news of the various new things on the island this season.

Preparing for Put-in-Bay Events

Someone asked May 2019 News reporters if we were getting ready for all the fun events this summer at Put-in-Bay. We started to think ahead a bit to June (we’re hardly ready for all the events in May). There’s Founders Day and the Music Festival on June 8th, the Pooch Parade on June 15th, and the Pirate Fest on June 22nd and 23rd. We’ve got to read up on the history of the island before going to Founders Day (we can simply hum along at the Put-in-Bay Music Festival. Our dog needs a bath we parade him/her (not sure which) around DeRivera Park in front of everyone. And those old pirate outfits that we wore to costume parties back in the day have to be let out. There’s obviously no way we can be ready, especially since there are many other Put-in-Bay Events in June we have to go to, too. But look for us! We’ll be at all of them, ready or not!

Book documents Camp Perry POW camp during WWII

During World War II, more than six thousand prisoners of the war resided at Camp Perry west of the islands on the mainland and its branch camps at Columbus, Rossford, Cambridge, Celina, Bowling Green, Defiance, Marion, Parma and Wilmington, Ohio. Put-in-Bay summer homeowner Dr. Jim Van Keuren has written a fascinating book about the camps drawing on first-person accounts from soldiers, former POWs, and residents, as well as archival research, to delve into the neglected history of Ohio’s POW camps. From the start, the camps were a study in contradictions. her shared the following with May 2019 News.

The Italian prisoners who arrived first charmed locals with their affable, easygoing natures, while their German successors often put on a serious, intractable front. Some local residents fondly recall working alongside the prisoners and reuniting with them later in life. Others held the prisoners in disdain, feeling they were coddled while natives struggled with day-to-day needs. Although islanders weren’t concerned with the POW camp at Camp Perry, they did have to contend with years of the artillery testing that took place according to Put-in-Bay History. Ask anyone who lived on the islands years ago, and they can tell you about hearing the guns and the shaking of windows here on South Bass when the tests were conducted. Jim and his wife, Pat, have had a cottage on the island for many years, and for a time, had shops at Harbor Square. Jim will be signing copies of his book at the Erie Islands Library on Saturday, May 25th, from 10 a.m. to
noon.