News May 2021

Put-in-Bay News May 2021

You Surely Don’t Want to Miss This!

Chan Stevens purchased his classic island home just east of Perry’s Monument more than 40 years ago. Now it’s time to say goodbye and he and his wife Boo have
decided to help out the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society by having a sale of many of the contents on Friday, May 21st, and Saturday, May 22nd.

A portion of the sales will go to fund the museum. Hours of the sale on both days will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The number of people will be limited to about 30 at one time, so there will be a signup sheet at the door to reserve and save you time to get in. Among the items for sale will be miscellaneous furniture and appliances, wicker furniture, island memorabilia, framed photos, lamps, nautical items, ship lanterns, artwork, beds, pots and pans, dishes, garden equipment, tools, and more.

There will even be a Put-in-Bay golf cart for sale. The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society will not be responsible for accidents, plus removal of any items from the must be the responsibility of the buyer. Rooms are available for overnight guests at the Put-in-Bay Resort Hotel.

There will be a preview of what will be sold on Thursday, May 20th, from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $25 and includes beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres, plus those attending
the preview will be able to sign the list for those who want to be first to get in the house on sale day. Everyone interested is invited to stop by and check things out.

In the News May 2021- Kimble Hired as Full-time Chief

At a special meeting in April, the Put-in-Bay Village Council confirmed James Kimble as Put-in-Bay’s Chief of Police. Chief Kimble has served in an interim capacity since June 2020 and brings decades of law enforcement experience to the job. Applause broke out from the public attending the meeting when the vote was announced.

Mayor Dress recommended Kimble for the police chief job, and council members Judith Berry, Kelly Faris, Jacob Market, and Jeff Koehler voted “yes” to hire him. Councilmember Michael McCann recused himself from the vote, and council member Phillip Boyles was absent from the vote. Chief Kimble says he will focus on improving officer training and pay and providing village law enforcement with better equipment.

His goal is to make the Put-in-Bay Police Department a real police department. Kimble’s annual salary will be $72,000. Put-in-Bay officers are reported to be excited
to continue working with Chief Kimble and to serve and protect residents and tourists with courage, integrity, and compassion. Mayor Jessica Dress said, “Ensuring the
safety of our residents and tourists is of utmost importance to me and Village Council. I am confident that Chief Kimble will bring needed leadership to the Police Department as we gear up for what is sure to be a busy 2021 tourist season.”

Faris resigns from Village Council

At the April meeting of the Put-in-Bay Village Council, Village Councilman Kelly Faris submitted his letter of resignation. The letter was unexpected. Kelly wrote in part, “After more than 40 years of public service to the Village of Put-in-Bay, I now find that it’s time to move on.” Kelly’s 40 years in Village of Put-in-Bay government service is longer than any other person in the Village’s history.

His resignation was effective on April 15th. Faris served as the Village Clerk, now the Fiscal Officer, for many years. The first mayor Kelley served was Bob Ladd. After retiring from that position, he served in the elected position of Councilman. Faris continues to serve the island community as a DeRivera Park Trustee and member of the Put-in-Bay Twp. Park Commission and the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy.

Council has 30 days to find a replacement for Faris. After 30 days, if Council does not choose a new member, finding one will be up to Mayor Dress if she decides to fill one of the important Put-in-Bay Jobs.

Nature Center Grand Reopening on May 30th

Join the excitement of the Grand Reopening of the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center! The celebration will take place Sunday, May 30th, from 1-5 p.m., with FREE admission all day! The festivities will include live music, hot dogs, beverages (including beer and wine), and lots of fun activities for kids! So many cool new things are happening now that the building addition is finished.

You will not want to miss the new live turtle exhibit, including a beautiful indoor water feature and habitat built by the renowned “Pond Guy” and his team at Aquascape. The mural by Janet Stearns has really brought our large mammal display to life in the most fantastic way. Relax in front of the large wildlife viewing window and use the sign of common birds of the islands to identify the birds visiting feeders and native plants. Check out the new location of the live observation beehive, now housed in a giant faux tree.

The new geology display is the most comprehensive look at the islands’ natural history. It features many fossils, geode, and rock samples, including a stalagmite on loan from Heineman’s Winery. The building addition and new displays have been a huge project developed over many years, and it would not be possible without the immense support of the community. We hope everyone is able to join the celebration and see the exciting updates!

For those who will be busy Memorial Weekend and cannot make the Grand Reopening party, please join us on Tuesday, May 18th, from 4 to 7 p.m., for a Soft Reopening celebration, which will include free admission, drinks, appetizers, and a drawing for a prize for everyone who comes. Nature & Wildlife Center will open May 8th on weekends 12-4 p.m. and daily starting in June, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. We cannot wait for everyone to enjoy all we offer the community and our visitors. See you soon!

Don’t Give Up the Pick!-The Garlic Mustard Pull Challenge Makes News May 2021

The city of Green near Akron, Ohio, has issued us a challenge as to which community can pull the most garlic mustard in a day! We have accepted the challenge, but we need your help and many volunteers. There is a huge problem with invasive wildflower garlic mustard in Cooper’s Woods. The best way to remove it is to hand-pull it before it goes to seed. It pulls easily just after a spring rain!

Brendan Morgan of EnviroScience will be here Saturday, May 8th, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cooper’s Woods parking lot to arm us with strong garbage bags. Come for whatever time you are available. Volunteers will head into the woods after an educational session on what garlic mustard looks like and how to pull it. We will fill our bags, and take them back to the parking lot for weighing before dumping them into a dumpster for removal so that seeds are removed from the site. After the bag is empty, grab some water and return to the woods to refill your bag.

Southgate Park in the city of Green is larger at 200 acres, but the density of garlic mustard is much higher in our 30-acre Coopers Woods, so with enough helping hands, we could win this. Weight will be calculated as total pounds pulled and pounds per volunteer hour. The grand prize for our community winning this friendly competition is bragging rights and a sense of accomplishment.

Bring garden gloves to wear if you can. Some folks have had a rare allergic reaction to the strong garlic-scented oils in the plant. We will have some garden gloves for those who still need them. We will also have cold drinking water in a large cooler container-please bring your own water bottle for a refill. Or you may win a water bottle that The Put-in-Bay Gazette has made for this event. All you have to do is pull at least two bags of garlic mustard to win the water bottle! And remember, you can take some garlic mustard home to eat-great in chip dip, pasta, salads, etc. Just do not take it home to plant!

PRIZES! PRIZES! PRIZES!

Thanks to our wonderful community, we have loads of prize donations. Free event t-shirts will be given to the first twenty-five people who pull at least two full bags. Also, anyone pulling two full bags will receive an event water bottle from The Put-in-Bay Gazette.

There will be several categories of prizes and a prize for each person pulling at least two bags of garlic mustard. There will be grand prizes for those pulling the most that day! Awards include certificates from the Reel Bar, Cameo Pizza, The Goat, the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society, The Forge, and the Put-in-Bay Gazette. Let’s Make some news in May 2021!

How to take part! Register by emailing leiconservancy@gmail.com or by texting Lisa Brohl at 419-366- 2087. Walk-ins are welcome, but registering will help us in planning for prizes. Working to Keep Cooper’s Woods Healthy We are working with EnviroScience to remove invasive plants/trees from our Cooper’s Woods Preserve with funding from the Conservation Fund.

They will be pulling another invasive species, Amur honeysuckle, later this year by cutting and applying herbicide to the base. You can see their
work from last fall with the piles of the cut brush left behind.

This garlic mustard challenge and the Earth Day Challenge are all part of controlling invasive plants so we can have a healthier Cooper’s Woods for the future with native plants and trees that support native wildlife!

Perch Population Decreasing 

Although the sport angler limit of 30 perch per angler west of Huron remains the same, the decline of perch in Lake Erie has officials concerned. This year, the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission addressed the issue by slashing commercial harvest in the Central basin by 70% and by 20% in the Eastern basin. The state cut sport angler limits by two-thirds from 30 fish to 10 between the Huron River and Fairport Harbor.

There are several factors for the population crash, with the biggest by far being poor spawns. Six of the last eight hatches in the Central Basin have been poor, and when there is a string of poor hatches, you end up without many-year classes and without any fish. The issue for bait and tackles, fishing charters, and the other businesses that depend on the yellow perch bite to make ends meet is that even if the 2021 hatch is a good one, the fish wouldn’t be ready to catch for two to three years. Not good news for Put-in-Bay Fishing.

Island Airlines Historic Walkway

The Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation is selling personalized bricks to help support their Ford Tri-Motor restoration project. All brick orders placed by May 15th are guaranteed 2021 placement in the “Island Airlines Historic Walkway” located at Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, OH. One hundred percent of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to purchase materials needed for the aircraft. More information and links to order can be found on our website: www.RestoreTheFord.org

Dates for 2021 Ford Tri-Motor Rides

The Ford Tri-Motor will be offering rides again in 2021. Dates are July 16th to 18th at the Put-in-Bay Airport, September 3rd to 6th, and October 1st to 3rd at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton. Adult Tickets are $77, walk-up rate, or $72 if purchased in advance online. Child Tickets are $52, walk-up or advance. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.flytheford.org

Coronavirus Relief Funding

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded more than $30 million to Ohio airports to provide economic relief from COVID-19. The Airport Coronavirus Relief Program was created through the bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 relief package within the end-of-year spending agreement. The Put-in-Bay Port Authority received grants of $9,000 for each of its three airports on South Bass, Middle Bass, and North Bass Island. Kelleys Island’s airport also received $9,000.

2021 Put-in-Bay EMS Taco Fundraiser

On Sunday, May 2nd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Put-in-Bay WMS will be holding a Taco Fundraiser behind the PIB Town Hall in the parking lot. Please join us for a drive-thru-style lunch. Donations are appreciated and will be used to purchase new equipment.

Reel Fine Wine Tasting

The Bar will host one of its “don’t miss events,” a Reel Fine Wine Tasting Dinner, on Tuesday, June 1st, at 6:30 p.m. This time, the dinner will feature rare finds from South America. Guest Chef Galvin will prepare gourmet pairings for five fine wines. The event is by reservation only with limited seating. Call 419-285-1318 or email info@reelbar.com to make your reservations now! This event usually sells out, so reserve now!

PLAY BALL!

The Lake Erie Island Men’s League will have a season this year. There are six teams showing an interest in playing. State covid guidelines will be followed. The first pitch is scheduled for Sunday, June 6th, and the time is to be determined.

Bash On The Bay – Details were finally released for the newly expanded 2-day event! Get ready for the official Put-in-Bay Spring Fling! New Updates!