It is Memorial Day Weekend, which means the Walleye Festival is in town. We are adding a Dining, Entertainment, Boating and Fishing section this week titled COASTLINES. The entire schedule for the Walleye Festival is included. Given good weather, the Memorial Day weekend also brings a lot of extra traffic, so please be careful, take your time and don’t text and drive. Most of all, Monday is Memorial Day, the day set aside to honor the fallen, those individuals who gave the full measure of devotion in defense of freedom. Please keep in your minds this weekend the true purpose and meaning of Memorial Day.

This quick reminder…because of the Memorial Day Holiday, our deadline for next week’s Beacon is this Friday, May 24.

One couldn’t help but be moved to see the incredible devastation caused by the EF4 Tornado that ripped a path through Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday. We learned on Tuesday that the home of Tim Ward, a Port Clinton High School graduate and his wife Anna, was caught in the tornado’s path and have lost just about everything. One of Tim’s classmates, Jason Palacios, lives nearby and can get donations to Tim and his family. Donations can be sent to Jason at PO Box 5181, Edmond, OK 73083.

Well, we did it again. We forgot to hide Wylie Walleye again last week. However 33 of you obviously noticed and told us “No Wylie”. So, our Find Wylie winner for this week is John Mathews of Catawba who e-mailed us NO WYLIE! John wins our weekly $20 gift card from Friendship Food Stores. We’ll definitely be hiding Wylie again this week. If you find him, drop off an entry form at our office in the Beacon Place Business Center or click on the Find Wylie Icon at our website, www.thebeacon.net.

One of the nicer observances of Memorial Day weekend locally is the effort of the Ottawa County Republican Women’s Club who line E. Perry Street and W. Fremont Road in Port Clinton with American flags. They do this as a project for each summer holiday to remind visitors of the true meaning behind the holiday.

There will be a brand new downtown Port Clinton event this Saturday. It’s the Lake Erie Arty Party from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 106 to 116 W. Perry Street The plans are to take a public art market to a whole new level. The band “Last Born Sons” will entertain during the event. They will feature artwork from dozens of local artists and artisans. Booth rental space is still available by calling 419-656-9487. Booth space is only $25.

Congressman Bob Latta will host an Ottawa County Constituent Conference on Thursday, May 30, at the Village of Oak Harbor Municipal Building in Council Chambers, 146 N. Church Street. According to the release from the Congressman’s office, these events provide constituents the opportunity to sit down with Congressman Latta to discuss issues that are important to them, their families and communities. Latta’s district staff will also attend to assist with casework or issues regarding federal government agencies.

Any business in Danbury Township and the Village of Marblehead is welcome to have a free listing on the Township’s Website, www.danburytownship.com. To place your listing, visit their website and click on “Local Commerce”. A link will take you to a form. If you are in need of employees, a help-wanted icon can be placed in your listing. Potential employees can contact you directly for information. For more information, contact Zoning Inspector Kathryn Dale at 419-734-6120.

Put-in-Bay is hosting the Amazing Island Raise, an event similar to TV’s Amazing Race, on Saturday, June 15. Teams will race through South Bass Island, solve clues, complete challenges and win prizes. Teams can be made up of 4 to 6 adults and is $30 per person to compete. Each team must bring one camera (digital or phone) and wear tennis shoes! Teams must register by May 31. It’s all part of a fundraising effort to support Joyful Connections, a supervised visitation and exchange center in Oak Harbor that provides a healthy, safe and homelike environment where children can interact with family members. For more information, contact Sheila Powell at 567-262-3181 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

A new film from Emmy Award winning writer and producer Linda Midgett is coming to Port Clinton’s Ida Rupp Public Library. A national Christian non-profit organization called “Sojourners” has produced this half-hour film titled “The Line”. According to their press release, the film “uncovers the emerging and entrenched faces of poverty in our country – such as the suburban former banker who now relies on a food pantry; to an aging career fisherman, whose shrimping business has been devastated by the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill along the Gulf Coast. The movie will be played at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 at Ida Rupp Public Library. A local program about how to help our own community’s efforts follows the screening. Refreshments will be served and donations to the Food Pantry will be accepted during this special screening event.

Amanda Mortus, daughter of former Port Clintonites Joe and Deb Mortus who now live in Colorado, has released a new book titled “Worthy”. The official release date was May 14 and it is available at Amazon.com. She is having a book signing in Thornton, Colorado, this Friday, May 24.

Monday, June 24, is the date of the 24th Annual Chick Schaffner Memorial Charity Golf Classic at Catawba Island Club. Last year we raised over $25,000 for the American Heart Association and Stein Hospice. This year we hope to do even better. Once again, the price is $600 per team; with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Lunch between the end of morning play and the beginning of afternoon play is included, along with a great buffet dinner at CIC afterward. For more information on registering, contact Bonnie Knepper at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or Amy Skolnik at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Riders Unlimited Inc. of Oak Harbor is seeking volunteers to assist with their therapeutic horse programs.  Training will be offered this Monday, May 27, from 6 - 8 p.m. at their facility 3140 N. Behlman Road.  Please call 419-898-6164 for additional information and to begin the registration process.

Great News…the Port Clinton Fourth of July Fireworks will be the “Full Monty” this year, thanks to the generosity of Ken and Gerri Gill. After the $500 gas card raffle hosted by Friendship Stores, the fund still came up short of their $8,000 goal by almost $1,300. Well, Ken and Gerri wrote them a check for $1,500 to cover the shortfall.

Usually in springtime, we all await the arrival of the robins, or even the buzzards. However, in Ottawa County, we await the arrival of the Mayflies! Some call them June Bugs, some call them Canadian Soldiers, but the “official” name is Mayflies. And Jeff Bugbee reported the first sighting of Mayflies on the porch of his home on E. Perry Street in Port Clinton.

Our Find Wylie winner for this week is Robert Hartman who was one of 125 entries who found our friendly fish hiding in Young’s Carpet One ad on page 7A in last week’s Beacon. Robert wins our weekly $20 gift card from Friendship Food Stores. We’ll be hiding Wylie again this week. If you find him, drop off an entry form at our office in the Beacon Place Business Center or click on the Find Wylie Icon at our website, www.thebeacon.net.

This Wednesday Mon Ami Restaurant and Winery is hosting a unique event. It’s “Seniors Gone Wild” from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. They are bringing in an incredible “Doo-Wop” band to help folks relive the great music of the 1950s and early 1960s. There is a $5 cover charge. However, if you mention at the door that you read this in The Beacon, you get in FREE! Sounds like a lot of fun!

We have made some really interesting changes to our Website, www.thebeacon.net. Our editor, Donna Lueke, is updating it continually. We have also added some interesting new pages in our “Marketplace” section. You can personally check out the local inventory of both homes and vehicles of our advertising customers. On the Real Estate page, under the Marketplace tab, just click on any of the ad banners and it will take you straight to their websites with virtual tours of every home. Neat, eh?

The Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce will hold their 76th Annual Banquet at Catawba Island Club next Thursday, May 16, with social hour starting at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7. Call or e-mail the Chamber office to make reservations.

The folks at Rite Aid are hosting a very special Mother’s Day Spaghetti Dinner this Saturday, May 11, from 4-7 p.m. at Catawba Island Community Hall, 3307 Northwest Catawba Rd. They will be serving salad, spaghetti, bread, deserts and drinks. Adults may dine for just $8, and children 12 and under for just $6. There will be a big door prize and a silent auction. All the money raised goes to the Children’s Miracle Network.

I got a call this week from Pat True, who now lives in Aiken, South Carolina. Her husband Bud True passed away over the winter months, and they have scheduled a special Memorial Service for Bud on Saturday, May 18, at Firelands Presbyterian Church on East Harbor Rd. east of Port Clinton at 11 a.m.

Lakevue Marina off North Shore Blvd in Marblehead is holding a Kayak Demo Day to benefit the Humane Society of Ottawa County on Sunday, June 2, starting at 11 a.m. It will be a fun day to try every kayak in their fleet. You can peddle, paddle, sail and fish with their kayaks. Representatives from Hobie Kayak will be on hand to answer questions. They will also be serving brats and hot dogs. For more information, call Jodie at 419-297-6477 or Tony at 419-798-5221.

The Port Clinton Lions Club will be holding a chicken Barbecue with Barbecue Traveler on Saturday, May 18 at Lakeview Park in Port Clinton at the front parking lot. They will serve from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or until they are sold out. Advance tickets are $7.50 or $8.50 at the park on Chicken Day. For an advance ticket see any Lions Club member or call Lion Patty Howell at 419-734-2308.

The Catawba Island Garden Club will hold their annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at John Braun Park located just north of Cemetery Rd. off State Route 53 (NE Catawba Rd.). There will be perennials from members’ gardens along with annuals, bulbs, gardening items for children and adults, assorted raffle items and the sale of home baked goods. Proceeds from the sale go toward community projects.

The Ballet School, under the direction of Mary Ann Snider, presents The Wizard of Oz at the Port Clinton High School Performing Arts Center this Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Mary Ann’s dance students perform this beloved story of a young girl from Kansas that gets caught in a tornado and ends up “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in the Land of Oz. The dancers are age 3 through high school. Tickets are $8 and will be available for purchase at the door.

Having life insurance proceeds go directly to a spouse or child may create more problems than it can solve. You do not know when your death will make available a sizable insurance check for your young bride or young child. It may be best to have protective measures in place to offer some control over the funds. By using an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, we can accomplish that goal. For this article, we will use the term ILIT when referring to an irrevocable life insurance trust. 

It’s a BIG DEAL!!! This Friday, April 19, from 12 Noon to 7 p.m. the Port Clinton Kiwanis Club will be fixing up and serving Mark Giaco’s Homemade Spaghetti Dinners at St. John Lutheran Church on Adams Street in Port Clinton. Lunch or dinner tickets are just $8, dine in or carryout, and all proceeds benefit the Kiwanis Club’s many youth service projects in the community. They are true to their defining statement, “Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.”