Ida Rupp Public Library and Erie Islands Library announce the acquisition of the Early Literacy Station, a complete educational solution loaded with 50 educational software titles for kids ages 2–10 in the English edition and over 50 in the Bilingual Spanish edition. The Early Literacy Station offers children a safe, standalone computer not connected to the Internet that is age-appropriate, engaging and academically relevant for children. The ELS has a colorful keyboard and tiny mouse to promote easy learning and discovery.


There will be a Picnic in the Park event on May 19 at Veteran's Memorial Park on Washington Street in Genoa from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A barbecue chicken dinner — a half chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, roll and brownie — will be available for $8. Advance tickets for the dinner are recommended as very limited tickets will be offered for purchase on Saturday. Contact Kim or Tami at 419-855-4370 for complete information or to purchase dinner tickets.

The annual plant sale sponsored by the Catawba Island Garden Club is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at the John Braun Park, Northeast Catawba Road. There will be perennials from members' gardens, annuals, seedlings, tools, accessories — the wonderful things you have not used for a time or your garden has shrunk — a children's corner and a bake sale. All members are contributing to this project, however, Cheryl McLaughlin, Rosemarie Shinde and Sandy Pienta have contributed much in organizing.

U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel 9th District Congressional hopeful Joe Wurzelbacher — aka Joe the Plumber — will be among the candidate speakers at the Ottawa County Republican Women's Club get together on Thursday, May 24. Women, men and teens are welcome to the loft at Mon Ami Restaurant, 3845 E. Wine Cellar Road, Port Clinton.
There will be hors d' oeuvres, a cash bar, a silent auction and an opportunity to chat with candidates, elected officials and friends beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., Mandel, Wurzelbacher and others will speak. Sandy Bihn, the Great Lakes Water Lady will speak briefly on algae.

Port Clinton Police Officer Josh Nelson and Ottawa County Sheriff’s Deputy Heather Dornbusch were named as Port Clinton Kiwanis Law Enforcement Officers of the Year on Wednesday. The awards are annually given as voted on by the two local departments.
Dornbusch is a 12-year veteran of the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office. She began her career in 2000 as a part-time dispatcher. By December the same year, she was promoted to full-time dispatcher.