-By Leslie Korenko
VFW Potlucks started on December 9 there is a new face behind the bar, Erica Pogalies Poston. We bid a sad goodbye to Patti Fresch who brought some new faces into the VFW (particularly in the winter!). The Kelleys Island Board of Education announced that they will not collect eight mills of real estate taxes for 2019. This results in a savings to Island property owners of about $627,160. This is the 19th consecutive year property owners have realized a savings. The Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line said thanks to Islanders with a free trip the second week of December. This is a much looked for treat for us; a bonus day where we can take the time shop and to sit down for lunch. It is always disorienting to see people from the Island in the stores.
Christmas on the Island is celebrated in many ways. The holidays begin, with the help of so many volunteers, with the decorating of the downtown park. There are wreaths, lights, more lights, and this year there are more candy canes than you can count. The official lighting came the day after Thanksgiving. Santa arrived in a fire truck and had a sit down chat with every child present (and probably some of the adults too). The park has a real wow-factor at night and is worth driving by. The next official Christmas event was the Christmas potluck at historic Kelley’s Hall. A feast to behold and devour, followed by Santa visiting with all the children. There were carols, jolly good cheer and loads of fun.
New Cable and Antenna Project
Work on the antenna project at the Transfer Station is moving forward quickly. You can easily see the tower from the West Bay as it grows every day. They brought over a really big crane to continue work on the upper regions of the tower. The new Hancock Wood electric cable project is complete as the cable got connected and the power transferred back, shared by both cables on December 19. [After note – cable is not quite complete. They had to order a few connectors).
Council news
Legal – Dick Grubbe and Mike Kaufman talked about Mayor’s Court and litigation. The Village was complimented on its clean handling of cases, that everyone is on the same page, and the court cases run like clockwork. EMS reports that pediatric trauma training has been successfully completed. The safety committee announced it received two $5000 donations towards the purchase or lease of a vehicle and Council approved the lease of a 2019 Ford F-150 for the Police Dept. The police department issued two tickets (stop sign and speeding), issued 5 warnings for speeding, and has started house checks. Budget issues surfaced again, however, several ordinances dealing with the budget were not approved as emergencies, and stood as a first reading (Village solicitor, zoning inspector, new base pay salary range for full and part-time permanent employees, and an ordinance combining the duties of the Clerk/Treasurer into an appointed office known as the Village Fiscal Officer). Access to the lake by residents of Lincoln Rd. has been resolved. The Golias House issue is finally decided as Council approved offering the property for sale. There is still tension between Council members as the line between an official’s actions and those taken as a private citizen becomes blurred. Criticisms flew over sending letters regarding a court case and to by-passing the chain of command when seeking a clarification. Recently the tension has spilled over onto Facebook. Catch up on the minutes at www.KelleysIsland.us.
As Seen in the January 2019 edition of the Put-in-Bay Gazette