Kelleys Island
News By Leslie Korenko
Weather here has been a roller coaster ride. One day it is 40 degrees and the next 10. The first ice shanty went out on January 28th off Long Point when temps were in the single digits. In total seven shanties made it to the ice. Then the big snow storm and everyone came in expecting high winds. In all, we got about 6” of snow on February 1st. Then the shanties went out for a few days, and then came back in as warm weather visited us, turning all that snow to mush and mud.
February was the month of statistics. Our Library is the heart of the community in the winter. Total Circulation: Adult—1,475; Children—729; Total—–2.208. There were 408 new items added to the collection, and 80 items were weeded out of the collection.
Resort Tax receipts are in. The village received $205,907 (a portion is kept by the State). This represents $13,727,133 in taxable sales. For a post-Covid year, with some businesses cutting back hours due to staffing issues, this represents the highest total of taxable sales. It was a very good year for Island businesses.
You have to dig a bit to get details, but it appears that information on the 2020 Census is finally available. Kelleys Island had a total population of 256, down from 312 in 2010. It looks like we have 913 (residential?) units (139 occupied and 774 vacant).
The first events of the year will be starting in March and then in April, we start to really gear up for the opening of the season. Tax bills are due, so if you haven’t received yours yet, contact the Erie County Auditor’s office to avoid penalties.
The previous piece is published in this month’s Put-in-Bay Gazette. The Gazette has been producing incredible independent Put-in-Bay island news for over 40 years. If you have any interest at all in what is happening on South Bass Island, we urge you strongly to subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette. One-year online subscriptions are only $15, and print subscriptions are available as well. To subscribe please visit the Put-in-Bay Gazette subscription form. This piece of Put-in-Bay journalism has been provided to putinbayohio.com courtesy of the Put-in-Bay Gazette, Put-in-Bay’s only local newspaper. Visit their website putinbay.news for more information and to subscribe!
