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Moss On The Rock
New Aquatic Visitor Center Website!
Manager Steve Norton and Kristin Stanford at the Put-in-Bay Aquatic Visitor Center are excited to share that they’ve launched a refreshed web presence for the center. The new site highlights its exhibits, programs, hours, and — most importantly — includes an online form to request field trips and group tours. You can take a look at it by Googling Put-in-Bay Aquatic Visitor Center. If you’re willing, please consider sharing the link with partners, teachers, community groups and anyone you think may be interested.
A Flush Above The Rest
Shores & Islands Ohio, the destination marketing organization for Erie and Ottawa counties, is thrilled to announce the winners of its annual Super BOWL Bathroom Contest, a region-wide celebration of standout restroom design and function. As part of this fun, community-driven competition, social media followers nominated and voted for the Best Bathrooms within the Shores & Islands Ohio region. The winners were celebrated across Shores & Islands Ohio’s social channels, managed by Meaghan Reynolds, with the special honor of the Golden Throne Trophy and the catchphrase of being, “A Flush Above the Rest!” The Forge at Put-in-Bay took third place in the contest.
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Don’t Forget
On Thursday, April 16th, the Scheible Downing Post of the American Legion will hold their meeting at 11:45 a.m. at the Lake Erie Islands Historical museum, A sack lunch will be provided to the afterwards. The public is invited to bring their own sack lunches at 12:15 p.m. to hear a short program by Amy Huston about Albert Scheible for whom the Legion post is named.
Traveling
Island folk continue to travel worldwide, and this month. PIB Garden Club president Sheri Murphy and Kathy “Mrs. Larry”Schrader headed to Perdido Key to visit Barb Hunter and all the other PIBers there. Sue Thwaite and Julene Market, headed to Beaufort, South Carolina. Brian and Justine Cultice and their daughter Evie headed to Disney World in Orlando. Evie’s first grade classmate, Greta Koehler, was also Orlando visiting Universal with her parents Barry and Phoebe, and siblings Piper and Teddy. Sharon Cox was with her daughter Brittany Gronowski at Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The Christensen and (Jon) Scarpelli families were also in Florida for mid-winter break.
Peter and Amy Huston spent time on the coast in California.
David Washtock from Erie Island Carts and his wife Margaret were with Alec Lydon from Put-in-Bay Fitness at Vail Ski Resort, Colorado.
Dave Schafer from Ashley’s House cruised to Puerto Rico and the Turks And Caicos among other islands in the Caribbean. Richard and Joan English French were on a cruise that took them to Cozumel Island, Mexico. Simona Michael and Fred “Chef F” Futrell were also crusing in the Caribbean on PIB Schools break with Simona’s daugher Emma and other students Kate Hubner and Michael Steidl. They visited Roatan, Honduras, and Costa Maya, Mexico.
Past PIBYC Commodores Kris and Reni Miller and Raymond and Patty Arth from the West Shore visit St. Croix on a cruise. Scott and Caroline from the Goat have host a lunch for them and then Scott gives them a tour of the island.
Put-in-Bay Township Trustee and Island Hardware co-owner Chris Cooper, his wife and PIB School fiscal officer Joy, and their two young daughters, Meredith and Rachel, were spotted in London over the school’s mid-winter break. They were joined by Mike “OD” and Michelle O’Donnell and their daughter Melody. A few days later Chris, his brother Jason and OD were spotted at a hardware store in Valencia, Spain. Miyo and Maria Hristovski from Margaritas on the Rock were in North Macedonia where Miyo went skiing on 9,000 ft. Shara Mountain. Macy Ladd (PIBHS Class of 2023) visited the Coliseum in Rome, Italy She followed in the footsteps of her sister Nora (PIBHS Class of 2021) who visited there in 2024, and their mother Heidi Ziegler Ladd who did the same in 1991.
Sara Booker was in the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador. Also in South America were Sue and Steve Prahst from Mike’s Drive on East Point who visited Patagonia and other parts of Chile.
Downunder were Tyler and Erin Urge King on a Norwegian Spirit Cruise in Australia and New Zealand. Roger and Joan Rhoad from East Point and Jack and Lorraine Zimmerman departed Australia and headed to Indonesia on their lengthy winter cruise.
2026 putinbayohio.com’s Best Places To Stay!
- Island Club Rentals (islandclub.com) – 216-898-9951
- Commodore Resort (commodoreresort.com) – 419-285-3101
- Bird’s Nest Resort (birdsnestresort.com) – 419-285-6119
- Put-in-Bay Condos (putinbaycondos.com) 216-898-1105
- Victory Station Hotel (putinbayvictorystation.com) 419-285-0120
Breakfast With The Easter Bunny
Put-in-Bay Yacht Club will host a Breakfast with the Easter Bunny & Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 21st, at 10:30 a.m. There will be French toast sticks, pancakes, sausage and bacon. Pictures with the Easter Bunny will be available. All ages are welcome.
Island Fire Departments To Receive State Grants
The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal recently announced the recipients of the newly-created Small County Volunteer Fire Department grant. Among the 190 recipients were the Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass fire departments. The Middle Bass Island Fire Department will get $31,618, and Put-in-Bay Volunteer Fire Department $46,000. The grant is to purchase essential equipment, upgrade facilities, and enhance access to firefighting training.
To Our Readers
At the Put-in-Bay Gazette, we strive to provide accurate, close to up-to-date and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission or have information that may need updating, please email us at pibgazette@frontier.com. As a community-driven newspaper, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting. – Thank you, the Editors
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!