Island Diary December 2025

Mon., Dec. 1st – Lance and Mikayla Saunders and their volunteers hold a Jamaican dinner fundraiser at the Town Hall. Proceeds and donations to go to Lance’s home country of Jamaica that suffered in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. On this day in 1925, the mail carriers who transport the mail from Catawba to Put-in-Bay opened their winter schedule.

Tue., Dec. 2nd – There’s snow on the ground in the morning. The last fuel run before winter settles in takes place, and the island’s winter supply of propane and gas are now here. There is now approximately 135,000 gallons of propane on PIB to keep everyone’s houses/businesses heated over the next few months! On this day in 1925, there was a basketball game in the PIB Town Hall between the alumni and the high school students. The alumni won 12 to 7.

Wed., Dec. 3rd – There’s a lot of chatter about when the last ferry of the season will run. At the yacht club, there are a few tables of euchre players.

Thu., Dec. 4th – Big event of the day is the Tour of Homes sponsored by the Put-in-Bay Arts Council. The final supermoon of the year — the Cold Supermoon — rises over South Bass Island creating a bright glow across Perry’s Monument as twilight settles over the island. The Put-in-Bay Panthers challenge the Lawrence Upper Lions and edge them 42-40.

Fri., Dec. 5th – PIB experiences one of the coldest early December mornings in 20 years! There’s a bit of skim ice around the docks and shoreline in the harbor. The Village Council meets at the Town Hall in the morning, but not before the finance and audit committee review the preliminary budget for 2026. Fiscal officer Courtney Blumensaadt presents a reworked budget that Council seems happy with. After several decades, retiring Laurie Miller works her last day at Miller Boat Line.

Sat., Dec. 6th – Volunteers are clearing out the last little bit of stuff at the Resale Shop. The shop is scheduled for a major facelift. Islanders enjoy hot dogs and hot chocolate as they watch this year’s sacrificial burning of a 2025 tombstone to appease Ullr, the Ice God. Over on Middle Bass there’s a similar ceremony with a fireworks show that just about breaks the bank. PIB Community Swim/Sail Race Team sailors Molly Dunfee and Chelsea Clark, Western Junior Representatives on the I-LYA Junior Sailing Council, attend the I-LYA Fall in Romulus, MI, where they contribute insight, thoughts and feedback on topics that will help strengthen the upcoming 2026 Junior Sailing season.

Sun., Dec. 7th – Seniors head to the fire station to pick up the holiday fruit baskets the Rec Committee passes out. In the afternoon and 20-degree weather, Santa tours the island in a fire truck in passing out Christmas gifts to island children. It’s the last day of ferry service.

Mon., Dec. 8th – If you’re on the island and afraid of flying, you’re stuck here for winter’s duration. The ferries are tied up at the downtown dock until they run again in 2026.

Tue. Dec. 9th – The Duff Homestead is where the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy hosts its annual holiday potluck. Ham, salmon, cider and coffee are provided and members bring their choice of beverage, plus dishes and desserts to share.

Wed., Dec. 10th – The PIB Village Council meets in the morning. Mayor Judy Berry swears in the recently elected or reelected councilmen, Dave Schafer, Phil Hahn, Jeff Koehler and Jake Market. The Christmas Luncheon Senior Luncheon. The wind is just right to drop the water level again.

Thu., Dec. 11th – The PIB School Panther basketball teams leave for Beaver Island in Lake Michigan to take part in a four-island tournament.

Fri., Dec. 12th – The teams and their fans (parents and family from PIB) fly to Beaver Island, where the Panther boys defeat the Beaver Island and Washington Island Teams.

Sat., Dec. 13th – Wreaths Across America is postponed for a few days. Up on Beaver Island the PIB Panthers play their last games against Mackinac and then get stuck an extra night on the island due to snow and high winds.

Sun., Dec. 14th – Multiple people on the various islands take part in The National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. The data gathered over 100 years of the count helps show important trends in bird populations. The Put-in-Bay Panthers fly off Beaver Island and, not being able to get back in time for the last flight home, end up staying in Port Clinton overnight.

Mon., Dec. 15th – Erie Islands Petroleum Pit Stop customers may pick up their prepaid gas cards today. The basketball players return to the island from Beaver Island in the morning. In the late afternoon, more than 160 island folk attend the Community Christmas Dinner at the Town Hall. That’s about twice the number as in 2024. Santa arrives and poses for photos with the kids. Members of the PIB Volunteer Fire Dept. participate in ice rescue training in the evening. Members headed down to the public docks to practice self-rescue techniques, including how to recover after falling through the ice, as well as the safest and most effective methods for assisting others out of the water. They even had a bit of fun breaking the ice and taking a plunge themselves. On this date in 1925, the commercial fishing season ended.

Tue., Dec. 16th – The Put-in-Bay Panthers basketball team heads off the island to play Horizon Science Academy. A group of island minstrels is out carolling in the evening.

Wed., Dec. 17th – An island group puts wreaths on the graves of veterans as part of the Wreaths Across America program. A barge bringing stone fill for the DeRivera Park dock rebuilding project breaks ice coming into the harbor.

Thu., Dec. 18th – Island moms set up a Santa Shop at school where kids can buy little gifts for family and friends and are then helped with wrapping them. BGSU’s Brain Game featuring Put-in-Bay vs North Baltimore is available for viewing.

Fri., Dec. 19th – The ice in harbor goes out as westerly winds over 40 mph start at 6 a.m. At 9 a.m. the 21-degree temperature is 30 degrees below what it was just 12 hours before. The water is low again. Say goodbye to the early ice. It’s the last day of school and the kids are all looking forward to Christmas vacation for two weeks.

Sat., Dec. 20th – The harbor is half ice and half open water. The packed Forge is the place to be in the evening. It’s the last day open until after Christmas week. On the mainland in Cleveland, Paul Jeris from the Island Club throws his annual holiday party.

Sun., Dec. 21st – It’s the last day of decreasing daylight at PIB as fall ends. Ice covers the water in PIB’s harbor, but the rough surface looks like it won’t be too good for ice boating.

Mon., Dec. 22nd – There’s light rain after lunch. Ice and slush stops a barge loaded with cribs for the DeRivera dock project from coming into the harbor. The Put-in-Bay Port Authority meets at the terminal to discuss and decide on the 2026 dates for Bash on the Bay. In an email to the Port Authority, Tim Niese, the promoter, stated he only wanted the dates of Friday and Saturday, August 28th and 29th, No one on the board motioned to move it from Wednesday and Thursday, August 26th and 27th, so unless Niese changes his mind, there will be no Bash on the Bay in 2026. Pasquale’s has a pizza and wing night for those who are wrapping presents and don’t want to make dinner.

Tues., Dec. 23 – An airboat is seen coming over the ice into PIB harbor just before noon. The air temperature reaches just shy of 45 degrees and makes for lots of water on top of the ice in the harbor. Slush and ice may have been a challenge for the dock construction barge yesterday, but today a path is cleared and two barges with the crane and steel cribs make it to safety in harbor. Barry & Phoebe Koehler host a white elephant party at their home on Chapman Rd.

Wed., Dec. 24th – Dustin Shaffer from Island Air Taxi warns possible freezing rain and fog coming on Friday and says he’ll be flying Christmas Day for those who need to travel. There’s a Christmas Eve Mass at Mother of Sorrows in the afternoon and a Candlelight Christmas Eve service at St. Paul’s in the evening.

Thu., Dec. 25th – For a Christmas Day service at St. Paul’s, those who attend are invited to wear their jammies. A hunter by the Chapman Rd. shore brings down two ducks with one shot early on this Christmas morning. A nice size buck is spotted on the Monument lawn.

Fri., Dec. 26th – So much for getting on and off the island! Fog and light rain at times curtail almost every single flight. Ericson Booker and his fiancee Maddie Johnson are lucky enough to hitch a ride from the mainland to the Lime Kiln in a large duck blind boat, and brother Blake rides the boat back to the mainland. This is one trip they will never forget. Ryan and Jennifer Stoiber entertain island friends at their home near Victory Point. The cookies were delicious.

Sat., Dec. 27th – The gun shots of duck hunters are heard in the morning. Flights on and off the island resume. On this date in 1887, the Village of Put-in-Bay was established amid fanfare of great rowdy celebration. Pinky Batt is out delivering Goat gift certificates.

Sun., Dec. 28th – Fog doesn’t seem to bother the duck hunters as their shots can be heard most of the morning. By noon, you can’t see Gibraltar Island from the Boardwalk. There are no flights on or off the island.

Mon., Dec. 29th –At 6 a.m. the steady west/southwest wind is 50 mph with gusts at 61 mph. What ice that was in the Bay is gone. Apparently the Norse god of winds, Njörðr, and ice god Ullr are in a tug of war over what the weather at Put-in-Bay should be this winter.

Tue., Dec. 30th – Brian, Justine and Evie Cultice return to Put-in-Bay after a three day excursion attempting to get to Perdido Key for a mini vacation. Weather and luggage delays made for quite the story.

Wed., Dec. 31st – Vicky Kindt Fisher not only celebrates the New Year, but also her 60th birthday. Topsy Turvey’s, the Forge and the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club are all open for islanders who want to go out in a near blizzard to celebrate the end of 2025 and ring in 2026. The last flights of the day are shortly after lunch time. For those stuck on the mainland and wanting to celebrate New Years on the island, there are two large duck blind boats that make their way through the ice on the lake and land at the stoney beach at the Lime Kiln.