Island Diary Dec. 2024

Sun., Dec. 1st – The first ferry trip off the island is delayed. The frigid and windy weather have iced up the ramp at the Lime Kiln dock. There’s more than a full boat load on the mainland of islanders waiting to get back to the island after the long Thanksgiving weekend. DeRivera Park is all decked out with Christmas decorations that are lit up with bright lights.

Mon., Dec. 2nd – Scott Jackson puts up the Christmas lights at the Goat. Topsy Turvey’s is open for the Browns game. The Browns Backers are watching the game at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. Jim Roesch on Middle Bass celebrates his 80th birthday.

Tue., Dec. 3rd – At the PIB Village Council meeting, David Bianchi speaks out about his experience getting a ticket after crossing the double yellow line while passing the Monument. Electricity goes out for several minutes before lunch. Steve and Sue Prahst from Mikes Drive ferry to the island to rake tons of leaves at their cottage before the weather changes. As it’s Giving Tuesday, islanders tour the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center, the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society Museum and the Duff Homestead in the evening. There are refreshments and appetizers.

Wed., Dec. 4th – Southwest winds kick up and there are no ferries due to the low water level around the docks. At Bahney’s home at the end of Peach Point, a 60 mph wind gust is reported.

Thu., Dec. 5th – SW winds are 50 mph and the temp is 23ºF shortly after 5 a.m. There is no ferry service.

Fri., Dec. 6th – The ferries resume just in time for the 6th Great Lakes Islands Basketball Tournament. The PIB Panthers face teams from Washington Island in Wisconsin and Mackinac Island in Michigan play in the afternoon. The Beaver Island team couldn’t make it this year due to weather conditions in Lake Michigan. PIB students are dismissed at noon so they can attend the games. Members of the Put-in-Bay Twirling Club perform during halftime at the games the Panthers play. The games are streamed on WPIB.com. The Holiday Bazaar takes place in the Town Hall, plus the Resale Shop at the museum is open for holiday shopping.

Sat., Dec. 7th – Before leaving the island, the basketball teams scrimmage at the school gym. At the PIB Vol. Fire Dept., there’s a party for Al Duff who is retiring after 61 years of service. The Holiday Bazaar continues for the second day.

Sun., Dec. 8th – Seniors swing by the fire station to pick up their holiday fruit baskets. The baskets contain cheese, sausage, seasoned nuts, truffles, gourmet jelly and some healthy fruit. The baskets are courtesy of the PIB rec Committee. Later, JR Domer, drives Santa around the island so he can deliver gifts to the island children.

Mon., Dec. 9th – It’s a rainy day at Put-in-Bay; no one goes out to play.

Tue., Dec. 10th – The Lake Erie Islands Conservancy holds its annual Christmas Potluck at the Duff Homestead and Bayfront Preserve.

Wed., Dec. 11th – About 80 people attend the wonderful Senior Luncheon at the Senior Center. There’s a very light snow after dinner time.

Thu., Dec. 12th – Let’s just say the weather is the big news of the day. Islanders awake with the wind blowing at a steady 35 knots out of the WSW (west southwest) with gusts over 40 knots. To make it even worse, the temperature falls into the mid-teens making for a windchill of around 7 degrees below zero. All ferry trips are cancelled for the day. A group from the Rec Committee is decorating the Town Hall for the holiday dinner that will take place on Sunday. The holiday concert, “Holiday Lights – A Winter Concert” directed by C.C. Wisniewski, takes place at the school gym.

Fri., Dec. 13th – There’s thick skim ice around many of the docks in the Bay. The Goat Soup & Whiskey in St. Croix, Virgin Islands opens for the winter season.

Sat., Dec. 14th – The Miller Boat Line crew is treated in the morning to some French vanilla coffee compliments of Erie Islands Petroleum. It’s delicious and just what they need on a cold morning. The Put-in-Bay Panther basketball team plays the Scott Bulldogs in a non-league game. Suzette Luecke holds an open house at her new lovely new home on Put-in-Bay Rd. in the afternoon. Melinda Myers, Terri Stanley, Laura Baker-Mendoza and Caroline Conrad enjoy a night out at the Forge. There’s a white elephant party at the yacht club.

Sun., Dec. 15th – Today is the Lake Erie Islands Count Circle Audubon Christmas Bird Count on South Bass and the other islands. Sue Thwaite is helping out at Jack and Loraine Zimmerman’s holiday event at their Hopfinger Zimmerman Memorial Park on the mainland. The Put-in-Bay Community Christmas Party takes place upstairs in the Town Hall. There’s a wonderful dinner with food from 1812 Food & Spirits on Catawba, plus games and crafts for the kids. After dinner, Santa stops by for pictures with both children and adults. The desserts were great, plus there were to-go boxes for leftovers. The event is sponsored by the PIB Rec Committee.

Mon., Dec. 16th – The first morning boat to the mainland is packed with vehicles. The PIB Panthers basketball team takes on Monclova Christian Academy.

Tue., Dec. 17th – The “Merry Mobile Minstrels” are visiting island homes singing Christmas carols.

Wed., Dec. 18th – PIB High School grad Emil Michael, Class of 2024, visits Put-In-Bay school and motivates current students and shares with them his experiences at The Ohio State University where he is majoring in Business. The Put-in-Bay Twirling Club holds its baton family potluck and 2024 awards banquet in the community room of the Put-in-Bay Town Hall.

Thu., Dec. 19th – Early in the morning, Jeff Brower from KW Shores and Islands Real Estate flies his drone over PIB harbor and takes a 360 panoramic photo shot over B dock. You can check it out on his Facebook page, Jeff Brower – KW Shores and Islands Real Estate. Some of the Crew’s Nest crew is busy getting de-icing bubblers ready for the club’s docks.

Fri., Dec. 20th – There’s a light wet snow in the morning. Bree Reynolds is spotted out walking his two goats, Soup and Whiskey. After decorating the 95-year-old Inter-Lake Yachting Association Commodores Memorial in DeRivera Park, Tom Thanasiu posts, “This may be a first, and the beginning of a new tradition at Christmas.” Lance Saunders from Miller Boat Line wins the Put-in-Bay Winter Solstice Poker Tournament. Billy Market finishes second and Zach Kowalski finishes third. Carmen Fiorilli hosts the event.

Sat., Dec. 21st – Temperatures are in the low 20s all day. Sue Thwaite hosts a dinner party at her home on the south shore. Kevin Nose, Jeff and Kendra Koehler and Rob and Michelle LaPlante enjoy a lamb dinner followed by real Hungarian pasty compliments of Michelle.

Sun., Dec. 22nd – There’s skim ice on the lake as far as the eye can see thanks to a light wind out of the northeast and temperatures just a fraction over 20 degrees. With a forecast of much warmer weather ahead, the ferry keeps running through the skim giving passengers a rare sensation. A small boat with three onboard breaks ice coming into the harbor before noon.

Mon., Dec. 23rd – The wind has picked up and the skim ice is pretty much gone. Kira Hubner celebrates her 40th birthday. In the morning, an 8-point buck jumps into the side of Aaron Schroeder’s vehicle on Airport Rd. There’s rain in the late afternoon and evening

Tue., Dec. 24th – A slight change in the ferry schedule has ferry workers off early for Christmas Eve. The colorful lights in the Village and in DeRivera Park make for a beautiful Christmas Eve scene.

Wed., Dec. 25th – There are no ferries, but Dustin Shaffer from Island Air Taxi is flying. The Recycling Center is closed for Christmas Day. Someone is setting off fireworks just before midnight.

Thu., Dec. 26th – The first thing heard in the morning is the gunfire of a duck hunter. It might have been from the guy in the kayak surrounded by decoys. The museum has a visit from a technician who upgrades the security system there. It’s the last day to register for the New Years Eve party at the yacht club.

Fri., Dec. 27th – Fireworks can be heard shortly after midnight. In spite of light sprinkles, the annual “Ullr Burn” to bring the islands good/cold Winter weather (for ice) takes place between the Boardwalk and A-dock just as it gets dark. The effigy burned this year is a tombstone with an ice reaper graphic saying “Return Ice Please!” on one side and “2024 – RIP” on the other. After hot dogs and hot chocolate, there’s a pyrotechnic display by Ty Winchester from Pasquale’s. If the lengthy show and fantastic finale are a predictor of good ice, we’re going to have an over abundance of solid water around the islands. On Middle Bass, there’s a similar gathering at the main dock to make a sacrifice to the Ice Gods. The event is BYOB.

Sat., Dec. 28th – Miller Boat Line announces that Thursday, Jan. 2nd will be the last day of service. Islanders enjoy today’s 54-degree high temperature knowing below-freezing temperatures are coming in just a few days. A happy date turned into a sad one for the Mohn family. After celebrating Kelly’s 60th birthday with friends and family at Topsy Turvey, Rob returned home and unexpectedly passed away in his sleep.

Sun., Dec. 29th – There’s lots of rain in the morning. The Resale Shop opens for a couple of hours after lunch. On this date in 1937, an Erie Isle Airways biplane, a New Standard D-25, left North Bass in thick fog headed for Put-in-Bay. The plane crashed onto the ice in the lake off the PIB airfield killing the three passengers. The pilot survived and the plane was recovered.

Mon., Dec. 30th – SBI State Park Superintendent Mike Pucak helps with rebuilding the new bathrooms at the state park docks. Jeremy Koebel is busy pulling up the old rotten boards on the front porch of Bush House next to the Put-in-Bay Winery. Amy Huston picks up an old chair and several chairs cushions from the Duff Homestead to take to Sandi Glauser on the mainland for reupholstering.

Tue., Dec. 31st – Along with private celebrations, there are New Year’’s Eve festivities at Topsy Turvey’s, the Forge and the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. The town hall bell and fireworks are heard just after midnight, marking the start of 2025.