The Beacon is hosting a very special Open House Weekend this weekend, Sept. 28 and 29. There will be dozens of beautiful homes and condominiums open for public viewing both days, both here in Ottawa County as well as in Erie County. There is a complete guide for the North Coast Tour of Homes inserted in The Beacon this week. Check it out. Interest rates are very low, and now is a great time to buy a home, especially along the shores of beautiful Lake Erie.
Mary Alice and I just got back from an intense 2-day conference hosted by the Independent Free Papers of America (IFPA) in Washington D.C. Sadly, there just wasn’t a lot of time to do any politicking, even though we were in D.C. All of the workshops at the Conference were excellent, and quite simply bodes well for the future of newspapers…particularly FREE newspapers like The Beacon. We are stepping up our efforts already thanks to the addition of Jasmine Cupp to fulltime status to work with our editor Donna Lueke. Jasmine will specifically be working on our Social Media presence and updating our website a couple of times a day. Welcome aboard Jasmine. We would like your suggestions. Look for a new “suggestion box” on our website, www.thebeacon.net.
Speaking of the Conference in D.C., The Beacon also won some awards from the Mid-Atlantic Community Papers Association (MACPA). We took first place for the best Web Site, first place for the best Blog (Telltales…I didn’t even know it was a Blog!). And third place for General Excellence for Community Papers. MACPA covers much of the eastern seaboard from D.C. to New York City and as far west as Ohio.
Our “Find Wylie” winner this week is Maria Lopez of Gypsum who was one of 269 individuals who found our friendly fish in the ad for East Harbor Pooch Parlor on page 1B in last week’s Beacon. Maria wins our weekly $20 gift card from Friendship Food Stores. We’ll be hiding Wylie again this week. If you find him, drop off an entry form at our office in the Beacon Place Business Center or click on the Find Wylie Icon at our website, www.thebeacon.net.
Here is a new idea for Kids today! Use recycled materials to create your own adventure environments. This evening, Thursday, Sept. 26, from 5-8 p.m. is Port Clinton’s first Pop-Up Adventure Playground. The event, sponsored by United Way in Ottawa County, provides kids and families with recycled and other materials for a fun-filled evening of play. It will be held tonight at Friendship Park at the corner of Perry and Jefferson Streets. All activity is free and open to all youth and their grown-ups!
My good friend Ann Duez, the owner of the Victorian Inn, will be one of the contestants for Ottawa County Stars Dance on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Camp Perry Clubhouse. Ann is having a huge Yard Sale this Friday through Sunday, Sept. 27-29. The hours for Friday and Saturday will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hours for Sunday will be 9 a.m. to Noon. All the proceeds from the Yard Sale go to CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates. These folks help abused and neglected children in Ottawa County, and they do a great job. The Victorian Inn is located at 5622 E. Harbor Rd. (SR 163 East) in Danbury Township.
We ran into a couple of old friends who have moved away and it was a couple of great reunions. When returning from D.C. at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, Heather (Link) Merckens came running up to us. “Dave and Connie are here, and would love to see you.” And we did. Dave is a former science teacher and coach at Port Clinton High School. Connie was a teacher in the Danbury Schools. They looked great. Then on Monday morning, Joe and Jane Mansell stopped into The Beacon. They now live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Joe, a former Marina Manager, is in Real Estate, while Jane, a former Medical Records expert at Magruder, is now teaching and doing Medical Records work from home. They both noted how disappointed they were at how poorly downtown Port Clinton has become since they left here 20 years ago. I caught them up on the current efforts to revitalize Port Clinton and to develop Waterworks Park.
Otterbein North Shore is holding an IPAD Class this Monday, Sept. 30. Beginners and experts are welcome. This is a good chance for folks to learn all the facets of tablet computing. They take you from where you are and give you help and encouragement toward where you want to be. Mary Alice has already told me she wants an IPAD for Christmas. Call Otterbein for details.
The Port Clinton Baptist Church will hold Revival Services Oct. 6-8 beginning at 6 p.m. each night. The Church is located at 9785 Limestahl Rd., just off Fremont Rd. south of Port Clinton. Evangelist Dan Duffy of the Northcoast Baptist Association will be there.
The Humane Society of Ottawa County is holding an “Adoptathon” at their Sand Rd. Shelter on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 1-5 p.m. There will be a Family Fun Day and Dog Wash, featuring free hot dogs and drinks. That day only, adopting a dog will be $8, $15 for two dogs, $20 for three dogs, and a $5 charge for a nail trim.
The election season is upon us. This is the year for ward council candidates in Port Clinton and there is also a race for City Auditor. Whatever the issue, the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Port Clinton Business and Professional Women will host Candidate’s Night on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Elk’s Lodge starting at 7 p.m. Candidates from all over Ottawa County are invited to speak. Just contact the Chamber office at 419-734-5503.