The Ballet School, under the direction of Mary Ann Snider, presents The Wizard of Oz at the Port Clinton High School Performing Arts Center this Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Mary Ann’s dance students perform this beloved story of a young girl from Kansas that gets caught in a tornado and ends up “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in the Land of Oz. The dancers are age 3 through high school. Tickets are $8 and will be available for purchase at the door.

It’s a BIG DEAL!!! This Friday, April 19, from 12 Noon to 7 p.m. the Port Clinton Kiwanis Club will be fixing up and serving Mark Giaco’s Homemade Spaghetti Dinners at St. John Lutheran Church on Adams Street in Port Clinton. Lunch or dinner tickets are just $8, dine in or carryout, and all proceeds benefit the Kiwanis Club’s many youth service projects in the community. They are true to their defining statement, “Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.”

The Port Clinton Knights of Columbus will start their Summer Fish Fry schedule this Friday, April 12. They will be held the second Friday of every month this summer from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Denny Bergeman K of C Hall, 109 E. Perry Street. Your avorite Lake Erie Perch, Shrimp and “All You Can Eat” Pollock Dinners will be available. Also served are french fries, baked potato, Pierogi, cole slaw, macaroni & cheese, a dinner roll and all the fixings. Sandwich platters and desserts will also be available.

Congratulations to Dave Franck and his team at Tri Motor Sales in Oak Harbor. They were recently presented with the 2012 President’s Award from the Ford Motor Company for excellent customer service and satisfaction. This was the fifth time the dealership located on Rt. 19 South of Oak Harbor has received this award. 

Our Find Wylie winner for this week is Tom Russell of Fremont. He was one of 31 entries who figured out that our friendly fish wasn’t hiding ANYWHERE in last week’s Beacon. Tom 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. 

Mark Giaco and family will be back in the kitchen again on Friday, April 19, for the Annual Kiwanis Genuine Italian Spaghetti Dinner that serves from 12 Noon to 7 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Tickets are available from any Kiwanian, and you can enjoy lunch or dinner that day. All proceeds go to the many community projects supported by the Port Clinton Kiwanis Club. 

Now that Spring has finally sprung, take some time this weekend to head west to Genoa for the Spring Open House at Packer Creek Pottery. Jan and Joan Pugh will be there with some spectacular decorative pottery and accessories that you won’t believe, including an 8-inch Limited Edition Mother’s Day Plate, numbered and signed. You won’t be disappointed.

It is exciting to see so many local entrepreneurial adventures happening all around us. Next Tuesday, April 16, Mel and Barbara Ayers, who already own and operate two Nagoya restaurants, one here and one in Perrysburg, will open the new Italian cuisine Restaurant, Ciao Bella. With the Catawba Island Brewing Company and the Marbletucky Inn, I can see there will be lots of great new places to dine in our area this coming season. Congratulations to all, and good luck!

Haul-In Season is here! We are beginning to see our local marinas filling up their docks with boats. Also, the boatyards are humming with activity with boaters finally getting a chance to sand their boat’s bottom and polish the hull. Welcome back boaters!

The Ottawa County Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting this Tuesday, April 16, at 7 p.m. at the Ida Rupp Library in Port Clinton. The program will be presented by Derek Davey, a professional and certified genealogist and consultant from Toledo. He will talk on “Breaking Brick Walls, A-Z”. 

The Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society will hold its General Meeting on Wednesday, April 17, at 7 p.m. at the Otterbein North Shore Retirement Center Activity Room. All folks interested in history and preservation of the Marblehead Lighthouse are encouraged to attend. 

The Friends of Immaculate Conception Catholic School will host the “Run for the Roses…Kentucky Derby” on Saturday, April 20, at the ICS Gym. This is their 27th Annual Benefit Auction, and the cost is just $25 per person, which includes admission, six drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres. Since seating is limited, you should make your reservations early. 

Attention Golfers! Mark down Friday, May 3, for the 2013 United Way Golf Invitational at Catawba Island Club. They will have shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 12 noon. The cost is $100 per golfer which includes brunch and a BBQ luncheon. Space is limited so register your foursome by April 19. To RSVP, call 419-734-6645 or email MJ Siewert at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

The Port Clinton High School Class of 1978 is holding their 35-year reunion the weekend of August 9-11. Friday night they will be at Dock’s Beach House and Saturday they will hold their formal reunion event at Port Clinton Yacht Club. For more information, leave a message at 419-734-1168 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

Want to win a $500 gas card? The Port Clinton 4th of July Committee is partnering with Friendship Food Stores for the month of April at both their stations in the PC area, 1810 E. Perry Street and 3800 State Road. They will be selling raffle tickets with the winner getting a grand prize of $500 gas card. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the 2013 4th of July celebration in Port Clinton. You can purchase your tickets for $1 each of 6 for $5 at any of the stores or you can contact Mike and Mary Ann Snider or Debbie Hymore-Tester. The drawing will be May 1. Good luck!

Interested in gardening but you don’t have the space? Come to the Beech Street Park Community Garden at 3rd and Beech Streets on Port Clinton’s east side on Thursday, April 25, at 10 a.m. to learn about organic gardening. If you can’t make it, call Dave Mehl at 419-206-0482 for more information about a 4’ x 8’ raised bed for 2013. Beds are available to any Port Clinton City resident. 

I got to fly the Ford Tri-Motor last Friday. Not THE Ford Tri-Motor, but the flight simulator at the Liberty Air Museum. I got the plane up and down safely from Carl Keller field to the Put-in-Bay airport. However, we did a hop to Kelleys Island and my landing there wasn’t so smooth. As they say, any landing you walk away from is a good landing!!! The simulators, including one for the P-51 Mustang, will be at the Museum through this coming weekend. Check ‘em out!

Want to win a $500 gas card? The Port Clinton 4th of July Committee is partnering with Friendship Food Stores for the month of April at both their stations in the PC area, 1810 E. Perry Street and 3800 State Road. They will be selling raffle tickets with the winner getting a grand prize of $500 gas card. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the 2013 4th of July celebration in Port Clinton. You can purchase your tickets for $1 each of 6 for $5 at any of the stores or you can contact Mike and Mary Ann Snider or Debbie Hymore Tester. The drawing will be May 1. Good luck. 

Our Find Wylie winner for this week is Wendy Cortez of Erie Township. She was one of 102 entries who found our friendly fish hiding in the ad for Treva’s Pet Grooming on page 11A in last week’s Beacon. Wendy 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. 

Last week, we also lost another good friend. R. Neil Merckens, the longtime publisher of the Peninsula News and Republican Political Activist, passed away last week. Neil and Rosemary were fixtures on the peninsula. We spoke many times about the publishing business over the years. His ideas on community publishing and mine have always been very similar. I will miss him. 

Don’t forget the benefit for local troubadour Ronnie Howard this Sunday at Cleats in Marblehead. Ronnie, the lead singer for the band Cruisin’ lost his van and all of his equipment in a fire several weeks ago. The benefit will be this Sunday, April 7, from 1-5 p.m. Tickets are $25 for a special buffet meal and are available at Cleats, Minuteman Press and at The Beacon. That afternoon you can hear Cruisin’, Colin Dussault, Smooth Groove and MORE! 

St. Paul United Church of Christ in Oak Harbor is holding a giant indoor Garage Sale and Vendor Gala this Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church located at 165 Toussaint Street. The sale will have garage sale tables featuring household items, clothing, toys, baby gear, electronics, sports equipment, books, paintings, bikes and more. There will also be a bunch of vendors there as well. They will be serving food also. We are told that this is an event you won’t want to miss. For more information, call Jackie Timmons at 419-898-2045 or e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

It’s “Quarter Mania”, an afternoon of fun, food and raffles at the Bay Township Fire Hall, 4471 W. Fremont Rd., this Sunday, April 7. Doors will open at 1:15 p.m. with the “Mania” getting started at 2 p.m. $5 gets you 1 paddle to bid on items. Additional paddles will be available for $1 each. Bring your quarters! For more information, contact Tina Veverka at 419-704-3335. 

Edgewood Manor in Port Clinton is hosting a FREE light lunch and fall risk assessment on Tuesday, April 9. The assessments will last approximately 15 minutes and will require a reservation. They will be offered every 15 minutes beginning at 1:30 p.m. If you would like a free assessment and lunch, call Carrie McGlothlin at 419-734-5506 or you can e-mail your registration to Carrie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Reservations need to be made by this Friday, April 5. 

Interested in gardening but you don’t have the space? Come to the Beech Street Park Community Garden at 3rd and Beech Streets on Port Clinton’s east side on Thursday, April 25, at 10 a.m. to learn about organic gardening. If you can’t make it, call Dave Mehl at 419-206-0482 for more information about a 4’ x 8’ raised bed for 2013. Beds are available to any Port Clinton City resident. 

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted will speak on Voter Fraud next Thursday evening, April 11, at Anjulina’s Banquet Hall, 2270 W. Hayes Ave. (Rt. 6). This event is co-sponsored by the Ottawa and Sandusky County Women’s Clubs. Social Hour starts at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30. Tickets are $30 per person. Reservations must be made by this Friday, April 5, by calling Karen Crall at 419-797-9099. 

We are fortunate to have several local folks who are members of the Fostoria Lake Plains Barbershop Chorus. They will hold their annual Concert at Fostoria High School on Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and can probably be purchased at Split Winds Gallery on North Madison Street in Port Clinton. Their website is www.lakeplainschorus.com.

Did you hear about popular local singer Ron Howard? Ronnie is the lead singer in the band Cruisin’ and does other performance gigs as well. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, his auto caught fire and he lost everything, I mean everything. He lost the car, which also had all of his sound equipment inside of it. Then he found out his wife forgot to update their insurance premium and voila!!! … no insurance! Well, the good folks at Cleats on the way to Marblehead are holding a benefit for Ronnie on Sunday, April 7 from 1-5 p.m. Tickets are $25 for a special buffet meal and are available at Cleats, Minuteman Press and at The Beacon. That afternoon you can hear Cruisin’, Colin Dussault, Smooth Groove and more. Definitely worth the price of admission.