The Book Exchange, downtown Port Clinton, is under new management. New owner Michael Fitzgerald — a long-time supporter and employee in the Port Clinton community — said he is excited and anxious for a fresh start for the store. He was previously involved as a partner in the business and has now taken over all responsibility of the store.
Weighing in on all options, Fitzgerald contemplated closing the store, but the outpour of support from the fellow downtown merchants and previous customers spoke volumes that they wanted the store to remain a piece of downtown Port Clinton.

A business that was started more 75 years ago, a business that has been a staple of downtown Port Clinton for all that time, has been formally recognized. The Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce awarded its Business Member of the Year Award to Bolte Real Estate at Thursday night’s annual meeting held at Catawba Island Club.

Bolte won the award in competition with Croghan Colonial Bank. The long history of one of the oldest existing real estate businesses in Ohio has been well documented over the years. Four generations have been through the business’s management team, starting with Ann Bolte in 1936. In those days, few women worked, let alone started companies. Ann was followed by her son, Eugene, who added the insurance side of the business. He was followed by his daughter Cindy, who first joined the firm in 1980. In 2001, Cindy’s son Phillip joined up, and has also started a construction affiliate to the growing business.
The Lighthouse Award went to Ida Rupp Public Library. It was chosen over three other nominees who were judged to be outstanding business in their individual fields. The other nominees included Home Instead Senior Care, Loadmaster Trailer Company and Riverview Healthcare Campus.
There were two nominees for the Beautification award, including Dock’s Beach House and Coffee Express. Ed Fitzgerald won the award for Dock’s Beach House. The Fitzgerald team also owns and operates Mr. Ed’s, Beachfront Hotel and Commodore Perry Inn and Suites in Port Clinton, and Mr. Ed’s and the Commodore Hotel on Put-in-Bay.
Janeane and Tony Cipiti, tireless volunteer workers for the City of Port Clinton, won the Outstanding Citizen Award over two other nominee couples, Maxine and Gil Carnicom and Barb and Max McLaury. Janeane has declined nomination for the award on a number of occasions, but finally relented. Her handiwork can be seen by all in the garden at the corner of Jefferson and Perry Streets, a task she has performed for years. She and Tony have been married for 62 years.
Main Street Port Clinton gave out two awards. The Business of the Year recognition went to Erie Cottage Trading Company, located behind Coffee Express in the old Carriage House building. The business is owned by Doug and Tony Garrett as well as Debbie Coppeler.
Roseann Hickman, owner of Perfect Color Hair and Tan on North Madison Street and wife of Port Clinton Police Chief Rob Hickman, was honored as Volunteer of the Year.
An overflow crowd of 160 attended Thursday’s event.

For photos of the winners, click on the PHOTOS tab at the top of the page.

A large crowd of business and community leaders gathered at the main banquet hall of the Camp Perry Clubhouse Wednesday evening for the Ottawa County Improvement Corp. Business and Industry Awards. Nine major awards were handed out to businesses and individuals with the top award, Business of the Year, going to Bay Point Marina and Resort.
Jamie Beier Grant, Executive Director of OCIC, read a paragraph on each of the award nominees as the night progressed while Ottawa County Commissioner Mark Stahl presented each winner with their award. Brooke Brown accepted the award on behalf of Bay Point.

Kelley Frey and Geno Monaco from the Ottawa County Sanitary Engineer’s Office shared the Volunteer of the Year award. The daughters of Jack Schiller, Barb Lodermeier and Mary Coffee, as well as grandson John Coffee received the Personal Achievement award given posthumously. The Ottawa County Visitors Bureau was named the Economic Development Partner award, while Don Clemons Sr. received the Bill Mack Award. The Entrepreneur of the Year award went to Advance Battery Concepts in Lake Winds Industrial Park.
Three businesses were nominated for the Large Business of the Year, including Bay Point. They were joined by Heinemann Winery and the Put-in-Bay Boat Line. The award went to the folks at the Jet Express.
The outstanding Medium Business of the Year award went to Riverside Machine and Automation in Genoa, as they edged out the Moore Family Businesses (Cameo Pizza, Crosswinds Restaurant, Island Adventures and Cedar Lanes Campgrounds) along with Chipmatic Tool in Elmore.
Zink Calls of Port Clinton, represented by Dawn and Fred Zink, was named the outstanding Small Business of the Year. Also nominated were Oak Harbor Hardware and Advance Product Designs, an auto racing specialty business in Genoa.

Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce will be having its 75th Annual Banquet on May 17 at The Catawba Island Club.  Guest speaker will be Peter Huston of The Perry Group.
Huston is a writer, producer and director. In 2010, after moving to Ohio, he established FilmAffects to pursue documentary and factual program production. Current projects include Grandma Gatewood, An Appalachian Tale, John Parker “The Conductor” and Scott Matthews “Onward, a voyage of discovery.” As director and senior producer, Huston has continued to produce programming for PBS, Hallmark, Odyssey, Home & Garden and has co-produced a feature film and done scores of corporate and educational projects.
He is on the board of directors at the Lake Erie Island Historical Society and is presently coordinating director of the bicentennial celebration for The Perry Group (Friends of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial). Read Huston’s blog on the War of 1812 bicentennial — “Chasing Perry’s Victory” — at http://chasingperry.wordpress.com.
To purchase a ticket for the annual banquet, call Judy Balsom at 419-734-9777.

Port Clinton’s Zink Calls is among the finalists for the Excellence in Entrepreneurship. The presentation of the fourth annual award — sponsored by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce — will take place on Tuesday, May 15, at the Southern Theatre in downtown Columbus. The award will be presented during the Ohio Chamber of Commerce annual meeting and legislative eeception, which begins at 3:30 p.m. As in years past, the award winner will receive a check for $25,000 and new this year Ricart Ford of Columbus will also present a 24-month lease on a 2012 Ford Fiesta.