The Beacon office will reopen to the public on Monday, June 1. If you need to restart your newspaper delivery or contact us for advertising needs, please phone us at 419-732-2154 and someone will return your call. Otherwise, visit our office from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and please follow the COVID-19 guidelines.

On the bright side, this is Memorial Day weekend, which is coming early this year. Meanwhile, Labor Day comes late this year (Sept. 7). Thus, the length of time between the two holidays has been extended for at least another week with a 16-weekend time frame. On the downside, there will be no Walleye Festival in Port Clinton and no Memorial Day parades and ceremonies to honor our fallen heroes.

Please take a moment if you can on Monday to bow your head and say little prayer for those men and women who gave us all the ultimate sacrifice.

Hallie Uhl of Brooklyn, Ohio was chosen from among 99 entries who found Wylie in the ad for TNT on Page 1B of last week’s Beacon. So, Hallie wins our weekly $25 gas card graciously donated by Friendship Stores. Each week we hide Wylie Walleye in an ad and our readers, when one of them finds him, can either bring in a contest entry cut out of the paper or log onto our website … www.thebeacon.net … and let us know where he is, thus entering, and possibly winning our weekly contest.

One of the other local traditions that was missed this year was the annual Sousa Concert at Port Clinton High School. Did you see what band director Rod Miller did for his students (who normally lay their instruments on a table one-by-one at the end of the concert)? He did a Facebook video highlighting individual photos of the band class of 2020. It starts with a shot of an empty table and ends with a shot of the same table loaded with instruments. It was really nice.

On Tuesday, May 12, Gaye Winterfield submitted her resignation as Business & Workforce Development Manager of the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation, effective May 29. Gaye has accepted a position in government contract compliance, giving her the opportunity to use her paralegal and contract administration education and experience in a new capacity.

Gaye has been with OCIC for over six years. The Executive Board of OCIC will be posting the position. For questions pertaining to posting the position, please contact Ken Williams, Executive Board President, at 419-797-4424 or via email at kwilliams@cicclub.com.

The local chapter of PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) did give out their Scholarships this spring. Ten Port Clinton students won Ohio Scholarships (total value of $10,975): Allison Batterton, Abigail Frattorili, Elena Kessler, Cara Linn, Hanna Moore, Hanna Roberts, Sierra Robinette, Emily Shaw, Lauren Shaw, Lauren Streyerf and Lissa Gillman. Anna Tibbles and Larisa Kerik from Danbury High School also received scholarships. Once again, their thanks goes out to the local businesses who contributed to their fundraiser last fall.

Bistro 163 in Port Clinton’s Sutton Center has been feeding the community in style with its free drive-up meal service on Wednesday through Saturday to help feed the community. With dine-in options set to begin as Ohio begins to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, Manager Babette “Babs” Klacik will continue the free meals through the month of May. Hat’s off to all of the people who have been donating to Bistro 163 so it could provide wonderful meals to so many. Face Masks of Ottawa County, which provides free masks to hospitals and the community, donated $960 this week to Bistro 163.

The ELM group in Port Clinton will be doing the free monthly meal today starting at 5 p.m. in St Thomas Guild Hall. Ham and scalloped potatoes are featured, with carry outs only. This meal is complements of St. Thomas Episcopal and Peace Lutheran Churches.

The Oak Harbor Athletic Boosters have rescheduled their Annual Reverse Raffle to Saturday, May 30 at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $75 with extra meal tickets available for $25.