It was February of 1983, 38 years ago this week.

My sister-in-law, Sandy, and I were working in a back office upstairs at 108 W. Perry Street, where the Clinton House Restaurant is now. We were putting the finishing touches on Vol. 1, No. 1 of The Beacon.

We were highlighting the new officers of the Ottawa County Heart Association, Gary Kohli and Kathy Steinmiller, along with a photo of Bill Friemark passing the gavel as president of the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce to Howard Guenther. It was the first edition of The Beacon, dedicated to positive local weekly news and information.

We haven’t missed a week in the 38 years since, thanks to you, our loyal readers. Certainly, the last 11 months have been challenging, but here we are, facing the future with confidence.

Thanks as well, to the many wonderful folks who sent notes, texts and messages to me to wish me well through the process fighting off Covid-19. I’m feeling much better now. I’m quite certain the prayers were most helpful.

However, this much I can tell you, I have been through nothing compared to my good friend Bob Snyder. Bob had a quintuple bypass at Cleveland Clinic and suffered a serious stroke in the midst of the surgery. He had been in a coma since, and just recently came out of it.

Bob has had a huge prayer chain working on his behalf and we all really care about him in this critical time. Please keep Bob and Linda in your prayers.

Also please keep the the Gecsi Family in your prayers.

Cole Miller was chosen from among 99 entries who found Wylie hiding in the ad for the Port Clinton Cupid Shuffle on Page 3A in last week’s Beacon. So, congratulations Cole. You are the winner of 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.

Happy 70th Birthday to George Wilber. Even though he recently decided to retire after 40 years as Law Director for the City of Port Clinton, he has certainly not retired as a lawyer. His family business of Wilber and Wilber Attorneys on Second Street remains open after over 80 years of service to the community. He can be contacted for legal assistance at 419-734-4060.

The free ELMS Community Meal is Thursday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Guild Hall in downtown Port Clinton. This month’s meal features scalloped potatoes and ham, green beans and a variety of desserts. Hosted by St. Thomas and Peace Lutheran churches, the meals are carry out only.

The Port Clinton Knights of Columbus will host its Lenten Fish Fries beginning Friday, Feb. 19 at Denny Bergeman Hall, 109 E. Perry St., Port Clinton from 4-7 p.m. The dinners are $10 each. The fish fries are also on the following six Fridays, including Feb. 26, March 5, 12, 19 and 26, and April 2.

St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church will host its Fish Fry by Latitudes Cafe beginning Friday, Feb. 19 from 4-6 p.m. at the church located at 506 E. Main St., Marblehead. They’ll be serving breaded perch, tartar sauce, cole slaw, cheesy potatoes and roll. All dinners are take-out. Cost per dinner is $12. Pre-orders are a must by calling 419-702-7004 by noon on Thursday, Feb. 18. If no answer, leave name and number of dinners. Additional Friday fish fry dates to benefit the church will be Feb. 26, and March 5, 12, 19, 26 and 31.

While Covid-19 vaccinations were suspended for a while because of the snowstorm on Monday night, the Ottawa County Department of Health has administered 2350 doses to date. There have been 3,126 cases of the virus, up seven from last week, and 60 deaths around the county, up four.

Miami University students who are ranked in the top three percent of undergraduate students within each division for first semester 2020-21 have been named to the President’s list recognizing academic excellence. Isabelle Rospert of Port Clinton; Maximilian Schneider of Middle Bass.

More than 2,300 students graduated with bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degrees from Ohio University for fall semester 2020. Students included: McKenna Cuevas of Lakeside Marblehead graduated with a Bachelor of Specialized Studies from OHIO’s University College; Jacob Franz of Oak Harbor graduated with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Physics – Applied Physics from OHIO’s College of Arts and Sciences; Anthony Paradiso of Port Clinton graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration majoring in Business Analytics and Management Information Systems from OHIO’s College of Business .

Miami University students who are ranked in the top 20 percent of undergraduate students within each division for first semester 2020-21 have been named to the Dean’s list recognizing academic excellence. They are Carolyne Croy and Katelyn Farmer from Oak Harbor; and Max Brenner and Nick Perry from Port Clinton.

Nationally recognized as one of the most outstanding undergraduate institutions, Miami University is a public university located in Oxford, Ohio, with a student body of nearly 19,000. Miami effectively combines a wide range of strong academic programs with faculty who love to teach and the personal attention ordinarily found only at much smaller institutions.

Otterbein Senior Life resident Gerald Wehner built this log deer in the woodshop on campus. It can be seen by the entrance of the patio homes along with the other wildlife frequently found in the woods.