By John Schaffner

Last week, I wrote about a piece I had read in the Hudson Hub about the closing of the Youngstown Vindicator and Mad Magazine. Shortly after writing that piece, I learned of the sale of the Sandusky Register and Norwalk Reflector to Ogden Newspapers, who also own the Tiffin Advertiser Tribune, which is where The Beacon is printed.

I have long respected both of those publications as being truly great local newspapers. I also learned that Gatehouse Media, owners of a number of Ohio newspapers — including the Dispatch in Columbus — was close to finalizing a deal with Gannett, the company that owns the Port Clinton News Herald and the News Messenger in Fremont. Lots of changes in local media ownership to be sure!

Today (Thursday, July 25) is the day for those special informational meetings regarding the upcoming Benton-Carroll-Salem school levy. They will be at Coffee Connections at Blackberry Corners at 10 a.m.; Facebook Live on the District Facebook Page at 5:30 p.m.; and the full Community Meeting at 6:15 p.m. at the OHHS Auditorium.

Gary Durdel is our winner this week in our “Find Wylie” contest. He was chosen from among 110 entries who successfully found our friendly fish inside the ad for Marblehead Galley on Page 8A in The Beacon last week. Gary wins a $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 the contest.

Happy 25th anniversary to Fred and Dawn Zink, owners of Zink Calls and now Bell Mell Tavern and Pizza. My wife, Mary Alice, had a nice long chat with Dawn on Sunday. Dawn told us that the article that ran recently about the Zinks buying Bell Mell’s made it out to Camp Perry and the competitors in the National Matches there. They reported a large number of folks from Camp Perry found there way to Bell Mell’s as a result of that article, once again proving that advertising in The Beacon really works!

Don’t forget that tonight (Thursday, July 25), is the monthly Art Walk in downtown Port Clinton. Lilly and Gert’s will be hosting Playmakers Civic Theatre with a Bake Sale and the kick-off of ticket sales for their pre-season fundraiser of “Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class,” a “Nunsense” musical starring Frankie Bickel. Stop by to learn all of the details.

The 3rd Annual Davis-Besse Car Show will be this Saturday, July 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The American Legion Auxiliary in Oak Harbor is hosting a Greektown Casino Trip on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The cost is $40 per person for five hours at the Greektown Casino. Registration and payment can be made at American Legion Post 114, 221 Park St., Oak Harbor or call the Post at 419-898-5888 on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays after 4 p.m.

It’s Salvation Army’s “Christmas in July” Red Kettle Campaign this Friday and Saturday, July 26-27 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. The kettle sites are Twin Oast and Friendship Food Stores (both Port Clinton and Catawba locations).

Brian Woods, a graduate of Port Clinton High School back in the late 1970s, has been a police officer and K-9 trainer for the Fremont Police Department since 1985. He will be doing a special demonstration on Friday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. at Lynnwood Kennels, 470 CR 97 in Fremont. This event will be held as a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Sandusky County and includes a BBQ chicken dinner from Jimmy G’s of Fremont.

Tickets are available at the Humane Society of Sandusky County (419-334-4571) or the Sandusky County Convention and Visitors Bureau (1-800-255-8070). Tickets are $50 per person or $75 per couple.

The Magruder Hospital Auxiliary will host a style/trunk show, at the Port Clinton Yacht Club on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 1:30-4 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Auxiliary’s many projects that they do in the hospital and in the community.

Enjoy shopping with a wide variety of vendors, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, silent auction, door prizes and more. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the Magruder Hospital Gift Shop, which is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or online at https://www.magruderhospitalauxiliary.eventbrite.com.

Main Street Port Clinton, with the help of the local Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Women’s Club as well as Snip and Sharon Snider, recently purchased nine cigarette ash urns for the downtown streets.

American flags around the Ottawa County were lowered to half-staff this week in honor of retired Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. Stevens served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1975 until his voluntary retirement in 2010. He passed away July 16, at 99 years old, at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Your new Mobile App is available for you use! It is called “Lake Erie Coastlines” and it’s FREE! Just download it on your iPhone or Android device from the App Store. It is chock full of useful information on local events, things to do and places to go. “Lake Erie Coastlines” … enjoy!