BY JOHN SCHAFFNER

I have been covering sports in Ottawa County for close to 50 years. It has been an honor and privilege to get to know many great coaches and players over the years. I thought I had outlasted all of them, except for Don Drusbacky, who was honored over the weekend for his 50 years as a coach at PCHS. He served as both a football and basketball coach, but his former colleagues remember him for a lot more than that. Don was always behind the scenes keeping track of uniforms and equipment, all the while he was making a difference in the lives of the young men he coached. His only fault is that he looks today like he just stepped out of the 1964 Revista!

A whole bunch of folks showed up at Harley’s Memorial Service last Saturday. They attached pennies to the prayer card that was handed out because Harley liked to drop pennies on the ground for people to find for good luck.

The text on the back was written by Krystal Meade and is beautiful:

Looking down, I see my town, quiet, subdued.
Many days searching for me.
High and Low, far and wide.
Sometimes you don’t know who really cares.
Mistakes were made, please don’t judge.
None of us are perfect.
I see my family, friends and miss them so.
Who knew a small town could become so huge.
I pass through the gates and see bright light.
Welcomed and accepted. A warmth goes through me.
I’m not afraid anymore. Calm, peace, serenity.
I’m Ok now. Time will pass., don’t forget.
Listen and talk to each other with civility and love.
Please remember the unity, not the divisiveness.
The togetherness, not the separation.
I love you all until we meet again.

Bill Hatker is the winner this week in our “Find Wylie” contest. Bill was chosen from among 67 entries who found Wylie hiding in the ad for United States Power Squadrons on Page 3B in last week’s Beacon. So, Bill 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.

We lost a good man and I lost a good friend this week. Russ Brown passed away at the age of 85. He was a solid member of Kiwanis who always volunteered for the tough projects like building the all access playground at Lakeview Park. He will be missed.

Speaking of Kiwanism, the Annual Port Clinton Kiwanis “Night at the Races” will be held at the Elk’s Lodge on Buckeye Blvd. on Friday, Feb. 7. Tickets are available from any Kiwanian. It’s a lot of fun betting on the ponies! Be sure to put your money down on “Mean Mary Alice”!

Tickets are still on sale for the Marblehead Purse Bingo event on Saturday, March 7 at Danbury School. The event is hosted by the Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Danbury Parent Teacher Organization.

Madelynn Gerwin of Port Clinton was one of more than 500 volunteers made up of students, faculty, staff and community members participated in the 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service at the University of Mount Union. There were 24 different locations across Alliance and surrounding communities with 30 service projects available to the volunteers.

Magruder Hospital will be hosting Coffee with a Trooper every Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Fulton Street Café for coffee and conversation. Join Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Kent Jeffries every week.

Also, the Multiple Sclerosis Support Group will meet in the Magruder Conference Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 6:30 p.m. The group will watch and discuss a video on the connection between MS and fungus.  For more information, call 419-552-0567.

The Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for their annual awards which will be held this spring. The award categories are: Lighthouse Award (business that has made an outstanding contribution in their field); Beautification Award (A business that has contributed to the aesthetic enhancement of the community either at their place of business or elsewhere in the area; New Business (best new business launch for 2019); Outstanding Citizen (individual who has contributed to the citizens and/or the well-being of the local business community); and finally, the Chamber Member of the Year.

Always Learning! Deb Reddish, an Otterbein employee takes a break from Education Day to have herpicture taken. Education Day is part of Otterbein’s continuing education program that all Otterbein partners do each month.

The BCS Music Boosters big “Dueling Pianos” fundraiser is this coming Saturday, Feb. 1 at the VFW Hall on W. Main St. in Oak Harbor. Tickets are $45 per person and $85 per couple which includes a roasted chicken and Swiss Steak , potato, casserole full dinner including homemade desserts. For tickets call Tina Brough at 419-266-7171 or Ann Johnson at 419-271-1278.