What a great time Monday night for our annual Best of the Best awards at Gideon Owen Wine Company. More than 300 local business professionals showed up to participate. Congratulations to all of the nominees and first place recipients.

Thanks to all of the folks from The Beacon who worked hard putting it together. I’m sure we’ll be seeing many of you again next year.

Sometimes success has unintended consequences. Such is the case with the Portage Resale Center and the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. Over the past nine years, the food pantry operated in space donated by Portage Resale providing nourishment to the less fortunate of Ottawa County. Meanwhile, Portage Resale has provided much needed funding to over 30 local non-profit agencies. Sadly, their success has now required them to expand their space, thus St. Vincent de Paul is now seeking a new location for their endeavors. If you are able to help with filling this space need, call or text Andy Migas at 419-322-2310 or Jim Boule at 419-960-9320.

Mark Mizla from Marblehead was selected from 168 entries who found Wylie Walleye in the ad for Batdorf Realty on Page 8A in last week’s Beacon. So, Mark wins our weekly $25 gas card graciously donated by FriendShip Stores. Each week we hide Wylie in an ad for our readers to find. If you find him, log onto our website, www.thebeacon.net, and let us know where he is. You might be our next winner!

Tickets are now on sale for the 3rd annual Reverse Raffle sponsored by the Danbury Parent Teacher Community Organization and the Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. The event will be held at St. Marys Social Hall on Saturday, Nov. 12. There is $10,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs. Tickets can be purchased at the Chamber office at 110 W. Main Street in Marblehead. Any questions, call Teri Cassell at 419-707-7492.

The Port Clinton Kiwanis Club is bringing back their popular Evening at the Races on Friday, Nov. 4 at the Port Clinton Elks Lodge. Tickets will soon be on sale, so save that date and join in on the fun.

St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church will be celebrating their 125th Anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 16. There will be a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Milan Lach starting at 3:30 followed by a special banquet. All church members, former members, friends, family members and the public at large are invited to join in the celebration.

Last spring Mike Shirtz from Terra Community College composed a musical narrative about the life of Catawba’s Tuskegee Airman, Harold Brown. It was performed this past summer at Lakeside and will be performed again on Friday, October 14, at 7:00 PM at Heidelberg University in Gundlach Theatre in Tiffin.