HUGE announcement for us at The Beacon.  We are going remote!  The Beacon will no longer have a structural office.  We will maintain our regular  office hours of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  As technology grows, it gives small businesses like The Beacon, more options to become cost effective. The last two years have given us a new perspective. We will be able to maintain the lowest prices for our advertisers and not have to raise our prices.

Please call the remote office at 419-732-2154 or email: ali@thebeacon.net  if you have any questions or concerns. Wylie submissions can be emailed or mailed.  I will continue in Tell Tales, a reminder that everything needs to be mailed to P.O. Box 176, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452.  We thank you for your patience and understanding.

We are here to serve you and we will continue to be your “Beacon” in our growing community.

The Progressive Catawba Island Boat Show will again kick off the boating season at the Catawba Island Club on Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1. Show hours will be Friday (noon-7 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m.-7 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) Catawba Island Club is at 4235 E. Bridge Club Rd, Port Clinton. This year look for lots of new features at the Progressive Catawba Island Boat Show, such as the Progressive Main Stage with Live Music the entire show and the all-new Firelands Auto Group Family Patio with a great selection of local food trucks, fishing and boating seminars, hands-on boating lessons in the On the Water and Ohio Education Center. Discover sailing with a trip around Lake Erie courtesy of Harbor North.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), will begin on-the-job training for 18 officers who have been assigned to various Ohio State Parks. New faces serving the ODNR at East Harbor State Park, and their home towns, are: Lucas Riley (London); Sierra Schloemer (Willard); Holly Walp (Middleburg, Fla.) and Brandon Wonderly (Sycamore).

“Natural Resources officers play an important role in ensuring that our visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience at our parks,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “It will be exciting to see our new officers engaging with customers, patrolling and protecting Ohio’s parks, waterways, forests, and natural areas.”

The recent Rotary Rally for Ukraine on Thursday, April 7 was a smash hit by Port Clinton Rotarian and music maven John “Crash” Davenport, who held the fundraiser at his HALO recording studio in Sandusky. The fun night raised more than $14,000 in just three hours, and that batch of cash will be doubled at the Rotary District level. One of the busiest local local bands was Davenport’s Island Song Trio. Salute Davenport and his partners at their next local gig.

Bill Hatker was selected from 129 entries who found Wylie Walleye hiding in the ad for Playmakers Civic Theatre on Page 5 in last week’s Beacon.  Bill wins our weekly $25 gas card graciously donated by Friendship Stores. Each week we hide Wylie in an ad for our readers to find. When one does, they can log onto our website www.thebeacon.net and let us know where he is!

The legendary Ray Fogg and his guitar will launch the new season at Put-in-Bay’s The Roundhouse Bar on the island’s main drag on Sunday, April 24 at 2 p.m. Fogg and Company will be flipping the switch during the annual Whiskey Light ceremony at The Roundhouse. It’s a guarantee to light up the island with song — and a few adult beverages — to get ready for the summer fun.

The Mazurik boat launch on Marblehead has seen some early-season walleye action in the past, but this year has been stupendous. Wandering the Mazurik parking lot last weekend, despite some pretty challenging winds and waves, the parking lot was filled with pickup trucks and boat trailers, and plenty of big Lake Erie walleye found their way into coolers.

The license plates on those vehicles have revealed a pretty keen fishing story. Droves of walleye anglers have been arriving in the Port Clinton and Marblehead areas from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and North and South Dakota.

Best walleye fishing in America? Nope! The best in the world!

Speaking of the 15.9-acre Mazurik Access Area located on the north side of the Marblehead Peninsula on North Shore Boulevard, just west of Lakeside, you haven’t seen anything yet. A state of the art fish cleaning facility has been proposed for the Mazurik Access Area, and should be completed later this year.

State officials have been studying the sophisticated Barracuda fish cleaning facility, installed late last year by the Cleveland Metroparks at the Gordon Park launch ramp at East 72nd Street in Cleveland. Director Mary Mertz of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said much-needed shoreline fish cleaning stations are being considered for Avon Lake and Huron, as well.

So you’re a Cleveland Guardians fan? Down in the dumps after a couple of shutouts to start the season? There is hope! Rookie outfielder Steven Kwan is warming up fast, batting .692, the pitching has been awesome and plenty of old timers are opting for The Tribe as a new nickname. But officially, they’re the Guardians.

Lots of us are old fans of the Sandusky State Theatre — perhaps it was all of those Pat Dailey shows over the years — but there is hope for the iconic venue. While the theatre closed in March 2020 due to Covid-19, and was severely damaged by several storms since that time that tore off the roof and flooded the basement. Sen. Sherrod Brown, in town this week to talk about the Save Our Stages Act, is saving the day with a SVOG grant of $123,242 for the theater.