BY JOHN SCHAFFNER

One of my first assignments on WRWR Radio was to make audio tapes of Port Clinton Little League football games at True Lay Stadium. There were four teams back in 1970, The Bataan Braves, the Catawba Chiefs, the Jefferson Comanches and the Apaches from Portage School and Immaculate Conception.

There were future Port Clinton High School Hall of Famers on each team. One of the standouts was a skinny kid on the Bataan Braves named Lee Horne. Lee went on to a Hall of Fame career at Port Clinton in basketball.

Today, Lee is 60, and he was the organizer and leader of the “Rally for Peace” last Saturday in Port Clinton. I was in the locker room once when Lee was getting his ankles taped by the head coach. His favorite term was to refer to his players as “Cotton Pickers,” and he used that term often. Lee has overcome a lot to become the man and leader he is today.

How many of you remember Craig Snyder? He was the news director at WOSE back in the early 80s. Craig was Dave Macy’s laugh buddy in the mornings. He also helped me create the legend of The Lake Erie Monster. He has been with WKKO FM (99.9 The River in Toledo). Martha Stefano left me a message with a copy of an article in the Toledo Blade. In April, Craig was hospitalized in Ann Arbor with COVID-19. In fact he was in intensive care there.

Jenn Warnke of Port Clinton was chosen from among 127 entries who found Wylie in the ad for The Que on Page 6A in last week’s Beacon. So, Ginny 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.

Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snyder managed to earn close to $5,600 for local fireworks on the Fourth of July with his “Fat Man Run” a couple of weeks back.

Another downtown Port Clinton eyesore may get a makeover in the coming months. The Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council has its eye on the drab, old yellow brick building at the end of West Perry Street in the downtown area that has been used as Port Clinton’s service department.

The council has already hired an architect to provide ideas for the dilapidated building’s renovation. The GPCAAC wants it to become an art center where community artists can display their work. Donations will be needed to make it happen.

Catawba Island historian Don Rhodes will not turn 89 until later this summer. He has, however, received an early birthday gift from his fellow members of the Board of the Catawba Island Historical Society . . . election as a lifetime Emeritus Trustee of CIHS! Catawba Museum at Union Chapel opened Wednesday, June 10 and will be open on the following schedule to mid-October from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

Due to COVID-19 and current guidelines for physical distancing at mass gatherings, the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel the fireworks show on Friday, July 3. Director Valerie Winterfield said it was not an easy decision for the board.

Many factors were considered, but ultimately public safety is their utmost priority. The show may be postponed to a later date in 2020 and that will be shared with the public as soon as more information becomes available.

The Ottawa County Veterans Service Office is open again, assisting veterans to obtaining benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The office helps veterans to file for service-connected disability, appeals, pensions, death pension, healthcare, education, home loan guaranty, life insurance, burial benefits and discharge reviews. An important service is providing temporary emergency financial assistance for veterans and their dependents for living expenses, including rent, utilities and food. Call 419-898-2089.

Due to COVID-19 and anticipated guidelines for social distancing to continue and extensive sanitizing, the Port Clinton St. John Lutheran Church Fall Festival that was scheduled for Oct. 17 has been canceled. Plans are to resume the festival in 2021.