With two weeks left for registration, the Salvation Army Port Clinton Service Center has six available spots for Camp NEOSA for June 20-24. The camp program is provided free of charge for children ages 6-12 who complete the online application and turn in their $25 registration fee. Transportation is provided. Applications are available at www.Campneosa.org.

A big congratulations to Coach Chris Rawski and the Oak Harbor High School softball team who made it all the way to the State Final Four this year. Job well done, ladies!

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new intermediate school in Oak Harbor will take place on Wednesday, June 28 at 5 p.m. at the rear of R.C. Waters School. It was postponed from last Thursday due to the Rockets softball team appearing in the State Final Four.

Rebecca Black was selected from among 161 entries who found Wylie Walleye hiding in the ad for Ottawa County Family Advocacy on Page 2B in last week’s Beacon. So, Rebecca 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 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!

Also, Wylie Walleye is eager to answer our community’s questions, keep sending them in to P.O. Box 176 or emailing them to askwylie@thebeacon.net. He has a wonderful time swimming around Lake Erie Shores here in Ottawa County getting information for you all.

Don’t forget about Memory Lane, featuring historical photographs of our area. If you’d like to submit your own, please send them with a written explanation to memories@thebeacon.net or mail to P.O. Box 176.

Well-known musician Michael Shirtz has composed a jazz narrative about the amazing life of Harold Brown, our local surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen. On the afternoon of Thursday, June 30 at 3:30 p.m., Harold and Mike will discuss the creation of the musical, “To Rise Above,” in Orchestra Hall at Lakeside. The session will include a video, Q & A, and conversation with Harold.

At 7:30 p.m. on that same day, the musical narrative will premiere in Hoover Auditorium. It promises to be a wonderful moment for Brown and all those who know him. Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, VP of programming at Lakeside, has indicated that she is happy to set up “special” rates for groups of 10 or more.

The group can attend both sessions or just the evening event (as well as just hanging out at Lakeside). It may be possible for Jeannie to arrange for dinner accommodations. Otherwise, the price is $27.50 per person. Jeannie can be contacted at 440-840-5947 for anyone wishing to organize a group.

The Ottawa County Community Foundation will announce its 2022 grant awards next Thursday, June 16 in the Conference Center of the Sutton Center in Port Clinton. They will offer a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. prior to the awards.

This Saturday, July 11, all lay liturgical ministers at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church are encouraged to attend safety and contingency training from 9 a.m. to noon. Several experts in these fields will be speaking on ways to better prepare for emergencies that can and do occasionally arise. Topics include weather and health emergencies to disruptive behaviors at mass.

The Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Port Clinton announce a Ribbon Cutting to celebrate the Grand Opening of Gully’s Lake Wear today (Thursday, June 9) at 4 p.m.. Owners Kelly and Bill Rigoni take a leap to open their second downtown Port Clinton retail shop called Gully’s Lake Wear, located at 121 Madison St.

They feature “Lake Style” clothing, flip flops, beach towels, swimwear and more. They are located just across the street from their other retail store, Northern Exposure. Grand Opening weekend starts on. Wednesday, June 8, with noted pro wrestler “RHINO” appearing from 5-7 p.m.

The 2022 Schedel Summer Science Camps, presented by the Genoa Bank, Materion Corp. and Ottawa County Community Foundation, will kick off for middle school students with two sessions. The first will be June 14–17 and the second July 12–15. Elementary school student sessions will be June 21–24 with a morning session running from 10 a.m.–noon and an afternoon session running from 1-3 p.m.

An Elementary school Art Camp will also be held July 19–21 from 10 a.m.—noon. All sessions are free.  All activities will be outdoors or in the Trellis Gallery on the grounds of the 17-acre botanical garden. Each session will also include an animal experience with our friends at Nature’s Nursery. The camp includes two different four-day sessions for students entering the 4th or 5th grade.

Campers will engage in many hands-on “outdoor laboratory” exercises as well as instruction by the teachers in the Trellis Gallery.

The goal of the camp is to give students a leg up on some of their science studies in school and, equally as important, hopefully nurture a new or renewed interest in science and nature. The number of students participating is limited and sessions fill up fast. Anyone interested in having their child participate may register by visiting schedel-gardens.org or calling 419-862-3182.

Pancakes for Pyrotechnics, a fundraiser for this year’s Port Clinton fireworks show on the Fourth of July, will take place at Ala Carte on Wednesday, June 15 from 5-7 p.m. Both dine-in and carry-out pancakes are available for a donation.

There is a new ecumenical Christian Fellowship that has been started in Ottawa County. The name of the group is “Fresh Bread.” They meet on the fourth Monday of each month at Bistro 163 on Port Clinton’s east side from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Their next meeting will be Monday, June 27.

The purpose of this group is simply to meet and “break bread together,” similar to the early days of the Christian Church. This group is not affiliated with any local church. They just want to get together to encourage each other’s faith life by “breaking bread” together.

The Red Cross Bloodmobile will be visiting Oak Harbor on Friday, June 17. Your opportunity to save a life by giving blood will be held at St. John Lutheran Church on West Ottawa Street from 2-7 p.m. Also, the Red Cross Bloodmobile will be visiting the Holiday Inn Express on Rt. 53 just north of 163 on Friday, June 24 from noon to 6 p.m.

Congratulations to Alyssa Fargo of Port Clinton for earning the Honors List at Mercy College in Toledo. She is working on an Associate Degree there in Radiologic Technology.

Congratulations also to Owen Auxter of Port Clinton,who has earned his Eagle Scout recognition. He is the son of Kim and Angela Auxter.

Finally, a big thank you to all the small businesses that value us as the largest community newspaper printing today, we appreciate your support as we support you also. Keep up the teamwork Ottawa County.