The Ottawa County Veterans Service Office is partnering with Boy Scout Troop #316, Oak Harbor, in providing a free sandwich and drink to Ottawa County veterans on Veterans Day at the Ottawa County Fair this Saturday, July 23. Vets can visit the Ottawa County Veterans Service Office at 8444 W State Route 163, Oak Harbor to pick up your FREE entrance ticket and FREE sandwich and drink tickets. If you have questions call (419) 898-2089.

It is always nice this time of year to see the participants of the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry. They come from all over the Country to spend some time here with us and carry on the target shooting tradition of well over 100 years.

Leah Tusen was selected from among 176 entries who found Wylie Walleye hiding in the ad for The Beacon’s “Best of the Best” promo on page 3A in last week’s Beacon. So, Leah 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.

The Beacon has always been residential delivery, with fuel prices as they are we are doing a research of the area on who wants the paper and who does not. Please take the time to cut out the subscription form on page 4B this week and mail it back to The Beacon, P.O. Box 176, Port Clintion, OH 43452. We would greatly appreciate it.

Sorry to learn of the passing of two individuals who have given so much to our communities, but in different ways. Rudy Dracka, 84, lived his whole life in Port Clinton. His family-owned Port Clinton Manufacturing for close to a century. He was a genuinely good guy. Also, Bruce Bridgeman, former Superintendent of Schools at Danbury passed. Bruce was also a genuinely good guy and was also a businessman in our area. He was well into his 90s.

Lakeside United Methodist Church is offering Vacation Bible School to all children in the area, including those who are visiting for the week in Lakeside, those in the Island View/Marblehead Peninsula/Port Clinton areas, as well as members and friends of Lakeside UMC. It will be held Sunday through Thursday, July 31 – August 4, from 6 to 8 each evening.

The Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District and the Winous Point Marsh Conservancy are combining to host “A Day on the Wild Side” all day today (Thursday, June 21) starting at 9 a.m. for youngsters from 5th through 8th grade.

Holy Assumption Orthodox Church on Main St. in Marblehead will host “Market Days” this Saturday, July 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Looks like some pretty good bakery items will be on sale there. They will also be hosting their Halupki Festival on Sunday, August 21.

I was told many years ago by Ron Miller, Owner of Our Guest Inn on Perry Street, that late June through Mid-August was the “peak of the peak” season here. Based on traffic, attendance at MOM in downtown Port Clinton, taking a Miller Boat ride to take pictures at the arrival of their new boat, etc., it is a definitive fact that he was right.

Speaking of Ron Miller, who also owns a Vacation Rental business in Port Clinton, and employs PC Mayor Mike Snyder, it was nice to see 4 of this year’s crop of interesting international helpers at last week’s Kiwanis Meeting. Mike has been doing this for many years and has visited both Taiwan and Thailand several times. Like the shooters at Camp Perry, “Mike’s girls” truly enjoy spending the better part of summer in Port Clinton.

I had a long and very stimulating messaging conversation Monday evening with Kelly Rigoni, who with her husband Bill owns Northern Exposure and Gully’s in downtown Port Clinton. We talked at length about the need for local small businesses, no matter what kind they are, to support each other however they can. It is great to note that so many are having a very good year.

From July 12 – July 31, 2022, Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is selling entries to win a pair of two day passes to Bash on the Bay Country Music Fest – a $500 value! PRIZE DETAILS: Two 2-day passes good for the August 24-25 Bash on the Bay Country Music Fest at Put-in-Bay Section A seating ($500 value!) Artists featured include: Brad Paisley, Jake Owen, Blanco Brown, Paulina Jayne, The Hubie Ashcraft Band, Zac Brown Band, David Graham & The Eskimo, Brothers, Chris Janson, Morgan Evans and Appalachian Outlaws Raffle tickets are $10. Proceeds benefit education and conservation at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.