By John Schaffner

Jamie Kaufman, son of Jim and former Port Clinton High School teacher Georgia (Sibrell) Kaufman, Port Clinton High School graduates all, was elected on Aug. 10 as Governor-Elect of Ohio District Kiwanis at its annual conference at Sawmill Creek. I have had the privilege of watching Jamie’s involvement with Kiwanis since he was a Key Club member at Port Clinton High School over 20 years ago.

Voting has officially begun for the 2019 “Best of the Best” of Ottawa County, hosted annually by The Beacon. The ballot is posted in The Beacon as well as online at www.thebeacon.net.

Elizabeth Stephens of Port Clinton is our winner this week in our “Find Wylie” contest. She was chosen from among 101 entries who successfully found our friendly fish hidden inside the ad for Brown Dog Gelato on Page 8A in The Beacon last week. Elizabeth wins a $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 the contest.

I made a mistake! I assumed the local high school football schedule was slated to start on Friday, Aug. 23, but the openers have been now slated for Friday, Aug. 30 this year! However, the complete 2019 football preview section is in The Beacon this week, on Page 2B through Page 6B. This should be a good year for our local teams. Check it out!

Speaking of my mistake, Playmakers Civic Theater in Port Clinton planned a pre-season performance of “Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class,” a “Nunsense” musical for this Friday through Sunday, Aug. 23-25. Unfortunately, they didn’t take into account the Port Clinton High School home football “Preview” on Friday night. So, the Friday performance on Aug. 23 has been cancelled. The show will go on as scheduled Saturday and Sunday.

Port Clinton High School’s 2019-20 All-Sport Passes are on sale in the high school’s Main Office from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The passes will be on sale Monday – Friday and are good for all High School and Middle School Home Athletic Events (SBC Tournament and OHSAA Tournaments Excluded). Adults – $50, Students – $25.

Come out and join the Port Clinton Lions Club for a Chicken BBQ at Lakeview Park on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost is $10. Carry out or eat in the park!

The Oak Harbor Conservation Club and the Darr Wildlife Area are co-hosting their 2nd annual OHCC Fish Fry this Saturday, Aug. 24, starting with Happy Hour at 5:30 p.m. and Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Admissions are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children. Kids under 6 eat for free! There will be raffles, a silent auction, gun raffles and more. The event will be held at the OHCC Clubhouse, 975 S. Gordon Road near Oak Harbor. Enjoy!

Congratulations to the following John Carroll University students who have been named to Spring 2019 Dean’s List: McKenzie Stine, Hannah Roberts and Claudia Rosiar, all of Port Clinton. Students eligible for the Dean’s List must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours within one semester and have a quality grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Mickey Blue is performing at Riverfront Live this Friday, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. Due to high water issues, they have moved the weekly concert to the Adams Street Park at the gazebo. Riverfront Live is a free summer concert series held on Friday evenings in downtown Port Clinton. Grab a lawn chair and join your friends and neighbors for some great entertainment.

It’s time to stock your ponds! Area pond owners have the opportunity to stock their ponds with fish through the Ottawa SWCD Fish Sale Program. This is a convenient and low-cost way to stock or add to your current population. Fish orders will be accepted until Wednesday, Oct. 9. Fender’s Fish Hatchery will bring their tank truck, with aerator, on Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 1-3 p.m. to the OSWCD office to distribute the fish orders. Individuals who order fish will be notified, reminding them of the pick-up time and date. For more info or an order form call 419-898-1595 or email beki.hineline@ottawaswcd.com

Magruder Hospital’s monthly Cancer Support Group will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 12:30 p.m. in the Conference Center. This support group is for anyone who has been impacted by cancer.  There is a complimentary light lunch provided, so RSVP to 419-301-4317 by Monday, Aug. 26. This support group is an excellent way for patients, caregivers and family members to connect with others to share information and resources. For more information about support groups and other events visit www.magruderhospital.com and click on the events calendar.

Your new Mobile App is available for you use! It is called “Lake Erie Coastlines” and it’s FREE! Just download it on your iPhone or Android device from the App Store. It is chock full of useful information on local events, things to do and places to go. “Lake Erie Coastlines” … enjoy!