BY JOHN SCHAFFNER

There’s a lot of buzz along the State Route 53 North corridor. Apparently, the Ohio Department of Transportation is proposing a “Roundabout” for the intersection at State Road where State Route 53 exits from State Route 2. I hear that a number of local businesses there aren’t too happy!

Mary Alice and I enjoyed spending time at the Experience Ottawa County event last week at Twin Oast. To be sure, Ottawa County is growing from a business standpoint and it was great to see so many local vendors in attendance. I had a chance to talk with Ottawa County Improvement Corporation director Chris Singerling about the jobs shortage here. More to come on that.

Speaking of Chris Singerling, his lovely wife Jessica is the relatively new director of United Way in Ottawa County. The parent organization in Toledo will kick off the annual United Way Campaign on Friday. Traditionally, Ottawa County receives more funding that it creates to the Greater Toledo parent. It remains an “all for one, one for all” Warehouse for numerous local social service agencies locally.

Donna Bockwich from the Cleveland area was selected from among 181 entries who found Wylie Walleye hiding in the ad for Otterbein North Shore on Page 7A in last week’s Beacon. So, Donna 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, but 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 5A this week and mail it back to The Beacon, P.O. Box 176, Port Clinton, OH 43452. We would greatly appreciate it.

The Perch, Peach, Pierogi and Polka Festival will be Friday through Sunday, Sept. 2-4 at the Denny Bergeman Knights of Columbus Hall, 109 E. Perry St., Port Clinton. There will be perch sandwiches, peach pie, Polish sausage and pierogis and beverages served. Entertainment will include The Del Sinchak Band, Duane Malinowki Orchestra, Frank Moravcik Band, the Culkar band and the Eddie Rodick Orchestra.

Admission is $8 per day or $20 for the weekend. Children under 18 are free. For more information visit www.kofc1750.org.

The Oak Harbor Friends of the Library is sponsoring a fundraiser and raffle for the library to coincide with the Ohio Open Door Historic weekend Sept. 10-12. A basket full of Oak Harbor Historic memorabilia, featuring a 65-year-old intact jar of Pure Gold Weller’s Pickles, will be on display and tickets for the raffle can be purchased for $5 or three for $10, cash only at the Library through Saturday, Sept. 10.

At 1 p.m. on Sept. 10 John Liske and Dick Martin will present a lecture at the Library on “Oak Harbor Then and Now.” The drawing will follow. You do not need to be present to win. Other items in the basket include commemorative plates featuring Oak Harbor landmarks and churches, promotional items from many historic businesses, baseball caps, the book, “Images of Ohio, Oak Harbor,” by our local historians, a model of the first library in Oak Harbor, and gift certificates to local businesses.

Tickets for the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council’s Appetite for the Arts fundraiser, taking place on Sept. 10, are now on sale at Lilly & Gert’s in Port Clinton. The council knows not everyone is comfortable buying tickets online, which is why you can buy them by check or cash at Dina’s beautiful store at 1622 E. Perry St. (in the plaza with Slaters, Visions VR, Rite Aid, Anytime Fitness, and “baby” Bassett’s Hardware and City Market.

Tickets are $50. This year’s event will be hosted by the GPCAAC at The Arts Garage from 5 to 9 p.m. on Sept.10 and will be featuring a Battle of the Artists, Live Art Auction, silent auction, food, drinks and entertainment. The theme is “Fall Into Color.”

Speaking of Ottawa County History, The Catawba Island Historical Society Museum recently did an extensive study of “The Beaches of West Catawba Island.” Having lived in Kenykirk, I got to provide some recollections of my time there. I was close friends with Kirk Wheaton, the grandson Charles Weichel who initially developed the subdivision. He was the “Kirk” in Kenykirk. Keny was Ken Ryder, another grandson.

On the east side of NW Catawba Road was the popular Kenykirk Orchard. Back in the woods behind the orchard was an old frame building that housed the seasonal workers at the Orchard. Keny Ryder, while in college, converted it into a “party house” called “Dogpatch” in the late 1950s. Kirk and a group of his friends (myself included) brought Dogpatch back to life in the mid-1960s where I “misspent” many hours of my youth while in High School.

The big 200th Anniversary of the Marblehead Lighthouse is this weekend. For 40 years, The Beacon has been proud to carry a drawing of the Lighthouse as part of our logo. Don’t forget that this Sunday, Aug. 28, the big Barbershop Choir from Fostoria will perform at the Marblehead Lighthouse starting at 6 p.m. along with several local groups performing as well. There will be an “afterglow” party at Bay Point Yacht Club.

Habitat for Humanity of Ottawa County is holding its annual Golf Scramble on Friday, Aug. 26. Sponsored by Materion at Hidden Hills Golf Course in Woodville. They are in the process of building a home in Elmore for a family of five. Building costs have gone way up the past few months so all of the money raised will go to that new home.

The entry fee is $260 per team with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. To register, contact Executive Director Debi Heiks at 419-734-7074.