BY JOHN SCHAFNER

Welcome to Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial kickoff to the summer season in these parts. However, I ask you to please remember the purpose of the weekend, particularly this Monday, is to honor the men and women who have defended this country to their final breath. The men and women who have given the last full measure of devotion to the United States of America.
Ottawa County has a deep history as it relates to losing soldiers at war, including the 192nd Tank Battalion, Company C, who lost half of its members in the Philippines at the start of World War II. Monday is a day to remember all of the fallen.

In honor of the true reason for Memorial Day, The Beacon has published a special supplement featuring a soldier in front of the American flag. The hope is that our readers will remove this supplement and post it in a front window of your home to voice your pride for America. Thank You.

Rhonda Procko of Port Clinton is our winner this week in our “Find Wylie” contest. She was chosen from among 86 entries who successfully figured out that our friendly fish was “Missing in Action” in last week’s Beacon. Rhonda 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.

Advance Ride Tickets for the Main Street Port Clinton Walleye Festival are now on sale. They are $40 for the entire weekend. They are available at the Chamber Office, 110 Madison St. and Great Lakes Popcorn, 60 N. Madison St. The deadline to purchase is 5 p.m. today (Thursday, May 23).

Congratulations to the following local students named to the Dean’s List at Terra State Community College in Fremont for the Spring Semester: Serena Byington, Daniel McMullen, Nicholas Timmons and Deborah Wyss of Oak Harbor; Angela Delp, Marshall Parker and Christopher Petersen of Port Clinton; and Kaitlin Walters of Genoa and Brandon Murray of Elmore.

The Ottawa County Historical Society and the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society invite you to the dedication of Ohio’s newest Historical Marker this Saturday, May 25, at noon at the Port Clinton Lighthouse. One side of the marker honors all of the past “Keepers of the Marblehead Light.”
The first two were Benajah and Rachel Wolcott in 1822 and 1832, respectively. The last Keeper was Edward Herman from 1933 to 1943 when the U.S. Coast Guard took over operations. The other side of the marker tells the story of Lighthouse builder William Kelly.

The first of this season’s downtown Port Clinton Art Walks will be tonight (Thursday, May 23) sponsored by the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council. Each of the fourth Thursday of the month events run from 5-8 p.m. with kiosks, booths and tables lined up all over the downtown area. This year, each of the Art Walks will have a theme, and next Thursday’s is “Gone to the Birds.” This year, they are also going to seek out students to share their works with the Art Walkers.

The Magruder Hospital Foundation is hosting its thirteenth  annual golf classic, “Golfing for the Goal,” on Monday, July 22, at the Catawba Island Club (CIC) golf course. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. with lunch at 11 a.m. and a shotgun start at noon.

Dinner and prizes will follow at CIC. Cost is $150 per person and includes lunch, dinner, two drink tickets, cart and greens fees. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Magruder Hospital Foundation in its mission to provide financial support to Magruder Hospital ensuring that the healthcare needs of our community are met.

Edward Jones Investments is sponsoring a “MoneyShot” with a chance to win $100,000, and Baumann Auto Center in Port Clinton is sponsoring a chance to win a new car. Teams are available on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 25 teams. For more information on the outing, including sponsor and team registration, call Michele Mueller at 419-734-3131, Ext. 3147, or go online to magruderhospital.com or magruderhospitalfoundation.eventbrite.com

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!