The Beacon office will reopen to the public on Monday, June 1. If you need to restart your newspaper delivery or contact us for advertising needs, please phone us at 419-732-2154 and someone will return your call. Otherwise, visit our office from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and please follow the COVID-19 guidelines.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked for your thoughts and prayers for Catawba resident Don Dougherty. I am sad to report that Don passed away last Saturday in Toledo. He sometimes presented a rough exterior, but he really was a sweetheart. If you gave him a hard enough time while in conversation, he would always begrudgingly laugh. He was a tireless worker for a number of charitable organizations, particularly John Braun Park. He assisted with our Chick Schaffner Memorial golf outing on a number of occasions. I will miss him.

Kim Jones of Port Clinton was chosen from among 110 entries who found Wylie in the ad for Marblehead Galley on Page 8A of last week’s Beacon. So, Kim wins our weekly $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 our weekly contest.

There is some good news on the harmful algal bloom (HAB) front. After last year’s forecast of a 7.5 bloom, on a scale of 10, this year’s bloom was forecast late last week to be a 4 or less in size and scope. The final forecast will be issued at a virtual conference on July 9.

I spoke Tuesday morning with Jeff Koehler, publisher of the Put-in-Bay Gazette. He told me that there was very little difference in traffic on the Island over the weekend compared to a normal Sunday crowd. Much of the activity was limited to outside activities. But the village docks were full and the people were back . . . not 100%, but people were back.

The Port Clinton Lions Club will hold a Chicken BBQ this Saturday, May 30 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, which includes a half chicken, baked potato/coleslaw roll & butter, and bottle of water. It will be held at the primary shelter house at Lakeview Park. Carryout only.

The National Rifle and Pistol Matches for 2020 have been cancelled until 2021, but shooters can make an appointment to visit the new rifle store at Camp Perry, the Ohio National Guard facility just west of Port Clinton. Rifle buyers can begin scheduling appointment-only visits this week at 419-635-2111.

It seemed as if every walleye charter boat along the Ohio shoreline had a crew of anglers catching walleye throughout the Memorial Holiday weekend. Limit catches and trophy fish drew rave reviews, and anglers were tickled to be back at the dock in time for lunch most of the time.

The Oak Harbor Athletic Boosters have rescheduled their annual Boosters Reverse Raffle for this Saturday, May 30, at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $75 with extra meal tickets available for $25.

Drive-In Worship continues to provide local folks and visitors the chance to enjoy Sunday services in Port Clinton, with Rev. Annette Dimond and Trinity United Methodist Church of Port Clinton hosting the parking lot services on Sundays at 9 a.m. The Worship Wagon is parked in front of Bistro 163 in the Sutton Center parking lot.

Otterbein patio home residents show their support for the troops by displaying Uncle Sam, who was crafted by one of the residents, Gerald Wehner in Otterbein’s wood shop.