Great Lakes Islands Alliance Meets on South Bass Island

The 2021 Great Lakes Islands Alliance summit host committee, with representatives from Kelleys, Middle Bass, Pelee, and South Bass Islands, seeks sponsors and donors to support the 4th Annual Great Lakes Islands Summit.

Click to support the Great Lakes Islands Alliance

The Alliance meeting takes place on October 3-6 on South Bass Island.  It will include visits to Kelleys Island, Middle Bass Island, and Pelee Island.

The Great Lakes Islands Alliance encourages relationship building, fosters information exchange, and leverages resources to address shared challenges and to embrace opportunities to benefit islands.

Lake Erie Islands a Treasure for History Buffs

Put in Bay historyLake Erie Islands give history buffs the opportunity to immerse themselves in multiple historical arenas.  Whether ice-age geology, marine shipping development, naval battles, or Mid-West settlement/culture, there is much to learn and experience on the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island.

Perry's MonumentPerhaps most popular is Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay.  The 352-foot (107m) Doric column with observation deck and the visitor’s center celebrate the long-lasting peace among Britain, Canada and the U.S. The Memorial column sits only five miles from the US-Canadian border.Put in Bay history

Also in the village of Put-in-Bay, the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society museum has artifacts on display about local history and culture, as well Centennial and Bicentennial celebrations of the Battle of Lake Erie.  A visit to South Bass Island Lighthouse, a National Historic Register Landmark, informs one about the significant shipping industry of bygone days.

Middle Bass Island offers a glimpse of business interests which shaped the character of the Lake Erie Islands.  Lonz Winery, formerly a bustling production and entertainment facility, now preserves the unique flavor of wine-making history in a restored plaza and state park.  Travel between Middle Bass Island and The Boardwalk at Put-in-Bay comes courtesy of the Sonny-S Boat Line.  The Sonny-S, a NOLAN 50.5-foot passenger ferry built in 1948, started as a gill-net fishing vessel and continues in the family-owned and operated service.

Road ScholarsNot least in importance is the cultural history at Kelleys Island.  A visit to the Kelleys Island Historical Association reveals more than a boatload of information about glacial grooves, Indian tribal heritage, island fishing and limestone mining, as well as grape-growing.

 

Perry’s Victory Memorial Column Tours Resume July 22, 2021

Put-in-Bay, Ohio – The Memorial column at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial will reopen to the public on Thursday, July 22 at 10am, after an extended closure.  Superintendent Rowles said, “the staff and volunteers are excited to welcome the public back to the Memorial again. One of the best ways to gain a better understanding of the significance of the Battle of Lake Erie and experience the Memorial is to see the spectacular views of Lake Erie from the Observation Deck.”

The Memorial will be open seven days a week from 10am to 6pm.  The last trip to the observation deck is at 5:30pm. Masks are required for everyone inside the Memorial column, regardless of vaccination status. Exceptions are for children under 2 years old and those with medical conditions that prevent wearing a mask.

The Memorial closed for tours at the end of the 2019 season and with the emergence of COVID-19 remained closed through 2020. The National Park Service (NPS) operational approach to reopening facilities is centered on examining each facility’s function and service to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. Working closely with the NPS Office of Public Health, the park is using CDC guidance to ensure public areas and work-spaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.

Consistent with CDC recommendations, in other areas of the park people who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces where 6 foot physical distancing is not possible.

While the cost of the entrance fee to the Memorial has not changed, the method for collecting fees has. Starting this year, to reduce the cost of collection, improve security, and increase the amount of funds available to support critical park projects and visitor needs, the park will only accept credit or debit cards for entrance fees and passes. The entrance fee to the Memorial remains $10 a person which can be used for repeat visits for 7 days. Children 15 and under are admitted free of charge and must be accompanied by an adult.

Junior Bay Championships this Week!

Junior Bay boats lining up at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. Click to enlarge drone view by Adam Myers!

I-LYA Junior Championship racers report to the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club between 1200-1400 hours on Sunday, July 18th, 2021 for registration and check-in.  All boats, equipment and sails will be inspected at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club.

Racing begins the following days: July 19, 20, 21, and 22, 2021.  The schedule time for the Shore Warning Gun for launching for each day is 0900 hrs.