Community Gathers to Celebrate Arbor Day

Arbor Day Put in BayPut-in-Bay Arbor Day will be celebrated on Friday, 29 April 2022, at 4pm by the Tree City site at the Post Office. The Council of the Village of Put-in-Bay has allocated funds for Arbor Day expenses.  During the celebration, two trees, a Hop Tree and a Spice Bush, will be planted by members of the community.

Put-in-Bay, Ohio, has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to the goals and principles of the Arbor Day Foundation:  a tree commission, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. Members of the Village of Put-in-Bay Tree Commission are Lisa Brohl, Kelly Faris, and Kendra Koehler.

Sterling Morton was a newspaper editor who had moved from Michigan to Nebraska. Trees were abundant in Michigan but not in Nebraska. To address this dearth of trees Mr. Morton originated the first American Arbor Day in Nebraska City, Nebraska, on April 10, 1872.  (His son Joy Norton was the founder of the Morton Salt Company and its iconic blue cylinder salt container.)  It was Joy Morton who donated the family’s 52 room mansion (a look alike to the White House) to the Arbor Day Foundation.  The Foundation operates this home as a museum and the 72 acre park surrounding the home.  Today , “Arbor Day” is celebrated around the world from Iran to Israel, from China to Saudi Arabia, Russia to Cuba.

In the 19th century, German immigrants in Texas used hop tree seeds in the place of hops to make beer.  Thus “Hop Tree” got its common name. The hop tree or wafer ash is a host plant for the Giant Swallowtail butterfly. A Spicebush is named for its spicy, fragrant leaves and stems.  It is native to the woodlands in the Midwest and a host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail.

The Village of Put-in-Bay Tree Commission will celebrate this Arbor Day in compliance with the CDC Covid recommendations.

 

Mayor of Put-in-Bay Shares Background

Mayor Dress, sworn to uphold Ohio state and local laws.

Mayor of Put-in-Bay,  Mrs. Jessica Dress, kindly agreed to an interview with free-lance writer/photographer Amanda Downey.  Put-in-Bay Daily is pleased to share this insight.

Did you know that Put in Bay Village has its very own Mayor? Well, I had the opportunity to sit down with the Mayor and ask her few questions.

So Jess, can you tell us where you are originally from?
Mayor:   Bucyrus, Ohio

What are your greatest strengths as a Mayor?
Mayor:   Connecting with the community and reaching out to help everyone.

Tell us a bit about yourself . . . hobbies, what you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Mayor:   While also working at the post office, I’m a volunteer EMT, I enjoy crafting–dabbling in jewelry making–I have two dogs.

Who has been an inspiration for you?
Mayor:  Wow, there are so many . . . however, I would have to say my parents.  They were involved with the community as well.

What is your greatest achievement outside of work as the Mayor?
Mayor:  Outside of work as mayor . . . before I moved to Put-in-Bay, I was a state award-winning journalist; I earned my Bachelor’s degree with honors in journalism from Ohio University.

What is your greatest achievement as the Mayor?
Mayor:   Working to stabilize the police department.

Tell us about a typical day at work?
Mayor:  Depends on day to day.  Could consist of checking emails, phone calls, preparing for meetings, phone calls with council.

What is your favorite part about South Bass Island?
Mayor:  The physicality of being surrounded by water and connected with nature.  Also the people of the island.   Everyone watching out for one another and being a community as a whole.

What are the qualities of a good leader?
Mayor:  Leading by example.  Doing what you preach.  Listening and hearing what the people have to say.

If you could be choose to be anything for a day, what would you be?
Mayor:  To be a World Traveler.  To see. To do and explore.

Thank you Mayor Jessica Dress for your time.

Put-in-Bay Holiday Lights Herald Advent Season

Put-in-Bay holiday lights brighten DeRivera Park thanks to the Put-in-Bay Recreation Committee and Michelle O’Donnell’s leadership on the decoration committee.  Ms. O’Donnell has developed the traditional display with new figures and lighting effects.  DeRivera Park holiday lights project a healthy and vibrant Christmas spirit on South Bass Island.   Thank you, Islanders, for celebrating the joy of the season!

Put-in-Bay Census Response Failing

Census 2020

Click for live Ottwa County Census 2020 Report.

Put in Bay Census Tract is only at 14.6%.

It is important to remember that the response rate drives the allocation of government funds and programs for the next 10 years, not to mention distribution of elected offices across the country.

A real-time (updated daily) mapping program shows the current response rate for Put-in-Bay and the country at Ottawa County Census 2020.

Easily complete the survey online at 2020census.gov or by phone ( 844-330-2020).Census 2020

 

Put-in-Bay Census Response Stalls

Census 2020

Census 2020

Click for live Ottwa County Census 2020 Report.

“After moving up from 8% to 13.9% over the month of May, progress in driving additional responses has seemed to stall. I fully understand that most people have more immediate concerns they are focused on; the pandemic, home quarantining, re-opening and keeping alive small businesses. But it is important to remember that the response rate drives the allocation of government funds and programs for the next 10 years, not to mention distribution of elected offices across the country. The Put in Bay tract is only at 65.7% of its 2010 Benchmark while the state of Ohio is at 95%. And with the addition of the online option making responding even easier we had fully expected to significantly outdo the 2010 benchmarks,” according to Kurt Wesolek, Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau.

A real-time (updated daily) mapping program which shows the current response rate for Put-in-Bay and the country is available on the Web at Ottawa County Census 2020.

Easily complete the survey online at 2020census.gov or by phone ( 844-330-2020).Census 2020