Heavy Snow Resets Put-in-Bay Landscape

Snow accumulation between eight and ten inches greeted island residents on Tuesday morning.  Gusty winds created snowdrifts, but Put-in-Bay Township and private contractors cleared roads and driveways.  As of 10am, Sheriff Stephen J. Levorchick continued the LEVEL 3 Snow Emergency for Ottawa County, with re-evaluation scheduled for 2pm.  Text your zip code to 888777 to receive alerts from local agencies.

Ice Day at Put-in-Bay

The Ladds enjoy smooth ice along the southeast shore.

Jim carries all the gear for success and safety on the ice.

Sunshine, mostly blue skies, and air temperature of 22°F created a splendid atmosphere for an ice day.  Skating, dogs at play, ice-fishing, snowmobiles, astounding landscapes, and atv-rendezvous.  A perfect ice day at Put-in-Bay!

Powerful Wind Pushes Ice Eastbound

SBI State Park Dock

Wind gusts up to 34mph (Marblehead Station) created a dense ice shove along the western and south-western coast of South Bass Island today.  Farther to the east a wide channel of open but slushy water roared onward in a stunning display of natural energy.  A special marine weather statement at 5:27pm from the National Weather Service in Cleveland states the following:
As cold arctic air continues to push southeast across the Great Lakes this weekend, a significant period of ice formation and growth will occur on Lake Erie from the western to central basins. Icing is expected to occur along both the nearshore zones and in the open waters. Ice formation will be moderate to rapid in the next four days.

Looking west from South Bass Island Lighthouse
View to Kelleys Island

 

Road Racing History Comes Alive at Put-in-Bay

Racing at the Put-in-Bay Airport in September!

For this year’s event race organizers have built on the enthusiasm for 2019’s “Tin-Top” celebration to invite drivers of vintage Volvos, VWs and Saabs to come share the fun as official featured marques. Also, the more-or-less annual Turner Reunion returns their event to “The Bay” as part of the featured marque group.  And finally, over the past year it seems the H-Modified crowd has caught wind of the goings-on at Put-in-Bay, so a contingent of Crosley/similarly- powered specials including several Berkeleys are expected to be on hand for the 2021 event.

As always, there will be the usual array of entrants racing in multiple classes in four groups plus exhibition. In addition to the on-track race entries there are also non-racing participant categories for Heritage Street Cars (qualified pre-’64 cars) and Guest Street Cars (generally post-’63 to ’72). The event is also the third leg of the 2019 “Great Lakes Vintage Challenge” whereby entrants in several production classes and in Formula Vee accumulate race-finishing points at the Waterford Hills Vintage Races, VSCDA’s Au Grattan event and at Put-in-Bay.

In addition to two full days of racing, the Put-in-Bay Sports Car Races event includes: tours of the original island course, several social events, a car show, rocker cover races, guest stories, and more. Spectating at the races and many of the other activities is open and free to the public.

For registration and more information visit: www.pibroadrace.com and feel free to click on the Facebook link to join us there where more than 1,400 enthusiasts keep current on all the latest Put-in-Bay Vintage Sports Car Races buzz.

Winter Scenes Refresh Context of Experience

Winter scenes around South Bass Island place a re-set on one’s context of experience.  The roads exist sans traffic, golf carts hibernate, business venues have shuttered, seascapes seesaw between shifting floes and ice shoves, tree branches create stark puzzle lines where lush green once filled space.  This is good;  this is as it should be.  The re-framing of our daily experience is what keeps life dynamic, it catalogs bygone hours, and it reminds us there is tomorrow.