PARK DAY
75 show up to clean up Civil War Cemetery COUNTY 7A On sale this week:
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Volume 28 Number 9
www.thebeacon.net
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Standard Mail U.S. Postage Paid Port Clinton, Ohio Permit #80
Group steps up push for beach restoration Beachaid-East Harbor invites locals to speak out By ANGIE ADAIR Editor Groups have been coming to what is now East Harbor State Park to enjoy the water for decades. The coastline — formerly known as Sandy Beach — has
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been a vacation hot spot and locals’ retreat since before the state bought the land in 1947 and created the park. By the late 1950s, more than 1 million people visited each year but what they saw is very different from what remains
According to Beachaid-East Harbor, by the 1950s, 1 million visitors came to the then 3-mile beach at East Harbor State Park each year.
today. Until 1972, there was a 3-mile pristine beach for tourists to enjoy. Today, only a 1,500-foot section is safe for swimming.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DICK TAYLOR
Learn more about Beachaid-East Harbor online at www.beachaid-eastharbor.com
Pinwheels for Prevention
DANBURY SCHOOLS
Staff edges students in 1-point win Basketball game brings in money for programs
PHOTO BY ANGIE ADAIR
Three hundred and twenty pinwheels stuck in the courthouse lawn represent each report of child abuse and neglect in Ottawa County in 2009.
Program reminds residents child abuse happens everywhere Three hundred and twenty sparkling blue and silver pinwheels were stuck in the Ottawa County Courthouse lawn last week — one for every report of child abuse or neglect in the county in 2009. The project, called Pinwheels for Prevention, is an annual effort to keep residents informed. “The whole purpose of the campaign is to make communities aware that child abuse
happens close to home,” said Stephanie Kowal, director of the Ottawa County Department of Job and Family Services. Calls in 2009 were up from 2008 (290 calls) and more than double 2007 (140 calls). Kowal points out that more calls doesn’t necessarily mean more abuse, just more reports which she says could mean the awareness campaign is working.
Q&A’s coming up for electric aggregation
Various Sizes Available
To report abuse To report child abuse or neglect, call the Department of Job and Family Services at 419-898-3688. After office hours, call the sheriff’s office at 419-7344404. A children’s service worker is on call 24 hours a day. For emergency situations, dial 911.
See DANBURY 6A
By JOHN SCHAFFNER
Tell Tales
‘May their heroism never be forgotten’
The public is invited to attend question-and-answer sessions about the electric aggregation issue that will be on the May ballot. Emily Ochsenhirt from First Energy will conduct the session and answer questions from residents. • Danbury — 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 19, in the Danbury High School Auditorium. This meeting is being hosted by the Danbury Board of Trustees and the Village of Marblehead. • Port Clinton — 11 a.m. Monday, April 26, in council chambers. This meeting is being hosted by the City of Port Clinton.
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“If you see something, report it. Everyone of those means someone called and reported something,” she said. Pinwheels were also placed outside the DJFS and North Point Education Center in conjunction by the Child Assault Prevention Program through Port Clinton City Schools. The Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office provides the sign and the pinwheels.
By ROBERTA REDFERN The annual Danbury School staff/student basketball battle last weekend came down to an exciting 3-point skirimish, followed by a foul-shooting frenzy. When the dust cleared and the clock ran out, the teachers had eked it out by a point — keeping their title for at least another year. The final score of the game, in its second year, was 74-73. Last year’s inaugural event ended with the teachers pulling it off in a slightly easier fashion, 71-59. “It was a lot of fun,” said 17-year-old senior Steven Feyedelem after the Friday night game. “This year was more fun. Last year we got blown out.” The annual event is organized by the school district’s Parent-Teacher-Community Organization, which also formed last year. The 2009 event raised about $2,500 and PTCO members are hopeful this year will bring in the same or more. Funds raised go to academic, athletic and art programs at all grade levels; for example, some of last year’s money went to a computer program for the elementary students, two author visits for the middle school and several academic scholarships. “Basically our big thing is enriching our curriculum through assemblies (etc.) and academic scholarships are always a focus,” said last year’s PTCO president Cheryl Halsey. The teachers started the game out strong, going up 8-0 within the first 2 minutes; at the end of the first quarter, it appeared to be easy sailing for the teachers, who were up 22-14. The students rallied shortly before halftime with a flurry of 3-pointers to cut the lead a bit — most of them coming from Feyedelem. At the half, the teachers were only up by 5 points, 38-33.
The observance fundamentally went unobserved, but this past Sunday, April 11, was the 68th anniversary of the fall of Bataan in the early days of World War II. We have spoken often about Joe Hrupcho, the last surviving member of Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion — a group of Ottawa County boys who went through untold horror and brutality at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army. Only about half of the Company came home when the war was over, and many of them were n
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pretty much emaciated by the time they were ultimately rescued in 1945. May their heroism never be forgotten! nnn
We had 119 correct entries in our Find Wylie contest last week. Our winner is Sandy Voss, of Port Clinton, who found Wylie in the ad for Furniture & Mattress Liquidation on page 4A last week. Sandy wins a $20 gift card from Friendship Convenient Stores. We’ll hide Wylie again this week. If you find him, drop us a note at our office … or click
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on the Find Wylie icon online at www.thebeacon.net. nnn
The women of Peace Lutheran Church will host their annual Soup and Salad Luncheon and Bake Sale from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 16. Tickets are $6 and you can add a slice of homemade pie for $1. Carryouts are available. Also, the monthly community meal at St. Thomas Episcopal will be 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 15 (tonight), sponsored by St. Thomas and
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SCHOOLS 2B
4789 E. Muggy Rd. Port Clinton, OH
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Peace Lutheran. nnn
Ohio Gubernatorial Candidate John Kasich and his running mate Mary Taylor will keynote the annual Ottawa County Republican Women’s Luncheon at Catawba Island Club at noon Tuesday, April 20. To make reservations, call Karen McTague at 419-4602429. nnn
Mark Thursday, April 22, down on your calendar for the
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REAL ESTATE 6B