Catawba Island Magazine

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Catawba Island Township:

Police, Non-emergency

419-797-2422

Fire, Non-emergency

419-797-2424

Trustees & Clerks - 419-797-4131

Zoning Office - 419-797-4131

Maintenance - 419-797-2460

Ottawa County:

Sheriff - 419-734-4404

Commissioners - 419-734-6790

Auditor - 419-734-6740

Treasurer - 419-734-6750

Building Dept.- 419-734-6767

Prosecutor - 419-734-6845

Recycling - 419-734-6783

Dog Warden - 419-898-1368

Emergency Mgmt - 419-734-6900

Regional Planning - 419-734-6780

Engineer - 419-734-6777

Schools:

Board of Education - 419-732-2102

Bataan Elementary 419-734-2815

Middle School - 419-734-4448

High School - 419-734-2147

Bus Garage 419-734-1516

Immaculate Conception School

419-734-3315

Utilities:

Sanitary Engineer- 419-734-6725

Time Warner Cable - 888-683-

1000

Ohio Edison - 800-633-4766

Verizon - 800-555-4833

Columbia Gas - 800-344-4077

Other Numbers: Magruder Hospital - 419-734-3131

Post Office - 419-732-3322

Visitors Bureau - 419-734-4386

Chamber of Commerce -

419-734-4386 ∞

on page

13

On the Cover… Sunset behind Sugar Rock, Catawba Island AJE

2… Letter from the Press

3… Home Sweet Home

4… Living on a Catawba Island Farm

6… School Time

8… Police Beat

10… Fire Department

11… Restaurant & Entertainment

12… Township News

14… Around Town

16… The Arts

17… Horoscopes

20… Classifieds

on page

18

April, 2010

Dear Friends,

Spring has arrived beautifully on Catawba! We have been lucky to have

some record-setting weather already… a real teaser, but summer will be

here before we know it. Hope you are enjoying spring!

You also know summer is on the way just by checking out some of our

advertisers... We are very appreciative to have these businesses support

our little publication! Be sure to tell them you saw their ad in Catawba

Island Magazine and thank them for bringing us to your mailbox every

month!

We offer a nice variety of content in this month’s issue entitled “Home

Sweet Home.” From burial sites to home sites, I share a brief history of

the beginning of Sugar Rock and its development. Pat Bristley shares

her memories of one of the first cottages on Sugar Rock in the Arts sec-

tion. We also conclude Don Rhodes’ article on the Catawba Schools. A

very sincere apology to Don for the printing error on his article last issue!

Catawba Island local Bob Kyle, shares with us his “Early Memories of

Living on a Catawba Farm.” We have a great article from the township,

an interesting Police Beat, a spring update from our Fire Chief and so

much more… So take a break from spring cleaning and enjoy this

month’s issue of Catawba Island Magazine!

Thanks for reading! See you around town.

Dave & Andrea Elliott

Catawba Island Press

P.S. - Be sure to visit Dave and I as we judge the Chili Cook-off being

held on Catawba Island, April 24 and 25. See page 14 for more

information! In the water at Pebble Beach, Catawba Island

background photo by AJE

NAME_____________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS_________________________________________________________________ CITY_______________________________________ STATE__________ ZIP___________

Mail to: Catawba Island Press, 9841 State Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133 with a Check or Money Order made Payable to Catawba Island Press. Subscriptions can also be ordered online at www.catawbaislandmagazine.com Thanks for Reading!

Catawba Island Magazine April 2010 2

Spring robin hopping along the lake’s edge. AJE

lawn or late Archaic Indians from the 1400s to early 1600s.

These old Indian burial sites were

called mounds; usually a 2’ by 9’ wide pile of dirt and rock creating a

resting place for the dead above

ground. The top 20 to 30 feet of the rock in the cliffs along the western

shore including Sugar Rock is com-

posed of dolomite, a rock in the limestone family; it’s proper name

being ―Put-in-Bay dolomite.‖ This

hard layer of dolomite not only

would have made it difficult for the Indians to bury their dead, but they

believed it was best to be closer to

the sky and God; only evil lurked in the earth below; consequently, these

burial mounds were placed on the

highest point of Sugar Rock.

Sugar Rock Home Sites

The first house on Sugar Rock was a

summer cottage built in the late 1920s belonging to Dr. Dockler, a

dentist residing outside the Port

Clinton area in Ohio. The Dockler’s summer cottage was built from local

limestone and situated on the most

prominent point of Sugar Rock.

Building and housing design of the area in the 1920s mostly consisted of

craftsman-style architecture utilizing

local limestone and field stone.

George Oliver True Sr., a well-known attorney from Port Clinton

built the second home on Sugar Rock

as a family summer cottage in the

early 1940s.

The Beginnings of Sugar Rock By Andrea J. Elliott

Introduction

Excerpts from Lake Erie Island Sketches and Stories edited by

Michael Gora.

Catawba Island’s westerly shore is

broken by a line of high bluffs - lime

rock formations cave indented and picturesque. Sugar Rock, a curious

formation on the west shore, rises

cone-like into view, a small lake at

its base. Sugar Rock formed a spot well known and favored by the Ot-

tawa Indians, by whom it was used

as a burial site for their dead; and when before the tribe finally de-

parted for hunting grounds farther

westward, representatives thereof were accustomed to revisit annually

these graves, there to perform their

weird ceremonials.

Numerous relics, including arrow

heads, coins, pipes, hatchets and hu-

man bones, have there been un-earthed in recent years.

Sugar Rock is covered also with well

tilled and thrifty orchards. Water lil-ies float on the surface of the lake at

its base, which, viewed in its setting

of trees, vines and wild vegetation generally forms a pretty picture.

A number of handsome residences and fanciful summer cottages are

here located, together with those of

island dwellers.¹

Indian Burials

A recent conversation with local his-

torian, Don Rhodes, revealed that the burials on Sugar Rock could not

have been of the Ottawa Indians.

With the discovery of carbon dating, the relics and bones found there were

dated before the arrival of the

Ottawa, circa 1730. The dating sug-

gests they were most likely Wood-

April 2010 Catawba Island Magazine 3

Local Real Estate

Information obtained from the Ottawa County Auditor deemed reliable but not guaranteed accurate.

Owner Property Address Sale Date Sale Price Seller

GOSSMAN R 4271 N CROGAN ST 113 3/5/2010 $ 5,000 SEABOLD B E & N L

JOCKE J J & C A WROS 2175 NE CATAWBA RD 3/23/2010 $ 12,000 HUFFMAN S

MURPHY C H & E M S&T 5335 BLUE TEAL 3/15/2010 $ 140,000 ALLEN JACK D

FED NATL MORTG ASSOC 3079 N TIARA 3/10/2010 $ 233,000 PELTON T R & A M

THETFORD AM TRUSTEE 2770 CANTERBURY 3/22/2010 $ 269,335 SUNSHINE LND II LLC

DREW S S TRUSTEE 2780 CANTERBURY (B) 3/10/2010 $ 405,700 SUNSHINE LND II LLC

PATTERSON M J 3119 N BEACH TOWNE 3/23/2010 $ 325,000 BEACH TOWNE LLC

MARCIUS J G TRUSTEE 3133 N BEACH TOWNE 3/22/2010 $ 261,250 BEACH TOWNE LLC

CORNELL G F 3149 N BEACH TOWNE 3/18/2010 $ 261,250 BEACH TOWNE LLC

VILLAGE GROUP INC THE 3157 N BEACH TOWNE 3/22/2010 $ 261,250 BEACH TOWNE LLC

KJBS LLC 3163 N BEACH TOWNE 3/30/2010 $ 308,750 BEACH TOWNE LLC

TOMSICH R J TRUSTEE 4180 E MOORES DOCK 3/8/2010 $ 620,000 ROSS T J & P A

PARTIN L K & L A TRSTS 630 N HIDDEN HARBOR 3/5/2010 $ 155,000 OLD FORT BANKING

CONTINUED on NEXT PAGE

Swans near Sugar Rock AJE

―True’s Cabin,‖ as it was called, was

constructed from trees that were cut

down on Sugar Rock and milled in

Oak Harbor, Ohio. Ervin Bowersox, a barn carpenter from Oak Harbor

built the log-cabin style cottage. In

1948, a log-style addition was again built by Ervin Bowersox on True’s

Cabin with the help of locals; Don

Rhodes, Ralph Barnum and Oliver True’s son, George Oliver True Jr.

Don Rhodes said, ―It was a good

summer job for someone on the foot-

ball team at the time.‖

The lake that was once near the base

of Sugar Rock was dredged out in the early 1920s to open into Lake

Erie as a boat harbor known as

―Marine Sales‖ (Catawba Island Club today). With the new attraction

of this boat harbor came the desire to

live near it. Years after the first two

summer cottages were built on Sugar Rock, property values increased and

both homes were torn down to make

way for more expensive residences.

¹ “Lake Erie Island Sketches and

Stories” originally published in 1913

and edited by Michael Gora copy-right 2004.

A very special thanks to Michael Gora and Don Rhodes for their

contributions. ∞

Early Memories of

Living on a Catawba Farm

By Bob Kyle

Before our dad, Bob Kyle, Sr., went

into the Navy in 1943, we briefly

lived in a house we called the dormi-tory, which was located just next

door to what is now the CIC fitness

center and across the road from the farm that grew fresh produce for the

Catawba Cliffs Beach Club (later the

Andy Drusbacky farm). Dad had worked at Standard Products until it

was time for him to serve. After a

couple of war years spent in Toledo,

we returned to the dormitory and I started first grade at the Catawba

school on April Fool’s Day in 1945.

I was the butt of many jokes that day and the boys laughed at me when I

dropped my pants to use the urinal

instead of unzipping my zipper; I

might not have had one. There were about 40 students in the school then,

and two teachers – Mrs. Nelson and

Miss Vollmer. V-J Day came that following August. I sat along the

road waiting for a parade that never

came. Mother (Jennie – then ―Jane‖) went with friends to a Tojo effigy

burning party at Gem Beach. Maybe

Marilyn Gangway baby sat for Bill

and me.

When Dad came home from the Pa-

cific, he bought part of the Beach Club harbor from my grandfather,

William M. Richards with plans to start a marina. He also bought an 18

acre farm with a farmhouse on West

Catawba Road (R.R.1 then) just

north of what is now Karlite Drive. The house still stands, occupied.

For many years, this house was re-ferred to as the Stuckey house, but it

had a history before we sold it to the

Stuckeys. My parents bought the place from Mrs. Fauple, an old

widow lady in 1945. Who knows

how long she had been there, so I’m

guessing the house must now be over 100 years old. We bought it partially

furnished. One item of interest was a

player piano with a bunch of ragtime scrolls. How we loved to pump the

pedals on that thing! We had an out-

house that was surrounded by rhu-barb and a strawberry patch. It was

occasionally used by our fruit stand

customers and sometimes by us kids

of course. (Yes, we had indoor plumbing as well.) The farm came

with an ancient, beat-up Fordson

tractor that Dad took to the marina (Catawba Marine Sales) for pulling

the marine hoist along its rails. It was

soon replaced by a couple of surplus

WW II Jeeps.

Amanda Rofkar lived across the road

where Jim Rofkar has since built a home. She had a huge asparagus

patch and my mom did love to buy

and cook lots of asparagus. Next door to us on the north side was the

William Rofkar house and wouldn’t

you know, it still is occupied by the

grandson, Bill Rofkar. Bill’s grand-father really took care of our farm,



CONTINUED from PREVIOUS PAGE

except for the selling of the produce which fell to mother. He also caught

rattlesnakes and took them to the

Toledo Zoo, I think, for venom milk-

ing. He liked lots of non-poisonous snakes in the orchards to keep down

the vermin. He was quite a naturalist.

His son John helped with the fruit picking, and daughter Carolyn some-

times baby sat us.

The Drickhamers lived in the next

house north of Rofkars. Ron Drick-

hamer was about my brother’s age

and Barton was a couple of years older than I. Then came the Justin

Rofkar house and after that the

Corthell house, who had a son named Steve, and who was a good

friend. His dad was a school superin-

tendent. Steve and I did practically everything together, including a lot

of fishing. We built huts at the wa-

ter’s edge in the marina harbor and

would fish for bullheads all day and especially in the rain when they’d

bite better. We got into trouble too,

but not very often. One day we were playing with matches out in the apple

orchard. We’d light patches of grass

on fire and then stomp the fires out.

One fire got out of our control and Catawba Island’s brand new volun-

teer fire department had to be called.

They drove that old 1926 LaFrance fire truck way back into the orchard

and put the fire out. I think we killed

a few apple trees and maybe some snakes too. I believe the truck was

purchased in 1949, so this might

have been its first call! It was em-

barrassing in school the next day.

As mentioned before, our address

was R.R.1 – I think everyone on Catawba Island had the same ad-

dress. All phones were on party

lines, you couldn’t just sign up for a connection, and you had to wait until

someone moved or died. Someone

died down the road and we got his

number. All numbers were just 4

digits.

I’ve mentioned baby sitting. Once, when our parents took off for a cou-

ple of days, Bill and I stayed with

Alba and Luther Rhodes in their big tower house (Sunnyside). She served

us some stewed tomato which, at the

time, was our most un-favorite food

for some childlike reason. We ate every last bite as we’d been trained,

but it was painful. I’m sure we would

love them now.


CONTINUED from Previous Page

CONTINUED on PAGE 18

Catawba Island Schools

Part 2 of 2

By Don Rhodes

Like many rural schools, the school board would select recent local

graduates as teachers. Their first

requirement was to satisfactorily complete all the years of schooling

available. Prospective teachers were

later required to obtain teaching certificates, and were usually sanc-

tioned by the State. The county

administered written examinations to

prospective teachers as well. I have reviewed some of those exams. They

were quite thorough, even by today’s

standards.

The school board also checked the

teacher’s character. Rules for teach-ers required they be in good health,

able to maintain discipline, were

conservative—both in and out of the

classroom, and able to instruct in all subjects and teach students of all

ages. Additionally, it was required

they be unmarried. It was not un-

usual for teachers to find room-and-board at a student’s home.

It was mandatory that teachers per-form janitorial duties; for example,

keeping the fires burning in the

schools’ pot-bellied stoves. The school board would assure adequate

supplies of firewood, and later on

coal for the stoves. Teachers also had

the responsibility of up-keep and maintenance of the school buildings.

Soon after, the school board hired

part-time janitors who came in after classes to clean the rooms.

In the 1930s, at the peak of the Great Depression, Catawba Island schools

school operated on a very tight

budget. For example, one baseball

and one baseball bat were allowed per room for the 6th, 7th and 8th

grade classes, and the balls and bats

had to last the entire school year. Our farm chores provided all the exercise

we needed. Athletics were not high

on the school’s curriculum. That one leather baseball was sewed and re-

paired many times before being re-

placed.

School lunches were carried in lunch

pails or wrapped in newspaper. They

were placed on a shelf in the cloak-room (a small room to hang coats)

until the noon hour.


Above: Photo of old twine house (rear) on Barnum Road that was formerly the district #2 schoolhouse moved from Cemetery Road. Right: Watercolor of Twine house. Photo-

graph and watercolor by Pat Bristley.


school, we all took our turns with measles, chicken pox, whooping

cough, etc., along with pink eye,

boils, impetigo, and an occasional

case of head lice.


Above: Watercolor of former Catawba Island

district #1 schoolhouse on Muggy Road;

stands occupied today. Right: Photo of old

schoolhouse on Porter and Crogan; stands

occupied as a multi-family apartment today.


CONTINUED on PAGE 19

“ ”

I remember sharing my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with classmates,

but my favorite sandwich was the

one my mother made after the hogs

were butchered in the fall. It was a thick slice of pork headcheese and

homemade bread and butter pickles

placed inside two slices of home-made bread. It is still my favorite

sandwich today. We could order half

pints of white or chocolate milk for 3 cents, which were delivered by a

Lakeshore Dairy truck. Our teachers

made sure we all had something to

eat and drink each day. Times were tough and some fathers were out of

work. Many families were on relief

and money for those families was very tight.

With the new centralized school, a horse-drawn bus (actually a covered

wagon with windows) was provided

for those students living outside the

1½-mile limit, at the south end of the school district. Eugene Vollmer was

the bus driver. Walking to school for

the rest of us in the spring or fall was no problem. During the winter or on

stormy days, noses, fingers and toes

would be thawed by standing over

the central school register where we took turns getting warm while our

hats, gloves and scarves dried.

Chester Owen drove the school’s

first motorized bus. He was the full-

time janitor and bus driver. There was one small heater near the

driver’s seat of the bus, and those

sitting in the back nearly froze. Also,

with no snow removal on the roads, scoop shovels were always carried

on the bus, and the older boys were

expected to shovel and push the bus when needed. In 1924, a second bus

was purchased and the high school

room (grades 9-12) was closed. Those students were bussed into Port

Clinton. Ralph Owens, Chet’s

brother, drove the high school bus.

We jokingly called the school busses "chicken coops.‖

Having no immunization program in those days, and before starting

March 13 A private property crash call received from Firelands Boule-

vard. Caller stated they heard the

sounds of an engine revving and

noticed a vehicle was stuck down a nearby embankment. Officers

located a red Chevy S-10 Blazer that

appeared to have driven off a drive-way. Driver side door was open with

a tree keeping it from being closed.

Female driver wearing high-heeled shoes was escorted from the vehicle

and assisted through the landscape.

Driver said she was lost and was on

her cell phone when the accident oc-curred. Driver had red eyes and

slurred speech but could not perform

field sobriety because of her clothing and the inclement weather. Driver

arrested for OVI.

March 14 Call received from a taxi

driver regarding a disorderly female

passenger. Driver had picked up the

subject at a local bar where the bar-tender reportedly assisted the passen-

ger into the taxi with a 12-pack of

beer purchased at the bar stating, ―Good luck!‖ Passenger allegedly

did not like the taxi service and be-

came physical, hitting the taxi driver. Driver stopped the taxi on Sand

Road where officers responded. Pas-

senger fell down during questioning

and when the officer asked the sub-ject for her name, she responded, ―I

am me.‖ When asked how much she

had to drink, she responded, ―Enough to call a taxi home.‖ Sub-

ject was arrested, resisted being

handcuffed and was charged with

disorderly conduct and assault.

March 16 A disorderly subject

complaint was received from a gas station on RT 53. Husband rode his

bike up to visit his wife at the gas

station where she had worked and was told she had been fired. Subject

allegedly verbally assaulted the em-

ployee. Subject had an opposite

story. Subject asked to leave the property and not return.

March 17 A call was received re-garding a civil complaint about

money. Responding officer was noti-

fied that the subject had left the

March 6 Terrace Circle resident charged with disorderly conduct for

ongoing barking dog complaints.

March 10 Domestic violence call regarding a grandmother allegedly

chasing her granddaughter around

the house with a pair of scissors threatening to cut her intestines out.


Catawba Island Township Police Department


Excerpts from the Call Summary for March, 2010

possible gunfire from NE Catawba

Road. Responding officer noted that

a chair in the backyard of the prop-erty had been shot. Two male occu-

pants in the house answered the door

and emitted the strong odor of an intoxicating beverage. Subjects ad-

mitting to consuming wine prior to

firing guns. A hand gun and shot gun

were retained as evidence. One sub-ject ticketed for disorderly conduct

and both ticketed for handling a fire-

arm while intoxicated. ∞

property and was driving without a license. Subject stopped on Muggy

Road, appeared intoxicated, refused

BAC test and was arrested for driv-

ing without a license and DUI.

Officer observed a vehicle driving

with an inoperable headlight. Male driver stopped and emitted the smell

of alcohol. Driver’s license was un-

der suspension. Driver arrested for underage consumption and driving

under suspension.

March 18 Animal complaint re-ceived from Harbor’s Edge condos.

Landscape company reported a

coyote was trapped on the property. Cable and rebar around coyote’s

neck was stuck in yard hydrant near

building. Officer freed coyote. Noth-ing further.

Call received from property owner

between Schoolhouse and Karlite regarding illegal snares on their

property. Owner found snared coyote

and was worried that nearby children may get hurt if they would have

found the coyote. Owner had not

given permission for anyone to trap

on their property. Report made.

March 19 A 2006 Dodge Dakota

was stopped in the 2000 block of RT 53 after driving over the center line

and into the bicycle lane. Driver

stated that he had been texting on his cell phone. Driver had slurred

speech, blood shot eyes and admitted

to having a few drinks. Driver’s

BAC was .234, he was arrested for DUI and marked lanes violation.

March 30 Call received regarding

POLICE CALL SUMMARY

for March 2010 165 Total Calls including:

3 Disorderly Conduct

3 Vandalism

4 Civil complaints

17 Traffic Warnings

4 DUIs

4 9-1-1 Calls



the N.W. Ohio Volunteer Firemen’s Association Regional fire school at

Bowling Green State University.

Some of the training obtained

included: use of firefighting foam, structural firefighting basics and pro-

pane emergencies.

The men and women of the CIVFD

volunteer their time to respond to

emergency runs. In addition to the actual response during an emer-

gency, countless hours of training

and preparation are completed on an

all-volunteer basis. As their Chief, I am proud of their selflessness, and as

a lifelong resident, I am thankful

they are willing to serve our commu-nity with such devotion.

I enjoyed last month’s article ―Running Hot,‖ about one of our

newest members, Steve Busby. We

have a great group of young volun-

teers who will be the future leaders of our department.

Conversely, I would like to share a little background about one of our

most senior members, Dan Barlow.

Two awards were recently presented

to Dan at our Firemen’s Association March business meeting. Dan is sec-

ond in length of service, only to Don

Rhodes, who is a Charter Member.

Dan Barlow’s entire adult life has been dedicated to the service of oth-

ers. Like his father before him, Dan

is a combat Veteran and a proud

United States Marine who served his country and his corps. Dan joined the

Catawba Island Volunteer Fire

Department in 1970 and has served in every capacity within the depart-

ment. For more than 22 years, he

lead us as the longest serving Chief in our department’s history.

We have a tradition of awarding stars

to signify length of service. One five pointed star is issued for every five

years of service. I was honored to

present eight service stars to Dan for his 40 years of service. It is difficult

to appreciate how many lives Dan

has impacted in his service as a fire-man and an EMT. Several thousand

emergency runs, countless meetings,

training sessions, inspections, work

details, BBQs and fund raisers are only the visible and easily identifi-

able results of his four decades with

the department. As is the case with many volunteers, most of us will

never know the quiet deeds or extra

effort or compassion that Dan has

provided over the years.

A ceremonial fire officer’s trumpet

mounted on a wooden base with a dedication plaque was presented to

Dan in recognition of his service as

Fire Chief from 1987-2009. I have been blessed to call Dan my friend

for more than 30 years, and our

members have been blessed to call

him Chief for more than 22 years—and he always brought us back to the

house in one piece.

Thankfully, Dan continues to be the

most active member on the depart-

ment—responding to more EMS runs than any other. I trust we will

have many more years together serv-

ing Catawba Island.

Thank you for your continued

support of the CIVFD.

John Gangway, Chief

April 2010

LETTER FROM THE CHIEF

Your Catawba Island Volunteer Fire

Department has been busy these last few months preparing ourselves and

our equipment to serve our friends

and neighbors to the best of our abilities.

Many of our members have not only participated in local training opportu-

nities but have attended medical and

fire training at other locations. In

February, several of our EMTs spent the weekend at Maumee Bay State

Park receiving up to 20 hours each of

continuing education credits. The training is sponsored by St. Vin-

cent’s Mercy Life Flight. Some of

the classes our members attended are; traumatic brain injuries, trauma

in pregnancy, triage diabetes and

head trauma.

In March several of our members

attended at weekend of training at

CIVFD CALL SUMMARY

for March 2010

18 EMS Runs

4 Fire Runs (2 False Alarms)

2 Mutual Aid

24 Calls Total


menu. The coffee is good, and you cannot beat the prices. One cute

touch is that the waitresses wear tee

shirts with the Fat Head’s logo on

them. However, fine dining it is not!

One reviewer found that "the wait

staff is slower than the tractors on Main Street!" Another reviewer said,

"Nice friendly place, great service."

My sister-in-law, who lives in Fos-toria, told me she "goes there often."

I have found the service rather slow

at times, but not overly so, and the

waitresses are friendly. However, when the service is slow, it gives me

time to look through the various

rooms on the ground floor that all flow together, and to enjoy the décor.

Fat Head’s Restaurant is located at 218 Washington St. in Republic,

Ohio. (419) 585-4263. You might

want to call ahead, to be sure when it

is open. The restaurant is closed Mondays. ∞

Fat Head's Restaurant

Republic, Ohio By Pat Bristley

"Ask a friend, ask a foe,

Fat Head’s is the place to go!"

Fat Head’s is quite a ways to travel

to a restaurant from Catawba Island,

but if you are looking for something different, it might just be a place you

would like to try. This restaurant has

the feeling of an earlier period – per-haps that of the 1920s or 1930s. To

get there, the easiest way is to take

Route 53 from Catawba Island to

Tiffin, then Route 18 east to Repub-lic. It is about 42 miles from Port

Clinton, traveling that way. Once in

the small village, just drive around until you find Washington Street and

Fat Head’s.

You might say it is a well-kept se-

cret. I discovered it when I went to

Republic to search for family burials

in the local cemetery for a genealogi-cal friend. Needing a place for lunch,

I happened upon Fat Head’s. The

most interesting thing about the res-taurant for me, is the small-town am-

biance and the building itself. Fat

Head’s is located in a two or three-

story building in the downtown sec-tion of the village of approximately

900 residents. The Victorian building

appears to have contained five ground-floor stores at one time. Now

Fat Head’s resides in the entire

ground floor.

The pizza is why they are famous,

but everything is prepared well. Fat-

head's is a place for sandwiches too. They offer 35 different kinds of big

meat and cheese sandwiches, each

served with homemade potato chips. Meat lovers should find a favorite

among the specialty choices on the


Treating Ice Covered Roads with

Sweet Success

De-sugared molasses left over from

sugar beet processing is being com-bined with secret ingredients to pro-

duce a more environmentally

friendly highway de-icing product that is gaining ground across the

northern United States.

Catawba Island’s road crews started

spreading the new thick brown liquid

called Ice Bite on Catawba Island roads this winter in an effort to re-

duce the amount of salt used and the

corrosive effects it has on vehicles

and roads. Ice Bite is made by Indi-anapolis-based Road Solutions Inc.

from beet processing byproducts.

Salt used during winter months to

clear roads of ice and snow can be

tough on motor vehicles and the en-vironment. Mixing six gallons of the

beet juice with a ton of salt creates a

mix that works efficiently in colder

temperatures.

Road Solutions vice-president, Jay

Walerstein, says the product works through a chemical reaction between

the carbohydrates in de-sugared

beets and chlorides, forming a bond with the road surface and allowing it

to be applied before the ice forms on

the road.

According to Walerstein, the product

is an all natural plant extract com-

pletely safe for children and pets. It is not sticky, doesn’t stain cars and

clothes and doesn’t attract deer or

other animals to the roads.

Dan Barlow, Catawba Island Mainte-

nance Supervisor, said ―We have

experienced about a 35% reduction in the amount of salt needed to do

the same job and that may improve

as we become more used to using the product.‖

According to Barlow, salt normally

runs off roads with the melted snow but the beet juice helps form a resi-

due on the road that remains until the

next snowfall and helps keep ice from forming. Catawba Island road

crews were able to apply the product

to the road by adding tanks to the

back of their existing equipment. Barlow said his crew was amazed at



SPRING CLEAN UP

at the old Fire Station

Wednesday, April 28

thru Sunday, May 2

MULCH LOADING

Starting April 10

Saturdays 8 am to Noon

how well it worked.

Gary Mortus, Catawba Island Trus-

tee, said ―Our main concern was increasing the level of service and

safety on Catawba Island roads.‖

Mortus said their goal was to reduce rock salt application by 30% to 40%

and Ice Bite as an additive also cuts

the per lane mile treatment costs by about the same amount. The reduc-

tion of salt usage also reduces the

corrosion on tax payer’s vehicles.

Mortus said, ―The real advantage of

Ice Bite is it increases the ice melting

capacity of salt by 25% by increasing the effective melting temperature

range from 17 to -25 degrees Fahren-

heit.‖

The Catawba Island Township Trus-

tees and maintenance staff were

happy with the results this year and will continue to utilize the effective

product in the future. ∞

CATAWBA ISLAND TOWNSHIP

Board of Trustees

MEETING MINUTES

MARCH 9, 2010

Motion to approve and pay the bills

in the amount of $50,494.05.

Aaron Willoughby and Shannon Pitts

representing the FC Titans Soccer

Club requesting the township’s help in paying for the paint to line the

soccer field at Heigel Park for the

2010 soccer season.

John Gangway, Fire Chief, stated

there are six members of the fire de-

partment going to Fire School in Bowling Green and he requested

mileage reimbursement. John Gang-

way also stated there are some minor repairs that need to be done on some

fire equipment. All approved by the

Trustees.

Tom Reinert, Peachton Drive, ques-

tioned the Ken Gill property on

Northeast Catawba Road where the

rocks are piled up. He thought it was

only to be used for dredging mate-

rial. A conditional use was issued for the development of natural resources

including the extraction of sand,

gravel, fill dirt or topsoil in 1999.

Gary Mortus thinks it is a commer-cial use of the property and is an eye-

sore. William Rofkar stated we could

ask him to remove or move his equipment.

Ottawa County Township Associa-

tion meeting hosted by the Ottawa County Engineer’s Office on April 6,

2010.

The Trustees agreed to renew their

five-year contract with Cintas for the

Maintenance Departments uniform

service and the mat service.

Gary Mortus stated he will be work-

ing with the drainage issue on Poplar

Street by the new condos as there is a larger catch basin moving into a

smaller tile going into the harbor.

Meeting adjourned. ∞


Got a clue where on Catawba this is? It’ll certainly should be recognized a

little more than last month’s photo…. Time to go hunting around the island to see if you can find it! Send your best guess to [email protected] along with your name or fill out this form or a copy and

mail it to us at Catawba Island Press, 9841 State Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133. Deadline is May 25, 2010. If you're correct we'll publish your name in May's issue along with the correct answer. Good Luck!

Name____________________________________

Phone/Email______________________________

Address__________________________________

Your Guess: ______________________________

Last month’s puzzle was difficult, I admit, especially with the time of

year… We only received one correct answer; Danielle Shrewsberry

recognized her neighbor’s mini lighthouse erected at the end of East

Drive in Johnson’s Landing overlooking West Harbor. I thought some

boaters may have recognized it but oh well…. Try again this month!


Zoning Report for January and

February 2010

2 deck permits issued

6 addition permits issued

2 new home permits issued

1 home occupation permit issued

1 application for a variance

Please note: Meeting minutes contained here-

with are edited for space. The full version is

available through the Township Administration.

address: [email protected]. Second would be to visit myself,

Denny, at Bassett's Liquor Store

where I am the manager/malt hoarder

that now has amassed over 40 Single Malts in the newly renovated retail

space. And the third way of contact-

ing the EISMS would be to show up at Nagoya on any Friday 'round 5-ish

and ask for a glass of "Denny's

Pick.‖ Chances are there are already four or more of us in attendance that

will be glad you popped in. And just

to tip you off to something unique

and new to our hemisphere... ask the bartender to pour you a glass of Sun-

tory Yamazaki and let us know what

you think! Cheers, Denny ∞


Erie Island Single Malt Society Greetings once again from the

EISMS. For the uninitiated, we are

an informal group of malt whisky lovers who gather on the second

Thursday of every month. There are

no dues to pay and the only rules are that you need to live on, or very near

to an Erie island and that we only

"officially" taste single malt whiskys.

Last month was a new record turn out for the tasting of the highland

whiskys offered by Glenmorangie. If

you are a fan of Single Malt Whiskys and would like more information

about the Erie Island Single Malt

Society, there are three easy ways to contact us. First is through our email

15th Annual Chili Cook off

to be held at Mon Ami

Restaurant and Winery The 15th Annual Buckeye Regional

and 13th Annual Ohio State Cook off

will be held at Mon Ami Restaurant and Winery this year on Saturday,

April 24th and Sunday April 25,

2010 from 11:00am-4:00pm both days. The 15th Annual Buckeye and

13th Annual Ohio State Chili Cook

off is a sanctioned Chili Cook off

and the winning cooks will qualify to compete at the World Championship

with a chance to win $25,000. The

winners of this competition will go to the Finals to compete for National

Recognition. Over 40 chefs from 7

states, including Canada, are ex-pected to enter this year. This event

has been a worldwide competition

for many years. The ICS

(International Chili Society) has do-nated over $80,000,000 to charities

around the world. The proceeds

from our local competition go to The Salvation Army in Ottawa County

for their Tools for School Program.

Last year the event raised over $1,700 for The Salvation Army.

There will be raffles, drawings, en-

tertainment and giveaways both

days.

For more information, contact Mau-

reen Saponari: The Salvation Army, 1854 E. Perry Street Suite #800,


Pictured below: a pair of eagles overlooking the Catawba

bay. Photo by George and Mary Krejci of Catawba Island.

mailto:[email protected]

Blessing of the Fleet Jet Express Dock, Put-in-Bay

April 30th - May 1

Derby Day Weekend at Put-in-Bay

April 30th - May 2

Boat Show Catawba Island Club

May 1 Derby Day Kelley’s Island

May 7th - 8th

Mardi Gras Weekend at Put-in-Bay

May 8th

Lakeside Daisy Day ∞


Port Clinton, Ohio 43452, 419-732-2769, Maureen Saponari ∞

Fishing on Catawba

Your best catch this spring is Yellow Perch. Best Bait = Minnows or shin-

ers. Catawba area bag limit (waters

west of the Huron Pier) = 25 fish/day No size Limit.

Other common local fish include Smallmouth Bass and Walleye.

Smallmouth Bass are best caught in

late June, August and September.

Walleye can be caught year round with their peak season being June,

July and August.

Free Fishing Days!

Any Ohio resident may fish without

a license on May 1st and 2nd this year! Free Ohio Fishing Licenses are

available to those persons born be-

fore January 1, 1939.

Ohio fishing licenses are available at

local bait shops and the Ohio Divi-

sion of Wildlife. Annual Resident: $19; Annual Non-Resident $40; One

-day Resident or Non-Resident $19;

Resident Senior: $10. ∞

24th Annual FICS (Friends of

Immaculate Conception School)

Benefit Auction Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 6:00 pm

(doors open at 5:30 pm) at Immacu-

late Conception School. The cost is just $20 per person, which includes

admission, 10 drink tickets, and hors

d’oeuvres. Space is limited, so make

your reservations early! Contact Christine Brenner (419.656.6946) for

reservations. Payment can be made

to FICS @ FICS-Ticket Reservations 109 W. Fourth Street, Port Clinton,

Ohio 43452. ∞

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 24th- May 31st Spring Arts Show

Main Street, Vermillion

440-963-0772

April 27th

CONTINUED from Previous Page

The first part of the True cabin was built in 1941. The original cabin was

built in a "post and beam" construc-

tion. That means that the framing of

the building was held together with large wooden dowels (pegs) instead

of nails. When a Sandusky firm tore

down the building to make way for development, the workers only had

to pound out the pegs, and the build-

ing came apart easily. It is unknown if someone bought the disassembled

building or if it was destroyed.

Oliver "Bud" True, Jr. was a high

school friend of mine. I once went to

the True cabin for a party. We also went there to rest and "have a Coke"

after swimming in the lake. In the

late 1940s, when I visited, there was a large living room with a stone fire-

place, a small kitchen, and a narrow

hallway leading from the living room to three bedrooms and a bathroom.

About 1946, Bud True and some of

his friends helped a carpenter build the bedroom extension to the original

cabin. At least one of the bedrooms

was what we called a ―bunk room" with built-in bunks. I have been told

that building the extension was not

pleasant, because it was hot and the insects were voracious.

The cabin was brown and blended

into its wooded surroundings. There was a screened-in porch overlooking

Sugar Rock Harbor, to the south of

the monolith. There was also a rustic wood shed on the property.

In 1962, with a feeling of nostalgia, I

decided to do a painting at ―Bud’s cabin.‖ It was a bright fall day. Why

I did a painting of the wood shed,

rather than the cabin, is lost in time. If I remember correctly, however, the

cabin was not particularly pictur-

esque. When I look at the painting that hangs on my living room wall, it

reminds me of time spent there be-

fore the True cabin disappeared from

the scene. ∞

Memories of Sugar Rock By Pat Bristley

Sugar Rock, which juts into Lake

Erie, is just south of Catawba Island State Park. It is a dolomite monolith

that rises to 571 feet above sea level.

An old inhabitant of Catawba told me that it was called "Sugar Rock"

because it resembled the shape of

sugar cones used by early settlers. In pioneer times, sugar was sold in

pharmacies in cone-shaped packets.

When required for sweetening, sugar

was carefully shaved off the cones.

Presently, the top of Sugar Rock is

covered with dwellings. However, the True cabin was the second dwell-

ing built on the monolith. It was built

on the south side of Sugar Rock for Oliver True Sr., a prominent attorney

in Port Clinton.


Watercolor of Oliver True Woodshed on Sugar Rock, Catawba Island (1962) by Pat Bristley

By Starr

“ARIES” the Ram

1st Zodiac Sign

Aries reaches for

the Stars!

When Ram meets Bull….. Aries is a Fire Sign and Taurus is an

Earth Sign. Conflicts can occur. But

when Fire and Earth work well to-

gether they can conquer the world!

Both signs seem to actually have much

in common - determination, strong

sense of honesty and desire for life’s

pleasures. As Aries thrives challenges

and spontaneous action, Taurus loves

to conserve, save and play it safe. The

Ram can show jealousy, dislikes wait-

ing around, advice not asked for and

above all failure. Whereas the Bull is

stubborn and will resist any effort to

―push the pace‖. Ultimately this is a

tricky match. However both being

creatures of passion, true love can en-

dure. The stars shine for their eternal

happiness.

Aries “The Ram”

March 21st thru April 19th Be open to this ―change of season‖. A

new beginning with your public image

will be within reach.

Taurus “The Bull”

April 20th thru May 20th

Spring has Sprung! Relationships will

break new-ground after the very diffi-

cult period.

Gemini “The Twins”

May 21st thru June 20th

Keep conversations open this month.

Fuel them with your unique ideas.

Cancer “The Crab”

June 21st thru July 22nd Spring is the season for being with

people. Give something of yourself

and your talents to others.

Leo “The Lion”

July 23rd thru August 22nd Your involvement with groups is in-

tense during April and will transform

your purpose for the better.

Virgo “Virgin”

August 23rd thru September 22nd Your instincts will guide you this

month when facing a new playing

field. Stay open to unforeseen options.

Libra “Scales”

September 23rd thru October 22nd

Focus on home and family matters.

Remember, you can’t settle everything

all at once.

Scorpio “Scorpion”

October 23rd thru November 21st

In April, time will pass quickly as you

become passionately involved in a

project that touches your heart. Enjoy!

Sagittarius “The Archer”

November 22nd thru December 21st Someone looks up to you and has put

you on a golden pedestal. Don’t disap-

point.

Capricorn “The Mountain Goat”

December 22nd thru January 19th Your creativity blooms in April. Plug

some of your ideas into your work.

Aquarius “The Water Bearer”

January 20th thru February 19th

Your thoughts turn to resolutions and

problem solving this month. It’s al-

ways best to have faith in your own

good judgment.

Pisces “Two Fishes”

February 20th thru March 20th Don’t get caught up doubting your

abilities this month. Step back and be


roadside stand for our apples, peaches, cherries and pears but most

sales were to truckers coming out of

Toledo. Bill and I had a separate

stand for selling the Bartlett pears. I don’t think we did very well. Once

mother ran out to make a fruit sale

and left something cooking on the stove. She had a kitchen fire that she

was able to put out. That could have

been the end of that house.

Of course, we walked to school as it

was only a quarter mile away; I think

now that it would have to be a bus stop! My brother Bill wasn’t in

school yet, but when Charlie Schus-

ter would ring that big bell for our recess, Bill would run to the play-

ground to join in the fun. Gus

Schraidt had a cider press in his barn on the corner of Schoolhouse Road

and West Catawba Road just across

from the school. If Gus was working

the press when it was time for us to walk home, we were in for a treat.

We’d get a glass of apple cider right

out of the spout or drink from a length of hose from the barn.

I remember a storm coming through

while we were in school. My mem-ory tells me it was a tornado, but I

may be wrong. I do remember seeing

a big portion of a roof sailing by the schoolroom window. It had come

from the Beach Club farm fruit

house about a quarter mile south. It had been destroyed and had to be

rebuilt. Later, at home, I learned that

our outhouse had blown away; gone

and crashed somewhere in the woods maybe.

Our mother, Jennie, who is now 93, has many more memories of the

three or four years we lived there.

We were just kids with limited early memories. We moved from the farm

to the stone house down by our new

marina in 1950. That is when our

real memories started! Read ―Stone House‖ in the August 2009 issue of

Catawba Island Magazine online at

www.catawbaislandmagazine.com. ∞

Funny what you can remember.

Most Catawba kids went to the Un-

ion Chapel Sunday school. We had

several years of perfect attendance and pins to prove it. On nice Sundays

we would walk to the chapel. One

almost snowbound Sunday, Bill and

I were the only people to show up. Mrs. Mary Lafer and her son came

over and read the day’s lesson to us

as we huddled by that old stove. We

maintained our perfect attendance!

Our mother ran the farm with a lot of

help from William Rofkar, his son, John and others. Dad was consumed

with building our marina. We had a


To WIN, solve this puzzle and mail it to: Catawba Island Press, 9841 State Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133 by 4/25/10. Winner will be drawn randomly from correct entries received and announced in the next issue. To solve “Island Hut Sudoku”, every letter in the phrase “ISLAND HUT” must appear within each of the nine columns and nine rows & in each of the nine boxes. Good Luck! ∞

NAME:__________________________________ ADDRESS:______________________________

_______________________________________ PHONE/EMAIL:___________________________

Congrats to Last Month’s Winner of the

Crosswind’s $20 GC, Tina Ochs of Catawba

N U A

T D U L N H I

T N

A S H D I

U D L N

A U S

L A

S T D H I

H S I L T

Catawba Inn, 4112 N. Crogan St.

Catawba Island , 419-797-2501

CONTINUED from PAGE 5

Early Memories

Other bad memories included staying in during recess and lunch while the

others went out to play. During those

times I had to write on the black-

board, over and over and over "I will not --- (whatever it was that I had

done that time!‖) My saddest school

memory was the day they closed the doors of the Catawba Island School

for the last time. ∞

CONTINUED from PAGE 7

School Time

Our teachers had to be instructors, nurses, referees and disciplinarians.

We were tested for TB and diphthe-

ria, and also received shots for small-

pox.

In the 1930s, monthly PTA (Parent-

Teacher Association) meetings were held at the school and kept parents,

teachers and school board members

working together. All three groups provided input into the daily opera-

tions of the school; however, the

local school board had control over

its curriculum. To raise extra funds, activities such as bingo and card par-

ties were held at the school and were

supported by faculty and parents.

Besides the 3 Rs, Betty Fall also

taught art and crafts. Later in my life, the very smell of shellac reminded

me of her Indian craft projects. One

pleasant memory of mine included

class picnics in the spring in the schoolhouse woods; the woods being

shared with flocks of sheep. Other

pleasant memories were sledding down Schoolhouse Road hill, and

Edna Mae Richie taking our 4th and

5th grade class to see the shooting of

the oil well in the schoolhouse woods. The oil-drilling rig and steam

engine became our favorite hide and

seek destinations during recess.

Our 6th, 7th and 8th grade teacher,

Hilda Nelson, was also the principal. In her daily commute from Port Clin-

ton, she occasionally picked up "road

kill,‖ and she put these finds in the

trunk of her car until she reached school. She brought the dead animals

to me so I could skin them and sell

the pelts.

In the fall of the year, after raising

my hand for permission to go to the "boys’ room,‖ I would slip out the

back basement door and run across

the road to Gus Schraidt’s apple barn

where I would enjoy a quick drink of fresh apple cider. Afterwards, hope-

fully, I would return to my seat with-

out getting caught. Other great memories included the annual

Christmas and Valentine parties,

"scrap iron drives" and buying

"defense stamps.‖ We pasted the stamps in special books until we had

enough of them to buy "war bonds"

to help pay for the war effort during World War II.

There are a few "not-so-good" memories, too. One was having my

mouth washed out with soap for

accidentally swearing on the play-

ground. Another was having one pair of school shoes, which were also

used to do farm chores before going

to school, and I found it hard to keep ―the farm‖ off my shoes—if you

know what I mean! A few times I

was told in no uncertain terms to do a better cleaning job on my shoes.


Painting of Twine House and Storage Building on Barnum

Road (1962) by Pat Bristley.


Classified Ads for Real Estate are 50 ¢ a word. Free Catawba Bargains, Garage Sale and Local Employment Ads (3 mo. limit)! Please send ads to: 9841 State Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133 or [email protected].

CATAWBA ISLAND - Water view

w/Marina. 2744 SF, 4 yr old. 3 BDs,

bsmt, spacious 1st flr: Kitch, DR, fam

rm & Mst BD. 2nd flr: guest fam rm.,

2 BR, BA, office, 2.5 garage. Prof.

Decor, like new, Assoc Pool & club-

house. $389,000. Call 440-522-8796

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Ship & Shore Inc. Property Management Condominium and Residential, Home, Condo, Commercial Cleaning 419-797-

7035 [email protected]

SIDING & WINDOWS Henninger Construction

Vinyl Siding, Soffit Systems, Replace-ment Windows, 5 inch & 6 inch Seamless

Gutters, Gutter Guards. CALL GARY HENNINGER 419-798-4378

TOOL SHARPENING BLADERUNNER LLC,

Precision Tool Sharpening. Bob & Pam Rahm, Catawba Island, 3956 N Union

Drive 419-797-4829 [email protected]

SERVICE DIRECTORY BOAT SERVICES

Tom’s Marine Refinishing Hulls, Topsides, stripping and varnishing. 35 years Experience. Reasonable Rates.

Call 419-341-5350

COLLECTION SERVICE Turnkey Asset Recovery Solutions.

Low fee of 15% on Monies collected. Bryon Evans 419-341-8426 [email protected]

www.turnkeyassetrecoverysolutions.com

HANDYMAN SERVICES CAPTAIN FIX-IT

Keeping your land home on an even keel. Retired shop teacher

doing the honey-do list Free estimates 419-967-0520

Kurt Waggnor Painting, Drywall, Handyman Services,

Free estimates 419-559-1520

FOR SALE Piano, Studio Baldwin, 48 string, model

6000 w/Black satin finish. Expertly tuned & maintained.

Asking $2,200 NEGO. Email [email protected].

(4/10)

FREE BLACK WALNUT LOGS for wood working. 16’

8‖ X 17 1/2‖ dim., 6’5‖ X 13‖, 6’6‖ X 10‖, 7’8‖ X 13

1/3‖, 11’ 10‖ X 16‖ call 419-797-6565 (4/10)

FOR SALE Oak TV armoire/hutch, 75‖ tall X 40‖ wide

X 22‖ deep, roll-top style doors, top shelf, bottom cubby

& component cabinet. CI pick-up $50 440-724-8382

(4/10)

FOR SALE 2000 Sea Ray 340 Sundancer, 12’beam, twin

7.4L Mercruiser, 370hrs, color radar/chart w/GPS, 4

batteries $99,900. 419-797-4318 (4/10)

CATAWBA FREE HOUSE 100yr old Victorian Farm

House 3 br/2 ba Needs Siding & Furnace. Must be

Moved to your Lot. Serious Inquiries 419-797-6565

(4/10)

FOR SALE Large dark wood Dining Table, casual style,

82X41 w/2 leaves & 6 chairs $350 419-960-7076 (4/10)

FOR SALE - Country Coach Motorhome, 40' Diesel,

like new, stored inside for viewing, motivated seller, cell

# 419-366-0950. (4/10)

4 SALE Beautiful Lladro Porcelain, from Oriental Col-

lection, many retired, includes original boxes. 419-797-

4588 if no answer please leave message. (4/10)

Publisher's notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal

Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise "any preference, limitation,

or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap,

familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such

preference, limitation, or discrimination." We will not know-

ingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation

of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings

advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

CATAWBA

BARGAINS

An ad in the Service Directory is only $96 for 6 months! For more info

contact Andrea at 440-724-8382 or [email protected].

Catawba Island Magazine

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