Catawba Island Magazine

On the Cover… Catawba Cliffs entrance AJE

3… Letter from the Press

4… Catawba Rocks

7… Fire Department

8… Police Beat

10… Township News

12… Boat Names

15… Horoscopes

16… Restaurants & Entertainment

17… Classifieds

on page

13

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

Bassett’s Market 419-734-6506 ∞

on page

14

State Park Boat Ramp - AJE

Andrea J. Elliott

Publisher and Photographer, Catawba Island Press

April 2011 Catawba Island Magazine 3

NAME____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS (Sorry, NO P.O. Boxes!)___________________________________________________

CITY_______________________________________ STATE__________ ZIP___________

Subscriptions will start the month after we receive your order. If you want to start your subscription in a later month, please note it on your order. Sent monthly except January & February = one special Winter Edition. Mail Orders 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!

April, 2011 Dear friends, Looks like we have officially all survived winter! Though its been a brisk start to Spring - you know what is right around the corner…. and it will be here before you know it. I would like to thank the many of those who send letters to us, subscribe to our little publication, order books and back issues, advertise and do what they can to help support Catawba Island Magazine! We have many new advertisers and more to come as the weather warms up that help bring this to your mailbox every month. Be sure to visit our advertisers and thank them! We have received many requests for back issues of Catawba Island Magazine - and yes - there are limited back issues available. These magazines can only be purchased on line at our website at www.catawbaislandmagazine.com. Most of our back issues are available however a few are out of print and can no longer be reproduced - so be sure to purchase your back issues today! We have yet another interesting issue this month that you are sure to enjoy... Thanks for reading! Hope to see you around town.

Spring-ready House on Sugar Rock

Catawba Island Geology:

Rocks & Caves

by Andrea J. Elliott

Did you know there are numerous

caves peppered around our little pen-

insula?...many of which you may

have already unknowingly explored!

But before you grab your spelunking

gear, let me explain how the caves of

Catawba came about and where they

are today.

The bedrock under Catawba Island

extending beyond Rattlesnake Island

including South Bass, Green and

Starve Islands is mostly composed of

dolomite; a type of rock commonly

confused with limestone. Geologists

named it Put-in-Bay Dolomite since

the largest outcropping formation is

located on South Bass Island. Lime-

stone found in the neighboring areas

of Marblehead, Kelley‟s Island, San-

dusky and Johnson‟s Island is called

Columbus Limestone, since the city

of Columbus has the most prominent

outcropping formation of it.

The formation of our area‟s sedimen-

tary limestone and dolomite rock

occurred 430 to 350 million years

ago during the Silurian and Devo-

nian Periods. As particles precipi-

tated through our warm, shallow,

salty seas there was a buildup of

limey mud. If allowed to harden, it

formed limestone - calcium bicar-

bonate. If at the same time magne-

sium, most likely from volcanic ash,

was introduced during the lithifica-

tion process, dolomite was formed.

Dolomite is basically limestone with

traces of magnesium in it.

Our native dolomite rocks were used

in construction of homes in the Ca-

tawba Cliffs in the 1920s. “Back to

nature” Craftsman-style architecture

was popular at the time so many of

the first homes in the Cliffs were

built with local rock. To this day it is

commonly mistaken for limestone. It

was also in the Cliffs where Ca-

tawba‟s one and only lime kiln was

located. It failed to produce a

Catawba Island Magazine April 2011 4 CONTINUED on NEXT PAGE

CONTINUED from PREVIOUS PAGE

So what about the caves like the ones

discussed in the book Legends of

Catawba? Those caves were located

in the Catawba Cliffs. Many were

formed along the cliffs‟ shorelines

when angry Nor‟easters blew high

and hard washing away the lower

layers of rock called Tymochtee

Shaly Dolomite, a thin fragmented

layer of rock.

marketable lime/mortar and went

bankrupt years ago.

Ok, so what about the caves? Most

caves are formed by moving water,

similar to the well-known Mammoth

Caves in Kentucky. That is not the

case with Catawba Island area caves.

Our caves, along with many of those

on South Bass and other nearby is-

lands are called solution caves which

are created by a chemical process

involving rain. As rainwater leached

through the various layers of surface

rock, it picked up natural, acidic

chemicals that dissolved pockets of

gypsum in the rock layers leaving a

void. During this process, gases built

up and expanded, pushing it upward,

often three times its size, forming an

underground cavern.

Occasionally the tops of these cav-

erns collapsed creating a cave or a

sinkhole. Over time the sinkholes

filled with rainwater and became

ponds or lakes. Many of ponds and

harbors on the west side of Catawba

were once collapsed caves, including

the Catawba Island Club‟s harbor

near Beach Club Road (formerly

called Bass Lake), Seigler‟s Pond off

NW Catawba Road in the Nature

Preserve (many refer to it as the

green swamp), Speaker‟s Pond off

NW Catawba Road on the golf

course, La Marin and Sugar Rock

harbors just to name a few. Many of

these natural ponds and harbors have

since been enlarged by dredging cre-

ating the shorelines we are familiar

with today.


CONTINUED on NEXT PAGE

Left: Main Entrance to the Catawba Cliffs.

Below: Seigler’s Pond, Catawba Island Nature

Preserve. Photos by Andrea J. Elliott.

Catawba Island Magazine April 2011 6

ered an underground cave not far

from what is now the main entrance

into the development. Local, Don

Rhodes, recalls playing in this cave

as a youngster long before it was

sealed for safety reasons. Now the

cave is just a memory and a depres-

sion in someone‟s backyard. Interest-

ingly enough, J.H. Bellows, devel-

oper of the Cliffs and author of Leg-

ends of Catawba, wrote about this

cave, and others, being explored in

1820 (a slight discrepancy in timing

on his part). Moreover, Legends of

Catawba does contain many of the

older pictures of the original shore-

lines of the Cliffs. ∞

A special thanks to Don Rhodes of

the Ottawa City General Store &

Museum on Catawba Island for con-

tributing much of the information

contained in this article.

If you are interested in the book Leg-

ends of Catawba, edited by Don

Rhodes, it may be purchased at the

Ottawa City General Store & Mu-

seum on Catawba Island, at the cor-

ner of NW Catawba Road and Por-

ter, Memorial weekend through Oc-

tober or by visiting our website at

www.catawbaislandmagazine.com.∞

Put-in-Bay Dolomite withstood the

lake‟s lashings leaving behind cove-

like caverns visible from the lake.

These are not the only caves found in

the Cliffs.

In the 1850s, while quarrying for

limestone in what is now known as

the Catawba Cliffs, laborers discov-

CONTINUED from PREVIOUS PAGE Bedrock Geology Map

Geologic units shown are (from oldest to

youngest): Silurian Greenfield Dolomite (Sg),

Tymochtee Shaly Dolomite (St), Put-in-Bay

Dolomite (Sp), Raisin River Dolomite (Sr),

Devonian Detroit River (Ddr), Columbus

Limestone (Dc) and Ohio Shale (Do). AJE

http://www.catawbaislandmagazine.com/

training and continuing education

required to become a First Responder

is paid for by the fire department.

There are many great reasons to join

the department. First and most im-

portant, is the opportunity to serve

your neighbors in a very unique, ex-

citing, and rewarding way. The fel-

lowship of like-minded individuals, a

great family environment, and career/

resume building are only a few of the

advantages of membership.

If you are interested in learning more

about how you can save lives, help

your community and have a great

time doing so, ask any firefighter or

please contact me for additional in-

formation.

John Gangway, Fire Chief [email protected]

April 2011

LETTER FROM THE CHIEF

Who will answer the call?

The word “volunteer” is perhaps the

most illustrative word in our depart-

ment‟s name. It defines the selfless

dedication our members have to their

neighbors and the community. In the

United States, volunteer fire service

has a proud history beginning in Bos-

ton and Philadelphia over 275 years

ago.

The Catawba Island Volunteer Fire

Department was formed in 1949.

Like many volunteer and career fire

departments, it began with emer-

gency medical treatment and trans-

port of the sick and injured in the

early 1970‟s. Since then EMS has

quickly surpassed fire calls in num-

ber and in the use of manpower and

resources. Today about 80% of our

total calls are for EMS.

Currently, we have 25 members; of

these, 8 are EMTs. Although our

membership numbers have been rela-

tively stable for the last 30 years, ad-

ditional help is needed! To join the

department you must be 18 years or

older, live on Catawba Island, have a

valid driver‟s license with no felony

record. The men and women of the

department range in age from 19 to

79 with many diverse backgrounds

and interests.

The State of Ohio Basic Volunteer

Firefighter certification class is a 36

hour program and must be completed

within the first year of membership.

Continuing education is provided by

the department; and all training and

equipment is included. It is not re-

quired, but we encourage members

interested in EMS to further their

training and become a First Re-

sponder or EMT, and again, all EMS


“Your gear could be here!”


Catawba Island Township Police Department

Excerpts from the Call Summary from February 23 - March 31, 2011.

would not answer door. Police

gained entry and detained the irate

man. Subject did not know how he

received the cuts to his face and neck

and was transported to the hospital

for further evaluation.

March 3 While on patrol an officer

observed a cat laying in the bike path

on East Catawba Road. The cat had a

4” conibear trap around its neck but

was alive. Officer removed the trap

and the panicked feline ran off.

March 4 Theft call received from a

residence in the Catawba Cliffs. Fire-

wood was reported missing from

complainant‟s property. Subject with

firewood stated that a contractor had

permitted them to have it.

March 5 Call received regarding a

possible subject stuck on the ice near

the Catawba Island Club. Police ob-

served debris. Nothing further.

March 7 Call received from a fe-

male stating she had been receiving

several calls from different people


February 23 Call received to assist

Danbury with a disturbance. Male

subject was yelling loudly in his

condo. Subject could be seen through

the window with blood on his face

and neck. The man was holding

something in his hand. Subject

erator of his vehicle causing it to run

at a high idle. The officer had to

point this out to the driver so he

would stop it. The driver then recited

the alphabet out of order and stated

he did not wish to perform any more

tests. When asked about his alcohol

consumption, the driver stated he had

too much to drink and should not be

driving. Driver arrested for operating

a vehicle while intoxicated.

March 31 While on patrol an officer

was flagged down by a pedestrian

near Catawba Shores North. The

subject stated he had found vertebrae

and other bones that appeared to be

human. A tibia and other bones were

taken to a local doctor who stated

they did appear to be that of a human

while other looked like deer bones.

Currently awaiting coroner‟s deter-

mination. Under investigation. ∞

irate that she had been calling them.

She states she had not made any such

calls and notified the phone company

whom asked her to notify the police

regarding possible spoofing.

March 8 Noise complaint received

from a female caller regarding a boat

in a marina that was loud and rattling

her windows. Police discovered the

US Coast Guard practicing ice res-

cue and were running their air boat.

In response to the call the US Coast

Guard stated, “A 427 big block

would probably rattle her windows.”

March 15 Call received from a Por-

ter Road building regarding the

strong odor of gas. Building evacu-

ated and gas company called. Several

gas leaks were found outside the

building.

March 16 Non injury accident re-

ported from Vineyard Circle. Vehi-

cle backing out of driveway struck

oncoming mail truck. Driver‟s vehi-

cle sustained minor damage. Mail

truck was not damaged. Report

made.

March 21 Theft call received from a

Mary Ann Drive resident stating she

was missing rings from her jewelry

box that were last seen months ago.

Several individuals have been in and

out of the residence since the items

were last seen. Rings missing in-

cluded an engagement ring, a wed-

ding ring, sapphire, emerald and dia-

mond rings; 6 rings total. Report

made.

March 27 OVI. Officer observed

two vehicles driving in front of him

on NW Catawba Road. The lead ve-

hicle was swerving and went over

the centerline towards oncoming

traffic. Officer stopped the vehicle.

The driver emitted the strong odor of

intoxicants and had slurred speech.

Driver admitted to drinking. When

asked to recite the alphabet, the

driver questioned the officer while

unknowingly stepping on the accel-



Catawba Island Township Board

of Township Trustees

Meeting Minutes

February 22, 2011

Motion to approve and pay the bills

in the amount of $47,412.31. All

voted aye.

Gary Mortus expressed his thanks to

the Maintenance crew for the excel-

lent job they do keeping the roads

cleared during the winter months. He

said compared to other roads he has

traveled recently Catawba Island

Township roads are excellent.

Matt Montowski said there are new

FEMA flood zone maps available at

Regional Planning located at the Ot-

tawa County Courthouse. He said

over 600 properties were affected by

the flood zone revision and a lot of

properties that were previously in the

500 year flood zone will now be in a

100 year flood zone. Meeting ad-

journed.

Meeting Minutes March 8, 2011

Motion to approve and pay the bills

in the amount of $41,706.54.



be left such as border posts with rail-

road spikes in them or metal posts,

garden tools, lumber with nails, rocks,

concrete and any other items such as

these it tends to tear up the mulching

equipment that is used to grind the

material. This is both costly in repairs

and the down time necessary to repair

the equipment.

We have noticed an increase in the

dumping of dirt at the compost site

this is not allowed. This site is only

able to take wood, grass or leafs as

stated by the EPA. The compost site is

a benefit for all and it will take effort

by everyone to keep it open and func-

tional. Currently we leave it open 24/7

so that it is accessible to everyone

including weekends. Two weekends

ago someone left a pile of material

with hot embers in it that with the

wind began to burn. One of the police

officers on patrol noticed it and we

were able to extinguish it before it

became a major problem.

So if you see anyone leaving trash or

material not allowed at the compost

area please say something to them or

take a license number or name of the



Dan Barlow presented a bid of

$56,238.28 for replacing the town-

ships backhoe, including trading in

the old backhoe. All voted aye. Mo-

tion carried.

Gary Mortus said the Ottawa County

Engineer presented a proposal of

$197,309.51 for grinding and resur-

facing Catawba‟s portion of Sand

Road. Motion made to proceed with

the Sand Road portion of the road

contract coordinated through the Ot-

tawa County Engineer contingent on

the approval of Portage Township.

All voted aye. The motion was car-

ried. Meeting adjourned.

This month we want to address the

compost area that is located on Ceme-

tery Road. This site is regulated by

the EPA. We are subject to on-site

inspections which are unannounced.

These inspections cover ground water

concerns, runoff and also trash and

material that are not allowed at this

location.

In order to keep this site from getting

closed or the Township from getting

into trouble with the EPA it takes the

work of all the residents and all others

using the site to participate in keeping

it clean. Plastic bottles, trash bags

filled with trash or grass clippings are

not allowed. The Township employ-

ees make every effort to keep the area

policed but it would make it a lot eas-

ier if we all make sure when leaving

material on site that anything that

does not decay or break down is

picked up.

The Township also has a company

come in a couple times a year to grind

the material on site so that we can

redistribute it to the residents for their

use around homes, gardens or what-

ever they want it for. Should material

Please note: Meeting minutes contained here-

with are edited for space. The full version is

available through the Township Administration.

company then call us with the infor-

mation and we will contact them. Let

us all work together to keep the com-

post area clean.

Brush pick up is now in full swing so

leave material along the edge of the

road all facing the same direction and

not over eight feet long. Spring leaf

pick up will continue until mid-April.

Thank you,

Dan Barlow

Maintenance Supervisor

Catawba Cleanup starts

April 27 until May 1 at

the old fire station. No

paint, tires or batteries

will be taken. The next

cleanup will be October

12th through the 16th.

vocation, an expression of gratitude,

a supplication (a humble and sincere

appeal to somebody who has the

power to grant a request), a rededica-

tion, and finally a libation.

the beginning of time, sailors have

sworn there are unlucky ships, and

the unluckiest ships are those who

defied the gods of the wind and the

sea by changing their names. Many

boat owners believe boats have

souls, sacred souls.

So, is there a way to change a name

without incurring the wrath of those

deities that rule the elements? Pro-

vided certain procedures are fol-

lowed a “de-naming” ceremony can

occur and one can rename a boat.

While researching for this article, it

was learned that a de-naming can

occur with five simple steps: an in-

How to Change a Boat Name

without Upsetting

the Gods of Wind and Sea

by Pamela Holt

It has long been believed that chang-

ing the name of a newly purchased,

previously-owned boat is bad luck.

But what happens when, after

months of searching, you find your

dream boat with a name that you

simply cannot live with, particularly

if its current name is say

“Autopsea”?

Renaming a boat is, of course, not

something to be taken lightly. Since CONTINUED on NEXT PAGE


PIB 2009 by AJE

can humbly be conducted below

deck.

Immediately after the de-naming

ceremony, or at a convenient time of

your choosing, a traditional naming

ceremony may take place as if she

were a brand new vessel, but instead

of those ancient practices of the Mid-

dle Ages where Vikings traditionally

christened their ships with human

sacrifices, letting the victim's blood

spill over the bow of the ship, mod-

ern practices encourage the use of

champagne, or red wine, instead of

blood.

A renaming verse could be as simple

as saying “'I name this ship _____,

and may she bring fair winds and

good fortune to all who sail on her.”

Pour the champagne generously over

the bow and stern, and if you hap-

pened to have purchased a case of

the bubbly and you don‟t have too

many guests, pour it to the East then

West acknowledging the wind and

sea gods, remembering the cham-

pagne represents victim‟s blood from

days past.


With a bit of imagination—and

maybe with a “little help from your

friends”—a unique ceremony can

be created.

According to legend, all vessels are

recorded by name in the Ledger of

the Deep and are known personally

to Poseidon, the god of the sea. It is

logical, therefore, if one wishes to

change the name of his boat, it is

necessary to purge to first purge its

current name from the Ledger of the

Deep and from Poseidon‟s memory.

Remove the name from everything

onboard. Be ruthless—sand it away

from transoms, topsides and the

dinghy—painting over it is not suf-

ficient. Do not under any circum-

stances place the new name any-

where on the boat or mention its

newly chosen name before the de-

naming ceremony has taken place.

Conduct the ceremony, to be per-

formed verbally with or without

spectators; but since it‟s an auspi-

cious occasion, it‟s a good time to

invite friends to witness the event

and of course, throw a party too.

Make it short, sweet and simple. If

one wishes to conduct the ceremony

but may be too embarrassed to

make it a public display, the service




How to Change a Boat Name...

Attracting Bad Luck

with a Boat Name

A vessel with a name that is too pre-

sumptuous has long been held to at-

tract bad luck. Presumptuousness

would include a name that chal-

lenges the sea or wind, or boasts that

it can conquer better the elements or

survive its meanest blows. To call a

boat Lake Conqueror or Wind Tamer

is simply to tempt fate. The gods like

boat names to be humble.

To call a ship Titanic is asking for

trouble too. And of course the Ti-

tanic was ill-fated from the start any-

way as she was launched without a

naming ceremony, thus offending the

gods from the get-go. ∞


It‟s important to have stability in

your life especially at this time.

Sagittarius “The Archer”

November 22nd thru December 21st

Spring is not the time to seek risky

endeavors. Try to steer towards safe

bets.

Capricorn “The Mountain Goat”

December 22nd thru January 19th

Your path will cross with someone

who can show you simple ways to

increase your potential.

Aquarius “The Water Bearer”

January 20th thru February 19th

April is an excellent time to share

your beliefs. Spend time with those

who want to elevate their aspira-

tions.

Pisces “Two Fishes”

February 20th thru March 20th

Once you visualize the type of re-

sults you want, you‟ll be able to put

forth that necessary effort. ♥

By Starr

ARIES “The Ram”

“Daredevil of the Zodiac”

Assertive * Passionate

Enterprising Spirit

Aries “The Ram”

March 21st thru April 19th

Finally, things are turning around for

you this month! Believe…you can

spin straw into gold.

Taurus “The Bull”

April 20th thru May 20th

There‟s more than meets the eye this

month. It‟s helpful to read between

the lines.

Gemini “The Twins”

May 21st thru June 20th

Start the Spring Season with a

change in your style. Be creative!

Cancer “The Crab”

June 21st thru July 22nd

Forgotten hobbies seem to become

most important in April. Step back

into the past & enjoy.

Leo “The Lion”

July 23rd thru August 22nd

Your imagination during this month

seems limitless. If you dream it….it

can happen.

Virgo “Virgin”

August 23rd thru September 22nd

Responsibilities this month may

override your desire to have fun.

Sacrifice will put you closer to your

goals.

Libra “Scales”

September 23rd thru October 22nd

During April, people long for your

attention. Try to be receptive and

accommodating.

Scorpio “Scorpion”

October 23rd thru November 21st


Danny Boy‟s offers a warm atmos-

phere complimented by “a Frank

Sinatra, Rat Pack theme with classic

music underscore.” We were seated

in the main dining area at a high-top

table overlooking a fireplace and a

happenin‟ little bar where the bar-

tender was pouring a couple marti-

nis. Three other dining room areas

each offer their own ambiance. Our

server was quick to take our drink

and food order. Woogie bears are “the original pizza

roll”; similar to calzones but offer

ricotta cheese with a side of sauce—

a delightful treat! Dave ordered a

pepperoni woogie with mushrooms,

onions and garlic. I ordered a woogie

with mushrooms, zucchini, onion

and garlic too.

We enjoyed a domestic beer and a

round of war with the playing cards

that were provided at our table. It

wasn‟t long before our woogies ar-

rived—hot and oozing with cheese—

just in time to save Dave from de-

feat.

Our bill was under $25. Dave and I

thoroughly enjoyed the woogies with

some to spare. Danny Boy‟s also

offers a variety of other casual Italian

options including a nice selection of

“swinging‟” salads, subs, pizza pies

including original twists like the

Downtown Mac-n-cheese pasta pie,

fold-overs, ribs, pasta, plus a kids

menu and even dessert should you

have room. Danny Boy‟s menu and

hours can be viewed at

www.dannyboysitalianeatery.net.

Danny Boy‟s is well worth the 20-

minute drive and we highly recom-

mended a visit. It‟s located on RT

250 just south of RT 2 and open year

„round. By the looks of things, it

appears they may offer a screened in

outdoor patio that should be a great

spot for a return visit this summer to

try one of those tasty-looking marti-

nis! ∞

Danny Boy’s Italian Eatery

Sandusky, Ohio

by Andrea J. Elliott

Dave and I were driving up to Ca-

tawba Island recently and decided to

stop by an old favorite pizza joint,

Danny Boy‟s in Sandusky. We al-

ready knew what we wanted, as

Danny Boy‟s is a regular stop for us

when heading off the turnpike from

Cleveland.


http://www.dannyboysitalianeatery.net/


Documents

Catawba Island Magazine