Community Roundup: Catawba Island to be include on adventure tour

News-Messenger/News Herald
·3 min read
Firelands Adventure Tours owners, Jim Ervin, left and Dick Ries.
Firelands Adventure Tours owners, Jim Ervin, left and Dick Ries.

Catawba Island to be include on adventure tour

PORT CLINTON — Firelands Adventure Tours of Sandusky plans to launch a tour of historical sites on Catawba Island.

According to the owners of the company, Dick Ries and Jim Ervin, a two-hour excursion to highlight landmarks and heritage sites along Ohio 53 and West Catawba Road will be offered twice monthly. Guests will be transported in a climate-controlled, wheelchair-accessible van with an amplified sound system and TV monitor.

Content of the tour was created by the Catawba Island Historical Society, takes its Union Chapel Museum volunteers on a similar Island journey to familiarize them with local facts, legends and lore.  A portion of the fee charged by Firelands Adventure Tours will go toward supporting museum activities.

Pick-up and drop-off for the excursion will occur at Catawba Island State Park on East Moores Dock Road. Although the exact route has yet to be finalized, it is likely tour explanations will commence at the northern end of the Island near what could have become a booming community called Ottawa City had a nearby cement production operation been successful in the 1850s.

Examples of tour highlights include stories about early Victorian-style hotels and guest houses, schools, stores and postal facilities, Native American activity, pioneers and entrepreneurs, and the role of grapes and peaches in bolstering the Catawba economy.

The van tour will be free for children ages 6 or younger. Youths ages 7-12 will be $10.  Adults 13-61 will be $65. Seniors 62 and older will be $60. There is no charge to visit Catawba Museum at Union Chapel.

For more information about the tour and to book reservations visit firelandsadventuretours.com.

ProMedica earns Gold Seal from stroke association

FREMONT — ProMedica Memorial Hospital earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Stroke Certification.

The certification indicates Memorial Hospital is able to provide expert stroke care to patients by demonstrating the facility uses evidence-based clinical practice guidelines from the American Stroke Association. The certification lasts two years.

Memorial Hospital underwent an onsite review in June. A team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including management, supporting self-management and delivering and facilitating clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

For more information about stroke services at ProMedica, visit promedica.org/stroke.

Safety Council returns to in-person sessions

OAK HARBOR — The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) reinstated its Safety Council Program after an over a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the pandemic, all Ohio safety councils have been holding virtual monthly meetings. The safety council runs on an annual basis and the new program year began July 1 and goes through June 30. During this time, BWC has restructured the Safety Council program.

On May 2, a virtual Safety Council Leaders Conference was held to review the fiscal year 2023 program and rebate requirements. New marketing tools for member retention and recruitment were introduced, along with a new online portal for tracking attendance and employer rebate potential.

“There have been a number of changes,” commented Jessica Grzechowiak, Ottawa County Safety Council manager. “We’ve all been through a lot these last few years and we’re so excited to welcome our members back, in-person."

One item that has not changed is the 2% safety council rebate that employers can earn on their workers’ compensation premium. To qualify for the 2% rebate, employers must:

  • Join or confirm existing, active membership by July 31;

  • Attend 10 in-person safety council meetings between July 1, 2022 and June 30.

Anyone interested in joining the Ottawa County Safety Council or attending the July 20 lunch meeting, contact Jessica Grzechowiak at jgrzechowiak@ocic.biz.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Community Roundup: Catawba Island to be include on adventure tour