Ferry Service From Toledo To Put-In-Bay Is In The Works
BY KRISTEN SCHWEITZER — MIRROR REPORTER
Want to go to Put-In-Bay or Kelleys Island this summer for a quick getaway? It’s more complicated than it may sound.
Currently, ferries operate out of Catawba Point, Port Clinton and Sandusky. From Toledo, it takes about 40 minutes to an hour to get to Port Clinton, the closest location. With the cost of fuel, driving to Port Clinton or Sandusky, paying to park your car and buying a ferry ticket, the trip can get a little pricey
But the extra driving time might not be necessary in the future.
The Jet Express ferry, which currently operates out of Port Clinton and Sandusky, will be doing trial runs from Toledo to Put-In-Bay this summer, in hopes of establishing a standard service in 2009, according to Paul LaMarre, manager of maritime affairs for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.
“The port authority is making the best in hopes that the community will re-embrace mass waterborne transportation,” he said.
The first trial run took place on May 30. The trip was hosted by WVKS-KISS FM and WIOT radio stations in conjunction with Pepsi, according to Carla Firestone, director of communications for the port authority.
Most of the passengers were winners of a radio contest, but according to LaMarre, 15 additional general admission tickets were sold at $55.00 each.
LaMarre called the trial run extremely successful and said when the Jet Express returned, the dock was lined with people enthusiastic about the run.
During the next trial run, on Thursday, August 14, the Jet Express will travel from the Toledo Maritime Center to Put-In-Bay and Cedar Point, according to LaMarre. The trip will eventually be open for general admission, he said, but details on how to get tickets have not been released yet.
No regular service is set in stone yet, according to LaMarre, but he said the future for the ferry service looks positive.
“Any passenger transportation is difficult based on cost-effectiveness,” he said.
However, taking a ferry from Toledo to Put-In-Bay is more cost-effective for passengers than driving to Port Clinton to board the ferry there, LaMarre said.
Other ferry services throughout the Great Lakes were considered for Toledo business, but according to LaMarre, Jet Express was the most supporting and willing to create a partnership.
The Jet Express has been in business for 20 years and it has the fastest ferry in North America, according to its Web site. The ferry, which can travel at about 40 miles per hour, can reach Put-In-Bay from Port Clinton in less than 25 minutes.
The trip to Put-In-Bay from the Toledo Maritime Center takes about 90 minutes, according to Firestone.
The Toledo Maritime Center opened in November 2007. It was developed with the intent to provide a passenger ferry and cruise ship service as well as dock the S.S. Willis B. Boyer museum ship, once the largest freighter in the world.
The center, located at 1701 Front St. in Toledo, can also be rented out for special events.
Preventing Bike Thefts: Lock It Up Tight And Register That Bike
BY KAREN BERGER — MIRROR REPORTER
As a kid, Andrew had bikes stolen, but within a few hours, he’d find out the culprit’s name and have his wheels back home.
As an adult, he’s frustrated that his nearly $500 professional-grade bike was stolen from a Maumee garage, and he’s seen it being ridden around town twice. Despite calls to the police, the thief got away.
“The unofficial but general consensus is we have a serious bike theft problem,” Andrew believes.
In Maumee, 44 bikes were stolen in 2006, 35 in 2007 and nine reported through June 2008. Whitehouse and Waterville only have a handful of bikes stolen, while Springfield and Monclova townships had 21 thefts in 2007 and only three so far this year, according to Maj. John Tharp with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.
Ironically, the bike barns in both Maumee and Whitehouse have unclaimed children’s and adult bicycles, including those with brand names such as Mongoose, Huffy and Schwinn.
Unless the bikes are registered, the police have no way of tracking down the owners. That’s why police recommend registering bikes if it’s available in your area. Maumee, Holland, Waterville and Whitehouse all offer free bike registration.
“If we get a bike in, it makes it easier to get back to the owners,” Whitehouse Police Officer Ron Shellhammer said.
To register, bring your bike with you or write down the tire size, bike size, serial number and description. For those living in areas that don’t offer registration, police suggest taking a photo of the bike and, writing down the make, model and serial number. That way, if a bike is stolen, owners can claim it.
Police welcome calls to check out the bike barns for missing bikes. Many are found in ditches and in public spaces, abandoned and sometimes stripped of parts.
Any unclaimed bike is eligible to be sold, given to charity or taken for department use as long as it’s held for at least 90 days, said Maumee police Sgt. Tom Hixon. The division donated 42 bicycles to New Harvest Church in May and previously gave some to Solid Rock Ministries.
“We typically do this to clean out our bike barn twice a year due to the number of bikes that we recover,” Hixon said. The number of bikes found far exceeds those reported as stolen.
Andrew didn’t find his bike when checking local bike barns, so he registered it at www.stolenbicycleregistry.com.
Preventing a bike theft is easier than finding one after the fact.
While Andrew’s bike was stolen from a locked garage, most thefts occur because bikes are left unattended in yards, at libraries, parks and schools, according to police.
“If homes are up close to the street, have your bikes in the garage and have your garage door down,” Tharp said. “When you’re out to the parks, use a bike lock and chain it to a tree or bike rack.”
While even locked bikes can be stolen, seeing a chain around a bike is the best deterrent.
“A bicycle being unlocked is a bigger factor in whether it gets stolen than how expensive the bicycle is. Remember, even when your bike is locked, it may still be stolen,” said Lt. David Morrison of the Waterville police.
Holland Police Officer Joe Bodnar recommends using a chain lock instead of a cable lock. And a U-bolt is even better.
“All chains can be cut if you have the right tools. But it’s certainly a deterrent, like locking your car,” Bodnar said.
Upon discovering a stolen bike, call 911 immediately. If you see your bike with someone else, don’t confront the person, Tharp warned, unless it’s a child and you know the parents.
Parade Through Maumee Kicks Off The Lucas County Fair
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