The adventures of Cody, the cat dog, continue

Rick,
Has Cody shown you the way back to hurricane-filled Florida yet, or are you still dodging the Put-In-Bay ick? There was press about some unknown but wide-spread waterborne disease there last week.

Excerpt from a local paper...

E. coli in island wells

By RICK NEALE
Staff writer

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PUT-IN-BAY -- E. coli bacteria has been discovered in groundwater wells at Heineman Winery and Press House Corner Market, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency reported.

Both Catawba Avenue businesses have been ordered by the Ottawa County Health Department to stop using their well water supplies and septic systems. The EPA findings were generated during investigation of a still-unidentified outbreak of gastrointestinal illness has sickened hundreds of Put-in-Bay residents, summer workers and visitors in recent weeks.

"They've been testing water all over the island," Heineman Winery Assistant Manager Michael Bianchi said. "They've found some of the wells weren't up to snuff, which included us."

The mystery illness causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, cramps, chills and other flu-like symptoms. As of this morning, Ottawa County Health Commissioner Nancy Osborn said her department had received more than 100 reports of patients linked to the outbreak.

Osborn said no definitive links have been made between the E. coli discoveries and the outbreak. The cause of the sickness remains unidentified. Stool and vomit samples are being analyzed by the Ohio Department of Health, which could issue a report by week's end.

Heineman Winery remains open for business. Late Monday night, Osborn said Press House Corner Market voluntarily closed down its operations.

"The reason why is, they were ordered by the Ohio EPA to plug the outlet of their septic tank and use it as a holding tank, and have it pumped," she said. EPA officials suspect the market's septic tank may have adversely affected its well water supply, she said.

Nobody answered the phone last night and this morning at Press House Corner Market. The establishment, which includes the newly added Joe's Bar, is located near the entrance to South Bass Island State Park.

The winery and the market are both located in Put-in-Bay Township, where water is largely provided by private wells. The village public water system primarily serves the downtown area.

A message seeking comment was left this morning for Dina Pierce, an Ohio EPA spokeswoman in Columbus.

Bianchi said Heineman Winery employees are now using bottled water for winery operations, and towelettes are being supplied in the restrooms.

He said some winery workers have been stricken by the illness.

"We had some people that had some symptoms two, three weeks ago, but nothing extensive. Everybody's anxiously waiting to see what it is that's causing this out here," he said.

The winery typically sells drinking water to customers from vending machines, Bianchi said.

Media coverage of the Put-in-Bay outbreak continues to gain steam. "I did 20 interviews yesterday," Osborn said. "And five I didn't get to."

RICK NEALE

We are still in PIB and feeling fine, except for a sprained back. During Bay Week on the first day my tramp ripped completely out and I had to jump from side to side. The next day I couldn't get out of bed.

We will be heading south in time for the Wave NAs in Pensacola on the 24th.

Meanwhile, in yesterday's paper, buried in a remote middle section of the Plain Dealer, was an article that said there was no e-coli and the wells were fine. It apparently was something else that made those folks sick.
Rick

Rick & Mary,
Cody is still looking good. Hard to beleive it's been two years since I took that first photo on his webpage. We are heading to Kelly's Island on Labor Day and were thinking about visiting you on PIB if the weather cooperated, but it sounds like you will be heading South before that.
We will be passing through Key Largo this Christmas season on our way to the KOA campground at Fiesta Key.
Jack

Hi Jack,
Naw! We will be here. Well, Mary will be. I am sailing in the Green Island Regatta at Port Clinton YC. There will be beach cat buoy racing on Saturday on the Hobie Wave, and a distance race around Green Island and back. On the Sunday distance race I think I will be sailing on Moxie (F31 of Gary Hall), but will be back Sunday evening.., in time for **** hour, of course. Fast boat.
Rick

Rick

Sorry I posted then news article on e coli. Seems the story is misleading and a part of the media hype concerning the issue. I would delete the post if I could. As a recent visitor for a week to Put in Bay I can attest that things are booming on the island as usual.

Kim

Kim,
The health department apparently is having a hard time determining which complaints are valid, because many of the reported symptoms closely resemble those of a bad hangover.

Next time you are at Put-in-Bay, stop to see us. And also keep in mind that we rent our house out by the weekend and by the week.

Mary

Waaaiit a minute! I think I caught the same thing when I was there last year! Must have been the water!

I believe I have been catching it daily.

Funny, but coming back on the ferry from the Trans-Erie Race last night were a report-ette and camerman who were going to do a report.
In their research, the numbers are near 1000, but most of them are not from the island visitors, but folks on the mainland. Sure makes the original story sound even more bogus.
Love the modern media with all their agendas.
Rick