All leaders realize that change is a constant in many areas of business and life.  The responsibility for change lies within every individual.  Change is all about us.  Cell phones are becoming cameras, instant alerts, web searchers, and email receivers.  New families today may pass on a hard line telephone because they carry theirs on their waist.  McDonald’s is testing DVD rentals through kiosks at various stores.  Should Blockbuster move over or start offering French fries?  While the Hummer H2 is the MMP vehicle of choice there are smaller mini cooper autos being developed that can go 60 miles on one gallon of gasoline.  Many retail outlets are developing ‘pods’ that can carry all the main product and supporting products all in one area for ease of selection.  Is it true you can now drink your Krispy Kreme donut?  I love the taste of the XS Popsicle made recently in Reston, VA. 

~ Jody Victor

Chris and Terri  Brady are going to be soon riding fast across Lake Erie as Thunder Love and XS make their way through the waters of Sandusky Bay. At the invitation of Jody Victor the TOD Founders* are having a blast taking in the sights and sounds of the area. 

Summer is a great time of year. Outdoor grilling, sunshine and laughs as the whole family gets into the act. The Marblehead area has many tourist attractions. Johnson’s Island is a unique experience of its own. The Confederate Officers cemetery is a must see.

Back to boating and enjoying the great times with friends.

~ Jody Victor

*Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady are the founders and leaders of The Team of Destiny®

Lake Erie is the Iroquois word for "Cat."

Historians tell us that Lake Erie was formed over 9,000 years ago by the weight of the glaciers. Melting ice filled the Great Lakes. Earthquakes caused limestone and rock to rise above the water and form the many islands that you may have visited. 

Marblehead Lighthouse was built in 1821 and is the oldest Lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes. The lens for the Lighthouse was on display at the St. Louis World’s Fair. The 184 day event had many new items for display. After a matter of fact: "what’s coming down the pike" came from the main drag or mile long midway of the fair displays. 

The original Marblehead Lighthouse care keepers’ house is still available for tours. 

The Firelands area of this part of the country is named because settlers relocated to Ohio from Connecticut towns destroyed by fire during the Revolutionary War.

 

~ Jody Victor

We have invited Orrin and Laurie Woodward to Sandusky Bay. I am anxious to get Orrin out on Thunder Love and see if his hair parts. Thunder Love is a PowerQuest boat manufactured in Holland, MI. 

Orrin and Laurie continue to lead their group with the passion of a dreamer who has the drive to make the dreams come true. The Team of Destiny organization continues to set the pace for others to follow. We are proud and anxious to have the Woodward’s explore all that Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie have to offer.

~ Jody Victor

Just the other day my neighbor called to me to look out the front door and see two eagles sitting high above in the trees. The Sandusky Bay/Lake Erie area is a popular eagle nesting area. The eagle is the most protected species on the planet. The bald eagle is the symbol of freedom and the United States National Symbol.

The many laws enacted have saved the eagles in this area. While Akron, Ohio is working to make a comeback for the endangered hawks the Sandusky Bay area has been successful in saving the bald eagle. 

Around 1979 there was only four pair of eagles located in all of Ohio. Today there are 108 pairs. This area of Sandusky Bay/Lake Erie has the most pairs with 39 pairs. Imagine that? The laws are there for the eagle’s protection. You can not disturb a nest or cause an eagle angst. 

Along Sandusky Bay nothing is more majestic or awe-inspiring than to see a bald eagle in flight. Soaring high above the bald eagle makes his presence known. With each swoop the geese or ducks can be heard to alert all in the area that an eagle is approaching.

~ Jody Victor

Who opened the NY Stock Exchange Thursday July 15th, 2004?

Answer. Cedar Fair President and CEO Dick Kinzel rang the bell to open today’s session. Wall Street will never be the same as a last minute opportunity turned out to be strategically timed with the company’s offering of 2.4 million units. It has been reported that not since the company went public in 1987 has the company offered stock to the public. Cedar Fair owns Sandusky’s Cedar Point and recently acquired Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio for $145 million.

~ Jody Victor

However, Cedar Point’s Blue Streak would suggest Blue Arm Bands as the famous coaster turned 40 this week. 

The Blue Streak coaster was always one of my families favorites when visiting Cedar Point. The 78 foot tall ride is the oldest coaster in the park. In the same week the Raptor turned 10 years old and even today Kathy loves to ride the Raptor. Two other coaster rides celebrated anniversaries this week too. Tuesday was the 25 year anniversary for the Jr. Gemini which Kayla loves to ride and the Cedar Creek Mine Ride turned 35. The first 1,000 riders for each coaster were presented with commemorative pins. People came from near and far to collect the pins. 

The 40 mph Blue Streak was named in the honor of the Sandusky High School football team which had just been voted Ohio State football champions in 1964. The Blue Streak debuted as a plain wooden coaster with blue and orange trains but today it is baby blue. Like the rest of the rides the Blue Streak is run by a computer system. 

Imagine in forty years there have been nearly 53 million rides on the Blue Streak. Last year the Blue Streak gave 971,696 rides.

Next time you are at the park check out the 2,558 feet in length, 78 feet high, 72 feet vertical drop with a 45 degree descent coaster. It only takes 1 minute, 45 seconds from one end to the other.

~ Jody Victor

Sandusky Bay had an unexpected visitor.

While riding across the water on Sandusky Bay we can see many types of birds and planes flying over head. From sea gulls, to hawks to bald eagles you will be amazed at what fly by you. The ducks, geese, swans, and egrets are amazingly graceful in flight or while swimming. The Blue Heron is sure to get your attention with the wild noise he emits to the long gangly legs hanging down in flight.

On one particular day the noise over head was unfamiliar. No, it was not a corporate jet landing at the Port Clinton/Ottawa County airport. A helicopter searching along the Bay. It was a softer noise. When it appeared over head we thought we observed a rubber raft floating in the air. In truth it was an ultralight designed rubber raft/boat. It was piloted by a single person and seemed to be enjoying the view. Then all of a sudden the pilot seemed to be making steeper dives and longer loops. What he out of control? Was he having fun? Was the wind challenging his piloting ability?

All of the sudden he flew straight up and straight down bouncing off the water into the rocks. Saturday afternoon on June 26th much changed for the pilot of the ultralight. I drove my Sea Doo over to the accident site to find the pilot alive but bruised and visibly shaken up. From 200 feet to the water and rocks in one fell swoop. He was lucky. 

As I rode away after making sure he was safe I could not help but say to myself WWTT. What were they thinking?

~ Jody Victor

Special Feature for Harteis International 

Hey gang. Let’s talk golf. Thanks to my great friend Fred Harteis, for being so interested in the subject. 

In part one, I introduced you to Harry Firestone. Akron, Ohio was primarily known as the Rubber Capital of the world when Firestone Country Club was making news. As a matter of fact Firestone would be the name of the rubber factory and the neighborhood was known as Firestone Park and later a bank in town was named Firestone Bank. Tire building was the main emphasis of the company known as the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. 

There was a connection between Firestone tires and golf. Robert Trent Jones parlayed the work of Bertie Way into a real championship course. Jones rebuilt every green, added 50 bunkers and gave the lay out more length, stretching it to 7,180 yards having a par of 70. The new face lift reached world wide acclaim in 1960 when the PGA Championship was played on Firestone South. Every year since 1960 a high-profile professional golf event would be held at Firestone. The Akron, Ohio tournament would receive a new name: The American Golf Classic from 1961 to 1975. Then the event became known as the World Series of Golf until 1999 when the NEC Invitational was created as part of a "triple crown" of World Golf Championship.

As a youngster growing up in Akron, Ohio I would observe the growth of the community and the golf course. Arnold Palmer wowed the crowds when he charged through the course in 1957 with a twelve under par to tie Doug Ford for the lead. On the sixth hole of sudden death the 27 year old from Latrobe, Pennsylvania chipped in from 20 feet to win!! The win was Arnold’s sixth PGA Tour Victory. Arnie had an army follow him and the excitement was contagious. Arnie won $2800.00 for First Place at the 1957 Rubber City Open. Palmer’s caddy was a worker from BF Goodrich and Arnie paid him $150.00 for his assistance. In 1956 Arnie had finished second after leading for three rounds so this victory was a huge lift for him. 

Dave Towell Cadillac would sell me my first Cadillac and little did I know that Dave Towell was a major volunteer at the Firestone tournaments. In fact Dave Towell has been a help to pro golf events in Akron, Ohio since 1960. Over 1,000 people volunteer for the tournament held at Firestone each year. This years event (2004 NEC Invitational) will be held August 17-22. The tournament this year is expected to raise over $1 million for local charities.

Part One - Harvey Firestone

Special Feature for  Harteis International

My friend, Fred Harteis  invited me to talk to you about some greats in the game of golf. This is one of my favorite subjects. Akron, Ohio is my birth place and the home of the Firestone Country Club which opened for golf in 1929. 

Harvey Firestone Sr. celebrated the "Grand Opening" of the Firestone Country Club on May 31, 1930. This year the Country Club is celebrating 75 years of existence and 50 years of hosting professional golf tournaments on the famous South Course. Imagine 75 years at Firestone!! The first Rubber City Open Tournament at Firestone was held in 1954 and won by Tommy Bolt. In 1959 the Firestone South Course was redesigned by golf architect Robert Trent Jones. The following year 1960 the PGA Championship was played on Firestone and won by Jay Hebert.

Harvey S. Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, OH had a Dream. He envisioned the layout of what would become world famous Firestone South Course. Initially the layout was for Course No. 1 which would be renamed the "South Course." This course would be a place for recreation for the company employees and those who lived in the nearby area. In 1929 the green fees were 75 cents for men and 50 cents for women. The private course opened on August 10, 1929. 

Bertie Way turns 87 on August 28th 2004. A native of England Bertie Way is the oldest living member of the Professional Golfers Association. He has been a pro for over 70 years. Bertie is the guy who built the original Firestone Country Club course. Bertie came to America in 1896 and went to work as a pro for the Shinnecock Hills Golf Course in Suffolk County on Long Island. The last US Open was held at Shinnecock. 

Jody Victor leads MarkerMan Productions and MMP

Many water enthusiasts can be seen streaking across the bay heading for Cedar Point by water. Others are out test driving their new Personal Water Craft (PWC). PWC’s are a huge craze on the Bay. Many zoom by at 70 mph. However, the PWC is fun, easy to ride, can pull a tube in the water, pull a skier across the water and race another PWC. Sea Doo’s seem to be the most popular on my unofficial poll of Sandusky Bay. The Sea Doo models are designed to hold two or three riders and are titled like any other water craft and must display OH numbers to state their registration. 

The newest Sea Doo model RXP has 215 horsepower for riding across the Bay and onto Lake Erie. That is a lot of energy for a PWC. The popular GTX holds three riders and has 180 horse power. A more luxurious model of the GTX comes equipped with a GPS device built in. 

From sun up to sun down the Bay is filled with riders on PWC’s enjoying the wind, sun and ride across Sandusky Bay. When the water is churning and the waves are running you are sure to get wet. Many find this to be the best time to ride the Sea Doo XP using the trim button to ride the waves and jump completely out of the water. Observing these jumps can be entertaining as experienced riders make the jumps and inspire others to try.

Make a date to come to the Bay. Bring your swim wear and be sure to try your hand at the Sea Doo experience.

 

~ Jody Victor

Sandusky Bay area Cedar Point is a huge attraction.

There are many hotels on the main drag of Route 250 heading towards the mega attraction.

However, along Route 2 at the exit of Route 53 there are three other hotels that work just fine without the traffic.

Here is some Hotel and Airport information about Sandusky Bay along Route 2 after crossing the Thomas Edison Bridge traveling west.

Hotels:

Sleep Inn
947 Rt. 53 N. (at Rt. 2)
Port Clinton, Ohio
419-732-7707

Fairfield Inn
3760 E. State Road (at Rt2 and Rt53)
Port Clinton, Ohio
419-732-2434

Holiday Inn Express
50 N.E. Catawba Road (RT53 just a short distance from RT2)
Port Clinton, Ohio
419-732-7322

Akron/Canton Airport is a 2 hour drive, Toledo is 45 minutes to an hour, 
Detroit is just short of 2 hours, and Cleveland is about 75 to 90 minutes.

~ Jody Victor

There is much more happening than just the rides, there are many happenings at Cedar Point.

The annual boat show in the Marina is huge and a big success every September.

You can boat over and dock to get into the Park.

You can view all of the beautiful boats while they are in the water, I love it! You can really get the feel of a boat when it is floating as opposed to sitting in a cradle on dry land.

It is located out over the water on Sandusky Bay opposite the Marblehead lighthouse.

Jody Victor

Hi! I am Jody Victor and Cedar Point is by far my favorite amusement park. I love roller coasters and in my opinion there is nowhere in the world with more thrilling coasters than Cedar Point.

People throughout the entire world know about Cedar Point. It's the number-one rated amusement park on the planet. On this 364-acre peninsula jutting into Lake Erie , there are more roller coasters than anywhere else. Dozens of other rides. Live singers and dancers in three theatres. Beautiful resort hotels, an RV campground and the most exciting port on Lake Erie . A water park, go-karts and miniature golf courses. Every year more than three million people visit Cedar Point. But all this summertime fun and excitement didn't just appear overnight. The story of how Cedar Point got to be the favorite place for thrill seekers around the world is long and fascinating..

In the records of roller coasters I believe Cedar Point has six of the largest in the world of the top ten.

They presently hold the record for the largest and fastest roller coaster called the Dragster.

The Dragster sends you out at 120 mph in 4.2 seconds as you climb 420 feet in the air and come down at 270 degrees angle and the total time for the ride is 14.3 seconds.

Roller Coaster enthusiasts come from all over the world to ride the coasters.

Jody Victor