July/August 2023 Midwest Energy

Not seeing is believing.

Almost every backyard has a shrine to cold air. It’s called an a/c unit. WaterFurnace will help you take back that space.

Air conditioners are unsightly and often located in the worst places. They’re vulnerable to the elements and can become home for small critters. But with geothermal, you won’t have an outside unit or any of these problems. So, reclaim your backyard. Plant some flowers and enjoy the unseen beauty that is WaterFurnace. Geothermal is the only renewable that provides reliable operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

YOUR LOCAL WATERFURNACE DEALERS

Allendale

Allendale Htg & Clg (800) 327-1937 allendaleheating.com

Bad Axe/Ubly

Cutting Edge Htg & Clg (989) 551-0986

Berrien Springs

Waterfurnace Michiana (269) 473-5667 gogreenmichgeo thermal.com

Big Rapids Stratz Htg & Clg, Inc. (231) 796-3717 stratzgeocomfort.com

Clifford Orton Refrig & Htg (989) 761-7691 sanduskygeothermal.com

Hart Adams Htg & Clg (231) 873-2665

adamsheating cooling.com

Indian River

M&M Plmb & Htg (231) 238-7201 mm-plumbing.com

Lansing Candor Mechanical (517) 920-0890 candormechanical.com

Lowell Arctic Inc. Htg. & Clg. (616) 897-4213 heatingcoolingonline.com

Mancelona Top Notch Htg, Clg, & Geothermal (231) 350-8052 Topnotchheatandair.com

Michigan Center Comfort 1/Air Serv of Southern Michigan (517) 764-1500 airserv.com/southernmichigan/

Mt Pleasant Walton Htg & Clg (989) 772-4822 waltonheating.com

Muskegon Adams Htg & Clg (231) 873-2665 adamsheatingcooling.co

Portland

ESI Htg & Clg (517) 647-6906 esiheating.com

Sunfield

Mark Woodman Plmb & Htg (517) 886-1138 mwphonline.com

Traverse City

D&W Mechanical (231) 941-1251 dwmechanical.com

Geofurnace Htg & Clg (231) 943-1000 geofurnace.com

CO-OP REBATE INCENTIVES

Cloverland: up to $4,200

Great Lakes: up to $3,000

Homeworks/Tri-County: up to $3,000

Presque Isle: up to $2,700

Cherryland: up to $2,500

Thumb Electric: up to $2,000

Alger Delta: up to $2,000

Michigan’s Electric Cooperatives

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Casey Clark

EDITOR: Christine Dorr

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Karreen Bird

RECIPE EDITOR: Christin McKamey

COPY EDITOR: Yvette Pecha

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Emily Haines Lloyd

PUBLISHER: Michigan Electric Cooperative Association

Michigan Country Lines, USPS-591-710, is published monthly, except August and December, with periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Mich., and additional offices. It is the official publication of the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association, 201 Townsend St., Suite 900, Lansing, MI 48933.

Subscriptions are authorized for members of Alger Delta, Cherryland, Great Lakes, HomeWorks Tri-County, Midwest Energy & Communications, Ontonagon, Presque Isle, and Thumb electric cooperatives by their boards of directors.

Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS.

Association Officers: Tom Sobeck, Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op, chairman; Gabe Schneider, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, vice chairman; Chris O’Neill, HomeWorks TriCounty Cooperative, secretary-treasurer; Craig Borr, president and CEO.

CONTACT US/LETTERS TO EDITOR:

Michigan Country Lines

201 Townsend St., Suite 900 Lansing, MI 48933 248-534-7358 editor@countrylines.com

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please notify your electric cooperative. See page 4 for contact information.

The appearance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised.

6 AMERICA’S BEST CAMPGROUND IS RIGHT HERE IN MICHIGAN

After staying at 350-plus RV parks, Terrell and Katie Deppe applied their experience to develop the award-winning Indian River RV Resort.

10 MY CO-OP KITCHEN

One-Pan Meals: These delicious dinners make cleanup a breeze.

14 THE GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECK MUSEUM PRESERVES MICHIGAN’S RICH MARITIME HISTORY

The recently found wreck of the Nucleus adds to the museum’s many discoveries.

18 GUEST COLUMN

At One with Plants: Inheriting his grandmother’s love of horticulture, Gary Bopp made gardening his passion and his career.

#micoopcommunity Instagram contest winner Morning glow @chelseaolkowski (Chelsea Olkowski)

MI Co-op Community

To enter contests, submit reader content & more, visit countrylines.com/community

Instagram Contest

Use #micoopcommunity for a chance to be featured here and on our Instagram account.

Win $100 for photos published!

Recipe Contest

See details on page 10. Pumpkin recipes due Aug.1; Family Favorites due Sept. 1

Win a $100 bill credit!

Guest Column

Share your fondest memories and stories. Win $200 for stories published. Visit countrylines.com/ community to submit.

Win $200 for stories published!

Mystery Photo

See details on page 18. Win a $100 bill credit!

teammidwest.com

/teammidwest

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS AND CASSOPOLIS SOLUTIONS CENTER

60590 Decatur Road, Cassopolis, MI 49031

M–F 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

PAW PAW SOLUTIONS CENTER

59825 S. LaGrave Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079

M–F 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Tecumseh Solutions Center 5050 South Occidental Hwy., Tecumseh, MI 49286

M–F 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

CONTACT US

Midwest Energy & Communications 800-492-5989 teammidwest.com

Email: info@teammidwest.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Clarence “Topper” Barth, Chairperson, Three Rivers 269-279-9233

Clarence.Barth@teammidwest.com

Ben Russell, Vice Chairperson, Constantine 269-506-1590

Ben.Russell@teammidwest.com

Ron Armstrong, Secretary, Lawton 269-299-0443

Ron.Armstrong@teammidwest.com

John Green, Treasurer, Dowagiac 269-470-2816

John.Green@teammidwest.com

Dan Bodette, Wauseon 419-337-8007

Dan.Bodette@teammidwest.com

Gerry Bundle, Cassopolis 269-414-0164

Gerry.Bundle@teammidwest.com

Erika Escue-Cadieux, Onsted 419-346-1088

erika.escue-cadieux@teammidwest.com

Fred Turk, Decatur 269-423-7762

Fred.Turk@teammidwest.com

Jim Wiseley, Bloomingdale 269-760-4619

Jim.Wiseley@teammidwest.com

PRESIDENT/CEO: Robert Hance

DIRECTOR, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING: Amy Pales

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST: Grant Zamora

Midwest Energy & Communications is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The Farm Bill, Electric Co-ops, and You

Robert Hance, President/CEO

Many of you are familiar with the Farm Bill and its impact on rural America. It covers a wide range of issues and needs, such as farm-program payments, conservation initiatives, food policy, and rural development. The bill provides mandatory and discretionary funding to help rural residents across all social demographics and regions. It’s an omnibus, sometimes contentious (everyone wants a piece of it) bill that gets reauthorized about every five years and is up for renewal in 2023. It also helps electric cooperatives provide modern grid and broadband technology and services to our customers.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), along with cooperatives across the country, has been hard at work educating current legislators on the impact of the bill. Here are the key pieces that we are championing:

• Electric infrastructure funding through the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS). This will help co-ops upgrade their equipment and will help them meet new clean energy requirements.

• Reauthorization of the USDA’s toolbox of rural development programs for electric cooperatives. Such programs go towards projects like our SMART Park to help bring jobs and economic opportunities to rural areas. In fact, USDA Rural Development helped fund some of the rail work in our SMART Park to ensure incoming businesses, like Hydro, have proper access to the railroad.

• Continuation of facilitating the development and deployment of rural broadband. While our entire electric service territory has access to fiber, many in our area and nation don’t. As the nation becomes more dependent on highspeed connections to broadband, such as fiber, that dependency could very well mean the difference between a rural community thriving or dying.

• Improving the federal permitting process, which has become a costly and lengthy process for cooperatives. Modernizing the federal environmental review process, specifically for RUS projects, will help speed up infrastructure projects and will be critical as we continue to move towards renewable and carbon-free energy generation sources.

The Farm Bill has historically been bipartisan and is critical to farming and rural communities. It’s something our legislators take very seriously, and it will remain a hot topic over the coming months as the current bill’s expiration date of Sept. 30 approaches.

I encourage you to take the time to educate yourself on the bill. Visit NRECA’s website at electric.coop/issues-and-policy for updates on their Farm Bill advocacy work. I also recommend the American Farm Bureau Federation website (fb.org) for information on the bill’s history, expected outlays for farm program spending, and more.

Apply Now for

Strengthening Schools Grants

Are you a teacher, school official, or administrator? As you’re planning for the next school year, don’t forget to apply for a Strengthening Schools Grant for your classroom materials, educational projects, and other academic needs!

In 2023, the Strengthening Schools program funded 23 projects affecting 25 local schools. Funded projects included emotional learning materials, CPR mannequins, a book vending machine, and many others.

Any teacher, administrator, or school official in a public elementary, middle,

or high school serving students in our electric service territory may apply for a grant of up to $2,500 to support classroom needs, technology, or academic projects/clubs/organizations. School districts can receive multiple grants, not to exceed a total of $5,000, for the award cycle. Funds will be awarded in January 2024.

Applications are evaluated and funding decisions are made by a committee of MEC customers without knowledge of the applying school, district, or educator. An application is not a guarantee of funding.

Ready to get started? Visit us at teammidwest.com/ strengthening-schools to apply by Oct. 16!

This program is made possible through sponsorship dollars from our power supplier, Wolverine Power Cooperative.

HAPPY LABOR DAY

Our office will be closed Monday, Sept. 4, for Labor Day. Make a payment or report an outage via SmartHub or call 800-492-5989.

Dropbox payments made while we are closed will be processed Tuesday, Sept. 5. Have a safe and happy Labor Day!

America’s Best Campground

Is Right Here In Michigan

By Emily Haines Lloyd

Once upon a time, in the middle of the woods, there was an RV park. It was neither too little nor too big. Neither too old nor too modern. Neither too remote nor too busy. It was, as our friend Goldilocks would say—just right. It was that “just rightness” that was likely the key to Indian River RV Resort being named Campspot’s 2023 Best Campground in America.

The story of any business, even one as charming as Indian River’s, is never a picture-perfect fairy tale. The owners of the RV park are Terrell and Katie

Deppe, who had no intention of buying an RV resort, or even an RV, until 2007. Terrell had taken a job in the tech industry, leading the couple to sell their home in Texas and move to Minnesota. The market had been good for home sales, but the couple was hesitant to pay the high prices the buyers’ market was asking. So, they rented, moving twice. During one of their transitions, Terrell, who was able to work remotely, was struck with an idea.

“I looked at Katie and said, ‘If we are going to have to keep moving, let’s just KEEP moving. Let’s buy an RV,’”

To learn more about Indian River RV Resort or to book a lot at the Best Campground in America, visit:

said Terrell. “It took her a while to wrap her head around the idea, but when she realized that the amount of money we were spending on rent and moving could pay for the depreciation of an RV in less than a year, she committed to 10 months.”

Ten months turned into five years during which the Deppes traveled to 46 of the lower 48 states in the U.S. and stayed in over 350 private, state, and national RV parks. They experienced the best and worst of them and were getting a feel for what worked and what didn’t in their nomadic lifestyle.

For the next decade, the Deppes began looking for an opportunity to take the knowledge they’d gained on the road and put that, along with their passion and grit, into an RV park of their own. That’s when Indian River RV Resort came into their lives. Finally, at the end of 2019, they had made an offer and were prepared to take on the challenges of owning an RV park— maybe not the sort of challenges they were about to face.

“I quit my job on Friday, March 13, and the country shut down on Monday,

March 16,” said Terrell, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic. “Had we just made the greatest mistake of our lives, or was God going to lead us to our promised land? We chose to act in faith.”

The Deppes went to the park to help the current owners open for the season—getting their hands into daily operations, waiting for the sale to close, and preparing for the July Fourth weekend.

While much of the world had seemed to shut down, folks were still eager to travel with their families, and one of the few things open was the great outdoors.

“We were receiving an average of one call per minute, not counting the people standing in front of us to book future dates,” said Terrell. “We were using the resort’s previous paperbased reservation system. It felt like we were failing, and we had to make some big changes—fast.”

Luckily, Terrell’s experience in tech and the multitasking wizardry Katie had developed while home-schooling the couple’s four children were the

perfect skill set for the challenges they faced. They quickly switched to an online reservation system and were able to focus on creating a clean, quiet, family-friendly space similar to the ones they had enjoyed on their own RV travels.

Now the Deppes, along with their son Jonathan, turn their attention to maintaining the gorgeous land, keeping the facilities pristine and welcoming, and dreaming up ways to improve their guests’ experience. They often go above and beyond. One of their most recent projects was consulting with a certified master arborist about the well-being of their trees. With the findings, they swapped ground leaf removal for mulching and are already seeing healthier grounds. It’s this sort of attention to detail that allows their guests to let the busyness of the world fall away. It’s just the sort of thing you hope for when you head out to escape the dragons of the world and find yourself, for a time at least, living happily ever after.

Reading Our Outage Map

Want more information during an outage? Our outage map can tell you how many people near you are out of power, as well as whether crews have been assigned to the outage you’re a part of.

What Do Those Dots Mean?

Our outage map has three main areas:

A: This is the map key. It tells you how many customers each color in area B represents. For example, if a region is green, it means between 11 and 50 customers are out of power there.

B: The map shows a dot for each outage group.* Hovering over one of these dots will tell you when the outage was reported and whether there’s a crew assigned to that outage group.

*Our outage reporting system groups outages together if they appear to have been caused by the same issue. This means that one big red dot is generally faster to repair than several smaller dots, because there’s only one problem to fix. In rare cases, your outage may have a different cause than surrounding outages. If you get a notification that your power is back on, and it’s not, please re-report your outage so our crews can take another look.

Has My Outage Been Reported?

To see if your outage has been reported, log into your SmartHub mobile app. Then:

1. Tap the menu button in the upperleft corner.

2. Go to Contact Us > Track Issue Status > Power Outage.

Here you can see your most recent outages, as well as when they were reported and which service address they were for. If they’ve been restored, this page will give you a time. If you don’t see your current outage on this page, report it:

1. Tap the menu button.

2. Go to Contact Us > Inquiries & Service Work > Power Outage.

3. Complete any remaining steps to report your outage.

How We Restore Power

C: This box lists each township with at least one customer out of power, as well as how many customers are in that township. You can click the dropdown menu to view outages by ZIP code instead.

Once outage reports start coming in, dispatchers send crews to assess the damage and determine the equipment needed for repairs. Sometimes, the full extent of the damage isn’t obvious until crews begin their work. This is why we can’t always offer estimated restoration times, especially in the beginning. Think of it like remodeling

your house: You don’t know exactly what you will encounter until you start tearing down walls.

To make repairs, crews start with substations and major lines, working their way down to individual homes like yours. If you see trucks near your property and they leave before you’re restored, they’re either continuing repairs further down the line, or they’re repairing a larger part of the outage before returning to your specific property.

We have linemen on call 24/7/365 to work on repairs after hours. We also have mutual aid agreements with other co-ops, which means their crews help us restore power during major storms affecting our customers, and vice versa.

An Important Reminder

Please stay at least 50 feet away from electrical equipment (about the length of a semitruck). Even if a line isn’t down, coming too close is an unnecessary risk. There could be damage that you don’t see, and the line or pole could fall in an instant.

If you’re trying to report a problem with equipment and need to get a pole number, use your phone’s camera to zoom in so you can read it.

National BBQ Competition Comes

to Dowagiac

The Dowagiac Summer Festival has a smoking hot new addition for 2023: the Dowagiac BBQ Competition officially sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS), the world’s largest competitive barbecue organization.

Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce representatives Matt Money and Eileen Crouse say the beefed-up festival will draw interest from across America thanks to its affiliation with KCBS.

“We’re excited for people to come to Dowagiac for a festival like this,” Crouse says. “Smoking and grilling is a passion for lots of people.”

The Dowagiac Summer Festival started as a way for southwest Michigan residents to gather each year and enjoy rides, crafts, and food. Money says previous years have largely featured kids’ rides and

vendors, but organizers felt they could take it further by bringing a theme and identity to the festival.

During their search for a way to help the festival branch out, Dowagiac Chamber representatives met James Boatright, a Dowagiac native known for his time on Netflix’s “American BBQ Showdown.” Boatright had recently returned to the town to share his skills.

“After meeting him, we instantly knew we had to host a barbecue event in Dowagiac,” Money says.

Boatright had previously worked with KCBS and encouraged the Chamber to reach out to the national organization. A short time later, everything was in place for Dowagiac to host its very first barbecue competition.

The festival runs for two days starting July 14, with the barbecue

competition happening July 15. Teams of “backyard,” or amateur, cooks will pit either their ribs or their chicken against one another, with a group of volunteer judges (all credentialed) declaring a winner at the day’s end. While not every competitor will sell food, festivalgoers can still look forward to barbecue vendors throughout the festival, as well as the usual carnival rides, kids’ games, additional vendors, and more.

That’s not all—the rest of Dowagiac will be in on the theme too. The Chamber is encouraging all downtown merchants and restaurants to have a barbecue-themed special or display. Ideas include special menus for restaurants, drinks for bars, and even cookbook displays for bookstores.

How big will the competition be?

“The bigger, the better,” Money says.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the festival can email Matt Money at mattmoney@dowagiacchamber.com.

The 2023 Dowagiac Summer Festival is open to the public with free admission to the festival grounds (rides will be ticketed). For more information about the 2023 Dowagiac Summer Festival, as well as other Dowagiac Chamber events and updates, follow them on Facebook at @GreaterDowagiacChamberOfCommerce.

ONE-PA N ME A LS

Win a $100 energy bill credit!

Pumpkin recipes due Aug.1; Family Favorites due Sept. 1

Submit your favorite recipe for a chance to win a $100 bill credit and have your recipe featured in Country Lines with a photo and a video. Submit your recipe at micoopkitchen.com , or send it via email (include your full name and co-op) to recipes@countrylines.com

WINNING

CREAMY BEEF TOMATO SKILLET

Jean Horrocks, Presque Isle Electric

1 pound ground beef

2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

8 ounces (2 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni

½ cup chopped onion

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup sour cream

• water, as needed

Brown meat in large skillet. Drain off all the fat as it collects. Stir in remaining ingredients, except sour cream. Add ¾ to 1 cup water and stir. Heat to boiling. Cover and simmer 20–25 minutes, stirring frequently. Add additional water if mixture is too thick. Cook just until noodles start to soften, then stir in sour cream; heat through but do not boil. Makes 6 servings.

Watch a video of this month’s winning recipe at micoopkitchen.com/recipe_ type/videos/

Photos by Robert Bruce Photography || Recipes submitted by MCL readers and tested by recipe editor Christin McKamey

ONE POT PASTA E FAGIOLI

Shanasee Tersigni, Presque Isle Electric

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 cloves black or regular garlic

1 cup fennel, chopped (with fronds)

¼ –½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

¼ –½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Calabrian chili flakes or red chili flakes

1 sprig rosemary leaf

1 handful chopped fresh oregano

1 pound ground venison

2 zucchini, peeled and chopped

1 cup morel mushrooms

2 cups chopped kale

1 can (15-ounce) Italian stewed

tomatoes

2 cups organic chicken bone broth

2 cups low sodium V8

1 (8- ounce) box quinoa elbow

pasta, or favorite pasta noodles

1 (15.5- ounce) can cannelini

beans

1 (15.5- ounce) can dark red kidney beans

½ cup Peppadew peppers (a pickled piquant pepper) (substitute with sweet cherry peppers, sweet drop peppers, pimentos, sweet red peppers, or pepperoncini) & splash of pickling liquid from jar

• fresh basil and lemon zest, for garnishing

Heat ceramic cast iron pot to medium heat. Add oil. Sauté onions, garlic, fennel, salt, and pepper. Cook until onion and fennel are tender. Add herbs and ground venison. Cook until meat is browned. Add zucchini, morels, and kale. Sauté a minute, stirring. Add all remaining ingredients. Cook until pasta is al dente. Add additional broth or vegetable juice if needed. Garnish with fresh basil and lemon zest. Season to taste.

CHICKEN STIR FRY

Linda Heintz, Great Lakes Energy

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound uncooked chicken breast, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 small sweet onion, cut into chunks

1 small red onion, cut into chunks

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 cup small cauliflower florets

1 cup chicken broth

½ pound asparagus, sliced into 2-inch pieces

1 cup pea pods, strings removed

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

• green onions, sliced

Heat oil in large wok over medium-high heat. Add sliced chicken and sauté until no longer pink. Add onions, mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower. Sauté until just beginning to get tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth, put lid on pan and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove lid, then add asparagus and pea pods. Sauté until just beginning to soften and color turns bright. Mix together soy sauce, cornstarch, salt, and sugar. Add soy sauce mixture to pan and stir quickly. Continue to stir in all liquids and ingredients as sauce thickens. Can also sprinkle sliced green onions on top when finished. Serve alone or over rice. I use this same recipe with venison steak and use beef broth instead of chicken broth. You can use any vegetables you have on hand, but save the ones that cook quickly for the time period after the 2-minute simmer.

CHICKEN & GREEN OLIVES

4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts, quartered

• salt & pepper

½ cup flour

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups white wine

1 (5- ounce) jar Spanish green olives, sliced with pimento

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and pepper chicken breasts and then dredge in flour. Heat olive oil in skillet and fry chicken until crisp

on both sides but not fully cooked. Remove chicken from skillet and pour out all but a ¼ cup of the olive oil. Turn temperature to medium. Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, turning. Add white wine and let cook down until reduced by half. Add olives and roughly 4 tablespoons of juice from the jar. Add the cinnamon and stir. Add the chicken and put a lid on. Simmer for 30 minutes. Best if served over longgrain rice.

COWBOY STEW

Lynn Hagon, Great Lakes Energy

1 pound hamburger

1 (15-ounce) can vegetable soup

1 (15-ounce) can tomato soup

2 cups water

3–4 carrots, cut up

2 medium potatoes, cut up

1 small onion, chopped

Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Add soups, water, and vegetables. Cook for about 45 minutes or so.

Kim Schumacher

COMMUNITY Corner

Survivor Stomp 5k Color Run

Domestic And Sexual Abuse Services (DASAS) held its annual Survivor Stomp 5k Color Run in April. We were proud to sponsor this year’s race.

Several MEC team members also participated in the run, including three runners (Matt, Matt, and Michelle), two booth workers (Candy and Jennifer), and two people helping to “color” the runners (Dave and his wife Julie).

Distracted Driving Demonstration

Our employees’ commitment to community extends well beyond the walls of MEC. Jeromy, our propane operations manager, volunteers with the Penn Township Fire Department. The department was one of several organizations that demonstrated the effects of drunk and distracted driving to Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School students just before their prom in May.

The mock accident event, hosted by the school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter, typically happens every four years. Two wrecked cars are brought in and a few students play the roles of impaired drivers, passengers, and bystanders injured and killed in the accident.

The Michigan State Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Cassopolis Fire Department, Penn Township Fire Department, Pride Care Ambulance, Memorial MedFlight, Wagner Family Funerals, and Wallace Towing all helped with the event. They demonstrated field sobriety tests, arrests, ambulance and airlift transport, and extrication from vehicles. A student playing the part of someone killed was also put in a body bag and taken away in a hearse.

Truck-A-Palooza

We participated in the Second Annual Truck-A-Palooza in Lenawee County. Truck-A-Palooza is hosted by the Lenawee County Child Advocacy Center to honor Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Nick, an apprentice lineman, brought a bucket truck so that kids could see how we work on our lines. He also gave them MEC hardhats. We were one of several organizations that brought a truck for kids to learn about.

Top: The Penn Township Fire Department demonstrates extricating a vehicle passenger.

Center: MedFlight workers demonstrate airlifting a crash victim.

Bottom: Pride Care personnel demonstrate medical transport.

Candy (left) and Jennifer (right) run our booth at the Survivor Stomp 5k Color Run.

Michelle (left), Matt (center), and Matt (right) ran in the Survivor Stomp 5k Color Run.

MEET OUR 2023 Scholarship Winners

We recently recognized the academic achievements, leadership, and community involvement of four local students with our annual college scholarship program. All four are children of MEC customers.

Applicants were told to select a job at MEC and create a video résumé explaining why they would be the perfect candidate. Available jobs included accounting representative, customer solutions agent, communications design engineer, employee engagement specialist, GIS analyst, lineman, and marketing specialist.

We awarded $1,000 scholarships to the following students:

Emily Stevenson, daughter of Mike and Michelle Stevenson and senior at Tecumseh High School. Emily has served as secretary of her National Honor Society chapter, captain of her varsity cross country team, and officer of Students Against Destructive Decisions, among many other activities. Outside of school, Emily volunteers at her church in a variety of roles, and she helps with many events in the community. Emily plans to study hospitality business at Michigan State University.

Watch Emily’s video at teammidwest.com/ emily-stevenson

Fionna Barber, daughter of Elijah and Danielle Barber and senior at Constantine High School. Fionna has been completing college courses since her sophomore year and will graduate from high school with her associate’s degree in applied business, as well as a certificate in marketing/management.

Fionna serves as a member of the National Honor Society and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Outside of school, she’s danced at a preprofessional company for 14 years, serving the last two years there as a student teacher. Fionna plans to study business at Davenport University.

Watch Fionna’s video at teammidwest.com/ fionna-barber

Samantha Baker, daughter of Carrie and Brent Baker and senior at Edwardsburg High School. Samantha has participated in varsity sideline and competitive cheerleading, softball, and National Honor Society. Outside of school, she’s volunteered for the Humane Society, Edwardsburg Leo Club, Cass County Cancer Service, and Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as her local soup kitchen and homeless shelter. Samantha plans to study special education and elementary education at the University of Saint Francis.

Watch Samantha’s video at teammidwest.com/ samantha-baker.

Zach Reus, son of Shawn and Jessica Reus and senior at Three Rivers High School. Zach has completed college courses throughout his time in high school and will graduate with an associate’s degree in applied sciences of technology. Zach has served as a National Honor Society member and was a baseball player. Outside of school, he has volunteered at Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as his church. Zach plans to study electrical engineering at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Watch Zach’s video at teammidwest.com/ zach-reus

High school seniors whose families receive monthly service from MEC at their primary residence are eligible to apply for our scholarship program. The application period is January through mid-March every year. Selection for the scholarship is based on the video submission along with academic performance, extracurricular activities, community involvement, employment, and/or honors and awards. A minimum cumulative gradepoint average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required, and an official transcript must be submitted for final approval.

Check teammidwest.com/scholarship in January for more information.

“In a musty old hall in Detroit, they prayed In the maritime sailorsʼ cathedral

The church bell chimed ʻtil it rang twenty-nine times For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

THE GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECK MUSEUM

PRESERVES MICHIGAN’S RICH MARITIME HISTORY

By Emily Haines Lloyd

The recent discovery of the wreck of the Nucleus is just one of many stories brought to light by the museum.

The Gordon Lightfoot song made the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freight ship lost in Lake Superior in 1975, the most famous shipwreck in a century. However, the depths of the Great Lakes are the secret keepers and silent graves of thousands of ships lost in its waters. Among them is the recently discovered Nucleus, a 144-foot Barquentine found under 600 feet of water around 40 miles northwest of

Vermilion Point on Lake Superior. The Nucleus was lost at sea over 150 years ago in 1869.

“It can be hard for folks to understand how a ship could go missing for so long without being discovered,” said content & communications director for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), Corey Adkins. “But these ships went down before radar, before GPS. So, how is it documented when a ship goes down back then?”

Lucky for historians and maritime aficionados, the technology has grown exponentially, and the efforts of groups like GLSHS discover more missing vessels each year.

GORDON LIGHTFOOT

GLSHS fi rst discovered the wreckage of Nucleus using a Marine Sonic Technology side-scan sonar in the summer of 2021, and positively identifi ed the wreck in 2022 using the organization’s ROV (remotely operated vehicle). The wreck was in surprisingly good condition, which helped with the next phase of the discovery. Much like any investigation, the next steps included a great deal of research.

“There was no name visible, but the wreckage was a perfect size and in the perfect place to deduce it was Nucleus,” said Adkins. “From there, you piece together a story using old news articles and documents. Little by little, the story becomes clearer.”

Part of Nucleus ’ story includes a history of nine or 10 accidents at sea and the fact that it had sunk two other times—which earned it the

moniker of “Bad Luck Barquentine.” Additionally, on the Nucleus ’ fi nal and fateful voyage, another ship, the Union, had come upon the sinking vessel, slowed down, and eventually steamed on without any sort of communication or effort to rescue the crew.

“That is just not done,” said Adkins. “There is an unwritten law of the sea, that you always help another ship in distress. The fact that the Union didn’t assist just adds to the mystery of this wreck. But still, amazingly, there was not a single life lost.”

Mystery solving is at the heart of GLSHS’ mission. They are actively looking for wrecks every summer into early fall, hoping to piece together more stories of both the ships and those who sailed on them. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, operated by GLSHS and located at the Whitefi sh

Point Light Station, offers more stories for visitors to discover and an opportunity to walk the beach afterward to reflect on the area’s rich history.

“We are proud to share the history and tell the stories of these discoveries,” said Adkins. “Every story is important to us. All the lives and the losses. Most people only know about the Edmund Fitzgerald . But that is not the only story.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Top: An anchor from the Nucleus.

Bottom: The port bow and anchor chain from the Nucleus

A drawing done by Bob McGreevy shows the Nucleus, a ship that sank in Lake Superior, but was found by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society in Paradise.

Four Reasons

Why Aluminum Is Ideal For Design

By Christopher Braathen, Operations Director, Hydro Cassopolis

Did you know that more and more designers are choosing to work with aluminum? For many designers, using aluminum states their intent to produce a great product with a strong, light, recyclable material.

Aluminum is everywhere

Aluminum is the third most abundant element in Earth’s crust after oxygen and silicon. It’s also a resource that will last for generations due to its high recyclability. It can be found in everything around us, from the cars we drive, to the technology we use, to the buildings in our cities and beyond.

Aluminum is one of the lightest metals

The light weight of aluminum makes it easy to handle, which is a benefit to those working in factories and building sites. Because of the material’s light weight, it takes much less energy to transport and use it than other metals, meaning it’s both versatile and economically efficient.

It’s easy to form aluminum into other shapes

Its ability to be shaped, bent, and punched provides endless opportunities for architects, designers, and engineers to create exactly what they envision. Aluminum can be enhanced with other metals and chemicals for specific engineering structures and components where certain properties like corrosion resistance are important. The stylish and practical bench made by Green Furniture Concept, using recycled aluminum from Hydro, perfectly demonstrates how aluminum can be shaped into many different forms.

Aluminum is stronger than you’d think

If aluminum is so light and easily shaped, it can’t also be strong, right? Actually, aluminum can be almost as, if not just as, strong as steel, depending on what it’s enhanced with, how it’s processed, and what it’s being used for. Because aluminum weighs about a third as much as steel, a component made of aluminum can be thicker and stronger than one made of steel while still being lighter. And while most metals weaken at lower temperatures, aluminum becomes stronger. Hydro offers aluminum solutions that can cope with aggressive environments and heavy structural loads.

Aluminum recycling plant in Cassopolis starts production in 2023

The global aluminum and energy company Hydro is opening its state-of-the-art aluminum recycling plant in Cassopolis in 2023 as the first company to locate in Midwest Energy & Communication’s SMART Park.

When completed, the plant will provide 70 new, local jobs and support automotive innovation. Hydro will invest an estimated $150 million to complete the project. Applications for the aluminum produced in Cassopolis will include critical automotive applications as well as other transportation uses, consumer, and building system applications.

This article is part of an ongoing series from our Cassopolis SMART Park resident Hydro. To learn more about the company and our SMART Park, visit imaginesmartpark.com

ELECTRICITY SAFETY contest winners

Our free hotline demonstrations teach local fourth graders about the dangers of electricity. As part of the demonstrations, we ask each student to create a poster that illustrates something they learned.

Two overall winners are selected—one from southwest Michigan, and one from southeast Michigan—and their messages get shared on billboards with the greater community. The winners also get a pizza party for their classroom, and their teachers receive an Amazon gift card to be used for classroom supplies.

These weren’t the only two worth seeing—visit teammidwest.com/ safety-contest-2023 for more winners and honorable mentions.

Keeping Our Community Safe

We offer free electrical and propane safety demonstrations for any group or organization at any time throughout the year. Programs are adaptable for various audiences and timelines, and they can be conducted at our facility or yours. For more information, please contact the community relations team at 800-492-5989 or pr@teammidwest.com.

Danielle R., a student at Mattawan Later Elementary School, won for our southwest service area.

Amelia F., a student at Onsted Elementary School, won for our southeast service area.

At One with Plants

By Rik Cryderman, a Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op member

S

he was seldom seen without an apron and seldom seen not working. She was a farmer. Forever. And even when she didn’t live near fields and barns, she was a farmer still, in her heart. She mentored many and inspired far more. A little grandson followed her, closer than her shadow. He learned her love of plants and gardens—it was far more caught than taught. He’d quote her homespun adages, like scriptures learned in church. Some were rather humorous, like when he’d say, with serious tone: “My grandma says she knows she’ll never go to hell, because the devil knows she builds a better fire,” or “I don’t need to rest, I can sleep when I’m dead!” As this grandson grew in stature, he still loved the things she loved. With spades and trowels as his artist’s tools, he created lovely gardens. He learned the proper names of every plant he planted—good friends should have good names. He’d learned from his aproned grandma which plants chose sunny spots and which preferred the shade. He knew when each would be awake and bring their brightest flowers, so he’d plant his gardens in such a way that some would always be in bloom.

This grandma’s boy went off to school, to Michigan State one day. And there he chose to study plants and gardens and propagation. He’d learn his grandma’s favorites had Latin names as well. He’d graduate with honors, assisting his professors. He’d later maintain gardens at the Edsel Ford estate and land a job he’d hold for years, growing perennials for Wiegand’s Nursery. His grandmother moved to heaven—she tends the gardens there. But Gary Bopp, without an apron, continues her gardening here. Retired, he now spends his summers in Lewiston, a rare jewel in northern Michigan. He lives in a place called Bliss Cottage, surrounded by Bliss Gardens. He still propagates perennials, knows each by name, knows each one’s game. He sells them each Saturday morning at Lewiston’s Farmers’ Market. He’s become a local consultant, inspiring the love of the garden. He loves to know his green “children” find

good homes with his neighbors and friends. He likes to imagine he might be a part of making this world more beautiful—spreading awe and fueling wonder in gardens. Last year he propagated 5,000 perennials, tough tested by Lewiston’s climate. He watches with pride as they’re carried from the market to gardens nearby. And somewhere in heaven, an angel with an apron worn over her robe looks down and tells those around her, “I taught him all that he knows.”

“When some people leave this world,” Gary reflects, “they leave a grand monument, a vast estate, or a collection of tributes, awards, and accolades. I hope to leave a garden.”

About the author: Rik Cryderman is happily retired after a 35-year career as director of pastoral care for Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Michigan. He splits his time between Lewiston, Michigan, and Naples, Florida, enjoying grandchildren, gardening, travel, photography, and writing. Fueled by his faith and inspired by his friends, he finds each of life’s chapters better than the last.

Guest Column

Win $200 for stories published!

Share your fondest memories and stories. Win $200 for stories published. Visit countrylines.com/community to submit.

Mystery Photo

Win a $100 energy bill credit!

Where In Michigan Is This?

Identify the correct location of the photo to the left by July 24 and be entered into a drawing to win a $100 electric bill credit. Enter your guess at countrylines.com/community

May 2023 Winner! Our Mystery Photo winner is Michelle Cockey, a Midwest Energy & Communications Cooperative member, who correctly identified the photo as the memorial plaque of Ryerson and Melissa Whiting at Whiting Park in Charlevoix County. Winners are announced in the following issues of Country Lines: January, March, May, July/August, September, and November/December.

I love Arlo security cameras. They’re such a wonderful peace of mind. We love living in the country, but the cameras make it so much easier for us to feel at ease when we’re away for the weekend, on vacation, or even just gone for the day. After the first week, there was no way we could have gone back to not having them.

-MEC Customer Rylie