Feb 2026 GLE

Great Lakes Energy Cooperative

February 2026

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES Wade Rouse & Viola Shipman:

LAKE MICHIGAN’S STORYTELLERS

Get Connected With GLE Next Annual Vegetation Management Program Begins Meet Your Director: Dale Farrier

Geothermal isn’t just about comfort. It’s about energy independence, grid resilience, and good jobs.

Geothermal heating and cooling doesn’t just make homes more comfortable and efficient—they’re powered by a domestic, underground energy source that’s available 24/7, rain or shine.

Made in the USA: Our geothermal systems are built right here in America, supporting advanced manufacturing jobs.

Grid-friendly: While AI, EVs, and data centers push power demand to new heights, geothermal helps reduce peak load—easing the burden on our utilities.

Job-creating: From HVAC contractors and well drillers or trenchers to engineers and architects, geothermal supports a wide network of high-paying, skilled jobs in every community it touches.

Geothermal isn’t just smart for homeowners. It’s smart for the country.

YOUR LOCAL WATERFURNACE DEALERS Allendale Allendale Htg & Clg (800) 327-1937 allendaleheating.com

Grand Rapids Bel Aire Htg & Clg 1-888-235-2473 belaire.com

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

Three Rivers Bel Aire Htg & Clg 1-888-235-2473 belaire.com

Berrien Springs WaterFurnace Michiana (269) 473-5667 gogreenmichgeothermal.com

Hart Adams Htg & Clg (231) 873-2665 adamsgeothermal-mi.com

Muskegon TMC Mechanical LLC (231) 865-1114 www.tmcmechanicalllc.com

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

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

Holland G.H.P. Systems Inc. (616) 396-5833 ghpsystems-inc.com

Portage Bel Aire Htg & Clg 1-888-235-2473 belaire.com

Cadillac Wilder Htg & Clg (231) 645-4822 Wilderheatingandcooling.com

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

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

Filion/Bad Axe Air-O-Dynamic Htg & Clg (989) 582-0137 aod-hvac.com

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

Sparta West Michigan Geothermal (616) 887-1290 Westmigeothermal.com

Gaylord Family Plmb & Htg (989) 732-8099 familyplumbingandheating.com

Michigan Center Comfort 1/Aire Serv of Southern Michigan (517) 764-1500 airserv.com/southern-michigan/

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

WaterFurnace is a registered trademark of WaterFurnace International, Inc.

CO-OP REBATE INCENTIVES $2,250 rebate available through your co-op.

visit us at waterfurnace.com/mi

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

Contents countrylines.com

February 2026 Vol. 46, No. 2 /michigancountrylines

/michigancountrylines

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Casey Clark EDITOR: Christine Dorr GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Karreen Bird RECIPE EDITOR: Christin Russman COPY EDITOR: Yvette Pecha CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Emily Haines Lloyd PUBLISHER: Michigan Electric Cooperative Association Michigan Country Lines, USPS591-710, 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.

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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: Chris O’Neill, HomeWorks TriCounty Cooperative, chairman; Gabe Schneider, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, vice chairman; Shaun Lamp, Great Lakes Energy Cooperative, secretary-treasurer; John Kran, 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.

MICHIGAN’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

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6 A CUB, A DREAM,

MI CO-OP Community RECIPE CONTEST

See details on page 10. Salads with a Twist, due March 1; Grilled to Perfection, due April 1.

Win a $100 bill credit!

GUEST COLUMN

See details on page 18. Share your fondest memories and stories.

Win $200 for stories published!

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

A LEGACY: THE STORY OF DEAN OSWALD’S BEAR RANCH How Dean’s Childhood Encounter Sparked a Lifelong Passion.

10 MI CO-OP KITCHEN Chocolate Reimagined: a New Way to Indulge.

14 WADE ROUSE & VIOLA

SHIPMAN: LAKE MICHIGAN’S STORYTELLERS Bestselling Author Writes About the Everyday People Who Make Life Meaningful.

18 GUEST COLUMN

The Poet: How a GLE Member’s Grandfather Mesmerized His Family with Stories from the Gold Rush.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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Our Vision: Reliability In Your Service

By Shaun Lamp, Great Lakes Energy President/CEO

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Howard Bowersox, Chair, District 8 219-670-0977 hbowersox@glenergy.com Janet Andersen, Vice Chair, District 6 231-690-4622 jandersen@glenergy.com Paul Byl, Secretary, District 7 231-742-2643 pbyl@glenergy.com Dale Farrier, Treasurer, District 5 231-564-0853 dfarrier@glenergy.com Mark Carson, Director, District 2 231-675-0561 mcarson@glenergy.com David Coveyou, Director, District 1 231-347-4056 dcoveyou@glenergy.com Richard Evans, Director, District 3 231-883-3146 revans@glenergy.com John LaForge, Director, District 9 269-623-2284 jlaforge@glenergy.com Mary O’Connell, Director, District 4 517-974-5797 moconnell@glenergy.com PRESIDENT/CEO: Shaun Lamp 888-485-2537 BOYNE CITY HEADQUARTERS 1323 Boyne Ave. Boyne City, MI 49712 Call center hours: 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. M–F Phone: 888-485-2537 Email: glenergy@glenergy.com TO REPORT AN OUTAGE: Call 888-485-2537 or login to your account at gtlakes.com or the GLE mobile app.

Change of Address: 888-485-2537, ext. 8924 Great Lakes Energy is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Reliability is something we count on every day, from the coworkers we depend on, to the friends and family who support us, to the tools and equipment we use to get things done.

The same holds true for the electric and internet services that power our lives and keep us connected. It’s why reliability remains at the heart of the work we do for our members.

From the ice storm that devastated the northern portions of our service area in late March to winter storms that caused thousands of outages around Thanksgiving and Christmas, 2025 provided many significant reminders of why we make providing our members with reliable service at a good value one of our top priorities.

One important way we strive to enhance our system’s reliability is through our robust vegetation management program, designed to reduce tree-related outages by trimming or removing trees and limbs that could pose a threat to our lines and other equipment during storms or other events.

Each year, we strategically target locations across our 26-county service area for this work using specially trained, contracted tree-trimming crews. This process, known as re-clearing, occurs on a rotating basis about once every seven years across all 8,500 miles of GLE’s overhead primary power line rights-of-way.

In 2026, we will invest significant resources to re-clear power line rights-of-way in 72 townships across 16 counties.

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In a related effort to enhance our system’s reliability in the coming years, we will be relocating portions of our overhead distribution lines underground. Additionally, starting this year, our standard practice for installing service lines in new construction will be to place them underground.

Other critical investments that bolster reliability include replacing aging equipment such as power lines, poles, transformers, switches, and meters. We are also making technological upgrades to meet the current and future demands of our evolving industry.

As a member, you have a role in reliability, too!

Reliability isn’t just a cooperative priority; it’s a shared responsibility.

One important way members help is by completing and filing property easements when requested.

Easements, which are required as a condition of GLE membership, allow our crews safe and legal access to maintain and upgrade power lines and equipment on your property. Without them, critical work can be delayed, which may impact the reliability of your service and that of your neighbors.

If you receive an easement request from GLE, please review it promptly and return the signed document. Your cooperation helps us keep the power flowing safely and reliably for everyone.

Reliability is not just a core value at GLE; it’s central to our company vision statement: “We will empower and enrich our members’ lives with reliable service.”

These proactive investments are essential to achieving this vision and avoiding more costly expenses in the long run.

/greatlakesenergy

/jointruestream

Annual Vegetation Management Program Begins

Counties and Townships Scheduled for 2026 Re-clearing Allegan County: Hopkins, Martin, Wayland Antrim County: Elk Rapids, Mancelona, Milton, Star, Torch Lake Barry County: Irving

This winter, contracted tree-trimming crews will be working to remove trees and limbs near power lines throughout the Great Lakes Energy service area.

Charlevoix County: Hayes

The work is part of the cooperative’s annual vegetation management program, aimed at improving electric service reliability and safety. In 2026, GLE will invest significant resources to re-clear trees along power line rights-of-way (ROW) in 72 townships in 16 counties.

Grand Traverse County: Fife Lake

Great Lakes Energy members will be notified by postcard, email, and phone if ROW re-clearing work is scheduled in their area. Please be sure we have your current billing address, email address, and primary phone number for your service location.

You can verify and update this information by logging into your online account or by calling (888) 485-2537. This will help ensure that we can reach you when needed.

Tree-related power line damage is a major cause of outages.

Re-clearing of the co-op’s entire power line distribution system is performed on six- to seven-year cycles. The amount of trimming required to maintain adequate power line clearance depends on the type of tree, its location, growth, and the type of line voltage. In addition to weak and dying trees, healthy trees may need to be trimmed or removed if they pose a threat to your electric service. As always, we will address any trees, both in and out of the ROW, that pose an imminent threat to our lines as needed throughout the year.

If you have questions about our re-clearing program or concerns about a tree that may be a hazard to our lines, contact our vegetation management department at (888) 485-2537, ext. 8221 (all areas south of Cadillac) or ext. 1295 (all areas north of Cadillac).

Emmet County: Readmond, Resort, West Traverse Kalkaska County: Blue Lake, Clear Water, Cold Springs, Kalkaska, Rapid River, Springfield Lake County: Chase, Dover, Ellsworth, Sauble, Yates Manistee County: East Stronach, Filer, West Stronach Mason County: Amber, Branch, Custer, East Grant, Eden, Freesoil, Hamlin, Logan, Meade, Pere Marquette, Riverton, Sheridan, Sherman, Summit, Victory, West Grant Mecosta County: Aetna, Big Rapids, Grant, Green Montcalm County: Reynolds Newaygo County: Barton, Big Prairie, Denver, Goodwell, Monroe, Norwich, Wilcox Oceana County: Golden, Hart, Leavitt, Newfield, Shelby Osceola County: Burdell, Hersey, LeRoy, Richmond, Sherman Otsego County: Bagley, Chester, Elmira, Gaylord, Hayes, Livingston

To learn more, visit gtlakes.com/vegetation_management.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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Dean Oswald with his wife Jewel and son Monty, who help carry on the family’s passion for providing rescued bears with a safe, enriching habitat in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

A Cub, A Dream, A Legacy

The Story of Dean Oswald’s Bear Ranch

By Allie Brawley | Photos by Abby Moran

This article was originally published in Cloverland Connections, September/October 2025.

When Dean Oswald was 6 years old, he and his family would vacation near Newberry, Michigan, where one of the highlights was watching wild bears forage at the local landfill. When Dean spotted a cub at the side of the road, he pleaded with his dad to pet the little creature. His dad cautioned that the protective mother bear would be nearby—and she soon appeared and nudged the cub back into the woods. Then she turned to the vehicle where Dean and his family watched and stood on her hind legs, a sign of threatening protection, and disappeared back into the woods with her cub.

“I was fascinated by that cub,” Dean recalled. “And I thought, someday I’ll have a bear cub.”

That childhood dream stayed with Dean throughout his life.

Even as he served in the Marines, worked as a police officer and firefighter in Bay City, and raised four children with his wife Jewel, the dream of having a bear never left him. After retiring, Dean and Jewel bought an 80-acre property near Newberry in 1983 and moved north to begin building Dean’s childhood dream.

Shortly afterward, someone contacted Dean with a bear cub that needed a home—and his dream finally came true.

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Dean remodeled their cabin, cleared the overgrown wood, and built the first bear enclosure by the lake. As he bonded with his first bear and then raised a second cub, word spread. Curious visitors started showing up to see the bears, photograph them, and sometimes even feed them.

Recognizing the growing interest, Dean and Jewel began collecting food donations from local restaurants and grocery stores. That support continues to this day—fivegallon buckets filled with produce, freezer-burned meat, and sweets arrive regularly.

“We buy granola by the ton—20 tons at a time,” Dean laughs.

With growing public interest and appetites, Oswald’s Bear Ranch quickly became known for more than just bear sightings. When the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) closed landfills to spectators, a popular, low-cost way to view wildlife disappeared. As a result, the ranch emerged as a prime and meaningful opportunity to observe bears up close in a natural setting.

What began with just five bears has since grown to a thriving community of 50, divided among three expansive habitats for yearlings, males, and females. One enclosure spans an entire mile. Today, the ranch covers 250 acres and features pools

“ The best part about the ranch is that you’re with family and friends all day.” for the young bears to cool off, elevated viewing platforms for visitors, and hibernation dens—some hand-built by Dean and others instinctively dug by the bears themselves.

To meet federal and state regulations, the Oswalds were required to build a 10-foot-high wire mesh fence with a fourfoot-high perimeter fence. The cost strained the ranch’s operating budget. To help subsidize increasing operational costs, the Oswalds opened a gift shop selling hats, t-shirts, and bear gifts.

Today, Dean is recognized across the state as a bear rescuer. The DNR regularly contacts him when orphaned cubs need a home. Of the 50 bears at Oswald’s Bear Ranch, 48 were bottle-fed by Dean himself.

“When we started, we thought five or six cars a day would help us pay the bills,” he said. “Now we’ve had visitors from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, South Africa, and Newfoundland—all in one day.”

What began as a dream is now a beloved destination, operated with the help of Dean and Jewel’s family. Their son Monty helps during the season, and Monty’s son runs the gift shop and manages finances. Neighbors help cut apples and direct traffic. A local artist designed the entrance sign and a fellow bear enthusiast created the information board of frequently asked questions. Local specialized contractors installed fences, water lines, and electrical systems to safely support the bears.

Cloverland Electric Cooperative’s communications team, Allie Brawley and Abby Moran, feed a cub ice cream. The photo booth is one of the most memorable parts of a visit for guests of all ages.

“The best part about the ranch is that you’re with family and friends all day,” Monty says.

The ranch runs on simple pricing—$30 per vehicle—and offers the unique chance to get a photo with a bear cub.

Many visitors seek out Dean himself to thank him, snap a photo, or meet his chipmunk companion “Chippy,” who eats sunflower seeds right from Dean’s hand.

Dean often sits near the habitat, smiling as visitors walk up to say, “Thanks for sharing your bears,” and fellow Marines pass by exclaiming, “Semper Fi.” When asked what he’s most proud of, Dean doesn’t hesitate: “Just the fact that I accomplished a passion.”

Learn more at oswaldsbearranch.com.

A sign at the entrance answers frequently asked questions and shares stories of Tyson, Patton, and Zac—just a few of the bears who’ve called the ranch home.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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Heat Pumps Comfort and Savings Year-Round Space heating, space cooling, and water heating are some of the largest energy expenses in any home.* Investing in a highly-efficient HVAC system is therefore extremely important. Thanks to advances in technology, heat pumps are a smart alternative to electric baseboard heating or an electric or gas-powered furnace.

What Is a Heat Pump?

You may not realize that refrigerators, freezers and air conditioning units are heat pumps. Heat pumps use a substance called refrigerant to move heat energy from one place to another. It is important to note that heat pumps only move heat; they do not make heat. That’s why they are an extremely efficient HVAC option for nearly any type of home.

Heat Pumps Can Heat and Cool Your Home During the winter, heat pumps move heat from the outdoors to warm your home. That’s right—even when it feels cold outside, heat energy is still present. In the summer, a heat pump moves the heat from inside your home to the outdoors.

Heat Pump Benefits • Use considerably less energy for heating and cooling • Eliminate or reduce your reliance on propane (no filling tanks or fuel price shifts) • More consistent temperatures equals increased comfort • Superior indoor air quality and dehumidification *energy.gov/heating-cooling

ONE SYSTEM. EVERY SEASON. MORE SAVINGS. Show your home some love with a new heat pump system!

With a new heat pump system, you’ll experience: • • •

Significant energy savings Increased comfort Reliable performance in cold climates

Great Lakes Energy is offering rebates on heat pump systems. Visit gtlakes.com/energy-wise/ for more information on rebates and to view all available energy-saving incentives!

Love the Comfort.

Love the Savings.

Scan the QR code to view eligible rebates or visit gtlakes.com/energy-wise/

GLE Photo Contest

FAVORITE HOBBY MOST VOTES

1. MOST VOTES Beach volleyball, Kira Bradford, Mears 2. Crocheting cute characters and houseplants, L. Devries, Wayland 3. That’s my kind of bottle!, Tara Funsch, Charlevoix 4. Camping on the Colorado River in Utah, Iris Pyne, Pierson 5. What a catch!, Beth Fiedorowicz, Baldwin 6. Great Lakes rock art, Addie Conner, Cedar Springs

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Enter to win a $200 energy bill credit!

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Submit Your “Outdoor Adventures” Photos by Feb. 24 for the April issue!

Each month, members can submit photos on our website for our photo contest. The photo with the most votes is published here, along with other selections.

How To Enter: Enter the contest at gtlakes.com/ photocontest/. Make sure to vote and encourage others to vote for you, too. The photo receiving the most votes will be printed in an issue of Michigan Country Lines along with other favorites. All photos printed in the magazine in 2026 will be entered into a drawing to win a $200 bill credit in December 2026.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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MI CO-OP Kitchen

CHOCOLATE REIMAGINED A new way to indulge. A fun spin on a favorite.

WINNING RECIPE!

CANDIED BACONWRAPPED DATES Cynthia Hodges, Ontonagon REA

1 12-ounce package bacon strips (12 slices) 24 medjool dates, pitted (soak in water for 15 minutes if firm, then drain) ¼ cup cream cheese, softened ¼ cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the bacon strips in half crosswise. Split each date in half and fill with about ½ teaspoon cream cheese. Wrap each stuffed date tightly with a half strip of bacon and set aside. On a small plate or shallow bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cocoa, chili powder, and cinnamon, then roll each bacon-wrapped date in the sugar mixture to coat both sides.

Secure each piece with a toothpick or small skewer and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp (thicker bacon may require more time). Enjoy warm!

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

RECIPE CONTEST

Win a $100 energy bill credit!

Salads with a Twist, due March 1; Grilled to Perfection, due April 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.

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DECADENT CHOCOLATE AVOCADO EDAMAME ZUCCHINI MOUSSE Janet Ruggles, Cherryland Electric Cooperative ¼ cup soft steamed zucchini, packed and well-drained 20 shelled edamame beans (about 10 pods), steamed or microwaved 4 ounces 70%–92% cacao dark chocolate 2 very ripe avocados

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 6 tablespoons maple syrup ⅓ cup almond milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon sea salt 30 raspberries

Cut the zucchini into chunks and steam until soft (use leftover zucchini for dinner if desired). Measure ¼ cup, packed and well-drained. Separately, steam about 10 edamame pods (or more, as needed) and remove 20 beans. Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 20–30 seconds to prevent burning. In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except raspberries. Purée until creamy and silky. Add a little more almond milk if needed for a smoother texture. Spoon the mousse into 6 small dessert cups (about ½ cup each). Chill for at least 1 hour. Top each cup with 5 raspberries before serving.

GARBAGE COOKIES Emily Binard, Great Lakes Energy 1 unsalted stick butter, softened ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt 1 large egg 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda

½–¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ¼–½ cup chopped Heath or Skor toffee bars 10 Kraft caramels, cut into quarters ½ cup mini marshmallows (or chopped marshmallow peeps) ¼ cup chopped mini pretzels/mini pretzel rods ¼ cup chopped Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and baking soda and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, toffee, caramels, marshmallows, pretzels, and Oreos. Scoop dough into 1-tablespoon portions and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the sheet or serve warm.

CHOCOLATE-KISSED CHICKEN THIGHS Katie Schneider, Midwest Energy & Communications Chicken: 6–8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs • olive oil • sea salt • black pepper Chocolate BBQ Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 8 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup tomato sauce 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon chili pepper (more if desired) 4 ounces 62% semisweet dark chocolate, chopped 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro • sea salt • black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry, rub them with olive oil, and season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange the thighs skin-side up on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the skin begins to crisp. While the chicken roasts, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, cumin, cinnamon, onion powder, and chili pepper, then simmer for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and add the dark chocolate, stirring until smooth, then mix in the chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. When the chicken has roasted for 25 minutes, remove it from the oven, brush the thighs generously with the chocolate BBQ sauce, and return them to the oven for another 10–15 minutes, until the glaze caramelizes and the chicken is fully cooked. Serve with extra sauce spooned over the top.

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Meet two of the 2025 scholarship recipients

GLE Scholarship Program Helps Make Futures Bright In our ongoing effort to prepare for the future, Great Lakes Energy invests in regular infrastructure and technology upgrades, ongoing vegetation management, and new services such as Truestream fiber internet. We also invest in people: both our current employees and the next generation of individuals who will keep the lights on and drive the next technological advancements.

That’s why we’re proud to continue two scholarship programs for the 2026-27 school year for people enrolled in lineworker training programs and those pursuing degrees in electrical engineering or information technology.

Jack Tanner, Kalkaska $2,500 for information technology Jack is a 2025 graduate of Kalkaska High School who also attended the information technology program at Northwest Education Services Career Tech Center.

He is currently pursing a degree in computer science at Lake Superior State University. He has been active in band, theater, and many church youth activities.

“I am thankful for this scholarship because it is going to allow me to attend my first year of college without taking on debt,” he said.

A total of 10 scholarship opportunities are available, ranging from $1,000–$2,500 per school year or program year, through these two programs.

The lineworker training scholarship program offers up to six $1,000 scholarships for students pursuing certification or a degree related to a pre-apprentice electrical lineworker program at an accredited institution in Michigan.

The degree-seeking program offers two scholarships worth up to $2,500 for students pursuing degrees related to electrical engineering and two for students pursuing degrees related to information technology at any accredited college or university in the United States.

New for 2026, all scholarship applications will be submitted through an online portal.

The application portal and scholarship eligibility requirements are available online at gtlakes.com/youth-programs/. For additional information, contact scholarships@glenergy.com or call (888) 485-2537, ext. 8179. The application submission deadline is March 31.

In 2025, GLE awarded a total of $16,000 in scholarships between the two programs.

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Ryan Allen, Reed City $1,000 for lineworker training Ryan is a 2024 Reed City High School graduate, currently in his second year of the utilities technology program at Alpena Community College. He expects to graduate with an associate’s degree in the spring of 2026. Ryan is an avid runner and is an Eagle Scout. “With this financial assistance, I will be able to better afford my schooling and the cost of living,” Ryan said.

Get Connected With GLE Next Since 2023, Great Lakes Energy has offered a program aimed at fostering relationships with community leaders in the areas the cooperative serves.

The program, known as GLE Next, seeks to help these leaders have a better understanding of how GLE functions during a day-long visit to the cooperative’s offices.

Following a successful first event at our Boyne City headquarters in 2023, we expanded the program to include a second session at our Newaygo office in 2024. Since its inception, dozens of community leaders from area businesses and chambers of commerce have participated in this immersive, day-long experience filled with information about GLE and the impact the local electric cooperative has in the community.

GLE Next 2026 dates Thursday, March 19, at the Boyne City headquarters

Through the GLE Next program, participants will become well-versed in the language and inner workings of an electric cooperative and learn about topics including: • The structure and culture of GLE • System, electrical, and fiber operations • Metering • Truestream fiber internet • Energy Wise • Community programs and impact • Board of Directors election and roles

Thursday, April 23, at the Newaygo office

If you are an established or aspiring local community or business leader interested in learning more about what makes GLE tick and becoming an important part of the cooperative’s community outreach and engagement efforts, please visit gtlakes.com/community-outreach/ to apply.

Contact Kasi Castaneda at (231) 652–8174 or via email at kcastaneda@glenergy.com for more information.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES 13

Wade Rouse & Viola Shipman:

LAKE MICHIGAN’S STORYTELLERS

By Emily Haines Lloyd

B

efore Wade Rouse ever knew he would become a bestselling author, he knew the gentle weight of his grandmother Viola’s charm bracelet as she held his hand in church. He knew the sound of her recipe box opening like a treasure chest. He remembered sitting with her at the beauty parlor, listening to women share everyday heartbreaks and triumphs, and somehow knowing—these stories matter.

Those simple, unpolished moments would become the heartbeat of the fiction he would one day write. But it was not until he faced some of the hardest chapters of his own life that Rouse understood their deeper purpose. Standing in his childhood attic after losing his mother and watching his father succumb to dementia, he found Grandma Viola’s charm bracelet tucked in a box of keepsakes. Holding it, he realized the stories she passed down were not meant to fade. They were meant to be shared. That moment sparked the beginning of his decision to write under her name: Viola Shipman.

“So many of our mothers and grandmothers sacrificed so much so we would not have to endure what they did. And they did it with such grace.”

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From Loss to Legacy That act of remembrance grew into a body of fiction that honors the everyday people who hold families and communities together with quiet resilience.

“So many of our mothers and grandmothers sacrificed so much so we would not have to endure what they did,” he said. “And they did it with such grace.”

Rouse’s novels celebrate friendship, hope, and the strength of ordinary lives. His characters reflect the same small-town values that shaped his youth in the Ozarks.

“As a writer, I see myself as a vault for those voices,” he explains. “We live in a world obsessed with perfection, but that is not real. I write about the real people who make life meaningful.”

Finding Belonging in Michigan That sense of authenticity Rouse carried from his Ozark childhood eventually found a new home along the Lake Michigan shoreline. About 20 years ago, after a summer trip to Saugatuck, Rouse and his husband, Gary, traded the bustle of St. Louis for a knotty pine cottage tucked near the dunes. It was in that cabin, a purchase made with equal parts hope and recklessness, that Rouse began writing full time.

Michigan did more than spark his creativity. It echoed the feeling he once had sitting beside his grandmother Viola, surrounded by stories and love.

“Rural Missouri will always have a piece of my heart, but Michigan feels like home now,” he says. “The community is so generous and Lake Michigan has been both calming and centering. I love knowing that 100 years from now, it will still be there, unchanged.”

Stories Rooted in Simplicity and Strength Through the voice of Viola Shipman, Rouse writes about the small, steady

things that make a life whole: a warm meal, a quiet lake, the comfort of friends and neighbors.

“Michigan recentered me,” he says.

“It took me back to those summers with my grandparents, to a time when we bathed in the creek and I thought I had everything I needed.”

In many ways, that is the thread that ties his life together: the joy he found in the Ozarks, the belonging he built in Michigan, and the legacy he continues to carry forward through Viola’s name. The stories he tells now are rooted in both places, shaped by the people who showed him what home and love look like.

Full Circle Now, when Rouse sits at his desk, he often finds himself reaching instinctively for the memory of his grandmother’s hand in his, the steady comfort of her charm bracelet, the murmured gossip of the beauty parlor, and the warm clatter of her recipe cards on an Ozarks afternoon.

Those simple moments built him.

They shaped his voice. And in every novel he writes as Viola Shipman, he is still holding her hand, still listening, still honoring the woman who taught him that home is not a place. It is the people and moments we hold dear and the love we carry forward.

Rouse’s latest book “That’s What Friends Are For” releases March 3, 2026—inspired by the television show “The Golden Girls,” which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. violashipman.com /authorviolashipman /viola_shipman/

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES 15

Historic Farms Honored Three family farms served by Great Lakes Energy were recently recognized by the Michigan Centennial Farm Program.

The Cyrus P. and Helen E. Larabee Farm, which was founded on May 20, 1875, near Delton in Barry County, was certified as a Sesquicentennial Farm on July 22, 2025. The current owners are Ron and Cheryl Larabee.

The Aaron and Martha Lloyd Farm, which was founded on Oct. 16, 1890, near Marion in Osceola County, was certified as a Centennial Farm on Sept. 4, 2025.

The current owners are Ronald and Glenda Lloyd.

The Wilhelm Thurow Farm, which was founded on June 1, 1902, near Scottville in Mason County, was certified as a Centennial Farm on Oct. 1, 2025. The current owner is former GLE Board Member Robert J. Thurow.

Great Lakes Energy is a sponsor of the Michigan Centennial Farm Program that honors Great Lakes Energy members and other Michigan residents whose farms have been owned and operated by the same family for 100 years for centennial farms and 150 years for sesquicentennial farms. Once a farm is certified, the owners receive a certificate as well as a display marker for their farm. GLE members can request an application or receive more information about the program by contacting the Historical Society of Michigan at (517) 324-1828 or by visiting the organization’s website, centennialfarms.org.

Notice to Members of Great Lakes Energy Cooperative Tariff Changes Effective On or After March 1, 2026 The Great Lakes Energy Cooperative Board of Directors, at its regular monthly meeting on Jan. 21, 2026, took the following actions: • Revised the Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) tariff • Revised the Buy All Sell All (BASA) tariff For specific details on changes to Great Lakes Energy’s tariffs, please call us at 1-888-485-2537 or visit our website at gtlakes.com.

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Keeping Communities Connected Dale Farrier has spent much of his life focused on keeping the community connected in some of the most critical ways.

For nearly four decades, he helped keep Antrim County residents, visitors, and businesses on the move through his 39-year career as the office manager for the Antrim County Road Commission. For almost as long, he’s been helping keep Great Lakes Energy members connected to reliable electric and—more recently—internet services in his role as a member of the GLE Board of Directors.

Dale, who has served as the board’s District 5 representative for Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford counties for the past 36 years, said he plans to seek reelection when his current three-year term expires later this year.

Although he retired from his position at the road commission in 2023, Dale’s long tenure serving in both roles provides him with a unique perspective on the often-overlapping worlds of maintaining utility and transportation infrastructure.

That overlap was on full display following the ice storm that caused unprecedented damage to GLE’s infrastructure in 2025.

Dale said he was proud and impressed with the teamwork and dedication GLE staff demonstrated in their response to the storm.

As both staff and the board continue to navigate the storm’s long-term impacts on the cooperative, Dale is excited about many ongoing initiatives that will benefit GLE and its members in the long run.

Some examples include the power availability and cost stability that will result from an agreement that

“ I always look forward to the next board meeting to see what the next new challenge will be. We are learning something new all the time.” —Dale Farrier, District 5 Director

GLE’s power supplier, Wolverine Power Cooperative, has to purchase power from the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant after its expected recommissioning later this year.

new challenge will be. We are learning something new all the time,” he said.

He is also pleased with the progress GLE is making in expanding the Truestream fiber network, not only because of the life-changing internet service it provides, but also because the network will support numerous technological upgrades that will enhance the long-term reliability of GLE’s electrical distribution system.

Dale remains busy in retirement, but he enjoys having more time for some of his favorite activities, such as making maple syrup in his family’s sugar shack in late winter and early spring and crafting boards for various projects in the sawmill his family recently purchased. Staying in touch with his roots in the road commission, Dale still gets up early when snow has fallen to ensure the driveway is clear for his wife, Lisa, to get to work.

Dale, who is currently the board’s treasurer, said it’s his sense of community service that continues to spark his desire to serve on the board.

Dale and Lisa also enjoy kayaking on local lakes and rivers, as well as keeping up with all their grandchildren’s many activities.

“I always look forward to the next board meeting to see what the next

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES 17

MI CO-OP Guest Column

The Poet

By David Clapp, a Great Lakes Energy Cooperative member

My grandfather, Francis Merton Clapp, was born in 1897 in Genesee County, Michigan. He served in the United States Navy in World War I, owned a furniture store, was a gardener, wine maker, and a genius woodworker. He made his own woodworking machines, and built a log cabin on the shore of Higgins Lake when it was still mostly pine forests and empty shorelines.

What most people, other than those closest to him, probably didn’t know about him was that he loved to recite poetry. And he did it from memory.

Thinking back to when my sister and I were kids, the poems we remember (and loved) best are those of Robert Service, the Scotch-Canadian poet who spun tales of the Gold Rush days of western North America in the middle 1800s. They are beautiful stories, but I think we loved them because they involved danger, wild animals, death, and gold.

It was usually around the holidays, after a big Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. The adults savored after-dinner drinks, while the kids angled for one more of Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. The last rays of daylight streamed through the big plate glass window overlooking Grandpa’s garden and workshop. A grandfather clock that he had made stood in the corner—most times the swinging pendulum made a loud “tick-tock,” but as we settled in, it seemed to grow quiet, as if it knew something more important was about to happen.

At the urging of some of the older relatives, Grandpa Fran would stand up, take a sip of something to wet his lips, clear his throat, and the words would begin to pour forth…

There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold…* As kids, we didn’t realize how significant this was, or how special. We just knew that it was different…and it certainly held our attention. We were magically transported from a living room in Grand Blanc, Michigan, to a land of ice and snow and dog sleds and bad guys. And how could Grandpa remember it all? These weren’t haikus, or short sonnets…

18 FEBRUARY 2026

they were epics! As he continued, we were rapt…forgetting about cookies, games, our cousins, or ever going home.

Fran died in 1985. I was a young adult, in college at the time, but still didn’t truly appreciate the unique man that he was.

Over the ensuing 40 years, I’ve come to that realization. And, to this day, I still remember clearly the magic spell of the Yukon.

David was the director of MDNR Fisheries Research Station in Charlevoix for 23 years. He is a semi-retired fisheries biologist, and enjoys hiking, backpacking, woodworking, reading, and fishing. *The Cremation of Sam McGee—from “The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses,” Robert Service, 1907

GUEST COLUMN Win $200 for stories published!

Share your fondest memories and stories.

Win $200 for stories published. Visit countrylines.com/community to submit.

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