Jackson County REMC — May 2021 Indiana Connection

Save energy with a smart thermostat.

Jackson County REMC’s

wandering

THE WONDER OF

LIFE OFF THE HIGHWAY

pages 20–24

MAY 2021

from the editor

Coffee Break Coffee has never been my beverage of choice. Although I’ve always adored how it smells, its characteristic bitterness assaults my taste buds.

But since I’ve recently discovered caramel frappes — which I’ve decided are my personal “gateway” into the wonderful world of coffee — I’m starting to understand the appeal of an occasional cup of joe.

Being a late-blooming newbie to coffee drinking, I decided to do some research into where my coffee journey should take me next.

That’s when I discovered some coffee trends that have me seriously rethinking whether I should adopt this habit.

Have you heard: the world’s most expensive coffee — called kopi luwak — is made from animal feces? A catlike animal called a civet will eat coffee beans and partially digest them. When those beans go through (and ultimately out) the civet’s digestive system, the enzymes alter the structure of the beans’ protein, reducing some of the acid and thus making a smoother drink. It may taste better, but it sure doesn’t sound appetizing!

But that’s not all: there’s coffee made from the coffee beans that rhesus monkeys chew and then spit out. In this case, the saliva alters the enzymes.

Meanwhile, a coffee made from beans that have been partially chewed by bats is favored by some coffee aficionados.

Coffee-like beverages can also be made from acorns, peanuts, mushrooms, dandelions, figs, and grains like barley and rye. Considering the aforementioned coffee varieties which animals have helped produce, perhaps an acorn “coffee” might be worth a try. Or maybe I should just play it safe and stick with my flavored frappes!

EMILY SCHILLING Editor eschilling@indianaec.org

On the menu: August issue: Peppers, deadline June 1.

September issue: Chicken, deadline June 1. If we publish your recipe on our food pages, we’ll send you a $10 gift card.

Giveaway: Two prize packages are available to win this month. The Speedway Chamber of Commerce is providing gift cards ($60 total value) to two restaurants showcased on pages 18-19. Meanwhile, the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau is offering a gift package spotlighting area businesses and attractions ($100 value). For details and to enter, visit indianaconnection.org/talk-to-us/contests. Entry deadline for giveaway: May 31.

Three ways to contact us: To send us recipes, photos, event listings, letters

and entries for gift drawings, please use the forms on our website indianaconnection.org; email info@indianaconnection.org; or send to Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606.

VOLUME 70 • NUMBER 11 ISSN 0745-4651 • USPS 262-340 Published monthly by Indiana Electric Cooperatives Indiana Connection is for and about members of Indiana’s locally-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. It helps consumers use electricity safely and efficiently; understand energy issues; connect with their co-op; and celebrate life in Indiana. Over 304,000 residents and businesses receive the magazine as part of their electric co-op membership.

CONTACT US: 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600 Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606 317-487-2220 info@indianaconnection.org IndianaConnection.org INDIANA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OFFICERS: Walter Hunter President Randy Kleaving Vice President Steve McMichael Secretary/Treasurer John Gasstrom CEO EDITORIAL STAFF: Emily Schilling Editor Richard George Biever Senior Editor Holly Huffman Communication Support Specialist Ellie Schuler Senior Creative Services Specialist Taylor Maranion Creative Services Specialist Lauren Carman Communication Coordinator Stacey Holton Director of Creative Services Mandy Barth Vice President of Communication ADVERTISING: American MainStreet Publications Cheryl Solomon, local ad representative; 512-441-5200; amp.coop Crosshair Media 502-216-8537; crosshairmedia.net Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication.

UNSOLICITED MATERIAL: Indiana Connection does not use unsolicited freelance manuscripts or photographs and assumes no responsibility for the safe‑keeping or return of unsolicited material.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $12 for individuals not subscribing through participating REMCs/RECs. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you receive Indiana Connection through your electric co-op membership, report address changes to your local co-op.

POSTAGE: Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, Ind., and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606.

Include key number.

No portion of Indiana Connection may be reproduced without permission of the editor.

MAY 2021

3

contents

MAY

10

18

energy

03 FROM THE EDITOR 05 CO-OP NEWS Energy news and information from your electric cooperative.

10 ENERGY Surge protectors: What you need to know to keep your gear protected.

food

14 COUNTY OF THE MONTH Spotlighting Noble County.

15 INDIANA EATS

20

cover story 20 COVER STORY The wonder of wandering: Life off the highway.

Speedway’s ‘downtown’

25 RECALLS

offers plenty of good eats.

26 BACKYARD Bees, butterflies like turtlehead flowers. (Not in all editions)

18 FOOD Kabob recipes are all a’skewered.

12 I NSIGHTS

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Indiana Connection

29

27 OUTDOORS Turkey buzzard’s vicious cousin.

safety

28 H OOSIER ENERGY/ WABASH VALLEY NEWS 29 SAFETY Electrical hazards can exist in the office, too.

30 PROFILE History of electric co-ops traced through life of original member.

On the cover Phil Anderson spreads his well-worn Indiana county road atlas on the hood of his SUV. The atlas is the one he used for almost 40 years to chart and keep track of his quest to visit every named city, town and crossroad community — 2,230 in all — in the state.

PHOTO BY TAYLOR MARANION

4

MAY 2021

Jackson County REMC news

SAVE ENERGY WITH A ADDRESS: 274 E. Base Road P.O. Box K Brownstown, IN 47220-0311

CONTACT US: PHONE NUMBERS Local calls: 812-358-4458 Toll-Free: 800-288-4458

EMAIL info@jacksonremc.com

WEBSITE www.jacksonremc.com

OFFICE HOURS: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

BILL PAYMENT: Online: www.jacksonremc.com By phone: 1-888-999-8816

REPORT OUTAGES OR EMERGENCIES: 812-358-4458 (local) 1-800-288-4458 (toll-free) day or night

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: board President John Trinkle, District 3 Vice President Walter Hunter, District 2 Secretary-Treasurer Jerry Kelley, District 5 John Hackman, District 1 Paul Elliott, District 4 Mark Trisler, District 6 Curtis Wischmeier, District 7 Dave Hall, District 8 John Miller, District 9 President/CEO Mark McKinney

smart thermostat

A premium smart thermostat can come with a hefty price tag, but not when you are a fiber member at Jackson County REMC. Our cooperative has recently introduced a smart thermostat pilot program that allows members who are also fiber customers to receive an ecobee3 light — at no cost. The program is for two years. Members are responsible for installing the thermostat and once activated, they are required to contact our energy advisor, Brian Reynolds, to be added to the pilot program.

Installation The installation is straightforward.

You can download the Ecobee app on your iOS or Android device for stepby-step instructions, or use the howto guides and videos on the website.

An instruction sheet also comes in the box with the thermostat.

Once installed and powered on, the thermostat will confirm connection.

Once connection is confirmed, you will be asked about your heating and cooling settings and ask to be connected to your WiFi. Being connected to WiFi will allow access to your thermostat settings from anywhere in the world.

What does enrolling in the pilot program mean?

The thermostat will be stabilized

by Jackson County REMC during peak use periods. However, as the homeowner, you can override the stabilization at any time. When peak periods are scheduled, a notification will come up on your thermostat screen and depending on the

information on file at the office, you could receive a text, email, and/or phone call.

Benefits According to ecobee, these smart thermostats have delivered 13.5 TWh of energy savings. That is the annual equivalent of: • Saving enough energy to take all the homes in Las Vegas off the grid for a year.

• Keeping 7,336,641 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

• Taking 1,557,673 cars off the road for a year • Protecting 9,581,313 acres of North American Forests

How do I qualify?

Any member who is a fiber customer may participate in our pilot program.

All you must do is contact our energy advisor, Brian Reynolds, at 812-3584458, and he will set up a time for you to come to the office, fill out paperwork and pick up your free ecobee thermostat. If you have your installation of our high-speed fiberoptic internet already scheduled, you can ask for your installer to bring your ecobee to your home.

MAY 2021

5

Jackson County REMC news

Nominating committee members selected Nominating committees were

townships in Scott County and

to the meeting of members at

appointed at the April 13 meeting

Graham township in Jefferson

which directors are to be elected.

of the board of directors. The

County. Committee members are

After verification of member

following committee members will

Bill Comer (chairman), Danial D.

petition and bylaw requirements,

be responsible for selecting slates

Robbins and Shannon D. Allen.

the cooperative shall post such

of director candidates for their districts for the 2021 election of directors.

DISTRICT EIGHT Includes our service area in Hamilton and Owen townships and

nominations at the same places where the lists of nominations made by committee are posted.

DISTRICT TWO

Brownstown township northwest

Election questions may be referred

Includes our service area in

of White River, all in Jackson

to Mark McKinney, the REMC’s

Guthrie, Pleasant Run and

County. Committee members are

president/CEO.

Shawswick townships in Lawrence

Casey Ritz (chairman), Steven N.

County and Polk Township in

McCory and Forrest M. Willey.

Monroe County. Committee members are Jay D. Fox (chairman), Brandon Obrien and Timothy R. McKinney.

NOMINATIONS BY PETITION Any 25 or more members from within a district may make other nominations for director from

DISTRICT FIVE

that district in writing by member

Includes our service area in Finley,

petition not less than 70 days

Jennings and Johnson, and Vienna

nor more than 100 days prior

6

MAY 2021

Save the date for Jackson County REMC’s annual meeting

DRIVE-THRU MEETING

THURSDAY, JULY 22

5 STEPS FOR SAFE DIGGING Working on an outdoor project? Careless digging poses a threat to

Jackson County REMC news JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIP APP

LICATION

Name of Applicant:

Current Educational Institution:

JUNIOR

Current Grade Level:

Home Address (must be in

SCHOL

ARSHIP

Jackson REMC’s service territory):

Jackson County REMC Account

Number:

VEMENT Activity (SCHOOL Phone Number: ACTIV

ITIES)

Number

to your request. They will send a locator to mark any underground utility lines.

Position

2-3

3. CONFIRM utilities have responded to your request by comparing the marks to the list of utilities the 8-1-1 call center notified.

4. RESPECT

Respect the markers utilities. The markers are your guide for the duration of your project.

Student Signature:

PERSONA Activity

L ACHIE

VEMENT

(NON-SC

HOOL AC

TIVITIES)

Number

Parent Signature:

of Years

Position

Held

JACKSONREMC.COM

JACKSONREMC.COM

Scholarships now available for current high school juniors Two scholarships will be awarded at $500 to current high school juniors entering their senior year of high school.

Students must write a 300- to 500word typewritten essay on “who powers you” and submit an official transcript and a personal letter of reference.

Applicants must reside in the home of a parent or legal guardian who is a Jackson County REMC member and receives electric service from REMC. Download an application and learn more at JacksonREMC.com/ scholarship. Applications must be returned by May 28.

5. DIG CAREFULLY

If you can’t avoid digging near the markers (within 18-24 inches on all sides, depending on state laws), consider moving your project location.

Held

a scholarship, I agree to allow my name and photograph to be publicized in written and spoken material for Jackson County REMC.

by your project.

Wait two to three days for

of Years

If my name is selected for

Call 8-1-1 or make a request online two to three days before your work begins. The operator will notify

2. WAIT

ATION

L ACHIE

Parent/Guardian Name:

1. NOTIFY

APPLIC

PERSONA

MEMORIAL DAY The Jackson County REMC office will be closed on Monday, May 31, for Memorial Day.

Source: call811.com MAY 2021

7

energy

SURG E PRO T ECT ORS:

What you need to know to keep your gear protected Those dusty black

TV, Blu-ray player,

it is a surge protector.

Fact: Spend what you

boxes stuffed behind

streaming device like a

This number indicates

find reasonable but be

entertainment centers

Roku or Apple TV, and a

how much energy the

sure you have a unit that

that connect all of

stereo receiver. The cost

device can absorb before

is UL 1449 rated. This is a

our devices can be

of this equipment could

failing. If still uncertain,

test standard conducted

misleading. While some

be a big number.

search the model

by Underwriters

number online to verify

Laboratories for this type

its capabilities.

of electric equipment. If

value of being aware of

Myth: My equipment is

you want to then review

the level of protection

protected because I turn

specific details, look for

you have.

it off.

devices with the most

energy the other is just a

Myth: These devices are

Fact: This is a good first

convenient way to plug

basically all the same

step, but it needs to be

in a lot of devices.

if they have an on/off

followed by unplugging

switch.

devices from the wall

Fact: Not true. One way

to be protected from

of these devices are surge protectors, others are simply power strips.

While one can help protect your equipment during a surge in

Why is this important to know?

Take a moment to calculate the cost of everything you have powered in your entertainment center:

10

MAY 2021

Add a spring storm and you can begin to see the

to determine if you have a surge protector is to

joules.

events such as a direct lightning strike.

see if a joules rating is

Myth: For the best

listed on the back of

protection you have

the device. If it has this,

to spend hundreds of dollars.

by Zach Motsinger Member Services Technician Orange County REMC

ADVERTISEMENT

insights

CLARIFICATIONS Our April cover story featured a sidebar “Can I Recycle That?” on page 23. A number of readers from around the state have pointed out information in the article about what can and cannot be recycled and how recycled items should be prepared is inconsistent with their local recycling centers.

As with any general article in a statewide or national publication, please always check first with your local sources to learn more about their requirements and guidelines.

Our March issue featured an article titled “What Happens When a Pole Goes Down” which did not fully address all the steps needed to replace a broken utility pole.

When a new hole must be dug, lineworkers on the scene must make an emergency locate call to Indiana 811 to ensure there are no buried utility lines on the site. It can take several hours before someone from Indiana 811 arrives and inspects the area to ensure the hole for the new pole can safely be drilled.

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Indiana Connection wants to hear your stories about this fateful day and see your photos.

What were you doing when you heard about the planes crashing into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon? Do you have a personal connection to the events that happened that day? How did Sept. 11 change your life?

We will publish some of your stories and photos in our September issue. If we publish your story or photo, we’ll send you a check for $50.

We’ll also send $50 to a randomly selected reader who sends us their recollections. The deadline to share your stories and photos is July 6.

Send them to us at www.indianaconnection.org or mail us at Indiana Connection, Sept. 11 Stories and Photos, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240.

Marketplace Our Marketplace offers maximum exposure for your business or organization at a minimal cost. A limited number of display ads (such as the one

Auction & Flea Market

SHIPSHEWANA FLEA MARKET OPEN MAY 4 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 29 Midwest’s Largest Flea Market Every Tuesday & Wednesday

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MAY 2021

e s t. 1 9 2 2

to to the right) is available each month.

12

ipshewan Sh

a

Technically, even if the old pole is being pulled out and a new pole is being placed in the same hole, the old hole needs to be augered out and, thus, an emergency locate is required. This call to Indiana 811 may add some time to the job but will help ensure the pole restoration is done safely and without potential damage to buried utility lines.

SHARE YOUR SEPT. 11 STORIES AND PHOTOS

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Gene Stratton-Porter’s Cabin at Wildflower Woods

county feature

Noble County Noble County is situated in northeastern Indiana’s “lake country.”

And two lakes — or rather, a series of nine connecting lakes and one other — are especially significant in the county’s culture and its attractions.

The Chain O’Lakes State Park, in south central Noble County, is a series of serene kettle lakes — created by the melting glacier that covered much of Indiana some 13,00014,000 years ago. The park includes 212 surface acres of water.

The lakes are interconnected by narrow wooded channels and can be enjoyed with boats powered by paddles or electric motors. Amenities at the park include overnight family cabins, a campground, beach, and picnic shelters, along with rentals for canoes, paddleboats, kayaks and rowboats. There are also 23 miles of forested trails to hike.

In north central Noble County is Sylvan Lake. The untouched natural beauty of the area near Rome City lured famed Hoosier writer, naturalist and nature photographer Gene Stratton-Porter to the county in 1912. She made the move as the Limberlost wetland near her home downstate in Geneva was being destroyed for commercial purposes.

With the wealth she had attained from her writing career inspired

by Limberlost that had begun a decade earlier, Stratton-Porter purchased property overlooking Sylvan Lake and made plans for a new home. The vast, undeveloped forest provided a rich source of material for her nature studies, writings

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MAY 2021

and photography.

The yearround, two-story, 14-room cedar-log cabin she designed was completed in 1914. Her home became known Cabin in Wildflower Woods. In addition, she helped preserve endangered plants in the area by gathering seeds and sowing them in her gardens.

In 1919, Stratton-Porter relocated to California where she continued to write and founded a movie studio.

Eight of her novels were eventually produced as motion pictures. She died in Los Angeles in 1924, at the age of 61, from injuries she suffered in a traffic accident. In 1940, the Gene Stratton-Porter Association purchased Wildflower Woods from Stratton-Porter’s daughter who was the sole heir of her estate. In 1946, the association donated 13 acres of property to the State of Indiana, including the cabin, its formal gardens, orchard, and a pond.

The present-day Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site of 148 acres of fields, woods and formal gardens, includes 20 acres that were part of her original estate. In May 1999, Stratton-Porter’s descendants returned her remains and those of her only daughter to Wildflower Woods for burial near the cabin.

y t n u o C acts F

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE INDIANA STATE MUSEUM AND HISTORIC SITES

FOUNDED: 1836

NAMED FOR: Noah Noble, governor of Indiana at the time POPULATION: 47,532 (2018 estimate) COUNTY SEAT: Albion INDIANA COUNTY NUMBER: 57 To learn more about the Gene StrattonPorter State Historic Site, call 260-8543790, or visit www.indianamuseum.org/ historic-sites/gene-stratton-porter.

To learn more about the Chain O’Lakes State Park, call 260-636-2654 or visit www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2987.htm.

The cabin and grounds are open to the public from April through December. The grounds are open daily from dawn until dusk; guided tours of the first floor of the home are available for a small admission charge. Furnishings in the home are arranged and maintained to reflect Stratton-Porter’s lifestyle.

Much of the furniture and personal collections, including her library, are preserved at the home.

Indiana eats

Down on

MAIN STREET Speedway’s ‘downtown’ offers plenty of good eats

Speedway, Indiana, may most famously be known as the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But race fans shouldn’t overlook the town’s six-block long downtown area just walking distance from the south end of the track for a taste of small-town charm and a comparatively large selection of podium-caliber restaurants to satisfy a variety of tastes.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

MAY 2021

15

Indiana eats CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

FOYT WINE VAULT

BIG WOODS SPEEDWAY

1182 Main St.

317-672-4246

www.foytwinevault.com

1002 N. Main St.

317-757-3250

www.bigwoodsrestaurants.com/ speedway

DON’T MISS:

Signature Pulled Pork atop a sandwich, pizza or nachos

CHARLIE BROWN’S PANCAKE & STEAK HOUSE 1038 N. Main St.

DON’T MISS:

Charcuterie Tour: a selection of locally cured meats; local cheeses, preserves and honey comb; bread and butter pickles; almonds; dried fruits, mustard, Kalamata olives and toasted baguette

317-243-2502

https://charlie-browns-pancakesteak-house.business.site

DON’T MISS:

START

Pulled Pork Nachos from Big Woods

Larry’s Haystack: a “knife and fork” sandwich with two sausage patties, two scrambled eggs, American cheese, hash browns, and grilled onions on sourdough toast covered in sausage gravy

MAIN STREET IN SPEEDWAY, INDIANA South side

DAREDEVIL BREWING

SPEEDWAY TAPROOM 1151 N. Main St.

317-210-0176

www.daredevilbeer.com

BROZINNI PIZZERIA

DON’T MISS:

Tavern-Style Pizzas

OPENING LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER

Garlic Knuckles from Brozinni Pizzeria

1067 Main St. www.brozinni.net

DON’T MISS:

New York-Style Pizza Garlic Knuckles

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MAY 2021

Tavern-Style Pizzas from Daredevil Brewing

Indiana eats

Reuben Sandwich from Dawson’s on Main

DAWSON’S ON MAIN

O’REILLY’S IRISH PUB

1464 Main St.

1552 Main St.

317-247-7000

BARBECUE AND BOURBON 1414 Main St.

317-679-9222

317-802-1760

www.dawsonsonmain.com

www.oreillysirishbar.com

DON’T MISS:

DON’T MISS:

Reuben Sandwich Crab Cake Dinner

TACOS AND TEQUILA 1502 Main St.

www.barbecueandbourbon.com

317-992-2193

DON’T MISS:

www.tacosandtequilaonmain.com

DON’T MISS: The tacos — especially the Al Pastor

FINISH

Sample several of the smoked meats by ordering a platter.

Be sure to try the Beef Brisket and the Wings.

Irish Meatloaf Fish and Chips

After “fueling up” at one of downtown Speedway’s eateries, check out the nearby Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

MAY 2021

17

food SHRIMP KABOBS Amy Stoll, Montgomery, Indiana

1 cup Italian dressing 2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 large onions 16 fresh mushrooms 2 green peppers 16 cherry tomatoes In a large resealable bag combine ½ cup Italian dressing and shrimp. Cut each onion into 8 wedges.

In another bag combine veggies and remaining Italian dressing. Seal bags; turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain and discard marinade.

On 8 skewers, thread the shrimp and veggies. Grill the kabobs on medium heat, turning on each side until the shrimp turns pink.

FRUITY BEEF KABOBS

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into bite size pieces or use 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained

1 beaten egg ¼ cup breadcrumbs 2 T. cilantro or parsley Dash of red pepper 2 cloves garlic ¼ t. salt 1 lb. lean ground beef ¼ cup finely chopped peanuts

1¼ cups bottled sweet and sour sauce Toothpicks

Patricia Piekarski, Harvey, Illinois

In bowl, combine egg, breadcrumbs, cilantro or parsley, red pepper, garlic and salt. Add ground beef and peanuts; mix well. Shape into 36 meatballs.

Place meatballs in shallow pan.

Bake in a 350 F oven about 20 minutes. Drain.

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MAY 2021

Thread a pineapple chunk and a meatball on each toothpick.

Return to baking pan. Repeat with remaining meatballs and pineapple. Brush with some sweet and sour sauce. Bake 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce.

Brush over meatballs before serving.

To make ahead: Prepare meatballs as above. Cook and cool. Cover and chill up to two days. Continue as above with fruit.

food

All

THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO CREATE A KABOB

a’skewered BAR BELL KABOBS American Dairy Association Bananas Whole fresh strawberries, washed Green grapes, washed Bite-sized cubes of Colby cheese 1 (8 oz.) carton strawberry flavor low-fat yogurt

Peel banana; cut into thick slices. Cut green stem and leaves off of strawberry tops.

For each kabob, put the following on a thin wooden skewer in this order: strawberry, banana slice, cheese, two grapes, cheese, banana slice, strawberry. Stir yogurt in carton. Dip kabob in yogurt as you eat it.

(Make as many kabobs as you’d like.)

SPICED SWEET POTATO AND BACON SKEWERS

½ t. cinnamon ½ t. nutmeg

Marilles Mauer, Greensburg, Indiana

¼ t. ground cloves

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½ inch chunks 1½ T. olive oil

½ t. red pepper flakes

1 lb. bacon ¾ cup brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ t. cayenne pepper Preheat oven to 375 F. Place cut sweet potatoes in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine.

Set aside. Do not separate bacon.

Cut bacon into fourths. In a small bowl, combine sugars and spices.

Pour spice and sugar mixture onto

a large, rimmed baking sheet. On each metal skewer, slide a chunk of sweet potato, then one slice of bacon. Repeat until the skewer is full but don’t push too tight together.

Roll each skewer in the spiced sugar mixture. (You may need to press it onto the potatoes and bacon.) Bake about 30 minutes until potatoes are tender and bacon is done.

FO O D PREPARED BY I NDI ANA CO NNECTI O N STA FF PHO TO S BY TAYLO R M ARAN I O N

MAY 2021

19

The

wandering

wonder of

LIFE OFF THE HIGHWAY

The McAllister Covered Bridge in Parke County was built in 1914.

PHO TO S P RO V I DE D

BY PH I L ANDE RS O N

By Richard G. Biever

“What’s the difference between wonder and wander?” pondered Phil Anderson rhetorically.

It begins with a subtle — yet internally rapturous — “oooh” and “aaah.”

“It’s just a letter,” he said. “Wonder and wander go hand-in-hand.

Why do you wander? It’s because you wonder. Curiosity … wonder: It’s what makes you get off the highway.”

Off the highway, but on the back roads, is where Anderson has spent much of his life. At 61, the Carmel resident may be the only person to ever visit every Indiana city, town, hamlet, burg and wide spot in the road — all 2,230 of them.

Over the past 40 years, he made it his goal … then a mission … to underline each visited “place” shown in his atlas of Indiana counties until every named place in all 92 counties was underlined. His traveling was completed in November 2016 — as he and his wife, Beth, who often accompanied him on his journeys,

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MAY 2021

visited the last unmarked place, Friendship in Ripley County.

Anderson now hopes to connect all the information, history, geography and culture he gleaned in his journeys into various media that others will find interesting and useful. He hopes to inspire others to pursue the wonder of wandering in their own ways. He’s already begun a website that brings his blog together with others’ travels.

He’s also slowly been assembling a book, probably still a few years from publication. While he’s not sure what it will be, he knows what it won’t be. It’s not going to be merely a travelogue — notes and thoughts about starting at point 0 and traveling to point 2,230.

That’s not how he traveled.

Anderson’s wandering was done through hundreds, if not thousands, of visits and day trips first conducted as an FFA officer, then as a salesman into rural Indiana, and then as planned out weekend excursions with Beth.

One thing it will be is a memoir of his travels with her.

Beth Anderson indulged him in his wandering and served as navigator on many trips. An accomplished

Phil Anderson with his wife, Beth, on one of their wanderings; and with their kids, Rachel, right, and Jessamyn in a photo from New Harmony, their favorite place in Indiana, in 1998. Their daughters are now 31 and 28.

writer and corporate communicator, she helped plan and document the journeys. After first being diagnosed with skin cancer in early 2019, Beth died at age 59 in August 2019 from a rare complication from the medical treatment she was receiving. Her illness and passing detoured the project. But now Anderson is finding joy in revisiting the memories they shared of their journeys.

“She always enjoyed getting out there,” he said. “She was a wonderful wandering partner. She would be the one who would say just as soon as we got out of town, ‘Surely we’re not gonna stay on the highway.’ And, so, the book and website, everything is called ‘Life Off the Highway.’”

BEGINNINGS Back in the 1980s, before states began offering a myriad of personal and specialty license plates, Indiana’s standard plate bore the word “WANDER” in red letters at the top and “INDIANA” in white across a spring green bar at the bottom. At the time, the state’s tourism campaign was “Wander Indiana.”

The plate was ridiculed by many Hoosiers. The red letters stood out much more than the white, making people wonder if Hoosiers were from the state of Wander.

Anderson said he always liked the plate. Being in a state of Wander, or wonder, is a good thing, he reasoned.

Its arrival on bumpers came just as he began rolling his odometer with many wandering miles as an agricultural supplies salesman after graduating from Purdue University.

Anderson grew up on a farm near Frankfort. His parents always encouraged his curiosity, giving him a book on Indiana place names that sparked his interest in Indiana

The state license plate from 1985-87 carried the state’s tourism slogan at the time, “Wander Indiana.”

It was in this time frame when Anderson began his wandering (and wondering) all about Indiana.

geography. Sunday afternoons often included a long drive with his dad under the pretense of looking at crops.

The drives meandered around, never backtracking. “He taught me to drive one way to a destination and then another route on the return trip.”

Anderson’s first real taste of wandering the state came when he served as an Indiana FFA officer in 1979-80 while at Purdue. During the year, he and six fellow officers traveled over 100,000 miles visiting local school chapters, media outlets, agribusinesses, and program partners throughout Indiana.

“The way we did that, I refer to now as ‘looping.’” He’d plan his routes to visit several chapters on each trip, creating a loop from start to finish, not retracing his path. Also in college, he had a job with a seed company covering several counties in western Indiana.

“I’m driving all over putting up plots, field signs, delivering soybeans. And I mean, this is rural. I didn’t deliver that stuff in town.”

After college, he took a job as a fertilizer salesman in southeastern Indiana and learned that roads are not always flat or straight as they were in Frankfort or in western Indiana. To help him make his sales visits, his boss suggested he purchase a county-by-

county road atlas to help him find the back-road connections between clients.

This became his early “GPS” revealing every paved and unpaved road in every county. Some of the roads, he would discover, seemed to have existed only on the map; they weren’t there when he tried to drive them.

As he traveled his territory, he would drive through small towns and hamlets. He also began collecting books and old maps that told of Indiana’s place names, history, and natural spaces. He started to visit many of the dots in the atlas wondering which spots might be interesting.

“I’m looking at this map. And I’ve got customers that are here … and over here,” he noted with his finger. “So, I would make it a point: Take that road.

Go there. See what’s out there.”

JOURNEYS With his tattered atlas as the official guide, he had started marking all the places where he had been. By the mid-1990s, he realized just how many places he’d been to and how many more were left. That’s when he decided he should just explore them all. “So that became a mission,” he said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 MAY 2021

21

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 “We’d go through and mark and mark and mark and mark. I have spreadsheets. I knew what I’d been to, what I hadn’t been to,” Anderson explained. “In the beginning, it was just doing sales work and ‘I wonder what that town is? I don’t know. I’ll go through it.’ So, it was accidental for 15-18-20 years. And then all of a sudden, I decided to go crazy.”

Despite changing careers over the decades, he never veered far from rural and small town Indiana. He would serve as chief staff officer for four non-profits in agriculture and rural community development and finally as a private consultant — helping organizations and communities “connect the dots” strategically in their thinking. All of these experiences continued taking him off the highways.

Beth also began traveling with him on a number of weekend trips. They’d stay at bed and breakfasts, visit antique shops and crisscross the counties.

“I’ve seen beautiful valleys, stark prairies, and rivers, hills, and streams,” he blogged about his journeys. “I

As Phil Anderson visited places shown in his Indiana county road atlas, he began underlining them. It then became a mission to visit and underline them all.

22

MAY 2021

have visited parks, antique stores, wineries, stayed at local inns, eaten at restaurants, seen historic buildings and markers, and so much more.”

He became fascinated by the state’s varied topography and history and how county roads connected to them. In the flatlands, the roads generally run true eastwest, north-south. In the south-central Hoosier uplands where the glaciers stopped and along the Ohio River, roads seem to have no visual rhyme or reason, following the crazy contours of the land. Then in Knox and Clark counties, Indiana’s two oldest counties, the roads are gridded on a diagonal following French geographical survey methods.

On one trip, he found an old map showing all the railroads. It answered his wondering why some towns in the middle of nowhere seemed aligned with others on a straight line or arc.

It’s because they had been on a “line.”

“Oh, that’s why those towns are there … that’s where the railroads went.”

He also began learning not to trust his map when it came to some places.

“I’ve learned that some of them just don’t exist. They’re on the map.

They’re in the atlas, but they don’t exist. So I have pictures of Martin [in northwest Vanderburgh County].

You can see where the railroad went across the road, but there’s nothing there. And we went up to finish Porter County. We had eight places left. We found four.”

Traveling off the highways certainly made his journeys longer, often doubling and tripling the drive time.

And coming up empty trying to find a destination no longer there might make some folks scratch their heads and scoff about the waste of time and gas. But here’s the thing, Anderson underscored: “The journey is more important than the destination.”

That’s especially true when the destination turned out to no longer exist.

In the journey to one spot, he would pass through a half dozen others. In a little town or crossroad, he’d get to wondering about an old substantial three-story structure, still standing but obviously long deserted. He’d figure out what it was by reading the cryptic placement of screws left behind that once held the letters on the building’s facade. Or he’ll wonder about the series of old ornamental concrete posts, standing like sentries, along county roads. Things he’d see, or couldn’t find, would spark more questions than he had when he had

left home. “I’m curious: What makes it a place; and then what makes it stop being a place?”

When Beth was able to join him, the destination became even less significant. “In many cases, they’re just dots on the map, but my memories are so much more. It was about the journey.

In that journey, we learned about us.”

And, he said, sometimes, out in the rural places, they discovered much more than what was ever shown on any map. “We were very active in our church. But my mother, especially, had taught me that God is in everything around us. So, I could feel in touch with God sometimes better on a back road than in the church pew.

“There are times when we were out there, we’d find a sunset. You come over a crest and go, ‘Wow! This is what God’s creation’s about … amazing feelings of being in God’s presence. And if I find it now, then I find that moment with Beth.”

FRIENDSHIP On Nov. 19, 2016, Phil and Beth reached the final destination: Friendship. The unincorporated town, famous for its national muzzle loading competitions, sits at the hub of a junction of five counties: Ripley, Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland and Jefferson. It’s in the area where he began his first job and bought the atlas, but he had never gone there.

In mid-2015, he had 133 places to go spread over 31 counties. That’s when they decided to meticulously plan out the final road trips. They were intentional in choosing Friendship as the last stop. “Southeastern Indiana is where Indiana began,” he said. “What a good place to finish.”

Phil and Beth celebrate arriving at the last destination in his quest to visit all 2,230 cities, towns and crossroad communities in his Indiana county atlas on Nov. 19, 2016. Beth surprised him with the sign.

9

simple steps to become a

WANDERER

As they drove into Friendship that evening, Beth turned to Phil and asked, “How do you feel? This has been a long time — 37 years — and you’re done. How do you feel about that?”

Thinking for a second and with a bit of relief, he said, “I don’t have to go back to any place I don’t want to go.”

She then pulled out two signs he didn’t know she made and had with her. One said, “You made it!” with “#2,230” and the date. She took a picture of him holding the sign. “That’s not the one I like,” he said.

The other sign said, “We did it!” That’s the one he loves. “Did she go to all those places with me? No, but if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have gotten to all. That was powerful. That was her attention to detail, pulling that out.”

CONNECTING DOTS

Phil Anderson knows a thing or two about wandering. In 2016, he completed his goal of visiting all of Indiana’s 2,230 cities, towns, villages, and wide spots in the roads. It all began with curiosity as he’d travel around rural Indiana for his job.

He’d wonder what was down “that” county road or over that next hill.

That wondering led to wandering … which led to more wondering … and then more wandering … and so on.

Here are his “Rules of Wandering”: • Head off in the general direction of your destination. If you wonder what’s down that other road … take it.

• See something interesting? Try to find out what it is and its story.

• Stop and read every historic marker.

• Stay off interstates and highways.

There’s a car wash for gravel roads.

• Eat, shop, and stay locally.

• Learn to use a real map or atlas (cell service is spotty).

While he’s connected dots of how topography, natural resources, history and culture all interconnect to those place names on the map, no “big picture” of Indiana emerged from his

• Get out of the car and take pictures.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

For more, visit Anderson’s website: LifeOffTheHighway.com.

• Experience sunrises and sunsets.

• Enjoy the drive, ride, or walk.

MAY 2021

23

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 wanderings. The lines, he explained, kept getting smudged behind him.

“When you think about connecting the dots, is it a complete picture? No, because it continues to evolve.

“In the time that I traveled, that 37-year- now 40-year-window, there have been high schools that have disappeared and appeared.

There have been railroads that have disappeared, and rails-to-trails have emerged. Towns have disappeared, and others have emerged. In 1980, Fishers had 2,000 people; today, it’s over 99,000. Meanwhile, Gary was 151,000, and now it’s 80,000.

Manufacturing comes and goes.

GM left places; Toyota showed up; Honda showed up. So, it’s never a complete picture.”

But a fuller life for himself emerged from his wanderings. His insatiable curiosity about little things most people see and take for granted were stirred and answered, and he has beautiful memories of long hours spent alone with Beth. He recalled just the two of them navigating countless gravel and dirt roads and talking. He recalled specific picnic lunches: one at a park in Redkey; the other while sitting on their cooler inside the Medora covered bridge. A summer cloudburst had them seek shelter beneath its cover. They ate, talked and listened to the rainfall.

“While I longed to do it, she loved that wandering spirit. She found it in her,” he said. “We were better because we traveled together. When you’re out there wandering around, it gives you a chance to talk. So, when we would do our bed and breakfasts, that was our chance away from the kids. We’d leave them with a relative. We’d go overnight wandering and picnicking.

All those things that we got to do that was just us.

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MAY 2021

Phil Anderson looks over Jackson County in his tattered county road atlas. Inset photo: The Monte Cassino Shrine is a small chapel on a hill above the Saint Meinrad Archabbey and is part of the renowned monastery in Spencer County. The shrine, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, is surrounded by trees and panoramic views of the Anderson (coincidentally) Valley.

“That’s all I want is for people to find what they like and go enjoy it.”

Anderson said his journeys haven’t stopped since Beth’s passing. He is now sometimes joined by their two adult daughters and their husbands or other relatives. They will meet him at various places because he’s still taking his time taking the back roads and avoids the interstates. “So, I still wander, but it’s different. I went to places just to see what it was like [without her]. I learned something since she’s been gone: It didn’t matter where I was as long as we were together — which now puts wandering in a different frame.”

As he connected the 2,230 dots on the map, Anderson drew a bigger picture of Indiana. But more than that he drew a stronger connection to his wife. “You learn things about each other. It was time invested in each other,” he said. “And that’s why we wandered.”

Richard G. Biever is senior editor of Indiana Connection.

Solar storage battery poses fire hazard

product recalls

LG Energy Solution Michigan has recalled its RESU 10H (Type-R) Lithium-Ion Residential Energy Storage System. The storage battery, installed as part of a home energy solar panel system, can overheat, posing a risk of fire and emission of harmful smoke.

The recalled battery allows owners to capture and store energy from the solar panels. The battery is wall mounted and measures 29.30 by 35.70 by 8.10 inches. Each weighs roughly 220 pounds. The LG Chem logo is located on the top left side of the front panel. The serial number of the recalled product begins with R15563P3SSEG and is located behind the access door of the RESU 10H (Type-R) home battery. The systems were sold by various distributors of solar energy storage systems nationwide from January 2017 through March 2019 for about $8,000.

Consumers with a recalled battery should immediately contact LG Energy Solution Michigan to schedule a free replacement. LG Energy Solution Michigan, its distributors and its installers also are attempting to contact all owners directly to arrange for modifications to the recalled batteries to reduce the risk of overheating until they can be replaced with new batteries.

Call LG Energy Solution Michigan at 866-263-0301; or go online at www.lgessbattery.com/us and click on “Battery Recall: Free Replacement Campaign” for more information.

As a service to our readers and to promote electrical safety, here is a recent recall notice provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Visit www.cpsc.gov/en/recalls for full details of this recall and for notices of many more.

MAY 2021

25

Jackson County REMC news

Contributing to the greater

community Top 3

responsibilities in a day: •

•

•

Assisting members through answering phones calls — whether it be to schedule install appointments, resolve internet issues, or answer general questions regarding the fiber project with the consistent service our members deserve.

Providing regular correspondence and coordinating with the contractors who we have partnered with to perform jobs needed for fiber installation.

This consists of answering questions they may have regarding drop maps or route drawings. I also provide them with the new job details through sending new jobs over to each contractor as we receive them.

Maintaining material records to stay organized regarding the materials our contractors and technicians use when completing each job.

What type of background did you need for this position?

One of the most significant requirements for this position was to have a background in communication. Whether providing customer service to our members, collaborating with coworkers, or

26

MAY 2021

Heather Stevens Fiber Service Coordinator Jackson County REMC corresponding with our contractors, the ability to effectively and efficiently communicate is of highest priority. Second to being able to communicate, the need to have proficient computer skills is imperative as we perform many of our daily duties electronically.

What part of your job is most fulfilling?

The most fulfilling part of being a fiber service coordinator is knowing that the fiber project is improving the quality of life for so many of our members in the counties that we serve. I take pride in knowing that I am contributing to the greater community and our members.

How would you describe working for a cooperative?

To work for a cooperative is to work with a large family. Just as any family experiences moments of challenge and celebration, it is reassuring to know that we are all working toward a common goal which is to serve each of our members to the best of our ability while ensuring that we do so in a manner that is consistent and effective.

Do you see opportunity for growth at the cooperative?

Yes, I see that while the cooperative is constantly growing in its projects, so are the employees who work to serve our members. It is exciting to know that Jackson County REMC is expanding into new projects, which then gives its employees the opportunity to grow professionally as well.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is having conversations with our members, especially hearing the excitement when we let them know fiber is now available in their area or that they are ready for install. Many of our members are getting reliable internet for the first time and to know that I am playing a role in such an exciting moment is rewarding.

INTERESTED IN AN ELECTRIC CO-OP CAREER? Visit WePowerIndiana.org to learn about available careers or tell us about yourself.

outdoors

Turkey buzzard’s

VICIOUS COUSIN PHO TO CO URTE S Y O F AUD UBO N

W

hen traveling through Shelby

gang up — and prey on living animals.

black vultures because they are

County recently, I came across

This includes calves, piglets, lambs,

smart enough to know they will not be

two large birds dining on roadkill just off

and newborn goats. They sometimes

harmed by bright lights, noises, shining

of a county road. At first, I thought they

attack vulnerable, ill or birthing cows.

objects and so on. Displaying an effigy

were common turkey buzzards. But as

They can be a nightmare for livestock

or something appearing to be a dead

I got closer, I realized they weren’t and

farmers.

vulture may be effective.

quickly identified them.

Livestock owners’ only recourse is to

If black vultures are presenting a threat

They were black and appeared to have

house their livestock where they are

to livestock or pets, I would suggest

less of a protruding tail than a buzzard

protected from the black vultures.

contacting your local DNR biologist or

According to the Cornell Lab, it’s

conservation officer for advice on the

and were more plump in stature; rather than being bald and having flesh colored heads, their heads were feathered and black.

not just farm livestock in danger.

situation.

Household pets may be at risk, too.

till next time,

Wayne Long, the Jefferson County

They were black vultures. In the past, I

extension agent for the University of

have encountered them along the Ohio

Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food

River, but it appears their range into

and Environment, said small pets like

central Indiana might be expanding.

cats and dogs may be at risk of attack

The black vulture, Coragyps atratus,

just by nature of being small animals.

also known as the American black vulture, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the northeastern United States to Peru, central Chile and Uruguay in South America. They are native to the entire state of Indiana.

Like their cousin the turkey buzzard, black vultures predominately feed on carrion. But this is where their common trait ends. Unlike their non-aggressive cousin, black vultures are known to

Harming the birds is out of the question since legally, black vultures are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. It is illegal to harm, harass, or kill black vultures without a permit.

Scaring off black vultures is not an easy job. Black vultures are highly sociable with humans and they are very intelligent. Many of the typical abatement techniques to scare off

Jack

JACK SPAULDING is a syndicated state outdoors writer and a member of RushShelby Energy.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or by e-mail to jackspaulding@ hughes.net. Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon. com as paperbacks or Kindle downloads.

unwanted birds do not work with MAY 2021

27

Hoosier Energy news

THE

beetle battle Progress made to manage rights-of-way affected by Emerald Ash Borer

Twice every year, Jared Murphy

wood-boring beetle native to Asia

rights-of-

climbs into a helicopter to patrol miles

first surfaced in Michigan in 2002.

ways so

and miles of transmission rights-of-

Two years later, it had moved into

I looked

way that crisscross southern Indiana

Indiana and has continued a steady

into this

and southeastern Illinois.

destructive march throughout 30

and

states since, killing millions of ash

liked

trees in its wake.

what

As vegetation management coordinator, Murphy is looking for

I had

Emerald Ash Borer

dead trees, overgrown brush or any

Hoosier Energy took swift action, and

other vegetation growth threatening

today, the light at the end of the tunnel

to interfere with power lines along

to mitigate damage from the tiny

Hoosier Energy’s nearly 1,700-mile

beetle can be seen. During the past

Carried by a helicopter,

transmission network.

five years, the ways to combat the

the four-foot saw is lowered into the

beetle have evolved and the process

tree canopy to cut affected trees. Up

in place today begins with technology.

to 200 trees can be cut in a day.

potentially cause an outage or worse,

With more than 147 million ash trees

What the saw leaves behind is a trunk

a fire, is a big part of the vegetation

in Indiana and about 25,000 or so in

that is short enough that if it did fall,

management program at Hoosier

or near utility rights-of-ways, Murphy

it would not affect utility equipment.

Energy.

knew the speed of removing affected

When the trunk remains, there are

trees needed to increase.

habitat benefits as well.

trees were threatening power lines

“I called everyone I knew to find out

“The remaining tree trunks can be

on the grid. The largest majority were

what they were doing. Some had

used by wildlife that require dead or

ash. It was clear that the Emerald

success with large four-foot aerial

hollow trees for shelter,” Murphy said.

Ash Borer had hit the area. This

saws to cut vegetation away from

Targeting dangerous trees before the dead hulks topple into power lines and

In 2016, about 900 clusters of dead

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MAY 2021

learned,” said Murphy.

safety

Electrical hazards

CAN EXIST IN THE OFFICE, TOO JUST BECAUSE YOU WORK IN AN OFFICE DOESN’T MEAN YOU MIGHT NOT BE EXPOSED TO ELECTRICAL HAZARDS.

Most office environments are considered low-risk in terms of electrical hazards. But that doesn’t mean you should take safety for granted. Just because you’re not working on a factory floor with highvoltage equipment or are operating large machinery outdoors near power lines, don’t assume electrical hazards can’t be present.

“Just as at home, you need to keep your nose in the wind and eyes open,” said John Gasstrom, CEO of Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “A business setting should be up to code. But we all know mistakes happen, or shortcuts, unfortunately, get taken. No matter where you work, take account of your surroundings. Report things that make you go ‘hmmmm.’ Don’t assume maintenance or management must already know about an issue you see and that everything must be OK.”

Hazards and peculiar things office workers should keep watch for include:

so either plug equipment elsewhere

• Electrical cables that are frayed,

The office may need to have a

loose or have exposed wires.

• Outlets that are worn and won’t hold plugs snugly.

• Electrical equipment that gives off a strange odor.

• Overheating equipment (those not heated by normal operation).

Beware of discolored plastic casings on the equipment or discolored outlet covers.

• Overloaded outlets or extension cords.

• Equipment that is not working properly.

Any faulty equipment, wiring, plugs, etc., should be removed from use immediately and reported to your supervisor or whomever is in charge.

Outlets should not be overloaded,

or tell your supervisor, who should minimize the need for overloading them. licensed electrician install additional outlets and circuits to reduce overloading or the need to rely heavily on extension cords.

To minimize hazards: • Switch off and unplug appliances when they are not in use and before cleaning.

• Turn off all appliances at the end of the day.

• Do not force a plug into an outlet if it does not fit.

• Do not run electrical cords through high-traffic areas, under carpets or across doorways.

• Make sure the electrical load is not too much for any circuit, even when using a surge protector.

MAY 2021

29

profile

Rural White County students benefited greatly when electricity came to their schoolhouse.

From coal oil to fiber

N ATION A L ARCHI VES PHO TO

History of electric cooperatives traced through the life of an original member Leona Wright doesn’t remember the

consumer-owned cooperative organized.

exact day electricity came to her family’s

Wright, who was born in October 1925,

White County farm, but she remembers

attended the meeting with her dad,

the results: “It sure was nice to get

Frank McCall. She was just 13 at the

away from the coal oil lamps to do my

time. “It was just a calm meeting but

homework.”

with a lot of chatter,” she recalled.

“Everybody was excited. It was quite a

Now 95, Wright was just a teenager

momentous decision.”

when her local REMC turned the lights on in the waning days of the Great Depression. She recalls going with her dad to the store to purchase light

Leona Wright with Randy W. Price, CEO of Carroll White REMC

By the time White County REMC energized its first build of lines in spring of 1940, 38 REMCs were already

fixtures. “There was one in the bedroom

meeting season” working with COVID

energized across Indiana. By 1942,

that you had to pull. And then there

precautions. The annual meeting, the

the original 43 REMCs serving rural

was one in the living room that had four

staple gathering of the membership of

Indiana were in place. One of those

different lights. You turned it on at the

electric cooperatives since they first lit

original REMCs included White County’s

light itself. It was very, very limited, but it

upon the countryside 85 years ago, has

neighboring Carroll County REMC. The

was light.”

evolved, as well, to the new challenges.

two neighboring REMCs consolidated as

Fast forward to today, the waning days

Wright not only remembers what it was

(we hope) of the COVID pandemic. Just

like to finally get electricity from her

like Wright in the Great Depression,

REMC, she remembers that original

today’s teenagers are living through

organizational meeting that became the

Who knows what teenagers today will

some unprecedented times. Trying to

“annual” meeting. “I don't remember

recall from these days in 80 years, or

do homework today or e-learning at

where we gathered,” she said, “but the

what 80 years from now will even look

home without high-speed fiber is akin

whole community gathered to vote on

like. But in less than the lifetime of folks

to folks in those days working by coal

whether or not to have the cooperative.

like Leona Wright, electric co-ops played

oil lamp. And, as with every business

We were all excited about the idea of

a major role in taking homework from the

in direct contact with the public,

having lights.”

light of coal oil lamps to helping bring the

Indiana’s electric cooperatives have had some adjustment, too, especially as they go through their second “annual

30

MAY 2021

That meeting in White County may have been June 22, 1939, when the

Carroll White REMC in 2012. Today, with other consolidations, 38 electric co-ops now serve the state.

entire world to students’ fingertips with high-speed fiber.

Hitting a fiber optic or other utility line can result in:

LOSS OF YOUR INTERNET SIGNAL

DAMAGE TO YOUR COMMUNITY’S INTERNET SPEED, BANDWIDTH AND SIGNAL STRENGTH

COSTLY REPAIRS

Fiber optic lines, which may only be a few inches below the surface, connect many rural communities with internet and emergency services. Permanent utility markers roughly indicate where utility lines are located, but are never precise indicators of where buried lines are located in an area.

Don’t assume you know where underground lines are located. Know what's below by submitting a FREE locate request at Indiana811.org.

Follow us for damage prevention news and tips. @IN811

Indiana 811

36

FEBRUARY 2019