Henry County REMC — November 2020 Indiana Connection

Annual Meeting recap.

Henry County REMC’s

winner

Three times A Evan Olinger earns another ‘Best of Show’ in calendar contest

pages 19–24

NOVEMBER 2020

from the editor

Talking turkey …

no matter what it looks like

Thanksgiving will certainly be a bit different this year. Friends and relatives may choose to attend a virtual turkey day celebration instead of an in-person dinner. And those prepping the feast may not only be shielded by aprons, but face masks as well this year.

Holiday safety precautions nowadays go far beyond making sure the turkey is thoroughly cooked and the leftovers aren’t left out too long before they’re packed into the refrigerator. Social distancing now must be considered when we invite others to break bread with us.

Yet Thanksgiving will also always be a time of tradition. We pull out recipes passed down through generations to recreate family favorites. Platters and bowls of the main attractions — turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce — take the spotlight and often reappear in the days to follow reimagined in everything from sandwiches to soups to casseroles.

Speaking of “reimagined,” this year’s turkey feast could also come in a plastic bag.

Brach’s candy, makers of the autumn classic, candy corn, has introduced candy corn just for Thanksgiving. The bite-sized candies mimic the flavors of what you’d normally pile on your holiday dinner plate. There’s the cranberry sauce and the sweet potato pie. (Yum!) There’s carrots, glazed with ginger. And, then we get to the green beans and (pause for effect) the stuffing and turkey!

Fans of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” may remember Willy Wonka’s threecourse dinner flavor gum which literally turned the bratty Violet Beauregarde violet.

Wonka’s gum — which morphed from tomato soup to roast beef with baked potato to blueberry pie a la mode (Violet’s eventual downfall) throughout the chewing experience — always disgusted me. So, the thought of eating meat flavored candy is not getting me in the holiday spirit.

But still, if pouring some candy on a plate will lessen my time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day (while still giving everyone the flavors they expect) I might consider it.

Making post-holiday turkey and noodles is going to be a problem though if the only dinnertime leftovers I have are tiny little corn-shaped candies.

Curious

about this candy?

EMILY SCHILLING

See below to find out how to win a bag.

Editor eschilling@indianaec.org

On the menu: February 2021 issue: Bananas, deadline Dec. 1.

March 2021 issue: Recipes featuring coffee, deadline Dec. 1. If we publish your recipe on our food pages, we’ll send you a $10 gift card.

Giveaway: Enter to win a Spencer County prize bundle and one of two bags of Brach’s

Thanksgiving candy corn. To learn more about the Spencer County gift pack and to enter both contests, visit indianaconnection.org/talk-to-us/contests. Entry deadline for giveaways: Nov. 23.

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 5 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 Stacey Holton Creative Services Manager 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.

NOVEMBER 2020

3

contents

NOVEMBER

10

17

energy

food

03 FROM THE EDITOR

14 COUNTY OF THE MONTH

05 CO-OP NEWS Energy news and information from your electric cooperative.

Spotlighting Spencer County.

10 ENERGY Use your thermostat to save money.

more.

12 I NSIGHTS

16 INDIANA EATS Pick Oak and Alley for an amazing burger … and

17 FOOD Culture Club: Yogurt offers calcium and probiotics.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Indiana Connection

19

29

cover story 19 COVER STORY Three times a winner: Evan Olinger earns another “Best of Show” in calendar contest.

24 OUTDOORS ‘The Bears of Blue River’ … revisited.

25 SAFETY Deck the halls with boughs of safety.

profile

26 BACKYARD Mugwort, wormwood: A real problem by either name.

(Not in all editions) 28 H OOSIER ENERGY/ WABASH VALLEY NEWS 29 PROFILE Former pro wrestler Carmine Azzato now travels the country as an evangelist.

On the cover Evan Olinger rounded out his high school career as an artist by winning his third “Best of Show” in last spring’s Cooperative Calendar of Student Art contest.

It was also his seventh consecutive grade division win. The Sellersburg native is now pursuing a degree in visual communications at Purdue University.

PHOTO BY TAYLOR MARANION

4

NOVEMBER 2020

Capital credit refunds www.hcremc.com

are coming this month!

CONTACT US 800-248-8413 Fax: 765-529-1667 OFFICE HOURS 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday STREET ADDRESS 3400 S. State Road 3 New Castle, IN 47362 MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box D New Castle, IN 47362

As a not-for-profit

for each member for each year to

cooperative, we do

be paid back at a later date. When

not technically earn

the HCREMC board determines a

profits. Instead,

refund or retirement of capital credits

any revenues over

can be made, we will announce

and above the cost

the information through the Indiana

of doing business,

Connection magazine and mail eligible

called margins, are returned to you

A night deposit box is available 24 hours a day.

in the form of capital credits. This

EMAIL hcremc@hcremc.com

being part of a cooperative rather

SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS To report a power outage, please call 800-248-8413, day or night.

investor-owned utility (IOU). While

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Henry County REMC is to provide reliable, safe and cost-competitive electrical service to enhance the lives of our members and the communities we serve.

BILL DUE DATES Bills mailed Nov. 9 are due Nov. 29.

Bills mailed Nov. 16 are due Dec. 3.

Bills mailed Nov. 30 are due Dec. 17.y.

is one of the many advantages to than purchasing electricity from an IOUs try to earn profits to give to their investors, cooperatives work hard to provide their service as close to cost as possible.

Call 811 before you dig!

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ HenryCountyREMC FOLLOW US ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/ HenryCountyREMC

This month, your REMC will retire capital credits for years 1987-1988. If you purchased electricity through the REMC during that period and have an active account with us, you will receive a bill credit in December for the retired dollars. If your account is inactive and you are eligible to receive capital credits for the years 1987-1988, a

By purchasing electricity from

check will be mailed in late November

HCREMC, you are considered

to the address we have on file for your

a member, and an owner, of the

allotted dollar amount.

cooperative. At the end of the year, margins are allocated to each member who purchased electricity

Know what’s below.

members a check for the retired years.

that year proportionately based on his/her electric purchases. HCREMC keeps a record of capital credits

If you have questions about this process, please contact Chelsi at 765422-1113 or visit www.hcremc.com.

SHANNON THOM CEO

CO-OP NEWS HCREMC’s office will be closed for Veterans Day on Nov. 11 and for Thanksgiving on Nov. 26–27.

Employee Anniversaries • Deb Winter — 15 years (11/28) • Ty Taylor — 2 years (11/12) • Luke Lannan — 2 years (11/12) NOVEMBER 2020

5

co-op news

Re-elected Jamey Marcum and newly elected directors Sam Sparks and Nate LaMar are sworn in after they were elected to serve the HCREMC membership.

recap

annual meeting The HCREMC annual meeting is our favorite event of the year. However, the safety of members, employees and board members comes first. That’s why we made the tough decision to transition our annual meeting to an online format amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although we weren’t able to host an in-person event, our members still had a voice in the cooperative, while staying safe. In late August, members in district 3, 5 and 6 were mailed ballots to vote for director candidates within their districts. Districts 3, 5 and 6 were the only districts open for election in 2020. The districts rotate each year and only the members within that particular district can vote for their director candidates.

Members had the option to vote by mail, online or by using our account management system, SmartHub. Once results were in, the entire HCREMC membership was mailed ballots to ratify the director election results. Due to the cancellation of the in-person annual meeting, members were also asked to approve the 2019 annual meeting minutes and HCREMC financials.

On Oct. 9, HCREMC held its first-ever online Facebook LIVE annual meeting.

Board Chairman Brian Becker discussed how the wholesale power

6

NOVEMBER 2020

cost paid by HCREMC to power supplier Hoosier Energy increased sharply in 2019. The management team and board took additional time and went to great lengths to properly allocate rates to the members that create those costs. In addition, he discussed efforts to continue to improve reliability to our electrical system and work being done to provide broadband internet services to the membership.

HCREMC CEO Shannon Thom discussed efforts made to serve the membership through the pandemic, along with ways we look to help our members who may be struggling to pay their bills through this challenging time.

Toward the end of the virtual event, prize drawings were conducted. The names of members who participated in the final ballot mailing were placed into the drawing. Prize winners are listed on page 7.

We truly missed visiting with our membership face-to-face at the inperson annual meeting. We hope to see everyone in the fall of 2021 for our next event.

A video recording of the 2020 virtual annual meeting is now available on our website and on our YouTube Channel. You can also find the video on our Facebook timeline.

HCREMC CEO Shannon Thom updated members about what the co-op is doing to help them during the pandemic.

VOTING RESULTS DISTRICT 3: 114 – Nate LaMar 85 – Carla Bryant 83 – Gerald Shelton (incumbent)

DISTRICT 5: 108 – Sam Sparks 93 – Don Sloan (incumbent)

DISTRICT 6: 151 – Jamey Marcum (incumbent) 95 – Larry Brayton

PRIZE DRAWINGS Cub Cadet Lawn Mower – Todd White Generator – Larry Freeburg $350 bill credit – Edgar Walker $300 bill credit – Dave Humble $250 bill credit – Denny Hewson $200 bill credit – David Real Jr. $150 bill credit – Lane Young $150 bill credit – Phronzy Slocomb $150 bill credit – Gerald Nickel $150 bill credit – Roger Cecil $150 bill credit – Bruce Morrow $150 bill credit – Phillip Houser $150 bill credit – Rick Shafer $150 bill credit – David Eakins $150 bill credit – Michael McLaughlin $100 bill credit – Boar’s Head Provisions Co Inc. $100 bill credit – Barbara Stefan $100 bill credit – WM Harter $100 bill credit – Tim Lee $50 bill credit – Melvin Basey $50 bill credit – Lauretta Evans $50 bill credit– Janet Evans

Energy audits available for local farms and rural businesses

co-op news

WHAT IS AN ENERGY AUDIT? Detailed look at the equipment using energy at a property and how much energy is being consumed by each on an annual basis.

WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE AN ENERGY AUDIT? Energy audits help prioritize where improvements should be made for the best return on investment at your operation. Energy audits can typically help you find potential incentives (rebates, USDA grants, etc.) available for the various improvements. At the end of the day, audits assist in finding ways to save energy and money, improving your bottom line.

IS AN ENERGY AUDIT RIGHT FOR ME? Many people find great value in an energy audit. If you are not sure, please call your local electric cooperative to discuss the specifics to your operation.

Cooperative staff will help determine if an energy audit is right for you and will help you meet your energy consumption goals.

HOW MUCH WILL AN ENERGY AUDIT COST? A USDA grant will be paying for 75% of the cost of the energy audit. Audit cost vary depending on the type of facility, size, etc. Average cost range between $2,000-$6,000. Your operation will be responsible for the additional 25% of the audit cost. This cost share model provides opportunity for greater scope and potential savings in the energy audit process.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM INTERESTED? Your electric cooperative will assist in the collection of historical electric energy use information for the last 2-3 years. You will also need to collect your additional energy consumption information such as LP or natural gas.

You will also need to be available to walk the energy advisor around your site and discuss your operations, equipment run time, etc. A site visit will take approximately between 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the site.

WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY RESULTS REPORT? Reports are completed within 30 days of the site visit, unless we are missing information needed to complete the report. We will continue to stay in contact with you and your operation on any necessary information.

Contact Lara at 765-422-1119 for more info.

NOVEMBER 2020

7

co-op news

Fighting lightning The average electric distribution system in the United States sees 10% to 20% of their outages caused by lightning. Both direct and indirect lightning strikes can cause major problems for utilities for both overhead and underground facilities.

reliability from our membership.

Individually, property owners can also ensure they are protecting their own equipment from lightning strikes by inspecting their own electrical facilities inside of their home, farm or business. Having

According to data gathered by

a qualified electrician review the

the National Lightning Detection

power, telephone, and television

Network from 2008 to 2017,

connections in your building can

HCREMC’s service territory

be a great place to start. Improved

covers an area considered to

grounding, proper surge protection,

have a medium-to-high frequency

and checking connections can be an

of lightning. This information will

easy and relatively inexpensive way

surprise nobody that lives in this

to avoid future headaches.

area, but what that equates to is up to 20 lightning strikes per square mile per year within our service territory. With that frequency comes a great potential for damage.

As always, when the weather gets rough please monitor HCREMC’s live outage map for immediate updates on the status of our restoration efforts. When lightning

Over the past two years, HCREMC

is causing problems with electric

has found lightning to be the

service, however, rest assured our

confirmed cause of only 3.5%

crews are working diligently to see

of unplanned outages within the

us all through the storm.

service territory. That number places us ahead of the curve nationally, but we continue to keep our eye to the sky and are constantly looking caused outages in the future.

As we rebuild infrastructure, placed with more frequency than in previous decades. These

UNPLANNED OUTAGE HOURS BY CAUSE

installations are being coupled

35% trees

with improvements in grounding

29% transmission

schemes. We can accomplish this due to advancements in technology, more reasonably priced equipment, and the increasing demand for

8

NOVEMBER 2020

HCREMC members can continue to order LED lights from the Team Up Online Lighting Store with free shipping after the first of the year, but rebates will be removed on Dec. 31, 2020. In preparation for new, exciting incentives focused on member needs, the decision was made to discontinue the rebate feature of the store. HCREMC looks forward to offering new opportunities for energy savings in the future! Visit https://teamupmarketplace.com/ master/henrycountyremc.

Non-Permanent Service Charges HCREMC members who request non-permanent electric service for campsites, grain bins, summer homes, etc., are charged a fee based on the amount of the distribution charge for the account.

If an account is closed for up to 12 months, the member will be charged the minimum distribution for each month it is disconnected for the rate of the account. For example, $50 distribution charge times 11 months would equal $550 owed by the member.

If an account is closed for more than 12 months, HCREMC reserves the right to decide if the distribution charge will be accessed at that time.

for better ways to mitigate lightning-

lightning arrestors are being

Updates to Lighting Store in 2021

26% public 6% lightning and wind 2% design equipment failure 1% animals 1% unknown

When the account is requested to be disconnected HCREMC will determine if the lines will be removed to that location. If the lines are removed, when the member requests to have service re-established at that location, he/ she will then have to follow the line extension policy at that time.

Feel free to contact us at 800-2488413 if you have questions about this process.

energy

A simple thermostat setting to reduce energy use In my role as energy

I say this because

If this is done with a

to a comfortable

advisor at Jackson

adjusting the

heat pump, the five-

temperature and

County REMC, I have

temperature more

degree temperature

leaving it alone can

helped members

than two degrees

change is asking your

help reduce your

like you find ways to

will force your HVAC

HVAC system to be

energy use this

reduce energy use

system to use more

all-hands-on-deck!

season.

during the fall and

energy as it works to

To do this, it will turn

winter months.

adjust the temperature

on what is known

as quickly as possible.

as auxiliary heat

For homes with heat

so the temperature

pump systems, I

For example, if it is

like to begin at the

50 degrees outside

thermostat. A simple

and a thermostat is

thing you can do is

set to keep the house

to set your desired

at 65 degrees during

temperature and

the day, once it starts

don’t adjust it more

to cool off in the

than two degrees at

evening, it makes

a time. The fewer

sense to bump the

Following this simple

changes you make to

temperature up to a

process of setting

the temperature, the

warmer setting — say

your thermostat

better.

70 degrees.

10

NOVEMBER 2020

can quickly rise five degrees. This is where the resistance heat coils are used and it is a less efficient way to warm the air. It is more expensive too.

Brian Reynolds by

Energy Advisor Jackson County REMC

United States Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Publication Title: Indiana Connection. 2. Publication Number: 0745-4651. 3. Filing Date 9/21/20. 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly. 5.

Number of Issues Published Annually: 12. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $3.12. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: Indiana Electric Cooperatives, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, Marion County, IN 46240-4606. Contact Person: Emily Schilling. Telephone: 317-487-2220. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: Indiana Electric Cooperatives, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, Marion County, IN 46240-4606. 9.

Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Indiana Electric Cooperatives, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, Marion County, IN 46240-4606. Editor: Emily Schilling, Indiana Electric Cooperatives, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, Marion County, IN 46240-4606. Managing Editor: None. 10.

Owner: Indiana Electric Cooperatives, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates). The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13. Publication Title: Indiana Connection.

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Oct. 2020. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Electric co-op members in Indiana. a.

Total Number of Copies (Net press run): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 287,498. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 305,474. b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail). (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies and exchange copies): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 286,171. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 304,059. (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies and exchange copies): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0. (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0. (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0. c. Total Paid Distribution ((Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 286,171. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 304,059. d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail). (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 237. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 282. (2) Free or Nominal Rate Copies In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0. (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0. (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0.

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0. e.

Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4): Average No. Copies of Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 237. No. Copies of Single issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 282. f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 286,408. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 304,341. g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 1,090. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 1,133. h. Total (Sum of 15f and g): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 287,498. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 305,474. i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 99.9 %. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 99.9 %. Publication of Statement of Ownership. If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the November 2020 issue of this publication. 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner (Signed): Emily Schilling, Editor. Date: 9/21/20 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

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NOVEMBER 2020

A year’s worth of student art The 2021 Cooperative Calendar of Student Art is available at participating electric co-op offices across the state.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Bartholomew County REMC Boone REMC Carroll White REMC Clark County REMC Decatur County REMC Dubois REC Fulton County REMC Harrison REMC Heartland REMC Henry County REMC Hendricks Power Cooperative Jasper County REMC Jay County REMC Johnson County REMC Kankakee Valley REMC Kosciusko REMC LaGrange County REMC Marshall County REMC Miami-Cass REMC

2021

Cove r art kinde rgartby Lily Jone s, en divis ion winn er

23R D ANN UAL

SHO WCA SE OF

Prod uced

AWA RD-W INNI

by Indi ana

Con nect

NG WOR KS BY

ion for Indi ana’

INDI ANA STUD

s REM Cs

ENTS

Cove r art

by Lily Jone s, kinde rgart divis ion winn er en

• Newton County REMC • Noble REMC • Orange County REMC • RushShelby Energy • Southeastern Indiana REMC • Steuben County REMC • Tipmont REMC • UDWI REMC • Whitewater Valley REMC • WIN Energy REMC Copies are also available through the mail from Indiana Connection.

ORDER YOUR 2021 CALENDAR TODAY! Please send ______ copy (copies) of the Cooperative Calendar of Student Art 2021 at $6 each to: Name: Address: City, State and ZIP: Price includes shipping and Indiana sales tax. Make check payable to “Indiana Electric Cooperatives.” Send this completed form and a check to Indiana Connection Calendar; 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600; Indianapolis, IN 46240.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Interest in ICAN surges I cannot tell you how many people have contacted us by email or phone, AND the donations we are receiving via your story (about the Indiana Canine Assistance Network in the September 2020 issue).

We are getting a lot of questions coming in through our website as well and due to the surge, we know it’s because we have reached so many people throughout the state.

This was a blessing to ICAN to be featured in your publication. I was even at my parent’s home in Seymour and my mom and dad got it in the mail. They were so proud to see a story about ICAN that when they moved to assisted living last Saturday, my dad INSISTED on taking it with him to share it with his new friends!

So, thank you again. We are truly grateful to you and the talent you have in writing such a beautiful piece about the work we are doing to bring hope to others.

Denise “Dino” Sierp Director of Development & Outreach, Indiana Canine Assistance Network

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Please contact Cheryl Solomon, 847-749-4875 or cheryl@amp.coop, for small business advertising opportunities in Indiana Connection.

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county feature

Spencer County A five mile stretch of Ind. 162 in Spencer County takes a traveler from the boyhood home of perhaps the greatest president in U.S. history to the “summer home” of one of the most beloved characters in the history of humankind. Both are closely tied to the national holidays we celebrate this month and next.

Most folks are aware that Abraham Lincoln lived in Spencer County.

But he did more than pass through.

His 14 years in Southern Indiana were his formative years and would be a quarter of his life. There, he developed his intellect, his love of learning and law, and his melancholia after the heartbreaking deaths of his mother and sister.

And there, he grew to his adult 6-foot-4 frame and into the man he was. He was 21 when he joined his father, stepmother and her family in the move to better farmland in Illinois in 1830.

Today, the land that was the Lincoln family farm is the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. The memorial offers visitors the opportunity to walk trails where Lincoln walked and see what life was like on the harsh Hoosier frontier at a living historical farm which is operated in the summer months.

A visitor’s center offers a film and a small museum, two memorial halls and five large relief sculpture panels depicting phases of his life.

At the site is a headstone for his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who died in 1818.

The Lincoln State Park, across the highway from the Boyhood Memorial, is also dedicated to his memory

14

NOVEMBER 2020

Five relief sculptures depicting stages of Abraham Lincoln’s life and death adorn the exterior of the Lincoln National Boyhood Memorial in Spencer County. The site is located on the land where Lincoln grew from a lad to adulthood.

and offers plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities. Lincoln’s sister, Sarah Lincoln Grigsby, who died in 1828 giving birth to a stillborn son, is buried at the Little Pigeon Cemetery inside the state park.

y t n u o C acts F

FOUNDED: 1818

NAMED FOR: Spier Spencer, a captain in the Indiana militia killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe POPULATION: 20,327 (2018 estimate) COUNTY SEAT: Rockport

As president during the Civil War in 1863, Lincoln made the last Thursday of November an annual national holiday. Thanksgiving, as it was in 1863, falls this year on Nov. 26.

A jog to the east of the Lincoln sites, Spencer County also celebrates a great historic figure …

Santa Claus! The town there, first known as Santa Fe, fortuitously took its present name in 1856 after the U.S. Post Office rejected its attempt to establish a post office because Indiana already had a Santa Fe. Over the years, Santa Claus — the town and post office — became world famous for its association with the jolly Christmas elf.

In 1946, the nation’s first “theme park” — Santa Claus Land — opened

there. In 1984, the park changed its name to Holiday World, and today, with the addition of its Splashin’ Safari, is a combination theme park and water park that annually adds to its offerings and ranks among the best in the country. It is especially respected for its wooden roller coasters and cleanliness.

CLARIFICATION: The description of Charles Carroll, after whom Carroll County was named, should have stated he was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence (October’s County of the Month). Several other “founding fathers” did not sign the Declaration and survived Carroll.

NOVEMBER 2020

15

Indiana eats

Pick Oak and Alley

for an amazing burger … and more

BY JENNIFER BARGER Warsaw, Indiana, is home to a lot of great things. There are some pretty sweet parks, an exceptional greenway, an evolving downtown, a LOT of lakes, and a population of dreamers who just keep making this town better. A slightly less well-known fact is that Warsaw is also home to the most amazing burger you will ever sink your chops into.

Oak and Alley serves a myriad of craft burgers from a classic cheeseburger to the famous “Traveler” burger. The “Traveler” is Oak and Alley’s take on a weekly special — but it’s so much more than that. It’s really an ever-changing creative combination of tantalizing flavors and textures. Oak and Alley is for burger lovers of all kinds – even those who prefer plant-based options. Hands down, this joint has the best veggie burger you will ever eat.

Coupled with these mouthwatering burgers is a selection of pub-style sides!

Oh, the sides! The sides menu includes everything delicious and fried. French fries, onion rings, mushrooms, spicy cheese curds, poutine; the list goes on to include salads (#goals.) Looking for a game-changer? Try the PB&J Sweet Potato fries. For real.

OAK AND ALLEY 2308 E. Center St., Warsaw

574-387-6114 www.oakandalley.com Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5-9 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday: Closed

16

NOVEMBER 2020

THE BELGIAN Brussels sprouts, red onion, bacon, thyme, creme fraiche and aged parmesan

So what makes an Oak and Alley burger better than everyone else’s? It’s the toppings! And the pretzel buns — always the fresh pretzel buns. Who puts umami, sriracha, pickled veggies, and peanut butter on a burger? Oak and Alley does! And it’s phenomenal.

In Oak and Alley’s humble beginning, it was the proverbial “hole in the wall” found only by locals who knew the right Alley to explore. Fast forward a few years, and Oak and Alley can be found front and center as you enter town on Center Street, lit up with outdoor seating. You can’t miss it.

Oak and Alley boasts some of the best seasonal drinks around: try their “Lemon Shakeup” or their “Boozy Thin Mint Shake.” If specialty drinks aren’t your vibe, take your pick from a wide selection of craft beers and cocktails.

With upbeat music, refreshing drinks, and a welcoming atmosphere, you’ll find

THE veggie Black bean patty with cheddar, cilantro, avocado, tomato, red onion and chipotle aioli

yourself in chill-mode as soon as you sit down.

Are you looking for an excellent location for a business lunch? Pick Oak and Alley.

Or maybe you’re looking for a quick grab and go? Pick Oak and Alley.

Is it time for a much needed night out with good food, belly laughs, and great friends? Pick Oak and Alley.

Are you watching your calorie intake in preparation for the holidays? Pick another place. Self-control has no place at Oak and Alley.

Jennifer Barger is manager of marketing and communications at Kosciusko REMC in Warsaw, Indiana.

food CHICKEN IN WINE SAUCE Kathleen Tooley, Berne, Indiana 6-8 chicken breasts ½ cup water 1 t. salt 1 (10 ¾ oz.) can cream of mushroom soup 1 ½ cups plain yogurt ¼ t. pepper ½ cup milk or cream ¾ cup cooking sherry 1 large (6 oz.) jar sliced mushrooms Cook chicken in water and ½ t. salt on high heat until steam appears. Simmer for 15 minutes. Blend soup, yogurt, ½ t. salt, pepper and sherry. Add milk or cream and mushrooms. Put chicken in greased baking dish. Pour sauce over all and bake uncovered at 350 F for 1 hour.

Culture Club IN GOES THE YOGURT, IN GO CALCIUM AND PROBIOTICS

NOVEMBER 2020

17

food

POUND CAKE Patricia Piekarski, Harvey, Illinois ½ cup butter 3 eggs ½ cup plain fat-free yogurt 1 ½ cups flour ¼ t. baking powder 1/8 t. baking soda 1 cup sugar ½ t. vanilla Let butter, eggs and yogurt stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease one loaf pan. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda. In bowl, beat butter with mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Alternately, add flour mixture and yogurt to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 325 F for 60-75 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP YOGURT COOKIES Marilles Mauer, Greensburg, Indiana ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup plain yogurt 1 ½ t. vanilla 1 ¾ cups flour ½ t. baking soda ¼ t. salt

YOGURT FRUIT SMOOTHIE Jan Hackman, Columbus, Indiana 1 banana, cut up 1 ½ cups frozen fruit or berries 1 cup plain Greek yogurt ½ cup chocolate chips ¼ cup chocolate syrup ¾ cup milk Mix ingredients in a blender for approximately two minutes. Makes two servings.

18

¾-1 cup chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add yogurt and vanilla.

Beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Mix in chocolate chips. If you think the batter is a bit sticky, chill for about 30 minutes. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough and drop two inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and place on cooling racks. Leave the cookies undisturbed for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and let cool completely on a wire rack.

FO O D PREPARED BY I NDI ANA CO NNECT I O N S TA FF PHO TO S BY TAYLO R MA RA NI O N

NOVEMBER 2020

times a winner

By Richard G. Biever Good things came in threes for Evan Olinger … make that … threes and sevens.

For an unprecedented third time, Evan has won the “Best of Show” in the latest Cooperative Calendar of Student Art contest. Winning the 12th grade division also made Evan a seven-time consecutive grade winner — another unprecedented accomplishment in the calendar contest’s 23 years.

The winning works from the contest, which was judged in June after the pandemic caused the judging’s delay, will be used to illustrate the upcoming 2021 art calendar. It will be available from participating electric cooperatives around the state and through Indiana Connection (Please see page 12).

The contest was created and is coordinated annually by Indiana Connection staff.

continued on page 20 NOVEMBER 2020

19

continued from page 19 Evan, who graduated in May from Silver Creek High

Over the years, his winning subject matter varied from

School in Sellersburg, rounded out his high school

whimsical children to a dog to a kitten to a scarecrow

career in the contest with two color pencil entries; either

to his latest, a “Winter Wonderland,” of Christmas

one would have placed first. Judges ended up selecting

decorations on a fireplace mantel. But each year, as

a highly textured sentimental Christmas still life over

Evan’s ability and self-taught technique improved with

his other entry that featured two orange-furred foxes

his age, each work was rendered skillfully in layers

against a cold snowy blue landscape.

of colored pencil, creating textures and realism rarely

“My main goal with the REMC calendar contest, and my approach to creating in general, is just to keep things

seen in a student artist, especially in grades when Evan began winning.

fresh and unique,” Evan said. “I don’t like to create the

“With the REMC contest, it was all about having fun

same piece of art twice.”

with what I was creating, while still trying to top my

Sixth grade — June 2015

eighth grade — AUGUST 2017

Evan’s first appearance in the calendar is still one of his favorites, he said. “That was an exploratory year for me because I was moving from cartoons to realism.” After winning an “Award of Merit” a couple of times before, he was thrilled to have finally won his grade division. “That was a good boost in how I felt about my art.”

Evan won his grade division with a “self-portrait” of a younger Evan as a tot at the State Fair.

ninth grade — SEPTEMBER 2018 seventh grade — July 2016 The next year, Evan won for a Fourth of July illustration of a girl that was his first “Best of Show.”

20

NOVEMBER 2020

The family pet “Snickerdoodle” became one of his first animal illustrations and gave him confidence in tackling animals. The work brought him many commissions, he added, doing illustrations of pets for family, friends and strangers who saw his art in that year’s calendar.

tenth grade — October 2019

eleventh grade — november 2020

Evan’s second “Artist of the Year” designation for Best of Show is still probably his favorite, he said recently. It featured a kitten popping out of a jack-o’-lantern. “I’ve always loved cats, but I’m allergic, so I can’t have them.”

Evan turned to a scarecrow against an autumnal sky and landscape, again, not subjects he said he would normally have done for fun.

artwork from previous years,” Evan said. “One of the things I’ve always loved about the contest is that it gave me a chance to explore new subject matter I wouldn’t necessarily explore. Taking a break from my usual subject matters to draw a couple of light-hearted and colorful pieces was always a breath of fresh air, and was why I always was so excited to enter the contest.”

Evan began taking his art to a new level this fall: pursuing a degree in visual communications design at Purdue University. Through the degree, he will also minor in art history. “It’s a big step into a field of art which isn’t as familiar to me, but I couldn’t be more excited,” he said. “I’ll be taking my technical skills that I’ve built up throughout the years and filtering them into making creative, refined, and meaningful concepts.”

His first two classes at Purdue are fundamentals: drawing and design. Despite COVID-19, his art classes are still meeting in person. He’s hoping to land some internships during his undergraduate career that will help point to his career in art and design that could take him

twelfth grade — december 2021 The still life of his mom’s Christmas mantel decorations is a sentimental piece he did for his mom. “She has fun putting up her decorations. And she’s always been very supportive of my art. I thought I could go out on a bang with a tribute to my mom.” He photographed last year’s display and added a background. “I really love how the combination of all the colors together make the decorations pop, so I wanted to capture that in my drawing,” he said.

to magazines or any number of directions.

And he expressed interest in staying a part of the contest. “If I could do one more year, I would,” he said.

“I’m not the type to get too emotional, but I will miss having that time of the year. It was always a very routine thing … I would come up with a composition, and I would work on it about the same month every year. But I’ll still be very interested in seeing everyone else’s entries

Indiana Connection would love to have him help judge the contest. The next one — to illustrate the 2022 calendar — is now underway! And no student artist has been as accomplished as he.

Richard G. Biever is senior editor of Indiana Connection.

in the following years and seeing the art they create.

Maybe I’ll be able to be a judge one day.”

NOVEMBER 2020

21

Changes to the art contest yet some things stay the same

L

ike most everything else in 2020, the annual Cooperative Calendar of Student Art contest was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally held in late March or early April, the art contest judging was delayed to June because of the school closures and the closure of Indiana Connection’s office at Indiana Electric Cooperatives. IEC staff has coordinated and conducted the contest for its 23 years.

Winning works from the contest are used to illustrate the following year’s cooperative calendar that is distributed to electric cooperative consumers around the state by participating electric cooperatives.

Complimentary calendars will soon be available at participating co-ops or for $6 each through the mail from Indiana Connection. (See the list and order form on page 12.)

Because schools had been closed for in-person classes and turned to remote e-learning for the ending of the 2019-2020 school year, recognition for the art contest was altered.

As usual, 13 first place winners were awarded in grades K-12. Those works will illustrate the cover and the corresponding months inside.

Kindergartners were assigned the cover, and first graders were assigned January, second graders had February, and so on through 12th grade illustrating December.

But this year, judges awarded 13 honorable mentions, as well, one for each grade. In past years, there were only nine at-large honorable

22

NOVEMBER 2020

mentions awarded.

Honorable mention works will appear in a special six-page section at the back of the calendar After first place was selected for each grade, judges gathered grade division finalists to make the honorable mention selections.

Cover: Kindergarten, Lily Jones

Each first-place winner received a prize of $200. The “Artist of the Year,” 12th grade division-winner Evan Olinger, won an extra $100 for having the “Best of Show.” Each honorable mention winner received $75.

The Best of Show was Evan’s third since he began winning his grade division as a sixth grader in 2015’s calendar. He won his grade division every year since. Another artist of note is Danielle Sommerman, last year’s Best of Show winner. The Crawford County High School student won the 11th grade division for the 2021 calendar which was her fifth consecutive win. She’s won her grade division six times and also won an honorable mention as a third grader in 2013’s calendar and as a sixth grader in 2016’s calendar.

Grade division winners shown on these pages represented the grade the respective winners were in during the 2019-2020 school year.

Continuing a partnership begun in 2010 between Indiana’s electric

cooperatives and the Hoosier Art Salon, Indiana’s prestigious arts organization, the stuJanuary: First dent artists Grade, Violet Kesler featured in the calendar had their works exhibited at the Indiana State Museum in downtown Indianapolis.

This was in conjunction with the Salon’s annual juried exhibition.

For details on the art contest to illustrate the 2022 calendar, please go to IndianaConnection.org. Its deadline will be March 20, 2021.

To view the 13 honorable mention winning works for the 2021 calendar and all the past calendar art, 1999-2020, please visit our “Gallery of Art,” also on our website.

February: Second Grade, Olivia DeSchamp

May: Fifth Grade, Logan Huff

March: Third Grade, Evie Huff

June: Sixth Grade, Harley Koons

July: Seventh Grade, Bryan Michael Yoder

April: Fourth Grade, SaRai Fontanez

winning art continued on page 24 NOVEMBER 2020

23

winning art continued from page 23

August: Eighth Grade, Hannah Stewart

outdoors

‘The Bears of Blue River’ … REVISITED?

September: Ninth Grade, Mary Batz For more than a century, the tales of frontier teenager Balser Brent and his adventures with bears, guns and Native American treasure along Indiana’s Blue River in the 1800s left generations of young Hoosiers spellbound. But the sad reality for those hoping to track and trap a bear: Black bears had vanished from Indiana long before Hoosier author Charles Major ever wrote about them in the early 1900s.

But now, a black bear has been confirmed by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife north of Prospect, Kentucky. That’s right across from Clark County, Indiana. Because bears are strong swimmers, the bear may cross the Ohio River into the Hoosier state. According to Brad Westrich, nongame mammologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the sighting is not a cause for alarm but a time to prepare.

“This sighting provides an opportunity for Hoosiers in the area to secure outdoor grills, trash cans, or pet and bird food,” said Westrich. “Black bears prefer to avoid humans and removing potential food sources goes a long way to prevent negative interactions.”

October: Tenth Grade, Elizabeth Miller

Since 2015, Indiana DNR has confirmed three black bears in the Hoosier state. Populations of black bears in neighboring states continue to increase, so it is not unusual for bears to disperse into Indiana. The deciduous forests and rough terrain in southern Indiana provide great habitat for black bears. DNR urges citizens to be BearWise (bearwise. org) to minimize the possibility of conflict with black bears.

Individuals are encouraged to report any bear sightings using the DNR’s large mammal online report form at on.IN.gov/largemammal, or by calling DNR Law Enforcement at 812-837-9536. Observations with evidence such as photos, video, tracks, or scat may require a follow-up visit by a DNR biologist for confirmation. More information on black bears is at wildlife.IN.gov/8500.htm.

November: Eleventh Grade, Danielle Sommerman

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NOVEMBER 2020

JACK SPAULDING is a syndicated state outdoors writer and a member of RushShelby Energy. Readers can email him directly at jackspaulding@hughes.net.

safety

Deck the halls with boughs of

safety

When Ralphie Parker’s dad attempts to plug his glorious but tragically fra-gee-lee “Italian” leg lamp into an overloaded wall outlet in the holiday movie classic “A Christmas Story,” there first came a “snap of a few sparks” and the “whiff of ozone” before the lamp blazed forth in the front window.

While that’s a funny movie scene, those at your electric cooperative want to remind you overloaded circuits and sparks are never funny, especially this time of year.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, one of every three home Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems. And though not common, Christmas tree fires are more serious than typical home fires. One of every 31 reported Christmas tree fires results in a death.

“This is such a beautiful and special time of year,” said John Gasstrom, CEO at Indiana Electric Cooperatives.

“It’s always tragic to hear of home fires and loss of life, especially when it’s caused by something like a Christmas tree or holiday decorations meant to bring joy and celebration.”

Here are some things to keep in mind when decorating your home for the holidays:

• If you decorate with a real tree, make sure it’s fresh. Needles should not drop or come off easily.

• When you get your tree home, cut a few inches off the bottom of the trunk and immediately place the tree in water, even if you do not yet intend to decorate it.

• Make sure the tree is watered daily throughout the holiday.

• Decorate the tree with LED lights that do not get hot and use 75% to 90% less electricity for the same amount of light.

• With any light set, carefully inspect each light and the cord. Cracked and loose bulbs and frayed or bare wires can shock or start a fire.

• Follow the manufacturer instructions on how many strands can be connected together. It differs based on the type of light.

Obviously, Ralphie made it to adulthood to look back warmly on that Christmas he got a BB gun in “A Christmas Story.” And even though he almost shot his eye out and the neighbor’s hounds ate their turkey, at least the Parkers were not displaced, or something worse, by the old man’s overloaded outlets.

HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS FOR KIDS Keep an eye out for younger family members when putting up the holiday lights.

• Those popular lights shaped like candles perched on “bubbling” colored liquid should be kept away from youngsters who may be tempted to break the glass and drink the colorful, hazardous liquid.

• Handmade paper ornaments can cause fires if they come in contact with electrical connections.

• Most strings of Christmas tree lights are coated with plastic containing lead. Since the amount of lead varies greatly, it’s difficult to determine how dangerous the lights might be. To be safe, don’t allow young children to handle the lights.

• Playful youngsters can easily get tangled in light strings. Watch children closely and warn them of the dangers.

NOVEMBER 2020

25

career profile

Wearing many hats on the job What are your main responsibilities?

My focus daily is to assist the CEO, directors, and marketing and member services department in a variety of job duties.

What is your background?

I have 26 years of customer service representative experience at HCREMC. In that position, I learned a lot about the cooperative including HCREMC programs, billing, as well as the customer service side. I also have an associate degree from Ball State University.

What part of your job do you find most fulfilling?

The most fulfilling part of my job is helping my supervisor with and interacting with our member-consumers at events such as the Annual Meeting and Co-op Community Day. I also enjoy completing marketing and member services projects.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

The most challenging part of my job is on the days where I must wear many “hats.” Those days stretch me to be more spontaneous and flexible.

Have you had to master new skills in this role?

Like with any job, I have had to learn new skills such as software programs. I also completed the Rural Electric Leaders in Training Exchange through Indiana Electric Cooperatives. While participating in this wonderful, twoyear program, I had to complete a community project and assist in teaching lessons to an incoming RELITE class.

26

NOVEMBER 2020

Anita Irvin Administrative Assistant Henry County REMC

How would you describe working for a co-op?

I absolutely love working for a cooperative, and I would not want to be anywhere else. We are local to our member-consumers, it is “small town” and like family.

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

Hoosier Energy news

member training

Hoosier Energy provides

Year-round, comprehensive lineworker training continues during pandemic Even facing restrictions in the

descend a pole to handling 7,200

consistency across the member-

pandemic, hands-on learning

volts of electricity, apprentices

ship regardless of co-op size or

continues to take place year-

also receive classroom training

resources. “What it boils down to

round for participants in the

on everything from the theory of

is safety,” he said. “It’s all about

Hoosier Energy Apprentice

electricity to how to use personal

our members and providing a

Training and Safety program.

protection equipment.

better training service for them

With altered schedules, masks and social distances, lineworkers are honing their troubleshooting skills so they can identify situa-

According to Gentry, having apprentices learn at Hoosier Energy’s training center offers

tions encountered in the field.

“Interacting with underground components is becoming more and more a greater part of a lineman’s everyday job,” said Brandon Gentry, Hoosier Energy safety and training specialist.

When an electric cooperative hires a line apprentice, that person goes through a fouryear, 8,000-hour on-the-job training program that prepares them in skills necessary to do their jobs safely and efficiently.

From learning how to climb and

Gary Rhodes of Advanced Technical Sales (second from the right) works with apprentices at Hoosier Energy’s Franklin Training Center on how to find faults and locate underground cables.

28

NOVEMBER 2020

to be more productive and go out and troubleshoot in a timely manner.”

profile

Out of the ring

... onto the pavement

Former pro wrestler now travels the country as an evangelist

A

s an imposing 6-foot-6,

But by the early 2000s, it all came

to church and youth groups min-

340-pound burly bad guy

crashing down like a slam into the

istering to people of all walks. Their

professional wrestler, Carmine

turnbuckle that left him flat on the

“Hitting the Pavement” ministry

Azzato wasn’t the type of guy you’d

mat. And that’s when he said he

just launched a new website last

want to bump into on a dark street

was restored and transformed by

month as they embark on a new

corner.

Jesus Christ.

phase of their ministry from their

Azzato wore demonic face makeup,

Now 51, instead of scaring the

akin to Gene Simmons of the heavy

bejeebers out of people, Azzato’s

“We’re not a new ministry,” Az-

metal rock band KISS, and wrestled

sharing Christ’s redemptive love as

zato said, emphasizing both he

under stage names like “Demolition

an evangelist.

and Jules are evangelical veterans

Blast,” “Gravedigger” and “Molokai the Grim Reaper” as he rose to fame and fortune in the 1990s.

He and his wife of three years, Jules, travel the country speaking

New Richmond home.

who’ve been tried and tested by life’s hard knocks. “We’re a ‘willing ministry’ — willing to change and try new things,” he explained.

For 23 years, Carmine Azzato pounded opponents in the wrestling ring as a world-champion professional wrestler, most notably as “Blast,” part of the tag team known as Demolition. Today, based out of his New Richmond home, he pounds the pavement across the country as an itinerant evangelist with his wife to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That means taking their itinerant evangelism, which is a 501(c)3 organization, wherever it needs to go. “You can’t meet people where they are unless you’re willing to hit the pavement.”

He admits he was not a willing conscript or convert when Christ first tagged him.

A knee injury brought an end to the heyday of his pro career in 2000 when he was just 31. Wrestling professionally since just before his 18th birthday, he had traveled the world and cracked elbows with the most famous wrestlers. He experienced its success … and its excess.

After the injury and semi-retirement, he fell on hard times. “And then, as it happens, you don’t want to show people that you’re hurting

P HO TO BY TAY L OR MA R A N ION I NS E T P HO TO C OU R T E SY OF C A R M I N E A ZZATO

continued on page 30 NOVEMBER 2020

29

profile continued from page 29 and you’re struggling for money. I

they loved him and told him about

chose to do something that wasn’t

the unconditional love of Christ.

upstanding.”

Like Azzato, both had once been

Azzato allowed himself to be used

down before being restored.

in an auto insurance scam by

“I didn’t want any part of it,” Azzato

someone he thought was a friend.

recalled. The wrestling career and

That friend was being investigated

the fame made him leery of people

by the FBI, and Azzato was arrested

and their motives. As a defense, he

with about 60 others. Unlike the

pushed people away. “When I start-

others, Azzato immediately plead

ed to see these guys were for real

guilty to the fraud, and the judge

and just completely in love with the

showed mercy. He was sentenced

Lord, I started to ease up a little bit.

only to probation, but the experi-

They really wanted to know me.

ence left him even more broken.

Somebody saw the value in me when I couldn’t see it in myself.

— CARMINE AZZATO one in the WWF entourage saw the big kid with the massive cast on his leg and how he carried himself. He

“All of a sudden, my heart started

could tell Azzato was charismatic

That’s when a childhood acquain-

getting chiseled a little bit. That

in the way he interacted with his

tance gave him a job as a con-

rough exterior started getting

classmates and how they respond-

struction foreman. Azzato’s dad

knocked down.” Azzato said he did

ed. He persuaded Azzato to consid-

had been a contractor, so Azzato,

a “180 conversion” and accepted

er pro wrestling as a career, and a

who grew up in New York City, was

Christ in November 2002. “Since

lightbulb came on, Azzato said.

familiar with the industry. Soon,

that day, I just never went back to

two Christian coworkers could tell

the old me.”

Azzato needed some reconstruc-

His post-wrestling construction career eventually brought him

Azzato speaks to Christian denom-

to Indianapolis a decade ago. In

inations of all kinds. “I’m preaching

2013, he decided to turn to evan-

relationship. Jesus wasn’t religious.

gelical ministry and motivational

Carmine Azzato

He was relational. For me to love

speaking full time. In 2016, he met

and draw close to Him, I had to

Jules — living just up the road in

CAREER: Professional wrestler

understand that He was about

Montgomery County — via a health

(retired); evangelist; motivational

relationship.”

products convention in Orlando.

speaker

His two coworkers weren’t the first

While his life’s path has had as

WRESTLING HONORS:

to see something in Azzato worth

many twists and turns and ups and

pursuing. In high school, his only

downs as a well-scripted wrestling

dream was to play in the NFL. But

match, he’s now “wrestling for

a compound fracture to his leg in

souls,” he said.

tion of his own. Daily, they told him

• Two-time World Heavyweight Champion • One-time Intercontinental Champion • One-time Television Champion • Five-time World Tag Team Champion For more information and to see where Carmine and Jules will be preaching, visit: HittingThePavement.com.

30

NOVEMBER 2020

practice his junior year ended his football dreams. Scholarship offers disappeared. He fell into depression and turned to drugs and suicidal thoughts, he said.

“We have to see the gold in everyone,” he said. “We have to see the value … because somebody saw the value in me when I couldn’t see it in myself.”

About that time, the World Wrestling Federation staged a fundraising event for his Staten Island high school’s football program. Some-

Story by Indiana Connection using some material provided by Tipmont REMC

36

FEBRUARY 2019