Ohio Cooperative Living - April 2019 - Mid-Ohio

OHIO

APRIL 2019

COOPERATIVE

Living

Official publication of Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative | www.midohioenergy.com

The men behind the

power

Celebrating co-op lineworkers ALSO INSIDE Sasquatch watchers Giving vinyl a spin Scientist captains

Celebrate National Lineworker Appreciation Day: April 8

Lineworkers serve on the front lines of our nation’s energy needs, and we honor the men and women who work in challenging and oft en dangerous conditi ons to keep the lights on.

To recognize your co-op’s dedicated employees, #ThankALineworker this April.

ohioec.org/purpose

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

INSIDE HIGHLIGHT 24 GIVING VINYL A SPIN Cleveland’s Gotta Groove rides a wave

of nostalgia in the recording industry.

FEATURES 30 SCIENTIST CAPTAINS

Academics studying Lake Erie have found an invaluable, if unexpected, source of data.

34 THESE WALLS CAN TALK Dozens of Ohio post offices contain history lessons on community and American can-do spirit.

Cover image on most issues: Union Rural Electric Cooperative crew leader Sean Luellen captured this image of URE line technician Sam Bevis at work in the bucket during a gorgeous autumn day. Lineworker Appreciation Day is April 8.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 1

UP FRONT

ALWAYS ON DUTY April showers bring out the best in cooperatives.

A

cross the state, Ohio’s electric co-ops invest in new and updated equipment to bring electricity to your home or business on a continuous and uninterrupted basis. Cooperatives engage technological advances to track the performance of our electric distribution networks and to solve problems quickly. We train our staff to be available when you need us and to resolve issues safely and reliably.

Today, more than ever, our world is powered by our electric system. Yet, in spite of investments in technology, time, and preparation, Mother Nature still puts us in our place from time to time.

The past winter brought an unexpected ice storm to northwestern Ohio, followed by a brutal February windstorm that caused power outages across the state. Now, as the season thaws into spring, we brace ourselves for inevitable thunderstorms, while crossing our fingers to ward against tornadoes.

Your electric cooperative is staffed with dedicated employees who respond to each and every event that comes our way. From the member service representatives who take your calls to the engineers and managers who formulate appropriate action plans to the linemen who brave the elements to restore your electric service, each member of the team is committed to the three “R’s” — respond, restore, and reassure.

April 8 is Lineworker Appreciation Day, when we recognize the professionals who put themselves in peril to provide the power that energizes us. Even under the best circumstances, line work is a difficult and potentially dangerous job. As recent events remind us, the skills of lineworkers are most crucial when conditions are worst.

To do the job effectively and consistently, lineworkers rely on their support systems. Training, obviously, is of utmost importance, and your co-op ensures that lineworkers stay up to date on best practices. The rest of the co-op team is there to be sure that work is dispatched efficiently and that proper materials and equipment are on hand for repairs. They let our members know what to expect. Often overlooked, but perhaps most important, is the pillar of our families, as we respond to routine and emergency calls alike.

Electric cooperatives are sometimes compared to a big family — check out page 4 to read about a few Ohio linemen who have taken that to another level … and the next time you turn on a light, thank a lineman.

2 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

Pat O’Loughlin PRESIDENT & CEO OHIO'S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

April 8 is Lineworker Appreciation Day, when we recognize the professionals who put themselves in peril to provide the power that energizes us.

April 2019 • Volume 61, No. 7

MORE INSIDE

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 memberinteract@ohioec.org www.ohioec.org Patrick O’Loughlin President & CEO

Patrick Higgins Director of Communications

Jeff McCallister Managing Editor

Rebecca Seum Associate Editor

Anita Cook Graphic Designer Contributors: Brian Albright, Colleen Romick Clark, Victoria Ellwood, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Catherine Murray, James Proffitt, Jamie Rhein, Damaine Vonada, and Kris Wetherbee.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING (USPS 134-760; ISSN 2572-049X) is published monthly by Ohio Rural Elec­tric Co­op­eratives, Inc. It is the official com­mun­ication link be­tween the elec­­­­tric co­operatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their mem­bers. Subscription cost for members ranges from $5.52 to $6.96 per year, paid from equity accruing to the member. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. All rights reserved.

DEPARTMENTS 4 POWER LINES

FAMILY AFFAIR: Line work is a profession that often sees fathers and sons, or even brothers, follow in each other’s footsteps.

8

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

SQUATCHER GATHERING: A Salt Fork State Park conference is the epicenter of Ohio’s Bigfoot phenomenon.

10 OHIO ICON

MIAMISBURG MOUND: The Adena mound near the Great Miami River is one of the nation’s tallest earthworks.

12 IN THE GARDEN BROCCOLI BASICS: It takes a bit of finesse to grow a stalk that’s

head and shoulders above the rest.

15 GOOD EATS

FLAVORFUL FUNGUS: High in fiber and vitamin-rich, mushrooms are a healthy and versatile way to enhance any meal.

18 CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

GUERNSEY-MUSKINGUM ELECTRIC: The east-central Ohio co-op counts The Wilds and Ohio’s largest state park among its members.

19 LOCAL PAGES For all advertising inquiries, contact

Cheryl Solomon American MainStreet Publications 847-749-4875 | cheryl@amp.coop The fact that a product is advertised in Ohio Cooperative Living should not be taken as an en­dorse­ment. If you find an advertisement mis­leading or a product unsatisfactory, please not­ify us or the Ohio Attorney General’s Of­fi ce, Consumer Protection Sec­tion, 30 E. Broad St., Col­um­bus, OH 43215.

Periodicals postage paid at Colum­bus, OH, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to editorial and advertising offices at: 6677 Busch Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43229-1101

Cooperative members: Please report changes of address to your electric cooperative. Ohio Cooperative Living staff cannot process address changes.

Alliance for Audited Media Member

News and important information from your electric cooperative.

28 CO-OP PEOPLE RAMPING IT UP: After a fortuitous find, South Central Power Company members specialize in aromatic agriculture.

37 CALENDAR

WHAT’S HAPPENING: April/May events and other things to do.

40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE MUD SEASON: Readers get down and dirty after April showers.

IN THIS ISSUE Marietta (p.4) New Concord (p.4,18) Paulding (p.5) Marysville (p.5,6,34) Newark (p.6) Lore City (p.8) Miamisburg (p.10) Cleveland (p.24) Gibralter Island (p.30)

Ada (p.34) Waverly (p.34) Granville (p.34) Springfield (p.34) Fairborn (p.34) New London (p.34) Georgetown (p.34) Portsmouth (p.34)

Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 3

POWER LINES

ALL IN THE Electric cooperatives are often thought of as “family” — after all, they share common principles and a commitment to their communities that make for relationships that go deeper than just another business or utility.

Sometimes, though, “family” is literal. Line work, especially, is a profession that often sees fathers and sons or brothers, perhaps, follow in each other’s footsteps on the job. Here are some of their stories.

BY VICTORIA ELLWOOD

Frank Wells and Jake Wells Between the two of them, brothers Frank and Jake Wells have more than half a century of service working on co-op lines. Jake is a crew foreman at Washington Electric Cooperative, based in Marietta, while Frank, the younger of the two, is a journeyman lineman with Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative, based in New Concord.

Frank got into the business first, citing the compensation and chance to work outdoors as incentives. He didn’t waste time in sharing those attributes with his brother.

“I tried everything else first — all sorts of different jobs,” Jake says, “but Frank kept trying to talk me into working with him as a lineman. At first I said ‘no way.’ I was scared to death to climb those poles.

Not because I was afraid of heights, but because of the hazards of working with electricity.”

He soon came around. “Back then, you just had to be brave enough to try it,” he says. While most line crews primarily use bucket trucks to maintain lines these days, Jake says he still climbs regularly. “We’re currently replacing 150 poles. I’m getting my hooks out and helping pave the way for the contractors.”

The brothers grew up together on the family farm — where Jake still lives — north of Marietta. He cares for about a dozen head of cattle on his 60 acres and raised show pigs for a long time. Frank, on the other hand, calls his acreage a “hobby farm,” with some horses and a couple of pigs and “just enough land to keep me busy.”

The brothers also enjoy caring for their co-op members. “You meet all kinds of different people, and I like that aspect of my job,” Jake says. “At the end of the day, when you get 400 to 500 people’s power back on when it’s five below zero, you feel pretty darn good.”

4 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

Mike Klima and Jake Klima Mike Klima, a journeyman lineman for 22 years at Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative in Paulding, says he thinks he inspired his son, Jake, to follow in his career footsteps. “He saw that I liked my job and enjoyed the work,” Mike says. “We have a lot in common — working outside and doing things with our hands — so the job seemed like a good fit. I’m very proud of him.”

Jake, a journeyman lineman at Union Rural Electric Cooperative, based in Marysville, is proud of his dad, too. “As a boy, it was normal for Dad to leave family functions and holidays when he was on call,” he remembers. “We kids understood that. It made us proud that he was helping people and restoring their electricity. I learned from him at an early age what the co-op was all about — we put our members’ needs first — so, when I was a senior in high school, I made my decision to be a lineman, too.”

Getting to know the co-op members is central to the job, Mike says. “It’s a very rewarding career, especially as you get to know the customers. We always talk to people before we work on their property. We explain what we’ll be doing. They’re so appreciative of us working out there in all kinds of weather — rain or snow or 10 below zero.”

Father and son also enjoy hunting and fishing together, whether angling on the waters of Lake Erie or dropping a hook in a pond near Jake’s house.

The best thing, they both say, is swapping stories. “We can talk shop, share information, and compare how we do our jobs. Usually, I give Jake a call early in the morning to see how his day’s going to go,” says Mike. Adds Jake: “It’s fun to discuss different ways to get the job done.”

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 5

Dana Springer, Ernie Springer, and Tyler Springer When Dana Springer was a youngster, he and his siblings could hear electric company dispatches come through on a scratchy radio at home when his dad, Ernie, was on call. Ernie, now retired, worked as a lineman and line supervisor for 35 years for Licking Rural Electric Cooperative, now The Energy Cooperative, based in Newark. “We could hear that old radio all night long.

But we didn’t mind,” Dana says.

In fact, it probably inspired him. Dana went to college for a couple of years and then worked on the family’s 1,000acre farm in eastern Ohio, where they grew corn and soybeans and raised cows and pigs. “Farming wasn’t very profitable in the 1980s, so I sent an application to the coops and started as an apprentice lineman at Union Rural.

Now, I’ve been on the line crew for almost 34 years.”

His dad, however, hasn’t completely given up the farm.

Now retired from the co-op for more than three decades, Ernie still farms about 80 acres, and Dana still helps out during harvest time.

6 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

The two enjoy hunting and fishing together, and they also like to talk shop. “We get together and talk about how things are done,” says Dana. “He still looks at the lines when we’re driving down the road; it’s hard to get it out of your system.”

Dana’s son, Tyler, has followed in his dad’s and grandpa’s footsteps, too, and works as a transmission operations reliability supervisor for AEP; his team is responsible 24/7 for the regional AEP transmission system, monitoring power flows and voltages.

Dana says he’s always appreciated his job’s challenges.

“I like working outside and doing something different every day, no matter what’s happening. A couple of weeks ago, we had two car wrecks that damaged poles and a windstorm that made a tree come down and break a pole.”

Through the challenges, Dana always keeps some longtime advice in mind. “Dad’s always said, ‘Keep your mind on the job, keep your eyes on what you’re doing, make sure you get home at night. Be safe.’”

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WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

SQUATCHER Salt Fork State Park conference is the epicenter of Ohio’s Bigfoot phenomenon STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

D

o I believe in the existence of Bigfoot, a hair-covered, 8-foot-tall mysterious monster that smells bad and has been rumored to live in remote Ohio woodlands since the mid-1700s? No. No, I don’t.

But many people do. So many, in fact, that the Buckeye State has no less than three annual conferences dedicated to Bigfoot believers. Much of the activity takes place in and around Ohio’s largest state park, Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County near Cambridge.

“The Bigfoot page is the most visited section of our website,” says Debbie Robinson, executive director of the Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors and Convention Bureau.

“Our 2019 events calendar includes the annual Ohio Bigfoot Conference, Bigfoot Adventure Weekends, Creature Weekends, and monthly Bigfoot night hikes at the park.”

Another name for Bigfoot is Sasquatch, and true believers refer to themselves as “Squatchers.” USA Today even ranked Salt Fork as one of the top 10 “Squatchiest” places in the country.

John Hickenbottom, a state naturalist at Salt Fork, coordinates the monthly summer Bigfoot night hikes, which take place during the holiday weekends of Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. “The hikes have become very popular,” says Hickenbottom, “with anywhere from 150 to 300 people attending each time we hold one. We offer both a family-friendly hike and one for adults only.”

Saturday, May 4, will mark the eighth annual Ohio Bigfoot Conference at Salt Fork. Attended by several thousand people including vendors, the official conference is only one day, but activities extend over the entire weekend. Its website says the conference has grown into the world’s premier Bigfoot conference.

One of a half-dozen Bigfoot experts and celebrities who spoke at last year’s conference — and who is scheduled to appear again this year — is James “Bobo” Fay. Hailing from California, Fay is best known for his role on the Animal Planet TV show Finding Bigfoot. Fay says he sighted his first Sasquatch in 2001 in northern California and has seen several more in various places across the country. He’s not yet spotted a Sasquatch during his visits to Ohio, but claims to have heard two, both at Salt Fork State Park.

8 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

GATHERING A carved Bigfoot family tries to look inconspicuous at the Ohio Bigfoot Conference (left); Bigfoot expert Bobo Fay (black shirt) poses for a photo with a fan.

Asked why he believes Salt Fork is so “Squatchy,” Fay says that it’s the perfect Bigfoot habitat. “Sasquatch are omnivores, eating both vegetation and preying on other animals, and Salt Fork is a large natural area with plenty of wild foods. It also has a huge white-tailed deer population, which helps a Bigfoot survive the winter.”

Bigfoot sightings have been reported from every state except Hawaii and by all demographics. “The number of reports nationally tends to correlate with rainfall totals,” Fay says. “For instance, 95 percent of Bigfoot reports come from areas with at least 20 inches or more of annual rainfall. In desert regions, there are very few sightings, virtually none. So, a Bigfoot sighting is not a cultural phenomenon — it’s a biological phenomenon.”

According to Fay, the Ohio Bigfoot Conference is the oldest, biggest, and best-run Bigfoot conference in the country. “It’s a great time and definitely something people should check out,” he says.

By the way, Salt Fork State Park is on Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative lines. Would that make any Bigfoot found living within the park an electric co-op member?

For more information, visit www.ohiobigfootconference.org and www. visitguernseycounty.com.

W.H. “CHIP” GROSS (whchipgross@gmail.com) is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor, and in all his years spent outdoors, he’s not yet spotted a Bigfoot ... but he’s looking!

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 9

OHIO ICON

THE MIAMISBURG MOUND Miamisburg

BY DAMAINE VONADA

Location: On a 100-foot-high bluff near the Great Miami River in Miamisburg Mound Park.

Provenance: Originally measuring 68 feet or more in height, the conically shaped Miamisburg Mound was built by members of the Adena culture, who flourished in what is now southern Ohio from approximately 800 B.C. to 100 B.C. The Adena — and later, the more sophisticated Hopewells — built thousands of earthworks near the Ohio River and its tributaries, and it’s believed that the Miamisburg Mound was constructed layer by layer as a burial place. “The Miamisburg area was probably an Adena gathering site,” says Miamisburg Historical Society curator Gary Petticrew. “We don’t know when they started the Miamisburg Mound, but it probably took hundreds of years to reach its zenith.”

Pioneer Jacob Lawres purchased acreage containing the mound in 1806 and subsequently sold it to John Treon, who appreciated the mound’s historical and archeological significance. Although most ancient earthworks were leveled to make way for farms, quarries, roads, and factories during the 1800s, Treon and his descendants protected the Miamisburg Mound. In 1920, the Treon family sold it to Dayton industrialist Charles Kettering, who later donated the mound and 37 surrounding acres of parkland to the state historical society. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed stone steps as a public works project in the 1930s, allowing visitors to ascend from the base to the top of Miamisburg Mound.

Significance: Despite an 1869 excavation attempt that likely diminished its height to 65 feet, the Miamisburg Mound remains Ohio’s tallest — and one of the nation’s largest — conical earthworks. With 116 steps leading to an observation platform at its summit, the mound also is famous for its panoramic views of the Great Miami River Valley.

Currently: The Ohio History Connection owns the Miamisburg Mound, the city of Miamisburg maintains Mound Park, and the Miamisburg Historical Society organizes tours and special events.

It’s a little-known fact that: Two pioneering archaeologists from Chillicothe — newspaper editor Ephraim Squier and physician Edwin Davis — surveyed the Miamisburg Mound for their landmark scientific research study, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. Released in 1848, Ancient Monuments was the Smithsonian Institution’s debut publication, and its very first figure depicts the “Great Mound at Miamisburgh, Ohio.”

The Miamisburg Mound, 900 Mound Rd., Miamisburg, OH 45342. For additional information, call 866-580-6508 or 937-859-5000 or visit www.ohiohistory.org/visit/museum-and-site-locator/ miamisburg-mound or www.historicalmiamisburg.org.

10 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

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APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 11

IN THE GARDEN

BROCCOLI BASICS Broccoli is one of the easiest of veggies to grow, but it takes a bit of finesse to finish with a cut that’s head and shoulders above the rest.

BY KRIS WETHERBEE; PHOTO BY RICK WETHERBEE

M

any of us gardeners have our vegetable favorites, but truth be told, I’m a bit biased when it comes to broccoli. Not only do its flowers attract beneficial insects, but its culinary versatility and ease of growing make this cool-season favorite one of the most desirable vegetables to grow in the kitchen garden. When grown in the cool weather of spring or fall, the result is a sweeter-tasting head with gourmet flavor. Growing broccoli with sweet, tender, tasty heads is all about getting plants off to a good start, keeping them content, and heeding the signs.

The need for speed — One of the best-kept secrets to growing a prime head of broccoli is to grow it fast. Any setbacks that slow down the plant’s growth will result in inferior-tasting heads. Transplants are key for early-spring plantings. Set out four- to six-week-old hardened-off starts in the ground about four weeks before your last spring frost (young seedlings can withstand a light frost, but be sure to cover them if a heavy frost is expected). For fall-harvested crops, seeds sown directly into the ground in July to early August may produce more vigorous plants.

Another way to speed things along is with the right amount of sun, soil, and water.

Choose a sunny location with at least five hours of daily sun. Moist but well-draining soil rich in organic matter is best, with a soil pH between 6.0 and 6.8 and soil temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees. Deep, consistent moisture is key — lack of adequate moisture can result in premature, poor-quality heads. Mulch helps to maintain soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures, and keep roots cool.

Happy plants make for tasty heads — Broccoli is a moderately heavy feeder, so keep plants well-fed by digging in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost or a thin layer of rotted manure before planting. Work in about a half shovelful of either aged manure or compost or mix in 1/4 cup (per plant) of complete, nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer.

If your soil fertility needs a boost, you may also need to side-dress plants with additional compost, rotted manure, or other nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as fish meal. Start with a light side dressing when the central head is about an inch across.

More may be needed once the central main head has been cut.

Heed the harvest signs — All your efforts to grow broccoli with great taste will be in vain if you miss the signs on when to harvest the head. For best flavor, harvest when the unopened flower buds are just starting to swell, but before they begin to yellow. Wait too long and the stalks will become tough, with stronger-tasting heads.

Harvest heads in the cool of the morning before the heat sets in the plant. Cut the central stalk at a 45-degree angle, about 5 to 8 inches below the head. Doing so will encourage side-shoot production and increase plant yield. Harvesting these side shoots regularly will encourage continued production.

KRIS WETHERBEE is a master gardener from Oregon.

12 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

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READER RECIPE CONTEST

Meatless Monday

Ground rules • Entrants must be electric cooperative members or residents of an electric cooperative household.

Does your family do “meatless Mondays” or something similar? Are you a full-time vegetarian, or maybe just an occasional one?

For our 2019 Ohio Cooperative Living reader recipe contest, we’re looking for the best meatless main dish recipe in Ohio. Whether it’s extra hearty or more on the lighter side, send us your best!

The grand-prize winner will receive an Ohio-made KitchenAid stand mixer.

• To enter, write down your recipe, including all ingredients and measurements, directions, and number of servings. Then tell us the basic story behind your recipe — when, why, or how YOU do meatless. Is your recipe a family tradition, passed down through generations? Or did you make it up one day out of thin air? A good back story can never hurt!

• Submissions may be an original recipe or one adapted from an existing recipe published elsewhere, with at least three distinct changes from the published version.

• On each recipe, include your name and address, a phone number and email address where you can be contacted, and the name of your electric cooperative.

• Entries should be submitted by email to memberinteract@ohioec. org, or sent to Catherine Murray, care of Ohio Cooperative Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229.

• Limit of three recipes per entrant.

Two runners-up will receive consolation gifts.

Entry deadline: May 16, 2019

• Contest winners will be announced in the September edition of Ohio Cooperative Living.

Technical Scholarships Available for Adult and High School Co-op Members Rules and applications are available at www.ohioec.org/TechnicalScholarship APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 30

14 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

GOOD EATS

Ffungus lavorful

High in fiber and vitamin-rich, mushrooms are a healthy and versatile way to enhance any meal.

SIMPLE MUSHROOM SALAD Prep: 5 minutes | Servings: 4 Le aves from 1 large head bibb lettuce, washed 16 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin 2 tablespoons oregano

2 teaspoons garlic salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 lemon, juiced

On four salad plates or a large platter, lay down lettuce leaves. Top with sliced mushrooms and sprinkle with oregano, garlic salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Serve cold.

Per serving: 172 calories, 15 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat), 7.4 grams total carbs, 3 grams fiber, 4.6 grams protein

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 15

PORTOBELLO BEEF BURGUNDY Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 7–9 hours | Servings: 6 3 tablespoons canola oil 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 11/2 cups dry red wine 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon beef bouillon 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 pound sliced baby portobello 1/2 teaspoon thyme mushrooms 1 teaspoon rosemary 1 pound egg noodles, cooked 1/2 teaspoon pepper parsley for garnish (optional) 2 pounds stew beef In a large bowl, combine first six ingredients. Add beef, tossing to coat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown beef in a single layer, flipping to brown all sides. When done, transfer to slow cooker.

Add wine to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add bouillon and bring to a boil. Transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, until meat is tender. Stir in mushrooms. Cover and cook on high 30 minutes longer, until sauce is slightly thickened.

Serve hot over noodles and garnish with parsley if desired.

Per serving: 474 calories, 18 grams total fat (1 gram saturated fat), 28 grams total carbs, 2 grams fiber, 40 grams protein

MUSHROOM AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO CROSTINI Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Servings: 12 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in French or Italian baguette olive oil 1/4 cup olive oil 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, divided 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon pepper 11/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 pound white mushrooms 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut baguette into ½-inch slices. In a shallow dish, pour olive oil and mix in salt and pepper. Dip each slice into olive oil, coating both sides, and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until bread is golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway through. Remove crostini and let cool.

In a food processor, finely chop mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 ounces of Parmesan cheese. Stir in Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper. Place mushroom mixture in large skillet and sauté on medium heat until hot and bubbling. Serve on top of crostini, garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Per serving: 158 calories, 11 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated fat), 10 grams total carbs, 1.6 grams fiber, 6 grams protein

16 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

BAKED MUSHROOM AND SPINACH TAQUITOS Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Servings: 4 1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced thin 6 ounces lite cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup light sour cream 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, divided 1 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon cumin 2 cups spinach 11/2 cups shredded colby jack cheese 12 6-inch corn tortillas cooking spray 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon lime juice 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder Preheat oven to 425 F. Cook mushrooms in a single layer in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes to release moisture.

In a food processor, blend cream cheese, 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 chipotle peppers, and 1 teaspoon cumin until smooth. Add mushrooms, spinach, and colby jack cheese, pulsing to combine.

In batches of 4, spread tortillas out on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Take out of microwave and remove one tortilla at a time from plate. Place filling on one end of tortilla and roll tightly, careful not to overfill. Place seam-down in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray top of taquitos with cooking spray. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

To make dipping sauce, chop remaining two peppers and combine them with remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic powder. Serves 4 as appetizers, 2 as a meal.

Per appetizer serving: 496 calories, 27 grams fat (17 grams saturated fat), 45 grams total carbs, 8 grams fiber, 21 grams protein

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 17

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

GUERNSEY-MUSKINGUM ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

G

uernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative (GMEC) serves 17,091 consumer-members in east-central Ohio. The unglaciated terrain doesn’t lend itself to wide swaths of farmland, but the hills make for fine pasturelands for cattle raising, and poultry barns fit nicely in the valleys. Because it’s situated in the midst of the Utica Shale, the oil and gas industry is a strong economic driver for the region.

Avon calling!

GMEC’s largest consumer-member, in terms of electricity use, is the Avon distribution center in Zanesville. Around 2.8 million Avon products are handled in this nearly 600,000-square-foot facility every day.

Proud heritage Astronaut and Senator John Glenn and his wife, Annie, grew up in the area and attended nearby Muskingum University. The John and Annie Glenn Museum in New Concord offers tours that enlighten visitors about the statesman’s life and career.

The great outdoors The area has much to offer for outdoorsmen and women. Hunting is a popular pastime in this area of the state, and an abundance of state-owned and privately run spaces in the area served by GMEC means there’s no lack of opportunities for getting back to nature.

One of GMEC’s best-known consumer-members, The Wilds is a 10,000-acre conservation and education center operated by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Visitors ride in open-air vehicles through the habitats of wild creatures, including rhinos, zebras, giraffes, and ostriches. Wild animals aren’t always friends to electrical distribution, though. GMEC once had to help the facility safely relocate ospreys that thought the tops of electrical poles were a good place to build their massive nests.

GMEC also powers Ohio’s largest state park. Hiking, fishing, golfing, a public beach, educational programs led by a naturalist, and more are available within the 17,229 acres of Salt Fork State Park. Fully equipped cabins are available to rent, as are accommodations with plenty of amenities at the lodge.

Most recently, the state opened the Jesse Owens State Park and Wildlife Area, adding 5,735 acres of recreational land to the region, with a promise to expand to over 13,000 acres.

Deerassic Park Education Center holds programs and events designed for the whole family to learn about and enjoy the outdoors. A herd of 30 deer call the property their home. Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative hosts a family fun day there every year, providing food and activities for members and their families.

18 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

MID-OHIO ENERGY COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

ANNUAL MEETING OFFICIAL NOTICE

2019 ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Registration from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Business meeting begins at 7 p.m.

Location: Mid-Ohio Energy’s Kenton office (Meeting will be held in the warehouse) 1210 W. Lima St. Kenton, OH 43326

Business to be conducted at the meeting: Election results for trustee districts 4, 5, and 6 Report on 2018-19 activities Energy credits, refreshments, and door prizes

ACRE Members:

Each member receives:

Receive a special gift: 15-ft. extension cord with lighted plug

Reusable cooler bag and bag clip Energy-efficient LED bulb $10 energy credit for attending

Refreshments:

Win energy credits and prizes:

Soda, water, coffee Ice cream, cookies

$1,350 in bonus energy credits will be awarded Great door prizes include Amazon Echo Show, electric smoker, air fryer, and Visa gift cards

Babysitting service

Directions to the Kenton office

S R 309

This year’s annual meeting will be held in the warehouse area of Mid-Ohio Energy’s Kenton facilities.

Mid-Ohio Energy

Hardin Hills Health Center

1210 W. Lima St.

City of Kenton

The office is located directly off of State Route 309, west of Kenton. The office is across the street from the Hardin Hills Health Center.

Address: 1210 W. Lima St. Kenton, OH 43326

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 19

MID-OHIO ENERGY COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES YOUTH PROGRAMS

YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS $6,700 in scholarship money granted to children of members

AWARDED

Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative is pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 Children of Members scholarships.

Judging took place Feb. 23. Three boys and five girls were selected as finalists based upon school activities, academic achievements, and community service.

Kathryn Meier 1st Place – $1,000 Benjamin Logan HS

Christopher Bood 1st Place – $1,000 Northmor HS

Students were also scored on poise, personality, and appearance.

The quality of students applying for scholarships makes determining the winners a difficult task, but it’s one that long-time judges (and retired school teachers) Lyn Davis and Gary Murray are accustomed to making each year.

Each year the pair review the applications of finalists — which tend to be full of college-level coursework and a very diverse range of community and extracurricular involvement. On the scholarship judging day, the judges spend the morning meeting with students and getting to know the group of bright young students residing within the co-op’s territory.

Lindsey Okuley 2nd Place – $750 Botkins HS

Dakota Clay 2nd Place – $750 Temple Christian HS

Sydney Treglia 3rd Place – $600 Allen East HS

Cole McKinley 3rd Place – $600 Ridgemont HS

Lauren Criblez 4th Place – $500 Allen East HS

Haley Hunt 4th Place – $500 Kenton HS

The scholarship applicants serve as a shining example of the character and potential of our rural members and their children.

Kathryn Meier was selected as the overall winner to represent MidOhio Energy at the state-level scholarship competition in April.

Mid-Ohio Energy expresses sincere gratitude to each student who applied for the scholarships. The cooperative received many qualified applicants, which speaks highly of our local students and school districts!

Mid-Ohio Energy would also like to thank Lyn Davis and Gary Murray for their outstanding efforts and time invested in serving as scholarship judges.

Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship The Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship is awarded to reward those pursuing a college education despite unique and substantial personal challenges which may have befallen them.

Winners are recognized for displaying the Touchstone Energy values of integrity, accountability, innovation, and commitment to community.

20 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 20 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019 2017

Rachael Herring $1,000 Upper Sandusky HS

Alexa Brooks Hon. Mention – $500 Riverdale HS

Cassidy Knapp Hon. Mention – $500 Ridgemont HS

2018 Annual Report

Management Report

In a rapidly changing world, co-ops keep a steady focus on members.

John Metcalf President & CEO

In recent years, there's been a dramatic shift in the way many of us conduct business and make purchases in our personal lives. With the emergence of online retailers like Amazon, nearly any product we can imagine can be delivered anywhere in a matter of days. Many of the large retail icons we used to buy from are now in bankruptcy or simply no longer around. Entire sectors of the economy have been altered by technology. For example, consider how the emergence of app-based companies such as Uber and Lyft has transformed the transportation sector. We can even order groceries from a smartphone and, in many areas, have them delivered directly to our front door.

Robert Imbody Chairman

Some companies have adapted well to technology and consumers' changing needs. However, those who have been stubborn or slow to embrace change have paid a huge price. So where do electric cooperatives stand in the wake of this shift?

We are different from most companies for one simple reason: Our consumer-members are the very reason we exist, and we have never lost focus on that fact. It is our goal to make your experience with your cooperative the best it can possibly be.

In 2018, your cooperative worked on several projects to achieve that goal. Recently we completed design work on our next four-year work plan, which serves as the cooperative's near-term road map for its distribution system upgrades and maintenance projects. Mid-Ohio Energy is implementing a $10.1 million work plan for 2019–2022. This plan includes line replacement projects, substation upgrade projects, and investments in technology to keep our distribution system safe and reliable. Work plan projects such as this are continuing programs that help achieve your cooperative's operational goals as well as high marks for service reliability.

Along with the work plan program, Mid-Ohio Energy recently made changes to the management of its rightof-way maintenance programs. Beginning in early 2019, Mid-Ohio Energy will contract with Plant Growth Management to oversee the tree trimming, mowing, and herbicide applications necessary to maintain the cooperative’s rights-of-way. This method has proven to be very efficient at other Ohio cooperatives and should help contain the cost of maintaining our 1,333 miles of distribution rights-of-way.

2

Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative's Statement of Principles

BALANCE SHEETS December 31, 2018 and 2017

As a Touchstone Energy® cooperative, we are guided by the principles of Integrity, Accountability, Innovation, and Commitment to Community.

2018 2017 ASSETS ELECTRIC PLANT In service - at cost $ 53,808,244 $ 52,894,954 Construction work in progress 230,360 66,178 Subtotal Electric Plant 54,038,604 52,961,132 Less: accumulated provision for depreciation and amortization (12,818,963) (12,050,973) NET ELECTRIC PLANT 41,219,641 40,910,159

INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS Investments - patronage capital 9,729,787 8,954,926 Investments - equity capital 900,744 900,744 Other investments 405,440 406,131 Deferred charges, less current portion 262,525 350,033 TOTAL INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS 11,298,496 10,611,834

CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents 1,382,921 1,301,514 Accounts receivable, less provision for uncollectible accounts of $38,567 and $42,702, respectively 2,246,069 2,375,030 Materials and supplies 460,721 512,175 Interest receivable 4,757 4,757 Current portion of deferred charges 87,508 87,508 Prepayments 641,508 829,041 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 4,823,484 5,110,025

TOTAL ASSETS $ 57,341,621 $ 56,632,018

Quick Cooperative Facts: 8,127 meters served ● 13 substations 1,333 miles of energized lines Just as your cooperative is making investments in technology, we have also invested in research to make sure our members have opportunities to access technology. In late 2018, Mid-Ohio Energy consulted with the National Rural Telecommunications Council to complete a phase-1 study concerning the implementation of rural broadband services within the cooperative's territorial footprint. The study looked at the feasibility of providing fiber-to-thehome services to our members. The initial phase-1 study showed that it is not feasible at this time to extend fiberto-the-home across Mid-Ohio Energy’s service territory because of the lack of home and business density in the area. Your board of directors realizes the need for rural broadband services in some areas, but also recognizes it is not in the best interest of all our members to pursue such a project at this time — unless new government grant money would become available. Your cooperative wants to do the due diligence necessary now to be in a position to make informed decisions if opportunities present themselves. If you have any questions concerning future rural broadband services in your area, please contact one of our offices.

EQUITIES AND LIABILITIES EQUITIES Memberships $ 71,215 $ 71,105 Patronage capital 25,867,512 24,689,431 Other equities - 270,944 TOTAL EQUITIES 25,938,727 25,031,480

LONG-TERM DEBT RUS mortgage notes, less current maturities 14,637,472 13,913,239 CoBank mortgage notes, less current maturities 3,117,199 3,367,808 NRUCFC mortgage notes, less current maturities 8,451,140 9,226,513 Capital lease obligations, less current portion 243,676 163,343 TOTAL LONG-TERM DEBT 26,449,487 26,670,903

OTHER NONCURRENT LIABILITIES Accumulated provision for non-pension postretirement benefits 102,656 84,780 TOTAL OTHER NONCURRENT LIABILITIES 102,656 84,780

CURRENT LIABILITIES Current maturities of long-term debt 1,444,952 1,492,295 Current portion of capital lease obligations 118,652 83,956 Accounts payable - cost of purchased power 1,125,768 1,137,014 Accounts payable - other 245,051 135,415 Patronage capital payable 680,313 693,123 Consumer deposits 158,410 155,300 Accrued taxes 754,329 731,887 Other current liabilities 323,276 415,865 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 4,850,751 4,844,855

TOTAL EQUITIES AND LIABILITIES $ 57,341,621 $ 56,632,018

In other news from the past year, your cooperative welcomed three new directors to the board of directors last April.

All three new directors have contributed significantly to the cooperative’s operations in the past year, and all are working in the best interest of the members who elected them. It is also with great appreciation that we recognize the three directors they replaced, who had a combined 72 years of service to our members. Mr. Don Bumgarner, Mr. Richard Kritzler, and Mr. Karl Marshall all had a tremendous impact on the success of your cooperative. We will miss their presence in the boardroom, and we wish them well in their future endeavors.

Technology changes, and companies will come and go. One thing you can count on is that your electric cooperative will continue looking for ways to improve the lives of our members. Mid-Ohio Energy’s board and staff are proud to have served the members within our 10-county territory this past year. We look forward to achieving even more great things together in 2019.

3

STATEMENTS OF REVENUE AND PATRONAGE CAPITAL

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

December 31, 2018 and 2017

2018 2017

OPERATING REVENUES $ 22,345,673 $ 20,882,617

OPERATING EXPENSES Cost of purchased power 12,955,724 11,955,515 Distribution - operation 897,341 959,126 Distribution - maintenance 1,592,282 1,419,947 Consumer accounts 731,350 796,399 Administrative and general 1,953,255 1,803,506 Depreciation and amortization 1,869,364 1,828,999 Taxes 743,134 693,648 Interest 1,105,101 1,097,859 TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES 21,847,551 20,554,999

Operating margins before capital credits 498,122 327,618

Buckeye Power, Inc. capital credits 1,045,189 811,108 Other capital credits 110,092 110,846

NET OPERATING MARGINS 1,653,403 1,249,572

NON-OPERATING MARGINS Interest income 120,428 106,323 Miscellaneous non-operating income 2,689 6,649 Gain on disposition of property 25,928 TOTAL NON-OPERATING MARGINS 149,045 112,972

NET MARGINS 1,802,448 1,362,544

Patronage capital, beginning of year 24,689,431 24,079,323

Reclassification of other equities 270,944 Retirement of capital credits (895,311) (752,436)

Patronage capital, end of year $ 25,867,512 $ 24,689,431

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

2018 2017 CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net margins $ 1,802,448 $ 1,362,544 Adjustments to reconcile net margins to net cash provided by operating activities: Change in provision for uncollectible accounts (4,135) (776) Depreciation and amortization 2,079,934 2,009,149 Non-cash capital credits allocation (1,155,281) (921,954) Gain on disposition of property (25,928) Changes in assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 133,096 165,499 Materials and supplies 13,305 (88,435) Deferred charges, interest receivable and prepayments 275,041 955,550 Accounts payable 98,390 1,038 Accumulated provision for non-pension postretirement

benefits, patronage capital payable, accrued (65,081) 82,979 taxes and other current liabilities Total adjustments 1,349,341 2,203,050 Net cash provided by operating activities 3,151,789 3,565,594

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Extension and replacement of electric plant, net of salvage and cost of retirements (2,136,867) (1,799,547) Proceeds from sale of scrap 17,055 12,262 Proceeds from sale of assets 25,928 Proceeds from redemption of investments381,111 290,235 patronage capital

Net cash used in investing activities (1,712,773) (1,497,050)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Net change in consumer memberships and deposits 3,220 (5,560) Net change in current maturities of long-term debt (47,343) (108,481) Net change in cushion of credit (545,306)

364,545 Proceeds from long-term debt 1,700,000 Payments on long-term debt (1,456,443) (1,362,630) Payments on capital lease obligations (116,426) (80,692) Patronage capital credits retired (895,311) (752,436) Net cash used in financing activities (1,357,609) (1,945,254)

Increase in cash and cash equivalents 81,407 123,290 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 1,301,514 1,178,224

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 1,382,921 $ 1,301,514

NATURE OF ORGANIZATION Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc. (the Cooperative), was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio, operates as a cooperative, and is exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c)(12) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Cooperative’s primary business is that of providing electric service to rural consumers in Hardin, Allen, Auglaize, Marion, Logan, Wyandot, Morrow, Union, and Crawford counties in Ohio. Providing electric service includes construction of plant as well as purchasing electricity to sell to consumers.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The Cooperative's accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles, as applied to Rural Electric Cooperatives, substantially in accordance with the Uniform System of Accounts of the Rural Utilities Services (RUS). Following is a description of the more significant accounting policies used by the Cooperative in the preparation of its financial statements: Electric plant and depreciation - The Cooperative records improvements and additions to the distribution plant at cost using continuing property records. Retirements are removed from the cost and accumulated depreciation accounts at standard costs which are updated periodically. The actual cost of removing retirements is charged to accumulated depreciation during the year the retirement is completed. General plant and equipment are recorded at cost based on the unit method. Any retirements or disposals of general plant and equipment are removed from the cost and accumulated depreciation accounts. Any salvage received is credited to accumulated depreciation.

Investments - Investments are recorded at cost, which represents par value. The investments have no established market making it impractical and costly to estimate their fair value. These investments primarily represent equity contributions in other cooperatives and are adjusted annually to reflect patronage allocations received, net of cash. They are included on the balance sheets as long-term assets. Other investments are recorded at cost.

Materials and supplies - Inventories of material and supplies not allocated to construction work in progress are valued at the lower of cost (determined using the average cost method) or net realizable value.

Accounts receivable - Accounts receivable are stated at the amount management expects to collect from outstanding balances. Management provides a valuation allowance for potentially uncollectible accounts through a charge to earnings. In establishing the valuation allowance, management considers their knowledge of customers, historical losses, and current economic conditions in their market area. Balances that are still outstanding after reasonable collection efforts have been exhausted are written-off through a charge to the valuation allowance. Changes in the valuation allowance historically have not been significant. The Cooperative performs ongoing credit evaluations of its consumers and requires a security deposit for consumers meeting specified criteria.

Compensated absences - The Cooperative accrues a liability for compensated absences for which the employee has earned a vested, non-forfeitable right. Non-vested benefits related to accumulated sick leave, which cannot be reasonably estimated, are expensed as incurred.

Financial instruments - The Cooperative believes that the carrying amount of its financial instruments, which include cash and cash equivalents, receivables, materials and supplies, prepayments, accounts payable, patronage capital payable, accrued taxes, and other current liabilities, approximates fair value based on their short-term duration. The Cooperative has determined that it is not practical to calculate the fair value of investments in other cooperatives and debt due to the excessive cost involved.

Income taxes - The Cooperative has been recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as an organization exempt from income taxes under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(12). Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes has been recorded.

The Cooperative complies with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 740-10, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes. ASC 740-10 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. Management is not aware of any tax positions taken by the Cooperative on its tax returns that they consider to be uncertain or that would jeopardize its tax-exempt status. Tax returns for the years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 are still open and subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

Retirement related benefits - Generally accepted accounting principles requires the recognition of the funded status of the non-pension postretirement benefit plan as an asset or a liability on the balance sheets. It also requires the recognition of the changes in that funded status in the year in which they occur through other comprehensive income and the recognition of previously unrecognized gains and losses, prior service costs and credits, and transition assets or liabilities as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. However, these amounts were not significant for the Cooperative, therefore other comprehensive income has not been recorded.

Patronage capital and margins - Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc., operates under the Cooperative form of organization. As provided in the code of regulations, any excess of revenues over expenses from operations is treated as advances of capital by the patrons and credited to each of them on an individual basis. Generally, it is the Cooperative’s policy to retire capital contributed by patrons periodically as deemed appropriate by management and the Board of Trustees. Capital credits due to patrons who become deceased are paid to the estates of such patrons.

Revenues and cost of purchased power - Revenues represent amounts billed monthly to members using established rates applied to energy consumption. Revenues and the related cost of purchased power are recognized during the month in which energy is consumed.

Cash and cash equivalents - The Cooperative considers cash and cash equivalents to be cash on hand, demand deposits, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and investments in commercial paper having a maturity of ninety days or less. There were no investments in commercial paper at December 31, 2018 or 2017.

Statement of cash flows - Net cash flows from operating activities include cash payments for interest of $1,221,875 and $1,099,133 for 2018 and 2017, respectively. There were no payments for federal income taxes.

The Cooperative acquired vehicles with a total value of $231,455 in 2018 utilizing capital leases in non-cash transactions. There were no acquisitions financed through capital leases in 2017.

Concentration of credit risk - At various times throughout the year, the Cooperative may have deposits in financial institutions that exceed the federally insured limit. The Cooperative’s investments with Cooperative Response Center Inc. (CRC) and National Rural Utilities Finance Corporation (NRUCFC) are uninsured. Management does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk related to its cash deposits.

Credit risk for accounts receivable is concentrated because substantially all of the balances are unsecured credit to consumers, primarily for the sale of electricity, located within the same geographic region. The Cooperative has four major consumers that represent approximately 17% and 18% of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

4

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—cont’d December 31, 2018 and 2017 Use of estimates - The preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Equity Capital: Buckeye Power, Inc. 896,059 896,059 RESCO 50 50 SEDC 100 100 NRUCFC 1,000 1,000 NRTC 1,000 1,000 NISC 25 25 CRC 2,500 2,500 Central Ohio Farmers Coop 10 10 Other Investments:

NRUCFC member capital securities 170,000 170,000 NRUCFC capital term certificates 221,050 221,050 NRUCFC other 4,390 5,081 CRC 10,000 10,000 Total Investments $ 11,035,971 $ 10,261,801

Recent accounting standards - In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, Leases. ASU 2016-02 requires recognition of a lease liability and a right-of-use asset for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) on the balance sheets. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The guidance requires a modified retrospective transition approach be applied to all periods presented. The Cooperative is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption will have on its financial statements for fiscal year 2020.

Reclassifications - Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2018 presentation. The deferred charges on the balance sheets have been disaggregated in 2018 and during this process the 2017 current portion of deferred charges of $87,508 have been reclassified to current assets. Also, proceeds from sale of scrap on the statement of cash flows have been disaggregated from extension and replacement of electric plant, net of salvage and cost of retirements in 2018, and during this process the 2017 proceeds of $12,262 have been reclassified to proceeds from sale of scrap.

The member capital securities held by NRUCFC earn interest at an annual rate of 5.0%, payable semiannually with a maturity date of July 2044. The NRUCFC has the option to redeem all or a portion of the principal in July 2024. The capital term certificates held by NRUCFC earn interest at an annual rate of 3.0% or 5.0%, payable semi-annually with maturity dates ranging from 2020 to 2080. The $10,000 equity investment with CRC Inc. earns dividends annually at the discretion of its Board of Directors.

LITIGATION The Cooperative is from time to time subjected to litigation through the ordinary course of business. As of December 31, 2018, management is not aware of any litigation pending or pertaining to the Cooperative.

LONG-TERM DEBT Long-term debt is represented by mortgage notes payable to the United States of America (RUS), NRUCFC and CoBank. Following is a summary of outstanding longterm debt as of December 31: 2018 2017 Mortgage notes payable to RUS: 4.197% note due December 2042 $ 3,369,310 $ 3,469,166 3.403% note due December 2042 2,501,675 2,584,611 2.399% variable rate note due April 2019 2,358,755 2,444,625 2.398% note due January 2046 1,929,446 1,992,237 3.608% note due January 2046 1,916,657 1,968,278 2.314% note due December 2042 1,222,531 1,269,608 2.352% note due January 2050 1,646,911 1,691,553 3.055% note due January 2050 1,683,723 Subtotal RUS 16,629,008 15,420,078 Mortgage notes payable to NRUCFC: 4.35% note due December 2029 8,699,632 9,304,014 5.30% note due March 2032 163,815 172,142 4.60% to 4.70% notes due June 2019 to March 2020 92,118 150,135 3.75% to 4.25% notes due March 2019 to March 2022 142,323 186,766 6.95% notes due September 2020 and December 2023 128,625 156,914 Subtotal NRUCFC 9,226,513 9,969,971 Mortgage notes payable to CoBank:

6.36% note due August 2020 53,793 79,908 3.78% note due October 2030 2,918,686 3,110,062 6.50% notes due March 2029 and December 2030 395,641 416,707 2.14% note due February 2018 - 30,701 Subtotal CoBank 3,368,120 3,637,378

Total mortgage notes payable 29,223,641 29,027,427 Less: current maturities (1,444,952) (1,492,295) Less: advance payments unapplied (1,572,878) (1,027,572) Total Long-Term Debt $ 26,205,811 $ 26,507,560

DEFERRED CHARGES On February 28, 2013, the Cooperative, along with many of the participating employers, made a prepayment to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Retirement Security (RS) Plan, a defined benefit pension plan, to improve the plan’s funded status. The Cooperative recorded the payment of $875,083 in deferred charges on the balance sheets and is amortizing it over ten years. The prepayment and the interest expense associated with the prepayment are being accounted for in accordance with RUS policies and procedures.

ELECTRIC PLANT Listed below are the major classes of the electric plant as of December 31: 2018

Intangible plant $ Transmission plant Distribution plant General plant Electric plant in service Construction work in progress Total Electric Plant $

2017

339 $ 339 129,800 129,800 41,048,421 40,307,368 12,629,684 12,457,447 53,808,244 52,894,954 230,360 66,178 54,038,604 $ 52,961,132

General plant depreciation rates have been applied on a composite and straight-line basis as follows:

Structures and improvements 10 to 50 years

Office furniture and fixtures 5 to 24 years

Transportation equipment 7 to 15 years

Laboratory equipment 5 to 10 years

Communications equipment 5 to 12 years

Shop equipment 5 to 20 years Provisions have been made for depreciation of transmission plant and distribution plant at a straight-line composite rate of 3.10% per annum. The depreciation and amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 totaled $2,079,934 and $2,009,149, respectively, of which $210,570 and $180,150, respectively, have been allocated to accumulated depreciation, capitalized to distribution plant and expensed to numerous accounts in accordance with RUS policies and procedures.

The Cooperative has one variable rate note due to RUS in April 2019 that is classified as long-term debt. This note has a recurring 90-day maturity extension feature with a final maturity date of January 2046. Management intends to continue with the recurring extensions up to the final maturity date. Substantially all assets of the Cooperative are pledged as security for the long-term debt to RUS, NRUCFC and CoBank. Loan agreements contain various financial covenants and the Cooperative is in compliance with all such covenants.

LEASES During 2018 and 2017, the Company leased vehicles under capital lease agreements. For financial reporting purposes, the present value of the minimum lease payments has been capitalized. The equipment has a total cost of $703,286 and $471,831 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and accumulated amortization of $353,895 and $235,517 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Amortization of property leased under capital leases is included in depreciation expense and was $118,378 and $81,529 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Interest expense related to these leases and charged to operations was $19,879 and $11,550 during 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Effective January 1, 2019, three separate notes payable due to NRUCFC with interest rates of 6.95% (two notes) and 5.30% were repriced with new rates of 4.75%, 5.00% and 5.35%, respectively, with no change to maturity dates.

As of December 31, 2018, there are unadvanced loan funds available to the Cooperative from NRUCFC and CoBank for lines of credit of $2,000,000 and $1,000,000, respectively, of which there was no outstanding balance as of December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Unadvanced loan funds available to the Cooperative through RUS as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 totaled $2,600,000 and $4,300,000, respectively.

Future minimum lease payments required under capital lease agreements for the years subsequent to December 31, 2018 are as follows:

2019 $ 118,652 2020 82,474 2021 72,456 2022 48,458 2023 40,288

The advance payments unapplied represent the balance of funds the Cooperative has deposited into the Cushion of Credit account held by RUS. These funds will be used to make future loan payments.

As of December 31, 2018, annual maturities of all long-term debt outstanding for the next five years are as follows:

INVESTMENTS Investments consisted of the following at December 31:

2019 $ 1,444,952

2020 1,460,257

2021 1,448,342

2022 1,473,186

2023 1,521,784

OTHER EQUITIES Other equities consisted of the following as of December 31:

2018

2017 Patronage Capital: Buckeye Power, Inc. $ 9,052,653 $ 8,321,072 Rural Electric Supply Cooperative (RESCO) 234,235 227,142 Southeastern Data Cooperative, Inc. (SEDC) 87,537 86,519 NRUCFC 120,777 99,650 National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. (NRTC) 23,211 23,211 National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) 7,588 7,588 CRC 4,351 3,781 Central Ohio Farmers Coop 2,386 1,919 CoBank 93,177 88,896 Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange (Federated) 103,872 95,148

2018

2017

Operating margins $ - $ 146,539 Non-operating margins - 73,162 Capital gains - 7,062 Donated capital 512 Retired capital credits - gain - 43,669 Total Other Equities $ - $ 270,944

Other equities have been reclassified to patronage capital during 2018 making it assignable and expected to be allocated to members in the form of capital credits in 2019.

5

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—cont’d December 31, 2018 and 2017 COMMITMENTS Under its wholesale power agreement, the Cooperative is committed to purchase its electric power and energy requirements from Buckeye Power, Inc., until December 31, 2037.

The rates paid for such purchases are subject to review not less than annually.

The following table sets forth the plan’s estimated funded status and presents the amounts shown in the Cooperative’s financial statements as of December 31:

2018

2018

PATRONAGE CAPITAL Patronage capital is the retained net margins arising from operations of the Cooperative which have been or are expected to be allocated to its members in the form of capital credits, determined by each member's billings during the year the margins were generated. No portion of any current allocation is paid in cash. Patronage capital consisted of the following as of December 31:

2017

Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation $ 153,976 $ 133,673 Accrued benefit cost included on the balance sheets 102,656 84,780 Net periodic postretirement benefit cost for the year 17,876 (6,592) Benefits paid

- 1,333

As noted above, the total estimated accumulated postretirement benefit obligation is not recorded on the balance sheets but will eventually be recorded through annual charges of net periodic postretirement benefit cost. The accumulated postretirement benefit obligation ($153,976 as of December 31, 2018) includes estimates for unamortized transition obligation, experience gains and losses, and unrecognized prior service costs. The discount rate used in determining the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation is 6%. The estimated maximum potential for benefits to be paid over the next five years approximates $32,000. Management believes the estimated accrued benefit cost included on the balance sheets is very conservative since no allowance is included for employee turnover and no reduction in the obligation was made for employees that choose to not retire between ages 61 and 65.

2017

Assignable $ 2,073,392 $ 1,362,544

Assigned to date 40,605,407 39,242,863 42,678,799 40,605,407

Less: retirements to date (16,811,287) (15,915,976)

Total Patronage Capital $ 25,867,512 $ 24,689,431

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS The Cooperative purchases all of its power from Buckeye Power, Inc., at rates determined in its wholesale power agreement (see “COMMITMENTS” note). Buckeye Power, Inc., is a cooperative whose membership includes Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc. The Cooperative has an investment in and receives patronage from Buckeye Power, Inc.

Under the provisions of the mortgage agreement with RUS, until the equities and margins equal or exceed 30 percent of the total assets of the Cooperative, the return to patrons of capital contributed by them is limited generally to 25 percent of the patronage capital or margins received by the Cooperative in the prior calendar year. The equities and margins of the Cooperative represent 45.2% in 2018 and 44.2% in 2017 of the total assets at the balance sheet dates. The Board of Trustees approved a 2% general retirement of capital credits totaling $461,828 and $441,876 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which is included in patronage capital payable on the balance sheets.

There is also a prepaid balance with Buckeye Power, Inc., of $482,323 and $692,409 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, that earns interest at an annual weighted average rate of 5.04% and 2.94%, respectively. The prepaid balance is included in Prepayments on the accompanying balance sheets.

PENSION PLAN AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS The Cooperative sponsors three retirement related benefit plans, a defined benefit pension plan, a defined contribution retirement plan and a postretirement health care plan.

Following is a brief description of each of the plans including financial data recognized in the accompanying financial statements related to each plan.

The Cooperative borrows funds from CoBank, in which it is an owner and a member. The Cooperative has an investment in CoBank and may receive patronage from time to time.

The Cooperative is a member of the NRUCFC, which provides a portion of the Cooperative’s financing. Investments in NRUCFC include stock and patronage capital as well as interest-bearing capital term certificates and capital security investments.

Defined Contribution Retirement Plan - The Cooperative maintains a 401(k) profit sharing plan that covers substantially all of its employees. In accordance with this plan, the Cooperative contributes 0.5% of each participant’s base salary for each 1% of salary that the participant contributes to the plan. The maximum contribution by the Cooperative is 3% of salary. For the years 2018 and 2017, the Cooperative made contributions to the plan of $54,859 and $55,660, respectively.

The Cooperative purchases the majority of its materials and supplies from RESCO, of which it is an owner and member. Investments in this organization include stock and patronage capital.

The Cooperative currently purchases data processing services from SEDC, of which it is an owner and member. Investments in this organization include stock and patronage capital.

Defined Benefit Pension Plan - Substantially all of the employees of the Cooperative are covered by the NRECA RS Plan, which is a defined benefit pension plan qualified under Section 401 and tax-exempt under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

It is a multiemployer plan under the accounting standards. The plan Sponsor’s Employer Identification Number is 53-0116145 and the Plan Number is 333. A unique characteristic of a multiemployer plan compared to a single employer plan is that all plan assets are available to pay benefits of any plan participant. Separate asset accounts are not maintained for participating employers. This means that assets contributed by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

The Cooperative previously purchased data processing services from NISC, of which it is still an owner and member. Investments in this organization include a membership fee and patronage capital.

The Cooperative is a member of NRTC. Membership in this association required an investment of $1,000.

The Cooperative is a member of CRC. Membership in this association required an investment of $2,500.

Federated, a non-assessable reciprocal insurer, provides property and liability insurance to the Cooperative. The carrying value of this investment represents the Cooperative’s contributions and share of patronage capital.

The Cooperative’s contributions to the plan of $339,772 and $357,488 for 2018 and 2017, respectively, represented less than 5% of the total contributions made to the plan by all employers. There have been no significant changes that affect the comparability of 2018 and 2017 contributions.

Additional information, including the investment balances in these related entities, is provided in the “INVESTMENTS” note.

In the RS Plan, a “zone status” determination is not required, and therefore not determined, under the Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006. In addition, the accumulated benefit obligations and plan assets are not determined or allocated separately by individual employer. In total, the RS Plan was over 80% funded on January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2017 based on the PPA funding target and PPA actuarial value of assets on those dates. Because the provisions of the PPA do not apply to the RS Plan, funding improvement plans and surcharges are not applicable. Future contribution requirements are determined each year as part of the actuarial valuation of the Plan and may change as a result of plan experience.

Following is a summary of related party purchases for the years ended December 31:

Non-pension Postretirement Benefit Plan - The Cooperative sponsors a defined benefit postretirement health care plan covering substantially all employees. The plan is funded by the Cooperative on a “pay as you go” basis and provides a fixed annual benefit for retired employees with 20 years of service between the ages of 61 and 65. ASC 715 Compensation - Retirement Benefits requires the recognition of the funded status of pension plans and non-pension postretirement benefit plans as an asset or liability on the balance sheets, the recognition of changes in that funded status in the year in which they occur through other comprehensive income and the recognition of previously unrecognized gains and losses, prior service costs, and credits and transition assets and liabilities as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Since the Cooperative’s postretirement benefit plan covers a limited time period for the retiree (between ages 61 and 65) and the benefits paid cannot exceed a total of $16,000 per participant for the four-year period, management did not obtain an actuarial study and did not implement all of the provisions of this standard. Management estimated the maximum potential liability for the Cooperative and determined that the impact of not implementing the standard was not significant.

Accounts payable due to related parties included the following as of December 31:

2017

RESCO $ 400,673 $ 612,030 SEDC 256,396 219,947 Pulse Broadband (NRTC) 20,000 CRC 31,847 28,834 Federated 80,387 152,154

2018

2018

2017

RESCO $ 46,209 $ 42,508 SEDC 18,173 17,376 Pulse Broadband (NRTC) 20,000 CRC 2,946 2,504 Federated 80,387 -

The above amounts are included in Accounts payable – other on the accompanying balance sheets.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Subsequent events were evaluated through February 6, 2019, which is the date the financial statements were available to be issued.

6

Independent Auditor’s Report To the Board of Trustees Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc. Kenton, Ohio We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc., which comprise the balance sheets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 and the related statements of revenue and patronage capital and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Opinion In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc., as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements

In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued our report dated February 6, 2019 on our consideration of Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting and our tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, grant agreements, and other matters. The purpose of that report is to describe the scope of our testing of internal control over financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the internal control over financial reporting or on compliance. That report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting and compliance.

Circleville, Ohio February 6, 2019

PO Box 875 • 129 Pinckney Street • Circleville, OH 43113 • (740) 474-5210 • FAX (740) 474-7319 One East Campus View Blvd. Suite 300 • Columbus, OH 43235 • (614) 430-0590 • FAX (614) 448-4519 PO Box 687 • 528 S. West Street • Piketon, OH 45661 • (740) 289-4131 • FAX (740) 289-3639 www.bhmcpagroup.com

7

Board of Trustees

Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative, Inc., serves portions of 10 counties in north-central Ohio. The current board is made up of one trustee from each of the cooperative’s nine districts. Each year prior to the Annual Meeting of Members, members vote (either by mail or by online ballot) to elect trustee representatives.

Board members are responsible for cooperative policies, rates, and contracts. They are the ambassadors of the cooperative’s rural community, focusing on the problems and needs of the membership.

1

2

4

5

Daniel Harris

AUGLAIZE COUNTY 2 Clay

Goshen

Stokes

Washington Blanchard Jackson

Pitt

Marseilles

Lynn Buck

5

Taylor Creek

Rush Creek

LOGAN COUNTY

Montgomery

Big Island

Scott Tully

Marion

Canaan Claridon

MARION COUNTY

3

Bowling Green

Bokes Creek

8

Grand Prairie

Dudley

Hale

Dallas

Salt Rock

Pleasant

Goshen

CRAWFORD COUNTY

4 WYANDOT COUNTY

Grand

HARDIN COUNTY

Richland

Antrim

Mifflin

1

McDonald

Wayne

Liberty

Jackson

Robert Imbody

9

Richland

Green Camp Pleasant

Cardington

UNION COUNTY

Washington

Jackson

6

Prospect

MORROW COUNTY

Union

Van Buren

Roundhead

Perry

Orange

Cessna

9

Gene McCluer

HANCOCK COUNTY

Marion

Max Strine

8

John Thiel

Auglaize

6

Eugene Royer

7

ALLEN COUNTY 7

Trevor Fremont

Brice Turner

Tony Hastings

Jackson

3

Waldo

Westfield

EMPLOYEES

COMMITMENT

THE OF AN ELECTRIC LINEWORKER Saluting those who work to keep your lights on National studies consistently rank power line installers and repairers among the most dangerous jobs in the country, for good reason. Laboring high in the air wearing heavy equipment and working directly with high voltage creates the perfect storm of a dangerous and unforgiving profession. But electric lineworkers are up to the task. These brave men and women are committed to safety as well as the challenges of the job.

Mid-Ohio Energy’s lineworkers are responsible for keeping power flowing day and night, regardless of holidays, vacations, birthdays, weddings, or other important family milestones. Beyond the years of specialized training and apprenticeships, it takes internal fortitude and a mission-oriented outlook to be a good lineworker. In fact, this service-oriented mentality is a hallmark characteristic of lineworkers.

The job requires lineworkers to set aside their personal priorities to better serve their local community.

Family support system To perform their jobs successfully, lineworkers depend on their years of training, experience, and each other to get the job done safely.

Equally important is their reliance on a strong support system at home. A lineworker’s family understands and supports their loved one’s commitment to the greater community during severe storms and power outages.

This means in times of prolonged outages, the family and their lineworker may have minimal communication and not see each other for several days. Without strong family support and understanding, this challenging job would be all the more difficult.

Community commitment In Ohio and across the country, electric co-op lineworkers’ mission-focused mentality of helping others often extends beyond their commitment to their work at the co-op. Lineworkers are often familiar figures in the community. They can be found coaching youth sports teams, volunteering for local charities, and sharing messages of electrical safety.

A thank you from the members ...

“Please thank everyone in your organization who was responsible for getting my power turned back on in the middle of the night. Also, the outage map is a great feature for letting your customers know that you are aware of their situation. Kudos to the employees on call! Please know that you are very much appreciated. Thanks again!”

MARCH 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

–

Jack Klingler of Forest

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 21

MID-OHIO ENERGY COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

Community Fund: Grant helps Larue Christian Preschool stay cool during warm weather

Our office will be closed on April 19 to recognize Good Friday.

We wish all of our consumer-members a happy Easter!

Students and instructors at Larue Christian Preschool show off the new air conditioning unit purchased to cool their upstairs classroom during warm weather.

The preschool received a $1,000 grant from the MidOhio Energy Community Fund to install air conditioning in the classroom. Prior to receiving the grant, the classroom had no source of air conditioning.

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month Streaming content with electronic equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR rating will use 25 to 30 percent less energy than standard equipment.

Source: energy.gov

MID-OHIO ENERGY COOPERATIVE, INC.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Robert Imbody CONTACT

Chairman

888-363-6446 www.MidOhioEnergy.com

Dan Harris Vice Chairman

HEADQUARTERS OFFICE

John Thiel

1210 W. Lima St. Kenton, Ohio 43326

Max Strine

DISTRICT OFFICE

2859 Marion-Upper Sandusky Rd. Marion, Ohio 43302 OFFICE HOURS

Mon.–Fri., 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

22 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

Secretary Treasurer

Trevor Fremont Tony Hastings Gene McCluer Eugene Royer Brice Turner Trustees

John Metcalf President/CEO

HAVE A STORY SUGGESTION?

Email your ideas to: member@midohioenergy.com

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APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 23

revival Cleveland’s Gotta Groove finds success in record revival.

BY BRIAN ALBRIGHT

24 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

COURTESY OF GOTTA GROOVE RECORDS

GIVING VINYL A SPIN

W

According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), vinyl sales hit rock bottom in 2005, when they accounted for less than 1 percent of industry revenues. But Slusarz (a former executive at Newbury-based manufacturer Kinetico) and Earley (a record wholesaler) both felt that vinyl was about to experience significant growth, while existing manufacturing capacity was limited.

“A lot of the new records were being made by indie rock acts, but there weren’t enough copies being made,” Earley says. “It was a challenge at the wholesale level because once a record sold out, it was a long time before you could get more pressed.”

BRIAN ALBRIGHT

hen Vince Slusarz and Matt Earley teamed up to open Gotta Groove Records in Cleveland, a casual music fan might have wondered if they were out of their minds. In 2009, the facility was one of the first new record-pressing plants to open in decades — long after sales of vinyl LPs had been eclipsed by CDs, downloads, and musicstreaming services.

Slusarz had retired and was interested in starting his own company — one that would create manufacturing jobs in the region. He was a longtime fan of vinyl and took note when his college-age daughter started buying new vinyl records.

“I looked at the statistics and saw that vinyl sales were creeping up, and I wondered if there could be a potential business in it,” Slusarz says.

Earley, meanwhile, had come to a similar conclusion about the vinyl market.

He reached out to the same New Jersey pressing plant to make an offer on the equipment, but Slusarz already had the presses. Earley made contacted Slusarz, and after a few months of meetings, he stepped in as Gotta Groove’s vice president of sales and marketing.

Continued on page 26

BRIAN ALBRIGHT

Slusarz had to clear two hurdles, though: He didn’t know anything about making records, and there hadn’t been any new record presses made in decades. He was able to buy his first presses from a New Jersey plant that was about to shut down. He drafted a mechanic from his former company to help set up the equipment.

COURTESY OF GOTTA GROOVE RECORDS

Above: Gotta Groove owner Vince Slusarz displays raw vinyl (top) as well as a lacquer disc used to create the metal record pressing plates. Opposite, a newly pressed record comes off of the stamper. Below, there’s just something about playing a record on a turntable that streaming can’t match.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 25

Sounds of success Gotta Groove almost immediately attracted clients because of the dearth of pressing plants in the U.S. at the time (there are now around 30), but Slusarz has since grown the business by targeting underserved clientele.

While roughly 20 percent of Gotta Groove’s business comes from major labels, the company primarily fills a niche by providing one-stopshop record production and distribution services for smaller labels and independent artists.

BRIAN ALBRIGHT

Continued from page 25

Gotta Groove occupies part of a sprawling, century-old industrial complex that used to house Tyler Elevator Products. A few dozen employees (many of them local musicians themselves) work at the factory, which operates eight presses and two shifts.

Slusarz’s bet on vinyl has paid off. The RIAA reports that vinyl sales rose from $66 million in 2009 to $395 million in 2017. Gotta Groove now presses 1 million records or more each year — everything from a reissue of Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits to local indie releases.

They also press records for a number of Ohio-based labels, including Rockathon Records, home to Dayton-based indie rock veterans Guided by Voices.

“There’s a desire among people to own something tactile and physical, and there’s some backlash to digital music, too,” Slusarz says. “For younger people, there’s also a social aspect to vinyl. No one says, ‘Come over to my house and listen to streaming music.’ But you can invite people over to put on records, and they can thumb through your albums while they listen. It’s a pleasurable experience.”

Gotta Groove Records is located at 3615 Superior Ave., Suite #4201A, Cleveland, OH 44114. Visitors can tour the plant — just call ahead at 800-295-0171.

Visit their website at www.gottagrooverecords.com.

26 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

BRIAN ALBRIGHT

Making a record is a multistage process. Master recordings are first transformed into a lacquer disc, which is used to create a two-part metal stamper. Those stampers are affixed to the record presses at Gotta Groove, where chunks of raw vinyl are pressed between them, like batter in a waffle iron. Cold water stiffens the vinyl, and after the excess is trimmed off the edges, the records drop into a stack. Quality control staff inspect the records and listen to a sample of each batch before they are packaged and prepared for shipping.

Gotta Groove employees Heath Gmucs (closest to the press) and Kevin McCann inspect one of the company’s record presses (bottom). Once the record is pressed, the excess vinyl is trimmed and the finished record is dropped onto a stack (top).

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APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 27

CO-OP PEOPLE

RAMPING it up fter a fortuitous find, South A Central Power Company members specialize in aromatic agriculture.

T

he pursuit of fortune often leads people far from home. Sometimes, however, Lady Luck shows up unannounced literally right in your own backyard.

In 1976, David and Jane Kunkler purchased 40 rural acres in Perry County at a sheriff’s sale, built a home, and moved in. “The land had been uninhabited since 1888,” David Kunkler says. “A family by the name of Elder last lived on it. The husband and wife raised 13 children here.”

The Kunklers, members of South Central Power Company, enjoyed their picturesque property immensely, but they were often curious about the small, green plants that emerged from the forest floor during late winter each year. Growing in profusion, the plants covered 5 acres or more.

28 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

“It wasn’t until 2008, while reading an issue of Bon Appetit magazine, that I discovered the plants were ramps,” Kunkler says. “I learned that some people were paying big money for them — $13 per pound on the East Coast.”

Also known as spring onions, wild leek, wood leek, or wild garlic, ramps grow wild throughout much of the eastern U.S. and north into eastern Canada. According to the Kunklers, the epicenter of ramps in North America is West Virginia. Huntington’s annual April ramp party — April 27 this year — is known as Stink Fest.

Ramps smell and taste much like a crisp, garlicky onion.

The Kunklers prefer them minced into sauces or chopped up and cooked with rice and a little butter. Sliced and fried with potatoes and eggs is also tasty. During spring, the entire plant is edible, including bulb, stem, and slim leaves that measure about 10 to 12 inches long.

David Kunkler, left, shows off part of his harvest from the family ramp-farming operation in Perry County. Kunkler and his wife, Jane, came across acres of ramps growing on their property shortly after they bought it in 1976, and they have turned the find into a profitable mail-order business.

The Kunklers sell ramp seeds (60 seeds for $4) and bulbs ($10 per pound) year-round. They sell whole plants (also $10 per pound) during spring.

“People buy whole plants to eat, but they buy the seeds and bulbs to begin growing their own ramp gardens,” Kunkler says. “It takes five years for seeds to develop into a harvestable ramp patch, but much less time if you plant bulbs.”

The Kunklers are split about how the ramps came to be growing on their property and not on those of any of their neighbors. “I believe it was the Elder family who planted them years ago,” Kunkler says. “Winter vitamin deficiencies were common during the 1800s, and eating spring ramps literally saved people’s lives.”

His wife disagrees, however. “I think that ramps have always grown here naturally, as our land is too steep and rocky for farming. As a result, it has never been plowed or even timbered,” she says.

Jane and David first began selling their ramps to a market in Columbus’s Short North District, as well as to a few highend restaurants in central Ohio. Today, they sell mainly online, shipping 500 to 600 pounds of ramps annually to gourmets in every state except Alaska and Hawaii.

“Our local postmistress in Somerset tells us she knows exactly when one of our boxes arrives for shipping,” Jane Kunkler says. “She can tell by the smell.”

For more information on the Kunklers’ ramp business or to order, visit www.ledgerockfarms.com.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 29

Scientist CAPTAINS

Academics studying Lake Erie have found an invaluable, if unexpected, source of data.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OHIO SEA GRANT

BY JAMES PROFFITT

Charter captain Dave Spangler (in yellow) practices a little citizen science aboard a Stone Lab vessel near Middle Bass Island.

I

t’s no secret that Lake Erie’s recent algae blooms have a small army of scientists and conservationists working nonstop to remedy its troubles. But a little-known faction has been feeding valuable data to those problemsolvers: charter captains.

Now, more than a dozen captains provide a steady seasonlong stream of info to scientists. “We give the exact location we were when we sampled and offer the water temperature, depth, clarity, and also wind conditions and anything else that’s happening at the time,” Spangler says.

“We first started with the Ohio EPA,” says Dave Spangler, longtime captain and vice president of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association (LECBA). The EPA, he says, sent lab technicians wading near shore to collect samples. “The better part of the Western Basin just wasn’t getting covered,” he says. “We’re all out there every day already, so why not (make use of us)?”

Algae blooms, which can create harmful toxins in the water, have been around for years, but gained notoriety in 2014, when a massive bloom caused Toledo’s drinking water to become unusable for three days. The Toledo water crisis made international news — and it was terrible for tourism, including the fishing business. Captains’ work as scientists has been expanding ever since.

30 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

PHOTO BY JAMES PROFFITT

Ohio Wildlife Council member George Klein takes a break from fishing to check out the most recent data compiled by charter captains.

“During the past two seasons, we’ve been sport fishing out on the lake with Ohio Division of Wildlife, and we implant walleye with radio telemetry transmitters,” says Paul Pacholski, LECBA president. Pacholski works nearly full time on education, public relations, and data collecting for the group. “We’ve recently worked with Wayne State University on an invasive species study and Heidelberg University on a Maumee River water flow study,” he says. In fact, Pacholski says he and other charter captains have worked with just about every university in the region on not only Lake Erie-related research projects, but also inland marshes and estuaries.

When asked if charter captains weren’t supposed to be out on the lake during the algae crisis, Pacholski laughs. “My mom wrote me a note that said I can go anywhere I want,” he brags.

Justin Chaffin, research coordinator at Stone Lab, Ohio State University’s island science spot (situated on tiny Gibraltar Island at Put-in-Bay), says the partnership works well. “We train the captains to collect the samples, but also to talk about the data and issues with their customers, and that translates into a really great outreach project.”

Chaffin says info from charter captains gets compared to bona fide, professional data — and it’s solid. “It’s surprising how accurate the charter captain data set is,” he says. “The added benefit is they have opportunity to talk with the public about all the issues and disseminate accurate information.”

Captains have their fishy fingers into more than just algae blooms and radio telemetry. Another Stone Lab study determines how water turbidity and algae affect the vision of both walleye and their favorite food, emerald shiners.

“We’re learning some really cool things about which lure colors that walleye prefer under different conditions,” says Suzanne Gray, assistant professor of aquatic physiological ecology at Ohio State. Spoiler alert: “When there’s an algae bloom, I believe having black components in the lure is beneficial,” she says.

While Gray and staff have been working with fish in the laboratory, captains are doing the same on the lake via a cellphone app developed by graduate student Chelsey Nieman. The app allows captains to capture and send on-the-water data — and photos — back to Stone Lab. The photos provide information as detailed as a fish’s eye size, exact location of a catch, and an image of water at the site, all of which is meshed with satellite imagery and info from scientific buoys and weather stations.

“They have a vinyl sheet with a ruler on it,” Gray says.

“There’s a color wheel and a place to put the lure that caught the fish. They place fish on the ruler, the lure in the box, and take a photo off the side of the boat. Some of the charter captains love to email Chelsey with their stories. I think it’s great.”

This summer, Gray, staff, and students will fish with captains in controlled angling studies. “So far, they’re only telling us what’s successful, not all the lures they switched out, all the ones that didn’t catch fish. This is the first time I’ve tapped into the expertise of people who are actually out there, the ones on the water. They know the lake and they know the fish, and that’s been truly awesome.”

JAMES PROFFITT is a freelance writer from Marblehead.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 31

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This new hearing aid is packed with all the features of traditional hearing aids found at clinics for a mere fraction of the cost. Now most people with hearing loss are able to enjoy crystal clear, natural sound — in a crowd, on the phone, in the wind — without suffering through “whistling” and annoying background noise.

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APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 33

These walls can talk Dozens of Ohio post offices contain history lessons on community and American can-do spirit.

BY JAMIE RHEIN

D

uring the Great Depression, two federal programs — the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) and the Federal Art Project (FAP), which was a part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) — put thousands of artists to work. Murals were painted across the U.S., including more than 60 in Ohio, with post offices reaping the bounty.

The post offices, several of which themselves were built with WPA money, “are a great snapshot of Ohio history and public art,” says Barbara Powers, head of the State Historic Preservation Office. “So many murals focused on scenes with local connections and an element of nostalgia.” Many of the buildings still retain their original woodwork and features.

The murals, mostly oil on canvas and glued to the walls, are as varied as the communities that inspired them.

When artist Albert Kotin took on the Ada post office mural in 1939, he imagined life in the 1800s when “people had settled down to peaceful pursuits,” he wrote.

His Country Dance is a lively mix of musicians, partnerswinging couples, and children joining in.

In Marysville, James Egleson’s nostalgic view depicts two farmers, hoes propped nearby, reading their newspapers as their cows look on. In 1940, Egleson painted The Farmer fresco-style, directly on a post office wall.

Ron Best’s 1942 mural in the Waverly post office also tells of nostalgic times. Arrival of the Packet shows a boat with passengers traveling along a canal while townspeople look on.

Artist Wendell Jones turned to Granville’s religious past for inspiration. In the 1938 First Pulpit in Granville, settlers join in thanks after cutting down a tree for their first altar

34 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

and pulpit. For Jones, his painting shows Americans as those who “shall never be destroyed.”

At age 13, Herman Wessel went to the Cincinnati Art Academy, beginning a career that spanned the world. His two 7-foot murals in the Springfield post office depict the city’s early industries. Printing in Springfield and Manufacture of Farm Implements are in the post office’s original section, which is now a museum. The detailed, art deco postal windows and the period artifacts round out the artistic touches in the room.

Like the Springfield post office, other post offices have changed. The original post office in Fairborn has been turned into a library. Fortunately, the 1941 Wright Brothers in Ohio mural by Henry Simon was moved to the town’s new post office.

In 1940, when Lloyd R. Ney painted his New London Facets in the New London post office, town resident Vaughn Neel was 11 years old. Later, as the post office’s window clerk, Neel created a binder of mural-related correspondence and articles. “This is one of three murals like it in the U.S.,” recalls Neel, who at 88, recently retired as treasurer of the New London Historical Society. Ney pushed for his abstract design to be accepted by the FAP, which leaned toward realistic scenes. Recently cleaned, the mural showcases the bright colors of Ney’s vision, and the post office still has the binder that Neel created.

Ohio native Richard Zoellner has murals in two post offices.

Tobacco Harvest, painted in 1938 for the Georgetown post office, shows farmers in a tobacco field with Georgetown’s prominent buildings in the background. His smaller 1937 murals in the Portsmouth post office, Coal Barges and Waterfront, depict that town’s river history.

Also at the Portsmouth post office, town native and artist Clarence H. Carter’s four murals, Characteristic Local Scenes in Portsmouth, cover three walls. Although Carter’s visual story of Portsmouth’s riverboat, farming, and factory history is stunning, for longtime resident Robert Mohl, the mural of the town’s 1937 flood is most remarkable. “See how the sacks were filled to try to stop the water,” he says, pointing to the frantic scene.

For Mohl, 80, the murals opened his mind when he was a child. “When you are a kid, you are down so low — the murals are up so high.

It’s staggering to realize that the world isn’t billboards once you appreciate the world of handmade, of brushes, colors, and ideas.”

JAMIE RHEIN is a freelance writer from Columbus.

Opposite page: Richard Zoellner’s Tobacco Harvest adorns the wall at the post office in Georgetown; Manufacture of Farm Implements (above) is one of two murals Herman Wessel created for the post office at Springfield; right, top to bottom: Country Dance in the Ada post office imagines life in the 1800s; Lloyd R. Ney had to lobby the Federal Art Project to accept his abstract design for the New London post office; Clarence H. Carter painted four murals that cover three walls at the post office in Portsmouth.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 35

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APR. 13 – Bucyrus Model Railroad Association Train Show and Swap Meet, Crawford Co. Fgds., 610 Whetstone St., Bucyrus, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $5, under 12 free. Club Room will be open with operating layouts for all to enjoy. Exhibit tables available for selling, trading, and swapping. 866-562-0720 or 419-462-5035.

APR. 13 – CMP Monthly Air Rifle and Air Pistol Match, 1000 Lawrence Dr., Port Clinton. Free admission and parking. Competitions feature a Junior Air Rifle 3x20 and 3x10; 60 Shots Air Rifle and Air Pistol match; and 20shot Novice Prone match. Rental equipment is available for a small fee. 419-635-2141 (Brad Donoho), lsherman@ THROUGH APR. 28 – “Expanded Views: Native thecmp.org, or www.thecmp.org.

American Art in Focus,” Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 APR. 20 – Hayes Easter Egg Roll, Spiegel Monroe St., Toledo. Both historical and contemporary Grove, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Native American art is featured, including new acquisitions Museums, Fremont, 2–3:30 p.m. Admission is three and a large-scale work by James Lavadour. 419-255-8000 hard-boiled colored eggs. For kids age 3–10. Prizes, or www.toledomuseum.org. games, crafts, and visits with the Easter Bunny. 419APR. 5, 12, 19, 26; MAY 3, 10 – First Fridays, 332-2081 or www.rbhayes.org. downtown Sidney. Participating shops and restaurants APR. 20 – Easter Egg Hunt, Northwest Ohio stay open later, and many offer a First Friday discount.

Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay.

937-658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

Adults, $3; children 12 and under, $2 (includes a train ride).

APR. 7 – Toledo Doll, Bear, and Toy Show, Lucas Continuous egg hunt with multiple age divisions from Co. Fgds., Maumee Rec. Ctr., 2901 Key St., Maumee, 10 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Quarter-scale train rides continue until a.m.–4 p.m., early admission 8:30 a.m. Admission $6; 4 p.m. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or www. early bird, $20. Free parking. Antique, vintage, artist, and facebook.com/nworrp. modern dolls and bears, as well as accessories, antique APR. 21 – Easter Egg Hunt on the Square, 109 S. toys, vintage holiday items, appraisals, and on-site doll Ohio Ave., Sidney. The hunt starts promptly at 11 a.m. Four stringing. 734-282-0152, sandy4085@hotmail.com. or groups: ages 1–2; 3–5; 6–8; and 9–11. 937-658-6945 or www.toledodollshow.com. www.sidneyalive.org.

APR. 11 – Through the Drinking Glass Tasting APR. 22, 24 – Hidden Spaces, Secret Places and Pairing Event: Ohio Wines, 109 S. Ohio Ave., Tour, downtown Sidney. Tour starts at 109 S. Ohio Ave. Sidney. Time to be determined. 937-658-6945 or www.

Tickets available on website; space is limited. 937-658sidneyalive.org.

6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

APR. 12–13 – Home Sweet Home: A VintageAPR. 27 – Chocolate and Wine Walk, 5495 Liberty Inspired Market, Allen Co. Fgds., 2750 Harding Hwy., Ave., Vermilion, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. $20. Take a stroll through Lima, Fri. 5–8 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $5, under 12 free. downtown Vermilion while sampling chocolate treats and/ Free swag bags to the first 50 guests. Vintage, rustic, or wine as you visit the quaint shops. 440-967-4477 or primitive, shabby chic, antiques, repurposed, and upcycled http://vermilionchamber.net. items. Food trucks on site. 419-230-1756 or http:// APR. 27–28 – The Fantastic Tiffin Flea Market, homesweethomevintagemarket.com.

Seneca Co. Fgds., 100 Hopewell Ave., Tiffin, Sat. 9 APR. 12–14 – Southern Gospel Expo, Trinity a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Free admission and Friends Church, 605 N. Franklin St., Van Wert, Fri. 5 p.m., parking; handicap accessible. 250 to 400 dealers per Sat. 4 p.m., Sun. 6:30 (doors open at 4 p.m.). Free. Over show. 419-447- 9613, tiffinfleamarket@gmail.com, or 25 gospel groups from around the country. Food court www.tiffinfleamarket.com. available each night. 419-238-2788 or www.trinityvw.com.

APR. 27–28 – Ghost Town Spring Crafts and APR. 12–14 – Zombie Prom: Atomic Edition, Antiques Festival, 10630 Co. Rd. 40, Findlay, Sat. 9 McDonald’s Youth Theatre, 991 N. Shore Dr., Lima, Fri./ a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. www.facebook.com/ Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A girl-loves-ghoul rock ‘n’ roll Ghost-Town-Findlay-Ohio-1525098627787387. off-Broadway musical set in the 1950s. www.amiltellers.org.

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APR. 6 – Wheeling Jamboree Anniversary Show, Capitol Theatre, 1015 Main St., Wheeling, 7–10 p.m. $20–$65. This annual event celebrates the occasion when

the country music program left the radio studio to become the second-oldest country broadcast stage show in history.

304-243-4470 or www.capitoltheatrewheeling.com.

APR. 21 – Easter Day Buffet, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. $23.95.

Reservations recommended. Easter egg hunt at 2 p.m.

304-643-2931 or www.northbendsp.com.

MAY 1–OCT. 27 – Blennerhassett Voyage Package, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo. $130, includes one night of lodging at North Bend, sternwheeler ride to and from Blennerhassett Island, wagon ride tour of the island, and tour of Blennerhassett Mansion. 304-643-2931, www.northbendsp.com, or www. blennerhassettislandsatatepark.com.

APR. 28 – Glass City Marathon, 2801 W. Bancroft St., Toledo. 26.2-mile marathon, 13.1-mile half marathon, 5K, and five-person relay. www.glasscitymarathon.org.

MAY 1–5 – Annual Quilt Show, Founder’s Hall at Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, Wed.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Quilts on display from around the region, vendor market, exhibits, and workshops. Appraisals Thur. and Fri., and Sat. by appointment only. 800-590-9755 or https:// saudervillage.org.

MAY 3–12 – Biggest Week in American Birding, Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Ctr., 1750 State Park Rd., Oregon. Free. Enjoy the spectacular birding in northwest Ohio, the “Warbler Capital of the World.”

Activities include guided walks through Magee Marsh, bird ID workshops, birding by canoe, and birder’s marketplace. 419-898-4070 or www. biggestweekinamericanbirding.com.

MAY 4 – Kentucky Derby Affair on the Square, 109 S. Ohio Ave., Sidney. Time to be determined. Get your hats and bow ties ready! Vote for your favorite jockey, and enjoy southern fare and bourbon mint juleps at the cash bar (21 and over). 937-658-6945 or www. sidneyalive.org.

MAY 4–5 – “Springtime in Ohio” Art and Craft Show, Hancock Co. Fgds., 1017 E. Sandusky St., Findlay, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. $6 for unlimited entry both days; under 12 free. Repurposed goods and furniture, décor, jewelry, kids’ activities, and demos. 419436-1457 or http://cloudshows.biz/event-calendar.

MAY 5 – Fort Recovery Museum Opening, 1 Fort Site St., Fort Recovery. 1 p.m. Free. Dedication of battlefield exhibits; virtual tour; unveiling of 1793 fort wall discovery/demarcation. Speaker at 3 p.m. 419-375-4384, www.fortrecoverymuseum.com, or find us on Facebook.

MAY 11 – Lilac Festival and Street Fair, downtown Defiance. Celebrate the official flower of Defiance with the community’s largest arts and crafts fair. Free lilacs to the first 500 attendees. 5K race, the Power of Purple parade, music, vendors, and kids’ activities. 419-782-0739 or http:// visitdefianceohio.com/annual-events.

MAY 11 – Spring on the Farm, Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Explore the farm with your children through great books and many fun hands-on activities. 800-590-9755 or https://saudervillage.org.

Continued on page 38

PLEASE NOTE: Ohio Cooperative Living strives for accuracy but urges readers to confirm dates and times before traveling long distances to events. Submit listings AT LEAST 90 DAYS prior to the event to Ohio Cooperative Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229 or events@ ohioec.org. Ohio Cooperative Living will not publish listings that don’t include a complete address or a number/website for more information.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 37

2019 CALENDAR

APRIL/MAY

Continued from page 37

Stop by the Visitor Center at 120 S. 3rd St. to get a map.

740-283-1787 or www.visitsteubenville.com/events.

APR. 25–28 – Geauga County Maple Festival, Historic Chardon Square, Chardon. Arts and crafts, lumberjack competition, beard and mustache contest, bathtub races, pageants, and other events. Enjoy allyou-can-eat Pancakes in the Park every day, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.: adults $8, under 6 free. 440-286-3007 or www. maplefestival.com.

APR. 26–27 – 55th Annual International Watch Fob Association Show and Sale, Lakeside Sand and Gravel, 3540 Frost Rd., Mantua, Fri. 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission. The world’s largest watch fob, construction memorabilia, and toy show. Free refreshments. 440-816-1882 or chuck@ dhsdiecast.com, www.watchfob.com, or www.facebook. com/iwfai.

APR. 27 – Medina Spring Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Medina Community Rec. Ctr., 885 Weymouth Rd., Medina, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $3, under 12 free.

Join us at our newest show launching this spring! Feature artists and crafters selling their original handmade items. www.avantgardeshows.com.

APR. 27 –18th Annual Lakeside Sand and Gravel Open House and Antique Equipment Show, 3450 Frost Rd., Mantua, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Antique construction and mining demos. Bus tours of the company’s sand and gravel operations. Lunch provided with donation. 330-274-2569 or www. lakesidesandgravel.com.

APR. 27–MAY 11 – Annual Spring Art Show and Sale, Eastern Gateway Community College, 4000 Sunset Blvd., Steubenville. Sponsored by Steubenville Art Association. 740-264-2959.

MAY 3–4 – Dandelion May Fest, Breitenbach Wine Cellars, 5934 Old Rte. 39 NW, Dover, Fri. noon–7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Dandelion food and wine tastings, dandelion sangria, dandelion picking contest and jelly-making, entertainment, and vendor fair. 5K run.

330-343-3603 or www.breitenbachwine.com/events/ dandelion-festival.

MAY 4–5 – Ohio Civil War Show and Artillery Show, Richland Co. Fgds., 750 N Home Rd., Mansfield, Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $7, under 12 free.

Free parking. Military items, relics, and memorabilia to buy, sell, or trade. Cannon firing and WWII small arms demos, Civil War hospital scenario and encampments, and much more. www.ohiocivilwarshow.com.

MAY 4–5 – Model Train Days, Painesville Railroad Museum, 475 Railroad St., Painesville, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $5, C. (3–12) $3, Family $12. Operating layouts in N, HO, and S scale, and O and G gauge. Flea market on grounds.

Food and drinks available. 440-417-6746 or www. painesvillerailroadmuseum.org.

MAY 5 – Harrison Career Ctr. FFA Tractor, Truck, Engine, and Car Show, Harrison Co. Fgds., 550 Grant St., Cadiz, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., registration starting around 9:30 a.m. Donation for admission. 330-440-5578, HCCFFA@yahoo.com, or www.facebook.com/HCCFFA. MAY 11 – Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park Dinner/Auction, Wallace Lodge, Sally Buffalo Park, 100 College Way (43000 Industrial Park Rd.), Cadiz. $18. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., followed by speaker and auction. For reservations or to donate items: 740-391-4135, 740-942-3895, info@ hcrhp.org, www.hcrhp.org, or www.facebook.com/ HCRHP. MAY 11 – German Maifest, Historic Zoar Village, 198 Main St., Zoar, 10 a.m – 5 p.m. Free. Traditional German food and drink, music, dancing, games, art projects, and a Maypole. Grand opening of the “Sense of Zoar” art exhibit at the Bimeler House. 800-262-6195 or www. historiczoarvillage.com/events.

MAY 11 – Avon Spring Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Emerald Event Ctr., 33040 Just Imagine Dr., Avon, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $3, under 12 free. www. avantgardeshows.com.​ MAY 11 – Zoar Plant Sale, Zoar Garden, 168 W. 4th St., Zoar. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, vegetables, shade plants, and shrubs. www. historiczoarvillage.com/events.

tickets, and raffle. Lunch at 12:30 with the Style Show to begin shortly afterward. 740-439-8151 or http:// seormc.org.

APR. 13 – Patty Griffin, Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, 8 p.m. $43–$58. 740-7531924 or www.stuartsoperahouse.org.

APR. 14 – Ben-Hur, Athena Grand, 1008 E. State St., Athens, 6 p.m. $12.50. 60th anniversary of this film classic. 740-593-8800 or www.athenagrand.com.

APR. 20 – Earth Gathering Festival, Pump House Ctr. for the Arts, 1 Enderlin Circle, Chillicothe, 11 a.m.–6 THROUGH DEC. – Athens Farmers Market, p.m. Free admission. Juried art festival with an Earth 1000 E. State St., Athens, Wed. 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat., Day theme. Affordable handmade art and great music 9 a.m.–noon. Farmers, orchardists, specialty food from local and regional artists. 740-772-5783 or http:// producers, bakers, horticulturalists, cheese makers, and visitchillicotheohio.com. more. 740-593-6763 or www.athensfarmersmarket.org.

APR. 20 – Easter Egg Hunt, Deerassic Park APR. 12–14 – Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage, Education Ctr., Cambridge, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Free. Youth Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7660 Cave Rd., Bainbridge. under 12 hunt eggs for tickets and prizes. 740-435-3335 Join us for a weekend of guided hikes, delicious meals, or www.deerassic.com. and special talks from our guest speakers. Our 2019 APR. 25–28 – Pike County Dogwood theme is “Signature Animals of the Great Eastern Festival, Main St., Piketon. Daily entertainment, Forest.” Space is limited and registration is required. food, contests, rides, parade, and more. www.

937-365-1935 or www.arcofapplachia.org/annualpikecountydogwoodfestival.com. wildflower-pilgrimage.

APR. 27–28 – Lucasville Trade Days, Scioto Co. APR. 13 – 51st Wing 12 Daffodil Luncheon, Fgds., 1193 Fairground Rd., Lucasville. $3, under 13 free; Pritchard Laughlin Civic Ctr., 7033 Glenn Hwy., early bird admission, $4. Free parking on fairground lots.

Cambridge. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Vendors, quilt 937-728-6643 or www.lucasvilletradedays.com.

APR. 28 – Spring Hike, Adena Mansion and Gardens, 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, noon–4 p.m.

Free. Guided woodland hike, limited to the first 30 who register the day of the hike. Two hikes, at noon, and 2 p.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult. http:// visitchillicotheohio.com/event/spring-hike-2.

MAY 2–5 – Wild Turkey Festival, 100 E. Main St., McArthur, Thur. 5–11 p.m., Fri./Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. noon–5 p.m. Carnival rides, games, car show, quilt show. Parade and crowning of the Wild Turkey Festival Queen at 6 p.m. Saturday. 740-591-1118, chriscram59@ gmail.com, or www.wildturkeyfestival.com.

MAY 3–5 – Spring Women’s Retreat, Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7660 Cave Rd., Bainbridge. Enjoy the company of other like-minded women and get back to nature in the way that suits you best. Space is limited.

Register at http://arcofappalachia.org/womens-retreat/ or 937-365-1935.

MAY 3–SEPT. 27 – Rise and Shine Farmers Market, 2135 Southgate Pkwy., Cambridge, Fridays, 8 a.m.–noon. 740-680-1866.

MAY 4 – Spring Fest, Deerassic Park Education Ctr., Cambridge. 740-435-3335 or www.deerassic.com.

NORTHEAST

THROUGH APR. 22 – I-X Indoor Amusement Park, IX Center, One I-X Dr., Cleveland. Annual spring event offers a full day of family fun at a budget-friendly price! Rides, games, food, and attractions, all under one roof. 216-265-2586 or www.ixamusementpark.com.

APR. 1–13 – Spring Quilt Show, Historic Fort Steuben Visitor Ctr., 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat. noon–4 p.m. 740-283-1787 or www. oldfortsteuben.com.

APR. 4–6 – Vernal Poolooza Science Conference, Ashland University Convocation Ctr., 638 Jefferson St., Ashland. www.ohwetlands.org/ vernalpoolooza-2019.

APR. 13 – Canton Spring Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, St. George Serbian Ctr., 4667 Applegrove St. NW, North Canton, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $3, under 12 free.

440-227-8794 or www.avantgardeshows.com.

APR. 14 – Black Violin: Classical Boom, Connor Palace, Playhouse Square, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 7 p.m. $10–$45. 216-771-4444 or www.playhousesquare. org/events.

APR. 19–MAY 12 – Shrek the Musical, Geauga Lyric Theater Guild, 101 Water St., Chardon, Fri./Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. $10–$18. Based on the Oscar-winning film. 440-286-2255 or www.geaugatheater.org.

APR. 21–MAY 12 – The Great Steubenville Eggsibition, various locations, Steubenville. Huge handpainted “eggs” offer a downtown scavenger hunt!

SOUTHEAST

38 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

CENTRAL

THROUGH SEPT. 15 – “Blooms and Butterflies,” Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus, daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $12–$19,under 3 free.

Daily butterfly releases at 1 and 3 p.m. 614-715-8000 or www.fpconservatory.org.

THROUGH AUG. 3 – “Luminous: Encaustic Works by Barbara Vogel,” Zanesville Museum of Art, 620 Military Rd., Zanesville, Wed., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Thur. 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m. $4–$6; under 10 and members free. www.zanesvilleart.org.

APR. 5–7, 12–14 – O’Donnell’s Pub, Zanesville Community Theatre, 940 Findley Ave., Zanesville, Fri./ Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m. Comedy by Zanesville native Christopher Brooks. 740-455-6487 or www.zct.org.

APR. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Spring Farmers’ Market, Weasel Boy Brewing Company, 126 Muskingum Ave., Zanesville, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. www. zanesvillefarmersmarket.org.

APR. 7 – Ragtime Rick and the Chefs of Dixieland, Clintonville Woman’s Club, 3951 N. High St., 2–5 p.m. $15–$20. Sponsored by the Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society. 614-558-2212, www.cohjs.org, or Facebook. com/COHJS. APR. 11–14 – Equine Affaire, Ohio Expo Ctr., 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus. $8–$15, under 6 free. Experience the nation’s premier equine exposition. 740-845-0085 or www.equineaffaire.com.

APR. 12–13 – Spring at the Round Barn, Fairfield Co. Fgds., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster, Fri. 4–8 p.m. (early buying: $10), Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. ($5, under 12 free). Free

SOUTHWEST

parking. An upscale market bringing together more than 125 vendors. Farmhouse décor, clothing, candles, jewelry, crafts, live music, and food trucks. 614-296-1621 or find us on Facebook.

APR. 13 – Church Basement Ladies: Rise Up, O Men, Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 2 p.m. $20–$35. Hilarious new national touring musical is the latest addition to the Church Basement Ladies series.

740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.

APR. 13 – Midwest Scholastic Rowing Sprints, Dillon Lake, 5265 Dillon Hills Dr,, Nashport. www. midwestscholasticrowing.com.

APR. 13–14 – AG Days, presented by Hocking County Farm Bureau, Hocking Co. Fgds., 150 N. Homer Ave. Logan, Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Historic farming practices, antique tractors, threshing machines and corn sheller, steam-powered sawmill, and hit-and-miss engines. Bluegrass band, kids’ activities.

740-474-6284 or www.ofbf.org.

APR. 13, 27, MAY 11 – Nelson T. Gant Homestead Tours, 1845 W. Main St., Zanesville, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. or call for appointment. Officially recognized as an Underground Railroad site. 740-453-0988, 740-3191157, or www.nelsontgantfoundation.org.

APR. 26–28 – Mohican Wildlife Weekend: Pick Your Path, various locations in Ashland and Richland counties. Free. A celebration of wildlife habitat, heritage, and natural history. Workshops and demonstrations. 800642-8282 or www.mohicanwildlifeweekend.com.

APR. 26–28 – Vintage Market Days, Franklin Co. Fgds., 4951 Northwest Pkwy., Hilliard, Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p,m. $10 for early buyer, $5 for Sat./ Sun. only, under 13 free. An upscale vintage-inspired indoor/outdoor market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, decor, outdoor furnishings, and more. www.vintagemarketdays.com.

APR. 27 – Earth Day Celebration, Coshocton County Career Ctr., 23640 Airport Rd., Coshocton, 12–4 p.m. Free. Exhibits and vendors including artisans, organic farmers, community groups, and Native American culture.

Explore solar power and green enterprises. Live raptor demos, kids’ activities, entertainment, and food. 740-5026546 or www.cecaware.org.

St., Hamilton, 7–9 p.m. Free. Lively bluegrass music. vaughnjh@gmail.com.

APR. 5, MAY 3 – Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, Butler County Coon Hunters Club, 200 Warwick Rd., Hamilton, 7–9 p.m. Donations requested. Enjoy an evening of lively bluegrass music.

513-410-3625.

APR. 12–13 – Midwest Ceramic Association Show, Butler Co. Exhibition Bldg., Butler Co. Fgds., 1715 Fairgrove Ave., Hamilton, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Ohio’s original ceramic show. www.midwestceramics.org.

APR. 14 – Annual Farm Toy Show, Champaign Co. THROUGH JUNE 16 – Butterflies of Ecuador, Fgds., 384 Park Ave., Urbana, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $2, under 12 Krohn Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, 10 free. Look, buy, sell, or trade. Over 120 tables, including a.m.–5 p.m. $7, Srs. $6, C. (5–17) $4, under 5 free. 513parts dealer. 937-826-4201.

421-5707 or www.cincinnatiparks.com/krohn.

APR. 21 – Easter Egg Hunt, Young’s Dairy, 6880 APR. 1–31 – Easter Egg Paperweight Blow, Springfield-Xenia Rd., Yellow Springs, 2 p.m. Free.

Neusole Glassworks, 11925 Kemper Springs Dr., Open to children up to age 10. 937-325-0629 or www.

Cincinnati, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. $40 per 30-minute session. youngsdairy.com/easter-egg-hunt/.

For ages 5 and older. Sculpt molten glass into egg-shaped APR. 26–28 – Bellbrook Sugar Maple Festival, paperweights! Pickup in 7 days. Reservations required. downtown Bellbrook. Live bands, beer garden, parade, 513-751-3292 or neusoleglassworks@hotmail.com. children’s tent, 5K run, dog show, recycled sculpture APR. 1 – Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, contest, and more. www.sugarmaplefestival.com.

Miami University Downtown Downhome, 221 High

APR. 27 – Ohioana Book Festival, Columbus Metropolitan Main Library, 96 S. Grant, Columbus, 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Free. More than 100 Ohio authors gather with readers for a day of panel discussions, readings, a book fair, children’s activities, and more. 614-466-3831 or www. ohioana.org.

APR. 27 – Taste of Marysville, Marysville High School Field House, 800 Amrine Rd., Marysville, 5–9 p.m. $10 buys 8 tasting tickets; you choose the vendors.

937-243-5833 or www.tasteofmarysville.com.

APR. 28 – Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra Concert, Brown Chapel, College Dr., New Concord, 7 p.m. $15. Season finale of favorites! 740-8268197 or www.seoso.org.

APR. 28 – Zane Grey Day, National Road–Zane Grey Museum, 8850 E. Pike, Norwich, 1–4 p.m. An afternoon of fun outdoor activities. www.ohiohistory.org.

MAY 3 – Chocolate Hop, Columbus and Center Sts., Pickerington, 6–8 p.m. $5, receive a map of locations around the Olde Village where you will receive a chocolate treat. www.pickeringtonvillage.com.

MAY 3 – The Everly Brothers Experience, Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 7:30 p.m. $15– $28. The Zmed Brothers simulate the sound of the legendary rock ’n’ roll singing duo. 740-383-2101 or www. marionpalace.org.

MAY 4–5, 11–12, 18–19, 25–26 – Rock Mill Weekends, Stebelton Park at Rock Mill, 1429 Rockmill Place NW, Lancaster, Sat./Sun. 12–4 p.m. Free. Tour the restored 1824 gristmill. Grinding demos on May 26. 740681-7249 or www.fairfieldcountyparks.org.

MAY 4, 11, 18, 25 – Spring Farmers’ Market, Muskingum Co. Fgds., 1300 Pershing Rd., Zanesville, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. www.zanesvillefarmersmarket.org.

MAY 11–12 – Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championships, Dillon Lake, 5265 Dillon Hills Dr,, Nashport. www.midwestscholasticrowing.com.

APR. 26–28 – Vintage Market Days, Greene Co. Fgds., 120 Fairground Rd., Xenia, Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p,m. $10 for early buyer, $5 for Sat./Sun. only, under 13 free. An upscale vintage-inspired indoor/ outdoor market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, home décor, outdoor furnishings, and more. www.vintagemarketdays.com.

MAY 5 – Music at the Mound with Steve Free, Serpent Mound, 3850 OH-73, Peebles, 1 p.m.

Free admission; $8 parking fee. http://arcofappalachia. org/steve-free.

MAY 10 – Taste of the Arts, Main and Ash Sts., Piqua. An evening of fun, music, and food. Shop, enjoy live music, and sample food from various local restaurants and caterers. 937-773-9355 or www. mainstreetpiqua.com.

MAY 10–12 – Appalachian Festival, Coney Island Amusement Park, 6201 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati, Fri. 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $10, Srs. $5, C. (2–12) $2, under 2 free. Crafts, food, Living History Village, old-time dance, storytelling, and music. www.appalachianfestivalcincinnati.org.

APRIL 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 39

MEMBER INTERACTIVE 1

Mud Season 3

4

2

5 8

9

7 6

10

4. Our grandchildren, Jeffrey and Jaime, having fun making mud pies.

Patty and Larry Quaglia South Central Power Company members

1. Our son, Kyle Ross, doing what he does best — playing in the mud.

Tim and Cathy Ross Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative members

2. DIY mud boots and gloves — Shelby, daughter of Ryan and Jen Michaels.

Jenifer Michaels North Central Electric Cooperative member

3. Our dog, Finley, LOVES the mud season.

Julie Puckett Pioneer Electric Cooperative member

5. Years ago, my son, Spencer, and his friends, Maddi and Morgan, enjoyed the end of summer at an annual Swamp Festival in Moreland.

Tonya Schmid Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative member

6. The Urbansky brothers, Avan and Ean, take a mud bath.

Betty Urbansky Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative member

7. My grandsons, Nick and Jake Swisher, happily riding in a field of mud!

Pat Swisher Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative member

8. Pugs and Nubs were caught in the Pig Scramble at the Attica Fair by Lily and Lucas Pifher.

Ruth Pifher North Central Electric Cooperative member

9. Our children, Emily and Luke, enjoying the country life.

Troy and Kim Howard South Central Power Company members

10. Grandson Wesley Cadigan and grandnephew Ashton Fannin out mudding in the spring.

Steve Lemon South Central Power Company member

40 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2019

At Ohio’s electric cooperatives, we work hard to take care of our neighbors—whether that’s across town or across the globe. Ohio cooperative linemen brought electricity for the first time to three remote Guatemalan villages over two trips in two years. We’re helping to light the world, one village at a time.

ohioec.org/purpose