Ohio Cooperative Living - August 2022 - North Western

OHIO

AUGUST 2022

COOPERATIVE North Western Electric Cooperative

Salad days

Our top readers’ recipes

ALSO INSIDE Powering communities Starstruck in Hocking Hills Geocaching fun

BUILDING A NEW HOME? Contact your electric cooperative for free energy advice.

As a member of your local electric cooperative, you have access to free energy-saving tips and information. We’ve been your trusted source of energy advice for more than 80 years.

Contact your cooperative and learn about the latest energy-efficient technologies for running your new home.

ohioec.org/energy

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

INSIDE FEATURES

24 E-GAMING IN THE OUTDOORS

Geocaching is a way to mix some exercise with a video-game-like challenge.

28 SMALL-TOWN GENIUS

Ohio inventor Charles Kettering was responsible for the car starter and nearly 200 other patents as well as a world-renowned cancer hospital.

32 BESTIES’ RETREAT

Stark County makes a case to host that girlfriends’ outing you know you’ve been hankering for.

Cover image on most editions: Catherine McSwain of West Union, a member of Adams Rural Electric Cooperative, won top prize in the 2022 Ohio Cooperative Living Reader Recipe Contest with her Strawberry Fields Steak Salad (photograph by Demi Martin).

This page: Beverly Pottmeyer, a Washington Electric Cooperative member, submitted this sunflower photo for our August Member Interactive section. See page 40 for more reader sunflower photos.

AUGUST AUGUST2022 2022 • • OHIO OHIOCOOPERATIVE COOPERATIVELIVING LIVING 1 1

UP FRONT

Working together for you C

ooperation among cooperatives is a principle ingrained in the cooperative business model and lived out by cooperative employees when we face challenges. This summer, we have already seen powerful storms tearing through much of Ohio — uprooting trees, breaking utility poles, disrupting electric service, blocking roads, and generally making a mess of things.

Some co-op members were without power for up to a week as tree damage was cleared and repairs were made. The article on page 4 details some of the efforts required to get the lights back on as quickly as possible, thanks to the hard work of cooperative employees and the assistance provided from across our cooperative network here in Ohio and six other nearby states.

We’ve also seen weaknesses in the broad power grid when hot weather follows strong storms — vulnerabilities that have resulted from a combination of aging infrastructure and premature retirement of older power plants. Cooperative leaders have been working together, in Ohio and across the country, to help policymakers recognize that now more than ever, people are depending on a reliable power grid. A diverse set of controllable, always-available power generation plants, like those owned and operated by Ohio’s electric cooperatives, makes our supply both more reliable and more affordable. That diversity allows us to better handle unexpected challenges not only from the weather but also from economic upsets.

Cooperatives continue to do our part by regularly investing in the infrastructure needed to generate and deliver power to your home. By working together, we have a stronger voice to advocate for clear-eyed, commonsense policies that serve the public interest.

We will continue to see hot summer days, cold winter nights, and damaging storms. Ohio’s electric cooperatives will continue to work together to provide you the best service possible.

2

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

Pat O’Loughlin

PRESIDENT & CEO OHIO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

Cooperative leaders have been working together to help policymakers recognize that now more than ever, people are depending on a reliable power grid.

July 2022 August 2022 • Volume • Volume 64, 64, No.No. 10 11

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 www.ohiocoopliving.com Patrick O’Loughlin Caryn Whitney Jeff McCallister Rebecca Seum Crystal Pomeroy

6 DEPARTMENTS

President & CEO Director of Communications Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editor Graphic Designer

Contributors: Jodi Borger, Colleen Romick Clark, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Vicki Reinhart Johnson, Neal Kindig, Shelby Bradford Moore, Catherine Murray, Wendy Pramik, and Damaine Vonada.

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 $5.64 to $7.08 per year, paid from equity accruing to the member.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to editorial and advertising offices at: 6677 Busch Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43229-1101. Periodicals postage paid at Pontiac, IL 61764, and at additional mailing offices.

Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 Office, Consumer Protection Section, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215.

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

4 POWER LINES

Helping hands: After summer storms caused widespread outages in Ohio, co-ops from near and far jumped in to help.

10

6 Empowering employees: As

workplaces go, co-ops stand out by providing lots of qualities that define a great job.

10 CO-OP PEOPLE

Star struck: Brad Hoehne is

12

always looking up at the John Glenn Astronomy Park.

12 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Specter of the forest: Stumbling upon a haunting, mysterious ghost pipe is one cause for celebration — and pictures.

15

15 GOOD EATS

Salad days: Our top reader recipe

takes advantage of fresh strawberries at their ripe, juicy peak.

19 LOCAL PAGES National/regional advertising inquiries, contact

Cheryl Solomon American MainStreet Publications 847-749-4875 | cheryl@amp.coop

News and information from your electric cooperative.

37 CALENDAR

37

What’s happening: August/ September events and other things to do around Ohio.

Ohio-based advertisers contact

Rheta Gallagher 614-940-5956 | rgallagher@ohioec.org

Cooperative members:

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

Alliance for Audited Media Member

40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Sunflowers: Readers love to pose with those giants of the garden.

40

Visit Ohio Cooperative Living magazine online at www.ohiocoopliving.com! Read past issues and watch videos about our articles or our recipes. Our site features an expanded Member Interactive area where you can share your stories, recipes, and photos and find content submitted by other co-op members across the state.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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POWER LINES

Helping Hands

After summer storms caused widespread outages in Ohio, co-ops from near and far jumped in to help.

BY JEFF McCALLISTER

A

s Father’s Day approached this past June, so did a weather pattern that brought with it a series of storms across Ohio. The storms appeared initially to be strong, to be sure, but not out of line with the usual tempests that sweep through the Midwest every summer.

Over the next few days, however, the event distinguished itself as one of the most damaging and expensive weather-related calamities Ohio’s electric cooperatives had ever witnessed.

Analysis later showed that the first wave during the overnight hours of June 13–14 brought with it three tornadoes and a powerful macroburst storm just in a 53-minutes span, wreaking havoc on distribution and transmission systems across the state; all of the 24 electric distribution cooperatives in Ohio reported outages, including a few that suffered widespread damage — downed lines, broken poles — to their systems.

As the co-ops organized resources to restore the systems to turn power back on to their members, the next several days brought alternating extreme heat and additional powerful storm systems that made the work of restoring service both 4

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

more dangerous and more plentiful. Problems on AEP’s high-voltage transmission network resulted in more than 100,000 central Ohio homes and businesses having their power intentionally shut off for long stretches of time.

Often, when summer (or winter) storms cause outages, the affected area is concentrated enough that the individual co-op can rally its own lineworkers to handle the repairs.

Occasionally, it’s bad enough that a nearby co-op will jump in to offer assistance and equipment to restore power.

This storm, however, officially classified as a derecho, affected so much of the state that Ohio co-ops initially had few workers to spare for those who were hit hardest. “This storm brought more damage to our cooperative than we’ve seen in the 28 years I’ve been here, and our neighboring cooperatives in Ohio were hit hard, too,” says Phil Caskey, CEO of Mount Gilead-based Consolidated Cooperative.

So the call went out around the region, and by midday on the first full day after the first storm, 17 crews from Kentucky had hit the road to help. By the next morning, crews from Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Virginia had arrived

to pitch in. In all, workers came from 14 co-ops in six states to join those from Ohio and West Virginia on the job. “The great part of belonging to a network of not-for-profit cooperatives is that we have hundreds of like-minded utilities across the country who are willing to pitch in, and we made great use of those resources,” Caskey says.

As each co-op’s power was restored, its linemen and those helping there moved on to the next affected area. Nearly all repairs were finished by June 23.

Miller noted that many Ohio co-ops were hit hard by the storm and still sent crews to co-ops with greater needs. “I’ve worked aid after several hurricanes,” Miller says. “The parts of Holmes and Wayne counties I saw right after this storm looked very similar to what I saw during Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Katrina storm restoration — it was shocking to see such large trees down everywhere. The difference? A hurricane gives you time to plan.”

“For total amount of damage, it will likely surpass both the January 2005 ice storm and June 2012 derecho, two of the worst weather events in recent history,” says Dwight Miller, who in his role as director of safety training and loss prevention at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, coordinated the efforts.

By the numbers

In total, the jobs took nearly 13,000 hours of lineworker assistance. “We are so grateful to the folks who put their lives on hold to help us and to their home cooperatives who had to pick up the slack while they were gone, all so that our members could so quickly resume their own lives,” Caskey says.

Out-of-state mutual aid: 62 workers from 14 coops in six states put in about 7,600 hours of labor.

How Ohio electric cooperatives were affected Peak outage: about 72,000 Broken poles: more than 500 Co-ops requiring mutual aid: 7

In-state mutual aid: 67 workers from 15 Ohio coops put in about 5,300 hours of labor.

Workers from 14 cooperatives in six states — including the pair at left from Kenergy in Kentucky — came to Ohio to help repair distribution systems after a wave of June storms did widespread damage here.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Empowering employees

As workplaces go, co-ops stand out by providing the qualities that define a great job.

BY SHELBY BRADFORD MOORE

G

eorge Carter spent 17 years working in the electric cooperative industry before he became president and CEO of Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative in Paulding in 2005. He says there are a couple of reasons he’s spent more than 30 years of his career at cooperatives: those who surround him, and the important work co-ops do in their communities.

The 24 electric cooperatives that power rural Ohio are focused on improving quality of life for co-op members and ensuring the long-term prosperity of the communities they serve. That focus, employees say, is what makes cooperatives different from other workplaces. When a team is focused on a common goal, especially one that makes a positive impact on communities they love, it often results in fulfilled employees.

“I have been blessed with a great group of employees who have always gone above and beyond expectations,” he says.

“It’s been easy to stay.”

It’s not unheard of, in fact, for someone to spend their entire career with the same co-op.

It’s a common sentiment among employees at electric cooperatives, because co-ops provide many of the qualities that define a great job: a close-knit team, community involvement, and growth opportunities, just to name a few.

After he graduated from high school, Anthony Smith had the opportunity to take a summer job at Marysville-based URE (Union Rural Electric Cooperative). That summer job, in turn, influenced his decision to study engineering in college.

Smith continued working at URE while he studied electrical engineering technology at Columbus State Community College and computer engineering technology at DeVry. He rose from his entry-level role drawing maps and drafting substation projects to eventually become the co-op’s CEO in 2017.

“Training and education are priorities for electric cooperatives, and I wish more people realized how innovative co-ops actually are when it comes to technology deployment,” Smith says. “On top of that, co-ops offer attractive employment opportunities and are some of the most people-oriented employers you can find.”

Growth opportunities offered by coops have also attracted prospective employees who are interested in switching George Carter represents Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative at a community event.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

Above, employees at URE work as a team to support community initiatives; below, Brittany Root found that South Central Power Company provided the supportive environment she was looking for in a job.

industries. Brittany Root, member services representative at Lancaster-based South Central Power Company, worked in the corporate banking industry before becoming a stayat-home mom to her five children. When the opportunity to join South Central Power presented itself, Brittany felt encouraged by the support offered by the cooperative.

“I had just gone back to college to finish my bachelor’s degree when I began interviewing with South Central Power, and when I learned about the co-op’s tuition reimbursement program, it felt like a natural fit,” says Brittany. “I was excited to work with a company so closely involved with the community while also having the ability to grow in my own career.”

She recalls countless examples during her 17 years with HWEC when members of her team have quietly and humbly supported their neighbors — anonymously paying the bill of a struggling member, cutting wood to heat a sick member’s home, starting a meal train for a member in need. “What makes co-op employees so special,” Tate says, “is who they are when no one is looking.”

For information about working at electric cooperatives, visit www.ohioec.org/careers.

Brittany successfully completed her undergraduate program this spring and now holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Ohio Christian University.

Since joining the co-op in 2019, she has taken on more of a leadership role that allows her to focus on the training and development of others in her department and offer them the same level of support she was given.

As someone who recruits and hires talent for her co-op, Robyn Tate, director of human resources and community relations at Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative in Millersburg, has an acute awareness of the characteristics of those who surround her.

“Cooperative employees are the salt of the earth. You truly do gain another family when you work at a co-op,” Tate says. “Our jobs go far beyond providing power.”

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Feeding Your Need for New Ideas

Farm families like yours are growing their businesses to ensure their best farm futures.

Farm Bureau helps your competitive advantage by advocating for members, connecting you to a network of like-minded entrepreneurs and providing you with insights and business solutions to grow your bottom line.

Learn more at OhioFarmBureau.org

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

Business Solutions for Members health care • workers’ comp program savings • energy program • temporary worker services • legislative, regulatory, legal risk management information • financial and insurance products and services • legal education • StoneX member benefit • market intel • property crime watch program

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CO-OP PEOPLE CO-OP PEOPLE

STAR STRUCK G

Brad Hoehne is always looking up at the John Glenn Astronomy Park.

BY DAMAINE VONADA

etting Brad Hoehne to stand still for a photo isn’t easy. The director of John Glenn Astronomy Park (JGAP) is so enthusiastic about sharing the wonders of the universe with visitors that he constantly points out the brightest stars, waves his arms to demonstrate the paths of comets, or makes circles with his hands to show how the orbits of Earth and Mars bring them closest together every 26 months.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

PHOTO COURTESY BRAD HOEHNE/JOHN GLENN ASTRONOMY PARK

“It’s a joy to talk to people about astronomy,” says Hoehne. “I’ve been stargazing most of my life, and this park is a great way to bring others into the fold and get them interested in science in general.”

Served by South Central Power Company, the park sits on an open patch of land within Hocking Hills State Park.

It’s named for the Ohio-born-and-bred astronaut who was the first American to orbit the Earth. JGAP opened in 2018, but Hoehne had been thinking for years about creating a venue where the public could connect with the cosmos. “I got the idea in 2003,” he says. “I was giving a talk about the Perseid meteor shower, and a woman mentioned that it would be great to have a place to look at the stars on her own without having to pay something or drive for a long distance.”

While hikers and outdoors-lovers prize the pristine scenery and fantastic rock formations in southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills, the region’s distance from big city lights also makes it a natural destination for amateur astronomers. “This place is about as dark at night as it gets in Ohio,” Hoehne says.

He certainly ought to know about the Buckeye State’s nocturnal skies. Hoehne, who is from Columbus, has been studying them ever since he was a preschooler and snagged a plastic telescope on a trip to COSI. Although his day job is working as a medical photographer and illustrator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Hoehne

has devoted countless nights to astronomy, serving as president of the Columbus Astronomical Society and presenting numerous programs at Perkins Observatory in Delaware. “I started volunteering at the observatory in 1994 because I wanted to be there to view Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 when it crashed into Jupiter,” he says.

“It’s a joy to talk to people about astronomy,” says Hoehne. “I’ve been stargazing most of my life, and this park is a great way to bring others into the fold and get them interested in science in general.”

The Friends of Hocking Hills State Park raised more than $1 million to build JGAP, and Hoehne worked closely with members of the nonprofit organization to design it. He also enlisted help from his wife, Lucia Hieida-Hoehne, who used her architecture training to turn his concepts into reality by acting as the dark park’s construction manager. “I did the fun work, and she did the grunt work,” Hoehne says, grinning.

Near the plaza, a small observatory houses one of the largest telescopes in Ohio — a Dobsonian with a 28-inch mirror that Hoehne calls JGAP’s “wow” telescope — as well as a special solar telescope for observing the sun.

Though people can bring their own telescopes to JGAP anytime, Hoehne typically only opens the observatory’s roof and conducts programs on Fridays and Saturdays.

Late summer is the best time to see the Milky Way at JGAP.

PHOTO BY DAMAINE VONADA

JGAP features a circular plaza proportioned to convey a sense of the solar system’s magnitude. The plaza is 80 feet in diameter, representing the size of the sun. Inside are a round bench measuring 7.5 feet in diameter and an 8.25-inch diameter sphere that indicate the relative sizes, respectively, of Jupiter and Earth. Flanking the plaza are stone pillars that earn the structure the nickname “Ohio’s Stonehenge.” The pillars have slots that channel shafts of sunlight on the days that start each season. The slots on the plaza’s east side catch sunrises on the solstices and equinoxes, and the ones on the west side catch the sunsets, Hoehne says.

“December 8,” says Hoehne, “is going to be ideal because Mars will appear at its best and brightest in the night sky.”

Learn more about John Glenn Astronomy Park and its programming at www.jgap.info or www.friendsofhockinghills.org.

Brad Hoehne (above right) is director of the John Glenn Astronomy Park (viewed from above at right), which sits inside Hocking Hills State Park and affords the opportunity to photograph spectacular views of the night sky — such as the photo on the left that Hoehne took of the Milky Way.

PHOTO COURTESY BRAD HOEHNE/JOHN GLENN ASTRONOMY PARK

And at the end of the year, the view of Mars should be positively heavenly, for Earth and the Red Planet once again will circle near each other.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Specter of the forest STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

I

enjoy reading — always have. One of my favorite books is Wilson Rawls’ 1961 classic, Where the Red Fern Grows. The author reveals the origin of the title of his fiction novel through his young protagonist, Billy Colman, who lived in the Oklahoma Ozarks: “I had heard the old Indian legend about the red fern. How a little Indian boy and girl were lost in a blizzard and had frozen to death.

In the spring, when they were found, a beautiful red fern had grown up between their two bodies. The story went on to say that only an angel could plant the seeds of a red fern, and that they never died; where one grew, that spot was sacred.”

Ohio has its own version of a “red fern,” a plant eerie and haunting, mysterious and ephemeral, yet at the same time beautiful and delicate — it’s known as “ghost plant” or “ghost pipe.” Native American tribes were familiar with it, which is why the plant is sometimes also called “Indian pipe.” To botanists, it is Monotropa uniflora.

The plant grows in such deep, dark forests and is so short-lived that I’ve only seen a handful during a lifetime of wandering the woods. One was growing along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, spotted during a day hike with my wife. Several other plants I’ve stumbled across here in Ohio (not literally, thankfully), but not often. Each serendipitous find is truly a special event to be celebrated and, of course, photographed.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

“They’re pretty common but also pretty easily overlooked, as they have no bright colors to catch one’s eye,” says Jim McCormac, retired from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and one of Ohio’s leading botanists. “They tend to bloom during the dog days of summer, when not as many people are traipsing about the woods with all the heat, humidity, and biting deer flies. The plant’s been documented in at least 50 Ohio counties and probably occurs, or has occurred, in all 88.”

An herbaceous perennial, ghost plants are usually waxy-white, sometimes a pale pink, and often flecked with black specks. Even more rare, such as Wilson Rawls’ storied fern, a few ghost plant variants can be colored a deep red.

Ghost plants lack the green coloring of most plants because they do not produce chlorophyll. Rather, they are (big-word alert) mycoheterotrophs, simply meaning they feed on fungi associated with certain trees, often beeches. This parasitic relationship allows the ghost plant to live on the forest floor in areas of dense canopy cover, where summer sun cannot penetrate.

Usually, several individual plants grow in a group, as high as a foot tall, looking like white, scaly clay pipes that have been stuck into the ground on their stems.

A good time to search for ghost plants is a few days after a rainfall.

Above: A ghost plant found in Ohio; left: A ghost plant found along the Appalachian Trail, McAfee Knob, near Roanoke, Virginia.

Now, mid- to late-summer, is the time of year to look for a ghost plant. Take a hike at a state park, state nature preserve, or another mature forest location to search for one. And to prepare for the experience, you just might read Where the Red Fern Grows.

If you happen to know of any food or medicinal value associated with ghost plants and would like to share that information, you may contact me by email at whchipgross@gmail.com. I will then, in turn, share the information with other OCL readers in a future online “Ask Chip” column.

Ask

CHIP!

Email Chip Gross with your outdoors questions at whchipgross@ gmail.com. Be sure to include “Ask Chip” in the subject of the email.

Your question may be answered on www.ohiocoopliving.com!

www.ohiocoopliving.com AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

GOOD EATS

READER RECIPE CONTEST

Salad days!

Grand-prize winner’s recipe is best when strawberries are at their ripe, juicy peak.

LEAD PHOTO BY DEMI MARTIN; RECIPE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHERINE MURRAY

C

atherine McSwain has made her Strawberry Fields Steak Salad for years — it’s her husband’s favorite meal, after all. The day she got a little tired of serving store-bought dressing with it, however, was the day it went from really good to exceptional.

McSwain’s entry earned the top prize — a KitchenAid stand mixer — in this year’s Ohio Cooperative Living reader recipe contest that asked for your best salad recipes.

Continued on page 16

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Grand-prize winner

Continued from page 15

STRAWBERRY FIELDS STEAK SALAD Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes | Servings: 2

For dressing:

4 tablespoons orange marmalade 5 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons grapeseed/canola oil

2 tablespoons water ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 2 pinches kosher salt

Mix all of the above in any order you like … it tastes great no matter what you put in first.

For salad:

4 cups arugula or romaine ½ cup shredded mozzarella

8 ounces sliced strawberries 6-ounce ribeye steak

Grill or pan-fry ribeye steak that has been salted liberally. Set aside until ready to cut into thin strips. Prepare strawberries by slicing into pieces. Arrange salad topped with mozzarella cheese; add strawberries and then strips of steak on top. Dress with marmalade mixture to finish.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

More than 300 submissions rolled in from around the state, ranging from simple garden salads to mayo-based egg or tuna concoctions, and a surprising number of gelatin-based dishes mixed with anything from maraschino cherries to cottage cheese — there are lots of different kinds of dishes referred to as salad.

Catherine, a member of Adams Rural Electric Cooperative in West Union, says her salad is especially popular in early summer when she gets strawberries that are at the peak of ripeness — but oh, that dressing!

“The orange marmalade dressing just came to my mind one day when I was having a craving for something a little bit different than the usual dressings I buy from the store,” she says. “I had been watching cooking shows for a few years and felt adventurous enough to give making a concoction of my own a whirl.”

Runner-up

ORANGE CREAM FRUIT SALAD

Prep: 10 minutes | Servings: 8 to 10 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits, pudding drained 16-ounce can peach slices, drained 1½ cups milk 1/3 cup frozen orange juice 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, concentrate drained ¾ cup sour cream 2 medium firm bananas, sliced 1 medium apple, chopped In a large bowl, combine fruits and set aside. In a small bowl, beat pudding mix, milk, and orange juice concentrate for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and mix well. Spoon over fruit and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Donna Calloway, a member of Pioneer Electric Cooperative in Piqua, has been making her

version of this fruity classic for more than 30 years, since she got the basic recipe from her husband Brian’s grandmother. Now she serves it to her five grandchildren.

“This one has been handed down over many years,” Donna says. “It’s simple to make, and you can expand the recipe for however large your crowd might be — I used to serve it at birthday parties for all three of my kids.”

Donna Calloway, Piqua

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Carole Okuley, Bluffton

Runner-up

CUCUMBER ASIAN SALAD Prep: 15 minutes | Servings: 4 3 tablespoons light soy sauce ¼ cup sesame oil 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 to 4 cups sliced mini cucumbers, ¼ inch thick 1½ tablespoons sesame seeds

¼ cup finely diced onion 4 finely diced mint leaves (optional) 1 Bosc pear, peeled, halved, seeded, sliced in ¼-inch slices, and cut into approximately inch-long pieces 2 tablespoons grated carrot 3 tablespoons slivered almonds ½ of a red bell pepper, sliced like matchsticks

Whisk together first six ingredients, then add the rest. Mix well to coat; let marinate a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Toss a few times to coat well while marinating.

Check it out!

Have you tried one of our recipes?

Do you have a recipe to share with other Ohio co-op members? Visit the Member Interactive page on www.ohiocoopliving.com to find recipes submitted by our readers and to upload yours.

Carole Okuley, a member of St. Marys-based Midwest Electric, enjoys

experimenting with recipes and food of all kinds. When her nephew married a woman from Taiwan, Carole was inspired to incorporate some Asian-inspired flavors into her cooking. When the call for entries came out, she says she just looked around her pantry to see what she could come up with, and this spur-of-the-moment cucumber salad impressed our judges with its unique combination of ingredients enough to award her a runner-up prize.

“I will often just use whatever I have in the refrigerator and pantry,” Carole says. “I don’t think I would ordinarily put pears into something like this, but I happened to have some, so I thought I’d try it. I’m glad I did.”

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

www.ohiocoopliving.com While you’re there, check out a video of a few of our recipes being prepared.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Stay one step ahead of the utility scammers Whether it’s a high-tech hack or an in-person con, the best defense is the same — call NWEC. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 5.7 million incident reports in the consumer marketplace. About half of those were identified as fraud and a quarter as identity theft. Those statistics don’t tabulate utility fraud specifically, but the Better Business Bureau says it receives a thousand complaints of utility scams each year.

Scammers are notorious for recognizing when people are most vulnerable — Christmas, right after a hurricane or tornado, or with the approach of really hot or cold weather. Fraud reports skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic — FTC figures show complaints rising from almost 3.5 million in 2019 to more than 5.5 million in 2021.

Let’s look at a few common scenarios of utility scams:

Stopping the scammers

• You receive a random call. The caller says you didn’t pay your last electric bill and your power will be cut off immediately — unless you pay right now by credit card over the phone. Caller ID shows it came from the utility; they even told you the exact amount of your most recent bill.

• You receive an alert that you overpaid your utility bill and to get the refund, you need to provide your financial information.

• A friendly couple in uniform knocks on your door saying they’re from the power company and are following up on high-bill complaints from your neighbors. They just need to take a look at your utility bill so they can get the information code to make sure you aren’t being double-charged.

These real-life stories may seem like obvious scams. Who would ever fall for them? It turns out about one in four people.

The best way to avoid being a victim of a utility scam is to call NWEC directly. Scammers will try to rush you into acting, but no billing situation is so urgent you can’t check on it.

If you do lose money on a scam, don’t be embarrassed. Report it to NWEC. The state attorney general is responsible for going after fraud and will want to know about any suspicious schemes. You might even be able to get your money back.

Letting the appropriate contacts know about a scamming operation can help protect others in our community and let you feel secure in enjoying your electric service.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM UTILITY SCAMS UNKNOWN CALLER

Scammers take you by surprise

While most people do the right thing and hang up the phone or contact their utility rather than handing over money or private information, more than $6 billion in losses to various scams were reported in 2021.

Reading about avoiding utility scams makes it sound pretty simple. But the thing about scammers is they take you by surprise. They might be the most charming people you have ever met. They might be the meanest and most intimidating, bullying you into acting. It can be hard to say “no” in the moment.

Never give personal information to an unknown visitor or caller.

Demands for payment by gift card or cryptocurrency should immediately raise red flags.

When in doubt, call your electric co-op directly.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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NORTH WESTERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Tour Cardinal Power Plant Sept. 14 Buckeye Power’s Cardinal Generating Station, located on the Ohio River in Brilliant, Ohio, is one of the cleanest coal-fired power plants in the world. The plant supplies power to all the electric co-ops in the state of Ohio, including North Western Electric Cooperative. For an opportunity to see it in action, join us Sept. 14 as we head to scenic southeast Ohio.

NWEC member-owners, along with co-op members from Paulding Putnam Electric and Tricounty Rural Electric, will be sharing a charter bus for the one-day trip. The tour is FREE, but seats are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The trip is only offered to NWEC member-owners who have not previously attended.

The air-conditioned bus with restroom facilities will leave the Northtowne Mall parking lot in Defiance at 7:30 a.m. and will return around 8:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided prior to arriving at the plant. You are responsible for your evening meal (at a fast food restaurant). Bottled water will be available on the bus.

Tour guidelines: • Participants must be at least 12 years old.

• There will be a lot of walking, climbing of several sets of stairs, and going through hot and dusty areas during the tour, so member-owners with health concerns or those who require assistance with walking should not take the tour.

• Member-owners will be required to wear eye, head, and ear protection during the tour. These items will be provided to you.

To reserve your seat, complete the request form below and return it to NWEC by Wednesday, Aug. 31. You may also request a reservation online at nwec.com/cardinalpower-plant-tour.

Those who are selected to join us on the tour will be notified using the information provided. If you have any questions, please call Pearl Rakes at 419-636-5869, ext. 113.

Cardinal Power Plant tour — Sept. 14, 2022 Number of seats requested: ______ (Limit 2) Member-owner name: ___________________________________________________________ Guest name: ___________________________________________________________________ Member-owner address: ___________________________________________________________ City: _____________________ Telephone: ___________________________________________________ Electric account number: _______________________ Email: __________________________________________________________________ Return form by Aug. 31 to: NWEC, Attn: Pearl Rakes, P.O. Box 391, Bryan, OH 43506

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS

STARK JOINS BOARD On Thursday, June 30, the Board of Trustees selected member-owner Keith Stark to complete the unexpired term (ending in April 2024) in District 1. The district comprises Florence, Northwest and St. Joseph townships in Williams County.

Pursuant to the Code of Regulations and NWEC policy, the process to fill the open seat required a Trustee Search and Selection Committee composed of three currect trustees and three member-owners from the district in which the vacancy existed. The committee then presented their recommendations to the remaining board members and a unanimous decision was required for the final selection.

Stark resides in St. Joseph township with his wife, Michelle. They have two children. Keith is an Agronomy Salesman for Edon Farmers Co-op. He is active in the Edgerton Knights of Columbus and is an Edgerton athletic booster. He attends St. Mary’s Catholic Church. In his spare time, Keith enjoys ice fishing and golfing.

Welcome to the NWEC family, Keith!

Don’t miss the balloons!

Saturday August 6 Defiance County Airport

NWEC is once again a proud presenting sponsor of this great community event!

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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NORTH WESTERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Ready, set, (your) thermostat!

Heating and cooling account for about half the energy used in a typical home, so it’s a great place to use less energy. When used wisely, your thermostat can help reduce wasted energy.

Types of thermostats

REBATE AVAILABLE NWEC now offers a rebate when you purchase and install a new Wi-Fi-enabled, ENERGY STAR-certified smart thermostat. Visit nwec.com/ rebates for all the details.

Mechanical thermostats are easy to control by adjusting a dial or sliding switch. The downfall is you must make temperature adjustments manually.

They are inefficient because they typically heat or cool the home beyond the set point. If your cooling is set to 72 degrees, a mechanical thermostat may actually cool your home to 70 degrees before it turns off, wasting energy. Then it might not come on again until the home reaches 74 degrees. That fourdegree temperature change is noticeable and can lead people to adjust the thermostat setting down even more, which wastes more energy.

Digital thermostats are more accurate and efficient and some are programmable.

Smart thermostats — which require an internet connection — are Wi-Fi-enabled and can be controlled using a smartphone app. Programming is easier, and you can track and manage use and temperature data. However, that data is shared with the manufacturer.

Smart thermostats can learn your preferences and set a schedule that automatically adjusts the temperature. Some have geofencing, which adjusts the temperature based on the distance your smartphone is from home.

Misconceptions about thermostats

A common misconception is the higher you turn your thermostat up or down, the faster your home’s temperature will change. Turning your thermostat down to 55 degrees to cool your home faster is like repeatedly pushing the elevator button and expecting it to come faster.

The larger the temperature variance between inside and outside, the more energy your system uses. Use these heating and cooling tips from the DOE to add efficiency and savings to your home: • Set your thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer when you are home and awake and warmer at night or when away. Set it to 68 degrees in the winter when you are home and awake, and cooler at night or when you are away.

• Upgrade to a programmable or smart thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature throughout the day and when you leave the house.

• When on vacation, set your thermostat to 85 degrees in the summer and 55 degrees in the winter.

• In the summer, fans allow you to set your thermostat about 4 degrees warmer without feeling it. Remember, fans cool people not rooms, so turn them off when you leave a room.

Use your thermostat to optimize energy efficiency and find a balance between comfort and affordability.

20B

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS

There is still time to switch Before the cold winds of fall and winter start blowing, now is the perfect time to switch propane providers.

Give us a call today to schedule a new tank installation. Even if your current tank has fuel in it, you can still make the switch.

844-636-NWOP (6967) NW Ohio Propane 04125 State Route 576, Bryan nwohiopropane.com

Sign up now for our special pricing programs valid during the upcoming heating season.

Energy Efficiency | Tip of the Month When streaming content, use the smallest device that makes sense for the number of people watching. Avoid streaming on game consoles, which use 10 times more power than streaming through a tablet or laptop. Streaming content with electronic equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR rating will use 25% to 30% less energy than standard equipment.

Source: www.energy.gov

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

20C

NORTH WESTERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

family fun day

MEMBER-OWNER & CUSTOMER APPRECIATION CELEBRATION

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 11 A.M. TO 2 P.M. Williams County fairgrounds in montpelier An exclusive event for NWEC member-owners, NWOP customers and their immediate families.

BUCKET TRUCK kids can HIGH VOLTAGE RIDES DECORATE ELECTRICAL SOME RESTRICTIONS their own SAFETY DEMOS APPLY HARD HAT INTERACTIVE TOUCH A PHOTO BOOTH ACTIVITIES FOR pretend to be a lineman using TRUCK & our cut-out props ALL AGES MEET A test your lineworker skills LINEMAN DUNK TANK AXE play energy efficiency jeopardy help raise money for a play ring toss THROWING local food bank and more “LEARN ABOUT (provided by AXECAPADES) SAFETY” free goodie bag get a bag as you exit the event BOOTHS limit one per vehicle FREE SANDWICH, while supplies last CHIPS & WATER Look in your billing statement envelope that (WHILE SUPPLIES arrives at the end of July for a special FAMILY FUN DAY insert that will include your ticket LAST) to enter the event. Paperless billing memberowners will receive a special mailer.

20D

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS

Keep your cool: FIVE TIPS TO STAY SAFE IN EXTREME HEAT The dog days of summer typically bring the warmest, sultriest temperatures of the year. Even if you’re a summertime enthusiast, it’s important to stay cool during extreme heat.

According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 700 people die from extreme heat every year in the U.S. Factors like obesity, age, and alcohol intake can impact how a person reacts to extreme heat. High humidity also contributes to heat-related illness because we don’t sweat as quickly — meaning our bodies can’t release heat as fast — when humidity levels are high.

Take extra steps to cool off, keep hydrated, and stay informed. Here are five tips recommended by CDC to help you stay cool during extremely warm weather:

Remember to look after those who may need extra help. People 65 years of age or older are at greater risk of heat-related illness, so check on your senior neighbors and friends. Children under the age of 2 and pets are also more susceptible to heat stroke.

Never leave a child or pet in a vehicle, even if only for a minute.

If you work outdoors, use a buddy system to monitor your co-workers (and have someone do the same for you!).

Heat-induced illness can happen to anyone, even to those who are perfectly healthy. If you’re outdoors during extremely warm weather, monitor how you’re feeling, stay hydrated, and keep an eye on those around you.

1. Stay in an air-conditioned home or building as much as possible.

Limit outdoor activity, especially at midday when the sun is hottest. If your home is not air conditioned, call the local health department to locate public facilities or shelters.

2. If you must be outdoors, wear loose, light-colored clothing and apply sunscreen often.

3. Drink more water than usual.

Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more.

4. Take cold showers or baths to cool down.

5. Avoid using the oven or stove to cook. These appliances add heat to your home. Try using the microwave or a slow cooker instead.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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NORTH WESTERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

how to report an outage Keeping the power on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year is the goal of every NWEC employee, but sometimes interruptions happen that cannot be avoided, no matter how hard we try! When that occurs, our focus immediately shifts to safely restoring the power as quickly as we can.

• Use your SmartHub app. Reporting your

outage through the app, will have the same results as if you called into the outage number listed above. You can even set up notifications in the app to alert you when your power is out, in case you are not home at the time.

Our electrical system boasts modern technology that tremendously assists us in outage notifications, but it is not 100% foolproof, so we depend on our memberowners for cooperation in locating individual problems.

Especially when a large event occurs, like a major storm, we need our member-owners to notify us if they are experiencing an outage. This will ensure that every service has been restored after the repairs are made.

Please do not report your outage on our Facebook page or our website. These outlets are not monitored 24 hours a day, so your notification may be missed. We use these forms of communications to keep everyone updated, as best we can, on the overall status of outages only. To ensure your outage is relayed to the proper employees, please use one of the methods mentioned above.

Ways to report an outage:

You can always check the status of system outages by viewing our outage map located on the home page of our website, nwec.com.

• Call 888-636-5051. If it is a large event or if

it is when our office is normally closed, your call may be automatically transferred to our afterhours service, CRC, where you can enter your information by using your telephone keypad.

CRC will dispatch our crew.

NWEC appreciates your cooperation and patience whenever an outage occurs. Working together, we can provide safe, reliable service to our entire membership.

Sometimes it’s OK to assume!

Always assume downed power lines are energized and dangerous. Never approach them; instead, call us first so we can shut off the power and make the area safe.

CONTACT

1-800-647-6932 419-636-5051

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chris Oberlin CHAIRMAN

Kim Shoup

VICE CHAIRMAN

04125 State Route 576 P.O. Box 391 Bryan, OH 43506

OFFICE HOURS Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

Pearl Rakes EDITOR

22

Mitch Headley SECRETARY

Richard Polter Jordan Ruffer Keith Stark Ryan Wehri TRUSTEES

Darin Thorp

PRESIDENT/CEO

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

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AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

23

E-GAMING

in the outdoors Geocaching is a way to mix some exercise with a videogame-like challenge.

BY VICKI REINHART JOHNSON

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

G

eocaching — a smartphone version of hide-and-seek — turns GPS technology into a family-friendly game for getting outside.

If you’re looking for a way to get your kids or grandkids out from behind their electronics and into the sunshine and fresh air, geocaching might be the hobby you seek. It combines physical exercise with the mental challenge of finding hidden caches.

When it was created 22 years ago, it was described as a “high-tech treasure hunt,” and though geocaching has evolved over the years, the basic premise remains the same. GPS coordinates are used to track down caches, or “treasure” hidden in containers. From the first cache hidden near Portland, Oregon, the number of caches has grown in two decades to well over 2 million worldwide, according to www. geocaching.com, the hobby’s worldwide coordinator. There’s sure to be a few near you right now.

There’s no digging involved. Caches are hidden above ground. They can range from shoebox-sized containers to micro-caches a few inches long, but you’ll know what you’re looking for before you begin.

Getting started involves downloading the geocaching.com app on your smartphone ahead of time and making a plan. It’s free, but there’s a paid version that goes more in-depth for people who find they enjoy the hunt.

Also in preparation, gather a few small items — known as “swag” — to leave in the caches you find. Tiny caches don’t have items to exchange, but larger ones do. For example, if you have kids along, they might choose a small toy to take from a cache and leave one in return. Adults can find a piece of treasure for themselves and leave keychains, decorated rocks, or just about any small token in return.

Before setting out, explore the app or the geocaching.com website to find a few caches near your home or near the location you want to visit. There usually are lots of caches at parks, but they also can be found in towns, at historical sites, at businesses, and lots of other places. Each cache has a listing in the app that offers details and hints for finding it.

During the hunt, use your phone to navigate to the location shown on the map. It will get you within 30 feet of your prize. Then start searching. Larger caches are usually easier to find in the beginning. The app has a rating system that will give you an idea of the difficulty of the find and the difficulty of the terrain. Containers are sometimes left in the open, but others are cleverly hidden.

Continued on page 26

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Continued from page 25

After you find a cache, take it a short distance away from its hiding place before opening to avoid giving away the exact location. It isn’t required that you exchange items in the cache, but finding “treasure” is fun, especially for kids.

You can take a swag item and leave an item of the same approximate value, but nothing edible or perishable.

Sign the logbook with your geocaching.com username and the date, and then carefully close the cache and put everything back as you found it for the next person.

Some caches contain collectibles, trackable items, or geo-coins. In some cases, multiple caches must be found to solve a puzzle.

In the beginning, just know that if you take a “trackable” item, you have an obligation to place that item in a new cache within a week or two. “Trackables” have a unique tracking number that you can look up on the website to get details about where the item has been and where it’s going.

While geocaching is an activity unto itself, the game has been combined with other types of recreation such as bicycling, orienteering, and even paddling rivers and streams. There are organized events sponsored by state organizations such as Ohio Geocaching Association (www.ohgeo.org) and regional groups.

Traveling Ohio’s geo-trails In May, Coshocton Ring Trail launched, offering more than 40 caches based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. An exclusive coin can be earned by finding 16 of the caches and completing the passport with the code words and cache numbers. Passports are available at visitcoshocton. com/geotrail.php with clues available at geocaching.com and on the geocaching app.

In fall 2021, Destination Seneca County launched its Seneca County Geo Trail, highlighting 20 sites in the towns of Tiffin and Fostoria, the rural villages across the county, historical places, and county parks.

To earn the official Seneca County Geo Trail coin, you must find 15 out of the 20 caches. Anyone who completes all 20 caches also receives a trackable tag. Complete a passport by finding the code words in each cache. Passports can be found online at www.destinationsenecacounty.org/ seneca-county-geo-trail.

To find geocaches near you, simply sign up for a free (or paid) membership to geocaching.com and search for the area you want to visit by city name or county name (including “Ohio” or the state you want to visit for best results). Here is a small sampling of the many geocaching themes to be found in Ohio: • Spirit Quest tours, which feature cemeteries • Hocking Hills Adventure GeoTrail • “Tour the World Cities” series, which can be found in cities/towns/villages with the same name as a foreign city • Cache series with food-related themes such as doughnuts or coffee shops • Cache series related to historical sites • Challenge caches that require people to answer questions or solve puzzles that lead them to a cache

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

A True American Classic!

Get Morgan Silver Dollars by the Pound!

It’s been more than 100 years since the last Morgan Silver Dollar was struck for circulation. The most revered, most-collected vintage U.S. Silver Dollars ever, the Morgan had a well-earned reputation as the coin that helped build the Wild West. Cowboys, ranchers, outlaws... they all preferred “hard currency” Morgan Silver Dollars in their saddle bags, to flimsy paper money favored by Easterners at the time.

These 90% Silver Dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904, then again in 1921. They came to be known by the name of their designer, George T. Morgan, and they were also nicknamed “cartwheels” because of their large weight and size.

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AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Small-town genius

Ohio inventor was responsible for the car starter and nearly 200 other patents as well as a world-renowned cancer hospital.

BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

W

hen automobiles were first being developed more than a century ago, they were as dangerous to start as they were to drive. You didn’t just turn a key in the ignition or press a button on the dashboard as we do today. Rather, early car and truck engines were started by turning a hand crank that, at times, could suddenly and violently reverse direction and “kick back,” resulting in a person suffering a broken arm — or worse.

When one man was actually killed in such an accident, Henry M. Leland, the head of Cadillac, was determined to put an electric self-starting device on his cars. When his engineers failed to come up with a self-starter small enough to be practical, Leland turned to Charles F. Kettering. Kettering and his new company, Delco, accomplished the task quickly and efficiently, and electric self-starters first appeared on Cadillacs in 1912.

Born in Loudonville, Ohio, in 1876, Charles Kettering

was the fourth of five children in his family. Poor eyesight caused him headaches in grade school, but he persevered to attend the College of Wooster before transferring to Ohio State University in Columbus.

However, continuing eye problems eventually forced him to withdraw, and he took a job at the Star Telephone Company in Loudonville as foreman of a line crew.

28

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

“People won’t ever remember how many failures you’ve had, but they will remember how well it worked the last time you tried it.”

Depressed at not being able to complete his education, Kettering applied his innate, unique thinking to his job. As a result, his spirits gradually revived. No doubt helping him recover mentally during those early years was meeting his future wife, Olive Williams of Ashland, Ohio. Eventually his eye condition improved enough that Kettering was able to return to college, graduating in 1904 from OSU with a degree in electrical engineering.

Kettering was hired out of college by National Cash Register (NCR) in Dayton to work in its research lab, where he distinguished himself as a practical inventor, securing 23 patents for the company in just five years.

“I didn’t hang around much with the other inventors and the executive fellows,” he is famously quoted as saying. “I lived with the sales gang. They had some real notion of what people wanted.”

Scenes from the Kettering chronology (counterclockwise from top left): As a foreman of a telephone line crew in the midst of his college years; working on his revolutionary electric car starter; and making a speech in 1944 during one of his many return trips to Loudonville — the photo on the opposite page shows how Kettering was warmly greeted when he visited.

A colleague at NCR, Edward Deeds, eventually persuaded Kettering to partner with him and turn his talents toward the growing automotive industry. He and Deeds recruited other NCR engineers to join them nights and weekends tinkering in Deeds’ barn. The group became known as the “Barn Gang,” eventually incorporating as the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company — better known as Delco — with Charles Kettering as its head. In 1916, Delco was sold to United Motors for $2.5 million — equivalent to about $60 million in today’s dollars — making Kettering and the other Delco founders a tremendous amount of money for the time.

From that point forward, Kettering’s professional

career skyrocketed. He eventually acquired 186 patents, was the head of research at General Motors for 27 years, and was even featured on the cover of Time magazine on Jan. 9, 1933. One of Kettering’s co-workers at GM described him as “one of the gods of the automotive field, particularly from an inventive standpoint.”

Describing his perseverance, can-do attitude, and knack for invention, Kettering is quoted as saying, “People won’t ever remember how many failures you’ve had, but they will remember how well it worked the last time you tried it.”

Yet for all his wealth and national fame, Charles Kettering never forgot his small-town roots, returning to Loudonville occasionally to visit family and friends.

In August 1946, on his 70th birthday, the town threw an elaborate celebration for Kettering, and he brought along with him a fellow inventor who happened to also live and work in Dayton: Orville Wright. Yes, that Orville Wright, half of the famous Wright brothers team who had invented and flown the world’s first airplane in 1903.

Various schools and colleges are named for Kettering, as is the Dayton, Ohio, suburb. His many philanthropic works include financing the building of Kettering Hospital in Loudonville in 1957. Today, he is remembered through the eight Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center locations in New York City. In southwest Ohio, the Kettering Health Network includes nine hospitals and medical-center campuses.

Charles F. Kettering died in 1958 at the age of 82.

Yet after all the ensuing years, at least two Kettering scholarships are still presented annually to graduating Loudonville High School students. One scholarship is awarded in the field of agriculture; the other, not surprisingly, for science and technology.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

29

CALL FOR ENTRIES

COOPERATIVE CALENDAR

Photo Contest

Ohio Cooperative Living magazine is seeking photography submissions from our electric cooperative members. Submissions may fall within the following categories: best wildlife, best landscape, best floral, and best overall photo. Winning submissions will receive a cash prize and be published in the 2023 edition of the cooperative calendar. For more information, visit OhioCoopLiving.com/calendar.

Requirements • • • • • • •

One photo entry per household.

High-resolution, color, digital images only.

Only JPEG or TIF file formats will be accepted.

Please send submissions by email attachment only to photo@ohioec.org.

Photo format must be horizontal and capable of filling an 8 x 11-inch image area.

Provide an explanation of the photo — the where, what, when — as well as who took the shot.

Include your name, address, phone number, and the name of your co-op.

Deadline for submission: August 15, 2022 30

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

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Besties’ retreat Best friends (above, from left, and shown on opposite page) Katie Helfrich, Kim Fulks, Stephanie Snee, Marella Murphy, Summery Rowlands, and Brittany Buch pose for pictures while embarking on a night out with Canton Food Tours.

Stark County makes a case to host that girlfriends’ outing you know you’ve been hankering for.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY WENDY PRAMIK

L

ike many moms whose children play sports in school, Kim Fulks of North Canton has formed close friendships with other moms just like her.

Their sons play football, and the moms regularly meet at practices, games, and other extracurricular activities that define their roles as parents.

But during one warm, breezy evening in mid-spring, Fulks and five other football moms exchanged their hoodies and sweatpants for dresses and sandals, creating a one-of-a-kind girlfriends’ getaway.

They embarked on a night out with Canton Food Tours, a service that local entrepreneur Barbara Abbott established a decade ago as a fun way to explore the city through its assorted eateries.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

And as she lightly dips a spoon into a bowl of turtle soup at Bender’s Tavern, Fulks says she relished the opportunity to kick back without a game result, homeschooling chores, or the uncertainty of the pandemic to worry about.

“Having that chance to take a break and get away from the kiddos and everyday crazy life is a breath of fresh air,” says Fulks, an aesthetician instructor in nearby Uniontown. “We need it. It gives me motivation to keep things going.”

The Canton area caters to moms with an abundance of great food, shopping, and other laid-back ways to get your kicks. Abbott offers food tours with flexible start times to accommodate those with little ones in school — moms can enjoy a day tour and still be on time to pick up their kids or have dinner ready for them after they get off the bus.

“I’ve certainly seen an increase in girls’ outings for our food tours,” Abbott says. “There’s a need in general for people to reconnect, and the tours are a great way to do so.”

The moms chose the “Evening Hall of Fame City Food Tour,” which lasted a few hours and was led by a tour guide. They dined on gourmet hot dogs and selected a card game from thousands of options at Milestone Games.

Then, they popped into Bender’s Tavern for a slow-paced dinner with wine before sampling calzones and meatballs at Johnny Lookout’s Pizza Tavern. They picked up takeout at Basil Asian Bistro and visited an art gallery. Along the way, they learned how Canton earned its reputation as the “Hall of Fame City.”

That was especially fun for one of the moms, Stephanie Snee, of Jackson Township, who organized the night out. Snee teaches kindergarten and said she loves the city’s football history, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“It was such a fun moms’ night out,” she said.

“I’m a type-A planner, but it’s kind of nice to let someone take over.”

The food tour is one of several ideas to set up a girls’ getaway for a day in the Canton area. Turn the page to discover a few others.

Continued on page 34

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

33

Continued from page 33

Have high tea and cute sandwiches

Gal pals seeking an afternoon bite with a dollop of elegance will enjoy the Dragonfly Tea Room in Canal Fulton.

Situated inside one of the area’s oldest homes, the tearoom is the perfect spot for sipping tea and noshing on finger sandwiches and scones smeared with Devonshire cream. High tea, accompanied by petite goodies neatly stacked on tiered trays, is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Take a seat inside the darling dining room, decorated with teapots and doilies, or sit outside on the breezy patio. Each customer’s tea arrives in separate teapots, which are delightfully mismatched.

Tiffany Craney opened the tearoom in the city’s historic downtown in 2011, but the business quickly outgrew its space. In 2019, Craney moved it to a spacious lot along the Tuscarawas River that used to be an art gallery and glass studio, tripling its size.

Also on-site is a bed-and-breakfast above the tearoom, a gift shop, and the adjacent Dragonfly Winery, which offers flatbread pizzas to go along with nearly a dozen types of wines. The tearoom and winery are popular spots for wedding showers and baby showers.

Enjoy spirits, music inside a Tuscan-inspired chapel

If a visit to Gervasi Vineyard is on your bucket list, take the girls to the Still House for a taste of the 55-acre, Tuscan-inspired wine resort.

Opened in late 2018, the 10,000-square-foot chapel is modeled after the 17th-century St. Gervasio church in Denno, Italy, where owner Scott Swaldo’s grandmother was baptized. The vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and iron chandeliers set the stage for a tour of the cutting-edge distillery where wine-barrel bourbon, rose vodka, and orange gin are made.

The Still House is a coffee shop by day and lounge by night, with extensive selections of spirits, cocktails, draft beers, wines, and live music. It offers more than 120 varieties of bourbon, whiskey, tequila, and other spirits.

“We try to keep it fun and light-hearted in here,” says Maria Terez, a barista and bartender at the Still House.

“You can pop in anytime.”

Terez recommends a Lush Blush, made with Gervasi Spirits Sinner’s Blush Rose Vodka and strawberry purée. Those strong of heart might enjoy the Wrath of the Bean, a showstopper drink made with Gervasi’s Wine Barrel Bourbon, Grand Marnier, Fernet-Branca, and Gervasi’s bold cold-brew coffee and served in a French press with dry ice.

Gal pals gather for tea and treats at Dragonfly Tea Room in Canal Fulton (left), while sisters Elith Rizo and Adela Rizo strike a pose at Gervasi Vineyard (below).

34

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

Dori Heck displays a glass of sangria at the Sangria Stand in Massillon (above) while Janet Hoover (left) inspects merchandise there. Spots such as Sangria Stand or the Shops at Hartford Kitchen in Hartford (below) offer lots to do in a single stop.

Sip sangria, rent a ball gown in downtown Massillon

Dori Heck opened the Sangria Stand in downtown Massillon to appease a growing number of moms who’d developed a taste for the delicious, homemade wine-and-fruit drinks she served from her front porch.

“They’d yell out their minivans, ‘You got that sangria today?’” says Heck, seated outside her bar and boutique. “Yeah, come on up.”

At the time, Heck, originally from Redondo Beach, California, was selling vintage clothing on Etsy. She collected high-end gowns during her travels, and women would inspect the clothing while drinking sangrias.

“I’d come home from work, and there’d be 10 women drinking on our porch,” says her husband, Matt. “Our daughter described it as a lemonade stand with sangria.”

So, in 2014, Heck decided to meld the two hobbies into one business. She secured a liquor license and opened the Sangria Stand. Now, women come to hang out, shop, and sip the cool, fruitinfused wine while checking out gowns for sale and rent.

Shop your heart out in Hartville

Whether it’s a bedazzled jean jacket or the new Star Wars-patterned Vera Bradley backpack, you’ll find all the latest trends at the Shops at Hartville Kitchen in Hartville.

The 25,000-square-foot retail space is part of an even bigger shopping hub that’s home to a gigantic hardware store, flea market, and the Hartville Kitchen, where you can order meatloaf with mashed potatoes with a slice of Dutch apple pie and even see a live dinner show.

The center holds periodic ladies’ nights, which include dinner and a presentation of some of the hottest items for sale at the shops.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER

CALENDAR

AUG. 19–21 – Fairfield County Antique Tractor and Truck Show, Fairfield Co. Fgds., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster. Free. Toy show, hit-miss engines, steam engines, field demos, kiddie tractor pull, garden and tractor pull, children’s activities, craft show. Pancake breakfast on Saturday. Contact Doug Shaw at 740-4072347 or Glen Bader at 740-304-4170 (camping).

AUG. 28 – Lancaster Community Band Concert, Rising Park, 1120 N. High St., Lancaster, 4 p.m. Free. Please bring a blanket or lawn chair. 740-756-4430.

SEP. 2–5 – Obetz Zucchini Festival, Fortress Obetz, 2050 Recreation Trail, Obetz, Fri. 5–11 p.m., Sat./Sun 11 THROUGH AUG. 14 – CAPA Summer Movie Series, a.m.–11 p.m., Mon. 12–6 p.m. Free. National and local Ohio Theatre, 55 E. State St., Columbus, Wed.–Sun. 7:30 entertainment on two stages, rides, games, car show, p.m., Sun. matinee 2 p.m. $6. America’s longest-running merchants, food, and all things zucchini! 614-491-1080 or classic film series. 614-469-0939 or www.capa.com. www.obetzzucchinifest.com.

THROUGH SEP. 24 – Sunbury Farmers Market, 9 E. SEP. 3–5 – Canal Winchester Labor Day Festival, Granville St., Sunbury Square, Sunbury, Sat. 9 a.m.–noon. downtown Canal Winchester, Sat./Sun. noon–11 p.m., Mon. 740-513-9192. noon–6 p.m. Free. Musical performances on two stages, parade, car cruise-in, food vendors, farmers market, kids’ THROUGH OCT. 29 – Coshocton Farmers Market, rides, ice cream social, Columbus Zoo animals, and more.

300 block of Main Street, Coshocton, Sat. 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. Fresh local-grown produce; artisans with handmade 614-837-7493, or www.cwlaborday.org. crafts. www.facebook.com/coshoctonfarmersmarket.

SEP. 3–5 – West Jefferson Ox Roast, Garrette Park, 3 Fellows Ave., West Jefferson. Entertainment, food, rides, THROUGH OCT. 29 – Delaware Farmers Market, 20 arts and crafts, kiddie pedal pull, contests, car show, Winter St., Delaware, Sat. 9–12 p.m. 740-362-6050 or bicycle tour, and more. Grand parade Sat. noon; on www.mainstreetdelaware.com/event/farmers-market.

Monday, our famous “Ox Roast” sandwiches! 614-879THROUGH OCT. 29 – Zanesville Farmers Market, 9287 (Jeff Pfeil) or www.westjeffoxroast.org.

Adornetto’s, 2224 Maple Ave., Zanesville, Sat. 9 a.m.– noon. Starting in June through August, the market is also SEP. 8–10 – Marion Popcorn Festival, downtown Marion, 11 a.m.–midnight. Free. Parade Thur. 6 p.m. open Wed. 4–7 p.m. www.zanesvillefarmersmarket.org.

Rides, games, arts and crafts, free entertainment, corn THROUGH OCT. 30 – Rock Mill Days, Stebelton Park at toss tournament, food, and, of course, popcorn for all!

Rock Mill, 1429 Rockmill Place NW, Lancaster, Wed./Sat. 10 740-387-FEST (3378) or www.popcornfestival.com. a.m.–2 p.m., Sun. 1–4 p.m. Free. Tour the restored 1824 gristmill, walk on the iconic Rock Mill Covered Bridge, and SEP. 9–10 – Lithopolis Honeyfest, 5 E. Columbus St., Lithopolis, Fri. 3–7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m. enjoy Hocking River Falls. Weather permitting. 740-681Honey tasting, honey extraction, honey bake-off, bee 7249 or www.fairfieldcountyparks.org. beards and beekeepers, honey bee education, mead AUG. 9, SEP. 13 – Inventors Network Meeting, competition, free kids’ crafts, and more. 614-769-3824 or virtual, 7 p.m. Educational presentations and discussion www.lithopolishoneyfest.com. about the invention process. 614-470-0144 or www.

SEP. 9–11 – Columbus Dispatch Home and Garden inventorscolumbus.com.

Fall Show, Ohio Expo Ctr., Bricker Bldg., 717 E. 17th Ave., AUG. 14–20 – Muskingum County Fair, Muskingum Columbus. Find ideas and inspiration to make your home Co. Fgds., 1300 Pershing Rd., Zanesville. Information and and backyard more functional and beautiful. Connect schedule available at www.muskingumcofair.com.

CENTRAL

WEST VIRGINIA

AUG. 19–20 – Parkersburg Homecoming Festival, Second St., Parkersburg. Free. Parade, pageants, live music, rides, vendors, food, Rubber Ducky Derby, and more. www.parkersburghomecoming.org.

AUG. 20 – “Reflections of the Putnam Daughters During an Afternoon Tea,” Blennerhassett Museum, 137 Juliana St., Parkersburg, 12:45–1:45 p.m. $5. Learn

in-person with local experts in remodeling, kitchen, bath, décor, and outdoor living. More than 170 companies represented. www.dispatchshows.com/home-andgarden-show.

SEP. 9–11 – Mantua Potato Festival, Buchert Memorial Park, Mantua, Fri. 6–11 p.m., Sat. noon–11 p.m., Sun. 1–6 p.m. Free; $5 parking. Live music, carnival rides, games, kids’ activities, contests, parade Sun. 1 p.m., beer tent, spud favorites including pierogies, potato pancakes, and fresh-cut french fries. 330-352-6099 or www. mantuapotatofestival.org.

SEP. 9–11 – Columbus Oktoberfest, Ohio Expo Ctr., 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, Fri. 5–12 p.m., Sat. noon– midnight, Sun. noon–8 p.m. Free; parking fee. Food, fun, arts and crafts, kids’ activities, entertainment, beer, polka, and more. www.columbusoktoberfest.com.

SEP. 10 – David Church in Concert, Logan High School, 14470 OH-328, Logan, 6–9 p.m. Reserved tickets $25–$30, general admission $20. 740-974-9885 or www.davidchurch.net.

SEP. 11 – Columbus Paper, Postcard, and Book Show, Ohio Expo Ctr., 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $6. Old paper items, postcards, books, photographs, sports and non-sports cards, ads, and much more, along with supplies to store and protect your collections.

614-206-9103 or www.facebook.com/Columbus-PaperShow-134469001768.

SEP. 11 – Central Ohio Symphony: “Mainly Mozart Moments,” Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 2:30 p.m. Adults $20, students $10. 740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.

SEP. 14 – United Way Kick-Off and Community Care Day, Ed Sands Bldg., Fairfield Co. Fgds., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster, 7:45 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the fairgrounds and then head out to participate in hands-on projects throughout Fairfield County. www. uwayfairfieldco.org/kickoffcare-day.

SEP. 15 – Clint Black in Concert, Knox Memorial Theater, 112 E. High St., Mount Vernon, 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m. $58–$125. The country music legend and multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter will perform his iconic hits. 740-462-4278 or www.mvac.org/ events.

historical tidbits about the Putnam and Blennerhassett families along with proper afternoon tea etiquette of the 1800s. www.greaterparkersburg.com/events.

SEP. 3–5 – West Virginia Sunflower Festival, Sunset Berry Farms, 791 Sunset School Rd., Alderson.

Sunflowers, farms, food, and fun. 304-646-3784 or https://tinyurl.com/2s3t4tb5.

Make sure you’re included in our calendar!

Submit listings AT LEAST 90 DAYS prior to the event to Ohio Cooperative Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229 or send an email to events@ohioec.org. Ohio Cooperative Living will not publish listings that don’t include a complete address or a number/website for more information.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

37

2022

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER

CALENDAR

NORTHEAST

SEP. 2 – First Fridays on Fourth, 155 N. 4th St., Steubenville, 6–10 p.m. Free. Monthly themed celebration featuring art, crafts, games, food trucks, live entertainment, and activities to stimulate the imagination. www.theharmoniumproject.org/first-fridays.

SEP. 2–5 – “Light Up KI,” locations throughout Kelleys Island. Homes, businesses, and boats docked at our marinas will be decked out with lights and decorations during Labor Day weekend as a show of pride for our community. Prizes given in separate categories; judging on Saturday night. Come explore the island at night! www.kelleysislandchamber.com.

AUG. 18–21 – Lexington Blueberry Festival, Community Park, Plymouth Street, Lexington, Thur./Fri. SEP. 3 – Tom O’Grady: “An Astronomical Expedition 4–10:30 p.m., Sat. 12–11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.

by Canal and Stagecoach,” Historic Zoar Village, School Blueberry games, car and bike show, big wheel race, live House, Zoar, 11 a.m.–noon. Free. 800-262-6195 or music, parades, pageants, food, and more. www.historiczoarvillage.com. www.lexblueberryfest.com.

SEP. 3–4 – Annual Art Festival, 3rd and Market Sts., AUG. 19 – Hot Potatoes: “Blues and Swing with a Big Toronto. Free. Diverse selection of handmade arts and Easy Touch,” John Streeter Garden Amphitheater, 2122 crafts, continuous live entertainment, and a large variety Williams Rd., Wooster, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Free. In the event of delicious food. http://focusintoronto.com/festival. of rain, the concert will be held at Fisher Auditorium, 1680 SEP. 4 – Creston Labor Day Car Show, Creston Madison Ave., Wooster. 419-853-6016 or www.ormaco.org. Community Park, 175 N. Main St., Creston, registration AUG. 20 – Mark Cory: “Colonel Crawford,” Fort 8–11 a.m. ($10–$15), car show noon–3 p.m. Free for Laurens Museum, 11067 Fort Laurens Rd., Bolivar, 11 spectators. Prizes, concessions, music, entertainment. a.m.–noon. Free. www.fortlaurensmuseum.org.

330-435-6021 or www.crestonvillage.org/car-show.

AUG. 21–28 – Lorain County Fair, 23000 Fairgrounds SEP. 4–18 – “Celebrate the Constitution,” Historic Fort Rd., Wellington. Ohio’s second-largest county fair.

Steuben, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, Mon.–Sat 10 a.m.–4 440-647-2781 or www.loraincountyfair.com. p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Annual exhibit and activities focusing on the nation’s founding document and the AUG. 27–28, SEP. 3–5 – Great Trail Arts and Crafts issues and personalities of the time. 740-283-1787 or Festival, Great Trail Festival Grounds, 6331 Canton www.oldfortsteuben.com.

Rd., Malvern, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $5–$7, under 10 free. A celebration of American folk art, with distinctive arts and SEP. 9–11 – Mantua Potato Festival, Buchert Memorial crafts, living history, period music and dancing, and much Park, Mantua, Fri. 6–11 p.m., Sat. noon–11 p.m., Sun. 1–6 more. 330-794-9100 or www.greattrailfestival.com. p.m. $5; parking fee. Live music, rides, potato-themed

419-562-2728 or www.bucyrusbratwurstfestival.com.

AUG. 18–20 – National Tractor Pulling Championships, 13800 W. Poe Rd., Bowling Green. $21–$46; kids 10 and under free. Camping package available. 419-354-1434 or www.pulltown.com.

AUG. 19–21 – Bremenfest, Crown Pavilion, 2 W. Plum St., New Bremen. Food, games, 5K and 1-mile Fun Run, car and motorcycle show, live music, parade, pageant, and much more. http://bremenfest.com.

AUG. 20–21, SEP. 10–11 – The Fantastic Tiffin Flea Market, Seneca Co. Fgds., 100 Hopewell Ave., Tiffin, Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Free admission and parking; handicap accessible. 250 to 400 dealers per THROUGH OCT. 15 – Great Sidney Farmers Market, show. 419-447- 9613 or www.tiffinfleamarket.com.

109 S. Ohio Ave., Sat. 8 a.m.–noon. 937-658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

AUG. 27 – Fort Meigs After Dark Lantern Tour, Fort Meigs, 29100 W. River Rd., Perrysburg, 8 p.m. $10–$15.

AUG. 13–14 – “Sixty Years’ War for Ohio: Registration and pre-payment required. 419-874-4121 or American Revolution,” Fort Meigs, 29100 W. River www.fortmeigs.org.

Rd., Perrysburg. $7–$12; ages 5 and under free.

Living history encampment and battle reenactment AUG. 30–SEP. 5 – Van Wert County Fair, Van Wert Co. commemorating the long fight for the Ohio Country. 419- Fgds., 1055 S. Washington St., Van Wert. 419-238-9270 or 874-4121 or www.fortmeigs.org. www.vanwertcountyfair.com.

AUG. 17–20 – Pemberville Free Fair, 405 E. Front SEP. 6–11 – Alumapalooza, 420 W. Pike St., Jackson St., Pemberville, One of the last free fairs in Ohio! Two Center. Family-friendly festival for people who love parades, rides, food, bingo, and more. 419-601-1970 Airstream travel trailers; open to owners and non-owners (Randy Jennings), 419-287-4848 (Carol Bailey), alike. Informative seminars, fun presentations, trailer www.pembervillefair.org. open houses, cooking demos, and factory tours.

813-200-8877 or http://alumapalooza.com.

AUG. 18–20 – Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival, downtown Bucyrus. Grilled brats and many other festival foods, SEP. 2–5 – S.C.R.A.P. Antique Tractor Show, White parades, pageants, arts and crafts, contests.

Star Park, 960 Twp. Rd. 60, Gibsonburg. $5/day.

NORTHWEST

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

contests and games, parade Sun. 1 p.m., beer tent, and spud favorites such as perogies, potato pancakes, and fresh-cut french fries.

330-352-6099 or www.mantuapotatofestival.org.

SEP. 10 – Treasure Island Day, throughout Kelleys Island, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Treasure seekers can find unique items at great prices. Maps available at the Island Market, Unc’l Dik’s, and Kelleys Island Chamber Office. www.kelleysislandchamber.com.

SEP. 10–11 – Appalachian Ohio Antique Power Club Fall Gathering, Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park, 43672 Stumptown Rd., New Athens, Sat. 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $5. 330-401-5129 or www.facebook.com/appalachianohioantiquepowershow.

SEP. 10–11 – Old Construction and Mining Equipment Fall Show, Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park, 43672 Stumptown Rd., New Athens, Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $5. Operating and static displays of antique construction and mining equipment, crawlers, trucks, models, and more. oldironshow@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/ocmes.

SEP. 10–15 – Wayne County Fair, Wayne Co. Fgds., 199 Vancouver St., Wooster. 330-262-8001 or www.waynecountyfairohio.com.

SEP. 11 – Strauss Duo: “Sounds of Seasons,” HeARTland, 8187 Camp Rd., Homerville, 2 p.m. Free.

Violist Michael Issac Strauss and cellist Cathleen Parlow Strauss will perform solo and duo works. In the event of rain, the concert will be held at Homerville U.M. Church, 8964 Spencer Rd., Homerville.

419-853-6016 or www.ormaco.org.

Featuring CO-OP tractors and equipment with Ohio-built engines. Antique cars/trucks, tractor pulls, primitive demonstrations, flea market, auction, food, and much more! 419-307-4265 or www.S-C-R-A-P-inc.org.

SEP. 2–5 – West Liberty Labor Day Festival, West Liberty Lions Park, St. Rte. 245, east edge of West Liberty.

Country Legends concert on Saturday (www.countrylegendscs.com) and CAIN in concert on Sunday (free), antique farm equipment and parade, flea market, crafts, classic car cruise-in, food vendors, and kids’ activities. www.westlibertylions.org.

SEP. 2–8 – Fulton County Fair, Fulton Co. Fgds., 8514 St. Rte. 108, Wauseon. $5, under 16 free. www.fultoncountyfair.com.

SEP. 10 – Lima Area Concert Band: “American Road Trip,” Veterans Memorial Civic Ctr., 7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m. Featuring tuba player Jason Roland Smith. Purchase tickets at https://limaareaconcertband.org/2022-season.

SEP. 10–11 – Toledo Lighthouse Waterfront Festival, Maumee Bay State Park, 1750 State Park Rd. #2, Oregon.

Live music, arts and crafts including nautical items, lighthouse stories, kids’ activities, food, and silent auction.

Boat rides to lighthouse, weather permitting ($35). 419691-3788 or www.toledolighthousefestival.com.

SEP. 14–17 – Apple Week, Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Visit our 140-year-old cider mill; enjoy apple treats from the bakery. Special applethemed recipes and activities.

800-590-9755 or www.saudervillage.org.

SOUTHEAST

THROUGH SEP. 4 – Tecumseh!, 5968 Marietta Rd., Chillicothe, Mon.–Sat. 8 p.m. $25–$45. Experience the epic, action-packed production showcasing the life story of the Shawnee leader. www.tecumsehdrama.com.

THROUGH SEP. 28 – Courtside Open Air Market, 801 Wheeling Ave.., Cambridge, Fri. 8 a.m.–noon. Local plants, produce and flowers, handmade goods, and homemade baked goods. 740-680-1866 or find us on Facebook.

THROUGH DECEMBER – Athens Farmers Market, 1000 E. State St., Athens, Sat. 9 a.m.–noon; Wed. 9 a.m.–1 p.m., April–November. 740-593-6763 or www.athensfarmersmarket.org.

THROUGH DECEMBER – Athens Art Market, 1000 E. State St., Athens, Sat. 9 a.m.–noon. Handcrafted local artisan-made works. Variety of artists changes weekly. www.facebook.com/athensartguild or https://athensartguild.org.

SOUTHWEST

THROUGH AUG. 25 – Uptown Music Concert Series, Uptown Park, Oxford, every Thursday at 7 p.m. Free.

513-523-8687 or www.enjoyoxford.org.

THROUGH SEP. 28 – Bluegrass Wednesdays, Vinoklet Winery, 11069 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, every Wed. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Enjoy dinner, wine, and an evening of free bluegrass entertainment by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Reservations strongly recommended. 5133-385-9309, vinokletwinery@fuse.net, or www.vinokletwines.com.

THROUGH SEP. 29 – Summer Concert Series, The Square, Liberty Center, Thur. 6–9 p.m. (weather permitting). A different live band each week. www. liberty-center.com/events/summer-concert-series-2.

AUG. 12–18 – Miami County Fair, Miami Co. Fgds., 650 N. County Rd. 25A, Troy. $6 day pass; under 9 free.

937-335-7492 or www.miamicountyohiofair.com.

AUG. 13–14 – Biplane Ride Weekend, WACO Historical Society, 1865 S. Co. Rd. 25A, Troy. Experience the thrill of a lifetime with a ride in an open-cockpit biplane! $200

AUG. 15–20 – Meigs County Fair, Meigs Co. Fgds., 41850 Fairgrounds Lane, Pomeroy. $8. 740-992-6954 or www.themeigscountyfair.com.

AUG. 17–20 – Nelsonville Parade of the Hills, Public Square, Nelsonville. Free entertainment, pie contest and auction, regional art, parades, concessions, midway, and carnival. Old-time fiddlers’ contest on Friday.

740-753-4346 or www.paradeofthehills.org.

AUG. 20 – Cambridge Classic Cruise-In, downtown Cambridge, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. From hot rods to Harleys, there is something for everyone! 740-439-2238 or www.downtowncambridge.com.

AUG. 21 – Barton Polkafest, Firemen’s Field, 52176 Barton-Blaine Rd., St. Clairsville, noon–8 p.m., music, dancing, Polish food and more. 740-695-3029.

AUG. 27 – “Sand in the Streets” Volleyball Tournament and Beachfest, downtown Chillicothe, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. $5. The second-annual event returns to downtown with 300 tons of sand on the streets.

Enjoy dancing in the sand after the tournament as Funky Brewster plays some of your favorite tunes. www.downtownchillicothe.com.

SEP. 3–6 – Washington County Fair, 922 Front St., Marietta. $10. 740-373-1347 or www.washcountyfair.com.

SEP. 2–4 – Portsmouth River Days Festival, Court Street Landing, Ohio Riverfront, Portsmouth. Longest continuous-running festival in Ohio. Live music, children’s activities, boat races, and great food. www.friendsofportsmouth.com.

for a 10- to 12-minute ride. 30-minute ride ($350) can be scheduled at your convenience.

937-335 9226 or www.wacoairmuseum.org.

AUG. 19–27 – The Great Darke County Fair, Darke Co. Fgds., 800 Sweltzer St., Greenville. $7, under 12 free. $7; $25 for 9-day pass.

937-548-5044 or www.darkecountyfair.com.

AUG. 20 – Annual Farm Toy Show, Highland Co. Fgds., 9447 Smart Rd., Hillsboro, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $3. 937-3933215, 937-393-3752, or www.facebook.com/SWOFTCC. AUG. 26 – Bluegrass Night, Fibonacci Brewing Company, 1445 Compton Rd., Cincinnati, 7–9 p.m. Free.

Enjoy an evening of lively bluegrass music by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Wide variety of craft beers and food truck eats available.

513-832-1422 or http://fibbrew.com.

AUG. 27 – Tipp City Trans Am Cruise In, 6 S. 3rd St., Tipp City, 5–9 p.m. Free. Registration 5–7 p.m. ($10); awards and door prizes at 8:30 p.m. Dash plaques to first 250 entries. Open only to Firebirds, Formulas, Firehawks, Trans Ams, and GTAs. 50/50 drawing, door prizes, food, entertainment, walking tour, live DJ. www.homegrowngreat.com/event.

AUG. 27 – Tour De Donut Ohio, downtown Troy. A unique bicycle event, where your ability to eat donuts is just as important as your ability to ride your bicycle fast!

Kick off the weekend on Aug. 26 with the Donut Jam in downtown Troy, 5–10:30 p.m., for an evening of music, drinks, and fun. www.thetourdedonut.com.

SEP. 2 – First Friday Concert Series: Miami Valley Klezmer Ensemble, First United Methodist Church, 120 S. Broad St., Middletown, noon–1 p.m. Free;

SEP. 3 – Caterpillar Round-Up, Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7660 Cave Rd., Bainbridge, 1–4 p.m. Free.

937-365-1935 or www.arcofappalachia.org.

SEP. 3, 5 – “Laboring Downtown — Historical Industries in Chillicothe,” Sat. 2–4 p.m., Mon. 10 a.m.– noon. $5–$15. Walking tour of downtown Chillicothe to explore the history of the working-class employers in and near the business district — many of whose buildings still stand. 740-775-4036, ihs@horizonview.net, or https://visitchillicotheohio.com/event.

SEP. 5–11 – Belmont County Fair, Belmont Co. Fgds., 45420 Roscoe Rd., St. Clairsville. $10. www.belmontcountyfair.org.

SEP. 9–11 – Murder Mystery Dinner, Adena Mansion and Gardens, 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, 6 p.m. $50–$55. Hone your skills as a rookie crime-solver in an entertaining atmosphere filled with great food and mystery. www.adenamansion.com.

SEP. 9–11 – Ohio River Sternwheel Festival, Front and Greene Sts., Marietta. Sternwheeler races, pageants, car show, live music, food, fireworks, 5K, and more.

800-288-2577 or https://sternwheel.org.

SEP. 11 – Barton VFD Polka Dance, Firemen’s Field, 52176 Barton-Blaine Rd., St. Clairsville, 2–6 p.m., food, raffles, and more. 740-695-3029.

SEP. 12–18 – Guernsey County Fair, Guernsey Co. Fgds., Old Washington. 740-489-5888 or www.guernseycountyfairgrounds.org.

handicapped accessible. Bring your lunch if you like.

Unique mix of Eastern European klezmer melodies blended with percussion and Afro-Cuban dance beats.

513-423-4629 or www.myfumc.net.

SEP. 3–5 – Fort Rowdy Gathering, Covington Community Park, 140 W. Broadway St., Covington, Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Mon. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Experience what life was like in a small, bustling trading village in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Homemade food, arts and crafts, demonstrations, contests, and other entertainment.

937-473-5439 or www.fortrowdy.org.

SEP. 9–11 – Clinton County Corn Festival, Clinton Co. Fgds., 958 W. Main St., Wilmington (enter from gate on 268 S. Nelson Rd.). Featuring Oliver and related companies. Corn Olympics, antique tractor pulls, horse pulls, antique cars and trucks, hit and miss engines, steam engines, demos, homemade food, and much more. 937-383-5676 or www.cornfestivalonline.com.

SEP. 10 – Troy Porchfest, downtown Troy, 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Over 40 bands in a hodgepodge of styles and genres will be playing throughout the Southwest Historic District on porches, patios, yards, and lots. Pick up a walkable map of the event and choose your favorite bands. There will be food trucks and artisan tents. www.troyhayner.org.

SEP. 15–18 – Old Timers Days Festival, 123 N. Main St., Peebles. Free. Parades, pageants, contests, raffles, kiddie tractor pull, giant RC racers, power wheels derby, live music, and much more. Car, truck, and motorcycle show Sunday starting at 9:30 a.m.; $15 registration. 937587-3749 or https://oldtimersdaysfestival.yolasite.com.

AUGUST 2022 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

39

MEMBER INTERACTIVE

MEMBER INTERACTIVE

My daughter-in-law, Hilary, reflecting on the beautiful sunflowers. Julie Finnegan, North Central Electric Cooperative member

My daughter, Avery, and me at the Coshocton Sunflower Festival.

Jenna Regula, Frontier Power Company member

Enjoying a beautiful sunny day in the sunflower fields. Lorrie and Doug Wilber,

Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative members

Sunflowers Sunflowers grown in our “Boaty McBoatface” garden bed. Megan Gibson, Consolidated Cooperative member

Talon, enjoying our sunflower field.

Kristin Holbrook, North Western Electric Cooperative member

Our twin granddaughters, Emery and Laine, in the back of our daughter’s 1970 Ford 100 pickup truck. Rob and Janet Fulton,

Logan County Electric Cooperative members

Our grandson, Emmitt, in the sunflower field his grandpa, Dave, planted last summer. Kelly Freund, Paulding Putnam

Electric Cooperative member

Send us your picture!

For November, send “Salute!” by Aug. 15; for December, send “Candy Canes” by Sept. 15.

Upload your photos at www.ohiocoopliving.com/memberinteractive.

Your photo may be featured in our magazine or on our website.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2022

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