Ohio cooperative living april2017 firelands

Firelands Electric Cooperative Official publication of your electric cooperative Official publication | www.firelandsec.com www.ohioec.org

APRIL 2017

Splat!

Action and adrenaline draw crowds to Ohio’s paintball parks ALSO INSIDE Answering the call Architectural wonder in the ‘other’ Columbus Bird photography: A how-to guide

April cover file.indd 1

3/21/17 3:27 PM

Electricity Revolutionized the Way We Play.

WHAT WILL IT DO NEXT? Electricity. Every day it brings us something new. Something to empower or simplify our lives. Clean. Efficient. And stable. You might call it the essential energy. Now, and for the future.

Electricity. A world of possibilities.

To learn more about the cooperative difference, visit ohioec.org.

24 32

28

INSIDE HIGHLIGHT 28 SPLAT!

With a heavy dose of action and adrenaline, Ohio’s paintball parks give players the sense that they’ve been dropped into a live-action video game.

FEATURES 4 CO-OPS SAVE THE DAY From house fires to massive power

24 THE ‘OTHER’ COLUMBUS Just three hours from Ohio’s capital

15 GRABBABLE GRUB When life has you on the go-go-

32 CAUGHT IN FLIGHT Outdoors editor Chip Gross offers tips

outages, electric cooperatives and their people are quick to lend a hand when emergencies strike.

go, sandwiches make a quick, easy, nutritious — and mobile — meal.

19 LOCAL PAGES Important news and information from your electric cooperative.

lies another, smaller, Columbus — full of fascinating architecture and family entertainment.

and tricks from his years of experience capturing stunning photographs of wild birds.

FOLLOW US ON :

youtube.com/user/PioneerECtv linkedin.com/Pioneerec facebook.com/Pioneerec @PioneerElecCoop

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

1

UP FRONT

JOB 1

Around the neighborhood and across the country, cooperatives work together to keep electricity flowing

I

t sounds simple enough — “keep the lights on” is is our Job 1. It’s the most fundamental aspect of our service to you. However, we’ve all woken up at some time and realized that the power has gone out during the night. For cooperative members, that generally doesn’t happen often, but there are times when seemingly random outages do occur.

Usually, we have no idea why. It may have been caused by a car accident, a weather event, a fallen tree, or something else out of our control.

When these things happen, it’s your cooperative that Remember: springs into action — Lineworker lineworkers head out at all hours, in all kinds of Appreciation weather, to take care of Day is April 10. downed lines. Meanwhile, member service representatives answer calls to ensure members that help is on the way; engineers and operations folks make sure that working conditions are safe and that re-routed power flows — all while the lines are restored.

But it’s not just locally that we’re called to serve.

When there’s been a natural disaster of larger proportions — a hurricane or series of tornadoes,

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

for example — your coop’s linemen have packed up their trucks and headed off to help other cooperatives, both around the state and around the country. When trouble strikes closer to home, we can count on our cooperative neighbors to lend a hand. Cooperatives Pat O’Loughlin are in a unique position President & CEO, to provide that help to Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives each other, partly because “cooperation among cooperatives” is one of our guiding principles.

Check out page 4 to find out more about the ways we help each other.

Lineworker Appreciation Day is April 10: The next time you flip the switch to bring a dark room to life, power up your cell phone or iPad, or even when the alarm wakes you up in the morning, remember that people power your co-op.

The dedication of the lineworkers and the rest of your co-op staff to Job 1 is what keeps the lights on. Think of us, because we’re always thinking of you — our consumer-members.

April 2017 • Volume 59, No. 7

OHIO

COOPERATIVE LIVING

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 memberinteract@ohioec.org www.ohioec.org

Patrick O’Loughlin President & CEO

Patrick Higgins Director of Communications

Jeff McCallister Managing Editor Samantha Rhodes Associate Editor

Contributors: Cheryl Bach, Colleen Romick Clark, John Egan, W.H. "Chip" Gross, Sarah Jaquay, Patrick Keegan, Jamie Rhein, Damaine Vonada, Kris Wetherbee, Rick Wetherbee, Margie Wuebker, and Diane Yoakam.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING (USPS 134-760; ISSN 2572-049X) is published monthly by Ohio Rural Elec­tric Co­op­eratives, Inc. With a paid circulation of 294,359, it is the official com­mun­ication link be­tween the elec­­­­tric co­operatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their mem­bers. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. All rights reserved.

For all advertising inquiries, contact GLM COMMUNICATIONS 212-929-1300 sales@glmcommunications.com

The fact that a product is advertised in Ohio Cooperative Living should not be taken as an en­dorse­ment. If you find an advertisement mis­leading or a product unsatisfactory, please not­ify us or the Ohio Attorney General’s Of­fi ce, Consumer Protection Sec­tion, 30 E. Broad St., Col­um­bus, OH 43215, or call 1-800-282-0515.

Official publication of your electric cooperative

ohioec.org

www.ohioec.org

Check out the mobilefriendly website and digital edition of Ohio Cooperative Living, as well as other timely information from Ohio’s electric cooperatives.

MARCH APRIL 2017 2017

Official publication of your electric cooperative www.ohioec.org

MARCH APRIL 2017 2017

Splat!

Action and adrenaline draw crowds to Ohio’s paintball parks ALSO INSIDE Co-op heroes are everywhere Architectural wonder in the ‘other’ Columbus Bird photography: A how-to guide

Splat!

Action and adrenaline draw crowds to Ohio’s paintball parks ALSO INSIDE Co-op heroes are everywhere Architectural wonder in the ‘other’ Columbus Bird photography: A how-to guide

Where is your favorite Ohio fishing hole?

Let us in on your secret!

Finding a beautiful, quiet location to fish that isn’t too far away from home can be challenging. Take to our Facebook or Twitter pages to share your perfect spots with our staff. Find us by searching for Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.

DID YOU KNOW? About 56 percent of all paintball participants list “private property” as the most-often-used venue to play the sport, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. Paintball is popular worldwide and is played in over 100 countries.

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

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

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

Alliance for Audited Media Member

In this issue: Cleveland (p. 8) Marysville (p. 10) Edgerton (p. 23) Chardon (p. 28) Mount Gilead (p. 28) Grove City (p. 29) APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

3

BY JEFF MCCALLISTER

POWER LINES

ANSWERING CALL THE

When storms hit and power goes out, cooperatives mobilize to help one another and get it restored

A

t the beginning of March 2017, after what had been, to that point, an unusually mild winter, a huge storm system came through southern Ohio and northern Kentucky, bringing with it winds that brought down trees and power lines, causing power outages in large swaths of the area.

Electric cooperatives do everything they can — regular maintenance, tree-trimming, etc. — to prevent such outages, but sometimes, Mother Nature has her own ideas. When outages do happen, the coops are ready.

Every co-op has an emergency plan, and part of that planning includes what is both a unique and an effective approach to emergency management and disaster recovery: mutual assistance. When disaster strikes, co-ops quickly deploy support staff and equipment to emergency and recovery zones to help sister co-ops restore power.

4

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

“Cooperation among cooperatives is one of our guiding principles for a good reason: It helps to make everyone’s jobs easier and makes their lives better,” says Dwight Miller, director of safety and loss control at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association that provides services to each electric cooperative in the state.

Quick response

Just that first week of March, crews from Consolidated Electric Cooperative, based in Mount Gilead, and from Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, based in Millersburg, sent crews to help with power

‘...cooperation, to us, is not just words on paper.

It’s what we do.’

restoration in the area served by South Central Power Company, based in Lancaster. A five-man crew from Oxford-based Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, based in Oxford, went to help storm-struck Owen Electric, in Walton, Ky. Crews from The Frontier Power Company in Coshocton and GuernseyMuskingum Electric in New Concord headed to the Lexington, Ky., area to help restore power to Blue Grass Energy members.

Consistent systems

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives has been built to federal standards, line crews from any co-op in America can arrive on the scene ready to provide emergency support, secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.

“You never know exactly what you’re going to find when you get out there,” says Phil Crowdy, operations and engineering manager at Frontier Power. “The exact situation’s going to be different from place to place and event to event, but our guys know that they’ll be familiar with the systems wherever they go.”

Eager to help

“One of the main reasons we make sure to be available as a company is that, if things happen to go bad here, we know that help is available,” he says. “We’ve only had to ask for help once in the last 10 years, but the one time we had to make the call, we had guys here from other co-ops that same day. When I called the guys in to see who would go to Kentucky, every hand in the room went up.”

Calls for help had been issued that morning, and all of those Ohio crews had mobilized before lunchtime. For the most part, they had helped fully restore power and were back to their own co-ops within a couple of days.

“We see about six or seven of those events per year, where we may need to move small crews around to help out,” Miller says. “But we also have major events every few years, like the derecho of 2012 or the ice storm of 2005, where we have to send a lot of crews all over the country, and they may be gone for a couple of weeks at a time. It can be pretty difficult, but that cooperation, to us, is not just words on paper. It’s what we do.”

First Electric Cooperative, Arkansas

Dave Behle, Dawson Public Power District

Crowdy says Frontier’s linemen, just like crews from

cooperatives around the country, are happy, and even eager, to help — whenever the call goes out.

Linemen survey damage to power lines following a tornado. Consumer calls and reports during an outage helped crews locate and isolate the damage.

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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“She was trying to jump a dirt hill, but didn’t make it,” Jeremy says. “When I got to her, she was nonresponsive. Jake called 911 and we stabilized her until the first responders arrived.”

Jeremy never learned exactly what injuries the rider suffered that day in One Ohio cooperative sponsored a pair of honor March 2015, but when the flights that sent veterans to Washington, D.C. first responders arrived, they strapped her to a back board, immobilizing her head and spine, and air-lifted her to the hospital. He and Jake found out later that she had recovered.

As a journeyman lineman, Jeremy gets plenty of safety training from Tricounty.

He knows cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), advanced first aid, and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

But Jeremy deflected the thought that he did something unique, or even out of the ordinary. “I was glad I was there,” he says. “Pretty much any co-op employee would have done what they could to help.”

Jeremy’s right. There is no shortage of heroes working at Ohio’s electric cooperatives: • Employees at Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative raised over $160,000 last year to send more than 170 World War II and Korean War veterans to Washington, D.C., on Honor Flights, so they could see the memorials built to honor their service. “Our employees are heroes for seeing a need and getting the community to rally behind them,” says Erika Willitzer, marketing and economic development manager for PPEC. • Last September, JR McCoy, a crew leader and first class lineman for The Frontier Power Company, and his crewmate, Matthew Compton, were performing routine utility maintenance when they saw that a nearby house was on fire. After a call to 911, Compton kicked in the front door, to make sure no one was trapped inside the home (no one was). McCoy grabbed a garden hose, broke a window, and began spraying water on the fire. Meanwhile, Compton disconnected the electricity at the meter to make sure that a bad situation didn’t get worse.

• Brad Myers, a cable locater at Consolidated Electric Cooperative, in separate acts: rescued a man from a burning house; pulled a man out of a burning car; tended to someone who fell off his riding mower; and performed the Heimlich maneuver on a 10-year-old boy who was choking in a restaurant.

JOHN EGAN is president of Egan Energy Communications (www.EganEnergy.com), a national energy communications firm.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

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APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

7

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAMAINE VONADA

ICON

THE JAMES A. GARFIELD

MEMORIAL CLEVELAND

Location: On the east side of Cleveland in Lake View Cemetery.

Provenance: Founded in 1869, Lake View Cemetery was among the nation’s first gardenstyle cemeteries, and President James A. Garfield, who was born and raised near Cleveland, had expressed his desire to make its scenic grounds his final resting place. Shortly after his inauguration, Garfield was shot by a disappointed office-seeker and lingered for two months before dying on Sept. 19, 1881.

Garfield’s body initially was placed in a vault in Lake View Cemetery, and it was permanently moved to the newly completed Garfield Memorial on Memorial Day 1890.

Significance: The Garfield Memorial not only is the first mausoleum built for a U.S. president, but also is a Cleveland landmark that attracts some 40,000 visitors every year. “The Memorial is 180 feet high and sits on the cemetery’s highest point,” says Lake View president and CEO Katharine Goss. “From its balcony, you can see Cleveland’s skyline and Lake Erie.”

Reflecting the Gilded Age as well as grief for a fallen leader, the exceptionally ornate presidential monument cost $225,000, and individuals in the United States and foreign countries provided much of its funding. Architect George Keller’s towering structure combines Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine design elements, and its base features

8

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

bas relief panels by sculptor Caspar Buberl that depict Garfield’s multi-faceted life as a teacher, Union general, congressman, and president.

Inside the Memorial are richly colored mosaics representing “War” and “Peace;” stained-glass windows symbolizing Ohio and the 13 original states; and a 12-foot-tall statue of Garfield.

Steubenville native Alexander Doyle sculpted the statue in white Carrara marble obtained from the same Italian quarries Leonardo da Vinci used.

The Memorial’s crypt contains the bronze caskets of Garfield and his wife Lucretia, as well as urns holding the ashes of their daughter Mary “Molly” Garfield Stanley-Brown and her husband, Joseph Stanley-Brown, who had been Garfield’s secretary.

Currently: Opening to visitors on April 1 every year, the Garfield Memorial is staffed by knowledgeable guides, who happily answer questions and point people to the graves of some other famous “residents” — including John D. Rockefeller and Eliot Ness.

It’s a little-known fact that: The Memorial’s exterior was built from Ohio’s Berea sandstone, which has become damaged and discolored by more than a century of weathering and pollution.

Thus, the Lake View Cemetery Foundation recently launched the Garfield Campaign to raise capital needed for repairs.

The James A. Garfield Memorial at Lake View Cemetery, 12316 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106. Open daily, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., April 1 – Nov. 19. Cemetery grounds open daily year-round, hours vary. For additional information, call 216421-2665 or visit www.lakeviewcemetery.com.

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APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAMAINE VONADA

LAND OF

HERBS

AND

Combs family cultivates a healthy lifestyle at Mockingbird Meadows Farm

HONEY

W

hen Dawn Combs whips up an herbal matcha for visitors at Mockingbird Meadows Farm, she starts by selecting one of the jars arrayed on simple wooden shelves in the space of her home that serves as a combination shop, herb apothecary, and classroom.

The jars, called TEAshots, are powdered herb blends that she developed from whole plants, including bark and roots, that she and her husband, Carson, raise at Mockingbird Meadows.

Dawn formulates each blend to support the body’s natural processes, and they have descriptive names like “Sleepy” and “Tummy Love.”

The Combses have been Union Rural Electric Cooperative members since 2005, when they moved to a house on 3.5 acres between Marysville and Plain City. Back then, Dawn worked for a Columbus bank, and Carson was a city planner in Dublin. Their plan was to pursue a healthier, more self-sufficient lifestyle and start a small honey business, as well as a family.

Today, they’re not only the proud parents of two young children, but have transformed their property into a working homestead, where they follow sustainable, eco-friendly farming principles. They named it for the mockingbirds that built a nest above the couple’s first beehive. “We pioneered chemical-

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

Carson and Dawn Combs live their close-to-the-land philosophy at their homestead outside Marysville, where playful honeybee artwork greets visitors (top photo).

free beekeeping methods in central Ohio, and we use our own herbs to treat our own hives,” Carson says.

While he manages the farm and markets its FDAcompliant botanical supplements, Dawn, who's a certified herbalist and ethnobotanist, shares her expertise by writing, speaking, and presenting workshops on herb folklore and science. “We honestly experience what we believe about living close to the land,” she says. In addition to 35 beehives, Mockingbird Meadows has 150 varieties of herbs.

Signature items include honey spreads, matchas, and herbal infused honey. All Mockingbird Meadows products are made and shipped on-site, and they’re sold at the farm, select retail stores, and online.

Mockingbird Meadows Farm, 16671 Burns Rd., Marysville, OH 43040. Call 614-354-5163 or visit www.mockingbirdmeadows.com.

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CALLING ALL

HUMMINGBIRDS These flowering vines do more than beautify your garden. They also entice hummingbirds with sweet nectar and so much more.

H

ummingbird-friendly vines offer a whole new range of attraction. There’s just something irresistibly exciting about seeing a hummingbird as it hovers in midair to nectar at a climbing clematis or honeysuckle that’s loaded with colorful blooms.

The right flowering vines will lure . these colorful, energetic fliers.

The right flowering vines will lure these colorful energetic fliers with sweet nectar, but it's the added benefits that may entice these birds to linger and stay. Hummers will often seek shelter among the vines and use spent flowers of clematis and other blooms as nesting materials.

Rambling vines and the structures on which they climb also make your yard more inviting by providing convenient perching opportunities for hummingbirds to rest and survey their surroundings. They typically feed every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day, spending the remaining 80 percent of their time resting between feeding forays.

12

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

What part of your yard is begging for the addition of an ornamental hummingbird vine? By highlighting your garden with flowering vines that hummers seek, these fascinating birds will become the highlight of your garden. Here are 10 to get you started.

Cardinal Climber: Fast-growing annual vine from 10 to 20 feet climbs by twining stems. Deeply lobed midgreen leaves with 1 inch crimson red flowers appear in summer. Grow in full sun to partial shade.

Clematis: Evergreen and deciduous vines from 5 to 30 feet; up to 4 inch blooms in shades of purple, blue, pink, white and rose. Grow in full sun for vines, but keep the roots cool and moist with mulch.

Clematis Cross Vine: Evergreen to semi-evergreen woody vines from 20 to 50 feet climb by tendrils and cling by holdfast disks. As such, they can climb a trellis or cling to walls.

Orange-red or scarlet flowers bloom in midspring and into summer. Grow in full sun to light shade.

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Cypress Vine: Annual twining vine to 20 feet with fern-like foliage and clusters of bright tubular flowers in red or scarlet. Similar to cardinal climber, but with somewhat smaller flowers. Grow in full sun to partial shade.

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Scarlet Runner Bean: Fast-growing twining vine to 15 feet; usually grown as an annual. Very showy and ornamental, with vivid scarlet to red flowers in summer, followed by dark green edible bean pods. Grow on a trellis, arbor, or fence in full sun.

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Trumpet creeper

Trumpet Creeper: This beauty is a cross between American trumpet vine and Chinese trumpet vine and grows 15 to 25 feet high. Aggressive in nature, though more restrained than the American trumpet vine. Grow in full sun to partial shade.

Wisteria Wisteria: Twining, deciduous vines with spectacular clusters of fragrant flowers appear in spring in soft shades of pink, purple, violet-blue, and white.

These vigorous climbers need strong support via a sturdy trellis, arbor, or pergola. Grow in full sun.

Purple Passionflower: Also known as “Maypop,” this hardy vine is a standout for its delicate, ornate blooms. Mid- to late-summer 3-inch blooms of lavender and white are offset by a showy crown of filaments banded in purple and pink. Best in full sun to light shade.

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GOOD EATS

GRABBABLE

GRUB

Who has time to sit and eat when the return of springtime weather is such a powerful draw to the outdoors? When you're on the go, sandwiches — portable, yet oh-so-tasty — are the perfect choice. Pick just the right bread to go with fillings that can run the gamut from meat and poultry to fish and cheese, and don't forget the garnishes!

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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GOOD EATS

DWICHES

N BACON-TOMATO SA

1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese , toasted 8 slices sourdough bread slices 4 1 large tomato, cut into 1/2 cup shredded lettuce fried crisp and drained 12 slices thick-cut bacon, 4 slices American cheese eese in a small bowl, pepper, and Parmesan ch on lem e, ais nn yo ma ine Comb sted bread slices. yonnaise mixture on toa ma d rea Sp . ine mb co to e, mixing well ato slice, shredded lettuc and top each with a tom st toa r fou Take four slices of toast remaining , and a cheese slice. Place ips str n co ba d frie y lly. spl three cri dwich in half diagona wn, on top. Cut each san slices, mayonnaise-side do Serves 4.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

SALMON BURGERS

1 (143/4 ounce) can salmon, drained, boned and flaked 6 Tbsp. dried fine bread crumbs 1 Tbsp. finely diced onion 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes 1/3 cup ketchup ¼ tsp. chili powder

1/3

cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 egg 1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard Butter-flavored cooking spray 6 small hamburger buns Lettuce leaves

In a large bowl, combine salmon, bread crumbs, onion, parsley flakes, ketchup, chili powder, cheddar cheese, egg, and yellow mustard. Mix well to combine. Divide mixture into 6 patties and place in a large skillet that has been prepared with butter-flavor cooking spray. Brown patties 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Place patties on hamburger buns and top with lettuce leaves. Makes 6 sandwiches.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM AND CARMELIZED ONION BURGER

LIGHTER FARE

4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 1 cups sliced white onion 2 oz. soft goat cheese 4 whole wheat hamburger buns 4 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 cups field greens or baby lettuce 1 tomato, sliced Preheat grill. Place mushrooms in large Ziploc bag; add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and seal bag. Shake the bag until the mushrooms are coated in the vinegar and oil. Let sit for a few minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil; heat for 30 seconds. Add onions, lower heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and browned, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside. Remove mushrooms from bag and place on heated grill, round side up.

Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn mushrooms over so they are flat side up, top with goat cheese (1/2 oz. each) and caramelized onions. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from grill; place on buns topped with Dijon, lettuce, and tomato. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 266 calories, 12 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 9 g fiber, 12 g protein

VEGETABLE SUB WITH FETA

tomatoes, onion, and feta. Combine salad dressing and lemon juice; drizzle over lettuce mixture and toss. Fill bread shell with lettuce mixture; replace top. Slice and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

1 (16 oz.) loaf French bread 1 (10 oz.) pkg. romaine salad mix 1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup fat-free Caesar salad dressing 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cut 1/2-inch-thick slice from top of bread, and set top aside. Hollow out bread using serrated knife, leaving a 1-inch shell; reserve soft bread for another use. Set bread shell aside. Combine salad mix, beans,

Per serving: 264 calories, 3 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 4 g fiber, 11 g protein

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT

BY PAT KEEGAN AND AMY WHEELESS

Cooling off

Nearly all cooperatives have energy auditors on staff who can advise consumer-members about the right AC units for their homes.

Choosing the right home air conditioner saves money and makes sense

I

f you have an aging central air conditioner — even if it’s still working — it might pay off to look into replacing it sooner rather than waiting until it fails.

Replacing an inefficient AC unit with a more efficient model could significantly reduce your electric bill; new units are likely to be 20 to 40 percent more efficient than one from the 1990s. ENERGY STARcertified systems are even more efficient. Replacing an aging system now, before summer starts, could help you avoid delays or price premiums.

How much money you save by replacing your current AC unit depends both on how often your AC runs and on your electric rate. If you’re in a hot climate and keep your home’s temperature in the low 70s, your cost of cooling will be substantial, and so will the potential savings from replacing your old unit with an efficient new one.

The best way to determine possible savings is to have an inhome assessment conducted by a qualified heating, ventilating, and air A mini-split heat conditioning (HVAC) professional or a pump brings outdoor certified energy auditor. Electric co-ops air to up to four zones are interested in reducing peak summer in your home through loads and offer information, rebates, blowers such as this or a list of qualified professionals. one.

It’s a plus if the contractor has North

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

American Technician Excellence (NATE) certification.

Contractors should be knowledgeable about energyefficient systems and have references.

Your contractor needs to size the system to your home. Ken Maleski, the residential advisor at Central Electric Cooperative in Pennsylvania, says a unit that is too small will not cool your home to the levels you want. If it’s too large, it may not dehumidify your home sufficiently, and it will cycle on and off more frequently, which can increase wear and tear on the system and shorten its life significantly.

In order to size the system, the contractor will need to look at the efficiency of the home by checking insulation levels. If you add insulation where it’s most needed, you may be able to install a smaller AC unit, and you should enjoy greater comfort and lower cooling costs. The HVAC contractor you hire should also assess your ductwork, which is often poorly designed, leaky, or inadequately insulated.

Replacing an aging air conditioner is a great way to improve comfort, cut energy costs, and reduce peak energy demand. Your co-op may be able to help, and you can learn a lot from the information resources available on our website and on the ENERGY STAR and energy.gov websites.

PAT KEEGAN and AMY WHEELESS write for Collaborative Efficiency. For more information visit www.collaborativeefficiency.com/energytips.

FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

ENHANCING

RELIABILITY

FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP

Everyone wants more reliable electric service, and Firelands Electric wants to continue to provide its cooperative members with the best possible service when it comes to both reliability and affordability.

Keeping the lights on, and the countless ways electrical power touches our lives each and every day, is something Firelands Electric has been doing for over 80 years.

Firelands Electric has a robust preventive maintenance plan to maintain reliable service from its local substations to your homes and businesses.

Unfortunately, the cooperative does not own the large transmission lines that bring electricity from the power-generating plant to Firelands Electric’s substations and local distribution system. These heavy-duty transmission lines are primarily owned by investor-owned utilities like FirstEnergy.

When problems occur along the transmission system, Firelands Electric is generally in the same boat as our members, waiting for the problem to be fixed.

The cooperative’s substations located in the northern part of our service territory provide service to nearly half of Firelands Electric’s membership. These substations receive their transmission service from FirstEnergy’s line that comes from the Wellington area.

Whenever an outage occurs along that line, everyone downstream

of the issue is left in the dark — sometimes for hours.

We take great pride in bringing power to your home or business, and it’s extremely frustrating when that service is interrupted. It’s even more frustrating when the problems are beyond our control, which is why your cooperative is excited that FirstEnergy is improving its transmission system within its Ohio Edison service territory.

April Bordas General Manager

In pursuing greater reliability for its members, Firelands Electric Co-op and Buckeye Power, the generation and transmission provider serving Ohio’s electric cooperatives, have been working with FirstEnergy to address concerns in a large portion of Firelands’ service territory.

What’s happening and how it helps

As a result of these talks, FirstEnergy is currently building a 69-kilovolt transmission line that will enhance reliability for Firelands Electric Cooperative members, along with customers of Ohio Edison. The new transmission line will resolve reliability concerns and improve the region’s transmission system. The 11-mile transmission line begins just west of Norwalk and travels through Ridgefield, Peru, Greenfield, and Fairfield townships between two existing Ohio Edison substations, ending north of North Fairfield.

When completed, this transmission line will tie in with the existing system to provide a secondary Continued to page 20

Once completed, FirstEnergy’s new 69-kilovolt transmission line will enhance reliability for Firelands Electric Cooperative members, along with customers of Ohio Edison.

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FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES Continued from page 19

source of electricity. Once the project is complete, if a transmission outage occurs or FirstEnergy needs to do maintenance on either line, power can be routed from the other direction, limiting disruptions for many of Firelands Electric’s members and Ohio Edison’s customers.

Our cooperative is grateful that FirstEnergy and Buckeye Power have come up with a solution, and we have been excited to work with them on this project.

The new transmission line will improve reliability of service to more than 4,000 of the cooperative’s consumer-members in southern Huron County.

The project will establish a two-way feed to substations serving nearly half of the cooperative’s membership. This will allow FirstEnergy to quickly isolate issues, potentially reducing lengthy outages caused by failed transmission to just a few hours or less for many.

Construction

FirstEnergy conducted a study to determine the best possible routes to minimize impact on local communities and the environment. The line will run from Ohio Edison’s Carriage substation on Halfway Road south to Johnson Road, travel west to Peru Center Road, and then south again until it meets up with the existing transmission line. FirstEnergy is rebuilding the existing line that is located between that area and their Hanville substation to the east.

The transmission construction work is being completed by J.W. Didado, an electrical contractor for FirstEnergy. Construction began in December, and FirstEnergy anticipates having the project completed and in service this summer.

Firelands Electric Co-op is responsible for building its local distribution system on FirstEnergy’s new transmission poles. The cooperative is using the services of New River Electrical Corporation for this project so that Firelands Electric’s crews can focus their efforts on maintenance and construction in other areas throughout our service territory.

Line crews have been doing their best to limit the duration of any outages while converting power to the new lines. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage members with medical issues to make arrangements for backup power during this project.

Sensitive electronic equipment and computers should be shut down when not in use and have some type of surge protection or battery backup during potential power interruptions resulting from the project.

We value the steps our neighbors at FirstEnergy are taking to help us keep your lights shining. Please know we appreciate your patience and understanding as we’ve worked to find a solution that will improve reliability and make your cooperative stronger for years to come.

The transmission project will provide an alternative source of power delivery for Firelands Electric’s Fitchville, New London, Nova2, and Steuben substations (blue), along with LorainMedina Rural Electric Cooperative’s Nova substation (green).

These locations currently are served only by the transmission line coming from the Wellington area. The new 69-kV transmission line connects Ohio Edison’s Carriage and Hanville substations (purple), providing more reliable service.

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integrity

accountability

community commitment

innovation

BE PREPARED BEFORE A STORM STRIKES

BOARD MEETING

highlights

Firelands Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees met January 24 and covered the following items: • Board President Dan McNaull reported there were 36 new membership applications for approval by the board.

• Director of Finance and Accounting Tabi Shepherd reviewed December financials and reported on billing department activities.

• General Manager April Bordas provided an update on the cooperative’s metering system.

• The board reviewed and accepted a safety and training report for the meeting and workplace observation held on December 20.

• April Bordas reviewed the Fall 2016 Statistical Report with the board, which was provided by the cooperative’s statewide organization.

• The board reviewed Policy 3-34 on job safety and training. Upon motion, the policy was approved as written.

• April Bordas provided a building committee update on the cooperative’s new headquarters facility. Bordas presented design options that were provided by Janotta & Herener, the cooperative’s design builder for the project, which were approved by the board.

• Management discussed the cooperative’s option to purchase land for the new headquarters facility. The board approved the purchase of 15 acres, located within the Village of New London, which will allow for future expansion.

• The board reviewed the report prepared by Director of Electric Operations Denny Marugg on recent projects in the operations department, including an update on the Carriage-Hanville 69-kV transmission line project.

• Line Superintendent Don Englet reported on recent line crew activities in December.

• Director of Member Services and Communications Andrea Gravenhorst reported on recent communications pieces and discussed upcoming activities involving the member services department.

Firelands Electric is democratically controlled and governed by local people committed to policies that result in a safe and reliable electric system, fair rates, financial responsibility, and superior member service.

The co-op’s next board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, at Firelands Electric’s office, located at One Energy Place, New London.

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In the event of a power outage, be prepared by keeping the following items in an easy-to-find emergency supply kit.

WATER

Three-day supply, one gallon per person per day.

TOOLS

Flashlight, extra batteries, manual can opener, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert.

FIRST AID KIT AND PRESCRITIONS

First aid supplies, hand sanitizer and at least one week’s supply of prescriptions and medications for the family.

Learn more at www.ready.gov Source: American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

CLEARING RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR RELIABILITY There are many ways that Firelands Electric Cooperative provides you with safe, reliable electric service. One of the most common — and crucial — is referred to as right-of-way clearing or vegetation management.

A right-of-way refers to the strip of land underneath or around power lines that your electric cooperative has the right, and responsibility, to maintain and clear. Trees must grow at a proper distance from wires in order to prevent harm to people or a disruption in electric service. Specifications vary, but a general guideline for maintaining a safe right-ofway is a minimum of 15 feet of clearance on either side of primary lines.

Clearing right-of-way is critical to keeping our members’ power on. In 2016, an average of 22 percent of Firelands Electric’s power interruptions were caused by trees and brush, compared to 25 percent caused by small animals. If a tree encroaches on the right-of-way, our vegetation management team will trim back branches and brush using chainsaws, bucket trucks, tree climbers, brush chippers, and mowers. Chemical control methods

are occasionally used to stop low-growing plant species that can climb and surpass the tall trees growing beneath power lines.

Right-of-way clearing also keeps your family safe by ensuring that tree branches do not become energized because of close contact with a downed power line.

Able to carry up to 34,500 volts, a power line can energize a tree branch, which can be incredibly dangerous — even deadly. Be mindful when around trees close to power lines, and make sure children know that climbing trees near power lines is extremely dangerous.

Firelands Electric has 994 miles of power lines to maintain, which serve 9,055 members. Branches and limbs that come into contact with primary wires at the top of utility poles can cause voltage fluctuations, blinking lights, or even an outage for hundreds of cooperative members. This gives Firelands Electric’s right-of-way maintenance crews a big job to do.

Tree contractors began the cooperative’s annual right-of-way maintenance program at the beginning of the year. This season, crews will trim along lines in nine townships located in three counties.

2017 RIGHT-OF-WAY maintenance program Vegetation management has already begun in some areas. Right-of-way tree maintenance is tentatively scheduled in 2017 for the following areas and will include brush hogging, cutting, trimming, and any necessary tree removals: • Ashland County — Green, Mifflin, Milton, and Perry townships • Huron County — Fairfield, New Haven, and Richmond townships • Richland County — Mifflin, Monroe, and Weller townships

Please plant responsibly

Your cooperative wants to remind members not to plant trees or shrubs within the 40-foot-wide right-of-way under power lines (20 feet of clearance on each side of the pole). Please take the time to look up and see where power lines are before you dig that hole to plant your new tree.

It is inevitable that a tree planted under power lines will have to be cut down in the future, so why not move to a better location outside the right-of-way before you plant? That way, you can enjoy your new tree for many years to come.

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How tall is that tree going to grow?

Decorative trees generally don’t grow extremely tall.

For example, a Bartlett pear tree reaches a mature height of about 20 feet. Maple trees will grow between 60 and 80 feet when mature, oak trees can reach 75 to 80 feet, and the mighty sycamore will reach upwards of 115 feet when fully grown.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to plant trees at least as far away from utility lines as the tree is expected to grow. For instance, if you’re planting a sugar maple that could grow to be 75 feet tall, plant it 75 feet away from power lines.

If you have existing trees on your property that are in danger of coming into contact with power lines, let Firelands Electric Co-op know.

For more information on the cooperative’s vegetation management program, questions about tree trimming, or assistance in selecting the right tree to plant, visit our website at www.firelandsec.com/ content/right-way-clearance, or contact Firelands Electrc’s System Right-of-Way Coordinator James Miller at 1-800-533-8658.

Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place Trees beautify our neighborhoods, and when planted in the right spot, can even help lower energy bills. But the wrong tree in the wrong place can be a hazard… especially to power lines.

LARGE TREES

Height/spread of more than 40 feet, such as: • • • •

Maple Oak Spruce Pine

• Birch • Sweetgum • Linden

MEDIUM TREES

SMALL TREES

Height/spread of 25 to 40 feet , such as:

Avoid planting within 20 feet of power lines. When planting within 20 feet is unavoidable, use only shrubs and small trees.

• Washington hawthorn • Golden rain tree • Eastern redbud • American arborvitae • Dogwoods

Height /spread of no more than 25 feet , such as: • Star magnolia • Crabapple • Lilac 40ft.

40ft. high or less

Tree pruning zone

Maximum tree height 25ft.

70ft.

60ft.

50ft.

40ft.

30ft.

20ft.

10ft.

0

10ft.

20ft.

Source: The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

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FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

BY TRACY GIBB

BUILDING THE

FAMILY

When Clay Schoen joined 4-H, his parents, Brian and Audra, encouraged him to choose a project that he found interesting. Like many 4-H families, the Schoens purchased several sheep for Clay’s first project. Little did they know that their family would eventually establish Diamond S Farms — and a few sheep would become an entire flock.

The Schoens, who live just outside of Jeromesville, raise two varieties of sheep: Blackface cross and Southdown.

Blackface cross sheep are raised strictly for meat production, and Diamond S sells many of their lambs to other 4-H and FFA members for use as market projects.

A few of the lambs born at Diamond S Farms this spring investigate some fresh hay.

The Southdown, on the other hand, is considered a dual-purpose animal, which can be bred for meat or fiber. The breed is primarily raised for its meat, however. “Southdown sheep tend to produce meat with a better-quality marbling than the Blackface cross,” Clay says.

In addition to 4-H and FFA-related shows, Clay and his brother, Brody, also participate in several livestock events throughout the Midwest. The entire family travels to four or five such shows each year.

They compete with their Southdowns in events like the Ohio State Fair; the North American International Livestock

FLOCK

Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, Kentucky; the AllAmerican Junior Sheep Show in Madison, Wisconsin; and a few American Southdown Association shows.

Since the sheep are part of Clay’s Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project for FFA, his primary focus is on improving and showing growth in his flock. The family has learned a great deal about tending to their sheep along the way, from how to prepare animals for a show to helping an ewe deliver triplets. They have also expanded their knowledge of nutrition, and mix their own high-quality feed.

“Mixing our own is much more cost effective than using pre-bagged feed,” Brian says.

Although the Schoens sell the majority of their lambs, which are born between January and March each year, they do keep some to breed to their three rams in order to introduce new bloodlines and improve the quality of their stock. As home to 26 ewes and numerous spring lambs, “we need to add on to the barn,” Brian says.

While the Schoens’ younger son, Brody, does assist with the family’s sheep operation, he prefers chickens. Who knows — maybe Diamond S Farms’ next expansion will include a bigger barn as well as a brand-new chicken coop.

The Schoen family can be reached at 419-571-1755 or by searching for Diamond S Farms on Facebook.

Places & Faces is a monthly feature showcasing people, businesses, and organizations located throughout the Firelands Electric Cooperative service territory.

At right: The Schoen family, from left, Clay, Brian, Brody, and Audra with two of their farms 2017 lambs.

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B

BUILDING FOR THE CO-OP’S

FUTURE

Firelands Electric moves forward with new all-in-one facility As mentioned in a recent issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine, Firelands Electric Co-op’s office building has major structural damage that would be very costly to repair. Over the past year and a half, your cooperative’s board and management have been exercising due diligence, researching costs to maintain and repair our current three facilities versus building a new structure that would incorporate the office and warehouses all under one roof. Having the cooperative’s facilities under one roof would offer improved communications and operating efficiencies of our workforce. A new facility would also provide a long-lasting structure that would serve the co-op for many years in the future.

I appointed a building committee that consists of District 5 Trustee Carl Ayers, District 1 Trustee Dan Schloemer, General Manager April Bordas, Director of Member Services Andrea Gravenhorst, Line Superintendent Don Englet, and myself.

The cooperative’s board has also hired a consultant to assist management with analyzing proposals and to oversee the project on behalf of the cooperative.

After an extensive assessment of our current facilities (age of buildings, land-locked, located in a floodplain, future repair and maintenance costs, etc.) and the financial implications, including current low interest rates, Firelands Electric’s board has moved forward and acquired a purchase-option on 15 acres of property located within the Village of New London, which is currently owned by New London West, LLC.

south in its service territory, but found it more advantageous to remain in New London.

In order to provide the cooperative’s board and management with accurate cost estimates, four contractors were invited to bid on a facility design project. The cooperative’s Dan McNaull, President building committee District 7 Board of Trustees reviewed their bids, and two contractors were selected to present to Firelands Electric’s board in December. The board in January selected and hired the design-build firm Janotta & Herner from Monroeville to design a new facility for Firelands Electric.

Soil boring tests were conducted in late February, and the cooperative’s building committee is reviewing the results with Janotta & Herner while finalizing the design phase being presented to the board.

Your board of trustees and management will continue to implement due diligence on this project and will do our best to keep members informed. Please stay tuned for details.

The board researched the option of relocating Firelands Electric’s headquarters facility further

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FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

LOCAL TEENS AWARDED

$10,000 Faith Edwards of Mapleton High School and Ryan Pfeiffer of Mansfield Christian High School are the first-place winners of $1,500 scholarships in the 2017 Senior Scholarship Contest sponsored by Firelands Electric Cooperative.

Faith Edwards — First-place Mapleton High School

Both winners now qualify to participate in the state contest to be held on April 12 at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives in Columbus, where they will compete with representatives from Ohio’s 22 other rural electric co-ops for additional scholarships worth up to $3,500.

Faith is the daughter of Dennis and Cindy Edwards of New London. She is currently undecided which college she will attend, but plans to major in English. Ryan is the son of Matthew and Beth Pfeiffer of Mansfield. He is also undecided which college he will attend next fall, but plans to study economics.

Second-place winners of $1,250 each are Bryanna Ryan Pfeiffer — First-place White of New London Mansfield Christian High School High School and Jacob Baumberger of Loudonville High School. Bryanna is the daughter of Heath and Marianna White of New London. She is currently undecided which college she will attend in the fall, but plans to major in pre-medicine/biology. Jacob is the son of Paul and Amy Baumberger of Perrysville.

He plans to attend The Ohio State University and major in mechanical engineering.

IN SCHOLARSHIPS

Third-place winners of $1,000 each are McKinley Shawver of Western Reserve High School and Benjamin Woost of New London High School.

McKinley is the daughter of Rebecca and William Shawver of New London. She is currently undecided which college she will attend in the fall, but plans to major in math or science. Benjamin is the son of Jon and Carrie Woost of Greenwich. He has not yet decided which college he will attend, but plans to study for a career in neuroscience.

Fourth-place winners of $750 each are Ashlynn Beachler of Loudonville High School and Aaron Lamoreaux of South Central High School. Ashlynn is the daughter of Chad and Lindy Beachler of Perrysville. She plans to attend the University of Akron in the fall, with a major in pre-medicine/ biology. Aaron is the son of Marc and Melia Lamoreaux of Greenwich and is currently undecided which college he will attend. He plans to major in business management.

Fifth-place winners of $500 each are Rebecca Blanton of Willard High School and Brock Rankine of New London High School. Rebecca is the daughter of Nina and Bob Blanton of Plymouth. She has not yet decided which college she will attend in the fall, but plans to major in nursing. Brock is the son of Michael and Lisa Rankine of New London. He is also currently undecided which college he will attend, but plans to study nursing.

Firelands Electric Cooperative’s scholarship contest is offered annually to children of members who are graduating high school seniors and reside in a home served by the cooperative. Firelands was pleased to receive applications this year from students attending Loudonville, Mansfield Christian, Mapleton, Monroeville, New London, Norwalk, South Central, St. Peter’s, Western Reserve, and Willard high schools.

For more information about the cooperative’s youth programs and scholarship opportunities, visit www. firelandsec.com/content/youth-programs.

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Bry New

Ash Lou

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S

Bryanna White — Second-place New London High School

Jacob Baumberger — Second-place Loudonville High School

McKinley Shawver — Third-place Western Reserve High School

Benjamin Woost — Third-place New London High School

Ashlynn Beachler — Fourth-place Loudonville High School

Aaron Lamoreaux — Fourth-place South Central High School

Rebecca Blanton — Fifth-place Willard High School

Brock Rankine — Fifth-place New London High School

Firelands Electric will be closed April 14 in observance of Good Friday.

Happy Easter from your local Touchstone Energy® Cooperative!

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FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

ACADEMIC

EXCELLENCE

Winners of February drawing receive iTunes gift cards

Education helps shape the leaders of tomorrow. That’s why Firelands Electric includes it as one of our seven core principles. At the beginning of 2017, the cooperative introduced a new program to encourage students in their pursuit of academic excellence. Students in grades 6-8 are invited to become part of “The A Team” and be recognized for their hard work and dedication to education.

Chloe Clouse

Kennedy Collins

South Central Middle School Daughter of Aaron and Kelly Clouse

Seneca East Middle School Daughter of Tiffany Collins

Send us your grade card and win!

The next drawing will be held on April 10.

How you can win

Students in grades 6-8 who have a minimum of three A’s on their most recent report card, and whose parents or guardians are members of Firelands Electric Co-op, are eligible to apply. A copy of the report card must be submitted by mail to Firelands Electric Co-op, Attn: The A Team, P.O. Box 32, One Energy Place, New London, OH 44851. Report cards may also be e-mailed to members@firelandsec.com.

Be sure to include the student’s name, age, school, grade, address, phone number, the parents’ name(s), and e-mail address on your entry.

Complete program details are available at www.firelandsec.com/ content/team.

Nicole Cook Madison Middle School Daughter of Bruce and Sue Cook

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TOUCHSTONE ENERGY ACHIEVEMENT

SCHOLARSHIP

Firelands Electric Cooperative is proud to announce Bethany Thompson as its 2017 Touchstone Energy® Achievement Scholarship winner. Bethany has won a $500 scholarship from Firelands and is now eligible to compete in the statewide contest at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives in Columbus on April 12.

The Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship program was created to recognize students who are pursuing their college education in spite of personal challenges in their lives. This special scholarship rewards those students who express the same values as the Touchstone Energy brand: accountability, integrity, innovation, and commitment to community. This year, up to six $2,100 scholarships will be awarded at the state competition.

Bethany Thompson Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship recipient

Bethany is the daughter of Jim and Sherry Thompson of Mansfield. She attends Temple Christian High School and will major in studio art at Grace College in the fall.

LINEMEN POWER OUR LIVES. NATIONAL LINEMAN APPRECIATION DAY APRIL 10, 2017

#ThankALineman

4-17-April.indd 11

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

21

3/17/2017 10:43:59 AM

FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

ENJOY A

SAFE

As the spring season approaches, many will usher in the warmer weather by thoroughly cleaning their homes and tending to yard work. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recommends homeowners ensure that electrical hazards are eliminated along with unwanted dust and clutter.

ESFI suggests starting with the basement, an important but often overlooked space when it comes to home inspection and fire safety. These low-level rooms contain two leading causes of home fires — heating equipment and electrical distribution systems.

START TO SPRING rooms, circuits, or outlets. Use correct size and current rating for breakers/fuses.

• Increase your fire protection by having a licensed electrician replace your standard circuit breakers with arc fault circuit interrupters — AFCIs. • Have your furnace cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed professional.

• Make sure all fuel-burning equipment, such as furnaces, stoves, and fireplaces, is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Make sure the area around your dryer is clutter free and that the dryer lint filter is cleaned after each load.

Buildup can be a fire starter.

• Check the label inside the door or cover of your electrical service panel to see when your electrical system was last inspected. If the date has passed or is approaching, contact a licensed, qualified electrician to schedule an inspection.

• Don’t overlook your basement when it comes to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

These devices should be installed in these spaces as well as on every level of your home and outside every sleeping area. Test these alarms to ensure that they are in working order, and replace the batteries when needed.

• Be sure circuit breakers and fuses are correctly labeled with their amperage and their corresponding

Visit www.esfi.org for more tips on keeping your home and family safe this spring and beyond.

FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

GENERAL MANAGER

OUTAGE HOTLINE

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E-mail your ideas to: members@firelandsec.com

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Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. www.FirelandsEC.com

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Neil Winslow District 9

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

4-17-April.indd 12

3/17/2017 10:43:59 AM

News and notes from electric cooperatives around the state

Studer, North Western’s oldest member, dies at 109 Gertrude Studer, the oldest member of North Western Electric Cooperative, passed away on Feb. 1 at the age of 109. A resident of Edgerton, Studer was honored by the cooperative for attending every North Western annual meeting since its formation, an accomplishment that was noted in her obituary.

Survivors include three sons, two daughters, 19 grandchildren, 83 greatgrandchildren, 39 great-great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-great-grandchildren.

Darin Thorp, above, president and CEO of North Western Electric Cooperative, says "hello" to member Gertrude Studer at a recent co-op annual meeting.

URE gains new CEO

Anthony Smith, former vice president of engineering operations and Honda affairs at Union Rural Electric Cooperative, has been promoted to CEO/president at URE. Smith replaces Roger Anthony Smith Yoder, who retired after serving as president of the co-op for 25 years.

Firelands EC launches “The A Team” incentive program South Central Power was the recipient of the 2016 PACC Business of the Year. Pictured above are South Central Director of Key Accounts Jeff Campbell, PACC President Theresa Byers, South Central President and CEO Rick Lemonds, and South Central Vice President of Member Services Allison Saffle.

South Central Power chosen as 2016 Business of the Year by Pickerington Chamber

South Central Power was honored to be selected as the 2016 Business of the Year by the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce (PACC) at the organization's annual meeting.

PACC serves businesses in the northwest Fairfield County communities of Pickerington and Violet Township.

Firelands Electric Cooperative introduced a program to encourage students in grades 6-8 to strive for academic excellence. Students of members are invited to join “The A Team” to be recognized for their hard work if they have a minimum of three A’s on their most recent report card. Report card entries are put into a drawing for each grading period. Drawings will take place on April 10, July 10, and Dec. 10, with three students winning an iTunes gift card at each drawing.

Carroll Electric’s pilot program aims to increase member satisfaction

Carroll Electric Cooperative recently launched a member engagement committee, as part of an initiative to increase member satisfaction, while enhancing understanding of the cooperative principles and values. Nine coop members (one from each of Carroll’s districts) were selected to attend quarterly committee meetings.

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

23

BY SARAH JAQUAY

TRAVEL

C O LU M B U S

Sarah Jaquay

THE ‘OTHER’

Two stunning architectural works, side-by-side in Columbus: The Bartholomew County Courthouse and Veterans Memorial are must-sees on a tour of the city.

Indiana’s namesake of Ohio’s capital city is an architectural Mecca

W

hen Americans conjure a place called “Columbus,” many imagine Ohio — home of The Ohio State University and its legions of Buckeye football fans.

There is, however, another Columbus not too far away — west across the state line to just south of Indianapolis. While its population is only about 45,000, the town enjoys an outsized reputation as a modern architectural Mecca.

Located just three hours from Ohio’s capital, this Hoosier hamlet has long been a transportation hub — especially for railroads. Its major employer, Cummins, Inc. (f.k.a. Cummins

24

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

Engine) is an integral part of why this small municipality boasts more than 70 buildings and landscapes designed by celebrity architects from around the globe. Family vacation planners take note: Columbus captivates kids with a massive indoor playground and a three-story children’s museum. The whole family can indulge their sweet teeth at an old-fashioned ice cream parlor with vintage soda fountains.

The best place to start exploring is the Visitors Center on Fifth Street, where visitors may view films on Columbus’ architectural significance and preview one of its crown jewels, the Miller House and Garden. The Visitors Center offers two-hour bus tours that include historic and contemporary structures and tells the backstory

For the kids

The building at 301 Washington Street was the office of Irwin Miller, the community benefactor largely responsible for the city’s status as an architectual mecca.

of how this place came to be ranked among the world’s top destinations for innovative design.

A brief summary: Local businessman J. Irwin Miller suddenly became the CEO of Cummins Engine during World War II when his great uncle died unexpectedly.

After the war, Columbus experienced rapid family growth, and projected a need for new schools. The first two prefabricated schools were built hurriedly. So Miller offered funding for the design of the next one, as long as school board officials would select an architect from a list provided by the Cummins Foundation (the company’s Columbus, IN charitable arm). That was the start of renowned modern architects building public structures and art there: I.M. Pei’s Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, Kevin Roche’s Columbus Post Office, and sculptor Henry Moore’s “Large Arch” that unifies the plaza between the groundbreaking First Christian Church (designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen) and the library.

In keeping with the design theme, it offers hands-on exhibits that allow visitors to design their own communities, while subtly exposing them to tenets of architecture and urban planning.

There’s a 17-foot climbing wall and Bubble-ology — a contraption that creates body-sized bubbles. Kids Children and adults alike can can let off even become transfixed at “Chaos,” more steam at a sculpture at kidscommons The Commons, children’s museum in Columa community bus, while the Luckey Climber (below) is for kids only. gathering space with a 5,000 square-foot indoor playground featuring a Luckey Climber — a free-of-charge multi-story structure laced with mazes and jungle gyms, designed by the late architect and sculptor, Tom Luckey.

When hunger pangs set in, Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum, across from The Commons, should help. The institution was started in 1900 by three brothers. After they attended the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, they were inspired to buy two ornate soda fountains. Today, “soda jerks” still draw carbonated water from these machines to make handcrafted ice cream delights.

Sarah Jaquay

A must-see is the Miller House and Garden designed

by Eero Saarinen, Eliel’s son. Eero gained international recognition for St. Louis’s Gateway Arch and the TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport, and was crucial in selecting Jorn Utzon to design the Sydney Opera House. Among architecture aficionados, Miller Continued on Page 26 >

Sarah Jaquay

Columbus Area Visitors Center

After a large dose of architecture, visitors with kids can head for Washington Street, where they’ll discover “kidscommons,” the three-story, 12,000 square-foot children’s museum.

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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The Miller House and Garden, including the renowned Conversation Pit (below) was designed by the same architect who created the St. Louis Gateway Arch. <Continued from Page 25

House is as revered as Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Fallingwater in Western Pennsylvania.

Travelers who visit this summer and fall will experience the inaugural Exhibit Columbus (Aug. 26 through mid-November.)

There will be five large temporary installations at important architectural locations in the downtown area, including “Wiikiaami,” located at the First Christian Church and designed by studio: indigenous, a Wisconsinbased firm known for expression of American Indian culture; and the “Conversation Plinth,” located at the library and designed by IKD, a Boston firm known for its work at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum.

Smaller installations also will be placed along Washington Street (Columbus’ main thoroughfare), and local high school students will

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produce their own installations.

While this charming town has long been known for its mid-century architecture, civic leaders believe that the biennial event will put Columbus “back on the map,” even for those who have visited before.

The Columbus in Hoosierland may not have a football team to root for, but this burg is once again rooting for and promoting quality modern design.

SARAH JAQUAY is a freelance writer from Shaker Heights.

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TRAVEL OHIO

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY JAMIE RHEIN

S P L AT T E R E D

Paintball draws crowds of players in a video game come-to-life

H

ead to Splatter Park near Mt. Gilead on a crisp, fall day, or pre-spring, before trees bud, and you’ll almost always find at least a little company. By summer, though, you’ll join as many as 600 other paintball warriors at a time looking to splatter their foes.

People ages 10 to 70 (and sometimes beyond) don face masks and load their paintball guns with gelatin-shell paint pellets, then head to one of the park’s 12 themed game areas for an adrenaline rush of fun. Mike Miller, a member of Consolidated Electric Cooperative, owns the place, and seems to have perfected the art of recreational paintball.

“It’s like stepping into a video game where you’re the action,” he says.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

From Splatter Park to Pinnacle Woods in Chardon, which were among the first on Ohio’s paintball scene, to LVL Up Sports that opened last year near Grove City, players can find a place to play across the state. Whether one is a recreational or a competitive player, there’s an experience to match the skill-set.

For Lucas de Leon, who first played at a Splatter Park birthday party when he was 12, paintball has turned into a job as one of the park’s greenshirted referees — matching players for the best fit to keep the atmosphere safe and friendly. “Refs make sure that you get in the right group, based on age and skill level,” de Leon says. “They’ll make sure that parents and their kids are on teams together, if they want to be.”

Masks on! Roll out!

As soon players are sorted onto teams and issued armbands, the call is issued: “Masks on! Let’s roll out,” and “Call of Duty” comes to life.

Players duck behind trees, peer over barriers, and dart from cover to cover as they seek their opponents invading from the other direction. Once a player is hit, that player is out, and must leave the playing area until a game’s end. In the meantime, rapid-fire rat-a-tat-tats, as well as more-measured shots, send paintballs flying toward satisfying splats. Oh, and those splats: they can sting like a rubber-band snap. Long sleeved shirts, pants, and gloves are recommended for that reason, and masks that cover from forehead to past the chin are a must, because there have been instances of serious eye injuries.

Refs watch games like hawks, making sure that play stays safe. Whenever they see a mask get lifted to clean it off during play, there’s a “Masks down,” reminder. Every playing field has safe areas for mask-cleaning and breaks.

Splatter Park hosts games that are more laid-back, But there are other spots, such as Pinnacle Woods and LVL Up Sports, where fun is also a focus, but competition gets fierce.

“If you want to get

The next level

On any weekend, at both LVL Up Sports and Pinnacle better, you have to Woods, teams practice and play X-Ball games on a field play with people who of large inflatable structures are set up to match are better than you.” that professional tournament games — the players drawn to these fields are experts, with customized paintball guns that are designed to fire faster and with more accuracy.

“If you want to get better, you have to play with people who are better than you,” says Dave Pando, owner of LVL Up Sports. He knows. Pando was on the No. 2 college team in the U.S. during his days at Ohio University. He liked the game so much, he signed a long-term lease on some farmland in Grove City and LVL Up Sports was born.

At Pinnacle Woods, paintball is a family business that started in 1982, when Cathie and Tony Pisek played their first game in Conneaut Park in Pennsylvania. Almost before they got home, they decided to open their own paintball park. Their son, Steve, and two daughters, Chrissy and Jenny, now run the business. Steve has even played paintball professionally, competing across the United States and internationally.

They’re just more examples of the sport’s evergrowing popularity, showing that once players get a taste of the action, they often keep coming back.

Okeme Bassett, for example, knew nothing about paintball when she came to Splatter Park with her two teens and their friends for a late-fall game last year. “I had on a pink Columbus State shirt [and] was a moving target,” she says with a laugh.

She left already planning a return trip with her girlfriends.

If You Go

Participants must sign a waiver (parents sign for minors age 10 and above). Costs are $25 to $50, depending upon equipment rental and how many paintballs are used. Typical games last 15 minutes with short breaks. Each park has open play on weekends. Call or check park websites for details.

Birthday parties and other private events — such as Splatter Park’s Zombie Park in the fall — are offered at each. A shop to buy equipment, paintballs, and snacks is at each site.

JAMIE RHEIN is a freelance writer from Columbus.

Eye protection is a must at all times while on the field of play during a paintball game.

Splatter Park, 5560 County Road 109, Mount Gilead.

419-946-4964 or 614-784-2657; splatterpark. com. Closed third week of December to first week of March. LVL Up Sports, 5390 Harrisburg Pike, Grove City. 614-313-1382; lvlupsports.com. Year round. Pinnacle Woods, 10241 Old State Rd., Chardon.440-974-0077; pinnaclewoodspaintball. com. Year round.

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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31

STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Bird Photography Basics:

SHOOTING THOSE

THINGS

WITH

WINGS

A

s a wildlife photographer, I sometimes envy wedding photographers. They take photos of beautiful brides, and the brides don’t try to run away during the process, let alone fly. If wildlife photography is a college course, then bird photography — especially capturing birds in flight — is graduate school.

Outdoor Knowledge

Birds nearly always make interesting photo subjects, and each scientific family of birds has its own photographic challenges. If you maintain a home bird feeder, that’s a wise place to begin your avian photography. Shooting through windows is a good way to learn the basics, but eventually you’ll want to get outdoors. Doing so will not only move you closer to the birds, but will also make for sharper, clearer photos that fill the frame of your camera’s viewfinder.

Brown pelican 32

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

I use a homemade blind for most of my bird photography near feeders. Most songbirds are very trusting of a blind, often approaching within a few feet to grab a tidbit of food. I also use a blind for wild turkey photography, placing it in the woods during early spring, when gobblers are displaying.

For photographing other types of birds, I simply walk through likely-looking habitat, often wearing camouflage clothing. The birds know I’m there, but when I move slowly and stop often, they’re more likely to go about their daily activities unalarmed. Keep in mind, too, that birds are used to seeing people in public places.

That makes national, state, and local parks, wildlife refuges, arboretums, and similar public locations, even suburbs, excellent places for bird photography.

Photo Equipment

Photography equipment for birds can be as simple as a cell-phone camera. Point-andshoot cameras — those cameras without interchangeable lenses — are the next step up the technology ladder, often doing a good job at an inexpensive price. However, most serious bird photographers use a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera body with a telephoto zoom lens attached. Yes, those cameras and lenses can be expensive, but the quality of your images will improve greatly.

When purchasing photo equipment, keep in mind this bit of wisdom from one of America’s leading professional bird photographers, Arthur Morris.

“Owning the latest, greatest lens or camera body does not guarantee you anything. Everyone needs to learn to make the best images possible with the gear they have in their hands.”

Bluebird Good Technique

After learning how to take shots of stationary birds, the ultimate challenge in bird photo-graphy is capturing photos of birds on the wing. To do so, put as many of the variables as possible in your favor. Choose a sunny day and approach the bird with the sun at your back, your shadow pointing at the bird.

When the bird flies within range, keep it in the middle of your camera’s viewfinder and fire a burst of several shots, not just one. It also helps tremendously if your camera has a continuousautofocus feature.

Any photography is fun, but taking great wildlife shots will give you a sense of satisfaction and provide you with many challenges for years to come. The process itself will also get you outdoors, and that alone is worth the price of admission — maybe a new camera and lens?

W.H. “CHIP” GROSS, Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor, is a member of Consolidated Electric Cooperative. Share outdoors story ideas at whchipgross@ gmail.com; or visit www.chipgross.com.

Ring-necked pheasant

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

33

BY CRAIG LOVELACE

SHARED

SERVICE

Electric cooperatives and the Ohio Farm Bureau have a long history of cooperation

I

t’s a little-known fact that several Ohio agricultural cooperatives — livestock producers, dairy farmers, and crop associations — can trace their roots to the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. The same holds true for Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives (OEC) members.

The organizations share a history that, with a flip of a switch, elevated the standard of living for thousands of rural families and farmers. That early relationship is reflected today in each group’s democratic principles and the passion with which they advocate on behalf of members.

Common constituents

There are, for instance, many Farm Bureau members who also are members of an electric co-op, and vice versa.

Each organization is committed to working for Ohio’s rural communities.

34

Many rural families celebrated their improved quality of life (top photo) and then symbolically buried their old kerosene lamps, after the formation of the Rural Electrification Administration.

“Where we cross over is with the people whom we serve.

We both have our constituents in mind,” says Doug Miller, OEC’s vice president of statewide services.

development, protecting property rights, workable regulations for business, and the safeguarding of Ohio’s natural resources, among others. It’s not a stretch to argue that the two contributed greatly to rural economic development over the years, he adds.

Indeed. Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Adam Sharp ticks off issues the groups share: energy

“There is a strong sense of the shared history of providing services to rural Ohio that did not previously exist, and

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

which are critical to the development and infrastructure of rural areas,” Sharp says.

to give electric co-ops the opportunity to build power plants.

Along that line, the Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan, launched in January 2017, harkens to its early cooperative days. In the 1920s, Farm Bureau started a mutual vehicle insurance company because mainline insurers gouged farmers on premium costs. Today, that venture is known as Nationwide Insurance.

So when the REA formed, Farm Bureau created the Farm Bureau Rural Electrification Cooperative to educate communities about the REA program, help organize their electric cooperative, The Farm Bureau disbanded its own electric cooperaccess the government’s ative around the time when the Ohio Rural Electric money, and supply financial, Cooperative association was founded. construction, and engineering work, and refrigeration. Monthly assistance.

Labor Review wrote in April 1939 that communities celebrated the Cooperative difference installation of electrical service with The primary motivations for Farm ceremonies including “the burial of Bureau’s enthusiasm were that a kerosene lamp as a symbol of the getting electricity to rural homes drudgery being abolished.” was a quality-of-life issue, and that investor-owned utilities either Farm Bureau disbanded its electric ignored pleas for service or they cooperative affiliate in 1942 and charged exorbitant rates. urged existing electric co-ops to form a statewide group. In 1941, the Ohio Later that year, the first electric pole Rural Electric Cooperative association funded with REA money was erected was begun. in Miami County, and on June 15, 1936, the Charles McKenney family of Piqua became the first recipients of electrical service, provided through Grind Away ANY Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative.

The health benefits plan The Rural also has mutual or Electrification Act cooperative followed in 1936, making low-interest principles, the structure loans... of which offers several affordable benefit plan options to Ohio-based sole proprietors and employers with between two and 99 employees. The plan operates within the agricultural food sector. Medical Mutual of Ohio administers claims processing and the provider network.

Brought on by the REA

Farm Bureau’s and OEC’s entwined path might have never been, if the federal Rural Electrification Administration (REA) hadn’t formed in May 1935 to extend electrical lines and service into greater swaths of America’s countryside. The Rural Electrification Act followed in 1936, making low-interest loans available

The response was immediate, and by Jan. 26, 1937, 57 rural Ohio electric co-ops existed. Overall, nearly all of the first $5.5 million disbursed by REA went to Ohio co-ops.

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APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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APRIL 2017 CALENDAR

NORTHWEST

APR. 11 – Bucyrus Model Railroad Assoc. Train Show and Swap Meet, 610 Whetstone St., Bucyrus, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $5, under 12 free. For all gauges. Club layout open with videos and memorabilia available. 419462-5035.

APR. 8 – Easter Egg Hunt, 3910 Perkins Ave., Huron, 2–4 p.m. Over 2,000 eggs, live bunnies, crafts, and prizes. 419-625-7783.

APR. 16 – Annual Defiance Chocolate Walk, downtown Defiance. 4-7 p.m. Enjoy some chocolate (and wine if you so choose) along the way. $5, chocolate stops only. $15, chocolate stops and 5 wine stops. 419-782-0739

CENTRAL

APR. 8 – Oak Harbor Easter Egg Hunt, Adolphus Kraemer Park, Church St., Oak Harbor, 2 p.m. Free. Open to children ages 12 and under. Meet at the park’s log cabin for the egg hunt, followed by a candy hunt downtown, and then visit and take photos with the Easter Bunny at the Portage Fire Station on Water St. 419-898-0479 or www.oakharborohio.net/ events/.

THROUGH AUG. 27 – “Totally Tiffin...Ever Erickson,” Ohio Glass Museum's Gallery, 124 W. Main St., Lancaster, Tues.–Sun. 1–4 p.m. Fantastic displays of unique pieces of handcrafted artistic Ohio-made glass. 740-6870101 or www.ohioglassmuseum.org.

APR. 2 – Sunset Stomp Jazz Band, Makoy Ctr., 5462 Center Street, Hilliard, 2–5 p.m. $15 for COHJS members, $20 for non-members, $10 for dance club members and students.

Part of the Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society’s spring concert series. Come enjoy the lively music of this New Orleans–style jazz band from Indianapolis. 614-558-2212 or www.cohjs.org.

APR. 22 – Coshocton Earth Day, 23640 Airport Rd., Coshocton Co. Career Ctr., Coshocton, 12–4 p.m. Free. Local artisans,

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHWEST

38

APR. 15 – Easter Egg Roll at Spiegel Grove, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums, Fremont, 2–3:30 p.m.

Admission is three hard-boiled colored eggs.

Children ages 3–10 are invited to participate in a variety of egg games that replicate the famous White House Easter Egg Roll started by President Hayes. Prizes, games and crafts, and visits with the Easter Bunny. 419-332-2081 or www. rbhayes.org.

APR. 21–23 – The Wizard of Oz, Hardin Northern High School, 11589 St. Rte. 81, Dola, Fri./Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m. $8, Std./Sr. $5. 419-759-2331.

APR. 22 – Spring Crafters’ Showcase, Tam-O-Shanter Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Ctr., 7060 Sylvania Ave., Sylvania (1/2 mile west of McCord Rd.), 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Use the North and West entrances behind the main building. Drawings to win gift certificates. www. toledocraftsmansguild.org/shows.html. vendors, live raptors, OSU Bobcat research, kids’ activities, great food, and entertainment.

740-824-3828 or rlkettler@myway.com.

APR. 23 – Dave Greer’s Classic Jazz Stompers, Makoy Ctr., 5462 Center Street, Hilliard, 2–5 p.m. $15 for COHJS members, $20 for non-members, $10 for dance club members and students. Conclusion of the Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society’s spring concert series. Come enjoy the lively music of this New Orleans–style jazz band from Dayton. 614-558-2212 or www.cohjs.org.

APR. 23 – “Swing in Spring” Concert, 101 S. Main St., Baltimore, 3–5 p.m. $5. Celebrate the grand reopening of the Victoria Opera House. 614-450-0237.

APR. 1 – Cambridge Lions Club Variety Show, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 941 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, 7:30 p.m. $8 Thur., $10 Fri./ Sat. 740-439-5385, 800-285-1543, or www. cambridgelions.com.

APR. 22–23 – Disney’s The Lion King Jr., Logan High School Theatre, 14470 St. Rte. 328, Logan, Sat. 7 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $5. Presented by the Hocking County Children’s Chorus. 614-4062379 or www.hockingcochildrenschorus.org.

APR. 1–2, 7–9 – Give My Regards To Broadway, Cambridge Performing Arts Ctr., 642 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge. 740-261-4304 or www.cambridgeperformingartscenter.org.

APR. 29 – Pelican Open Bass Tournament, Salt Fork State Park Lake, Old Marina North Boat Ramp, Lore City, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. $80 entry fee.

Tournament benefits Relay For Life. Trophies and cash prizes. Also 50/50 drawing, door prizes, and lunch. 740-584-0631 or www.fishgcba.net.

APR. 9 – 31st Annual Farm Toy Show, Champaign Co. Fgds., 384 Park Ave., Urbana, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $2, under 12 free. Look, buy, sell, or trade. Over 120 tables. Door prizes. Contact Lowell Morningstar at 937-826-4201.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

APR. 22–23 – African Violet Show and Sale, Eastgate Mall, Batavia (I-275 and St. Rte. 32) , Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 12–6 p.m. Presented by the Cincinnati African Violet Society and the African Violet Society of Dayton. View amazing and beautiful plants. Hard-to-find varieties and growing supplies will be available for purchase.

One-on-one horticultural consultation and periodic demos will also be offered both days.

513-325-0395 or kcenci@hotmail.com.

SOUTHWEST

NORTHEAST

MAR. 24–APR. 17 – I-X Indoor Amusement Park, IX Center, One I-X Dr., Cleveland. Twenty acres of fun, all indoors! Thrilling amusement rides, including the 443-foot Soaring Eagle Zipline. Live family entertainment and much more. For dates and times, visit www. ixamusementpark.com.

APR. 8 – Painesville Railroad Museum Fundraiser, Harry Buffalo, 2119 Mentor Ave., Painesville, 3–5 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include all-you-can-eat appetizers and drinks. Chinese raffle and 50/30-20 raffle. Len Kessler at 440417-6746 or Tom Pescha at 216-470-5780.

APR. 8 – Sunrise Farm’s Easter Eggstravaganza, Glasshouse Pavilion, 13115 Kinsman Rd. (Rte. 87), Burton, 11 a.m. Free.

Easter egg hunts for the kids, while the adults can enjoy the market’s spring décor, Easter candies, and Easter baskets. 440-834-1298 or http://sunrisefarmgifts.com/april/.

APR. 8 – Spring Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Strongsville Ehrnfelt Recreation Ctr., 18100 Royalton Rd., Strongsville, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $3, under 12 free. Features artists and crafters selling their original handmade items. Full concession stand. 440-227-8794 or www.avantgardeshows.com.

APR. 20 – “The Story of Robert Long (A Civil War Soldier and POW),” Ohio Genealogical Society, Richland Co. Chapter, OGS Library, 611 St. Rte. 97 W., Bellville, 7 p.m. Free lecture by Pat Drouhard. 419-566-4560, Sunda1960@ yahoo.com, or www.rootsweb.ancestry. com/~ohrichgs/.

APR. 21–23 – The Little Mermaid, Geauga Lyric Theater Guild, 101 Water St., Chardon, Fri./Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. $18, Stds./Srs. $15, $10 C. (12 and under). 440-286-2255 or www. geaugatheater.org.

WEST VIRGINIA

Eggstravaganza

Easter-egg hunts are the order of the day in early April, with events all around the state.

Sunrise Farm (pictured), 13115 Kinsman Rd., in Burton, in Geauga County, hosts a free hunt for children 10 and under in its Glasshouse Pavilion at 11 a.m. sharp on April 8.

Call 440-834-1298 for details.

APR. 22 – EarthFest, Cuyahoga Co. Fgds., 19021 Bagley Rd, Middleburg Heights, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $8, C. (2–11) $4, under 2 free.

Celebrate the Year of Vibrant Green Space at Ohio’s largest environmental education event and the longest-running Earth Day celebration in the nation. Workshops, speakers, free tree giveaways, biodiesel-powered amusement park rides, petting zoos, urban farm animals, and much more. 216-281-6468 or www. earthdaycoalition.org.

APR. 22 – 23rd Annual Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park Dinner/ Auction, Wallace Lodge, Sally Buffalo Park, 100 College Way, Cadiz, 5–10 p.m. $18.

Buffet-style dinner, keynote speaker, and auction. Auction items may include items related to construction, mining, and agriculture such as models, antique or vintage, modern memorabilia, photos, collectibles, and more. For reservations or information, contact Marilyn at 740-942-3895, Dale at 740-391-4135, or www. hcrhp.org.

APR. 27–30 – Geauga County Maple Festival, Historic Chardon Square, Chardon,

APR. 16 – Easter Buffet, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. $21.95. Easter Egg Hunt at 2 p.m. 304-643-2931 or www.northbendsp.com.

APR. 26 – Administrative Professionals Day Buffet, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. $10.95.

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

Thur. noon–10 p.m., Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (weather permitting). A festival celebrating “everything maple”! Features arts and crafts, lumberjack competition, bathtub races, and other fun events and contests. Enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes at Pancakes in the Park, Fri.–Sun., 8 a.m.–2 p.m. 440-286-3007 or www.maplefestival.com.

APR. 29 – Troll Mania at Main, Troll Hole Museum, 228 E Main St., Alliance, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. World-record troll doll collection and troll memorabilia.Pick up your treasure map and then visit over 14 shops on Main St. to find the hidden trolls to win prizes. 330-929-1071or www.thetrollhole.com.

APR. 22 – Spring Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, St. George Serbian Ctr., 4667 Applegrove St. NW, North Canton, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $3, under 12 free. Features artists and crafters selling their original handmade items. Full concession stand. 440-227-8794 or www. avantgardeshows.com.

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

APRIL 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

39

MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Cute Easter Kids “My little fur baby, Tator Tot, weighed a pound-and-ahalf full grown, but what a terror! He was the baddest Chihuahua I’ve ever had, and I loved every minute of it!”

“My nephew, Tucker, posing as the Easter bunny.”

Natalie Jones Frontier Power Company member

Tonya Moran Bess South Central Power Company member

“Sitting in her Uncle Dick’s flower garden, Price Bush, daughter of Erica Bush, finds a snack at her first Easter egg hunt.”

Richard Crawford South Central Power Company member “Then 4-month-old Kelsey Weigel celebrates Easter back in April 1990.”

Don and Michelle Weigel Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative members

“Cousins Aiden and Elizabeth are on the hunt for Easter eggs at grandma’s house.”

Beth Schey Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative member

Send us your pictures!

Upload your photos at www.ohioec.org/memberinteractive, or send by U.S. mail to: Editor, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229.

Include your name, mailing address, phone number or e-mail, the name of your electric co-op, the month you’re submitting for, and who the person(s) in the photo is, as well as an explanation of the photo.

For October, send us photos from your favorite fall festivals by July 15. For November, send a photo or 100 words describing what you’re thankful for by August 15.

40

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • APRIL 2017

“What any little kid would LOVE to get on Easter morning: an adorable miniature American Eskimo puppy sleeping in an Easter basket.”

Kathy DeHass Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative member

www.ohioec.org

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND INFORMATION Cooperatives educate their consumer-members, employees, and the public about electrical safety, energy efficiency, and the benefits of having a cooperative in the local community through programs like Be E3 Smart.

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