Ohio Cooperative Living - May 2021 - Midwest

OHIO

MAY 2021

COOPERATIVE

Living

Midwest Electric Inc.

2021 ANNUAL MEETING

breakfast b

for memb uffet ers a immediate nd family*

Saturday, June 5 St. Marys Memorial High School

*Note: State guidelines for social distancing and masks will be observed. Masks are mandatory for everyone in the food serving line.

ostageUse the p rd paid ca ck on the ba cover

in total cash prizes including grand prize and a

scholarship drawing Must be present to win.

8:15 a.m.

Registration, free breakfast buffet, and activities begin 9:15 a.m.

• Business meeting — lasts only 45 minutes • Kids’ games, bounce houses, and activities EVENTS INCLUDE: • Meet your energy advisor • Booths on energy efficiency and renewable energy • Gra nd Lake Health System health fair Masks are required while completing any health fair activity. Thank you for your understanding.

• Director election results • Financial and service reports

Midwest Electric, Inc.

• Q&A with cooperative leaders

Official Notice

84th Annual Meeting Saturday, June 5, 2021 • St. Marys Memorial High School

Agenda

8:15 a.m..................................................... Registration 8:15–9:15 a.m............ Breakfast for Midwest Electric members and immediate family, kids’ activities, and games 9:15 a.m.............................................Business meeting All morning..................................... Variety of displays

and presentations

• Begin your Saturday morning with breakfast at

the high school. Note: State guidelines for social distancing and masks will be observed. Masks are mandatory for everyone in the food serving line.

• Registered members will be eligible to win cash prizes — must be present to win.

• Complete and return the postage-paid reservation card on the back cover or call in your reservation to the co-op office no later than June 2.

• Kids’ games, bounce houses, and activities are available for a morning of family fun!

Health Fair Grand Lake Health System will hold a health fair at the annual meeting. Most services are available for a fee; please pay Grand Lake Health System at the annual meeting. Masks are required for screenings. ___Body mass index (free) ___Blood pressure/pulse ox (free) ___Iron (anemia screen, $15) ___ Comprehensive metabolic panel ($25; 8-hour fast) ___PSA screening ($40) ___Thyroid screening ($40) ___ Cardio risk (lipid profile, $20; 12-hour fast) ___C-reactive protein ($25) ___Heel bone density (free) ___Diabetes screening (A1C, $25) ___Vitamin D deficiency ($35) The Auglaize County Sheriff ’s Department will be available to take expired medications as part of the Drug Take-Back Program.

Call to order.................................................................... Board President Larry Vandemark, 9:15 a.m.

Report on number of members present.....................................................................Larry Vandemark Approval of 2020 annual meeting minutes....................................................................... Randy Heinl Guest/employee introductions......................................................................................CEO Matt Berry Buckeye Power/Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives report..................... Pat O’Loughlin, President & CEO Annual report of board president............................................................................... Larry Vandemark Annual report of CEO............................................................................................................. Matt Berry Member questions/concerns................................................................................................... Matt Berry Report of results of director election and bylaw changes.........Cooperative Attorney Courtney Burton Adjournment.................................................................................................................Larry Vandemark $3,000 in cash prize drawings (including a $1,000 scholarship drawing) will be held at the conclusion of the meeting. Must be present to win.

Bring this

Registration Card to your Annual Meeting

You must be present to win.

Saturday, June 5 High IMPORTANT: DOSt. NOTMarys ENLARGE, Memorial REDUCE OR MOVE the FIMSchool and barcodes. They are only Special care must be taken to ensure FIM and barcode are actual size AND placed properly to meet both USPS regulations and automation compatibility standards.

Registration: 8:15 a.m.

NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES

so that we have an accurate head count for the caterer, or call (419) 394-4110 to make a reservation by phone.

Reservations must be received by June 2, 2021.

Registration: 8:15 a.m.

Breakfast & activities: 8:15 a.m.

Meeting: 9:15 a.m – 10:00 a.m.

BUSINESS REPLY MAIL

FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 1 SAINT MARYS OH POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE

MIDWEST ELECTRIC 06029 COUNTY RD 33A SAINT MARYS OH 45885-9906

Produced by DAZzle, Version 12.2.02 Artwork for User Defined (3.5" x 5") St.Env Marys Memorial High School, DYMO Endicia, www.Endici (c) 1993-2012, Layout: sample BRM with IMB.lyt User, Serial # March 25, 2020 2250 OH-66, St Marys, Authorized OH 45885

66 33

St. Marys Memorial H.S.

BRING THIS CARD WITH YOU TO THE MEETING!

Door Prize Registration Card Thanks for being a member of your community cooperative!

Midwest Electric, Inc. to the annual meeting at St. Marys Memorial High School, Saturday, June 5.

Breakfast reservation | Return by June 2.

Total number of breakfast reservations: Adults:____­_____ Children:_________ Name:___________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________ Phone:________________ Email:____________________ QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? __________­____________

___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

so that we have an accurate head count for the caterer, or call (419) 394-4110 to make a reservation by phone.

Reservations must be received by June 2, 2021.

If you have a question you’d like us to address during the meeting, include it on this card.

OHIO

MAY 2021

COOPERATIVE Union Rural Midwest Electric, Electric Inc. Cooperative

COMING SOON Election ballots arriving via mail (see page 20C)

ALSO INSIDE 80 years and counting A man and his castle Food from the forest floor

Charging your EV just got easier Which charger is right for you?

Level 1 Using a standard home outlet with a 120-volt alternating current (AC) plug, Level 1 will charge your EV in 15 to 24 hours.

Level 2 A special 240-volt AC outlet cuts charging time down to just 3 to 5 hours.

ohioec.org/energy

Level 3 These 480-volt commercial chargers, also called direct current (DC) fast chargers, can “fill” an EV battery in less than an hour.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

INSIDE FEATURES

24 CHANGING WITH THE TIMES Coney Island and Sunlite Pool have a long history of summer fun.

28 SKIP THE HOTEL

Ohio property owners offer one-of-a-

kind accommodations as travelers look for something different.

30 SIPS AND SWINGS Huntsville hot spot lets visitors partake in pinot while they practice their putting.

32 FROM THE FOREST FLOOR Edible plants grow on almost any property in Ohio, but the southeast is a forager’s happy hunting ground.

This page: The Box Hop’s reclaimed shipping containers make a cozy Hocking Hills getaway destination.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 1

UP FRONT

years SERVING OUR MEMBERS

and counting Pat O’Loughlin PRESIDENT & CEO OHIO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

Both Buckeye Power and OREC exist to help your co-op better serve you, your family, and your business.

Ohio Cooperative Living readers know that Ohio’s 24 electric cooperatives are served by a Columbus-based organization known as Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives. OEC is composed of Buckeye Power, the wholesale power supplier for the state’s distribution cooperatives (including your local co-op), and Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives (OREC), the statewide trade and service association that works on behalf of the local co-op. While Buckeye Power was formed in 1959, this year marks OREC’s 80th anniversary.

Power generation, which Buckeye Power has been doing for 62 years, and trade and service work, like that performed by OREC, together require us to apply both art and science to our work.

Lineworker and safety training, marketing campaign assistance, education courses, legislative advocacy, and communications support (including the production of Ohio Cooperative Living) are just a few of the tasks on OREC’s “to do” list. The first item on that list is, and always will be, service to your local cooperative. The bottom line is that both Buckeye Power and OREC exist to help your co-op better serve you, your family, and your business.

Who makes up Ohio’s electric cooperative network?

Comprehensively, Buckeye Power and OREC serve about 1 million Ohioans in 77 of the state’s 88 counties. That’s a momentous responsibility, a tremendous opportunity, and an immense privilege.

We look forward to the next 80 years.

Co-op

Counties served

Adams Rural Electric Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Carroll Electric Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Consolidated Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Darke Rural Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Energy Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Firelands Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Frontier Power Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative . . . . . . .

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Logan County Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . .

Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Adams, Brown, Highland, Pike, Scioto Athens, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton Butler, Hamilton, Montgomery, Preble Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Stark, Tuscarawas Delaware, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Marion, Morrow, Richland, Union Darke, Preble Ashland, Coshocton, Delaware, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Muskingum, Perry, Richland Ashland, Huron, Lorain, Richland Coshocton, Guernsey, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Muskingum, Tuscarawas Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Tuscarawas Allen, Erie, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood, Wyandot Ashland, Coshocton, Holmes, Knox, Medina, Stark, Tuscarawas, Wayne Logan Ashland, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Wayne Allen, Auglaize, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Logan, Marion, Morrow, Union, Wyandot Allen, Auglaize, Darke, Mercer, Putnam, Shelby, Van Wert Crawford, Hancock, Huron, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood, Wyandot Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Williams Allen, Defiance, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert (OH); Adams, Allen (IN) Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Logan, Madison, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Shelby, Union Belmont, Fairfield, Franklin, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Monroe, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, and portions of 12 others Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Putnam, Wood Champaign, Delaware, Hardin, Logan, Marion, Union Athens, Guernsey, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Washington

Midwest Electric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

North Central Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

North Western Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . .

Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

South Central Power Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Union Rural Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Washington Electric Cooperative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

MAY 2021 • Volume 63, No. 8

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 www.ohiocoopliving.com

4 DEPARTMENTS

Patrick O’Loughlin President & CEO

Patrick Higgins Director of Communications

Jeff McCallister Managing Editor

Rebecca Seum Associate Editor

Anita Cook Graphic Designer

Contributors: Colleen Romick Clark, Randy Edwards, Victoria Ellwood, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Catherine Murray, Jamie Rhein, Kevin Williams, and Patty Yoder.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING (USPS 134-760; ISSN 2572-049X) is published monthly by Ohio Rural Elec­tric Co­op­eratives, Inc. It is the official com­munication link be­tween the elec­­­­tric co­operatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their mem­bers. Subscription cost for members ranges from $5.52 to $6.96 per year, paid from equity accruing to the member.

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

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

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

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

4

POWER LINES

Cooperation: After 80 years, Ohio’s statewide electric cooperative association still shows the power of working together.

6

8

Steady hand: 25 years after he was first elected, Steve Nelson earns high marks for his leadership of the Buckeye Power board of trustees.

8

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative: Operating in one of the most scenic parts of Ohio, BREC prides itself on improving people’s lives.

10

10 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Fish hawk with fish hooks: With their rotating talons, spiny feet, and memorable technique for catching food, ospreys are unique in the bird world.

12

12 CO-OP PEOPLE

A man and his castle: A co-op member’s childhood dream comes to fruition in Washington County.

15 GOOD EATS

Honey, do!: Thick and sweet and oh-so-delicious, honey adds tantalizing flavor to every course.

For all advertising inquiries, contact

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

15

19 LOCAL PAGES News and information from your

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

Alliance for Audited Media Member Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

electric cooperative.

37 CALENDAR

What’s happening: May/June events and other things to do around Ohio.

40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Little League: As the weather gets warmer, members and their kids are ready to play ball!

40

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

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 3

POWER LINES

years SERVING OUR MEMBERS

Electric cooperatives and their members see benefits of the statewide association.

BY JEFF McCALLISTER

S

hortly after the first electric cooperatives formed in the 1930s, their leadership began to see some of the same challenges that small businesses everywhere face — chief among them being a lack of the buying power that larger companies enjoy.

Co-ops needed supplies, equipment, insurance — in short, lots of products that larger companies pay less for because they buy them in bulk. The problem was most apparent in the co-ops’ main product: the electricity they provided to their members. Individual cooperatives had to purchase wholesale power from other utilities at whatever rate those utilities charged.

The leaders of the co-ops started talking among themselves to find ways to negotiate better contracts to buy electricity, and they saw immediate benefits. It didn’t take long before they began to see real value in working together in other aspects of their business, as well. So, in 1941 — a little more than five years after Piquabased Pioneer Electric Cooperative set the first co-op pole in the nation, and 80 years ago this summer — co-ops officially formed a statewide trade association: Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives.

The most significant development to come from the association is undoubtedly the creation of Buckeye Power, a generation and transmission cooperative wholly owned by Ohio’s co-ops. In 2015, the two companies — the power generation co-op and the services co-op — united under one name: Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.

“The early cooperative leaders were dedicated to improving the lives of the people in their communities, and I marvel at the initiative and courage it took to make electrification happen,” says Pat O’Loughlin, president and CEO of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives. “I also take note every day of the foresight those leaders had when they created this association and gave it the flexibility to evolve and meet challenges that they honestly couldn’t have dreamed of at the time.”

In 1959, once the early leadership had well established that they could negotiate better power rates as a group, they soon realized that they had the means to produce the power themselves, and they established Buckeye Power.

“Co-ops were at the mercy of AEP,” says Steve Nelson, CEO and general manager of Coshocton-based Frontier Power Company, one of 24 electric distribution

4 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

cooperatives that operate in Ohio. “All those pioneers got together and decided they could never get ahead as long as they had to rely on other people for their electricity.”

By the time the association’s 25th anniversary rolled around in 1966, construction was nearly complete on two coal-fired generating units in Brilliant, Ohio — one owned

by Buckeye Power. The co-ops built a third unit that came online in 1977, and took over full operational control of all three units in 2018. Together, those units can produce up to 1,230 megawatts — more than enough to power all of Ohio’s co-op homes and businesses, even at peak usage.

While power rates were the statewide association’s first order of business, its role and capabilities have expanded to a wide array of professional and technical services: • Power, engineering, and technical services, such as load control.

• Government relations and lobbying efforts, both in the Ohio Statehouse and in the U.S. Congress.

• Mutual aid and disaster recovery coordination.

• Education and training programs for co-op employees, from lineworkers to board members.

• Scholarship and youth programs, such as the Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. • Communications services, including digital and multimedia projects as well as Ohio Cooperative Living magazine.

Government relations

“The best thing to come out of the association is the unity among the cooperatives. There is a spirit among all of us, to this day, that we are all better together than we would be separately.”

— Steve Nelson They’re tasks that the co-ops could do on their own — but it makes more sense for one centralized source to do those jobs, providing expertise, consistency across co-op borders, and economies of scale.

“If every small cooperative around the country had to go out individually to hire all of these services, the cost would be astronomical,” says Ed VanHoose, general manager of both Wellington-based Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative and Attica-based North Central Electric Cooperative.

“Instead, we have our associated organizations, such as the statewide association, that turn us into a large collective.

Instead of having to do everything on our own, we can do it together. Cooperatives just would not be able to provide the level of service we do without them.”

“Honestly, the best thing to come out of the association is the unity among the cooperatives,” Nelson says.

“There is a spirit among all of us, to this day, that we are all better together than we would be separately.”

Mutual aid and disaster recovery

Employee education

Youth programs

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 5

Milestones come and go as Nelson’s consistent leadership provides steadiness at the helm Steve Nelson didn’t necessarily plan to stay long in the job his peers elected him to back in 1996.

He had been named general manager of The Frontier Power Company, the Coshocton-based electric distribution cooperative, only four years earlier. In that position, he automatically had a seat on the board of trustees for Buckeye Power, the generation and transmission cooperative that is the source of electricity that co-ops like Frontier Power provide to their members.

Even early on, Nelson made a strong impression on the state’s other co-op managers, and he was elected as chairman of the board at a time when Buckeye Power was navigating some tricky issues, such as electricity deregulation and ever-more-stringent environmental regulation.

“I never planned to be chairman more than a little while,” says Nelson, now 65, who’s celebrating 25 years as Buckeye’s chairman this year. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll stay at it, but for now, it seems like they still want me, so I’ll keep doing what I can.”

Ohio’s 24 electric cooperatives are as diverse in their needs as they are in their geography, so keeping the board running smoothly isn’t always an easy task — but it’s one to which Nelson is particularly suited.

“Personally, I see a lot of that job as building unity,” he says. “You put a group of people together with the main goal that they always vote in the best interests of the group as a whole, but they all come from different places and represent a bunch of ideas, and it’s not always easy to look past those ideas. I’ve been around a long time, though, and I can use that sense of history to maybe explain an issue from different angles they might not have seen.”

6 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

“The term of the chairman is only a year at a time, and Steve keeps getting reelected year after year — so it’s obvious the board values his leadership,” says Pat O’Loughlin, president and CEO of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.

“He does such a good job running the board meetings, which is the most visible part of the job, even though it’s certainly not the most important,” O’Loughlin says. “He makes sure that everyone on the board has a voice, that they all get to have input on issues of importance to them, and people appreciate that. Board members respect Steve’s common-sense approach.”

Nelson also is generous with the time that he devotes to board business. Running the Buckeye Power board meetings may be the most visible of his duties, but it only takes up a small portion of the time he gives to the cause. As chairman, he’s an ex officio member of all the various board committees, and he represents Buckeye Power in meetings with numerous outside partners, such as American Electric Power — which sometimes add up to four or five extra meetings every month — outside of his full-time job as CEO of Frontier Power.

Nelson realizes he’s not going to be at it forever, though.

He enjoys traveling with his wife of 45 years, Beth — they were high school sweethearts at River View, just up the road from Coshocton — and plays golf in whatever spare time he comes by.

“Steve’s one of the most dedicated people I know to the cooperative ideals,” O’Loughlin says. “He puts in the time, often behind the scenes, to ensure that Ohio’s cooperatives are well represented.”

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

BUCKEYE RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

O

perating from Rio Grande, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative covers an expansive territory in southern Ohio, serving 18,562 consumer-members in nine counties: Athens, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton. Buckeye REC’s territory is in the Ohio Appalachians, one of the most scenic parts of the state. The area’s rolling hills and mountains and natural flora and fauna are unmatched for beauty in any season.

Buckeye REC’s territory encompasses portions of Wayne National Forest, the only national forest in Ohio, which covers over a quarter-million acres of unglaciated terrain in the Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio. The forest offers opportunities for outdoors enthusiasts to pursue their passions, including mountain biking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, ATV riding, boating, archery, canoeing and kayaking, or even just soaking in nature’s spectacular sights.

Working for business Buckeye REC proudly supports economic development and job creation within the community.

In 2019, Buckeye REC was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission POWER Initiative that will provide funds for fiber optic cable to connect cooperative substations in six counties and pave the way for future broadband expansion to members from internet service providers.

Additionally, Buckeye REC recently provided an economic development grant through Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives for site work needed to obtain “construction-ready” SiteOhio authentication at the Dan Evans Industrial Park II, which will allow potential developers to immediately build on the site. The cooperative also used site readiness grant funds to prepare their 13-acre Echo Valley substation property for future development.

Community From offering school visits and teaching electrical safety, to partnering with the Red Cross for a blood drive, Buckeye REC participates in programs to benefit all members of their communities. Buckeye even donated a bucket truck to Buckeye Hills Career Center for use in the center’s power lineman training program.

Through the electric cooperative Youth Tour, Buckeye REC sends a high school student to Washington, D.C., each year to learn about our nation. Scholarships for high school seniors (including a recently introduced technical scholarship) provide assistance for children of members to pursue higher education. This past holiday season, when Gallia County Local Schools was unable to hold its annual food drive, Buckeye Rural employees helped fill the need by donating cash to cover the cost of feeding seven families — all part of the co-op’s guiding principle of Concern for Community.

8 8 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

Co-op Spotlight appears regularly in Ohio Cooperative Living to give a glimpse into the land and the people of Ohio’s 24 electric cooperatives.

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MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 9

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

THE FISH HAWK WITH FISH HOOKS FOR HANDS STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

T

he first time you see an osprey dive on a fish is one of those memorable birding moments that last a lifetime. With a wingspan of up to 6 feet, ospreys are not small birds of prey. In addition, their distinctive dark-brown and white markings make them readily identifiable as they hover — sometimes 100 feet high — above a lake, river, or other large body of water.

Upon spotting a fish swimming near the surface, an osprey folds its wings, drops from the sky, and hits the water feet first, with sharp, unusually long talons extended, creating an impressive splash. The bird may even completely submerge. They’re not always successful at this “plunge-diving” fishing technique, as wildlife biologists term it, but when they are, the bird lumbers from the water manipulating its catch to carry it headfirst, making its prize more aerodynamic in flight.

10 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

As it flies, the osprey will also shake itself, much like a dog, removing water from its feathers. The fish feast is then flown to a large, bulky stick nest and shared with its mate/young, or possibly, the fish is simply taken to a stout tree limb where the osprey alights and enjoys a solo meal of the world’s freshest sushi.

Like bald eagles, ospreys nearly disappeared from North America when their populations were severely reduced by the unregulated use of agricultural pesticides during the 1950s and 1960s. “Those chemicals contaminated fish and negatively affected reproduction of avian predators at the top of the food chain,” says Jim McCormac, author of the identification guide Birds of Ohio. “By the early 1970s, only a handful of ospreys were seen in Ohio each year.”

The specially developed foot of an osprey has rough spines on its soles and talons that can rotate completely backward — making it the perfect tool for carrying fish.

Ask

chip!

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

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

www.ohiocoopliving.com The good news is that those dark days have passed for Buckeye State ospreys, and the species has recovered. “Ohio’s osprey reintroduction program, begun in 1996, has been a huge success,” says Laura Kearns, research biologist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “The program set a goal of having 20 nesting pairs of ospreys in the state by 2010 and that goal was achieved by 2003, seven years ahead of schedule. Today, the osprey population in Ohio continues to do well.”

Ospreys are so unique to the bird world that they are the only member in the scientific family Pandionidae.

One of the characteristics of the bird that makes it unusual is a large front outer toe on each foot that can rotate backward to help carry a fish. In other words, when the specialized toe is rotated, two talons grasp a fish from behind, balancing the two talons grasping it from the front. Also helping ospreys “get a grip” on slippery fish are scaly, roughened spines on the soles of their feet, known as tubercles.

Courtship displays in ospreys are unusual affairs, with the male performing a “fish flight” sky dance for the female. Screaming and holding a fish in its talons, the male alternates hovering with making steep ascents and dives. As a fisherman myself, I have tried that type of nuptial display in front of my wife, but to no avail.

PLACES TO SEE OHIO OSPREYS Migratory ospreys will be returning to the Buckeye State this month, and may be seen at nearly any large body of water. The Ohio Division of Wildlife recommends the following viewing areas: • Alum Creek Lake along Hogback Road (Delaware County) • Lake LaSuAn Wildlife Area (Williams County) • Deer Creek Lake at the Deer Creek Wildlife Area (Pickaway County) • Salt Fork Wildlife Area (Guernsey County) • Portage Lakes (North Reservoir, Long Lake, and Nimisila Reservoir in Summit County) • Acton Lake at Hueston Woods State Park (Butler County)

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative employees installed a pole to be used as an osprey tower beside Hueston Woods State Park’s Acton Lake last fall, along with partners from the Avian Research and Education Institute, Miami University, and the Miami Bird Club, to help the public observe the birds in nature.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 11

CO-OP PEOPLE CO-OP PEOPLE A co-op member’s childhood dream comes to fruition in Washington County.

BY RANDY EDWARDS

A man and his castle I

t stands to reason that a man who has made his living battling termites might choose not to build his house of wood. But Bill Grizer, an exterminator from Whipple, Ohio, and a member of Marietta-based Washington Electric Cooperative, wanted no ordinary house made of bricks or stone, either.

He dreamed of a castle.

Today, Grizer Castle sits on high ground on Scotts Ridge in Washington County, occupying a site with a defensive position any medieval lord would covet. Polished suits

12 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

of armor guard the entrance, and the castle’s Great Hall echoes with the joyous sounds of weddings — or it did, before the great plague recalling the Middle Ages temporarily shut down mass revelry.

With towers rising 50 feet above its hilltop foundation, Grizer Castle is the concrete manifestation of a dream that was inspired, as many are, by Hollywood. As an 8-year-old, Grizer was fascinated by the 1968 film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and his obsession with castles was launched while watching Dick Van Dyke pilot his flying car over Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle.

Many 8-year-old boys would have fixated on the flying car; Grizer got all wideeyed about the castle (built by Bavarian monarch “Mad” King Ludwig II in the 19th century). Grizer remembers, “I told my mom, ‘I want that castle!’ ” His mother replied in a way that every mother responds to her son’s pipe dream.

“She said, ‘Well, you can’t have that castle, but if you work hard and save your money, you can build your own.’ I decided I would do that.”

Demonstrating a focus not typical among preadolescent boys, Grizer didn’t forget his dream. “I’d see someone was tearing down a house or building something and I’d say, ‘I’m Billy Grizer and I’m going to build a castle.’ They would laugh and give me some of their blocks. My mom was good about it. We had a Ford Maverick and she’d drive me around. We could fit maybe six or eight blocks in the trunk.”

Grizer, now 56, kept dreaming throughout high school, choosing a masonry program at the local trade school so he could develop his construction skills.

While he earned his living as an exterminator — building his own company from the ground up over three decades — he never stopped collecting building materials and never stopped dreaming.

He added towers and a stone front to the home in which he and his wife raised their six children. But adding a castellated façade to a suburban-style home just wasn’t enough.

In 2014, Grizer’s castle in the sky began to take shape on 80 acres of familyowned land about 20 miles from Marietta. He’s both a licensed contractor and blessed with friends in the skilled trades, and the structure rose slowly, built entirely by Grizer and his friends and family. Friend Jamie Littleton and brother-in-law Jason Myers helped him with laying 46,000 concrete blocks.

An electrician friend, Lonnie Kramer, helped him wire the place. Sons and daughters chipped in labor, and his wife, Barbara, used 11,412 small tiles to create a mosaic in the Great Hall showing the forces of good and evil battling in full armor on horseback. His sister, Sarah Myers, manages rentals and marketing.

Bill Grizer started planning his castle when he was 8 years old. The fortress currently includes a hall that can seat 300 (below) and a mosaic created by his wife from more than 11,000 individual pieces of tile (opposite page). He hopes to develop the surrounding land into a full-scale medieval entertainment venue.

Sometimes, Grizer’s friends also helped him keep his imagination in check. He points to the gleaming wooden ceiling of the hall and admits that it pained him to cut through it to install modern lighting. “My buddy said, ‘You’re not going to be able to hang burning torches inside this place,’ and he was right,” Grizer says.

The castle, when finished, will encompass about 26,000 square feet of usable space, including the Great Hall, which seats 300. Guests pass through iron gates and a foyer guarded by suits of armor before entering the Great Hall.

Off the hall is a warming kitchen, restrooms, and a bridal suite complete with a grilled speakeasy door that allows the bride or her attendants to look out without being revealed.

The second-floor living areas, where he and his wife plan to settle down to enjoy retirement, remain unfinished, but will include a library and a bedroom with a sweeping view of the surrounding hills and valleys.

Always the dreamer, Grizer doesn’t plan to stop when the castle is complete. He imagines the surrounding land developed as a medieval entertainment attraction, including a working historical village, rustic camping cabins, and hiking trails.

“I want this place to be shared by the community,” Grizer says, standing in front of his castle and surveying his estate. “I want people to come out here with their kids, so they can see that the world can be yours — that you can have anything you dream of.”

For more about Grizer Castle and rental opportunities, see www.facebook.com/grizercastle, email wcgrizer@gmail.com, or call 740-516-6536.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 13

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READER RECIPE CONTEST

Holiday Favorites

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

• Be sure to include all ingredients and measurements, directions, and number of servings. Then tell us the basic story behind your recipe: Is it a family tradition, passed down through generations? Or did you make it up one day out of thin air? A good back story can never hurt! Finally, take a photo of your finished product.

What’s the one recipe your holiday dinner table can’t do without? We’re looking for unique and delicious dishes along with the story behind the food.

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

Upload your recipes and stories to www.ohiocoopliving. com/memberinteractive.

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

The winner will receive a KitchenAid stand mixer, and two runners-up will be awarded a bestselling cookbook to spice up that holiday table even more.

• Entries should be uploaded to www.ohiocoopliving.com/ memberinteractive. If you are unable to submit online, you may submit by mail to Catherine Murray, care of Ohio Cooperative Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229.

Entry deadline: June 15, 2021.

14 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

• Limit of three recipes per entrant.

• Contest winners will be announced in the November issue of Ohio Cooperative Living.

GOOD EATS

Honey, do!

Thick and sweet and oh-so-delicious, honey adds tantalizing flavor to every course.

TART AND SWEET BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Servings: 6 to 8 1 cup pecans ½ cup dried cherries 4 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard divided juice of 1 lemon 1 pound Brussels sprouts ¼ cup olive oil 1 tart green apple, cored and diced Preheat oven to 350 F. Stir together pecans and 2 tablespoons of the honey. Spread evenly over a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake approximately 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Allow 5 minutes to cool, then peel pecans off of parchment paper. Set aside.

Cut ends off of the Brussels sprouts and slice finely.

Transfer to a large bowl and toss with diced apple, pecans, and cherries. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, yellow mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pour dressing over Brussels sprout salad, tossing to coat.

Per serving: 363 calories, 22.5 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 0 milligrams cholesterol, 50 milligrams sodium, 41 grams total carbohydrates, 6.5 grams fiber, 5 grams protein.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 15

HONEY CINNAMON SHORTBREAD Prep: 20 minutes | Chill: 2 hours | Cook: 12 minutes | Servings: 12 2¼ cups flour ½ cup sugar ½ cup yellow cornmeal 3 tablespoons honey, plus extra for glazing 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 large egg yolks ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, softened In a small bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, cinnamon, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together butter, sugar, and honey until smooth. Mix in egg yolks, then the flour mixture, until dough is smooth and holds together. Form into a 10 x 3-inch cylinder (using a little extra flour if needed), cover in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, press down (or cut with a sharp knife) to create the 6 sides of a honeycomb/hexagon shape. Refrigerate again for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Remove dough from refrigerator. Slice into 1/3-inch slices and place a half-inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until shortbread edges are lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then lightly brush cookies with warmed honey (optional). Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Makes 24 cookies.

Per serving: 296 calories, 16.5 grams fat (10 grams saturated fat), 76 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium, 35 grams total carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 3.5 grams protein.

STICKY SPICY HONEY CHICKEN Prep: 10 minutes | Marinate: 8 hours | Cook: 30 minutes | Servings: 6 ¾ cup honey, divided ¼ cup ketchup 1/3 cup Asian chili sauce (such as 2 tablespoons minced garlic Sriracha), divided 2 teaspoons cornstarch ¼ cup soy sauce, divided ¼ cup diced scallions (greens only) ¼ cup apple cider vinegar lime wedges 2 tablespoons sesame oil 4 pounds chicken thighs and wings (approximately 8 pieces) In a large bowl, whisk together a marinade of 1/2 cup honey, 4 tablespoons chili sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and sesame oil. Remove chicken from package; rinse and place into the large bowl, making sure all chicken is coated with marinade mixture. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a roasting pan or baking sheet with foil and spread out chicken on top in a single layer. Pour some of the marinade over chicken to coat. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, basting once or twice. Once chicken is done, turn the oven to broil for 2 to 4 minutes to crisp the skin.

Meanwhile, in a microwavable bowl, whisk remaining 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons chili sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ketchup, cornstarch, and garlic. Heat sauce in microwave for 30 seconds at a time until sauce begins to thicken. Brush sauce onto chicken and sprinkle with scallions. Serve with lime wedges and remaining sauce for dipping. Pairs well with vegetables or rice.

Per serving: 924 calories, 49 grams fat (13 grams saturated fat), 281 milligrams cholesterol, 645 milligrams sodium, 40 grams total carbohydrates, 0.5 gram fiber, 77 grams protein.

16 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

HONEY-ROASTED CARROTS Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 to 6 2 pounds small carrots, washed 1 teaspoon ground ginger 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup honey 6 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme) 1 tablespoon olive oil Note: If some carrots are noticeably thicker than others, slice them in half lengthwise.

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a large baking sheet, pile up the carrots. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, honey, olive oil, ginger, and black pepper. Pour over carrots and toss to coat.

Spread out carrots into a single layer. Top with fresh thyme sprigs (or sprinkle with dried thyme). Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until carrots are tender and beginning to brown. Transfer to a serving dish before honey glaze begins to thicken. If you’re wanting to avoid sugar, leave the excess glaze in the pan — there’s plenty of sweetness in the carrots as they are.

See a video of some of our tasty dishes being prepared.

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

www.ohiocoopliving.com

Per serving: 178 calories, 8 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 146 milligrams sodium, 27 grams total carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 1.5 grams protein.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 17

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MIDWEST ELECTRIC LOCAL PAGES c

H

The exact date isn’t clear, but we split off from OFB around 1938-39. Part of the territory (St. Marys) became Midwest Electric Cooperative. The Hardin County and eastern Allen/Auglaize County portion became United Rural Electric Cooperative (now named Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative).

The Ohio Farm Bureau (OFB) was instrumental in getting the electric cooperative started. OFB helped organize the first board and provided administrative, accounting, and engineering support. Our original name was Farm Bureau Electric Co-op, District #3, Inc. The name was changed that first night (March 17, 1936) to Western Farm Bureau Electric Co-op, Inc.

This issue underscores the local, community control aspect of our nature. We wanted to control things locally, not through the OFB in Columbus.

istory defines culture.

Knowing our co-op’s history is similar to knowing our country’s history; it helps define our actions today and helps us better understand our mission and purpose. I hope you’ll enjoy this brief summary of our early years. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to build an electric cooperative!

Matt Berry, CEO

mberry@midwestrec.com

But it didn’t take long for the board to become dissatisfied with progress, and blame was placed on OFB. By Oct. 1936, the board was already discussing separating from OFB. The process, however, would take a couple of years.

There was a fair amount of drama and tension between OFB and local co-op leaders. And there wasn’t 100% agreement on the split locally. Tempers were evident in letters between the Mercer County Farm Bureau and the local electric co-op leaders, with the Mercer County Farm Bureau threatening the co-op that its local citizens and farmers would not take electricity from the co-op if it split from OFB. Continued on page 20

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 19

Midwest Electric’s office, circa 1940s

An early-days employee at his desk working

Continued from page 19

Other aspects of our culture today can be found in our first set of Rules and Regulations, created mid-1936:

conductors. Strong backs were easy to find with so many out of work during the depression.

• Each member has a responsibility to be informed about their cooperative, and involved in their cooperative.

Our first office was in downtown Lima. A year later, in mid-1937, we moved to downtown St. Marys as we learned it would be a central location for our electric projects. We bounced around a few different spots in St. Marys before settling at our current home in the 1960s.

• The co-op has a duty to be transparent with members regarding progress of the cooperative, financials, etc.

• References to “each local community” being responsible for improving the cooperative.

It appears that our first electric project went from E. Shelby Road (east of St. Marys) north to Glynwood Road, then east to Glynwood St. Patrick Church, and west to St. Marys River Road and north to Noble School. Today, Glynwood St. Patrick Church is still our longest continuously served member (see photos at right).

Our first electric substation was built in 1937 on Clover Four Road, east of SR 66A, between St. Marys and New Bremen.

It was only 300 kVa in size, yet served hundreds of members over hundreds of miles of power line. For some perspective, an average home today could be served with a 15 kVa transformer, so that’s equal to about 20 homes. But consider that a radio was the number one surveyed item that people wanted when they got electricity.

Our second substation was on CR 33A and TownlineKossuth, consisting of 600 kVa in transformers to serve the entire Midwest Electric system load of 850 miles of line.

There was no Buckeye Power supply cooperative in those days (our power supplier today), so we were on our own to acquire power sources. Our supplier at the time was Central Ohio Light and Power (Findlay) and they served us from a coal power plant in Bluffton.

Using the assembly-line theory of Henry Ford, crews of specialists set about electrifying the countryside in westcentral Ohio. One crew would stake out the line, while another would clear the right-of-way of trees and other obstacles. Yet another group would drop off poles and hardware. Another crew would dig holes while yet another would affix the hardware. Another group would use a 16to 18-foot tall “pike” pole to brace against the main pole when setting it in the hole. Then more men would set the poles, while a last crew would string the Copperweld 20 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

For the first year, we had only two employees, Carl Presar (general manager) and Isabelle Goodwin. Contractors took care of the line construction. It appears that our first lineman was Prentiss Tomlinson, hired Aug. 1938.

Another co-op principle, Cooperation Among Cooperatives, started taking shape by 1938 as Ohio’s fledgling electric cooperatives started meeting together to discuss common issues such as taxation and territory encroachment by the larger utilities gobbling up the most lucrative service areas close to towns. By 1939, statewide training classes were being held for electric cooperative bookkeepers.

By 1939, the board recognized that a minimum service charge — a monthly fixed charge to help pay the cooperative’s fixed costs — would be necessary.

Being good stewards and upholding good governance practices were top of the mind for the early trustees.

An Aug. 1939 Midwest Electric board meeting entry: “A general discussion was had of … our duties … in the conduct of the office which we have been chosen by the people to fulfill.

We … discussed our various faults and mistakes freely and frankly … that we emerge with a better understanding, a more appreciative conception of the obligations which we owe to each other and to all persons whom we may be obliged to serve.”

They then decided to bring in outside experts for guidance.

Remember, they were local citizens — farmers and everyday people — and they were trying to create something that nobody had any knowledge or experience in.

By late 1939, electric construction and activity was growing rapidly. The cooperative hired new linemen and other employees. They purchased more service trucks. The board

tin lebra g

85

Ce Midwest Electric employees

and employees had their hands full trying to keep up. I’d say they did a whale of a job. Hats off to them! Did they have any idea what a phenomenal job they did and the results it would have?

Just as today, member services was at the heart and soul of the early cooperative.

• In Feb. 1937, the board started the process of getting into the appliance business in order to help members once they had electricity. Today, we provide energy efficiency advice and rebates for appliances, water heaters, and heating systems, along with energy audits.

• We held appliance and cooking demonstrations at our 1938 annual meeting.

• Our first electric rates (Oct. 1937) already had a reference to load control for electric water heaters: “lower element controlled by a time switch limiting operation to a maximum of 16 hours use per day.

Time switch furnished and maintained by the cooperative.” Today, more than half of our members participate in our peak load management program for water heaters, saving the cooperative hundreds of thousands of dollars annually and our load control periods occur less than 1% of the hours in a year.

• Water heater tank insulation was approved by the cooperative.

• In 1938, we created a loan program to help members finance wiring projects and the purchase of appliances.

Years 1936—2021

Glynwood St. Patrick Church is our longest continuously served member (above and below)

• Electric utilization tours were held throughout western Ohio to help farmers and homeowners learn about electricity and what it could do to alleviate “the drudgery of rural life.”

• Our first electric rates included a discount if the member had an electric water heater and an additional discount with an electric range.

This view into our co-op’s history is important. It reminds us of why we began and why we still exist today. The values at our co-op’s inception are still very much alive and relevant. We began and we remain committed to our co-op culture of helping our members.

One of Midwest Electric’s first substations

Midwest Electric’s history project helps to build our co-op culture for current employees and board directors as well as those who join the team in the future. If you or someone in your family has information about Midwest Electric’s history to add, please reach out to me, your CEO Matt Berry, at 800-962-3830 or mberry@midwestrec.com.

Thank you for being a member of your co-op!

Ada Eyler's family membership certificate from 1939. Her family paid $10 to join the co-op back then. Do you know anyone who still has one of these?

• Oct. 1937: We hired an electrician to help members with wiring.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20A

MIDWEST ELECTRIC LOCAL PAGES ANNUAL MEETING

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF 2021 ANNUAL MEETING Saturday, June 5 | St. Marys Memorial High School, St. Rt. 66 and U.S. 33 8:15 a.m. — Registration, activities, and breakfast • 9:15 a.m. — Meeting

Annual meeting • $2,000 in cash prizes • Kids’ activities and games • Free breakfast buffet (please note masks will be required in line) • $1,000 scholarship drawing - Any member or child of a member who will be a college or trade school student in fall 2021 is eligible.

Entrants must enter at the annual meeting and be present to win.

• Energy industry update; Q&A with co-op leaders • Co-op Owners for Political Action: learn how you can influence legislation that impacts you!

Health fair Grand Lake Health System will hold a health fair at Midwest Electric’s June 5 annual meeting. Several tests will be offered, some for free and some requiring payment, and a drug take-back service will be available.

For fee services, please pay Grand Lake Health System at the meeting.

Masks required for screenings.

• Body mass index (BMI). . . . . . FREE • Heel bone density. . . . . . . . . . . FREE • Blood pressure/pulse ox . . . . . FREE • Iron (anemia screen). . . . . . . . . . . $15 • Diabetes screening (A1C). . . . . . . $25 • C-reactive protein. . . . . . . . . . . . . $25

• Comprehensive metabolic panel, including glucose (8-hour fast). . $25 • PSA screening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40 • Thyroid screening. . . . . . . . . . . . . $40 • Cardiovascular risk assessment (12-hour fast). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 • Vitamin D deficiency. . . . . . . . . . $35

Drug take-back program The Auglaize Sheriff’s Department will be available to take expired, no-longer-used medications as part of the Grand Lake Health/Auglaize County Sheriff’s drug take-back program.

Win our $1,000 college or trade school scholarship!

This scholarship is a random drawing done at our annual meeting (details above). Any member or child of a member who will be a college or trade school student in fall 2021 is eligible (excluding past winners). There is no age limit. Entrants must enter at the annual meeting and be present to win. Money will be disbursed in Feb. 2022 following confirmation of enrollment and a minimum 2.5 GPA.

20B OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

Attention members ...

WATCH THE MAIL FOR YOUR 2021 ELECTION BALLOT TO VOTE One member, one vote: That's the co-op way!

As a democratically operated organization owned by the members we serve, board elections are an important part of our unique cooperative model.

It’s your job to raise your voice in our cooperative board of director elections, as well as on our proposed Code of Regulations amendments to our bylaws (see below). Watch your mail around mid-May for your ballot. If you’re a member, you’re allowed to vote for all districts.

You may vote by mail with the ballot and return envelope that will be sent to you.

Alternately, you may vote online at www.midwestrec.com. The ballot will include instructions for online voting.

Your ballot must be received by our voting firm by 8 a.m. on June 2 in order to be counted.

Thank you in advance for your vote.

Note: Do not include any payments with your ballot. Do not send your ballot to our St. Marys office. Use the postage-paid return envelope.

Proposed changes to the co-op Code of Regulations The Midwest Electric Board of Directors is asking for your support to approve the following proposed code updates.

You’ll receive a ballot in May for this spring’s director elections along with the proposed code changes. You can vote by mail or online.

Summary of Proposed Changes • Director Qualifications – nepotism and criminal background

uphold governance best practices, the board also would like to add language that prohibits someone from serving on the board if they have a felony criminal record.

We have not had problems in these areas, but the board is seeking to be proactive in following governance best practices.

• Remote / virtual meetings

To bring our Code of Regulations up to date, the board would like to add language that prohibits someone from serving on the board if there is a close relative already serving on the board or as an employee. To

The COVID impact on meetings brought to light a need to update this part of the Code of Regulations.

Our annual meeting, which typically attracts around 800 members with their families, had to be held online due to COVID restrictions.

Our monthly board meetings were held remotely during the first few months of the COVID restrictions. It is recommended by governance and legal experts to update the code and specifically add language that allows for virtual meetings if needed.

Members can see a complete copy of the proposed code changes on our website at midwestrec.com. Members will also receive the official language and details on your ballot in mid-May. Please call us with any questions.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20C

MIDWEST ELECTRIC LOCAL PAGES ANNUAL REPORT

2020 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 AND 2019 Balance Sheets

2020 2019

TOTAL ASSETS

Statements of Cash Flow 2020 2019

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

ASSETS UTILITY PLANT Electric plant in service Construction work in progress

Less: Accumulated provision for depreciation and amortization NET UTILITY PLANT

NONCURRENT ASSETS Investments in associated organizations Notes receivable Deferred charges TOTAL NONCURRENT ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable, net of provision for doubtful accounts of $32,259 ($37,441 for 2019) Notes receivable Materials and supplies Other current assets TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

$ 62,499,059 1,229,013 63,728,072 (20,665,720) 43,062,352

$

$ 60,410,898 1,075,239 61,486,137 (19,231,160) 42,254,977

16,543,808 602,729 272,231 17,418,768

16,390,386 614,814 407,718 17,412,918

5,798,419

737,823

2,424,502 135,906 508,413 2,228,165 11,095,405

2,286,621 119,864 452,623 1,695,592 5,292,523

71,576,525

$ 64,960,418

1,787,655

$ 2,089,185

1,761,135 (1,123,874) (279,963)

1,667,318 (999,390) (336,458)

(41,389)

207,412

(141,838) (55,790) (532,573) 135,487 343,960 65,155 1,852,810

(95,049) (41,408) (545,081) 126,671 (193,335) (209,320) 1,879,865

CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Construction and acquisition of utility plant Proceeds from disposal of utility plant and aid to construction Proceeds from redemption of investments Purchase of investments Net cash used by investing activities

(2,567,571)

(3,350,209)

279,024 984,251 (13,799) (1,318,095)

336,458 620,944 (8,823) (2,401,630)

CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES EQUITIES Patronage capital Accumulated other comprehensive loss Other equities TOTAL EQUITIES

LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Mortgage and notes payable less current maturities Provision for pensions and benefits TOTAL LONG-TERM LIABILITIES

CURRENT LIABILITIES Line of credit Current maturities of long-term debt Accounts payable - purchased power Accounts payable - other Consumers’ deposits Accrued property taxes Other current liabilities TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES $

Net margins $ Adjustments to reconcile net margins to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization Noncash capital credits Salvage and retirement adjustments for utility plant Benefit plan expenses in excess of contributions (contributions in excess of expense) Changes in assets and liabilities: Accounts and notes receivable Materials and supplies Other current assets Deferred charges Accounts payable and accrued expenses Total adjustments Net cash provided by operating activities

$34,276,944 (1,046,307) 849,389 34,080,026

$34,036,333 (892,105) 658,576 33,802,804

30,343,436 2,243,293 32,586,729

23,871,407 2,130,480 26,001,887

- 1,375,177 1,855,704 194,544 168,442 855,942 459,961 4,909,770

800,000 1,165,094 1,681,679 71,658 180,357 833,907 423,032 5,155,727

71,576,525

$ 64,960,418

Change in line of credit Proceeds from long-term debt Payments on long-term debt Changes in cushion of credit Patronage capital credits retired Net cash provided (used) by financing activities

Net change in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $

800,000 136,675 (1,141,310) 732,645 (2,162,560) (1,634,550)

5,060,596 737,823

(2,156,315) 2,894,138

5,798,419

$

737,823

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Midwest Electric, Inc., which comprise the balance sheets as of Dec. 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related statements of operations, comprehensive operations, equities and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Midwest Electric, Inc., as of Dec. 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Circleville, Ohio March 12, 2021

20D OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

(800,000) 7,703,655 (1,211,000) 189,457 (1,356,231) 4,525,881

ANNUAL REPORT Statements of Equities

Accumulated

Other

Other Comprehensive

Equities Income ( Loss) Balance at January 1, 2019 $ 562,217

Net margins - Unrecognized gains and losses (net), related to the defined benefit postretirement plan - Retirement of capital credits - Discounted capital credits 96,359

Balance at December 31, 2019 658,576

Net margins - Unrecognized gains and losses (net), related to the defined benefit postretirement plan - Retirement of capital credits - Deferred credits 117,693 Discounted capital credits 73,120

Balance at December 31, 2020 $ 849,389

Statements of Operations

2020 OPERATING REVENUES $ 31,148,235

Patronage Capital

Total Equities

$ (928,089)

$ 34,206,067

$ 33,840,195

-

2,089,185

2,089,185

35,984 - -

- (2,258,919) -

35,984 (2,258,919) 96,359

(892,105)

34,036,333

33,802,804

-

1,787,655

1,787,655

(154,202) - - -

- (1,547,044) - -

(154,202) (1,547,044) 117,693 73,120

$ (1,046,307) $ 34,276,944

$ 34,080,026

Operating Statistics 2019 $ 30,838,547

OPERATING EXPENSES Cost of power Distribution expense - operations Distribution expense - maintenance Consumer accounts Customer service and information Sales Administrative and general Depreciation and amortization Taxes Other deductions TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES

OPERATING MARGINS BEFORE INTEREST Interest on long-term debt OPERATING MARGINS AFTER INTEREST Capital credits OPERATING MARGINS

19,900,294 2,339,716 1,767,959 536,817 360,153 104,077 1,651,658 1,761,135 1,165,597 51,279 29,638,685

19,543,915 2,316,126 1,625,006 608,189 354,630 70,202 1,642,776 1,667,318 1,164,679 49,980 29,042,821

1,509,550 (963,385) 546,165 1,124,040 1,670,205

1,795,726 (937,897) 857,829 1,049,104 1,906,933

NON-OPERATING MARGINS (EXPENSE) Interest income Other expense TOTAL NON-OPERATING MARGINS

NET MARGINS FOR PERIOD

127,059 (9,609) 117,450 $ 1,787,655

184,600 (2,348) 182,252 $

Consumers (Average) Miles of Line Kilowatt-Hours: Purchased (Thousands) Sold (Thousands) Net Utility Plant: (Thousands) Per Consumer Cost Per Mile Interest Costs: Total (Thousands) Per Consumer Member Equity Current Ratio Electric Revenue Per Consumer Per Month KWH Sold Per Consumer Per Month Revenue Per KWH Sold Cost of Power %

2020 10,891 1,526

2019 10,825 1,523

284,967 270,521

284,632 271,172

$43,062 $3,954 $28,219

$42,255 $3,903 $27,745

$963 $88 47.6% 2.3

$938 $87 52.0% 1.1

$238

$237

2,070 $0.115 63.9%

2,088 $0.114 63.4%

A copy of this annual report can be obtained by contacting Midwest Electric’s office or visiting midwestrec.com > My Co-op > Annual Meeting and Co-op Board.

2,089,185

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20E

MIDWEST ELECTRIC LOCAL PAGES YOUTH PROGRAMS

Midwest Electric awards $11,000 in scholarships St. Marys Memorial High School’s Katie Lucas and Lehman Catholic High School’s Casey Topp took top honors in the 2021 Midwest Electric scholarship competition for children of members.

The two seniors each received a $2,000 scholarship. Topp will go on to represent Midwest Electric in the Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives statewide scholarship competition in April, where finalists will compete for up to $3,800 in additional funds. In total, $41,800 will be awarded between all contestants.

Second-place $1,500 scholarships were awarded to Makalya Bok and Preston Layman, both of Elida High School.

Receiving third-place $1,000 scholarships were Mara Grieshop of St. Henry High School and Brandon Paul of St. Marys Memorial High School.

The six general scholarship winners were selected from a field of 35 area high school seniors, with a 3.5 or higher-grade point average, whose parents are Midwest Electric members.

Additionally, Josh Niekamp from Minster High School won the $2,000 Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship, which is awarded to a student who has overcome a significant challenge in pursuit of their goals. Niekamp, the son of Christopher and Becky Niekamp, will be attending The Ohio State University.

Lucas, of St. Marys, plans to attend Ohio Wesleyan University.

While in high school, she has been involved in soccer, band, and basketball and has been a member of the National Honor Society and a representative of the WBL Sportsmanship Committee. Lucas has a 4.802 GPA and is ranked first in her class. Her parents are Jerry and Jennifer Lucas.

Topp, of Minster, will be majoring in game design at either Champlain College, Miami University, or New York University. During his four years at Lehman Catholic, he participated in band and the school musical, was a member of the National Honor Society, and competed in the Science Olympiad. Casey is ranked second in his class with a 4.0 GPA. He is the son of Gregg and Angela Topp.

20F OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

Katie Lucas

Casey Topp

Makalya Bok

Preston Layman

Bok, of Elida, is considering Harvard University or Bowling Green State University to study biology, premed. She has been Mara Grieshop active in tennis, Latin club, art club, quiz bowl, and is a member of the National Honor Society. Bok has a 3.96 GPA, is ranked second in her class, and is the daughter of Travis and Julie Bok.

Brandon Paul

Layman, also of Elida, will attend The Ohio State University and study neuroscience, pre-med. He is involved in soccer, Josh Niekamp basketball, and Latin club. Layman has a 4.0 GPA and is the son of Eric and Kelly Layman.

Grieshop, of St. Henry, will attend The Ohio State University and major in biology. She has been a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish club, science club, and art club.

Grieshop is ranked first in her class with a 4.0 GPA and is the daughter of Shannon and Judith Grieshop.

Paul, of St. Marys, will attend The Ohio State University and study engineering. He has been involved in 4-H, football, powerlifting, band, and is a member of the National Honor Society and Esports team. Paul has a 4.627 GPA and is the son of Michael and Elaine Paul.

Congratulations to our hardworking winners!

We wish you all the best!

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

to save energy outdoors When we think about spring and summer energy efficiency, we most often focus on improvements we can make indoors to save energy in our homes. But don’t overlook the opportunity for cost savings outdoors.

Outdoor lighting If you have security lighting, there’s a good chance you can save a little energy. Some security lights can be 500 to 1,000 watts. That’s the equivalent of 40 to 80 indoor LED bulbs — quite a lot of energy! Adding timers, motion sensors, and light sensors can reduce your bulb energy use. Plus, when you use your lights less often, your neighbors may appreciate a little less light pollution!

Switching to LEDs is another great strategy. Solar lights are also a good way to light walkways, a water feature, or your deck — without having to buy any electricity at all.

Pumps and maintenance Many of us have one or more pumps that service our yard or our property. Pumps can supply water for a swimming pool, your lawn and garden, or your septic system or well.

It’s easy to let maintenance slip, which cuts the pump’s efficiency and shortens its life.

Maintaining pumps involves cleaning the filters or checking oil and belts. If you have multiple pumps and need to hire a professional for assistance, try to do all the maintenance at once to reduce the overall cost. You may also want to consider replacing older pumps with energy efficient ENERGY STAR-rated ones before they break

Joel Johns BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

down. While you’re at it, check for leaks in the water lines, which make your pumps work harder and longer.

Grilling Using your oven can raise your kitchen’s temperature up to 10 degrees, increasing the need for running your air conditioner, so grilling outdoors is a great way to save energy. If you like to barbecue or grill your meals, take a moment to think about the fuel you use. Propane is an inexpensive option for grilling outdoors. If natural gas is available in your area, it may be a less expensive fuel than propane, but if you don’t already have gas lines running to your patio or deck, the cost of installing them can be prohibitive.

Other fuel types like charcoal briquettes or wood take more preparation and can be fussy to work with, and charcoal grills emit three times as much carbon as gas grills.

Whichever fuel type you choose for your grill, you can save energy by barbecuing (keeping the lid closed during cooking) rather than grilling (cooking with the lid off at higher heat).

Hopefully these ideas will help you enjoy your outdoor living space this summer — and help you save energy!

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20G

MIDWEST ELECTRIC LOCAL PAGES POWER RESTORATION

Our priorities during outages We also give priority to emergency situations such as fallen lines.

We advise you to have a backup plan to move a seriously ill person to a safe place in the event of an extended outage. We cannot guarantee uninterrupted electric service to homes where serious medical conditions exist.

My neighbor has power Have you ever lost power only to see the lights still shining from your neighbor’s window? When this happens, it could mean the service line between your home and the transformer is damaged. Or, it could mean that a three-phase power line serves your neighborhood and you are served by a different line than your neighbor.

W

hen a major storm causes widespread damage to our electric system, our top goal is to restore service safely to the greatest number of members in the shortest amount of time. We have priorities for making repairs, determined by the number of members affected.

Those priorities, in order, are: 1. Transmission lines. These lines supply power to one or more substations. A problem with these lines could interrupt power to several thousand members and must be repaired before other parts of the system can operate.

2. Substations. A problem with a substation can affect several hundred members. When a major outage occurs, line crews inspect substations to discover if problems stem from transmission lines feeding into the substation, from the substation itself, or if problems exist down the line.

3. Main distribution feeders. These lines carry power from the substation. Each feeder serves a large portion of members from the substation.

4. Tap lines, or line sections. These branch lines serve a smaller group of members from the main feeder. The tap line will remain without power until the main feeder line is repaired.

5. Individual service. These serve a single residence, business, or farm. It may not do you any good for us to repair your service line if one of our main lines is still out.

20H OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

Stay in the know During outages impacting a distribution feeder, substation, or transmission lines, we use our Facebook and Twitter pages and our website to provide the latest updates on the outage and restoration estimates. We typically do not provide updates on smaller outages affecting tap lines or individuals.

You can also enroll in outage notifications through your online SmartHub account (or mobile app), meaning we’ll send you alerts via text or email when your power is out, notifying you of the cause and letting you know when it’s restored.

Report an outage from your mobile device On your smartphone or tablet, search for SmartHub in the Apple or Android store.

After downloading the free app, search for Midwest Electric Ohio. Register and log in.

Tap the “Report Outage” icon, then “Report an Outage.” Verify your contact address. Add comments that will assist in the outage restoration (ex: “I heard a loud bang from the transformer”). Click “Submit.” This will report it directly to our mapping and dispatch systems.

You can also report the outage at 800-962-3830.

Get electric-use alerts via text See where your energy $ are going with SmartHub Just like bank alerts that tell you when your bank balance hits a certain amount, you can get electric-use alerts from Midwest Electric. Go online to midwestrec. com, then click the red “SmartHub Bill Pay” button in the top right corner. We also have a free SmartHub mobile application.

After registering, click on the Notifications tab, then “Manage Contacts” to set up your email address or text phone number. Then click “Manage Notifications” to set your own electric use thresholds. When you use more electricity than your threshold, SmartHub will let you know. You can also analyze your daily, monthly, or annual use, comparing it to prior time periods to see what life changes caused bill differences.

You can even sign up to receive an alert when your power is out and when it’s restored. Sign up today to maximize your time and control your electric account from anywhere, at any time! **TIP: We suggest you set the alert level at double your normal use. You can set it lower, but you might get a lot of unnecessary alerts. For example, if you average 1,200 kWh per month (that’s 40 kWh per day, or 1.7 kWh per hour), set the alert level at 80 kWh per day and 4 or 5 kWh per hour.

Ohio City Board Director Kathy Brake earns Director Gold Certificate Congrats to Midwest Electric Board Director Kathy Brake, of Ohio City, who recently earned her NRECA Director Gold Certificate. Pictured here at left, she is receiving the award from Midwest Electric Board President Larry Vandemark.

Director Gold is a NRECA certificate program geared toward electric cooperative directors who are committed to continuing their education.

To earn Director Gold, directors must first earn NRECA’s Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate and Board Leadership Certificate. The NRECA courses cover electric cooperative financial oversight, board governance principles, the power supply business, and more.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 21

$2 Million

MIDWEST ELECTRIC LOCAL PAGES

$

2 Million

Rural Economic Development Loans

$50,000

annual taxes

Annual Community Donations

Paid

TIPS TO

SAFELY

CHARGE YOUR ELECTRONICS

Generate Safely.

S ale

Throw away charger blocks and cords that are worn or damaged and make sure they are not hot when charging devices.

NOT IN BED

Never use a portable generator indoors.

Don’t buy cheaply made, off-brand charging cubes and cables. They can be potential fire hazards, cause electrocution, or damage the device.

Only charge devices on a hard, flat, noncombustible surface to allow for adequate ventilation.

Do not touch any electronic devices that are charging when you are wet or standing in water.

Learn more at

Do not plug generators into standard electrical outlets.

Use heavy-duty extension cords to connect appliances into the generator.

Start the generator before connecting appliances.

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month Avoid placing items like lamps and televisions near your thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause your air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Source: www.energy.gov

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICE

06029 County Road 33A St. Marys, OH 45885 CONTACT

800-962-3830

ACCESS YOUR ACCOUNT ONLINE

www.midwestrec.com Report an outage and pay your bill through our free mobile SmartHub app.

Larry Vandemark, president James Wiechart, vice pres.

Randy Heinl, secy./treas.

Steve Bauer Bob Barnt Kathy Brake Gary R. Knapke Roger W. Rank Courtney Burton Attorney

OFFICE HOURS

Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.

22 OHIO 20212018 22 OHIOCOOPERATIVE COOPERATIVELIVING • MAY LIVING • MARCH

A copy of Midwest Electric, Inc.’s Articles of Incorporation and Code of Regulations is available from the co-op office and online at midwestrec.com.

Call us to receive your copy.

CEO

Matt Berry mberry@midwestrec.com

@midwestrec

facebook.com/ midwestelectric

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Coney Island and Sunlite Pool have a long history of summer fun.

BY JAMIE RHEIN

C

oney Island, the iconic Cincinnati park, has a history of envisioning possibilities and changing with the times — times that have included two world wars, the Great Depression, floods, integration, and now two pandemics.

As the second pandemic of its lifetime seems to be on the wane, Coney Island will open yet again come Memorial Day weekend, more than 130 years after folks first gathered on the spot. “When amusement parks do their jobs,” says Tom Rhein, the park’s senior vice president, “they make time and worries disappear.”

Coney Island has seen its share of transition during its long history. When James Parker bought a 20-acre apple orchard on the banks of the Ohio River east of Cincinnati in 1867, he planted the seeds of a summer-fun treasure.

As the story goes, a few Cincinnati businessmen on horseback asked Parker to rent the orchard for

24 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

a picnic and, smelling success, Parker added a dance hall, a bowling alley, and a carousel.

Parker’s Grove became a daytrip escape from city bustle.

After riverboat captains William and Malcolm McIntyre bought Parker’s paradise in 1886, the amusement park became Ohio Grove. Dubbing it “The Coney Island of the West,” the McIntyres brought passengers there from Cincinnati by steamboat.

Over the next few years, Coney Island gained rides and attractions — and popularity. A former cornfield became Lake Como in 1893. By 1925, the park had added an open-air dance palace called Moonlight Gardens and a stone gate to greet passengers arriving by riverboat — including the Island Queen, which brought 4,000 paying customers at a time to the park.

The most impressive addition, however, was Sunlite Pool.

Opened May 22, 1925, Sunlite Pool is still the largest recirculating-water swimming pool in the world, covering almost 2 acres.

During the Depression, a Coney Island and Sunlite Pool trip was a special treat. “We didn’t go on vacations back then,” recalls 90-year-old Joyce McCord, who grew up near Cincinnati. She and her twin sister, Joan, first visited Coney Island with their parents and 3-year-old twin brothers. The girls were 8. “We loved to go to the pool, and a hot dog always tasted better at Coney Island,” she laughs. Joan’s highlight was soft-serve ice cream and listening to the calliope on the Island Queen.

The park’s location by the river, so crucial for its early success and growth, has also been a challenge, as periodic flooding has taken a toll. In 1937, for example, 85 feet of flood water covered Moonlight Gardens, and the park had to be almost entirely rebuilt. Coney Island was also submerged in 1964, and Rhein remembers boating in to his park office after water covered the grounds in 1997.

Through it all, Coney Island remained successful, and in fact, may have been a victim of its own success. Because of ever-increasing crowds (and the precarious flood threat), ownership decided the park had outgrown the space, and in 1972, Coney Island’s amusement

park closed upon the opening of King’s Island, north of Cincinnati. Several of Coney Island’s attractions moved there — including the iconic 1926 Grand Carousel.

That could have been the end, of course, but a wave of nostalgia brought the reopening of Coney Island’s amusement park by 1976, and the rides stuck it out until 2019. Now, though Coney Island’s rides are gone again, the park lives on as a water park and picnic ground.

Along with the renowned Sunlite Pool, the stone gatehouse still stands as a historic landmark, and the Parker’s Grove picnic area offers shelters and catering for group events.

Upon the park’s Lake Como, guests can try a Storybook Paddle Boat and glide across the water in gigantic swans or dragons.

This summer, Challenge Zone, the largest Aquaglide swimming pool obstacle course in the U.S., will open in Sunlite Pool’s deep end, joining the Twister, Cannonball Cove, and Typhoon Tower as part of Sunlite Adventures.

The Silver Bullet, a 30-foot metal slide erected in 1945, also still stands in the middle of the pool.

Coney Island will open to the public May 29.

See https://coneyislandpark.com for hours and ticket information.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 25

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MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 27

SKIP the hotel

Ohio property owners offer one-of-a-kind accommodations as travelers look for something different.

BY PATTY YODER

H

otels and campgrounds are perfectly fine places to stay, but travelers looking beyond the usual accommodations have some unusual options these days, thanks to entrepreneurial imagination and emerging technology.

Ohioans are participating as both guests and hosts in the short-term-rental boom, with more than 300 unique Buckeye State properties available on such popular booking websites as VRBO (for renting entire houses), Airbnb (for single rooms and houses), and Hipcamp (for campsites and cabins).

Want to wake up on a blueberry farm? There’s a fine spot near Lake Erie. How about a 1950s railroad caboose?

Check Athens. Prefer a tiny home, treehouse, or yurt?

Search “Ohio” and “unique stays” to find exactly what you want, from castles to barns.

Seth and Emily Britt, owners of two short-term rentals in Hocking County, started out as traditional landlords, renting property for 12 months at a time — but as the private rental business found footing, they saw an opportunity to bring to life an idea from Seth’s college years working for FedEx, when he loaded trucks from massive shipping containers. The Britts built the OG Box Hop and its slightly newer companion, the BoHo Box Hop, from stacked, refurbished shipping containers.

Both places have gorgeous interiors, which reviewers call “a work of art” and “as magical as it is cozy” — and feature plenty of windows for natural lighting.

Still, the Box Hop isn’t a good fit for everyone, so the couple is candid about what guests can expect: a beautiful, small (400-square-foot) house with a long gravel driveway that has a few steep turns. It’s probably not ideal for large family reunions or expensive sports cars, but it may be perfect for natureloving singles, couples, and small families.

“It’s really important to communicate as much as you can upfront,” Emily says. “Being a good host is treating someone like family when they visit.”

Seth and Emily Britt converted some old shipping containers into the Box Hop, a pair of unique residences for rent in the Hocking Hills region.

www.theboxhop.com

28 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

The Britts built in Rockbridge because they knew the lay of the land, and they thought their shipping containers would stand out from traditional cabins for rent in the area.

“It was an easy decision because we chose an area that we love,” Emily says. “When you’re serving people, you

want to bring a fresh perspective. We take a little bit of pride in shedding new light on the area.”

“We both love people, and now we’re meeting and interacting with couples every few days, which is fun,” Seth says. “A few couples have even gotten married on the outside deck at the Box Hop.” RV and tent campers know campsites can be peaceful or packed with partiers and loud TVs. Susie Holycross of Bellefontaine listed her 166-acre farm on Airbnb and Hipcamp to give campers another option.

West Wind Stables Equine Rescue and Rehab was already put to good use as a home for 20 rescue horses, and Holycross thought she might host an occasional horse lover, which she certainly did. But it didn’t stop there.

Polish and Brazilian travelers, windmill farm workers, a house hunter, a student intern, and families all booked stays, from one night to several weeks at a time.

West Wind Stables Equine Rescue and Rehab invites travelers to camp on the property, where they get to help feed the horses that are being rehabilitated.

www.hipcamp.com/discover/ohio/west-wind-stables “Most families don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend to take their kids on vacation,” she says. “This is a nice way to offset improvement costs, but I’d rather keep my price low so everyone can benefit.”

“People seem to like waking up and seeing the horses and feeding them apples,” she says. “They’re enjoying the scenery that I get to enjoy every day.”

The property has enough room to host dozens of campers, and Holycross could easily charge more than $25 per night, but she said she’s more interested in meeting new people and giving them a private place to unplug and relax. After paying website fees and insurance, any income she earns goes back into the property.

Airbnb lists a bevy of train cabooses that have been converted to out-of-the-ordinary accommodations around the state, including a vintage C&O car on the grounds of Dutch Creek Winery near Athens.

http://dutchcreekwinery.com

Searching the sites

For a change of scenery, book one of the 11 treehouse listings on Airbnb. Some are large enough to include multiple bedrooms with king-size beds, including this one at Berlin Woods Treehouses, in Amish country south of Akron.

www.amishcountrylodging.com/berlin-treehouses

When looking for a unique place to stay, the Airbnb, VRBO, and Hipcamp websites are good places to start. Travelers can pare down search results by price range, number of bedrooms, type of place, wheelchair accessibility, pet-friendliness, and many more options. There’s also a filter for “superhost,” which shows only the top-rated listings. Before booking, guests should read the reviews to weed out the overhyped properties from the great stays. Five-star rentals often feature beautiful accommodations, stunning views, and thoughtful amenities like good coffee and fancy shampoo.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 29

D

rinking and driving is never a wise idea, but there is a place in Ohio where it’s, dare we say, par for the course.

SIPS AND SWINGS A Huntsville hot spot lets patrons partake in pinot while they practice their putting.

BY VICTORIA ELLWOOD

At Fion Wine Room and Classic Swing Golf Range, a member of Logan County Electric Cooperative, you can sip a glass of chardonnay, a wine slushie, even a wee bit of whiskey … and practice your drive, chip, or putt while you imbibe.

The unique destination, the brainchild of Mike and Stacy McVan, is surrounded by Ohio farmland near Huntsville. How did the couple — who live in the Columbus suburb of Dublin — hit upon the concept four years ago?

“We have relatives who own a winery in northwest Ohio,” Mike says. “We liked the idea … but decided we didn’t want to make the wine.” Instead, they aimed

30 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

Indian Lake

Fion Winery 117

N

Huntsville

68 33

Bellefontaine

Fion Wine Room and Classic Swing Golf Range, 7486 State Route 117, Huntsville, Ohio 43324. www. fionwineroom.com; 937-686-0035.

In summer, when the nearby lake is buzzing with visitors, Fion offers a place to gather after a day on the water.

Other times, the venue is a spot for hosting parties, corporate events, weddings, and more. “To be honest, people are coming here from all over — Dayton and Columbus and Toledo,” he says.

“Fion” is the Irish word for wine, Mike explains. “I’m Irish; St. Patrick’s Day is my favorite holiday.”

Granted, the Emerald Isle isn’t exactly known for its vineyards. So, at Fion, they also pour whiskey and other spirits and all kinds of beer, from craft varieties and microbrews to Irish staples like Guinness.

to open a place that would spotlight wines — and other libations — from around the globe.

Fion even has a secret menu, favored by regulars.

Especially popular are the chocolate martini and festive, holiday peppermint martini. “It’s a happy place,” Mike says. “Everyone leaves with a smile.”

When a driving range near touristy Indian Lake came up for sale, they seized on the opportunity. “We’ve spent summers at Indian Lake, so it seemed like a natural fit,” Mike says. “We could see its potential, so we bought it at auction that very night. We finalized the deal in the parking lot.”

But transforming the venue took a U-turn when they discovered it was smack-dab in the middle of a dry township.

“We couldn’t get a liquor license. So, we spent one summer going door to door to gather signatures and get on the ballot.” The year-long process panned out, and after the next election, they were ready. Meanwhile, the McVans had used the downtime to spiff up the place for a wide range of pursuits.

In addition to the warm and inviting wine room that seats 100, Fion boasts a covered patio overlooking the countryside, complete with a fire pit and surround sound; two party and special event rooms; and the driving range and putting green.

Mike says the wine room attracts lots of folks, from couples out on a date night to groups of women celebrating a girls’ night out. “People have been really excited about our place; it’s kind of upscale and offers a unique place to go.”

Stacy and Mike McVan bought a driving range and converted it into the Fion Wine Room and Classic Swing Golf Range.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 31

Food

from the forest floor Edible plants grow on almost any property in Ohio, but the southeast is a forager’s happy hunting ground.

Pawpaw

BY KEVIN WILLIAMS

A

fter a long winter, the arrival of spring carpets Ohio with blankets of blossoms, festoons trees with brilliant buds, and sprinkles forest floors with spicebush splendor.

The season’s beauty seems even more welcome this year, after a snowy and cold pandemic winter. Many folks, however, may not be aware that so much of the splendor is edible.

Integration Acres is located on a wooded, rural, bucolic parcel of hills, where goats lazily graze and the scent of earthy black walnuts drifts through the air. The farm focuses on cultivating locally grown products like pawpaws and other foraged, forest-farmed products.

Those include persimmon seeds and spicebush berries (Appalachian allspice). Integration Acres is one of the largest pawpaw processors globally, producing several tons a season.

Toss in a handful of redbud leaves to add garnish to a Chmiel has been at the forefront of raising awareness salad. Fry dandelion flowers into fritters. Make mashed of Ohio’s native edibles. Chmiel started the annual “potatoes” out of Ohio’s only native tuber: the sunchoke Pawpaw Festival in 1999 to celebrate Ohio’s state fruit (better known as the Jerusalem artichoke), or steep at the height of the leaves from its ripeness each spicebush into a September. In 2019, Picking up pawpaws, put ’em in our pockets, refreshing summer the festival attracted tea. Morels, of picking up pawpaws, put ’em in our pockets, 10,000 people curious course, are prized by about Ohio’s native picking up pawpaws, put ’em in our pockets, mushroom-hunters edibles, and though the way down yonder in the pawpaw patch! who covet their pageantry was paused earthy, exotic taste.

— Traditional Appalachian folk song for 2020, plans are for The pandemic has the festival to resume this made people take a year, Sept. 17 through 19. closer look at the ground beneath them.

Ohio’s native edibles aren’t as well known as others, “The pandemic gave native gardening another shot in mostly owing to the quirks of plant genetic evolution. the arm,” says Chris Chmiel, owner of Integration Acres The native hickory nut, for example, has a beautiful, nutty outside of Albany in Athens County. “It’s a safe activity: Go taste on par with pecan — you could easily justify putting out and do some foraging while social distancing.” hickory nut pie on your Thanksgiving menu.

Continued on page 34

32 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

Sunchoke

Persimmon

Hickory nuts

Dandelion greens

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 33

says), but if you have enough, you can freeze them year-round for smoothies, ice cream, and other desserts.

Morels

Tanner Filyaw is the sustainable forestry program director for Rural Action, an Athens County nonprofit that develops sustainability in the region’s forests, where conditions and culture have long made native edibles valuable. He says that just about any Ohioan with some natural habitat on their property can usually find something to cultivate and forage, even in Ohio’s glaciated north and west, where native edibles have mostly been cleared for farming over the years.

However, he says, the native plant life and biodiversity of Ohio’s Appalachian region have remained mostly intact, and that has created a veritable salad bowl in the hills of Athens, Gallia, Meigs, and other counties in the area where chickweed, wild greens, and violets beckon.

Spicebush Continued from page 32

But hickory nuts, unlike pecans, are time-consuming to shell, even when done by machine, so the nuts have never caught on on a large scale, despite the taste. If you have the time to spare, then get your hands on some Ohio hickory nuts and start shelling; you’ll be rewarded.

Even the pawpaw, for all its versatility and fruity splendor, is tough to make commercially viable on a mass scale.

“They are super fragile and bruise eaily, so it’s hard to get them to the grocery store,” Chmiel says. In addition to their fragility, their window of ripeness is narrow — so that combination means most people haven’t heard of pawpaws and wouldn’t know what to do with them if they got some.

Chmiel says the secret to enjoying pawpaw is to eat them at the right time. If they aren’t ripe, they’ll taste horrible. “When they’re ripe, they’ll fall from the tree, and that’s when you have to get them,” Chmiel says.

Eating them fresh is best (“It’s like eating tropical pudding,” Chmiel

34 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

“Every property is different, but every property has at least some habitat,” Filyaw says. Much depends on “microclimates” unique to each property: a cool creek bed, a sunny slope, or a dark forest floor.

Upon a property owner’s request, Rural Action representatives will come out to a parcel and develop a management plan, matching the best habitats with the most suitable native elements.

Many times, the property owners will already have foragable native plants on their property.

As a general rule, the north and east slopes of hillsides are where you find prized plants like ramps, morels, sunchokes, and medicinal herbs like ginseng. Pawpaws tend to favor shady stream corridors.

Ohio’s Appalachia is steeped in deep traditions surrounding medicinal and food folklore, so there is a receptive audience to Chmiel’s message. “The native-grown foods really bring people together,” Chmiel says.

Above, from left: Spicebush leaves steep for a calming cup of tea. Chris Chmiel sorts homegrown hickory nuts on this Athens County farm.

Chmiel checks his farm for wild edibles — he cultivates native plants while also enjoying the natural bounty on his farm. Bottom photo: Chmiel checks out a pawpaw tree growing on his homestead where he has native thickets as well as some planted rows.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 35

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MAY/JUNE

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the developing coronavirus situation, many of these planned events may have been postponed or canceled. Please seek updated information before traveling.

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paraphernalia. Complete show schedule available at www.infodog.com.

MAY 16 – Gordon Setter Specialty Dog Show, Lima Kennel Club, 1050 Thayer Rd., Lima, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission; $5 parking. Exhibitors and dogs coming from all over the U.S. for conformation showings of the Gordon Setter breed. Food vendors.

Vendors for dog supplies/paraphernalia. Complete show schedule available at www.infodog.com.

MAY 21–22 – Hamler Country Fest, St. Rte. 109, Hamler. An exciting weekend of great country music and fun. Open seating under roof; bring lawn chairs. Primitive on-site camping available. 419THROUGH OCT. 30 – Bluffton Farmers Market, 748-7459, hamlercountryfest@gmail.com, or www.

Citizens National Bank parking lot, 102 S. Main St., hamlercountryfest.com. downtown Bluffton (2 mins. from I-75 exits 140 and 142), every Saturday, rain or shine, 8:30 a.m.–noon.

MAY 21–23 – Camp Perry Open, 1000 Lawrence Outdoor market offering local produce, plants, and Dr., Port Clinton. Open to all ages and skill levels. cottage foods. Storytime with the Bluffton Public Competitions include men’s/women’s 60 Shot Air Library and live music on select Saturdays. www.

Rifle and Air Pistol matches and Junior Air Rifle 3x20 explorebluffton.com/farmers-market. individual and team events, ending with Super Finals.

419-635-2141 ext. 731, kharrington@thecmp.org, or MAY 8 – Behind the Scenes Tours, Wood County https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/camp-perry-open.

Museum, 13660 County Home Rd., Bowling Green, starting at 6 p.m. $10 members/$15 non-members.

MAY 22–23 – “Early Ohio on the Portage,” Wood Tour the Museum outbuildings, including the Ice House County Museum Grounds, 13660 County Home Rd., and the Asylum. View areas normally off limits to the Bowling Green, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Costumed general public. Group tours are limited to 10 people. interpreters portray life during the exploration of the Tours will leave every 30 minutes. RSVP required. 419- Northwest Territory and the Ohio Country, especially 352-0967 or www.woodcountyhistory.org. along and near the Portage River in Wood County.

MAY 15–16, JUN. 12–13 – The Fantastic Tiffin Flea 419-352-0967 or www.woodcountyhistory.org.

Market, Seneca Co. Fgds., 100 Hopewell Ave., Tiffin, MAY 23 – Shelby County Coin Club Coin Show, Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Free admission American Legion Post 217, 1265 Fourth Ave., Sidney, and parking; handicap accessible. 250 to 400 dealers 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 937-339-5437. per show, featuring a wide variety of merchandise.

MAY 26–29 – Dennison Railroad Festival, 419-447-9613, tiffinfleamarket@gmail.com, or www.

Historic Center Street District, downtown Dennison. tiffinfleamarket.com.

Train exhibit, rides, food, games, activities, and MAY 15–17 – Labrador Retriever Specialty Dog entertainment for all ages. Car show Saturday at Show, Lima Kennel Club, 1050 Thayer Rd., Lima, noon, grand parade at 5 p.m. 330-602-2420 or www.

9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. Free admission; $5 parking. traveltusc.com/event/railroad-festival.

Exhibitors and dogs coming from all over the U.S. MAY 27–31 – Main Street Port Clinton Walleye for conformation showings of the Labrador dog Festival, Waterworks Park, 110 Madison St., Port breed. Food vendors. Vendors for dog supplies/

NORTHWEST

WEST VIRGINIA

JUN. 5–6 – Huntington Comic and Toy Convention, Mountain Health Arena, 1 Center Plaza, Huntington, Sat./Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $15–$45. Special guest stars and much more! www. huntingtoncomiccon.com.

JUN. 11–13 – Fostoria Glass Society of America Convention and Elegant Glass Show, Moundsville Ctr. Bldg., 901 8th St., Moundsville. Held in the historic West Virginia State Penitentiary. 304-8459188 or www.fostoriaglass.org.

Clinton. An array of free live concerts, Kids’ Fishing Derby, Grande Parade, educational programs/ activities, Walleye 5K Run/Walk, carnival rides, and more than 130 vendors from around the nation. 419734-5503 or www.historicportclinton.com.

MAY 29 – WAR Wrestling: WAR 18 and HOF 9, Empowered Sports Ctr., 1730 N. Union St., Lima, doors open 4 p.m., Hall of Fame 5:30 p.m., wrestling 7–10 p.m. $21. www.facebook.com/ events/355776152126019.

MAY 29–OCT. 9 – The Great Sidney Farmers Market, Courthouse Square, 109 S. Ohio Ave., every Saturday, 8 a.m.–noon. Produce, baked goods, and crafts. Follow “Sidney Alive” on Facebook or call 937-658-6945.

JUN. 1–2 – “Majestik Spectacular” Motorcycle Stunt Show, Allen Co. Fgds., 2750 Harding Hwy., Lima. $18–$23. FMX freestyle jumping, motorcycles on the high wire, monster truck jumping, and much more! Come one hour early for fun family activities, food, and music. 813-765-2454 or www. majestikspectacular.com.

JUN. 2 – Bike Week Dice Run, 109 W. Lakeshore Dr., Kelleys Island. $10 per person. Take a ferry ride to Kelleys Island ($5), where registration begins at 10 a.m. Tour the island, making various stops to roll the dice. Return a completed scorecard to The Casino by 4:30 p.m. Drawing at 5 p.m. 419-746-2360 or www. kelleysislandchamber.com.

JUN. 5–6 – Power of Yesteryear Tractor Show, Wood County Museum Grounds, 13660 County Home Rd., Bowling Green, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.– 3 p.m. Free. Featuring stationary power units and hitand-miss engines. Farm-themed demos and tractors on display. 419-352-0967, www.woodcountyhistory. org, or www.powerofyesteryear.org.

JUN. 18–19 – Pork Rind Heritage Festival, Main Street, Harrod, Fri. 6 p.m.–midnight, Sat. 9 a.m.–midnight. Family fun, live entertainment, and, of course, freshly popped pork rinds! www. porkrindfest.com.

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

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MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 37

2021 CALENDAR

MAY/JUNE

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the developing coronavirus situation, many of these planned events may have been postponed or canceled. Please seek updated information before traveling.

NORTHEAST

trucks (semi and pickup), and garden tractors are all welcome. www.hcrhp.org.

MAY 29–30 – Great Lakes Fiber Show, Wayne Co. Fgds., 199 Vancouver St., Wooster, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. An array of fiber-related crafts on display, workshops, competitions, wool fleece show and sale, sheep herding demonstrations, children’s activities, food vendors, and more. 330-4660073, info@ greatlakesfibershow.com, or www. greatlakesfibershow.com.

MAY 31, JUN. 3–JUL. 29 – Fort Steuben Summer Concert Series, Fort Steuben Park, 120 S. 3rd St., MAY 15 – Heirloom Doll Society Doll Show and Steubenville, Memorial Day and every Thursday Sale, Williamsfield Community Ctr., 5920 U.S. 322, evening. Free. Featuring a variety of live musical Williamsfield, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $4; children 10 and performances. 740-283-1787 or www.oldfortsteuben. under free. Coupons not accepted. Free parking.

Handicap accessible. Contact Lynne Morrow at 440- com.

344-7747 or circlemranch25@gmail.com.

JUN. 3 – “Coral Reef Exploration,” Greater Cleveland Aquarium virtual event, 4 p.m. Get to MAY 16–JUN. 30 – Ohio Pioneers Exhibit, Historic know one of the most important habitats on earth.

Fort Steuben, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Display based on the acclaimed See fish of all shapes and colors and understand why coral reefs are referred to as the “rainforests David McCoullough book The Pioneers, which chronicles the early settlement of Ohio. 740-283-1787 of the sea.” Buy tickets and register at www. greaterclevelandaquarium.com/event/captain-neosor www.oldfortsteuben.com. kids-club-virtual-programs.

MAY 28 – Laura Varcho: “Tunes from the American JUN. 5 – SoundEVR with Daniel Spearman, Uptown Songbook,” Secrest Arboretum Amphitheater, Park, Medina, 7 p.m. Free. Bring your lawn chairs, 2122 Williams Rd., Wooster, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Free.

Specializing in brilliant interpretations of select jazz and blankets, and picnics to enjoy this free “Jazz Under the Stars” concert. The ensemble will perform a mix popular standards, Varcho is a featured artist at top jazz clubs and has opened for national artists. She has of original compositions written by Spearman, along with songs from the American Songbook, arranged headlined concerts at Night Town and Cain Park and performed as a featured vocalist at area jazz festivals. to fit the high-energy style of the band. In the event of rain, the concert will be held at United Church of In the event of rain, the concert will be held at Fisher Christ, 217 E. Liberty St., Medina. 419-853-6016 or Auditorium, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. 419-853www.ormaco.org.

6016 or www.ormaco.org.

JUN. 5–6 – Ohio Valley Frontier Days, Historic MAY 29–30 – Appalachian Ohio Antique Power Fort Steuben, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville. $6, C. Club Show, Harrison Coal and Reclamation (6–12) $3, under 6 free. Annual festival featuring Historical Park, 43672 Stumptown Rd., Cadiz, Sat. soldier, settler, surveyor, and Native American 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $3. Antique tractors, engines, hit-and-miss, oilfield engines, cars, reenactors, re-creating life on the Ohio frontier.

Crafts, games, food, and entertainment. 740-2831787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com.

JUN. 6 – Kelleys Island 5K and 10K Run/Walk, begins at Memorial Park, 112 Division St., Kelleys Island. Registration begins at 8 a.m., race at 10:45 a.m. Awards ceremony follows the race. Preregistration $20 online, ending one week before race day; day of race, $25. 419-746-2360 or www. kelleysislandchamber.com/events.

JUN. 11–13 – Bacon Fest, Kelley’s Island Wine Co., 418 Woodford Rd., Kelleys Island. Our “bacon takeover” menu will be served all weekend. Pig roast, bacon-themed cocktails, and prizes awarded for Best Bacon Attire! 419-746-2678, abbey.kiwineco@gmail. com, or www.kelleysislandchamber.com/events.

JUN. 12 – International Wine at the Mill Festival, St. Rte. 3 S., Loudonville, noon–10 p.m. $10 adults over 21, $1 ages 10–20, under 10 free. Over 100 varieties of international and Ohio wines, craft beers, live music, and food vendors. 419-541-0161 or www.wolfcreekmill. org/events.html. See Facebook page for updates.

JUN. 13 – Concert in the Country: EEJ Firelands Trio, HeARTland, 8187 Camp Rd., Homerville, 2 p.m. The jazz ensemble will explore the various musical periods of pianist/composer Herbie Hancock’s legendary career. In the event of rain, the program will be held at the Homerville Community Center, 8964 Spencer Rd. 419-8536016 or www.ormaco.org.

JUN. 13 – Pulp Fiction Convention, Doubletree Hilton Cleveland-Westlake, 1100 Crocker Rd., Westlake, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $5, age 6 and under free.

Free parking. A gathering of book, pulp, and film fans, with dealers and authors selling, buying, and trading all your favorites in pulp fiction: adventure, crime, fantasy, horror, mystery, noir, science fiction, and western. 330-353-0439, jeff@harpercomics.com, or www.harpercomics.com.

$15 reserved seating. The Tony Award-winning masterpiece that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination, and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. www. sorgoperahouse.org.

MAY 22 – Food Truck Rally, Miami Co. Fgds., North County Rd. 25A, Troy, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Teams of the area’s finest food trucks will gather to showcase their best dishes and desserts. 937-335-7492 or www.homegrowngreat.com/event/food-truck-rallycompetition.

MAY 28 – Bluegrass Night, Fibonacci Brewing Company, 1445 Compton Rd., Cincinnati, 7–9 p.m.

Free. Enjoy an evening of craft beers and lively bluegrass music by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Food truck available on site. Schedule may change due to COVID restrictions; please verify before traveling. 513-832-1422 or http://fibbrew.com.

JUN. 3–5 – Milford Frontier Days, American Legion grounds at 450 Victor Stier Dr., Milford, Thur. 6–11 p.m., Fri. 5–11 p.m., Sat. 4–11 p.m. Kickoff parade Thur. at 6 p.m. Each night features local

entertainment, festival food, and family fun. 513-8312411 or www.frontierdaysmilford.com.

SOUTHWEST

THROUGH JUL. 28 – Bluegrass Wednesdays, Vinoklet Winery, 11069 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, every Wednesday, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Enjoy dinner, wine, and an evening of lively bluegrass entertainment by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Because of restricted seating due to COVID precautions, reservations are strongly recommended and should be made early. Call to confirm before driving. 513-385-9309 or vinokletwinery@fuse.net.

MAY 19–23 – Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Sorg Opera House, 63 S. Main St., Middletown, Wed.–Fri. 7 p.m., Sat. 2 and 7 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.

38 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021

JUN. 4–6, 11–13 – Godspell, Sorg Opera House, 63 S. Main St., Middletown, Fri./Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $25. X-Act, Xenia Area Community Theatre, presents the timeless classic, a re-creation of parables from the Gospel of Matthew using comedy, drama, and song. www.sorgoperahouse.org.

JUN. 5 – Bradford Railroad Heritage Festival, 200 N. Miami Ave., Bradford, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Familyfriendly event for railroad lovers, featuring railroad history exhibits, WWII railroad art, train layouts, children’s games, and more. 937-552-2196 or www. bradfordrrmuseum.org.

JUN. 12–13 – Family Days at the Johnston Farm, Johnston Farm and Indian Agency, 9845 N. Hardin Rd., Piqua, noon–5 p.m. $4–$9, under 5 free. Explore the family home of John Johnston with hands-on activities, costumed reenactors, and demonstrations; visit the Historic Indian and Canal Museum; and take a relaxing ride on the General Harrison of Piqua. 937-773-2522 or www. johnstonfarmohio.com.

CENTRAL

THROUGH SEP. 30 – Pickerington Farmers Market, 89 N. Center St., Pickerington, every Thursday, 4–7 p.m. Fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, and more. www.pickeringtonvillage.com/events.

THROUGH OCT. 30 – Summer Farmers Market, Adornetto’s, 2224 Maple Ave., Zanesville, every Saturday, 9 a.m.–noon. June through August, the market will be open on North 3rd Street every Wednesday, 4–7 p.m. www. zanesvillefarmersmarket.org.

MAY 11, JUN. 8 – Inventors Network Meeting, virtual event, 7 p.m. Educational presentations and discussion about the invention process. The topic for May is “How to Fund My Invention Project”; for June, “How to License an Idea without a Patent.” For more information, call 614-470-0144 or visit www. inventorscolumbus.com.

MAY 14–16 – All American Columbus Pet Expo, Ohio Expo Ctr., 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus. Includes the Pet Expo, All About Cats Expo, Mega Pet Adoption, and much more! Check website for updated schedules. www.columbuspetexpo.com.

MAY 15 – America’s Castles: Hearst Castle at San Simeon, Zoom event presented by Zanesville Museum of Art and Reel Meal, 6–8 p.m. View the A&E documentary about William Randolph Hearst’s

SOUTHEAST

THROUGH DECEMBER – Athens Farmers Market, 1000 E. State St., Athens, Wed. 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m.–noon. Buy local and support your local economy. The market showcases farmers, orchardists, specialty food producers, bakers, horticulturalists, cheese makers, and many other food-based entrepreneurs.740-593-6763 or www. athensfarmersmarket.org.

MAY 22 – Day of Enchantment, 905 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, 3 p.m. $25. Calling all princesses, princes, pirates, and fairies! Celebrate the day in royal style with a tea party, dancing, carriage rides, costumed characters, and more. http://downtowncambridge. com/home/things-to-do/events.

MAY 22, JUN. 12 – An Insider’s Tour, Campus Martius Museum, 601 Second St., Marietta, 1:30–3:30 p.m. Museum admission plus $10. Take a deeper look at the early settlers who are the focus of David

California mansion. Afterward, virtually visit the ZMA’s Ayers Gallery to see a beautiful 17th-century English panel room once owned by Hearst, and chat with ZMA docents about its history. Register online by May 10. www.zanesvilleart.org.

MAY 20 – “Ohio’s Homefront: WWI,” virtual event, 7–8 p.m. $15; free for members. World War I was a truly far-reaching conflict, with battles taking place from China to Brazil, and the war affected millions of citizens across the globe. Ohio was no exception. Thousands of Ohioans on the “home front” did their best to aid in the war effort, but there were also many who fought against government crackdowns on free speech and blatant persecutions of their fellow citizens. Join OHS educators Andrew Hall and Michael Fouts to learn more about this time in our history. Purchase ticket and register online.

614-297-2300 or www.ohiohistory.org/virtual.

MAY 21 – Ohio Camera Collectors Society Show, Sale, and Auction, University Lodge, Suite 631, 2436 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., Columbus, noon–5:30 p.m.

Large quality auction of antique, vintage, collectible, and usable cameras, photographic equipment, images, and related items. http://historiccamera.com/club/occs or www.cbusauctions.com.

MAY 28 – “A Century of Sliders,” virtual event, 6 p.m. $20; $5 for members. Join us as we celebrate White Castle’s 100th anniversary. Hear stories from White Castle founding family members as they share the fun and groundbreaking history of the first fast food restaurant in America. We’ll feature some of our favorite White Castle collections and discuss how White Castle revolutionized the fast food industry.

Purchase ticket and register online. 614-297-2300 or www.ohiohistory.org/virtual.

MAY 29–30 – Asian Festival, virtual event. A celebration of Asian culture, including dance, music, martial arts, and much more. Due to continuing COVID concerns, the event will be livestreamed this year. Check the website for updates. http://asian-festival.org.

MAY 29–31 – Utica Sertoma Ice Cream Festival, Ye Olde Mill and Velvet Ice Cream Co., 11324 Mt. Vernon Rd., Utica, Sat./Sun. 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Mon. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $5 per car. Fun-filled weekend for the entire family.

Parade, live music, magic shows, pony rides, car show, games, ice cream eating contests, arts and crafts, great food, and ice cream, of course! 740-892-3921 or www. sertomaicecreamfestival.com.

MAY 29–SEP. 25 – Canal Winchester Farmers Market, 100 N. High St., Canal Winchester, every Saturday, 9 a.m.–noon. Locally grown produce, homebaked goods, fresh meat, and craft items. 614-2705053 or go to www.thecwfm.com.

MAY 29–OCT. 17 – Monticello III Canal Boat Rides, Sat./Sun. 1–4 p.m. $8, Srs. $7, Stds. (6–18) $6, under 6 free. Huge draft horse teams pull the canal boat along an original section of the Ohio and Erie Canal as the boat captain entertains you with tall tales and history of 1800s life on the canal. You’ll feel like you’ve actually glided right into the 1830s! You might even get to assist the helmsman in steering the canal boat. www. visitcoshocton.com/events-list.php.

MAY 31 – Memorial Day Celebration, Veterans Memorial Park, 95 Landis St., Lockbourne. Join us at the park’s new location. The parade starts at noon, followed by a service honoring generations of military families and all veterans. 614-491-3161.

JUN. 10–12 – Hot Air Balloon Festival, Coshocton Co. Fgds., 707 Kenilworth Ave., Coshocton. One of Ohio’s oldest hot air balloon festivals, featuring balloon launches at dawn and dusk, a balloon “night glow,” and a balloon race. Other attractions include musical entertainment, carnival rides, festive foods, and crafts. coshoctonhotairballoonfestival@gmail.com or www. coshoctonhotairballoonfestival.com.

JUN. 13 – Summer Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Makoy Event Ctr., 5462 Center St., Hilliard, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $3; 12 and under free. www. avantgardeshows.com.

McCullough’s latest book, The Pioneers. Learn about their lives, their possessions, and the home of General Rufus Putnam. Stories narrated by William Reynolds, the museum’s historian and a research contributor to McCullough while writing his book.

Registration required. 740-373-3750 or www. campusmartiusmuseum.org.

MAY 26 – Lecture: “Vincent Family of Gunmakers,” Campus Martius Museum, 601 Second St., Marietta, 2–3 p.m. $5. Attend in-person or via Zoom. RSVP required; book online. 740-373-3750 or www. campusmartiusmuseum.org.

MAY 28–30 – Feast of the Flowering Moon Festival, Yoctangee Park, Chillicothe. Free. A family-oriented event featuring Native American music, dancing, traders and exhibits, mountainman encampment depicting life in the 19th century, working craftsmen and demos, entertainment, and more. See website for updated schedule. www. feastofthefloweringmoon.org.

MAY 28–30 – Muskingum Valley Trade Days, St. Rte. 78, Reinersville. Large flea market. 740-558-2740.

JUN. 2–6 – National Road Yard Sale, locations from Bridgeport to Hendrysburg in Belmont County, dawn to dusk. Find bargains, antiques, fresh produce, furniture, and more as you shop the sales along Historic U.S. 40. Call 740-695-4359 for more information or visit www.facebook.com/ nationalroadyardsaleUS40.

JUN. 4–6 – Southern Ohio Farm Power of the Past: Antique Tractor and Machinery Show, Pike Co. Fgds., Piketon. Featuring Allis Chalmer tractors and

garden tractors. Vintage tractor and farm equipment and demonstrations, hit-and-miss engines, working sawmill, wood carver and blacksmith, flea market and craft items, food, and kids’ activities. Truck and tractor pulls Saturday at 7 p.m., car show on Sunday. Parts vendor wanted. Contact Steve Dean at 740-289-4124.

JUN. 5–6 – National Pike Wagon Train, U.S. 40, Belmont County. The wagon master will lead horsedrawn wagons along Route 40, drawing attention to a way of travel that was common along the original National Road, the nation’s first federally funded highway. 740-695-4359 or www.visitbelmontcounty. com/events.

JUN. 11–12 – Southern Ohio Forest Rally, Chillicothe and Portsmouth areas. 740-844-3488 or www. southernohioforestrally.com.

JUN. 12 – Jazzin’ Up the Museums, boat dock at 601 Front St., Marietta, 6–9 p.m. $40/single, $75/ couple. Join the Friends of the Museums and delight in a delicious meal, buffet style, on the Valley Gem sternwheeler. Dance the night away while cruising down the Ohio River listening to a live band playing a variety of favorites. Cash bar. Ticket price includes your meal, musical entertainment, and the 21/2-hour cruise.

740-373-3750 or www.campusmartiusmuseum.org.

JUN. 12–13 – Lucasville Trade Days, Scioto Co. Fgds., 1193 Fairground Rd., Lucasville, Sat. 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.–4 p.m. $5; age 12 and under free.

937-728-6643 or www.lucasvilletradedays.com.

MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 39

Little League

MEMBER INTERACTIVE

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1. Our daughter, Calianna Blevins (age 4), ready for her first T-ball game.

Dorothy Blevins Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative member 2. My grandson, Carter Riley, posing for his baseball card shot.

Cathy King Firelands Electric Cooperative member

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3. Our grandson, Ian, playing catcher for Dublin Youth Baseball.

Avis Kreais Union Rural Electric Cooperative member 4. My grandson, Chase, with his dad (coach for the Phantoms) and mom after the playoff game.

Gary O’Brien South Central Power Company member 5. Our granddaughters, Alexa Dupler and MaKenna Dupler, getting ready for a big game.

Richard Jones South Central Power Company member

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6. Brock, Brody, and Matthew Verhoff, our grandchildren. Because of their ages, they usually end up on different teams, so it makes for a very busy summer.

Robert and Phyllis Verhoff Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative member Below: The last season these cousins were able to play, they all got to be on the same team.

Merissa Ferrell South Central Power Company member

Send us your picture! For August, send “Dog days” by May 15; for September, send “Remembering 9/11” by June 15.

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

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

40 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY APRIL2021 2021

Be

SAFE LIGHTNING around

If you hear thunder, you are close enough to get struck by lightning.

Seek shelter indoors: • Refrain from using corded electrical devices • Avoid running water, including baths and showers, and stay away from windows • Stay in shelter until 30 minutes after the last thunder If you can’t get to shelter: • Avoid open fields and hilltops • Stay away from tall, isolated trees and objects • Spread out from others if you’re in a group

ohioec.org/purpose

Specializing In Post Frame Buildings Call Toll Free (855) MQS-3334

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www.mqsstructures.com

40’x60’x12’ • Garage/Hobby Shop

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30’x40’x10’ • Garage/Hobby Shop

•2-10x10 Garage Doors

•2-9x8 Garage Doors

•1-3’ Entry Door

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30’x60’x12’ • Storage Building

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24’x32’x10’ • Garage/Hobby Shop

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30’x36’x10’ Horse Barn with 8’ Lean-to

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30’x48’x16’ • Drive Thru RV Storage

Installed •2-12x14 Garage Doors •1-3’ Entry Door •Sof�it/Wainscot Optional