OHIO
MAY 2021
COOPERATIVE Washington Electric Cooperative
Skip the hotel Finding outside-the-box accommodations
ALSO INSIDE A man and 80 years and counting 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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• 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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WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES
Annual meeting Due to continuing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington Electric’s board of trustees and management staff have decided to hold the 81st annual meeting of members online (via a livestream on our Facebook page) at 6 p.m. May 20. The meeting will be held exclusively online, with no member or public attendance. While members will be restricted from attending the meeting in person, we encourage all members to take an active role in your cooperative by viewing this important function. The official meeting stream can be accessed at https:// www.facebook.com/WashingtonElectricCoop/. Members may also listen to the annual meeting by phone by calling 301-715-8592. This will be a shorter, condensed meeting compared to past annual meetings and events. Please review the minutes from the 2020 annual meeting (provided on page 20). Members wishing to submit a correction or addition to the minutes or an item for unfinished or new business must do so in writing. Submissions must be postmarked by May 7 and contain member name and service address.
to take place online We thank you for your patience as we take these difficult but necessary actions to ensure that we can provide you with reliable electric service while keeping our members, employees, and communities safe.
OFFICIAL NOTICE 81st annual meeting of members 6 p.m. May 20 via livestream on Facebook Order of business: Reading of unapproved minutes of 2020 annual meeting and action thereon Reading of meeting notice and proof of publication and mailing thereof Board and management reports Unfinished business New business Adjournment
MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 19
WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES
Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc. 2020 Annual Meeting of Members Minutes June 25, 2020 Washington Electric Cooperative Chairman Paul Fleeman called the 2020 Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc. Annual Meeting of Members to order at 6 p.m. June 25, 2020, at the cooperative’s office at 440 Highland Ridge Road, Marietta, Ohio. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was conducted via a live broadcast on the cooperative’s Facebook page. Official notice of the meeting was included in the June issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine, which also included a copy of the minutes of the 2019 Annual Meeting. Members were asked to submit any additions or corrections to the minutes to the cooperative in writing by June 12, 2020. Having received none, Chairman Fleeman dispensed the reading of the minutes. Chairman Fleeman read the Notice of Annual Meeting and presented the proof of mailing. He also explained that the results of the 2020 trustee election were announced in a live broadcast on the cooperative’s Facebook page on May 14, 2020. The results were as follows: Paul Fleeman, 1,099 votes; Larry Ullman, 1,091 votes; Brent Smith, 1,003 votes; Peggy Byers, 645 votes; Shawn Ray, 607 votes; and Jedd Butler, 478 votes. Chairman Fleeman presented the board report, beginning with an overview of the cooperative’s achievements in 2019. He noted that Washington Electric Cooperative’s operational focus has been on improving reliability through proactive measures such as right-of-way clearing, pole testing, and upgrading lines and other equipment to reduce the potential for power outages while also making it safer, easier, and quicker for the co-op’s lineworkers to restore service when outages occur. He also noted that the cooperative had earned an American Consumer Satisfaction Index score of 78, placing it ahead of Ohio’s municipal and investor-owned utilities and above the average for Touchstone Energy cooperatives across the country. Secretary/Treasurer Betty Martin reported that the cooperative retired $390,000 in capital credits to
20 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021
members in 2019. Because Washington Electric’s consumers are also owners of the co-op, excess revenue is returned to members as capital credits based on their consumption of electricity, when the board finds that the cooperative is financially able to do so. Martin also noted that net margins for 2019 were approximately $1.1 million, with over $600,000 coming from external sources such as interest and capital credits from other cooperatives of which Washington Electric is a member. Over half of the cooperative’s revenue is used to cover the cost of power, with the next highest expense being operating and maintaining distribution lines and equipment. The cooperative spent $1.3 million on rightof-way expenses in 2019. General Manager/CEO Jeff Triplett presented the general manager’s report. He said much of the co-op’s focus in 2019 involved planning for the future. The cooperative completed a construction workplan that will guide its capital investments across the system for the next four to five years, and a 10-year financial forecast that helped develop a plan to ensure the co-op can continue a reasonable level of system investments while maintaining a solid financial position. Triplett said the co-op performed a cost-of-service study to identify how much it costs to provide service to each of the rate classes and to make sure rates are fair and equitable. The co-op’s board and management team also developed a strategic plan that refined the co-op’s mission statement and identified major goals and initiatives. Triplett said the strategic plan includes a simple tagline — Member Driven, Member Focused, and Member Accountable — that will help keep everyone focused on the driving force behind all the cooperative’s efforts and planning: the members. Having received no response to an inquiry for unfinished or new business, Chairman Fleeman adjourned the meeting at 6:12 p.m. on June 25, 2020.
Don’t forget to Don’t forget to cast your vote in the 2021 Washington Electric Cooperative trustee election. We mailed ballots, which also contained candidate information, to our members in mid-April. Completed ballots must be postmarked by May 13. Election results will be announced at the annual meeting, which will be broadcast virtually on the co-op’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. May 20.
Need us? Give us a call! Whether it’s a power outage, a question about your bill, or a service request, we’re here for you when you need us. Here are a few things to keep in mind that will help us provide you with prompt, superior member service.
Business hours Our office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Our staff is available during these hours to take calls relating to new services, billing inquiries, energy efficiency rebates, and other matters related to your account.
Power outages Power outages may be reported at any time by calling our office number and pressing option 1. Washington Electric partners with the Cooperative Response Center (CRC), a nationwide, cooperatively owned and operated 24/7 call center. This partnership ensures that every outage is reported and efficiently relayed to our dispatch team and helps us keep costs low for our members. We recently expanded our phone system to better handle high call volume during widespread power outages, which means members should no longer experience busy signals or delays in reporting outages. While CRC is available around the clock, they only handle calls related to power outages and electric emergencies. All other inquiries should be made to our office during business hours.
Other methods
Members are also welcome to contact us via the email submission form on our website (https://weci.org/contactus) or via our Facebook page. Our email and social media are not monitored 24 hours a day, so please do not use these methods to report outages or for urgent needs.
Member contact information There may be times when we need to contact you, so it’s important that we have accurate customer information. If your phone number or mailing address has recently changed, please let us know by contacting our office or by using SmartHub.
Remember, you can also avoid the telephone! Our SmartHub app allows you to report power outages with just a few quick taps on your cellphone or mobile device.
MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20A
WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES
Welcome T O
T H E
T E A M
Rankin joins WEC as system engineer Washington Electric Cooperative has hired Matt Rankin as a system engineer. An electrical engineering student at Ohio University, Rankin has interned in the co-op’s information technology and engineering departments since last summer. In addition to performing general IT work, he’s been involved in making truck and tool inspections paperless and bringing the co-op’s mapping system up to date. In his new role, Rankin will maintain the co-op’s meter and SCADA systems, GIS recordings and technical drawings, and engineering records, maps, and data. He will also assist with the design, installation, and maintenance of distribution and substation equipment and will serve as a backup to the IT department as needed. “Matt’s attention to detail and analytical abilities really impressed me and are a key part of the skillset needed to succeed in this role,” says General Manager Jeff Triplett. “I am really looking forward to having Matt help us take our use of technology to the next level.” 1231460200 Although it’s labeled as electrical engineering, Rankin’s degree program contains an emphasis on computer
engineering. He said he originally didn’t think he would enjoy the power side of things, but his internship experience helped change his mind. “It’s an ecosystem,” he says. “I didn’t realize how in-depth it was. There are a lot of intricacies that make it fun. And the people here are great. I’m looking forward to stepping into this new role and all the exciting things we can do.”
Statement of Nondiscrimination In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
fax: (202) 690-7442; or
20B OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021
mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C., 20250-9410
email: program.intake@usda.gov USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
$10,000
Washington Electric gives to Boys and Girls Club gym project
Washington Electric General Manager Jeff Triplett, left, presents a $10,000 check to Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Rebecca Johnson and Board President Gary Murphy.
Commitment to community is a core value for cooperatives around the world. In a demonstration of that dedication, Washington Electric Cooperative is pleased to announce a $10,000 contribution to the gym renovation project at the Boys and Girls Club of Washington County. The Boys and Girls Club is a haven for more than 100 local children, providing care and educational support after school and on nonschool days. Every facet of the organization’s work helps ensure that its members are on track to graduate from high school with a plan for their future, tools to live a healthy lifestyle, and the traits of good character and citizenship. The gymnasium will provide the children a safe place to play, be physically active, and learn essential life skills. Renovations include a 3,900-square-foot gym as well as a fitness room, community room, kitchen, laundry room, locker room, and restrooms. The project’s initial phase covered construction and renovation. Washington Electric’s contribution will support phase two, which includes kitchen and laundry appliances, bleachers, a scoreboard, and sound system. The donation is supported by a 50% matching Site and Community Assistance grant from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.
appliances for the concession stand and laundry room,” said Rebecca Johnson, Boys and Girls Club executive director. “In the long run, this will increase the value of their donation through efficiency savings. The youth and staff will be able to use these appliances for the club and for community events.” In addition to the club’s programming, the gymnasium will also be available to the community for conferences, fitness classes, party rentals, and more. “Washington Electric believes deeply in supporting the communities we serve,” says Jennifer Greene, director of marketing and member services. “We are excited to support a project that will have a lasting effect on individual lives as well as overall community health and stability.”
“Washington Electric Cooperative’s contribution to phase two of this project allows us to buy the most efficient MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20C
WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES
Tree trimming O
ne of the best things about our community is the natural beauty that surrounds us. We are fortunate to have so many trees that offer scenery, shade, and a habitat for all sorts of birds and other wildlife. We know that you appreciate our community for many of the same reasons. At Washington Electric Cooperative, we strive to balance maintaining beautiful surroundings and ensuring a reliable power supply by keeping power lines clear in rights-of-way (ROW). A right-of-way is the land we use to construct, maintain, replace, or repair underground and overhead power lines. Rights-of-way enable the co-op to provide clearance from trees and other obstructions that could hinder the power line installation, maintenance, or operation. ROW areas are typically on public lands or located near a business or home. The overall goal of our vegetation management program is to provide reliable power to our members while maintaining the beauty of our community. Proactive vegetation management benefits co-op members in three tangible ways.
Safety First and foremost, we care about our members and put their safety and that of our lineworkers above all else. Overgrown vegetation and trees pose a risk to power lines. For example, if trees are touching power lines in our members’ yards, they can pose grave danger to families. If children can access those trees, they can potentially climb into a danger zone. Electricity can arc, or jump, from a power line to a nearby conductor like a tree. A proactive approach also diminishes the chances of fallen branches or trees during severe weather events that make it more complicated and dangerous for lineworkers to restore power.
20D OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021
improves
service for all
Reliability Of course, one of the biggest benefits of a smart vegetation management program is reliability. Strategic tree trimming reduces the frequency of downed lines causing power outages. Generally speaking, healthy trees don’t fall on power lines, and clear lines don’t cause problems. Proactive trimming and pruning keeps lines clear to promote reliability. Last fall, we utilized the aerial services of Rotor Blade LLC for 16 miles of trimming on our system. We found this method to be successful in reducing costs, so we brought them back in April and May to trim additional ROW in Noble County. We also plan to ground cut about 150 miles of line in the Sharon and Harrietsville areas, as well as spraying another 150 miles in the Rouse substation area.
Affordability As you know, Washington Electric is a not-for-profit cooperative, and that means we strive to keep our costs in check in order to keep our rates affordable. This extends to our approach to vegetation management. If trees grow too close to power lines, the potential for expensive repairs also increases. Effective tree trimming and other vegetation management efforts keep costs down for everyone. Our community is a special place. We appreciate the beauty trees afford, but we also know our community depends on us to provide reliable energy. Through vegetation management, we are better able to keep the power lines clear, prepare for future weather events, and secure the reliability of the grid.
Safety demo Washington Electric and Guernsey-Muskingum Electric cooperatives presented a liveline electrical safety demonstration in Graysville to members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and local volunteer fire departments. Linemen demonstrated the hidden hazards of electricity and spoke about the steps first responders should take to protect themselves and the public when responding to emergencies involving power lines.
MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20E
WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES NOTES Capital credits
Geothermal – rebates of $600 for newly installed
Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc., refunded capital credits totaling $34,625.87 to the estates of 29 members through March. If you know a deceased member, please have the executor of the estate call our office for information on the member’s capital credits.
geothermal systems.
Credit for account number
who replace existing refrigerators and stand-alone freezers with a new ENERGY STAR-labeled appliance purchased after July 1, 2020. Rebates available on firstcome, first-served basis.
Air conditioners – rebates of $100 for whole-house air conditioning systems with co-op load management switch. Applies to systems younger than 10 years.
Refrigerators and freezers – $100 rebate for members
If you find the number of your account in the local (center) pages of this magazine, call the co-op office by the 16th of the month in which it is published; you will receive at least $10 credit on your electric bill.
Call for details.
Co-op Connections card
Co-op services
Washington Electric Cooperative saved $37.44 in February on prescription drugs with the Coop Connections discount card. Members have saved a total of $96,713.58 since the program launched in June 2011. Be sure to check out www.connections.coop for information on discounts from national retailers and Coupons.com!
After-hours outage reporting – Call 877-544-0279 to report a power outage outside of business hours.
Outage alerts – Use our SmartHub system to sign up for free outage alerts and other co-op information.
Online bill payment – Visit www.weci.org to use our secure SmartHub online payment system.
Automatic bill payment – Call our office for details on
Co-op rebate programs Water heater – rebates of $200 for qualifying 50-gallon or higher new electric water heaters.
Dual Fuel – rebates of $400 for new heat pumps installed with a fossil fuel furnace system and co-op load management switch.
having your electric bill drafted from your checking or savings account each month.
Pay your bill by phone – Call 844-344-4362 to pay your electric bill with a check, credit card, or debit card.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Paul Fleeman, CCD, BL OFFICE HOURS CONTACT 740-373-2141 | 877-594-9324 www.weci.org REPORT OUTAGES 877-544-0279 OFFICE 440 Highland Ridge Road P.O. Box 800 Marietta, OH 45750 OFFICE HOURS Mon.–Fri., 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
20F OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021
Chairman 740-934-2306
Brent Smith Vice Chairman 740-585-2598
Betty Martin, CCD, BL Secretary-Treasurer 740-473-1539
Gale DePuy, CCD, BL Assistant Secretary-Treasurer 740-473-1245
William Bowersock, CCD, BL 740-373-5861
Brian Carter 740-732-4076
Larry Ullman, CCD, BL
740-934-2561 CCD — Credentialed Cooperative Director BL — Board Leadership
Jeff Triplett General Manager/CEO jeff.triplett@weci.org
BILL PAY SmartHub www.weci.org HAVE A STORY SUGGESTION? Email your ideas to: jgreene@weci.org. Facebook.com/WashingtonElectricCoop Twitter.com/washelectcoop
Member Driven Member Focused Member Accountable
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2020 ANNUAL REPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
YOUR
ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Paul Fleeman, CCD, BL
Brent Smith, CCD
Betty Martin, CCD, BL
Gale DePuy, CCD, BL
CHAIRMAN
VICE CHAIRMAN
SECRETARY/TREASURER
ASST. SECRETARY/TREASURER
Washington Electric Cooperative Inc.
William Bowersock, £ ¤ CCD, BL ¬ «
Brian¬ Carter «
22
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Larry Ullman, CCD, BL
Belmont ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « Washington Electric is a Touchstone Energy ¬ ¬ « ¬ « « £ ¤ « Washington ¬ « «¬ ¬ « « Inc.Belmont ¬ «¬ ¬ « ¬ ¬ ¬ «Cooperative County ¬ «Electric « ¬ « ¬ « cooperative serving portions of six counties § ¦ ¨ Muskingum Guernsey £ ¤ ¬ ¬ « «Belmont « ¬ ¬ « ¬ ¬ « County «¬ ¬ « ¬ « « « « ¬ ¬ « «¬ ¬ «¬ ¬ « County « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ in southeastern Ohio. Locally ownedCounty and ¬ Guernsey ¬ « «¬ « ¬ «« «¬ ¬ « « «¬ ¬ « ¬ ¬ ¬ «¬ ¬ « ¬ « «County¬ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « « ¬ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « ¬ « operated, the cooperative is governed by « « ¬ «« ¬ «¬ ¬ « Muskingum «¬ § ¦ ¬ ¨ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « ¨ « ¦ ¬ Muskingum Noble§ ¬ « County ¬ « « ¬ « a democratically elected seven-member Monroe ¬ « ¬ ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ County ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « County « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « board of directors. ¬ « ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « « «¬ ¬ «¬ ¬ ¬ « ¬ «¬ «¬ ¬ ¬ « « Noble « ¬ « ¬ « Noble Monroe ¬ « ¬ « County Morgan Monroe County ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « ¬ ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « « ¬ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « «¬ Washington Electric Cooperative’s « « ¬ « Morgan ¬ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « mission ¬ « ¬ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « « Morgan ¬ « is to improve the quality of life for¬ our ¬ ¬ « ¬ « « « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « members and community by safely and ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « « ¬ ¬ « «¬ ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « « responsibly delivering reliable electric § ¦¬ ¨ ¬ « Washington ¬ ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « « ¬ County « § ¦ ¨ ¬ « ¬ Washington ¬ « ¬ « service, innovative energy solutions, and ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « « ¬ « ¬ « superior member service. ¬ « ¬ « § ¦ ¨ ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « Washington ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ County « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « « ¬ « Member Driven – Member Focused – ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ « ¬ ¬ « « ¬ « Athens Athens ¬ « County Member Accountable ¬ « ¬ « County ¬ « ¬ « 660
Pleasant Grove
146
313
313
83
761
Senecaville
821
Pleasant City
672 313
285
761
Senecaville
821
83
340
340
146
Cumberland 146
Philo 60
146
313
Belle Valley
672
146
340
340
284
340
Belle Valley
669
60
McConnelsville Malta 376 60
60
78
792
Malta
83
376
555
377
792
676
266
Chesterhill
Beverly
77
Beverly
339
676
555
Amesville
550
555
550
339
Amesville
¬ « 329
Athens County
20H OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021
Lowell
77
Lower Salem
60
¬ « 555
¬ « 550
26
Matamoras
60
676
60
7
Marietta
260
Matamoras
676
60
Marietta
7
26
7
Marietta
Matamoras
7
26
77
Devola
7
807
7
536
7
536
7
7
26
26
255
800
260
Devola
7
Antioch
26
Lower Salem
530
537
260
Lowell 676 339
29 6376
329
537
145
145
Antioch
565
565
60
255
Graysville
800
Graysville
260
60
Chesterhill
26
260
Lower Salem
Devola
60
26
565
260
Macksburg
60 530
266
555
Amesville
260
0
2.5
5
10 Miles
800
537
Stafford
Clarington Clarington
Antioch
Stafford
Dexter City
60
792
Graysville
260
536 7878
255
Woodsfield
Woodsfield
145
724
724
Dexter City 821 530 339 Macksburg
556
26
26 Lewisville
Lewisville
145
564
78
Beallsville
556
26
78
78
260
Dexter City 821
Lowell
Stockport
60
285
Caldwell
Clarington
145
Summerfield
145821
60
Beverly
377
Stockport
564
564
83
266
Chesterhill
78
145
Miltonsburg
146
556
148
Beallsville
Wilson Jerusalem
3Miltonsburg 79
Stafford 78
147
Macksburg
339
555
724
215
Belle Valley
339
60
60
Stockport
376
147
26
Wilson Jerusalem
Lewisville
Woodsfield
Summerfield Sarahsville
340
78
McConnelsville
37
78
379
9
800
145
285
9
148
Batesville
513
146
Sarahsville
78
147
Beallsville
Miltonsburg 800
513
513
77
285
83
377
146
285
215
761
313
566
78
672
285
78
669
78 376 McConnelsville
78
147
379 Batesville
147
145
Wilson Jerusalem
513
Summerfield 574
Pleasant City
215
Caldwell
376
669
Malta
83
83
83
78
37
146 Senecaville
821
Caldwell
60
78
285
574
313
Cumberland 146
78
37
148
800
513
313
Sarahsville 566
77
83
Philo
285
660
Pleasant City
Pleasant Grove
146
284
147
574
146
660 Cumberland 146
22
313 284
376
9
Batesville
566
77
146
513
313
Service territory map
Philo Pleasant Grove
Mission statement
285
¬ «
Washington Electric Cooperative Inc.
146
22
¬ «
Guernsey County
807
0
2.5
0
5
2.5
10 Miles
5
10 Miles
Interstate US Highway Interstate US Highway State Highway
Interstate State Highway
Cities Highway Counties State Highway Washington Washington Cities Cities US
Counties
Counties
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, 2007
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, 2007
Washington
¬ «
¬ «
807
7
¬ « 7
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, 2007
2020 ANNUAL REPORT MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER 2020 was a challenging year for everyone, with a global pandemic that nobody expected to hit to the extent that it did, not to mention the social and political unrest our country experienced. Your cooperative was not insulated from these outside forces, but I am very proud to report that the employees and trustees of Washington Electric were able to successfully keep the primary mission of delivering safe, affordable, and reliable electricity to our members moving forward despite these challenges. We have included some highlights of the year as well as our financial statements in this 2020 Annual Report. The list of accomplishments and financial performance was exceptional, even if there had not been a pandemic to contend with; proving again the resilience of your cooperative and their commitment to you — our members. I have reported over the past year or so on our four main strategic goals: 1. Reliability: Make life better for our members and employees 2. Workforce engagement: Attract, develop, and retain great employees 3. Communications: Tell our story 4. Rates and Finance: Find the financial balance In 2020, we made great strides in each of these areas and I would like to touch on some of the main points.
Reliability In 2020, as is typically the case, off right-of-way trees and power supply outages to our substations were the two dominant causes of outages. Washington Electric’s increased investment in new substations and right-of-way spending is already netting big returns to reduce these types of outages. I believe most of our members living in the Rinard Mills, Brownsville, Graysville, Bloomfield, Germantown, and Dalzell areas of our system will attest to better reliability in 2020 as compared to previous years due to the new Rouse substation and right-of-way clearing efforts in those areas. While there were a few severe weather events in 2020 that caused some prolonged outages, particularly the heavy, wet snow in mid-December, the overall reliability experienced by most Washington Electric members was improved in 2020.
Workforce engagement In 2020, we were able to maintain our workforce in the face of the pandemic and even make several great additions to our team. We hired a new lineman in advance of an upcoming retirement to keep the continuity of our line crews intact. We also hired a director of safety and compliance, a new position. Safety is of the utmost importance in all that
we do, and this addition to our management team will help ensure we are providing the best possible training and focus on safety to our employees and members. While the pandemic made most in-person training and workforce development opportunities not possible, we found a plethora of online and virtual training programs that may have even increased our access to efficient and quality training in 2020.
Jeff Triplett GENERAL MANAGER
Communications This strategic goal was most impacted by the pandemic in 2020, but important progress was still made. The focus on keeping employees and our members safe did not allow for our usual level of in-person interaction at our annual meeting, member-appreciation events, and other opportunities to engage with our members. Therefore, some of the things we had planned in regard to external communications were postponed. However, we were able to launch a new website that we hope is more member friendly, engaging, and informational, and we were also able to put in place new technology that allows us to inform members of planned outages and provide courtesy calls via an automated phone system. Additionally, we learned during the past year the importance of effective internal communications, and we made great strides in identifying ways to better communicate with our employees. We are looking forward to ramping up our communications and engagement with our members once it becomes safe to do so.
Rates and finance You can see in our 2020 financial report that the cooperative remains in a healthy financial situation. We anticipate that we can continue in this manner with no rate increases through at least the end of 2021. We will continue to exercise the necessary due diligence in evaluating costs to serve our members and projected financial forecasts to make sure we strike a reasonable balance in keeping rates in check while meeting the long-term goals of the cooperative and keeping it financially strong. We appreciate the support of our members and the leadership provided by the elected board of trustees in helping us achieve these accomplishments in 2020. Thank you again for the privilege in serving you!
MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20I
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. BALANCE SHEETS December 31, 2020 and 2019 ASSETS UTILITY PLANT Electric plant in service Construction work in progress Less: Accumulated provision for depreciation and amortization
2020
$ 63,482,370 $ 56,097,396 355,779 4,644,999 63,838,149 60,742,395
NET UTILITY PLANT INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS Investments in associated organizations Deferred charges TOTAL INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $249,015 ($254,687 in 2019) Materials and supplies Prepayments TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS $ LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES EQUITIES Patronage capital Accumulated other comprehensive income Other equities TOTAL EQUITIES LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Mortgage notes payable Accrued sick leave Accrued postretirement benefits TOTAL LONG-TERM LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES Line of credit Current maturities of long-term debt Accounts payable Consumer deposits Accrued liabilities TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES
(15,449,270)
(14,906,103)
48,388,879 45,836,292 9,007,837 183,792 9,191,631
9,036,259 270,436 9,306,695
1,918,408
1,925,160
3,321,479 393,409 106,253 5,739,549
3,132,831 326,115 1,599,402 6,983,508
63,320,059
$ 62,126,495
27,012,747 26,311,891 290,738 309,038 0 0 27,303,485 26,620,929 30,926,231 30,631,071 275,060 230,485 308,071 323,071 31,509,362 31,184,627
0 0 1,381,079 1,176,346 1,208,409 1,698,514 196,992 210,132 1,720,732 1,235,947 4,507,212 4,320,939
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES $ 63,320,059
20J OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021
2019
$ 62,126,495
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. STATEMENTS OF REVENUES AND EXPENSES December 31, 2020 and 2019 OPERATING REVENUES OPERATING EXPENSES Cost of power
2020 $ 18,879,872
2019 $ 18,141,883
9,321,118
9,145,938
Distribution expense - operations
1,287,567
1,162,124
Distribution expense - maintenance
2,233,401
2,212,704
Consumer accounts
353,588
346,001
Administrative and general
1,812,662
1,491,805
Depreciation and amortization
1,735,362
1,620,213
486,455
484,339
Taxes TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES OPERATING MARGINS BEFORE FIXED CHARGES Interest on long-term debt
17,230,153 16,463,124 1,649,719 1,678,759 1,169,280 1,194,845
OPERATING MARGINS AFTER FIXED CHARGES Capital credits
480,439 483,914 563,083 527,234
OPERATING MARGINS NON-OPERATING MARGINS Interest income
1,043,522 1,011,148
Other income TOTAL NON-OPERATING MARGINS
58,308
173,624
2,295
(4,532)
60,603 169,092
NET MARGINS FOR PERIOD
$
1,104,125
$ 1,180,240
HOW YOUR POWER DOLLAR WAS SPENT IN 2020
Cost of purchased power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49.79% Line operation and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.17% Kilowatt and property tax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.23% Depreciation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.27% Administrative and general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.68% Interest expense long term. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.22% Right-of-way clearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.64%
MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20K
2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Everything we do at Washington Electric is for our members. Here’s a look back at some of your cooperative’s achievements in 2020.
Safety To further enhance our robust safety program, we hired Josh Jump as our director of safety and compliance. With experience in linework and in the safety industry, Jump coordinates safety training programs for our linemen as well as office staff. The coronavirus pandemic added another layer to our ongoing safety initiatives and affected the way we communicate about safety to our members and community. With all community-sponsored safety programs canceled for the year, we instead relied on social media and Ohio Cooperative Living magazine for our public safety messaging. The safety of our members, employees, and community is still a high priority for our cooperative, and we are looking forward to re-engaging with our members and community once again in 2021.
Right-of-way maintenance Providing safe and reliable electric service requires year-round planning to keep power lines clear of trees, brush, and other debris. In 2020 we cleared the floors of 230 miles of right-of-way in the Graysville, Rinard Mills, Brownsville, and Dalzell areas. Contracted, licensed applicators applied EPA-approved herbicide to areas that were previously cleared in the Archers Fork and Shay Ridge areas and on the Rainbow Creek circuit extending from our Watertown substation. In addition, time and material crews from Asplundh cleared various high-need areas throughout our system.
Engineering and operations During 2020, our engineers designed and crews constructed 140 new services and upgraded 57 existing services along with addressing the continued maintenance needs of our system. A special emphasis was placed on identifying areas where reliability has been a concern and rebuilding/ relocating relatively short sections of line to mitigate future outages. The new Rouse and Highland Ridge substations were both completed and energized during 2020. We also continued to make upgrades to protection schemes across the system to better minimize the number of members who experience an outage, as well as the duration of outages when issues occur on the system.
20L OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MAY 2021
Your cooperative replaced 2,638 aging electronic meters in the Beverly, Fly, and Ball Hollow substation areas as part of a meter change-out program. We tested 2,874 poles in the South Olive and Ball Hollow substation areas and identified 50 for replacement. All of these were replaced in 2020.
Information technology Our information services department invested heavily in improving the cooperative’s cybersecurity posture, with general upgrades to the entire information system. Investments included significant improvements to our core network, making our systems less prone to downtime, and ensuring that our systems are available 24/7 to serve the membership. We have also added additional layers of protection to detect and prevent cyber attacks and data theft. These investments, along with ongoing training and support from trusted security vendors, ensures that cooperative data is safe, secure, and ready.
Capital credits In 2020, the board of trustees approved the retirement of $381,000 in capital credits. As a not-for-profit cooperative, we return all profits back to our consumer-members based on their electricity purchases. This is a key component of the cooperative business model and one of the many ways cooperatives differ from municipal and investor-owned utilities. Capital credits represent the most significant source of equity for Washington Electric Cooperative. To date, we’ve returned $3.8 million in capital credits to our members.
Member services Members saved $1,630.91 on prescription drugs through the Co-op Connections program, bringing the overall total to $96,706.16 since the program launched in 2011. The cooperative continued its rebate programs for water heaters, dual fuel heat pumps, geothermal systems, whole-house air conditioners, and ENERGY STARrated refrigerators and freezers. More than one-third of Washington Electric Cooperative members are enrolled in SmartHub, our online account management system that allows them to pay bills, monitor energy use, report power outages, and receive alerts and notifications. We boosted our member communication efforts by upgrading our website and launching Call Capture, a system like those used by school systems, that allows us to make multiple telephone calls at once for planned power outages, courtesy billing calls, and more.
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Member engagement Washington Electric values participation by and feedback from its consumer-members. One of the most important ways they can take an active role in their co-op is by voting in the annual trustee election and attending the annual meeting. A total of 1,873 members cast their ballots in the 2020 election. Because of the pandemic, the co-op was unable to host an in-person annual meeting and instead offered a virtual event that was broadcast live on our Facebook page. Around 300 member-consumers participated in our annual member satisfaction survey, which lets us know in which areas we’re doing a good job and which areas need improvement. Reliability, cost, and communication remain among our members’ top concerns, and our board and management team are constantly looking for ways to keep costs down and improve the service we provide.
Community involvement One of our guiding principles as a cooperative is commitment to community. We are proud to be part of the communities we serve, and we carry out that dedication in a variety of ways, including participation with local chambers of commerce and economic development organizations and financial support of charities and other organizations. While many community events were canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, Washington Electric was still able to help organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, BrAva, Fort Frye Athletic Association, Little Muskingum Watershed, Noble County Youth Soccer, Harvest of Hope, Marietta Rotary, Graysville Community Center, the Greater Marietta Food Pantry, and the Lewisville Community Food Pantry. The Noble County Chamber of Commerce named Washington Electric Cooperative its 2020 Business of the Year, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association recognized us as a Five-Star Co-op in its Co-ops Vote initiative.
Leadership and staffing Lineman Kenneth Angle and Accountant Jennifer Davis marked employment anniversaries of 35 years and five years, respectively. Warehouse Coordinator Travis DeVolld and Staking Engineer Don Paisley completed the Leadership Edge program at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.
MAY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 21
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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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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. COMPILED BY COLLEEN ROMICK CLARK
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.
OHIO
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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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40’x60’x12’ • Garage/Hobby Shop
Delivery Fees May Apply
STRUCTURES, LLC Installed
30’x40’x10’ • Garage/Hobby Shop
•2-10x10 Garage Doors
•2-9x8 Garage Doors
•1-3’ Entry Door
•1-3’ Entry Door
•Sof�it/Wainscot Optional
30’x60’x12’ • Storage Building
Installed
•Sof�it Optional
24’x32’x10’ • Garage/Hobby Shop
•1-60’ Sidewall Open •5-12’ Bays •3’ Overhang On Front
30’x36’x10’ Horse Barn with 8’ Lean-to
Installed •10’ Split Slider w/Windows •1-3’ Entry Door •3-4’x7’ Dutch Doors •Sof�it Optional
Installed
Installed •2-9x8 Garage Doors •1-3’ Entry Door •Sof�it Optional
30’x48’x16’ • Drive Thru RV Storage
Installed •2-12x14 Garage Doors •1-3’ Entry Door •Sof�it/Wainscot Optional
