Ohio Cooperative Living - October - Washington

OHIO

OCTOBER 2020

COOPERATIVE Washington Electric Cooperative

Power for the future Highland Ridge substation complete

ALSO INSIDE COVID rules Ohio creatures Mother of presidents

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE MONTH CO-OPS ARE COMMUNITY

Every October, we celebrate you.

After all, co-ops were built by members, for members, and are still owned by members like you.

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

ohioec.org/purpose

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

INSIDE FEATURES

24 OHIO CRYPTIDS The Mothman cometh — not to mention Dogman, Grassman, South Bass Bessie, and a bevy of other creatures.

26 THE SQUASHCARVER Mammoth pumpkins become a canvas-in-the-round for co-op member Gus Smithhisler.

28 PRESIDENTIAL PILGRIMAGE Ohio boasts numerous spots that highlight the legacies of the state’s “eminent eight” commanders-in-chief.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 1

UP FRONT

It’s not

magic I

t’s safe to say that we are not surprised when we flip the switch and our lights come on. We are surprised, disappointed — even angry — if they don’t. California recently went through an unusual once-in-a-decade heat wave. Despite paying among the highest rates in the country for electricity, hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses had their electricity supplies turned off because of a power supply shortage.

The event followed a disaster last year in which power to millions of consumers was shut off because of the threat of wildfires in areas of the state where the grid was poorly maintained or where trees had not been cleared away from high-voltage power lines. The recent electricity blackouts in California are a prime example of getting what we vote for. The Golden State has adopted policies that have forced power providers to close fossil and nuclear power plants, while relying on intermittent renewable resources supplemented by imported power from neighboring states. Basic grid maintenance has been deferred in favor of more politically popular initiatives. Californians hoped that it would all work out.

Predictably, solar power supply plummets in the evening, when the sun goes down but when demand remains near its highest. Neighboring states have less excess supply to share during a heat wave. The result? The combination of poorly considered but politically popular policies and the limitations of renewable energy resources created rolling blackouts, leaving millions of Californians without power during some of the hottest evenings in years.

In comparison, Ohio’s electric cooperatives’ dependable “all of the above” approach to power generation — coal, natural gas, biomass, hydropower, and solar energy — means that electricity is available 24/7, and at affordable rates. It’s not exactly rocket science, and it’s certainly not magic. Power supplies need to be planned in order to be resilient under a variety of conditions, especially during extreme weather.

If we don’t vote, we get the polices for which others vote; but don’t take my word for it.

Penn State University estimates that approximately 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election — only 58.1% of the nation’s voting-eligible population.

According to PBS, Ohio voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election was 4% lower than in the 2012 race, yet rural counties saw a spike in voter turnout.

In the 30 elections that took place between 1900 and 2016, Ohio voters cast ballots for the winning presidential candidate in 28 of them — more than any state in the country.

Please be sure that your vote gets counted this year.

2 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

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

Ohio’s electric cooperatives’ dependable “all of the above” approach to power generation — coal, natural gas, biomass, hydropower, and solar energy — means that electricity is available 24/7, and at affordable rates.

OCTOBER 2020 • Volume 63, No. 1

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

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

MORE INSIDE

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, W. H. “Chip” Gross, Catherine Murray, Jamie Rhein, and Damaine Vonada.

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

COVID rules: Electric cooperatives have made changes big and small to keep electricity flowing in the age of COVID-19.

8

8 CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

The Frontier Power Company: The eastern Ohio co-op provides reliable electric service, with a side of coffee and frozen custard.

10 CO-OP PEOPLE

Smashing pumpkins: Jack Pine Studio has made a name for itself with spectacular handblown glass gourds.

10

12 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

The BIG one: Anglers try to reel in records at the Walleye Fall Brawl.

15 GOOD EATS

12

Spicy: Fiery, fragrant, fresh, and flavorful, these zesty meals promise to turn up the taste.

19 LOCAL PAGES News and information from your

For all advertising inquiries, contact

Cheryl Solomon

electric cooperative.

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

15

37 CALENDAR

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.

What’s happening: October/ November events and other things to do around the state.

40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Scary: Members adorn themselves with costumes of all sorts.

40

Visit Ohio Cooperative Living magazine online at www.ohiocoopliving.com! Read past issues and watch videos about our articles or our recipes. Our new 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.

www.ohiocoopliving.com OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 3

POWER LINES

COVID rules Co-op pandemic adaptations help keep members and employees safe, maintain reliable power.

BY JEFF MCCALLISTER

AJ

Atkinson arrives to work at Carroll Electric Cooperative in Carrollton the same as he has every day since he was hired as the coop’s manager of marketing and member services — but it’s different lately.

In the months since the COVID-19 pandemic began disrupting normal life, electric cooperatives across the state and around the country have made adaptations big and small to keep electricity flowing, and some of the changes could be permanent.

“I think everyone understands that it’s important to do what we can to help contain the virus,” Atkinson says. “People may have thought this was more of a city problem early on, but rural areas are now seeing the effects of the disease, and people are doing their part.”

At Carroll Electric, that meant a new office schedule that included a rotation of staff members working remotely so that those in the office would be able to maintain plenty of distance. While the full staff has now returned to a normal five-day on-site week, all are expected to wear masks when on the grounds, and office hours have been reduced to try to further limit close contact through the day.

At Midwest Electric in St. Marys, the entire staff went to a remote schedule at the onset of the pandemic, and General Manager Matt Berry says that the change went off without a hiccup. The staff has since returned to a schedule of three days in the office and two days remote, which has reduced the number of staff physically present by enough that masks are only required in common areas.

Adams Rural Electric employees are required to wear masks in their West Union office unless they are in their personal office with the door closed. Social distancing is

4 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

required, and occupancy limits have been assigned to every room in the building. “We’re also having employees report no more than 10 minutes before their start time, and they go directly to their office or their vehicle, so we can limit the amount of close contact,” says Erika Ackley, manager of finance and administration.

Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative also had employees work remotely at the beginning of the pandemic. General Manager Brian Hill says the co-op had high plexiglass barriers installed around cubicles and open spaces so employees could return to working in the office. “We had hoped this was going to be a temporary issue, but it looks like a lot of our changes will be more permanent in nature,” Hill says.

Pandemic response has also meant broad changes in the ways line crews, service techs, and even vegetation management personnel do their jobs.

Several co-ops now have their linemen report for staggered start times to their shifts to limit the number of people in common areas at the same time. Formerly, crews rode out to jobs in the same vehicle; now, in many cases, each lineman travels to work sites in a separate vehicle.

“Our linemen are having their morning meeting remotely via Zoom,” Berry says. “They get their job assignments electronically, then drive directly to the job site individually in their own co-op vehicle, and they’ll come to the office only if they need supplies.”

Changes have not been limited to the distribution cooperatives around the state. The co-ops get the majority of the electricity for their members from the Cardinal Plant in Brilliant, Ohio. Knowing that an outbreak there could have devastating effects on the plant’s ability to continue delivering that reliable power, Plant Manager Bethany

Schunn implemented new protocols — in addition to alreadystrict safety measures — early on in the pandemic.

All employees, contractors, and the limited number of visitors to the plant must have their temperature taken at the security gates before they’re allowed on the grounds. Schunn and her staff also restricted access to all of the plant’s control rooms, changed various dayshift employee schedules to rotating shifts to ensure adequate department coverage, and initiated weekly COVID-19 update calls between plant and corporate management.

“We knew we had to stay on top of this thing from the start,” Schunn says. “Of course we’re following all CDC guidelines, but lots of times we go well beyond because we know our members count on us to stay up and running.”

Top two photos: Among several COVID-related measures, Carroll Electric Cooperative provided co-op branded masks for employees to wear while at work. Above and below: Employees at the Cardinal Plant implemented safety protocols early on to ensure the plant stays up and running during the pandemic.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 5

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Clogged, Backed—up Septic System…Can anything Restore It? Dear Darryl DEAR DARRYL: My home is about 10 years old, and so is my septic system.

I have always taken pride in keeping my home and property in top shape. In fact, my neighbors and I are always kidding each other about who keeps their home and yard nicest. Lately, however, I have had a horrible smell in my yard, and also in one of my bathrooms, coming from the shower drain. My grass is muddy and all the drains in my home are very slow.

My wife is on my back to make the bathroom stop smelling and as you can imagine, my neighbors are having a field day, kidding me about the mud pit and sewage stench in my yard. It’s humiliating. I called a plumber buddy of mine, who recommended pumping (and maybe even replacing) my septic system. But at the potential cost of thousands of dollars, I hate to explore that option.

I tried the store bought, so called, Septic treatments out there, and they did Nothing to clear up my problem. Is there anything on the market I can pour or flush into my system that will restore it to normal, and keep it maintained?

Clogged and Smelly – Mansfield, OH 6 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

DEAR CLOGGED AND SMELLY: As a reader of my column, I am sure you are aware that I have a great deal of experience in this particular field. You will be glad to know that there IS a septic solution that will solve your back-up and effectively restore your entire system from interior piping throughout the septic system and even unclog the drain field as well. SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs deliver your system the fast active bacteria and enzymes needed to liquefy solid waste and free the clogs causing your back-up.

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SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs are designed to work on any septic system regardless of design or age. From modern day systems to sand mounds, and systems installed generations ago, I have personally seen SeptiCleanse unclog and restore these systems in a matter of weeks. I highly recommend that you try it before spending any money on repairs.

SeptiCleanse products are available online at www.septicleanse.com or you can order or learn more by calling toll free at 1-888-899-8345. If you use the promo code “OHS2”, you can get a free shock treatment, added to your order, which normally costs $169. So, make sure you use that code when you call or buy online.

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Pricing, promotions, and availability may vary by location and at www.harborfreight.com and are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right to limit quantities.

“Compare to” advertised price means that the specified comparison, which is an item with the same or similar function, was advertised for sale at or above the “Compare to” price by another national retailer in the U.S. within the past 90 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare to” should be implied. Although we make every effort to assure that our prices and products are advertised as accurately as possible, we are only human and in the event an error is made, we reserve the right to correct it.

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

THE FRONTIER POWER COMPANY

L

ocated in Coshocton, in the Appalachian foothills, The Frontier Power Company employs 39 people and has a service territory reaching into seven counties. Most of their 9,045 members are in Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties, with more in Guernsey, Holmes, Knox, Licking, and Wayne counties. In addition to the electric cooperative, Frontier Power has a management agreement with several other businesses located on its property: Frontier Propane, a locally owned and operated propane cooperative; Frontier Supply, which incorporates an electrical and plumbing supply store; Whit’s Frozen Custard; Progressive Water; and Coshocton Coffee Connection.

Businesses and attractions The small businesses in Frontier Power’s service territory are as diverse and varied as the people themselves: Tool fabricating shops, glassmakers, teardrop camper manufacturers, hickory rocker makers, a coyote trap manufacturer, a reclaimed wood sign maker, a quilt finisher, a wildlife management business, and a fish hatchery all call Frontier Power’s territory their home. Local residents and travelers alike can learn all they need to know about raising koi at veteran-owned Amore’s Koi Farm or about how Twig Archery makes custom bows and arrows for customers around the world.

Cooperative-served businesses offer tasty and unique food items and meals, award-winning wines, and even specialty cheeses.

Sportsmen can find plenty to keep them busy while in Frontier Power’s service territory: Gamekeepers Retrievers is well known for training retrievers, River Greens and Hickory Flats are both challenging golf courses, and there are many bodies of water where you can spend a leisurely afternoon fishing. The Coshocton County Heritage Quilt Barn Trail is an excellent way to see the beautiful scenery throughout the hills of the county — Frontier Power employees hung the quilt squares as a service to the community.

Don’t forget a visit to the Old Stone Fort, reportedly Ohio’s oldest building, when you’re in the area. There are also a number of bedand-breakfasts and other cozy locations for overnight lodging.

Events Frontier Power is a proud sponsor of the annual Coshocton Hot Air Balloon Festival — a free event that features hot air balloons floating through the hills of Coshocton County, fireworks, and food vendors. Wings Over Coshocton is also a flying event held every few years at the Richard Downing Airport, another member of Frontier Power.

Giving to the community Since 2012, Frontier Power’s members have been giving back to the community through the Frontier Community Connection Fund.

To date, members have donated over $310,000 to community organizations. The Frontier Power Company also hosts an annual customer appreciation day for the entire community.

Approximately 1,000 people, members and nonmembers alike, are welcomed at the co-op for lunch and appreciation gifts.

8 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

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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CO-OP PEOPLE

Smashing pumpkins Jack Pine Studio has made a name for itself with spectacular handblown glass gourds.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY W. H. “CHIP” GROSS

10 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

F

or only the fourth time in its more than century-long history, there will be no Circleville Pumpkin Show this year — yet another scheduling casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

No one is more disappointed than Jack Pine.

A master glass-blower and craftsman, Pine and his artisans create some 2,500 special pumpkins annually for the Circleville show. The exquisite works of handblown glass that have been purchased by showgoers are cherished in homes throughout the Buckeye State and many states beyond.

Born in rural Tarlton in southern Ohio, Pine began studying glass-blowing decades ago in Seattle, Washington, and says he’s still perfecting the process to this day at his studio in Laurelville, where he’s a member of South Central Power Company. “I knew I was in love with glass-blowing from the start, as it involves everything I enjoy as an artist,” Pine says. “It’s a mystical medium, and I was drawn to it immediately. You take a glob of hot, molten glass from the furnace and turn it into a gorgeous work of art — that initial experience was magical to me and continues to be.”

Years ago, while still in Seattle, a friend asked Pine to make a glass pumpkin, so he crafted a traditional orange pumpkin with a green stem. “It looked pretty good,” he says. “That’s when I remembered the Pumpkin Show back home in Ohio and a light went on in my head.”

Pine attended his first Circleville Pumpkin Show in 1994; he brought several hundred small, glass pumpkins with him and sold every one. “I even sold a few broken and cracked pumpkins that people knew were damaged. It didn’t seem to bother them, and that’s when I knew I had something special.”

Initially, Pine didn’t think folks would pay much more than $30 to $40 for a glass pumpkin, but today he has pumpkins at every price point. Some of his more elaborate and elegant creations sell for hundreds of dollars, with his most expensive pumpkins priced at $1,200.

His palette has also evolved to include a rainbow of colors. What makes Jack Pine pumpkins so beautiful is the technique he’s perfected of iridizing glass to give the exterior of his creations such lustrous, bright hues.

“The more elaborate and more non-pumpkin the colors, the more people seem to like them,” Pine says. “After traditional orange, white is our most popular color. White goes with most any home décor, and people seem to appreciate its elegant appearance.”

This would have been Pine’s 26th year exhibiting at the Circleville Pumpkin Show.

Since that’s not possible this time around, a visit to his studio — open year-round — is well worth the road trip. Along with daily glass-blowing demonstrations is a gallery of Jack’s work and the art of 25 other artists from throughout the country, all of which is for sale. You can even attend a hands-on “experience” glass-blowing class, as Jack terms it. His merchandise is also available at www.jackpinestudio.com.

Keeping with the natural beauty of the Hocking Hills, Pine plans to combine his love of both glass and ceramics by creating wild seeds and seedpods on a largerthan-life scale. “I’m thinking I’d like the finished product to be the size of a table’s centerpiece,” he says. “The seedpods will be made out of ceramic and the seeds out of glass. I love working in both mediums, and it seems a natural fit.”

Not surprisingly, Pine has high praise for the Circleville Pumpkin Show and its management. “I’m very thankful for the town’s continued support of me and my artwork,” he says. “They helped me get started years ago — gave me a chance — and I will be forever grateful. I look forward to seeing everyone back at the show again next fall.”

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 11

big one

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

The

The Walleye Fall Brawl is Ohio’s largest fishing derby.

BY W. H. “CHIP” GROSS

Above: Most Fall Brawl fishermen troll, but some anglers cast from shore along piers and breakwalls. Left: Brycen Burkhart of Green won the 2019 Fall Brawl Kids Division and its $1,000 top prize.

fishing has done for me through the years. That’s why there is 100% payback of all the entry fees to the top five derby winners.”

Nearly 8,000 anglers participated last year, and Murphy anticipates as many as 10,000 will this year, each plunking down $30 for the privilege. Do the math, and that’s $300,000 in prize money that gets split five ways.

I

f you’re an angler, how would you like to catch one walleye worth over $100,000? James Atkinson Jr. of Streetsboro did exactly that last fall, his whopper walleye weighing 12.395 pounds and measuring 31.5 inches.

What has become known as the Walleye Fall Brawl began a decade ago when a group of 50 friends each tossed a few bucks into a pot as a friendly wager to see who could catch the largest walleye. From that simple beginning has steadily grown the largest fishing derby not only on Lake Erie but in the Midwest — and possibly the entire country.

The Fall Brawl is coordinated by Frank Murphy of North Royalton, who volunteers his time — lots of it. A fisherman all his life, Murphy says, “I just want to give something back to the fishing community for what

12 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

Here’s how the derby works: Once an angler has paid the entry fee, they then have six weeks to fish as much as they want, anywhere in the Ohio waters of Lake Erie.

The 2020 Fall Brawl begins Friday, Oct. 16, at 12:01 a.m., and ends Sunday, Nov. 29, at 8 a.m. “That’s a month and a half of fishing opportunity, including seven weekends,” Murphy points out.

It’s a one-walleye-takes-all contest, determined strictly by weight. Anglers are allowed to weigh as many walleyes as they’d like, but all the fish must be officially weighed at only one location: Erie Outfitters, a bait and tackle shop located along the south shore of Lake Erie, just west of Cleveland in Sheffield Lake.

Murphy chooses to hold the derby in autumn for two reasons. “First, because walleyes are packing on weight this time of year,” he says. “They just keep getting heavier as fall goes on, which builds anticipation in the derby week by week. The final few days get crazy, with people fishing nonstop, around the clock. Second, there are constant fishing tournaments on Lake Erie in the spring through summer, but very few during fall, so I

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

thought fall was the perfect time.”

By the way, those anglers finishing in the top five spots must pass a polygraph test before collecting their winnings. Two of the initial top-five finishers last year flunked and were disqualified, allowing Atkinson to move up and claim the top prize. “I believe the polygraph requirement is one of the main reasons the Fall Brawl has grown as big and quickly as it has,” Murphy says.

“Fishermen know it’s on the up-and-up, and that the rules are strictly enforced.”

Atkinson caught his winning walleye on the day after Thanksgiving, trolling a plastic minnow-imitation lure he had hand-painted blue. He and a buddy, Matt Bunch, were fishing about 1.5 miles north of Cleveland when the big fish hit. “It was the only fish we caught all day,” Atkinson says.

Last year was also the first time Atkinson had entered the Fall Brawl, which goes to show that anyone can win — it only takes one fish. You don’t necessarily even need to be fishing from a boat. Most years, at least one of the top-five anglers manages to catch a winning fish from shore.

If you’d like to try your luck in the 2020 Walleye Fall Brawl, registration is open. Details can be found at www.lakeeriefishingderby.com.

This is what a $100,000 walleye looks like; holding his 2019 first-place, prize-winning catch is James Atkinson Jr. of Streetsboro. Above: Yet another large fall Lake Erie walleye comes to the net.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 13

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GOOD EATS

Spicy!

CHICKEN AND POBLANO POZOLE Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 6 to 8 hours | Servings: 4 11/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 4 cups chicken broth 2 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped 1 red onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons ground coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 28-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes 1 lime, zested and juiced 29 ounces hominy, drained and rinsed salt and pepper to taste

Fiery, fragrant, fresh, and flavorful, these zesty meals promise to turn up the taste!

RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATHERINE MURRAY

Note: For extra spice, leave in the poblano pepper seeds.

Place all ingredients except hominy and garnishes into a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Take chicken out of slow cooker and let cool for a few minutes. Pull meat off the bone and shred with two forks. Discard skin and bones and return to the slow cooker along with hominy and cook another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle pozole into bowls and garnish with any combination of sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, tortilla strips, and lime.

Per serving: 567 calories, 16 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 42 grams total carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 59 grams protein.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 15

PEPPER JELLY-GLAZED PORK CHOPS Soak: 1 to 2 hours | Cook: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 1/4 cup salt 4 tablespoons red pepper jelly 4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 pounds bone-in pork chops 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon ground thyme) 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 jalapeño or red chili pepper, sliced 3 tablespoons olive oil (optional) 1 shallot, chopped fine fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish) 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar Brine pork chops in a shallow dish filled with salt and water. If there’s not enough liquid to cover the pork chops, add a solution of 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of salt until submerged. Place in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. Remove chops from brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook pork chops 3 to 7 minutes on each side (depending on thickness), or until they reach an inner temperature of 135 F. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallot until soft. Pour in vinegar to deglaze pan. Whisk in pepper jelly, crushed red pepper, and thyme until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in peaches and simmer on low a few more minutes. Brush some peach glaze on the bottom side of each pork chop. Plate pork chops and pour remaining pepper/peach glaze over top. Garnish with thyme sprigs and jalapeño slices.

Per serving: 489 calories, 24 grams fat (6 grams saturated fat), 29 grams total carbohydrates, 2.5 grams fiber, 40 grams protein.

CLASSIC RED BEANS AND RICE Prep: 15 minutes | Soak: 8 hours | Cook: 2 hours, 15 minutes | Servings: 6 1 pound dried red beans 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon paprika 14 ounces andouille sausage, sliced 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1 large onion, diced 1 teaspoon salt 2 large celery stalks, diced 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 bell pepper, chopped 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 garlic cloves, minced 4 cups water 1 teaspoon oregano 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice 1 teaspoon thyme 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Place red beans in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak for 8 hours. Heat oil in a large pot on medium high. Add sausage and sear about 3 minutes per side. Remove sausage from pot and turn heat down to medium. Sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper 10 minutes or until tender and caramelized. Transfer sausage back to pot with vegetables and stir in all spices (minced garlic through cayenne). Drain red beans and add them to pot. Stir in 4 cups of water. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Partially mash some of the red beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to increase thickness. Add more water if mixture becomes too thick. When ready, top with rice and chopped parsley. Serve with cornbread, coleslaw, or collard greens.

Per serving: 775 calories, 24 grams fat (7 grams saturated fat), 105 grams total carbohydrates, 14 grams fiber, 35 grams protein.

16 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

SPICY RIGATONI WITH SWEET POTATOES Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Servings: 5 4 cups cubed sweet potatoes 10 ounces dried rigatoni 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 6 green onions, whites and greens separated and diced 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 4 ounces diced pancetta (or bacon) 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/3 cup peanut butter 1 tablespoon olive oil Preheat oven to 450 F. Place sweet potato cubes on a baking sheet, sprinkle with chili powder, cinnamon, ginger, and sugar, then drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat, then roast in oven for 20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving hot pasta water. In a large skillet, sauté onion whites and pancetta over medium heat until pancetta is almost crisp. Add minced garlic and cook another minute or so. Lower heat. Add peanut butter, cream

8 ounces lower-fat cream cheese 2 tablespoons spicy Asian chili sauce (like Sriracha) 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground sage

cheese, chili sauce, and soy sauce. Slowly stir in 1 cup pasta water, continuing to stir until smooth and creamy. If sauce is too thick, whisk in additional water a few tablespoons at a time. Add black pepper and sage. Plate pasta, top with sauce and sweet potatoes, and sprinkle with diced green onion.

Per serving: 717 calories, 31 grams fat (11 grams saturated fat), 86 grams total carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 25 grams protein.

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 upload yours.

www.ohiocoopliving.com While you’re there, see a video of a couple of these tasty dishes being prepared.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 17

18 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

Member satisfaction measured

E

arlier this year, Washington Electric engaged an independent third party to survey a sample of our members to see what you, the member-owner, think of our performance. This is something we have been doing every year for some time now, and we are very appreciative of those who take the time to provide this feedback. I am pleased to report that our American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) score this year increased to a 78 (on a scale of 1 to 100, with higher numbers being better). This is a threepoint increase over last year and is higher than the average for our industry. Thank you!

While it is beneficial to know how our score compares to our peers, there is a lot more information that we get from the survey. So what do we do with this data?

• Identify what is important to our members. Our survey data over the past decade indicates that members are most concerned about the cooperative’s rates, electric reliability, how well we communicate, and our role in the community.

Thank you for the

• Implement plans to meet member expectations.

For example, data from the ACSI survey has helped us improve our process for outage reporting, outage communication, and responding to member inquiries regarding rightof-way and tree trimming, co-op governance, energy efficiency, and costs.

HIGH RATINGS 2020

72 72 78 Municipal Utilities

Investor-Owned Utilities

Jeff Triplett

• Set goals. Last year, our GENERAL MANAGER board and management team developed a strategic plan focused on four main areas: reliability, workforce engagement, communications, and financial balance.

These areas directly contribute to our mission of improving the quality of life for our members and community by safely and responsibly delivering reliable electric service, innovative energy solutions, and superior member service. The ACSI survey provides valuable information from our members on how we are currently performing and what we can do to improve.

Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.

We are proud of the service we provide to our members but realize that there is always room for improvement. This survey is just one tool we are using to do better for our members. If you have specific thoughts or concerns that you would like to share, don’t wait until the next survey. I encourage you to call us any time and let us know what you think. I can’t promise you that we will be able to implement all the ideas or solve every issue, but I can commit that we will give serious consideration to what is important to you.

Member satisfaction data from 2020 ACSI Utility Sector Report

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 19

WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

Highland Ridge substation

ready to serve

I

t’s the past and the future, separated by a double stripe of yellow paint on a county road.

On one side is a collection of equipment and wires that have faithfully provided electric service to members living from east of Lowell to Stanleyville for the past 50 years. On the other side is a modern, advanced, and larger structure that will provide for those members’ needs for many years to come.

The Highland Ridge substation is the third of four Washington Electric Cooperative substations to be rebuilt to accommodate transmission improvements in southeast Ohio. AEP, AEP Ohio Transmission Company, Buckeye Power, and Washington Electric reached an agreement in 2014 to improve electric service reliability in Monroe, Noble, and Washington counties. As part of the effort, AEP is replacing and upgrading its aged 23-kilovolt (kV) infrastructure by constructing a new 138kV transmission grid on new and existing right-of-way.

The South Olive and Rouse substation projects are complete, and the co-op plans to begin construction on the Lawrence substation, which will replace the current Dart substation, in 2021.

For Washington Electric members, the main benefit of these improvements is a decrease in transmissionrelated power outages, but there are other advantages.

The new substations have sophisticated control rooms and equipment that serve as a “brain” that helps co-op engineering and operations personnel obtain

20 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

real-time information about what’s happening on the system, more quickly identify problems, and evaluate power quality. At 138 kV, the new substations also have the capacity to meet future member and economic development needs.

Substations perform an important function in the electric distribution system. Electricity is created at a generation station (power plant, wind or solar farm, or hydro plant) and sent out across high-voltage transmission lines to distribution substations. These distribution stations reduce, or “step down” the voltage so it can be easily and safely delivered to homes and businesses through distribution lines.

Washington Electric General Manager/CEO Jeff Triplett says substations are a lot like interstate ramps. Electricity travels through the lines the way a driver might go home from work. In this analogy, • The interstate represents high voltage transmission lines

• The off-ramp represents a distribution substation • The state highway represents lower voltage distribution lines • The person’s driveway represents the individual service line feeding the home Substations are the most expensive pieces of Washington Electric’s grid — each of the four new substations comes with a price tag of around $2 million — but they last a long time. Members can expect their investment in these projects to extend 50 to 60 years.

“Much like the investment of early members of Washington Electric has benefited several generations, this new investment in the system will benefit our current members’ children, grandchildren, and beyond,” Triplett says. “To describe this in tech lingo, you can think of these new substations taking us to ‘Washington Electric 2.0’ with ultra-modern equipment and capabilities.”

Chamber names Washington Electric

Business of the Year The Noble County Chamber of Commerce named Washington Electric Cooperative its 2020 Business of the Year.

The award is in recognition of Washington Electric’s proactive measures in providing the best and safest energy service to residents in Noble County today and well into the future. To be considered, a business must have a significant presence and/or provide substantial benefit to the county’s citizens and economy. Areas for consideration are consistent outstanding customer service, innovative products, consistent involvement in the community, and responsiveness to business and industry challenges and to the community’s needs.

Washington Electric recently upgraded its South Olive substation, which supplies power to co-op members in a portion of western Noble County. The project improved the area’s electric service reliability and brought greater electric load capacity, both of which are critical components of future economic growth. The chamber also recognized Washington Electric for its support of local broadband initiatives.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20A

WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

Co-ops

and the local communities they serve

We like the word “local.”

We like it because it’s the nearby hardware store where we can get what we need. It’s where we meet friends for coffee. It’s the shop where they look us in the eye and smile. It’s a word of warmth that makes us feel known.

“Local” also means your electric cooperative.

Washington Electric is as local as you and your neighbors because you own the co-op. We’ve grown and changed with you, possibly starting before you were even born.

Because the co-op is made of you and your neighbors, we’re as unique as you are, and we change to help out with what’s going on in our community right now.

October is National Co-op Month, a time when we recognize and celebrate the advantages of being local.

No such thing as a typical co-op In the 1930s, local farmers pooled $5 startup fees, organized member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives, and convinced local politicians to create a federal loan program to help with the rest of the cost. We are an integral part of our local communities, but we’re also a part of a larger community of cooperatives across the nation. Today, 900 electric co-ops provide electricity to more than 19 million businesses, homes, schools, and farms.

Because electric co-ops are so uniquely local, it’s hard to describe a typical co-op.

They’re big and small. The largest electric co-op serves nearly 350,000 members; the smallest, 113. Washington Electric Cooperative serves 10,500 members.

Co-ops are found in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. While the electric co-op rural heritage meant they once didn’t serve cities, many of their communities have

20B OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

grown over the decades. Now about 40% serve counties classified as rural and 60% serve counties classified as metropolitan. Another way to look at that variety is by the average number of members served by each mile of its power lines. The co-op with the densest population serves 78 members for each mile of line. The most remote co-op averages less than one person per mile of line. Washington Electric serves about six members per mile of line.

While those numbers reflect the variety and uniqueness of who co-ops serve, what they do also matters.

Less pollution, more renewable energy As co-op members become more aware of environmental priorities, co-ops focused on reducing power plant emissions. From 2009 to 2016, co-ops reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 8%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 24%, and sulfur dioxide emissions by 66%. Co-ops also launched energy efficiency programs to make sure members got the best value for their energy dollar.

Electric co-ops are helping to power the growth in alternative energy. They pioneered in the development of community solar, which allows co-op members to participate in renewable energy without the expense of installing solar panels on their own property. Co-op solar capacity has more than quadrupled in the past five years. Seventeen percent of co-op electricity now comes from hydroelectric power, solar, wind, and other renewable sources.

The world keeps changing, and electric co-ops will continue to adapt. Each co-op’s approach may differ, but we all do whatever it takes to adapt in ways that make the most sense for the people in our communities. That’s what it means to be a local electric co-op.

Cast your vote on Nov. 3 Ohio’s electric cooperatives’ top priority is providing consumer-members with safe, reliable, and affordable energy. But this job requires more than stringing and maintaining power lines. It also requires political engagement. That may seem far removed from our core mission, but it’s absolutely essential to the services cooperatives provide.

That’s why electric co-ops in Ohio and across the country are participating in Co-ops Vote, a nonpartisan program that encourages all co-op members to participate in national, state, and local elections. The program also aims to educate political candidates and elected officials about the important role electric cooperatives play in their local communities.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the service organization representing the nation’s electric co-ops, launched Co-ops Vote in 2016. Co-ops Vote started as a national get-out-the-vote initiative that helped drive rural voter turnout.

As co-ops, the civic virtue of voting is in our DNA. We show concern for community — one of the seven cooperative principles — through participation in our democracy.

Co-ops have another advantage. Elected officials and decision-makers across the political spectrum trust us because of the work the electric cooperative family has put into political engagement. When we all get involved, we can make things happen politically and in our local communities. 1240712200 We know Election Day may look a little different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s why we’re encouraging all co-op members to stay engaged and informed of any changes to polling locations or absentee and mail-in balloting procedures.

Voting is central to American democracy. We hope you will commit to cast your ballot on Nov. 3. To learn more about the upcoming elections and access resources that can help you stay informed, visit www.vote.coop.

Rural communities depend on co-op voters.

Learn about the issues.

Talk to your family and friends.

Cast your vote.

Election Day is November 3, 2020 Be an active participant in our democracy. Be a co-op voter.

www.vote.coop

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20C

WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

How to make your basement or crawl space more efficient Basements and crawl spaces are key areas when you’re looking to improve the energy efficiency of your home. If you have a forced-air heating system, your basement or crawl space has opportunities for improving ductwork.

Unless you’re in a newer home or the ductwork has been tested and sealed in the last decade, your ductwork is likely leaking. Sealing these leaks helps your system distribute air more efficiently and should make your home more comfortable. The best way to seal ducts is with duct mastic. Metallic tape is the next best solution. Do not use duct tape. An energy auditor or HVAC professional can test your home’s ductwork and identify any leaks.

As you look at the ductwork, ask yourself if rooms throughout the home are heated or cooled unevenly.

If so, you’ll want to enlist the help of a professional.

Sometimes minor modifications to the ductwork can make a big improvement in comfort.

Moisture is a common problem in basements and crawl spaces and can lead to mold, rot, and lowered effectiveness of insulation. As you make efficiency improvements, work to solve moisture problems as well.

Look carefully for signs of water damage or moisture buildup, such as rotting wood, mold, a stain on a wall or floor, or a musty smell. Any untreated wood in contact with a cement floor or wall could be rotting. Crawl spaces can be muddy or even have standing water in them if gutters or the slope of the landscaping drains in the wrong direction. Once drainage problems are solved, the crawl space should have a ground vapor barrier.

You should also consider whether radon or carbon monoxide could be a problem. Conduct a radon test through a licensed professional or purchase a DIY home test kit. Carbon monoxide problems can be deadly. If you have any type of combustion occurring in the basement or crawl space, whether it’s a furnace, water heater, or even a fireplace, make sure they have adequate ventilation and that you have working carbon monoxide detectors nearby.

You’ll find lots of air leaks in basements and crawl spaces, particularly where pipes and wires enter or exit the space.

Air often enters the home around the sill plate, which sits on top of the foundation. If you can get to the sill plate, apply caulk around it. You can also increase efficiency by sealing any gaps or leaks around basement windows.

20D OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

Adding a larger egress window brings natural light into your basement.

Insulation is an effective tool for reducing energy use and improving comfort, but the insulation strategy and the installation must be done correctly to prevent mold or exacerbate moisture problems.

The place to begin in basements is the rim joist, which is right above the sill plate on the top of the foundation wall.

Rigid foam board can be carefully fitted between the joists.

You can insulate the inside of the foundation wall if you’re sure moisture is not leaking through the wall from the outside. Experts do not recommend fiberglass insulation in contact with the foundation, which was a common practice for decades. Instead, they prefer sprayed-on foam or rigid foam board applied directly to the foundation wall. A wood-framed wall can be butted up against the rigid foam and insulated with fiberglass or mineral wool batts. The bottom plate of the wall, which sits on the concrete floor, should be pressure-treated wood.

There are two ways to insulate crawl spaces. Over the past several years, the most common approach was to insulate under the floor with fiberglass batts. This allowed the crawl space to be vented to the outside, which alleviated any moisture buildup. If all the right moisture control and drainage steps have been taken, the crawl space can be unventilated, and the insulation can be applied to the foundation walls instead of underneath the floor. That said, there are pros and cons to this strategy, so do some research online or consult with a local expert.

Taking any of these steps can make your basement or crawl space more efficient. If you’re unsure about how to begin, enlist the help of a professional. HQ

Co-ops Vote program names

Washington Electric a 5-Star Co-op Washington Electric Cooperative has achieved five stars in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Co-ops Vote program.

Co-ops Vote is a national nonpartisan project designed to inform co-op members on the key issues facing electric co-ops and encourage them to vote and support their coops and the communities they serve when they go to the

polls. The program does not endorse or recommend any candidates for election.

Washington Electric joins 91 electric cooperatives across the country in earning five-star status, which is achieved by participating in activities that help promote the Co-ops Vote campaign, encourage civic engagement, and get their communities out to vote. Visit vote.coop to learn more!

Board meeting highlights Washington Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees met in regular session on July 23 at the co-op’s office in Marietta. The following items were discussed: • The cooperative’s capital credits estate retirements, monthly safety report, and new member list were reviewed and approved.

• Director of Finance and Administration BJ Allen presented the May 2020 financial report, which was approved.

• General Manager Jeff Triplett provided reports on the engineering and operations departments, virtual training opportunities, COVID-19 impacts and actions, and progress on the co-op’s annual goals and initiatives.

• The board approved $13,485.67 in bad debt write-offs for the period of July–December 2019. Bad debt write-

offs are the result of unpaid bills for disconnected accounts. Total write-offs for 2019 were $37,337.84, one of the lowest numbers in recent history. The decrease is largely the result of efficiencies related to the co-op’s automated metering system.

• Board members discussed issues related to board governance and planned a review and updates to Policy 203, which will be presented at the August meeting.

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

The cooperative’s next board meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m., Oct. 22, at Washington Electric’s office at 440 Highland Ridge Road, Marietta.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 21

WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES NOTES Capital credits

Geothermal – rebates of $600 for newly installed

Washington Electric Cooperative Inc. refunded capital credits totaling $128,715.16 to the estates of 65 members through August. 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.

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.

Washington Electric Cooperative saved $44 in July on prescription drugs with the Co-op Connections discount card. Members have saved a total of $96,145.75 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!

Water heater – rebates of $200 for qualifying 50-gallon or

installed with a fossil fuel furnace system and co-op load management switch.

Refrigerators and freezers – $100 rebate for members

Co-op services 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 Dual Fuel – rebates of $400 for new heat pumps

conditioning systems with co-op load management switch.

Applies to systems younger than 10 years.

Call for details.

Co-op Connections card

higher new electric water heaters.

Air conditioners – rebates of $100 for whole-house air

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 CONTACT 740-373-2141 | 877-594-9324 www.weci.org REPORT OUTAGES AFTER HOURS 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.

22 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

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

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Cryptid Ohio The Mothman cometh — not to mention Dogman, Grassman, South Bass Bessie, and a bevy of other creatures.

BY DAMAINE VONADA; PHOTOS COURTESY HAYES PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUMS

CRYPTIDS [crip – tidz]: Animals or other creatures whose existence is only assumed or believed in based upon anecdotal or other non-compelling evidence.

I

n July 1913, some fishermen claimed they captured a strange creature near the Marblehead Peninsula. The animal resembled a sea lion but had several legs and spotted skin. Though they snared it with a net, the beast twisted free and dived back into Lake Erie.

Those fishermen weren’t the first — or last — folks to report the mysterious monster, whose nicknames now include “South Bass Bessie” and “Lake Erie Larry.” In 1817, two brothers found a scaly, 30-foot critter on a beach near Toledo; in 1892, sailors on a westbound ship saw a gigantic serpent with “viciously sparkling” eyes on Lake Erie; and during 1990, several people sighted a snake-like being with multiple humps swimming off Cedar Point.

Today, Ohio’s answer to the Loch Ness monster looms large in popular culture; it inspired the name of not only the Cleveland Monsters ice hockey team but also Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Lake Erie Monster IPA, labeled with a glaring green serpent.

Since President Rutherford B. Hayes owned a Lake Erie island where his family vacationed, he quite possibly heard tales about South Bass Bessie. Maybe he even saw the creature (though he never reported it if he did). The Ohio native and his wife, Lucy, left the White House in 1881 and retired to a country estate that is now the Rutherford

24 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums in Fremont.

With a nod to Hayes’ enthusiasm for studying history and cultures, the museum is presenting an original exhibit — “Ohio: An Unnatural History” — that explores the state’s rich array of folklore creatures.

While mainstream science has never proven the existence of such cryptids, the stories surrounding them have survived for generations. “Legends have made Ohio cryptids part of local history, and they appeal to a wide audience,” says Kristina Smith, the museum’s communications manager. The exhibit features artwork by Dan Chudzinski, whose fantastic images deliver a beast of a show that will make you wonder if you might — or might not — encounter any of the following Ohio oddities.

Dogman of Defiance A canine-like humanoid that purportedly stood upright and brandished a stick hounded Defiance during 1972.

Seen only at night, the “werewolf” petrified railroad workers and townspeople alike. Dogman disappeared, but the lore endures.

Loveland Frog With sightings from the Little Miami River in 1955 to Lake Isabella in 2016, rumors about frog-faced things that go jump in the night persist around Loveland. The fabled frog even prompted a bluegrass musical — Hot Damn! It’s the Loveland Frog! — in 2014.

Mothman

Pukwudgie

Loveland Frog

Mothman of Gallia County Six feet tall with red eyes and 10-foot wings, Mothman was hatched in West Virginia in 1966, then apparently crossed the Ohio River to terrorize Gallia County. Some think Mothman portended the deadly collapse of the Silver Bridge connecting Gallipolis to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in 1967.

Pukwudgies In Native American folklore, Pukwudgies are quillbacked creatures that shoot poison arrows and collect human souls. Longfellow mentioned Pukwudgies in “The Song of Hiawatha,” and they’re alleged to have caused mischief from New England to Ohio.

Melonheads Residents of Kirtland and Chardon contend that juvenile creatures with huge bald heads skulk around the woods.

Are they extraterrestrials? Products of a failed government experiment? Ghosts of orphans killed by fire? Nobody knows, but Wisner Road is their favorite haunt.

Ohio Grassman Ohio’s version of Sasquatch has been spotted in 66 of the state’s 88 counties. The hairy hominid seems especially fond of southeastern Ohio, where Salt Fork State Park hosts the world’s longest-running Bigfoot conference each May. “Ohio: An Unnatural History” runs through Oct. 31, 2021, at the Hayes Presidential Library and Museums. 419-332-2081; rbhayes.org.

Dogman of Defiance

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 25

The Squashcarver one side and the Indiana Pumpkin Growers logo on the other. Two years later, he was commissioned to carve an Indianapolis Motor Speedway design in a pumpkin that topped 400 pounds.

An engineer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Smithhisler hasn’t had much in the way of formal art training (he had one drawing class as an undergrad at Ohio State University). As it turns out, though, engineering and pumpkin art are a perfect pairing.

Since his on-a-whim inauguration into a pumpkin carving profession, Smithhisler’s skills have taken him far: to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas; Philadelphia’s Longwood Gardens; Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago; and the Country Living Fairs in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Columbus. Franklin Park Conservatory, the Ohio State Fair, and various

Mammoth pumpkins become a canvas-in-the-round for co-op member Gus Smithhisler.

BY JAMIE RHEIN

W

hen fall brings pumpkin season, Gus Smithhisler picks up his carving tools, eyes the possibilities, and gets busy.

Since 2002, Smithhisler, who lives just outside of Pataskala and is a member of Newark-based The Energy Cooperative, has turned pumpkins into art — and not just any pumpkins: Mammoth pumpkins that can grow from 300 to more than 2,000 pounds are perfect for this squashcarver’s canvas.

Smithhisler’s journey to “Gus the Squashcarver” fame began when his daughter was in kindergarten. He grew a huge pumpkin at her urging, then hauled their success story from Ohio to the pumpkin weigh-in at the Indiana State Fair. Over the two-day event, as Gus eyed the orangish bounty of soft-skin bigness, the muse hit. He recalls saying, “Someone should carve one.”

So, he did. In three hours, using an 8-inch hunting knife, Smithhisler carved the Indiana State Fair logo in

26 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

festivals are included on his Ohio resumé. In the mix of gargantuan greatness was an appearance on season six of the Food Network’s Halloween Wars and at last year’s Monster Pumpkin Festival in Pittsburgh.

Naturally, the Circleville Pumpkin Show, where monster pumpkins reign, is a given Ohio fit, but the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is another favorite gig. Over the three weekends of the annual Boo at the Zoo, Smithhisler carves six pumpkins, one each day, each one unique.

Because of his close-to-the-entrance setup, guests can follow his progress from when they arrive to when they leave. “It takes me about four hours to carve a 500-pound pumpkin,” he says.

Mammoth pumpkins can sag like deflated balloons or be lumpy in their massiveness, while others are almost jack-o’-lantern perfect. All are fair game. “I carve whatever shows up.”

shapes and anomalies within the individual squash. The stemless handle of a pumpkin might become a rooster’s eye; green streaks emerge as a lion’s mane.

Also, unless there is a specific order, such as a logo, he carves where the pumpkin takes him. Like Michelangelo, who saw sculptures in the stone before he chipped away marble, Smithhisler usually lets a pumpkin’s shape and colors reveal what it wants to be. “Because some pumpkins are gross and ugly or a beautiful orange, that affects the design,” he says.

With a mix of clay-carving tools and a filet knife, Smithhisler uses a subtractive technique, taking away pieces and slivers of pumpkin skin and flesh. “I create shadows and dimension with deep cuts,” he says. The effect of his work is a performance-art-meets-static-art venture. No matter the venue, pumpkin carving is a crowd-pleaser. For Gus, interacting with the audience and giving people a turn at carving is the best part of the job.

Working off guidelines made to scale to get proportions right, Smithhisler uses a soft litho crayon to mark what he envisions on the pumpkin’s surface. The soft skin is a major feature, as well as interesting

Since rendering the Indiana State Fair logo, his repertoire has included tributes to Jack Hanna, the Battle of Iwo Jima, and Smokey Bear. Nature and animals have been favored subjects since childhood, when Gus first started sketching. “The animals are fun to carve,” Smithhisler says, counting a gorilla and an eagle as his favorites.

Dragons are another specialty.

Check out more of Smithhisler’s work at www.squashcarver.com or follow him on Facebook. He also carves for private hire.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 27

Eminent eight Producing plentiful presidents is a proud part of Ohio’s past.

BY DAMAINE VONADA

W

hy is Ohio called the “Mother of Presidents”? Consider this: Since 1776, there have been upward of 500 million Americans; some 12,000

served in Congress, but only 44 have been sworn in as President of the United States.

Of those 44, eight came from Ohio, and during the half-century between Reconstruction and the Roaring Twenties, seven of those Ohioans — all Republicans — dominated the White House and influenced the nation in matters great and small.

Since 2020 is a presidential election year and the 100th anniversary of the last time an Ohioan — Warren G. Harding in 1920 — won the White House, it’s an especially good time to take stock of the state’s eminent eight. We hereby present a compendium of Ohio presidents that includes destinations where you can learn more about their rare and remarkable lives.

28 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

William Henry Harrison 9th President (1841) Born: 1773, Virginia Resumé: Joined Army in 1791 and sent to Ohio Territory to fight in Indian wars. Eloped with a Cincinnati land baron’s daughter; settled on a North Bend farm. Fought in Battle of Fallen Timbers. Victorious general, battles of Tippecanoe and Thames. Indiana Territory governor. Congressman. Ohio senator. U.S. senator.

PHOTO BY LAURA LOUISE MEYERS

Presidency: Whig candidate Harrison’s “log cabin” campaign introduced rambunctious rallies and catchy slogans (“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”) to presidential politics. Delivered 105-minute inauguration address in a snowstorm; got pneumonia and died 32 days later.

Facts: First president to perish in office. Gave longest inaugural oration; served shortest term.

Must-see: Marked by a limestone obelisk, the Harrison Tomb in North Bend commands panoramic views of the Ohio River and three states. The nearby HarrisonSymmes Memorial Foundation Museum displays campaign memorabilia such as a soup bowl showing Harrison’s likeness. 844-288-7709; http://hsmfmuseum.org.

Limestone obelisk marking Harrison’s tomb.

Ulysses S. Grant 18th President (1869–1877) Born: 1822, Point Pleasant, Ohio Resumé: West Point graduate. Farmer. Businessman. Commanding General, Union Army.

Presidency: Pro Reconstruction and Fifteenth Amendment. Created Justice Department to fight for civil rights. Though a master military strategist, Grant was a raw recruit politically, and scandal-ridden appointees disgraced his White House tours of duty.

Continued on page 30

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 29

PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. GRANT HOMESTEAD ASSOC.

Grant’s boyhood home was slated for demolition in 1982, but was spared and is now owned by the Ohio History Connection.

Continued from page 29

Facts: First four-star Army general. First president to run against a woman. Valiantly conquered bankruptcy by writing his bestselling autobiography while dying of cancer.

Must-see: The U.S. Grant Birthplace was probably the nation’s first mobile home; after the Civil War, the Point Pleasant cottage toured the U.S. on flatcar. In Georgetown,

the U.S. Grant Boyhood Home and Grant Schoolhouse contain memorabilia ranging from the family cradle to his childhood drawings, and an animatron of Grant at age 15 tells visitors stories about his love of horses and favorite subject (math). 877-372-8177; www.usgrantboyhoodhome.org.

Rutherford Birchard Hayes PHOTO COURTESY OF HAYES PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUMS

19th President (1877–1881) Born: 1822, Delaware, Ohio Resumé: Lawyer. Brevet Major General, Union Army. Congressman. Ohio governor.

Presidency: Nicknamed “Rutherfraud” because of the hotly disputed 1876 election; Democrats conceded after Hayes agreed to effectively end Reconstruction by removing federal troops from the South.

Declined second term.

Facts: Helped establish Ohio State University. Installed first White House telephone; started Easter Egg Roll. Wife, Lucy, was first presidential spouse called “First Lady.”

Must-see: The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums occupies Spiegel Grove, the sylvan Fremont estate where the Hayeses resided post-White House. The complex boasts the nation’s first public presidential library, and the splendid Hayes Home is chock-full of items — including beds, books, and Bierstadt paintings — they owned. “People come here curious and leave amazed,” says marketing manager Kristina Smith. 800-998-7737; www.rbhayes.org.

The tomb of Rutherford B. Hayes.

30 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

The family’s 31-room mansion is the centerpiece of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.

James Abram Garfield 20th President (1881) Born: 1831, present-day Moreland Hills, Ohio Resumé: Muleskinner. Professor.

Lawyer. Ohio senator. Major General, Union Army. Congressman.

Presidency: A dark horse candidate, Garfield won the 1880 election’s popular vote by a nose. He pledged to end the spoils system but shortly after taking office was shot, ironically, by a disgruntled office seeker. Garfield’s deathwatch was likely the nation’s first media event.

Must-see: The James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Medina, where he invented the front porch campaign at his farmhouse. “Train tracks ran through Garfield’s farm,” says Todd Arrington, site manager, “and 20,000 people came here to see him.” His widow, Lucretia, returned to the farmhouse and pioneered presidential libraries by building a beautiful addition to preserve his books, correspondence, and mementos, like the funeral wreath Queen Victoria sent. 440-2558722; www.nps.gov/jaga.

NPS PHOTO

Facts: Last president born in a log cabin. Phi Beta Kappa. Could simultaneously write Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.

James Garfield invented the front porch campaign at his family house.

Continued on page 32

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 31

Continued from page 31

William McKinley 25th President (1897–1901) Born: 1843, Niles, Ohio Resumé: Brevet Major, Union Army.

Lawyer. Congressman.

Ohio governor.

Presidency: Made U.S. a global power by winning SpanishAmerican War. Open Door Policy with China. Shot by an anarchist at Pan-American Exposition.

Must-see: The National McKinley Birthplace Memorial in Niles looks like a Greek temple and houses a museum (330-652-4273; www. mckinleybirthplacemuseum.org). In Canton, the McKinley Memorial majestically surrounds his tomb and rivals any monument in Washington, D.C. The adjacent McKinley Presidential Library & Museum has the world’s largest collection of McKinley artifacts — including a diamond tiara obtained from Pawn Stars star Rick Harrison — and a family-friendly, interactive science center. “It’s the most unusual presidential library you’ll ever visit because the focus is not solely on a president,” says Kimberly Kenney, executive director. 330-455-7043; www.mckinleymuseum.org.

PHOTO BY DAMAINE VONADA

Facts: Last Civil War veteran in White House. A devoted husband, McKinley campaigned from the front porch of his Canton home, rather than leave his invalid wife. After his assassination, Ohio made McKinley’s trademark red carnation the state flower.

PHOTO COURTESY TRUMBULL COUNTY TOURISM

Above, the McKinley Memorial in Canton is the final resting place of William McKinley; his wife, Ida; and their two young daughters.

32 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

Left, the court of honor at the McKinley Birthplace Memorial in Niles is supported by 28 Greekstyle columns.

27th President (1909–1913) Born: 1857, Cincinnati Resumé: Lawyer. Solicitor general. Court of Appeals judge. Governor-general, Philippines.

Secretary of war. Supreme Court justice.

Presidency: Trust-buster; initiated Dollar Diplomacy; appointed six Supreme Court justices. His reelection bid bombed after Theodore Roosevelt ran as a progressive Bull Moose, but Taft achieved his lifelong ambition when President Harding put him on the Supreme Court.

Facts: First president buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Only person to serve as president and chief justice. At 300-plus pounds, Taft was a political heavyweight, but the story that he got stuck in a White House bathtub doesn’t hold water.

Must-see: Cincinnati’s William Howard Taft National Historic Site preserves the handsome house where he was born and raised, and guides tell visitors about his love of baseball. “Few people realize,” says Reginald Murray, acting operations chief, “that he started the tradition of throwing out the first pitch.”

513-684-3262; www.nps.gov/wiho.

COURTESY OF WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

William Howard Taft

Taft was born and raised in this Cincinnati house.

Warren Gamaliel Harding 29th President (1921–1923) Born: 1865, present-day Blooming Grove, Ohio Resumé: Publisher/ editor. Ohio senator. Ohio lieutenant governor.

U.S. senator.

Presidency: Promised “return to normalcy” while campaigning in Marion from his home’s front porch. Championed civil rights. Established Budget and Veterans bureaus. Convened first disarmament conference.

Picked stellar cabinet members, including Herbert Hoover, but corrupt cronies spawned scandals — particularly Teapot Dome — that stigmatized him.

Facts: First president elected after women’s suffrage, making Florence Harding the first presidential wife to vote for her husband. First president to ride to inauguration in automobile. Lost White House china in poker game.

Must-see: Celebrate the centennial of Harding’s 1920 election at the Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites in Marion: the Harding Memorial, which houses the Hardings’ graves; the meticulously restored Harding Home; and the new Harding Presidential Library & Museum. Sherry Hall, site manager, says, “Harding ushered in America’s modern era, and the museum puts him and his presidency in context for the first time.” 800-600-6894; www.hardingpresidentialsites.org.

Continued on page 34

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 33

PHOTO BY DAMAINE VONADA

Continued from page 33

Harding wished to be buried under a tree and under the stars.

Benjamin Harrison 23rd President (1889–1893) Born: 1833, North Bend, Ohio Resumé: Studied law in Cincinnati, moved to Indianapolis to practice.

Brevet Brigadier General, Union Army. Indiana Supreme Court reporter. U.S. senator.

COURTESY OF BENJAMIN HARRISON PRESIDENTIAL SITE

Presidency: First billion-dollar budget.

Supported national forest reserves.

Expanded Navy to shore up national defense.

An unpopular tariff and tepid economy doomed Harrison’s reelection.

Facts: Great-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence.

Grandfather was President William Henry Harrison, on whose farm he was born. First president to have White House Christmas tree. Last president with a beard.

34 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

Must-see: Built by Harrison and his first wife, Caroline, in the 1870s, the gorgeous Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is a textbook example of residential Italianate architecture. Its vast collection of Harrison artifacts includes a unique longhorn chair with a wildcat-fur seat. “The chair was a gift from a Texas rancher,” says site president Charles Hyde. “It’s pure presidential bling.” 317-631-1888; www.bhpsite.org.

The Harrison home originally was surrounded by 153 feet of fencing, but the pickets were taken as souvenirs by crowds that gathered for his presidential campaign speeches in 1888.

First Ladies National Historic Site, Canton

NPS PHOTO

The only museum dedicated to all of the nation’s First Ladies consists of two historic buildings: the Saxton-McKinley House, where William and Ida McKinley lived in Victorian splendor during the late 1800s; and an 1895 bank building that houses the National First Ladies Library Education and Research Center.

The site tells the stories of the 52 women who have fulfilled the role of First Lady with exhibits and experiences that range from their ever-popular dresses to Smithsonian films. 330-452-0876; www.nps.gov/fila.

The Saxton-McKinley House was built by Ida Saxton McKinley’s grandfather in 1841 and was inherited by the women in Ida’s family.

When the going gets tough, Ohio Farm Bureau gets going!

We continue to be on the forefront, advocating for our members and educating legislative and business leaders as we help the agriculture community navigate through the challenges of COVID-19.

As with any adversity, Ohio's resilient agriculture community will get through this with the strength of the state’s largest farm organization, Ohio Farm Bureau.

OFBF.org/StillFarming

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 35

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2020 CALENDAR

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

CENTRAL

THROUGH OCT. 24 – Delaware Farmers Market, Delaware Co. Fgds., 236 Pennsylvania Ave., Delaware, Sat. 9 a.m.–12 p.m. The market will continue, but it has been temporarily relocated to the fairgrounds. 740-362-6050 or www. mainstreetdelaware.com/event/farmers-market.

THROUGH OCT. 31 – Zanesville Farmers Market, Muskingum Co. Fgds., 1300 Pershing Rd., Zanesville, every Sat., 9 a.m.–12 p.m. www. zanesvillefarmersmarket.org.

OCT. 11–17 – Lancaster County Fair, Lancaster Co. Fgds., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster, Sun. 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–10 p.m. One of the last county fairs of the year — and one of the best! www. fairfieldcountyfair.org.

OCT. 16–17 – Historic Ghost Tour, downtown Canal Winchester, 7–9 p .m. $10, C. (6–18) $5, under 6 free.

Tours depart from the Community Center, 22 S. Trine St. 614-833-1846 or www.canalwinchesterohio.gov.

OCT. 17 – Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Colors Hike, Hocking Hills State Park, 19852 St. Rte. 664 S., Logan, starts at 9 a.m. A strenuous hike that spans 6 miles,

SOUTHWEST

OCT. 14, 21, 28 – Bluegrass Wednesdays, Vinoklet Winery, 11069 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Enjoy dinner, wine, and an evening of lively bluegrass music by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Reservations strongly recommended.

513-385-9309, vinokletwinery@fuse.net, or www. vinokletwines.com/post/2018/09/30/bluegrasswednesdays-spaghetti-meat-balls.

OCT. 17 – Harvest Days, downtown Piqua, all day.

Pumpkins, scarecrows, and lots of fall fun. Live music, local food, and family-friendly activities. www.homegrowngreat.com/event/harvest-days-indowntown-piqua.

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

from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls and back. Approx.

3–4 hours. 740-385-6841 or www.thehockinghills.org/ Events.htm.

OCT. 17–18 – Lorena Sternwheeler Fall Foliage Cruise, Zanesville, 2–3 p.m. $10, Srs. $9, C. (2–12) $6. Advance sales only. Enjoy a relaxing cruise down the Muskingum River to see the fall colors. Board at Zane’s Landing Park located on the west end of Market Street. 740-455-8282 or www.facebook.com/ LorenaSternwheeler.

OCT. 17–18 – Education of Yesterday Farm Show, 3685 Cass Irish Ridge Rd. (intersection of St. Rtes.

16 and 60), Dresden, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is a donation. Train rides available for $1. Our mission is to preserve old machinery, to teach and show the younger generation how things were done in the past. Something for everyone! 740-754-6248 or www. facebook.com/EducationofYesterday.

OCT. 20 – “Our Heirloom Quilts,” St. Leonard’s Catholic Church, 57 Dorsey Mill Drive E., Hebron, 7–9 p.m. Expanded show-and-tell session in which guild members share their family heirloom quilts and the stories associated with them. The older the quilt, the better! https://heartofohioquilters.com/event/ourheirloom-quilts.

OCT. 24 – Applebutter and Horseradish Day, Lawrence Orchards, 2634 Smeltzer Rd., Marion, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Free. We start cooking the apple butter in a copper kettle over a wood fire at daybreak, and the butter is ready for processing by midafternoon.

We grind the horseradish crop at the same time — downwind from the apple butter! Come enjoy the tastes and smells of farm life. 740-389-3019 or www. lawrenceorchards.com.

OCT. 24–25 – Special Ops Gun Show, Lancaster Co. Fgds., Farm Bureau Bldg., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster, Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 614-374-7771 or www.fairfieldcountyfair.org.

NOV. 4–7 – Freedom’s Never Free, Lancaster Co. Fgds., Farm Bureau Bldg., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster. Free. An appreciation celebration for our veterans, military, and first responders. www. freedomsneverfree.com.

NOV. 7 – Dinner with the Presidents, Dayspring Wesleyan Church, 2431 Marion-Mt. Gilead Rd., Marion, 5:30–8:30 p.m. $32–$38. Presented by the Marion County Historical Society. Buffet dinner of the featured presidents’ favorite foods, with recipes taken from the White House Cookbook. Dinner is followed by presentations from those presidents.

740-387-4255 or www.marionhistory.com/event/ dinner-with-the-presidents.

NOV. 7 – Veterans March and Ceremony, Canal Winchester, 10 a.m. March begins at Frances Steube Community Center, 22 S. Trine St., and ends at Stradley Place, 36 S. High St., for the ceremony. Free pancake breakfast for veterans and their families 8:30–10 a.m. at the Community Center. 614-8349915 or www.canalwinchesterohio.gov.

NOV. 10 – Inventors Network Meeting, Rev1 Ventures for Columbus, 1275 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, 7 p.m. The focus this month is “Invention Licensing for Dummies.”

614-470-0144 or www.inventorscolumbus.com.

OCT. 18 – Music at the Mound with Steve Free, Serpent Mound, 3850 OH-73, Peebles, 1 p.m. Free admission; $8 parking. http://arcofappalachia.org/ steve-free.

OCT. 30 – 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. 513-832-1422 or http://fibbrew.com.

NOV. 7–8 – Cincinnati Carvers Guild Annual Woodcarving Show, Clarion Hotel, 3855 Hauck Rd., Sharonville. $5; free for ages 12 and under and for Scouts in uniform. About 50 carvers will display their amazing art, answer questions, and demonstrate how tools are used and kept razor sharp. Wood, tools, and books for sale. Raffle and free door prizes every half hour. 513-521-0059 or www.cincinnaticarversguild.org.

NOV. 14 – Holiday Horse Parade, downtown Piqua, 7–9 p.m. Free. See horse-drawn carriages, hitches, and riders, all outfitted with holiday lights, making their way down Main Street. Christmas banners and decorated street trees will create an amazing backdrop for this dazzlingly fun family-friendly event.

937-773-9355 or www.mainstreetpiqua.com.

NOV. 14 – Springfield Swap Meet and Car Show, Clark Co. Fgds., 4401 S. Charleston Pike, Springfield (exit 59 off I-70), 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Be part of the largest and most exciting swap meet in the Midwest! Find the parts you need to finish your current projects during the winter months. 937-376-0111, fax 937-372-1171, or www.ohioswapmeet.com.

NOV. 11–14 – A Winter’s Yuletide Gathering, downtown Tipp City. The perfect start to the holiday season awaits you in the historic downtown, where the shopkeepers warmly invite you to their open house. Don’t miss the visit by Santa, strolling carolers, musicians, and carriage rides. 937-667-0883 or www. downtowntippcity.org.

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.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 37

2020 CALENDAR

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

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 (Rte. 6), Kirtland, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Family-friendly thrills, chills, and adventure! Tickets must be purchased in advance online. 440-358-7275 or www.lakemetroparks.com/events-activities/events/ halloween-hayrides.

OCT. 16 – Fall School Day: “Zoar and the Presidents,” Historic Zoar Village. $7 per student with one free adult admission per group; each additional adult $7. Students will meet U.S. presidents from various eras covering Zoar’s history. Presidential activities, games, museum tours, and demonstrations.

Open to all public, private, and homeschool students.

THROUGH NOV. 1 – Corn Maze, Beriswill Farms, Reservations are requested. 330-874-3011 or 2200 Station Rd., Valley City, Tues.– Sun. 11 a.m.–6 800-262-6195, or on Facebook. https:// p.m. $5–$9, free for kids under 3 and seniors. Test historiczoarvillage.com. your sense of direction in this 5-acre maze. Open till 10 p.m. on Flashlight Nights, Saturdays in October.

OCT. 17 – Kidron Red Beet Festival, Sonnenberg 330-350-2486 or http://beriswillfarms.com.

Village, 13515 Hackett Rd., Kidron. 330-857-9111 or www.kidronhistoricalsociety.org.

OCT. 4–17 – “Riverboats on the Ohio,” Historic Fort Steuben, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, Mon.–Sat. OCT. 17–18 – Colonial Trade Fair, Schoenbrunn 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Free exhibit and Village, 1984 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia. programs. 740-283-1787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com. Experience what life was like on the Ohio frontier in OCT. 9–11, 16–18 – Corn and Pumpkin Weekends, the 18th century! See period reenactors and natives Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd. displaying their trade goods; cooking, weaving, and musket demonstrations; an apothecary; an (Rte. 6), Kirtland, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. $6–$8. Help husk, shell, and grind corn or plow behind draft horses while 18th-century church service on Sunday; and more. younger visitors make handmade corn husk dolls and 330-663-6610 or www.schoenbrunnvillagefair.org. paint pumpkins, navigate the hay maze, and play in OCT. 23–24, 30–31 – Ghost Tours of Zoar, 198 Main the kids’ areas. Enjoy harvest activities throughout the St., Zoar. Tour the buildings of historic Zoar by lantern weekends and cooking demonstrations on Sundays. light as the ghosts of Zoar tell you their haunted tales. www.lakemetroparks.com/events-activities/events.

Reservations required. 330-874-3011, 800-262-6195, or https://historiczoarvillage.com.

OCT. 9–NOV. 1 – Halloween Drive-Thru, Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd.

OCT. 24 – Annual Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park Dinner/Auction, Hopedale VFD Social Hall, 103 Firehouse Lane, Hopedale. Rescheduled from May. $20. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with buffetstyle dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by speaker Chris Runyan and auction at 7:30 p.m. For info./reservations or to donate items: 740-391-4135, 740-942-3895, or info@hcrhp.org. Or mail reservations to: HCRHP, 143 S. Main St., Cadiz, OH 43907. www.hcrhp.org, www. coalpark.org, or www.facebook.com/HCRHP. OCT. 24 – Witch’s Night Out, Beriswill Farms, 2200 Station Rd., Valley City, 6–8:30 p.m. $25/$30. A special girls’ night out! Enjoy festive food and a special Witch’s Brew along with shopping from select vendors such as Color Street, Avon, LaLa Leggings, and more. www.beriswillfarms.com/special-events.

NOV. 6–7 – Buckeye Book Fair, Fisher Auditorium, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, Fri. 5–8 p.m., Sat. 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. $2. Over 100 Ohio authors, illustrators, and photographers will be on hand to meet readers and sign copies of their newest books. Workshops, presentations, and activities for the whole family.

330-249-1455, buckeyebookfair@gmail.com, or www. buckeyebookfair.com.

NOV. 7 – “Zoar Archaeology,” Zoar Schoolhouse, 221 E. 4th St., Zoar, 11 a.m.–noon. Free. Nathan White is the speaker. https://historiczoarvillage.com.

NOV. 14–15 – Olde Stark Antique Faire, Stark Co. Fgds., Exhibition Bldg., 305 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton, Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. $5; under 13 free. Antiques and collectibles from over 100 dealers.

330-794-9100 or find us on Facebook.

SOUTHEAST

roaming spooks, and a demonstration of paranormal investigation techniques. https://vintoncountytravel. com/midnight-at-moonville-2020.

OCT. 16–18 – Muskingum Valley Trade Days, 6602 St. Rte. 78, Reinersville. 740-558-2740.

OCT. 17 – Trail of Treats, Deerassic Park Education Ctr., 14250 Cadiz Rd., Cambridge, 1 p.m. Local businesses pass out goodies, geared for those under 14. 740-435-3335 or www.deerassic.com.

NOV. 1–JAN. 1 – Dickens Victorian Village, downtown Cambridge. Stroll the streets to view scenes depicting life in 1850s England, featuring life-sized, handmade mannequins wearing real vintage clothing. 800-933-5480 or www. dickensvictorianvillage.com.

NOV. 1–JAN. 1 – Guernsey County Courthouse Holiday Light Show, Cambridge, 5:30–9 p.m. nightly. Four different light and music shows

performed each evening. 800-933-5480 or www. dickensvictorianvillage.com.

NOV. 6 – First Friday: Community Harvest, downtown Marietta, 5–9 p.m. Food drive to help feed our community in gratitude for the community’s support all year. www.mariettamainstreet.org/events.

NOV. 7 – Appraisal Clinic, Campus Martius Museum, 601 Second St., Marietta, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Museum admission plus $5 per item for appraisal. Bring your heirlooms, garage sale purchases, or sentimental objects to have them identified and appraised. 740373-3750 or https://mariettamuseums.org.

NOV. 7 – Miller’s Automotive Swap Meet and Cruise-In, Ross Co. Fgds., 344 Fairgrounds Rd., Chillicothe, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $7; free for women and for children under 14. Cars, trucks, tools, parts, signs, and more. 740-701-3447, www.millersswapmeet.com, or find us on Facebook.

THROUGH NOV. 1 – Blennerhassett Voyage Package, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo. $130 package includes one night of lodging for two at North Bend, two tickets for sternwheeler ride to and from Blennerhassett Island, wagon ride tour of the island, tour of the mansion, and passes for the museum. 304643-2931, www.northbendsp.com, or www. blennerhassettislandstatepark.com.

OCT. 15–18 – Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival, Martinsburg. Pie baking contest, pop-up

shops and art fair, contests, music, square dancing, car show, and more. www.msahf.com.

NOV. 5–JAN. 1 – Winter Festival of Lights, Oglebay Resort, Wheeling. Featuring 300 acres of twinkling lights over a 6-mile drive. 3D holographic eyewear transforms every point of light into a magical display.

Per-car donation requested; valid for the entire festival season. https://oglebay.com/events/festival-of-lights.

877-436-1797.

THROUGH OCT. 31 – Chillicothe Farmers Market, 475 Western Ave., Suite F, Chillicothe, 8 a.m.–noon.

First hour reserved for high-risk shoppers. http:// visitchillicotheohio.com.

OCT. 10 – Midnight at Moonville, 71945 Shea Rd., McArthur, 3 p.m.–midnight. Most activities free; $5 parking. Halloween-themed event featuring storytelling, wagon rides, craft vendors, music,

WEST VIRGINIA

38 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

NORTHWEST

p.m. Family event geared toward truck enthusiasts.

More than 2,000 4-wheel-drive vehicles, everything from monster trucks to tough truck racing, mud bogging, show trucks, and more! 317-236-6515 or www.4wheeljamboree.com.

OCT. 24 – Safety City Trick or Treat, 700 S. Collett, Lima, 12–2 p.m. Free. Local businesses and other organizations hand out candy and kid-friendly items as kids walk through Safety City. Lima Police will provide security during the event. 419-228-5474, 419235-8153, or www.facebook.com/SafetyCity.

THROUGH OCT. 10 – The Great Sidney Farmer’s OCT. 24–25 – Woodcarvers’ Show and Sale, Market, Courthouse Square, 109 S. Ohio Ave., Sidney, Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, Sat. every Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–noon. Free. Fresh produce, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Woodcarvers crafters, baked goods, jams, jellies. 937-658-6945 or showcase handcrafted wildlife, fish, birds, bowls, www.sidneyalive.org. ornaments, pens, and much more. Vendors, demos, workshops, and live music. 800-590-9755 or www.

THROUGH OCT. 25 – Pumpkin Train, Northwest saudervillage.org.

Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, Sat./Sun. 1–5 p.m. $3; ages 12 and under, $2. OCT. 24, 31 – Trick-or-Treat Train, Northwest Ohio Ride a train to the pumpkin patch to find that special Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, pumpkin; load it on the train’s flatcar and return to the 6:30–9 p.m. (24th and 31st), 1–4 p.m. (31st). $3; ages station. Pumpkins $5 each, but no purchase required 12 and under, $2. Take a ride around our tracks on the for the train ride. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or Halloween Express and enjoy the displays as our train www.facebook.com/nworrp. makes trick-or-treat stops. No scary sites — just fun and treats for all! 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or THROUGH OCT. 31 – Bluffton Farmers Market, www.facebook.com/nworrp.

Citizens National Bank parking lot, 102 S. Main St., Bluffton, 9 a.m.–noon; 8:30–9 a.m. for seniors NOV. 5 – Lima Chamberfest, Veterans Memorial and at-risk shoppers. www.explorebluffton.com/ Civic & Convention Ctr., #7 Town Square, Lima, farmers-market.

5:30–10 p.m. $25 presale, $35 at the door. Annual OCT. 10 – Boos and Brews Fall Festival, downtown Las Vegas-style night features free samples of cuisine from local restaurants and caterers, a full Sidney, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. 937-658-6945 or www. casino with interactive games, Texas Hold ’Em tables, sidneyalive.org. celebrity dealers, a fully stocked beer garden, and OCT. 10–11 – Oak Harbor Apple Festival, downtown auctions. Ticket includes “Chamber Cash,” beverage Oak Harbor. Parade, cornhole tournament, baby/ tickets, and a chance to win the grand prize! www. toddler contest, talent show, and more on Saturday; limaciviccenter.com. live bands and beer tent starting 8 p.m. ($5). 5K Apple Run, 1-mile kids’ run, and classic car show on Sunday. NOV. 6–7 – Buckeye Farm Antiques Annual Swap Meet, Shelby Co. Fgds., 655 S. Highland Ave., Sidney, 419-898-0479 or www.oakharborohio.net.

Fri. 8 a.m. till dark, Sat. 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Tractor parts OCT. 13 – Scarecrow Making Workshop, Wood and related items, consignment auction, crafts, and County Museum, 13660 County Home Rd., Bowling flea market. 419-302-6017, 937-726-2485, or www.

Green, 5–7 p.m. Straw, string, support pole, and buckeyefarmantiques.com. refreshments provided; you bring clothes, decoration, NOV. 7–8 – Homespun Holiday Art and Craft and support for the scarecrow’s back and arms.

Show, Stranahan Great Hall, 4645 Heatherdowns Take it home or enter it in the annual Scarecrow Blvd., Toledo, Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 Contest to win prizes. www.woodcountyhistory.org/ p.m. Free admission and parking. Jump-start your event_folklore.html. holiday shopping with handmade crafts and gifts.

OCT. 15 – Pumpkin Carving Workshop, Wood Bring food and household items to benefit Cherry County Museum, 13660 County Home Rd., Bowling Street Mission Ministries. 419-842-1925 or www.

Green, 6:30–8 p.m. Free. www.woodcountyhistory. toledocraftsmansguild.org. org/event_folklore.html.

NOV. 7–8 – Tri-State Gun Show, Allen Co. Fgds., OCT. 16–17 – Fall Festivities at Walnut Grove 2750 Harding Hwy., Lima, Sat. 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. Campground, 7325 S. Twp. Rd. 131, Tiffin. Fri./Sat. 10 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. $6. www.tristategunshow.org. a.m.–9 p.m., Amish Goods Bake Sale; Fri./Sat. 8–9 NOV. 11–14 – “Angels in the Attic” Crafts p.m., Haunted Horse Shoe Shelter (donation). Sat. 4 Show, Ross Historical Ctr., 201 N. Main Ave., Sidney, p.m., Trick or Treat, full campground; Sat. 8 p.m.–12 Wed.–Fri. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. $2. a.m., Band: 3 Streets Over. Park visitor fee if not camping: $2.50 per person, 4 yrs. and under free. 419- One-of-a-kind show set in a beautiful Victorian mansion. Handmade crafts of all kinds by local artists.

448-0914 or www.walnutgrovecampground.

Reasonable prices, complimentary refreshments, door OCT. 17–18 – Oak Ridge Festival, 15498 E. Twp. prizes. 937-570-8834 or 937-498-1653.

Rd. 104, Attica, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $7, Srs./C. (8–12) $5, under 8 free. Military vehicles and weaponry, antique NOV. 11–14 – Holiday Shop Hop, downtown Sidney.

See website for updated information. 937-492-9122 or machinery, longhorn cattle display, auction, kids’ www.visitsidneyshelby.com/event/holiday-shop-hop. activities, and live entertainment. 419-426-0611 or www.oakridgefestival.com.

NOV. 14 – Lima Symphony: “Strength of Spirit” Concert, Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Ctr., OCT. 23–25 – Wheel Jamboree Nationals, Allen #7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m. $10–$35. www.

Co. Fgds., 2750 Harding Highway, Lima, Fri. 10 limaciviccenter.com. a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications)

1. Publication Title

9/1/2020

2. Publication Number

Ohio Cooperative Living

2 2 5 7

4. Issue Frequency

_

3. Filing Date

0 4 9 X

5. Number of Issues Published Annually

Monthly 12

6. Annual Subscription Price

Monthly 12

6.12

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4 ®)

Contact Person

Nila Moyers

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, Franklin Co., OH 43229-1101

Telephone (Include area code)

614-846-5757

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer)

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, Franklin Co., OH 43229-1101

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not leave blank) Publisher (Name and complete mailing address)

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229-1101

Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Jeff McCallister

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229-1101

Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229-1101

10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.)

Full Name Complete Mailing Address

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229-1101

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or None Other Securities. If none, check box Full Name

Complete Mailing Address

12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: � Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months 13. Publication Title 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below Ohio Living Has Changed DuringCooperative Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement)

PS Form 3526, July 2014 [Page 1 of 4 (see instructions page 4)] PSN: 7530-01-000-9931

09/01/2020

PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com.

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

Average No. Copies No. Copies of Single Each Issue During Issue Published Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date

304366

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

(2)

Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies)

(3)

Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS®

(4)

Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g., First-Class Mail®)

303444

0

0

0

0

0

0

303409

c. Total Paid Distribution [Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)]

303444

957

d. Free or (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541 Nominal Rate Distribution (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (By Mail and Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS Outside (3) (e.g., First-Class Mail) the Mail) (4)

304414

303409

970

0

0

0

0

1618

Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means)

1561

2575

e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4))

f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e)

2531

306940

306945

306940

306945

0

g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page #3))

h. Total (Sum of 15f and g)

0

0.00%

i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100)

0.00%

* If you are claiming electronic copies, go to line 16 on page 3. If you are not claiming electronic copies, skip to line 17 on page 3.

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications) 16. Electronic Copy Circulation

Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

0

0

a. Paid Electronic Copies b. Total Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) c. Total Print Distribution (Line 15f) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c Í 100) PS Form 3526, July 2014 (Page 2 of 4) I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid above a nominal price.

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership � If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed

Publication not required.

October 2020 in the ________________________ issue of this publication.

18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner

signed by Jeff Jeff McCallister Digitally McCallister

Date

09/03/2020

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

Instructions to Publishers

1.

Complete and file one copy of this form with your postmaster annually on or before October 1. Keep a copy of the completed form for your records.

2.

In cases where the stockholder or security holder is a trustee in items 10 or 11, include the name of the person or corporation for whom the trustee is acting. Also include in item 10 the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding one (1) percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the name and address of each individual owner. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name andaddress as well as the name and address of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address and complete item 12. In item 11, include all bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding one (1) percent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities. If none, check the box. Use blank sheets if more space is required.

3.

Be sure to furnish all circulation information called for in item 15. Free Non-Requested circulation must be shown in item 15d.

4.

Item 15g, Copies not Distributed, must include (1) newsstand copies returned to the publisher, (2) estimated returns from news agents, and (3), copies for office use, leftovers, spoiled, and all other copies not distributed.

PS Form 3526, July 2014 (Page 3 of 4)

PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com.

5.

If the publication had Periodicals authorization as a general publication, this Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation must be published, i.e., it must be printed in an issue that’s primary mailed distribution is produced not later than October 10 for publications issued more frequently than weekly; or not later than October 31 for publications issued weekly or less frequently but more frequently than monthly; or in the first issue that’s primary mailed distribution is produced after October 1 for all other publications.

6.

In item 16, check the box if electronic copies are being included in your total distribution and complete line items 16a through d.

7.

In item 17, report the date of the issue in which this Statement of Ownership will be published, if applicable.

8.

Item 17 must be signed.

Failure to file or publish a statement of ownership may lead to suspension of periodicals authorization.

OCTOBER 2020 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 39 PS Form 3526, July 2014 (Page 4 of 4)

Scary!

MEMBER INTERACTIVE

1

1

1

2 1

3

1. Our granddaughter, Harper, ready to help Jessie and Buzz Lightyear find some missing toys!

Patricia Borland South Central Power Company member 2. My grandkids (Gage and Gezzy Kidston) and me setting up for the annual Halloween party I have for them. We like to make it extra spooky!

Linda Kidston North Western Electric Cooperative member 3. My grandson, Beau, during Delaware State Park’s Fall Harvest trick or treat.

Janeen Melroy North Central Electric Cooperative member

1

5

1

4

4. Our not-so-scary scarecrow, Westin Farmer.

Wesley Farmer Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative member 1

6

5. My grandchildren, Spencer Kirk (scary clown) and Ella Kirk (crazy cat lady).

Tom Fitzpatrick Consolidated Cooperative member 6. Me dressed as a crazy cat lady.

Darla Cabe Pioneer Electric Cooperative member 7. My son, Lucas, dressed up as a zombie for Halloween. He really played up the part!

Gina Fogt Pioneer Electric Cooperative member

1

1

7

8

8. Ready for trick or treat.

Cheryl Evans Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative member

1

1

9

1

10

11

9. G houls, like my son, Jacob, have invaded Area 51, and now not even the aliens are safe.

Cynthia Boles South Central Power Company member 10. My grandson, Locklan, is a big bad lion at Halloween.

Diana Sieb Darke Rural Electric Cooperative member 11. My grandson, Luke, getting his face painted with a scary spider.

Karin Moran Frontier Power Company member

Send us your picture! For January, send “Mask fashion” by Oct. 15. For February, send “Golden anniversaries” by Nov. 15.

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

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

Find more photos on the Member Interactive page at

www.ohiocoopliving.com

40 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2020

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40’x60’x12’ • Garage/Hobby Shop

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30’x40’x10’ • Garage/Hobby Shop

•2-10x10 Garage Doors

•2-9x8 Garage Doors

•1-3’ Entry Door

•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

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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