Ohio Cooperative Living - January 2018 - Consolidated

Consolidated Electric Cooperative

Official publication | www.consolidated.coop

JANUARY 2018

The trip We you! of a want lifetime ifetime Teenagers onfor theConsolidated’s Electric Cooperati ve Apply today 2018 Youth an experience that isn’t YouthTour Tourget to Washington, D.C. available anywhere else See Page 22

ALSO INSIDE ALSO INSIDE Remembering the Blizzard of ’78 Remembering the Blizzard of ’78 Warm drinks to cut the winter chill Warm drinks to cut the winter chill Erma: The original mommy-blogger Erma: The original mommy-blogger

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the

COOPERATIVE

PRINCIPLES

1 VOLUNTARY & OPEN MEMBERSHIP

2 DEMOCRATIC

MEMBER CONTROL

3 MEMBERS’ ECONOMIC

PARTICIPATION

4 AUTONOMY &

INDEPENDENCE

5 EDUCATION & TRAINING

6 COOPERATION AMONG

COOPERATIVES

7 CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY

7CoopPrinciples.indd 1

ohioec.org

Co-op membership is open to anyone able to use its services.

Co-ops elect their leaders, who collectively make decisions.

Members contribute financially to their cooperative.

Co-ops are autonomous, and any agreements must maintain their independence.

Co-ops educate and train their members and employees.

Co-ops work with other co-ops to benefit all co-op members.

Co-ops are committed to improving the communities they call home.

6/12/17 10:29 AM

INSIDE

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

HIGHLIGHTS 4

JOIN THE YOUTH TOUR!

There are more reasons than you can count for highschoolers to participate in the annual co-op Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. — but we’ve narrowed it down to the top 8.

FEATURES 19

25

LOCAL PAGES

News and important information from your electric cooperative.

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER

Enjoy conversation with dinner guests straight out of the history books at numerous spots around the state.

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ALL GREEN, NO FUSS

You don’t need a green thumb to grow attractive houseplants during winter or any time of the year.

THE ORIGINAL MOMMY-BLOGGER

Dayton’s Erma Bombeck mused about marriage and motherhood for a flock of faithful followers.

Cover photo on most editions: Ohio students on the 2017 Youth Tour pose for an iconic photo on the steps of the US Capitol Building.

UP FRONT

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LOOKING AHEAD TO 2018

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love this time of year. January, for me, is a time of optimism, when I see all the possibilities ahead of us, which both invite us into the unknown and challenge us to improve.

At the same time, the new year affords us the opportunity to look back at the year that was. Before going into our 2018 priorities, let’s celebrate 2017 — which, looking back, turned out to be a historic year for Ohio electric cooperatives. It was a year in which we:

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Rolled out the update and new name for this magazine, Ohio Cooperative Living. With your input, we’ve made efforts to provide a fun, interesting, and informative monthly read.

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Made significant progress with our regulators on finding more common-sense and affordable ways to meet environmental goals at our power plants.

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Completed the construction of our indoor lineworker training facility near Mt. Gilead. Now we have 72 apprentice lineworkers enrolled in the four-year training program, and have provided advanced training to 43 journeyman lineworkers in new programs.

Maintained a record-high level of member satisfaction, as measured by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

•

Completed construction of 22 solar installations to supply power to Ohio cooperative members.

All of those things help set the tone for what could be another historic year.

Some of our 2018 priorities include:

• Not only assume operational

control of the Cardinal, Mone, and Greenville power plants after reaching an agreement with our long-term partner, AEP, but further improving operations there.

•

Begin to develop high-voltage grid enhancements in targeted areas of rural Ohio that will improve the reliable delivery of power.

•

Bring modern electricity supply to the village of Las Tortugas in a remote area of the Guatemala rainforest.

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Continue to improve economic opportunities in the communities served by Ohio’s electric cooperatives.

•

Maintain the power-supply portion of your electric bill at essentially the same rate it’s been since 2012.

Thank you again this year for your continued support and patronage of your electric cooperative. Wishing you God’s blessings and a happy New Year.

Pat O’Loughlin

President & CEO Ohio's Electric Cooperatives

I see all the possibilities ahead of us, which both invite us into the unknown and challenge us to improve.

January 2018 • Volume 60, No. 4

OHIO

COOPERATIVE LIVING

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 memberinteract@ohioec.org www.ohioec.org Patrick O’Loughlin Patrick Higgins Jeff McCallister Samantha Kuhn Anita Cook

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

Contributors: Margo Bartlett, Colleen Romick Clark, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Karen Holcomb, Pat Keegan, Catherine Murray, Adam Specht, Damaine Vonada, Kris Wetherbee, and Rick Wetherbee.

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

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

MORE INSIDE DEPARTMENTS 6 POWER LINES

STORM OF THE CENTURY: 40 years ago, electric cooperatives

— and the rest of the Midwest — battled the Blizzard of ’78.

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OHIO ICON

DODDS MONUMENTS: Founded by Scottish immigrants, the Xenia monument company is one of the largest in the U.S.

10 CO-OP PEOPLE RECLAIMING GEMS: A Butler County artisan turns otherwise unwanted scrap wood into unique treasures.

15 GOOD EATS WINTER’S WARMERS: A steamy beverage can cut through the

chill on even the iciest winter day.

23 CO-OP OHIO JUMPING UP TO HELP: 40 workers from 11 Ohio electric

cooperatives helped restore power to New Hampshire in November after a windstorm blew through the Granite State.

38 CALENDAR WHAT’S HAPPENING: January events and other things to do.

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

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

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

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

40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE STAYING WARM: Readers share ways that they avoid the cold.

IN THIS ISSUE

Delaware (p.4, 23) Bellefontaine (p.4) Xenia (p.8) Oxford (p.10) Piqua (p.23) Bryan (p.23) Marion (p.25) Canton (p.26, 28) Mentor (p.26) Niles (p.28) Georgetown (p.27) Dayton (p.34)

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

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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BY ADAM SPECHT; PHOTOGRAPHY BY FORMER YOUTH TOUR PARTICIPANTS

REASONS

YOUTH TOUR IS FOR YOU

E

very June for the past 39 years, high school students from co-op families have attended the Electric Cooperatives Youth Tour — a weeklong leadership experience in Washington, D.C., sponsored by their co-op. Youth Tour is an experience unlike any other — full of fun, friends, and memories that last a lifetime.

While everyone at Ohio Cooperative Living would be delighted to discover that the high school student in your family already reads our magazine, if that’s not typically the case, we recommend sharing this list of reasons that your high school student should apply for the 2018 Youth Tour.

1

IT’S NOT LIKE YOUR SCHOOL TRIP

to D.C. Ohio schools put together trips to Washington all the time. In fact, the majority of students who go on Youth Tour from Ohio have already been there at least once. We specifically plan this trip to be different from those middleschool trips; we go to many places you probably didn’t visit on your school trip, and we give you more time to get an in-depth look at what D.C. has to offer. And unlike school trips…

2

YOU’LL MEET NEW PEOPLE — and yourself.

On Youth Tour, you’re not surrounded by people you already know. You’ll meet high school students from around the state and around the country — and you can be yourself in a way that you can’t when you’re around your current friends and classmates. Youth Tour provides an opportunity to come out of your shell and be the person you want to be — not just the person everyone thinks you are.

Everyone comes on Youth Tour with a clean slate; it’s a fun, open environment where you can relax and make great new friends.

3

YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT CO-OPS

: businesses that put people over profits. Today’s young people don’t just want to work — they want to work with a purpose. Cooperatives, such as

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

your electric co-op, are places to do just that.

Cooperatives are not-for-profit companies governed by the people they serve — not by Wall Street investors. On Youth Tour, you’ll learn how cooperatives operate, how they make communities like yours a better place, and why they’re great places to build a career.

4

YOU CAN TELL CONGRESS WHAT MATTERS TO YOU. Each Youth Tour includes a day on

Capitol Hill, where you’ll be given the opportunity to visit a congressional office. There, you can meet a member of Congress face-to-face and discuss the issues that are important to you. Your office visit will be with a small group, so it’s a prime opportunity to get to know a member of Congress in an unintimidating, personal setting.

You’ll also meet congressional staff members and find out why and how they pursued careers in public service.

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YOU’LL LEARN MORE ABOUT AMERICA’S RICH, COMPLEX HISTORY. Washington is an incredible

melting pot of history and culture — and Youth Tour is the perfect place to engage with it like never before.

Youth Tour includes stops at many of D.C.’s incredible museums, monuments, and memorials, including the Smithsonian museums of Air and Space, American History, Natural History, American Indian History, and African American History. We’ll visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Arlington National Cemetery — and also stop by the Gettysburg battlefield for a personal guided tour on our way to D.C. It’s a history buff’s dream.

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IT’S FUN! Youth Tour is a blast. Even with a full

schedule, we still provide plenty of downtime for you to get to know your fellow Youth Tour students — you can hang out, play card games, and just relax and have a good time. The trip also includes several social events where you can meet students from other states.

IT’S FREE!

That’s right — this experience comes at no cost to you and your family. The trip, including meals, is entirely paid for by your cooperative. Just bring some extra money for souvenirs, and that’s it. It’s another amazing perk of your family’s membership in an Ohio electric cooperative.

IT COULD BE JUST THE BEGINNING.

Each state, including Ohio, selects one student to represent the state on the Youth Leadership Council (YLC). If you are chosen by your peers to serve as Ohio’s YLC delegate, you’ll attend a conference with your fellow delegates in D.C. in July — followed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., in March 2019. Additionally, our YLC delegate will also receive a $1,000 scholarship from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.

There are so many reasons to apply for Youth Tour — and these just scratch the surface. To learn more about Youth Tour or other youth programs that your cooperative might offer, call your co-op office or visit its website.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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BY MARGO BARTLETT PHOTOS COURTESY DELAWARE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

STORM OF THE 40 years ago, the record-setting Blizzard of ’78 crippled the Midwest

F

or most Ohioans, the first sign that something unusual was happening on that night 40 years ago was the shriek of a fierce, unrelenting wind.

In the late evening of Jan. 25, 1978, a low-pressure system from Canada met another low-pressure system from Texas. Such storms approach from opposite directions several times each winter, according to the National Weather Service. Usually they miss each other. This time they collided, causing what has come to be widely known as “the storm of the century.”

Immediate and devastating Six Midwest states were clobbered with high winds, heavy snow, and wind chills of at least 50 degrees below zero. Gusts of 69 mph were recorded in Dayton and Columbus; Cleveland noted a gust of 82 mph. Four states, including Ohio, activated the National Guard.

Thousands of electric customers lost power. According to the Jan. 27 Delaware (Ohio) Gazette, a spokesman for Delaware’s Rural Electric Cooperative (now Consolidated Electric Cooperative) said most of the outages were from “wires being blown together and then short-circuiting.” Falling poles, downed lines, and fallen trees added to the problems.

Rural Electric crews “fought the cold and winds through the night to restore electricity,” the Jan. 27 Gazette reported. Then-manager L.D. Ziegler told the newspaper that linemen were having difficulty getting to problem areas: “Everywhere we go, we have to have a grader in front of us,” he said.

Widespread hardship The combination of snowplows and gusting wind built up piles of snow as high as 15 feet high in some areas of Ohio during the record-setting Blizzard of 1978, 40 years ago this month. Many roads were impassable for days afterward, while residents had to move into shelters because of widespread power and water outages.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

Across Ohio, thousands of motorists were stranded in snowbound cars; 22 people in Ohio died after they walked away from their immobilized vehicles. The Ohio Turnpike closed for the only time in its history.

Thousands more were evacuated from homes without heat or electricity. They found shelter in churches, schools, and armories.

CENTURY The Guard’s adjutant general at that time, James C. Clem, reported drifts were 15 feet high and 100 yards long in Clermont County. On the Ohio River near Cincinnati, an ice jam 20 feet thick and 2½ miles long shoved 17 barges and towboats against Markland Dam.

Grateful for help The Ohio National Guard magazine, The Buckeye Guard, devoted its April 1978 issue to the blizzard.

It included a letter of thanks from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association that serves electric co-ops in the state: “Without the help of the helicopter furnished to us, it would have been several days longer before we were able to return service to many thousands of rural electric consumers in Ohio. We would like to commend the pilots and other personnel who worked long and hard helping us with this effort,” the letter said.

Alternate transportation Emerson Snapp, who was a Logan County Electric Cooperative trustee and a volunteer firefighter in 1978, said he was called to a house fire at 6 a.m. Jan. 26.

His wife told him to forget it. “‘It’s been snowing and blowing for hours,’” he recalls her saying. But Snapp thought his four-wheel-drive truck could make it.

It couldn’t. The Snapps’ house was in a woods, and when Snapp drove beyond the wooded area, the wind and snow were blinding. He backed up, left the truck, and climbed on his snowmobile.

Fortunately, the resident with the fire called back to say she’d put it out herself. Snapp, who recently retired as trustee, spent the next five days delivering food, fuel, and heating oil to people in need.

Clearing the way Meanwhile, the Logan County Electric Cooperative coped with power outages by synchronizing its crews with those of the county garage across the road.

“When the snowplows went out, our guys went out behind the snowplows,” Snapp says.

On Monday, five days after the blizzard began, the no-travel order was lifted. However, then-Delaware County Sheriff William Lavery warned, “Things are not back to normal by any means.”

“Normal” did return, eventually. But the winter of 1977-78 still holds many records: greatest snow depth, lowest barometric pressure, greatest snowfall in a 24-hour period, the state’s most severe storm for any season, the most snowfall during January, and the snowiest winter.

And very possibly, the most stories told.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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OHIO ICON

DODDS MONUMENTS XENIA

Location: Downtown Xenia, about one block from the Greene County Courthouse.

Provenance: Brothers George and Andrew Dodds, both of whom were stonemasons and immigrants from Scotland, started making memorials in Yellow Springs in 1859. Five years later, they relocated to a building on West Main Street in the railroad hub of Xenia. It’s now one of the nation’s largest monument companies.

“At the turn of the 20th century, the company owned three quarries in New England, and besides the main office in Xenia, it had offices in New York City, Chicago, Boston, and St. Louis,” says Neil Fogarty, current Dodds Monuments president. “The New York office was across the street from Grand Central Station.”

After the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the Dodds family used lumber and other materials from the exposition’s dismantled pavilions to construct a new building on the site of their original Xenia location. The handsome structure, which still serves as the company’s headquarters, is clad in sturdy Indiana limestone and adorned by marble Corinthian columns. A downtown landmark since 1906, it even survived Xenia’s 1974 tornado — the only building left standing on West Main Street.

Then-office manager C.A. Bone purchased the company in the 1930s, and Bone family members operated it until 1984, when Fogarty’s parents, Eric and Becky Fogarty, bought it. “Only three families have run this business in its 153year history,” Fogarty says. “I like to think George Dodds would be happy we’ve stayed true to his personal way of doing things.”

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

STORY AND PHOTO BY DAMAINE VONADA

Significance: Dodds Monuments is the oldest continuous business in Greene County, and one of the oldest in Ohio. Known for exceptional workmanship and for using the best grades of granite, it’s also among the oldest and most respected companies in the U.S. monument-building industry. “Many families have been coming here for generations,” Fogarty says.

Currently: Although Dodds Monuments has opened seven branches in the Dayton-Cincinnati area, its corporate offices, engraving plant, and main showroom have remained rooted in downtown Xenia. Several years ago, the Fogarty family obtained six stained-glass windows that had once graced a chapel at present-day Bergamo Center near Dayton.

“The windows were ordered in 1913 from the F.X. Zettler Royal Bavarian glassworks in Munich,” says Fogarty. “Because World War I started, they had to be smuggled into neutral Belgium and then were shipped down the St. Lawrence River.” Now cleaned, restored, and illuminated night and day, the magnificent windows are on display in custom-made frames at the Xenia showroom.

It’s a little-known fact that: Granite from Doddsowned quarries was used to build Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial on South Bass Island and the McKinley Memorial in Canton.

Dodds Monuments, 123 W. Main St., Xenia, OH 45385. 800-773-6337, 937-372-4408; www. doddsmonuments.com.

o ct N tra e n Fe o N hly t

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Breakthrough technology converts phone calls to captions.

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New amplified phone lets you hear AND see the conversation.

on

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JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN HOLCOMB

CO-OP PEOPLE

RECLAIMING GEMS Wood artisan’s work combines form, function, Asian aesthetic

K

en Duerksen envisages art amid decay. He rescues cast-off wood pieces from burn piles and salvage yards and transforms them into beautiful objects, including organic sculpture, tableware, furniture, chopsticks, and bento boxes.

Duerksen — a Butler Rural Electric Cooperative member — uses what he describes as “gem-quality” reclaimed black cherry, Osage orange, black walnut, and other native species. “All my wood is salvaged,” he says.

“Sawmills in the vicinity will let me pick through their burn piles. That’s where some real jewels are found.

So basically, I use wood that is not easily marketable,”

Ken Duerksen puts the finishing touches on a lidded box at his garage worktable.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

including dozens of ash trees on his property that were devastated by the emerald ash borer.

“The process of decomposition sometimes makes things really beautiful,” Duerksen says, explaining that the unique knotholes, graining, and coloration found on diseased wood enhance its aesthetic quality.

Learning from his dad Duerksen lives in Reilly Township, on the outskirts of Oxford, home to Miami University. A professional archaeologist who consults on construction projects for a living, Duerksen learned the finer points of

Two of Ken Duerksen’s best-selling designs are a rice bowl with chopsticks and a natural-edge serving tray (below) that’s perfect for fruits and vegetables.

off motor. Wood pieces are stacked in piles or lean against the walls, sawdust covers the floor, and a friendly gray cat named Bonabo wanders in and out.

Asian-influenced flair

woodworking from his father, an English professor at Miami. He grew up watching his dad dig trenches, pour concrete, build additions to their home, and create a different wooden Christmas ornament each year for family members. The younger Duerksen continues the holiday tradition to this day.

“I’ve been making things out of wood my whole life,” says Duerksen, who designed and built toys as a child.

“My dad always let me use his power tools. When I was 10, I would use his old death-trap table saw.”

Use what the wood presents Duerksen loves the organic beauty of wood in its raw state. He leaves the natural edge on his rice bowls and serving trays. He uses the graining to enhance the aesthetics, as well as the functionality, of each piece.

Many pieces contain other organic elements. Duerksen’s “Neolithic nutcracker,” for example, includes a space for nuts and two openings that securely hold a pair of rocks to crack open the nuts.

His archaeology background also comes into play.

Duerksen’s “effigy bowls,” inspired by Native American feast bowls, feature the likeness of an animal, such as a bear or bird, carved on a top edge. He also uses archeological motifssimilar to those discovered on artifacts from the moundbuilding Adena tribe native to southern Ohio.

Duerksen sells his pieces on the internet, at art fairs, and in a shop called Local Yokel Mercantile in the Cincinnati area. His best-selling products include rice bowls fitted with chopsticks, natural-edge trays, and individual chopsticks with a unique holder that he invented.

“I just love chopsticks,” Duerksen says. “I like Asian aesthetics.”

His other Asian pieces include sushi trays, which double as cheese platters, and bento boxes — Japanese-style lunch trays with compartments for different foods. The oil finish is nontoxic and safe for food use, but customers often use these items as wall hangings because of their natural beauty.

Over the decades, Duerksen has gained an encyclopedic knowledge of the aesthetics and functionality of wood, and he skillfully marries the two in each object he carves. He can look at a log and know not only the species, but whether the tree was cut in summer or winter. (The bark stays firmly attached if the tree was cut during summer. The bark separates if the tree was cut during winter.)

His attraction to his preferred medium is simple.

“It’s everywhere,” Duerksen says. “It’s beautiful. I understand it. I know how the grain works. I love the evocative grains you can get with a knot or a burl. It’s a random, organic beauty.”

KAREN HOLCOMB is a freelance writer from Butler County and a member of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative.

Duerksen creates the pieces in an attached garage he converted to a workshop. He utilizes assorted hand tools and a lathe he built 20 years ago from an old cast-

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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STORY AND PHOTO BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

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C

MONEY ON THE SHELF Some outdoorsy book titles can be worth a pretty penny to collectors

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ldo Leopold (1887-1948) is considered the father of modern-day wildlife management in North America; his 1933 book, Game Management, is a classic. I’m fortunate to own a copy of the second printing (1936) and recently wondered what it might be worth, so I contacted Jim Casada of Rock Hill, S.C., a fellow outdoors writer and an expert on collectible outdoor books.

“I’ve been collecting books all my life, dating to my 10th Christmas when my parents gave me a copy of Zane Grey’s Spirit of the Border,” Casada says. “I still have that particular book, and now somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 others.”

So how valuable are these books? “There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of outdoor titles that are collectible and have appreciable value,” he says. A few examples would be the “Nash Buckingham” titles published by Derrydale Press, which range in value from about $350 to $400, to as much as $1,000 for a signed and inscribed copy of De Shootin’est Gentman.

Casada also points to a couple of turkey hunting books, originals of Henry Edwards Davis’s The American Wild Turkey ($1,200 with dust jacket) or Simon Everitt’s Tales of Wild Turkey Hunting ($800 to $1,000), as notable collectibles.

He went on to say that the best way to get an initial idea about the value of a book is to check some of the major online sellers such as Amazon, AbeBooks,

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

Biblio, and others to see if the book is listed.

“Condition, the edition, whether a book is signed, and whether the dust jacket is present can make a world of difference,” he says.

But getting back to the value of my book: Casada says, while it’s nice, it’s not especially rare, and is worth around $50 — more if it was signed.

Even unsigned, it has appreciated 10 times its original $5 price tag (which was, by the way, a large amount of money — especially for a book — during the Great Depression when it was first published).

Winter in Ohio is the season that bids us to slow down and relax a bit, and there is no better way than to sit down by a fire with a warm drink and a good book.

I don’t recommend Game Management, except to professional wildlife managers. Instead, find Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. Written more for general audiences, it was published posthumously and has sold more than 2 million copies. In it, Leopold chronicles a year spent observing the natural world surrounding his beloved “shack” in southern Wisconsin during the early 20th century. That humble cabin now is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Enjoy!

W. H. “CHIP” GROSS (whchipgross@gmail.com) is Ohio Cooperati ve Living’s Outdoors Editor and a member of Consolidated Electric Cooperative.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING READER RECIPE CONTEST

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

Kids are the most creative and fearless chefs!

Do your kids love concocting new creations in the kitchen? Does your grandchild want to be a chef someday? Then this contest is for them — and you!

We want to hear about the dishes your young ones like to prepare — preferably independently, but with a bit of help is fine, too.

• To enter, write down your recipe, including all ingredients and measurements, directions, and number of servings. Then tell us how you came up with the recipe and what you love about it. Is it a part of a family tradition? Do you make it for school lunches? Is it your favorite afternoon snack?

• On each recipe, include the child’s name and the address, phone number, and e-mail address of an adult who can be contacted, and the name of the entrant’s electric cooperative.

• Contest winners will be announced in the June edition of Ohio Cooperative Living.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

• Entries may be submitted by e-mail to memberinteract@ohioec.org, or sent to Catherine Murray, care of Ohio Cooperative Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229.

• Entrants must be 16 or younger.

• Submissions may be an original recipe or adapted from an existing recipe, with at least three distinct changes.

• Children may collaborate with an adult to help write the directions and keep track of measurements.

• Limit of three recipes per entrant.

Entry Deadline: March 16, 2018.

Grand prize winner will receive an Ohio-made KitchenAid stand mixer.

Two runners-up will receive kid-friendly cookbooks.

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GOOD EATS

RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHERINE MURRAY

inter’s armers

The short, frigid days and long, frosty nights this time of the year bring icy temperatures that you can feel right down to your bones. These warm beverages — perhaps in front of a roaring fire — will melt away that winter chill.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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LIGHTER FARE

WINTER WASSAIL

1 gallon apple cider 2 apples, thinly sliced with core and peel 2 oranges, thinly sliced with peel 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 1/3 cup honey

4 cinnamon sticks (2 Tbsp. ground) 5 star anise (21/2 tsp. ground) 12 cloves (3 tsp. ground) 6 allspice berries (1/4 tsp. ground) 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 to 2 cups rum or brandy (optional, to taste)

In a large stockpot or in a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except the rum or brandy. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.

Continue cooking for 1 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain fruit, ginger, and whole spices, if desired. Add rum or brandy to taste, if desired. Serve hot. Makes 16 servings. Per serving: 166 calories, 0.5 g total fat (0.2 g saturated fat), 2 g fiber, 0.5 g protein

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE WITH WHIPPED CREAM 4 cups milk 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bar, finely chopped

Whipped Cream Ingredients: 1 cup whipping cream 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour milk into medium saucepan. Whisk in brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne. Heat milk and spices on the stove over medium heat until simmering, taking care not to boil. Slowly add chocolate, continuing to whisk until fully melted.

Whipped Cream Directions: In a stand mixer, whisk whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on high until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. If overbeaten, butter will begin to form.

Pour hot chocolate into mugs, top with whipped cream, sprinkle with extra cinnamon, and serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 285 calories, 13 g total fat (9 g saturated fat), 1.6 g fiber, 10 g protein; whipped cream adds: 102 calories, 9 g total fat (6 g saturated fat), 0 g fiber, <1 g protein

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT LATTE 2 cups milk 4 tsp. chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)

2 oz. freshly brewed espresso 4 chocolate hazelnut pirouettes (optional)

Heat milk in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chocolate hazelnut spread and whisk until spread is melted and milk is heated through and foaming. Whisk faster to create more foam. With a french press or espresso machine, brew 1 oz. of espresso. Pour espresso into serving cups. Take the back of a long spoon and pour milk into the espresso, holding back the foam. Spoon foam on top. Serve with chocolate hazelnut pirouettes, if desired. Makes 2 servings. Per serving: 186 calories, 9 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), <1 g fiber, 9 g protein

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

LIGHTER FARE

CHERRY STEAMER 4 cups milk 1⁄2 cup maraschino cherry juice 11⁄2 tsp. almond extract

4 oz. amaretto liqueur (optional) 12 large marshmallows 4 maraschino cherries

Heat milk in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add maraschino cherry juice and almond extract. Heat until simmering. Add amaretto if desired.

Pour milk mixture into serving cups, then top with marshmallows and maraschino cherries. Per serving: 221 calories, 5 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 0.5 g fiber, 9 g protein

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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THE ENERGY EXPERT

BY PAT KEEGAN

THERMOSTAT SMARTS I

How ‘smart’ should you get when purchasing a new thermostat?

f you still have an old dial thermostat controlling the temperature in your home, you might take note of new technology available that lets thermostats do things they never could before. That said, it’s worth asking if these new thermostats can save enough money to justify the extra cost.

There are three main types of thermostats: manual, programmable, or smart.

The main benefits of a manual thermostat are that it’s simple to operate and there are no batteries to wear out and replace. You just have to remember to raise and lower the temperature setting in the morning and evening, and whenever you leave the house.

Programmable thermostats typically allow settings for four different periods each day, and some models can even handle a different schedule for each day of the week. You control the settings so they will suit your climate, schedule, and temperature preferences.

A smart, or “learning” thermostat connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network. After installation, you input the basics of your schedule and temperature preferences.

Over time, as you change the settings, it learns your schedule and adjusts to minimize energy use. Smart thermostats can also detect when no one is home and can be controlled remotely with an app on your smartphone or tablet.

The move to smart technology, though, is a significant investment. Units can cost up to $400, though prices are coming down. It’s also important to note that not all homes have the proper wiring in place to accommodate smart thermostats, so you may need to hire a professional to handle the installation.

Top left, clockwise: A programmable thermostat is only effective if it is programmed correctly; smart thermostats can be controlled remotely through a smart phone or tablet; smart thermostats learn from your behavior to maximize energy savings; a manual thermostat is still a good option for people willing and able to give it frequent attention.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

Michael Wilson, an energy advisor at Logan County Electric Cooperative, demonstrates a programmable thermostat.

How much a thermostat can save depends on how much you spend on heating and cooling your house.

You can estimate your heating and cooling expenses by examining the bills related to heating your home.

Compare the bills for winter and summer to those for spring and fall. Most of the difference is likely due to heating and cooling. If that amount is more than $900 per year, which is the national average, you have a better chance of a good return on your investment.

The second factor that will determine how much you can save is how you are operating your old thermostat. If you are conscientious about adjusting the temperature to save energy when you’re leaving the house or going to bed, the new thermostat may not reduce your bills that much, even if you program it correctly or if it learns your behavior.

PAT KEEGAN writes for Collaborative Efficiency, an energy communications company.

Thermostat efficiency Don’t adjust the thermostat temperature drastically in the hopes of making it heat or cool your home more quickly.

In winter, keep the temperature at or below 68 degrees while you are home during the day, and cooler during the night; during summer months, keep it at or above 78 degrees while you are home.

You can save up to 10 percent off your monthly heating and cooling bill by turning back your thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day.

CONSOLIDATED ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

BENEFITS FOR THE FUTURE

BY PHIL CASKEY

Fiber Initiative Update

Imagine. Working together, cooperatively, there is not one thing we cannot do.

That bold claim is not from me. It is not pie-eyed optimism. It comes from our Creator’s mouth, as recounted in Genesis, chapter 11, right before He scatters the people across the earth and confuses their language so they cannot understand each other.

But how profound is that? If we could cooperate with perfect communication, there is nothing that would be impossible for us.

Is that not, though, the basis for Consolidated and every other cooperatively organized business?

Combining our economic strength, we came together in 1936 to do for ourselves what others said was not possible — bring a quality-of-life service, electric power, reliably and affordably to our communities.

In that light (pun intended on so many levels), let us reflect on the recently passed year, 2017. The most exciting part of 2017 for many of us was the decision by your board of trustees to invest in bringing another quality-of-life service, fiber broadband Internet, to our members and communities (see Fiber.Consolidated. coop for the latest information). What makes this monumental undertaking so electrifying (ahem) is that

the board and the employees all see the immensely positive impact this service will bring to our members for years to come. After all, for the cooperative to thrive, our communities must prosper, and the prosperity of our communities hinges on the availability of reliable and affordable broadband.

We have seen some direct benefits at Consolidated already from our investments in improved connectivity.

Fast communication has enabled technologies that save our members money and improve reliability. From our savings in power supply costs to the reliability improvements exemplified by the quick restoration of power after our Snyder substation transformer failed so catastrophically, the investments we have already made are paying strong dividends.

But we see even more benefit for the future as we reflect on what we began last year. There will be direct benefits for our electric, gas, and fiber Internet operations, and indirect benefits as we enable the growth, strength, and prosperity of our members and communities. It is a huge project that will take up to six years to reach all our members; but we will, God willing, get there — even when others said it was not possible.

All it takes is cooperation.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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CONSOLIDATED ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Winning ads by

SAFETY WHIZ KIDS Nalia Sackman, who attends Northmor/Iberia Elementary School; Kaden St. Clair, a student at Mount Gilead; Flyn Riley, a student at General Rosecrans; and Miles Hall, a Buckeye Valley student, are all Consolidated Electric Cooperative Safety Whiz Kid winners.

Patterson’s class, and Miles, who was a student in Mrs. Clay’s class.

Congratulations to Nalia, Kaden, Flyn, and Miles on their winning ads!

The Safety Whiz Kid program, which reaches out to secondgrade students, was developed to encourage electrical safety awareness among elementary school students and includes the annual safety ad contest.

Each of the mentioned students, now in third grade, received a $25 gift card and publication of their safety-themed ads in Ohio Cooperative Living magazine and on Consolidated’s Facebook.

Nalia Sackman

Flyn Riley

Kaden St. Clair with his teacher, Mrs. Jolliff

Miles Hall with his teacher, Mrs. Clay

Nalia received the top prize in Mrs. Wenger’s class and was the overall winner in her school.

Kaden, the top winner in Mrs. Jolliff’s class, was his school’s overall winner. Following suit and receiving the top prize in their classrooms as well as the overall prize for their respective schools were Flyn, of Mr.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

SAVINGS YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE.

SAVE 10–60% ON HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES, INCLUDING VISION AND EYEWEAR AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS WHEN YOU SHOW YOUR CO-OP

WITH INCONTROL, YOU’RE IN CONTROL Would it be easier for you to make weekly or biweekly payments, rather than one large payment each month?

If so, prepaid metering may be for you. Prepaid metering offers the opportunity to pay as you go for electricity.

The concept is similar to prepaid cellular phone service.

With Consolidated’s InControl Prepaid Metering, you purchase electricity before you use it.

Instead of receiving a traditional paper bill generated once each month, use is calculated daily. Prepaid metering’s primary focus is to facilitate member access to easy and accessible electricity that is affordable, efficient, and, most importantly, manageable.

InControl allows you to make payments online, by phone, or in person at either co-op location. When your account runs low, you will receive an alert by e-mail or text to let you know that it’s time to add money. Give us a call or stop by, and ask a Consolidated service specialist about InControl.

CONNECTIONS® CARD. ANOTHER MEMBER BENEFIT BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE.

FIND ALL THE WAYS TO SAVE AT

WWW.CONNECTIONS.COOP.

This is not insurance, nor is it intended to replace insurance.

For a full list of disclosures, please visit www.healthysavings.coop.

Discount Medical Plan Organization: New Benefits, Ltd., Attn: Compliance Department, P.O. Box 671309, Dallas, TX 75367-1309.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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CONSOLIDATED ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

SAFETY

BE PREPARED FOR WINTER STORMS When winter temperatures drop and storms hit, it can be challenging to stay safe and warm. Winter storm severity varies depending on where you live, but nearly all Americans are affected by extreme winter storms at some point. Consolidated Electric Cooperative cares about your safety, and we want you to be prepared.

Heavy snow and ice can lead to downed power lines, leaving CEC members without power. During extremely low temperatures, this can be dangerous.

During an outage, our crews will continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power, but there are a few things you can do to prepare.

• Stay warm — Plan to use a safe alternate heating source, such as a fireplace or wood-burning stove during a power outage. These are great options to keep you and your loved ones warm, but exercise caution when using, and never leave the heating source unattended. If you are using gasoline, propane, or natural gas-burning devices to stay warm, never use them indoors. Remember that fuel — and woodburning sources of heat — should always be properly ventilated. Always read the manufacturer’s directions before using.

• Stay fed — The Centers for Disease Control recommends having several days’ supply of food that does not need to be cooked. Crackers, cereal, canned goods, and bread are good options. Five gallons of water per person should also be available in the event of an extended power outage.

• Stay safe — When an outage occurs, it usually means power lines are down. It is best not to travel during winter storms, but if you must, bring a survival

20B OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

kit along, and do not travel alone. If you encounter downed lines, always assume they are live. Stay as far away from the downed lines as possible, and report the situation to our dispatchers by calling 866-5672753 if possible.

Winter weather can be unpredictable and dangerous, and planning ahead can often be the difference between life and death. Consolidated is ready for what Mother Nature has in store, and we want you to be ready, too.

Out of power?

Just text us!

Texting your outage to CEC only requires a few simple steps: • Open a new text message in your cellphone • T ype “Outage” (without quotation marks, not case sensitive) • E nter the outage number provided during the sign-up process in the “Send To” field • Send the message To use our texting service, you will need to complete a short registration process. Your cellphone number must also be on file at CEC for the registration process to be completed successfully. If you have not provided your cellphone number to CEC in the past, please contact us at 800-421-5863 to do so.

2018 GRADS: LOOKING FOR

OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PAY FOR YOUR CONTINUED EDUCATION?

Your trustee vote counts Consolidated Electric Cooperative’s board of trustees is made up of nine members from the nine districts within the cooperative’s service territory. Each year, three of the nine districts elect trustees to the board. This year, districts 7, 8, and 9 are participating in the election process. If you live in one of these districts, this is your year to elect a trustee.

You might ask, “Why should I take the time to nominate and elect a trustee?”

The reason is simple: Trustees set the path for the cooperative’s future, which includes determining where your membership dollars are spent. A distinct advantage of membership is your opportunity to elect a trustee to represent your interest on the cooperative’s board.

Your trustees meet every month to discuss, review, and approve items like work plans, the cooperative’s financial budget, electric rates, subsidiary businesses, and to establish policies.

The board makes decisions that are in the best interest of the cooperative and all its members. The board ensures that the cooperative continues to run with the established principles on which it was built and maintains the strategic direction of a nonprofit operation and cost-of-service-based rates.

Important dates to know Nomination ballots will be mailed Feb. 9. They must be postmarked no later than Feb. 23. Nominations submitted electronically on www.consolidated.coop can be made online up until 5 p.m. on Feb. 23. Election ballots will be mailed April 16, and their return must be postmarked no later than April 30.

If casting your ballot online at www.consolidated.coop, you can vote April 30 as long as it’s by 5 p.m.

Election results will be announced on May 19 at the Annual Meeting of Members. The location of the 2018 meeting will be announced soon. For more information on trustee elections, visit www.consolidated.coop.

You could win more than $3,500 in our Children of Members Scholarship program!

FOR RULES AND APPLICATIONS: • • • •

Visit www.consolidated.coop Call the co-op at 800-421-5863 Stop by the co-op office Pick them up from your guidance counselor • Deadline to apply: Feb. 2, 2018

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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CONSOLIDATED ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BILL Your monthly billing statement from Consolidated has a new look.

However, one thing that hasn’t changed is the fee structure. The rates and fixed monthly costs for cooperative members remain the same — they are not increasing. No new charges have been added to your monthly statements.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

We hope you will agree that this new format is much easier to read and understand. It’s the same information that’s always been on your bill, but is now presented differently.

We value our members and continue to seek ways to better serve you. Please contact our office if you have questions about the new bill design.

8

General contact information is provided.

Important information for co-op members.

ervice address, rate description, service S dates, and meter information are shown in this area.

9

A monthly usage graph that compares

your current bill with the previous month, and the same month in the prior year.

Be sure to return the bottom portion

with your payment.

Member name and billing address are

printed here.

Billing date, account number, and due

date are listed at the top of the bill.

Avoid a late fee and pay by the due date.

A detailed breakdown of charges is shown

here. There are no increases or additions to the fee structure; we’re just breaking everything out for you. This section shows the previous balance, payments, adjustments, and total current charges (the amount you owe).

The total amount due for all services is

printed here, along with your account number.

10 Online payments can be made through

SmartHub. Visit our website for more information, or contact us by phone 24/7.

11

Payments should be mailed to the

address indicated on the remittance stub. Please make sure the address is visible through the window on the return envelope. We also accept payments at both office locations.

Have you heard about our fiber project?

Visit Fiber.Consolidated.coop to learn more.

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JANUARY 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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CONSOLIDATED ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

FROM THE BOARDROOM

• Tim Applegate, COO of electric, and David Tidd, systems arborist, discussed vegetation management through the third quarter of 2017. Crews have cleared 836 of 1,259 miles, averaging $6,300 per mile.

• Patrick Higgins, director of communications and member services, and Magen Howard, manager of communications and member services, both from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives (OEC), gave a presentation on employee focus groups that were conducted in June 2017. The purpose of the focus groups was to gauge employee morale and engagement, seeking opportunity for improvement.

• Phil Caskey, CEO/president, and Doug Payauys, COO of fiber, provided an update on fiber. The announcement to the public regarding Consolidated’s decision to offer fiber services to the members and communities has been overwhelmingly positive.

• Jaimey Burden, vice president of operations and safety, provided the September safety report. OEC completed one of two refresher courses on CPR, with the second scheduled for October 2017. There were no near misses reported for the month. Two incidents were reported. The safety committee held its quarterly meeting in 2017 and approved a revised safety incentive program.

• Pam Hawk, CHRO, spoke about the consulting group Pivot, which will provide all Consolidated employees with the training needed to offer fiber services. Pivot is also working with Consolidated’s marketing department on branding.

Youth Tour

• Carrie Bessinger, accounting manager, presented the bill redesign for all companies. The new bill will include average usage per day along with a detail of charges. The redesigned bills will be rolled out in November 2017. Bessinger made a proposal for the 2017 general retirement of capital credits and also presented updates to the Schedule of Charges due to costs of materials and labor.

• Joe Churilla, CFO, provided the financial update for all four companies. The last two winters have been mild and impacted the budget. Combined year-to-date revenue is $35.8 million, against a budget of $38.8 million. Churilla also discussed an application to the revolving loan fund from a member who is converting an old church into a building to house his architectural firm.

High school sophomores and juniors interested in this lifechanging experience should visit www.consolidated.coop.

CONTACT — 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

Chair

5255 St. Rte. 95 P.O. Box 111 Mt. Gilead, OH 43338

Larry Roof

Don McCracken Dick Miller Secretary

Michael Struck Asst. Secretary

Charles Lynn

OFFICE HOURS

James Burson Donald Breece Kent Kramer Mike Schuster

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Treasurer

Trustees

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

OUTAGE WATCH 866-567-2753

First Vice Chair

DISTRICT OFFICE

4993 St. Rte. 521 Delaware, OH 43015

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Electric cooperatives from 43 states will send about 1,600 students this year. Will you be one of them?

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MAIN OFFICE

June 8–14, 2018

The Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives Youth Tour is an annual leadership program sponsored by Consolidated. It’s a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., that gives exceptional high school sophomores and juniors the opportunity to meet with their congressional leaders at the U.S. Capitol, make new friends from across the state and country, and see many of the famous Washington sights.

CONSOLIDATED ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE 1-800-421-5863 | service@consolidated.coop www.consolidated.coop

October highlights

866-567-2753 is a special automated Outage Hotline to help speed up outage reporting and provide you with any outage information that is known at the time of your call.

You can also text your outage to 55050 after pre-registration with a member service representative.

HAVE A STORY SUGGESTION?

E-mail your ideas to: editor@consolidated.coop

CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO HIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO P OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO HIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO P OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP CO OP OHIO CO-OP NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE STATE O-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO HIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO

Ohio co-op crews help restore power in New Hampshire

COURTESY OF BILL CARTER

With the reconnection of service to an empty cottage on Bear Island in Meredith, New Hampshire, on November 7, power was fully restored to all members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) who had lost it — roughly two of every three members — in the worst windstorm on record for the utility, which blew through on Oct. 30.

Ohio line crews were instrumental in the effort, as 40 workers from 11 co-ops around the state jumped in for a full week of mutual aid that restored power to 51,000 NHEC members — outages were reported in every one of the 115 towns served by NHEC — and the crews were recognized during television newscasts on WMUR in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Nov. 4 and Nov. 6.

All of the Ohio crews had returned home by Nov. 9 — some had been gone as long as nine days.

Pioneer raises more than $2,000 for Pink Ribbon Girls Throughout October, Pioneer Electric Cooperative employees participated in various events to raise awareness and donations for Pink Ribbon Girls, a local organization created by women with breast cancer to support and empower others who are currently in the fight against breast and reproductive cancers. The group provides meals, housecleaning, transportation, and peer support to individuals with breast and women’s reproductive cancers, free of charge.

Employees and trustees purchased T-shirts worn on designated dates throughout the month. Linemen and operations employees also wore pink hard hats throughout October to help spread awareness, and other employees participated in a chili cook-off.

Both employees and Pioneer members had the opportunity to add pink ribbons to an honor wall in both of the co-op’s offices, in Urbana and Piqua. Each ribbon displayed the name of someone who has been directly affected by breast cancer.

Consolidated volunteers at camp for the disabled For its annual in-service day, Consolidated Electric Cooperative employees spent a day at Recreation Unlimited, a not-for-profit organization and camp serving individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. Consolidated’s staff cleaned up trails, windows, life jackets, and rafts, and also assisted with office mailings.

NWEC employee retires after nearly half-century of service North Western Electric Cooperative’s Duane Peugeot retired on Nov. 3 after 47 years of service to the co-op. Throughout his career as a lineman, Peugeot served as a mentor to all who worked with him.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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GUESS WHO’S

Coming to Dinner A

ttractions across Ohio host dining events throughout the year that feature more than just food — the guests of honor include historic figures (actors, impersonators, or simply historians with a flair for the dramatic, most with Ohio ties) and make for enriching experiences that combine a dash of education with a huge helping of dinner theater.

Dinner with the Presidents Marion County Historical Society, Marion Nov. 3 Every autumn, Marion County’s historical society holds a buffet dinner attended by several U.S. presidents depicted by members and volunteers who not only don period clothing (“Thomas Jefferson” wears a waistcoat) but also use appropriate props (“Franklin Roosevelt” arrives in a wheelchair). Dishes made from White House recipes highlight the dinners, and the roster of illustrious invitees ranges from George Washington to Woodrow Wilson. The society also plans to add a luncheon series this year.

740-387-4255; www.marionhistory.com JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Poe in Person: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Mentor Oct. 19–20 Just before Halloween, visitors get a rare opportunity to tour President Garfield’s home at night, during which they will enjoy an autumnal dessert of cookies and cider, and see actor David Keltz recite terrifying tales and poems

by Edgar Allan Poe. His performances always include “The Raven” and a Poe classic such as “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Tip: Look for Garfield’s own Poe volumes in the site’s Memorial Library.

440-255-8722; www.nps.gov/jaga/

Presidential Packages

McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, Canton Canton’s multifaceted McKinley Library & Museum offers prearranged programs for groups that include a meal and a visit to its McKinley Gallery and the world’s largest collection of William McKinley artifacts. In the gallery, education director Christopher Kenney wears McKinley’s signature red carnation while presenting his first-person interpretation of the president. Tip: The Library & Museum occasionally offers McKinley State Dinners, which also feature Kenney.

330-455-7043; www.mckinleymuseum.org

26

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

Thanksgiving Dinner with Abraham Lincoln Hale Farm & Village, Bath Nov. 17 Go over the river (the Cuyahoga) and through the woods (at Cuyahoga Valley National Park) to Hale Farm & Village, where history buff Jerry Payn acts as Abraham Lincoln — who made Thanksgiving a national holiday — during the living history museum’s annual feast. “Lincoln” usually reads his Thanksgiving Proclamation or Gettysburg Address, and costumed educators from Hale Farm & Village sit at the table and discuss life during Lincoln’s time. Dinner includes turkey and pumpkin pie, and some dishes — including the green beans and leeks casserole — are made from vegetables grown at Hale Farm.

330-666-3711; www.wrhs.org

U.S. Grant Days Georgetown Apr. 26–28 Historic Georgetown was the hometown of Ulysses Grant, whose 1820s Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse are now prime attractions. Every April, the village salutes Grant’s birthday with a three-day, Civil War-era observance that includes infantry drills, period foods such as cornbread, ham-and-bean soup, and skillygalee (salt pork and beans); and local folks play-acting as General Sherman, Julia Grant, and other notables. Highlighting the festivities are appearances by the eminent Grant living historian, Curt Fields, who also portrays Grant for the National Park Service.

877-372-8177; www.usgrantboyhoodhome.org

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

White House Weddings Tea

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Canton’s First Ladies’ Library presents elegant teas with staff members and volunteers expertly playing the parts of the presidential wives and hostesses for a beautiful living-history lesson. This year’s White House Weddings Tea re-creates a Victorian wedding reception, and guests even get small boxes containing slices of cake. It honors Frances Folsom Cleveland, the only First Lady married in the White House. For its Mother’s Day high tea, the library serves scones and sandwiches during a three-act play about Canton’s hometown First Lady, Ida Saxton McKinley, and her mother and sister.

330-452-0876; www.firstladies.org

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330-652-1704; www.mcklib.org

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BY KRIS WETHERBEE; PHOTOS BY RICK WETHERBEE

IN THE GARDEN

NO-FUSS HOUSEPLANTS You don’t need a green thumb to grow these good-looking houseplants any time of year

H

ouseplants are a widely popular additi on in many homes. For some people, though, the thought of growing a houseplant has

them seeing only brown instead of green. They

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) Low-maintenance and a versatile favorite, pothos can be grown as a mounding plant if growing tips are pinched, or allow vines to spill over a hanging basket or climb up a moss stick or support.

Popular varieties include golden pothos, marble queen, and golden queen.

LIGHT: Will grow in low light to bright sunless light, though some light is needed to keep variegation on leaves.

may think their indoor growing conditi ons are

WATER: Water regularly, allowing soil to dry out slightly between waterings; water less in winter.

less than opti mal, or maybe they simply think that

GROWING TIP: Leaves love to be misted.

houseplants are too fussy or take too much ti me.

The good news is that you can forget the primping and pampering; there are several houseplants

30

that are easy to grow and maintain, and provide

fact, the best tip to care for any of these no-

any home a touch of green — they’re nearly

fuss houseplants: Always water in moderation;

indestructible and resilient, and happily survive

overwatering is the easiest way to kill them. For

and thrive in nearly any condition and with a

most, it’s usually best to allow the soil surface to dry

level of care that might border on neglect! In

out between waterings.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

Dracaena (Dracaena spp.)

Available in many shapes and forms, with leaves either green or dressed in bi-color or tri-color stripes. Three easy-to-grow types are dragon tree; corn plant; and the deremensis varieties that include all-green “Janet Craig,” the white-edged Warneckii, or the striped series with colored margins in white, yellow, and green.

LIGHT: Will grow in low-light areas; best coloring in light shade to medium light.

WATER: Keep consistently moist spring through fall; reduce watering in winter.

GROWING TIP: Avoid dry soil and overwatering; direct sunlight may scorch leaves.

Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron scandens) Said to be the easiest philodendron to grow, this trailing sweetheart of a plant bears 3- to 5-inch shiny green leaves.

Tolerates both poor conditions and neglect.

LIGHT: Best with indirect light and even grows in low light.

WATER: Will tolerate moderate to somewhat dry soil; does best with regular watering, with soil drying out somewhat between waterings.

GROWING TIP: Pinch out growing tips to keep plant bushy, or allow vines to trail or grow upright on moss stick.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) Graceful, attractive plant with long, lance-shaped glossy-green leaves and long-lasting white “flower” leaf bracts. Tolerates short-term neglect and will even flower in low light levels.

LIGHT: Low to bright indirect light.

WATER: Keep moist but avoid overwatering; water when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch.

GROWING TIP: Leaves love to be misted; do not grow near cold winter window drafts.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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BY DAMAINE VONADA

EVERYBODY LOVES ERMA Dayton’s Erma Bombeck was the original mommy-blogger

L

ong before mothers were blogging about their daily lives, Erma Bombeck’s syndicated newspaper column — “At Wit’s End” — acquired a legion of faithful followers by mixing her musings about marriage and motherhood with healthy doses of humor. Born and raised in Dayton, Erma certainly knew her subject. She and her husband, Bill, had three school-age children when, at age 37, she began writing the column on a makeshift desk in a bedroom of her suburban Centerville home.

Shortly after a Dayton newspaper started running “At Wit’s End” in 1965, it was syndicated and eventually appeared in 900 U.S. newspapers. Three times a week, some 30 million readers turned to Erma for comic relief from the foibles and frustrations of family life.

Erma observed that socks disappear in the dryer; that folks choose bathing suits more carefully than spouses; that coat hangers seem to reproduce in closets; and that nobody ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed. She also had a gift for coining proverb-worthy one-liners — “Never have more children than you have car windows” — that are as insightful and relevant now as they were when Erma wrote them.

Erma says: “If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it.”

34

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

Her pointed housewife humor made Erma the nation’s favorite mom and a nationally known media personality. Time magazine even put her (and three of her clever quips about housework, cooking, and guilt) on its cover in 1984. “Erma wrote about the ordinary in an extraordinary way,” says Teri Rizvi, founder of the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. “She told a story in 450 words that had people across the country laughing over their morning coffee.”

Erma says: “Seize the moment. Think of all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”

While her print column paved the way for today’s digital mommy-blogs, Erma’s stories were selfdeprecating instead of self-centered. She turned everyday incidents into allegories, and her columns were free of angst, petty complaints, and the names of her three children. “She was skillful at keeping us generic enough that people were able to read about us and still think, ‘That’s my kid,’” says Matthew Bombeck, a California writer and Erma’s youngest offspring. Erma realized that both laughter and families are universal, and because she never made her column overtly personal, women particularly identified with her honest and unpretentious writing style. “She gave a voice to

women, and especially to moms,” notes Bombeck. “She said that there was dignity and humanity in raising children and that it was important.”

Though she never sugar-coated the challenges of domesticity, Erma valued her role as a parent more than her career. “I never remember her not being there for the things happening in our lives,” says Bombeck. “She wasn’t just home for dinner; she made dinner.” Indeed, as a youngster, Bombeck was so oblivious to the success of Erma’s column that he told someone his mother was a syndicated communist. “We really had no idea what she did,” says Bombeck. “To us, she was Mom.” Erma, however, was a mom who was serious about writing humor. “Because she had a journalism background and three deadlines a week, my mother was very disciplined and hard-working,” says Bombeck.

Rather than wait for the literary muse to strike, Erma carried a legal pad with her, and whenever things happened that gave her ideas for her column, she jotted them down. Erma religiously blocked out writing time while her children were at school, and if she closed the door to her “inner sanctum,” they understood that Mom wanted to focus. “If we needed something,” Bombeck recalls, “we’d slip a note under the door. We knew not to disturb her work time.”

Erma says: “Housework, if you do it right, will kill you.”

Continued on Page 37

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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In 1971, the Bombecks moved to Arizona, where Bill pursued a graduate degree. Erma’s fame, fortune, and stature grew as she wrote best-selling books and tackled television, but she never forgot her Dayton roots and maintained close ties to her alma mater, the University of Dayton. Although Erma always had writing ambitions, it wasn’t until a UD English professor, Tom Price, informed her, “You can write,” that she was sure of her talent. “His words,” says Bombeck, “really validated her and made her think she could do something with her writing.”

Erma says: “Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”

When Erma died in 1996, she was arguably the nation’s most popular columnist. She never won a Pulitzer Prize, but ordinary Americans gave her a far higher honor by posting her columns on their refrigerator doors. Just in time for what would have been Erma’s 90th birthday in 2017, packed houses for the recent stage play about her — Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End — proved that her words still resonate, and her humor is timeless.

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Directions: I-71 Exit 111 (E 17th Avenue) Directions: intersection of 1 US 35, US 22 and US 62. 11:18 AM Page Morton_OHCntryLiv_1.18.qxp_Layout 11/28/17 1 3 miles East of Atlanta Airport, I-285 to Ohio Expo Center at Exit 55 (3650 & 3850 Jonesboro Rd SE)

“My mom had a pretty remarkable life,” says Bombeck. “She was one of those people who had a talent and used everything she had.”

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Funny lady, funny workshop For information about the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, visit www.humorwriters.org. The biennial workshop is dedicated to humor writing, and the next one is scheduled April 5-7, 2018. “‘You can write’ is our mantra, and it sets the stage for what the workshop is all about,” says director Teri Rizvi.

When you build with Morton, you build something that lasts. The quality of our materials, our craftsmen, and our industry-leading warranty will ensure your satisfaction for generations to come.

Buy now and save during our annual Building Value Days sale!

800-447-7436 | mortonbuildings.com ©2018 Morton Buildings, Inc. A listing of GC licenses available at mortonbuildings.com/licenses. Certain restrictions apply. Ref Code 613

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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JANUARY 2018 CALENDAR

NORTHWEST

ENDS JAN. 7 – Hayes Train Special Exhibit, R.B. Hayes Library and Museums, Spiegel Grove, 1337 Hayes Ave., Fremont, Mon.– Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. $7.50, Srs. $6.50, C. (6–12) $3. An operating model train display runs through an intricate Victorian holiday scene. Interactive buttons allow visitors to control aspects of the trains’ movements. 419-332-2081 or www. rbhayes.org.

JAN. 5 – Silver Screen Classics: War of the Worlds, Valentine Theatre, 400 N. Superior St., Toledo, 7:30 p.m. $5. 419-2422787 or www.valentinetheatre.com.

THROUGH FEB. 28 – “Glorious Splendor: Treasures of Early Christian Art,” Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo. Features some 30 masterpieces of Late Roman art: precious stones, metals, and jewelry.

419-255-8000 or www.toledomuseum.org/exhibitions.

NORTHEAST

JAN. 6 – Model Train Clinic, R.B. Hayes Library and Museums, Spiegel Grove, 1337 Hayes Ave., Fremont, 1–4 p.m. $2. Veteran model train hobbyists will assist you with advice related to model train maintenance and repair, as well as estimating the value of older model trains. 419-332-2081 or www.rbhayes.org.

JAN. 6 – Silent Movie Night: Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, Pemberville Opera House, 115 Main St., Pemberville, 7:30 p.m.

419-287-4848 or www.pembervilleoperahouse.org.

gauges. Buy, sell, or trade new and collectible trains. 440-5269864 (Lee McCarty), macsir@aol.com, or www.cvsga.com.

JAN. 10–14 – Ohio RV Supershow, I-X Center, One I-X Center Dr., Cleveland, Wed.–Fri. 12–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $13, under 12 free. $10 parking. America’s largest indoor recreational vehicle show. 330-678-4489 or http://ohiorvshow.com.

JAN. 13–14 – Medina Gun Show, Medina County Community Ctr., 735 Lafayette Rd. (St. Rte. 42), Medina, Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m $6. One of the area’s largest gun shows, with over 450 vendor tables. 330-948-4400, jim@ conraddowdell.com, or www.conraddowdell.com.

ENDS JAN. 7 – Steubenville Nutcracker Village and Advent Market, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville. Over 75 life-size, hand-painted nutcrackers in an outdoor display. 866-301-1787.

JAN. 6 – Antique and Collectible Old Toy Show, Lakeland Community College (AFC Auxiliary Gym), 7700 Clocktower Dr., Kirtland, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. $6, C. (6–12) $2. Pressed steel, diecast, mechanical toys and robots, dolls, and much more.

216-470-5780 (Tom), cleveshows@att.net, or www.neocollectibletoys.com.

JAN. 6 – Snow Dogs Train Show, presented by Cuyahoga Valley S Gauge Association, UAW Hall, 5615 Chevrolet Blvd., Parma, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $6, under 12 free. Free parking. Allgauge show with over 150 tables. Operating layouts of several

SOUTHEAST

JAN. 13–14 – Mohican Winter Fest, 131 W. Main St., Loudonville, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Award-winning Aaron Costic and his crew from Elegant Ice Creations are back to make some truly inspired creations from ice. See over 25 elegant ice sculptures.

Additional ice carving around Central Park fountain, fire spinning, and entertainment. 419-994-2519 or www.discovermohican.com.

JAN. 14 – Mohican Winter Hike, Mohican State Park, 3116 St. Rte. 3, Loudonville, 10 a.m–1 p.m. Choose from 5K, 10K, or a guided nature hike led by a park naturalist. Trails run from moderate to difficult. Campfire, hot soup, cookies, and drinks will be provided after the hike. 419-994-5125 or http://parks. ohiodnr.gov/Mohican.

ENDS JAN. 2 – 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.

ENDS JAN. 2 – Holiday Light Show, Guernsey County Courthouse, Cambridge, 5:30–9 p.m.; Jan. 1, 5:30–11 p.m.

Four different light and music shows performed each evening.

800-933-5480 or www.dickensvictorianvillage.com.

JAN. 6–7 – Tri-State Gun Show, Allen Co. Fgds., 2750 Harding Hwy., Lima (2 miles east of Lima on St. Rte. 309), Sat. 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. $5, under 18 free. Over 400 tables of modern and antique guns, knives, hunting equipment, and associated collectibles for purchase. 419-647-0067 or www. tristategunshow.org.

JAN. 12 – Silver Screen Classics: North by Northwest, Valentine Theatre, 400 N. Superior St., Toledo,7:30 p.m. $5. 419-2422787 or www.valentinetheatre.com.

JAN. 12–14 – Civilian Markmanship Program: Camp Perry Open, 1000 N. Lawrence Rd., Port Clinton. A thrilling and unique event for air rifle and air pistol competitors, both adults and juniors. Spectators welcome. 419-635-2141, kharrington@ thecmp.org, or http://thecmp.org.

JAN. 20–21 – Lima Symphony: Baroque by Candlelight, Sat. 7:30 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, Lima; Sun. 4 p.m., St. Augustine Catholic Church, Minster. $20, Stds. $10. 419-2225701 or www.limasymphony.com.

JAN. 18–21 – Mid-America Boat Show, I-X Ctr., 1 I-X Center Dr., Cleveland, Thur.–Fri. 12–9 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. $14, Srs. $12, under 13 free. Features all-new “boating experience” pavilion and Metroparks exhibit. www. clevelandboatshow.com.

JAN. 20 – Northern Ohio Fly Fishing Expo, Cuyahoga Valley Career Ctr., 8001 Brecksville Rd., Brecksville, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $10, Youth (13–18) $5, free with military ID. Seminars, fly casting demonstrations and lessons, beginning fly tying, fishing gear and supplies, and more. http://ncff.net/expo/.

JAN. 21 – Norwalk & Western RR Winter Model Train Show, German’s Villa, 3330 Liberty Ave., Vermilion,10 a.m.–3 p.m. $5, under 10 free. All scales, operating layouts and displays, model train supplies, railroad historical items, and more. 419706-8038 or www.norwalkandwesternrr.com.

JAN. 26–28 – Cleveland Motorcycle Show, I-X Center, One I-X Center Dr., Cleveland, Fri. 3–8 p.m., Sat. 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $16, under 12 free. $10 parking. 216-2657005 or http://motorcycleshows.com.

JAN. 27 – Winter Train Meet, presented by Great Lakes Division, Train Collectors Association, UAW Hall, 5615 Chevrolet Blvd., Parma, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Adult $6, Family $8, kids admitted free. Free parking. All-gauge show with over 175 tables.

New and old trains to buy, sell, or trade. 440-665-0882 (Ed Mularz), emularz1124@aol.com, or www.greatlakestca.org.

JAN. 14 – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, 3 p.m. $28–$38. The most award-winning band in bluegrass music history performs at a special Sunday matinee. www.stuartsoperahouse.org.

JAN. 20 – “Digging the Past:” Archaeology Day, Campus Martius Museum, 601 Second St., Marietta, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Learn about Quadranaou, a prehistoric earthwork between Third and Fourth streets in Marietta. View original artifacts from the prehistoric to the historic period displayed by local collectors and others from around the state. 740-373-3750 or http:// campusmartiusmuseum.org.

JAN. 14 – Bridal and Prom Showcase, Pritchard Laughlin Civic Ctr., 7033 Glenn Hwy., Cambridge, 12–4 p.m. $5. Caterers, DJs, photographers, realtors, hair salons, makeup artists, and more JAN. 27 – Country on the Carpet, Pritchard Laughlin Civic Ctr., will be available with ideas to make your special day memora7033 Glenn Hwy., Cambridge, 7 p.m. $6 advance, $8 at the ble. 740-439-7009 or www.pritchardlaughlin.com. door. A great lineup of country and bluegrass music for your listening pleasure! 740-439-7009 or www.pritchardlaughlin.com.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

COMPILED BY COLLEEN ROMICK CLARK

CENTRAL

session about the Gahanna Herb Group and the new Earthy Herbal Garden Series. 614-342-4250 or www.gahanna.gov.

JAN. 12 – Presidio Brass: “Sounds of the Cinema,” Marion Palace Theatre, May Pavilion, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 7 p.m. $18, Stds. $10. The five-member ensemble combines a brass quintet, piano, and percussion instruments with fresh, original arrangements for a unique sound. Come enjoy this bold new generation of brass entertainment. 740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.

JAN. 5–7 – Columbus Build, Remodel, and Landscape Expo, Greater Columbus Convention Ctr., Halls C and D, 400 N. High St., Columbus, Fri. 12–7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $6, under 18 free. From top-quality exhibits, to informative seminars, to insightful demonstrations and more, you’ll discover thousands of smart, stylish, and cost-effective ways to design or renovate your home. www. homeshowcenter.com.

JAN. 5–14 – Ohio RV and Boat Show, Ohio Expo Ctr., 717 E. 17th St., Columbus, Wed.–Fri. 12–8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. This year’s event will feature over 21 dealers from all over central Ohio with hundreds of campers and boats. Also includes ATVs, motorcycles, and golf cars, plus camping gear, equipment, and more. www.ohiorvandboatshow.com.

JAN. 11 – Herb Center Open House, Ohio Herb Education Ctr., 110 Mill St., Gahanna, 6:30–8 p.m. Free information

SOUTHWEST

JAN. 12–21 – Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, Columbus Performing Arts Ctr., Van Fleet Theatre, 549 Franklin Ave., Columbus, 1–2 p.m. Adults $15, kids $10. The perfect show for a family-friendly outing, filled with adventure, song, a beloved stuffed animal, and dancing laundry! 614-469-0939 or www.catco.org.

JAN. 19–21 – Midwest Sports Spectacular, Ohio Expo Ctr., Cardinal Hall, 717 E. 17th Ave, Columbus, Fri. 3–8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission on Fri., $10 for Sat./Sun. pass. Sports collector cards, vintage and new collectibles, memorabilia, autograph signings. http:// ohiosportsgroup.com/2018-midwest-sports-spectacular/.

JAN. 20 – Hocking Hills Winter Hike, 19852 St. Rte. 664 S., Logan, beginning anytime from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Free. See the beauty of Hocking Hills in the winter as you hike from Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave, with a stop at Cedar Falls for soup and cornbread. 740-685-6841 or www.hockinghills.com.

JAN. 20 – Logan Frozen Festival, Main St., Logan, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Free. The festival features more than 30 ice carvings lining Main Street, ice carving demonstrations by

JAN. 6–7 – Wedding Expo and Show, Dayton Convention Ctr., 22 E. Fifth St., Dayton, 11 a.m–4 p.m. $5 advance, $8 at door.

Fashion shows 12:30 and 3 p.m. www.weddingapolis.com.

JAN. 12–14 – Cincinnati Golf Show, Duke Energy Convention Ctr., 525 Elm St., Cincinnati, Fri. 5–9:30 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Find deals on equipment and clothing, get tips from golf pros, find out the best places to golf near and far, and much more. www.cincinnatigolfshow.com.

JAN. 12–14, 17–21 – Cincinnati Travel, Sports, and Boat Show, Duke Energy Convention Ctr., 525 Elm St., Cincinnati.

Find everything you need to plan your next outdoor adventure! www.cincinnatiboatshow.com.

WEST VIRGINIA

JAN. 19–21 – Winter Wonder Weekend, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo. Activities for all ages, including hikes, games, contests, arts and crafts, and much more. 304-558-2754 (Emily Fleming) or https://wvstateparks.com/park/north-bend-state-park/.

JAN. 26–28 – Huntington RV and Boat Show, Big Sandy Superstore Arena, 1 Center Plaza, Huntington, Fri. 5–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. The region’s first and longest continuously running RV and boat expo. 304-7575487 or www.bigsandyarena.com.

JAN. 27 – Honey Bee Expo, West Virginia University–Parkersburg, Rte. 47, Parkersburg. $20 advance, $25 at door; age 12 and under, $8. All-day conference dedicated to the honey bee and the hobby of beekeeping. Workshops for all levels of beekeepers, from beginners to advanced. www.movba.org.

the award-winning Rock On Ice, musical entertainment inside and out, plenty of dining options, and a Pop-Up Shop.

800-462-5464.

JAN. 26–28 – Johnson’s Log Home and Timber Frame Show, Ohio Expo Ctr., Rhodes Bldg., 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, Fri. 1–7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Registration Sat./Sun. at 9:30 a.m. $12; 18 and under free. www. loghomeshows.com.

JAN. 27 – Workshop: “Grafting the Right Way,” Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark, 8–11 a.m. or 1–4 p.m. $40/$30 for members. Learn about the science and art of grafting. Rootstock and scion wood provided; attendees may bring their own scion wood, if appropriate rootstock is available. Participants take home their grafted items to nurture.

Appropriate for ages 14 and above. Registration required. 800443-2937 or https://dawesarb.org/learn/calendar.

JAN. 27 – “Tap Your Trees:” Maple Syrup Workshop, Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. $15/$10 members. Learn the process of making maple syrup. This interactive class explores techniques for tapping trees; collection, storage, and cooking methods; and kits and common items used in maple syruping. Registration required.

800-443-2937 or https://dawesarb.org/learn/calendar.

JAN. 27 – Workshop: “Introduction to Essential Oils,” Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark, 1–3 p.m. $10/$5 members. Learn how to safely and effectively use essential oils. Registration required. 800-443-2937 or https://dawesarb.org/learn/calendar.

JAN. 20 – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, St. Clair Memorial Hall, 215 W. Fourth St., Greenville, 8 p.m. $25. The most award-winning band in bluegrass music history. 877-8400457 or www.centerforarts.net.

JAN. 21 – Wedding Expo and Show, Dayton Marriott, 1414 South Patterson Blvd., University of Dayton, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. $5 advance, $8 at door. Dayton’s premier wedding event.

Fashion show 1 p.m., seminar/demo 2:30 p.m., grand prize giveaway 3 p.m. www.weddingapolis.com.

JAN. 27–28 – Lebanon Antique Show and Sale, Warren Co. Fgds., 665 N. Broadway, Lebanon, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Browse high-quality antique American and Continental furnishings and decorative arts, textiles, jewelry, primitives, folk art, and fine art. www.wchsmuseum.org.

PLEASE NOTE: Ohio Cooperative Living strives for accuracy but strongly urges readers to confirm dates and times before traveling long distances to events. Submit listings AT LEAST 90 DAYS prior to the event by writing to 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 of where the event takes place or a number/website for more information.

JANUARY 2018 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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MEMBER INTERACTIVE

STAYING WARM Our Jack Russell Terrier, Maggie, would always sleep with her paws crossed over her nose, as well as her tail, for extra warmth!

Anna and Cecilia Coccia, our granddaughters, staying warm in the snow at our cabin near Laurelville.

Sharyn Coccia South Central Power Company member

Jill Ladrick South Central Power Company member

Thomas, the grandson of Jim and Cheryl Fortman, is all ready for the snow, but can’t move!

Cheryl Fortman Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperati ve member Lulu loves to snuggle with Grandma to get cozy-warm for a nap.

Brandy Bowers Logan County Electric Cooperati ve member

Send us your pictures!

Upload your photos at www.ohioec.org/ memberinteractive.

For April, send “The First Time We...” by Jan. 15; for May, send “Scenic Ohio” by Feb. 14. Make sure to give us your name, mailing address, phone number or e-mail, the name of your electric co-op, and an explanation of the photo, including the names of people shown.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JANUARY 2018

Staying warm ON my friend — our dogs, Charlie and Maggie, enjoying the melting winter snow.

Julie Wilhelm Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperati ve member

Talk to us

The Buckeye State is packed with museums of all shapes, sizes, and interests. Connect with your co-op on Facebook and tell us your favorite Ohio museum, along with what makes it so fascinati ng. We’ll print select responses in a future editi on.

ohioec.org

FOCUSED ON YOUR STREET. NOT WALL STREET. Think of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives as your advocate. We represent your local, not-for-profit electric cooperative, which is owned by you and the other members of your community. We’ll always work in your best interest.

YOUR SOURCE OF POWER. AND INFORMATION.

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1 — North Western Electric Cooperative 2 — Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative 3 — Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative 4 — Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative 5 — North Central Electric Cooperative 6 — Firelands Electric Cooperative 7 — Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative 8 — Midwest Electric 9 — Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative 10 — Darke Rural Electric Cooperative

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1 1 — Pioneer Electric Cooperative 12 — Logan County Electric Cooperative 13 — Union Rural Electric Cooperative 14 — Consolidated Electric Cooperative 15 — Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative 16 — Carroll Electric Cooperative 17 — The Frontier Power Company 18 — The Energy Cooperative (Licking Rural Electrification) 19 — Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative

0 — South Central Power Company 2 21 — Washington Electric Cooperative 22 — Butler rural Electric Cooperative 23 — Adams Rural Electric Cooperative 24 — Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative 25 — Midwest Energy Cooperative (based in Michigan) 26 — Harrison Rural Electrification Association

Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614.846.5757 | 800.282.6962