Ohio Cooperative Living – March 2023 - Tricounty

OHIO

MARCH 2023

COOPERATIVE Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative

Goin’ buggy!

Unmistakable signs of spring

ALSO INSIDE Your opinion counts Snacks on the go Heartbreaking lifeline

AFFORDABLE.

Family is priceless, but the cost of everything seems high these days. As your not-for-profit electric cooperative, we deliver essential electricity at cost so you can spend your hard earned money on what matters most.

R.E.A.L. Value

Reliable. Environmentally Responsible. Affordable. Local.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

INSIDE FEATURES

24 SQUIRRELS (AND OTHER WILDLIFE) ON FILM

Ohioan Karl Maslowski rose from poverty to become a pioneer in the production of wildlife video footage.

28 A MOVER (BUT NOT A SHAKER)

A Lake Erie-area co-op member specializes in relocating entire structures — very carefully.

32 UNIMAGINABLE

Each organ donation story is one of both heartbreak and hope.

Cover image on most editions: Ellen Crayton’s granddaughter, Brenna, is enthralled with butterflies — and sometimes they’re equally enthralled with her, as shown in the photo Ellen submitted for this month’s Member Interactive feature, “Bug’s Life” (see page 40 for more).

This page: Pulitzer Prize-winning Ohio author Louis Bromfield wrote his many books at a folding card table instead of a desk at his Malabar Farm estate, in the heart of Mohican country in Richland County (photograph by W.H. “Chip” Gross — see Chip’s story about Mohican country on page 8).

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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UP FRONT

Your electric cooperative: Working for you E

lectric cooperatives are not-for-profit organizations controlled by local people who are members of the cooperative, elected by the membership to represent the interests of their fellow members. Those interests generally align along the themes of safety, reliability, value, and service.

While each electric cooperative is unique, reflecting the communities it serves, the people it employs, and the history of decisions that have come before, each electric co-op also shares the attributes of democratic local control for the benefit of its members.

Over the years, Ohio’s electric cooperatives have aligned themselves in order to realize the mutual benefits that come from new cooperative organizations — organizations founded, owned, and controlled by the co-ops for the benefit of their members. Some cooperative service organizations are national, providing services such as at-cost financing, insurance, information technology, telecommunications, after-hours call centers, and employee benefits management.

In Ohio, Buckeye Power is the co-ops’ locally based generation and transmission service provider, and Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (OREC), is their state-based trade association. Both are owned and controlled by Ohio’s electric cooperatives and are run for the benefit of the co-ops and their members.

Leaders from your electric cooperative provide oversight to Buckeye Power and OREC, ensuring decisions are made that support the themes of safety, reliability, value, and service.

The co-ops have invested in Buckeye Power to be able to jointly own and control power plants that provide a reliable supply of electricity, at cost, and that investment paid off again this year. While costs have increased over the past several months, the outstanding performance of our power plants has allowed Buckeye Power to produce more power than members required, sell the excess, and earn more revenue.

Co-op representatives who govern Buckeye Power have again determined that these additional revenues be returned in the form of lower power costs to members over the next several months. In total, nearly $40 million will be returned to cooperative members to offset some of the increases in power supply costs this year. That comes out to about $5 per month in savings for the average household.

That’s just one way your cooperative works for you — day in and day out, year in and year out. We appreciate your patronage and support, and we are here for you.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

Pat O’Loughlin

PRESIDENT & CEO OHIO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

Each electric cooperative is unique, reflecting the communities it serves, the people it employs, and the history of decisions that have come before.

MARCH 2023 • Volume 65, No. 6

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 www.ohiocoopliving.com Patrick O’Loughlin Caryn Whitney Jeff McCallister Amy Howat Crystal Pomeroy

4 DEPARTMENTS

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

Contributors: Margo Bartlett, Jodi Borger, Colleen Romick Clark, Getty Images, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Catherine Murray, and James Proffitt.

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 Office, Consumer Protection Section, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215.

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

4 POWER LINES

Giving feedback: Members’

participation in surveys lets the co-op know when improvements might be needed.

10

8 Best in the nation: Ohio

Cooperative Living earns a prestigious recognition from the national electric co-op organization.

10

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

12

Mohican country: Full of natural

beauty, southeast Richland County offers something for everyone.

12 CO-OP PEOPLE

Man of steel: An Oxford man gains national prominence as he takes his new hobby to the next level.

15

15 GOOD EATS

Grab and go: With a little advance

work, these snacks will be ready to take with you when you head out the door.

19 LOCAL PAGES

News and information from your electric cooperative.

National/regional advertising inquiries, contact

Cheryl Solomon

37

37 CALENDAR

What’s happening: March/April

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

events and other things to do around Ohio.

Cooperative members:

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

Alliance for Audited Media Member

40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE

A bug’s life: Butterflies and mantises and bees, oh my! Members have found some unique images of the insect world.

40

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

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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POWER LINES

GIVING FEEDBACK Members’ participation in surveys lets the co-op know when improvements might be needed.

BY JODI BORGER

I

t’s a situation nearly everyone can relate to: Your phone rings, you glance at the unfamiliar number, and you make the quick decision not to answer the call.

You don’t realize it immediately — perhaps you never will — but it turns out that call was someone conducting a survey on behalf of your electric cooperative.

For Jane Sanstead, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)’s senior research analyst, that’s been one of the biggest obstacles throughout the past five years of conducting surveys.

“When I first started at NRECA Market Research Services, nearly 18 years ago, 100% of our surveys were being done by phone,” Sanstead says. “In the past five years or so, I feel that members are still more willing to spend time on a survey for their local electric cooperative than they would be for a political survey, but people’s behavior with phones has changed. Many people will not answer their phone if they don’t recognize the number calling them.”

How they work

In most surveys, not all members receive the survey — instead, only a small representative sample makes the list.

So, what if by answering that one phone call or responding to an emailed member survey, you could help the co-op recognize areas where they may fall short?

Cooperatives exist for the membership, and surveys are an ideal way to measure their satisfaction. Many co-ops around the state take the time to review surveys and even respond directly to each member’s concerns. In some instances, those survey responses allow co-ops to pinpoint a recurring area of dissatisfaction.

The latter was the case for URE–Union Rural Electric Cooperative in Marysville.

“In past surveys we learned that members felt we didn’t always keep them updated during outages,” says Anthony Smith, URE president/CEO. “That feedback helped us

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

make the decision to set an estimated time of restoration on outages, begin adding additional information in the phone response system, and increase social media posts during large outages.”

Additionally, for members who signed up for notifications in SmartHub (the smartphone app used by many co-ops), URE began issuing outage status updates in real time. It was simple, consistent feedback received through surveys that led to modifications internally, which, in turn, meant more satisfied members.

“Subsequent surveys have indicated that members appreciate the extra outage communication and give us higher marks in that area now,” Smith says.

Help the co-op help you

For Midwest Electric in St. Marys, low member satisfaction in the area of outage communication fostered one of the co-op’s main focuses for improved communication.

“On the ACSI survey, the question about outage communications has been our biggest improvement over the years,” says Matt Berry, Midwest Electric CEO. “Many years ago, our members rated us poorly when it came to communicating about power outages, so we made that a focal point and now offer a number of outage communications options. It’s no longer our lowest score area.”

The other helpful part about surveys is that they give co-ops an opportunity to confirm member satisfaction

Surveys are on their way Cooperatives have learned that letting members know when they are conducting a survey both increases credibility of the cooperative and confirms legitimacy of the survey. One way cooperatives make their members aware of surveys, particularly the ACSI survey, is by communicating through social media channels, their websites, and Ohio Cooperative Living magazine a couple months leading up to the survey.

Scam and telemarketing calls have increased throughout the years and many people just don’t want to talk to someone unless they know who it is. after they make needed changes or adjustments. Midwest Electric, for example, created a four-question survey called the service order (SO) survey that is sent automatically via email or mail whenever an SO is completed.

“We’ve had employee retirements that we either didn’t replace or we updated the new job description to reflect changing technology, different business needs, or to align with employee talent, so sometimes it can be difficult to recognize when that might create a gap in service,” Berry says. “Whether it’s the comment section in the surveys, or the question of whether we resolved your request to your satisfaction, we’re able to learn immediately if we’re having issues.”

Lots of info, lots of uses

The feedback allows an employee to follow up and address any issue right away, instead of allowing potential problems with a certain work process to affect overall member satisfaction. Co-ops may also survey members about their use of appliances in their homes, their opinions about Ohio Cooperative Living, or numerous other topics.

Cooperatives throughout the state find value in reviewing and analyzing survey results because those participating in the surveys are owners in the cooperative. Members’ opinions and feedback are important to the overall health of the cooperative. It’s that constant feedback loop that allows the cooperative to adapt as desires, technology, and needs of the membership evolve.

“The surveys are important because they give us insight into how we are performing for our members, whether or not we’re meeting their expectations,” Berry says. “We are member-owned, which means we only need to focus on our members and the job we’re doing for them.”

Survey callers often spend more time dialing the phone than actually doing the surveys, leading to more surveys being done online.

Surveys delivered to members through email can be convenient, allowing members to respond to the survey on their own time. But, as with phone calls, the increase in spam and phishing emails has made that method difficult as well.

“I’m glad people are aware that there are bad actors out there, often masquerading as a company they would otherwise trust, but it has certainly made our job more difficult,” says Jane Sanstead, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)’s senior research analyst.

So, as the next round of co-op surveys revs up between March and June, consider answering a call from that unfamiliar number or taking an extra look for the emailed survey, because your cooperative values your feedback.

If you’re ever unsure of the validity of a survey, simply call your electric cooperative to verify its legitimacy.

“In the six or so years that I have been directly working with co-op employees, I have seen firsthand how much they care about their members,” Sanstead says. “A survey is one of just a few ways they can discover their members’ perceptions, needs, and beliefs directly from their members and from the most members possible.”

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Your Local WaterFurnace Dealers Bowling Green United Home Comfort (419) 352-7092 unitedhomecomfort.com

Findlay Knueve & Sons Inc. (419) 420-7638 knueve.com

Canal Winchester Kessler Htg & Clg (614) 837-9961 kesslerheating.com Chillicothe Accurate Htg & Clg (740) 775-5005 accurategeothermal.com

Gahanna Custom A/C & Htg (614) 552-4822 customairco.com/ geothermal

Coldwater Ray’s Refrigeration (419) 678-8711 raysrefrigeration.com

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Marion Wenig’s Inc. (740) 383-5012 wenigsinc.com

Groveport Patriot Air (614) 577-1577 patriotair.com

Medina Sisler Heating (330) 722-7101 sislerwaterfurnace.com

Holgate Holgate Hardware (419) 264-3012

Mt. Vernon Cosby Htg & Clg (740) 393-4328 cosbyhc.com

Columbus Geo Source One (614) 873-1140 geosourceone.com

Kalida Knueve & Sons Inc. (419) 420-7638 knueve.com

Defiance Schlatters Plbg & Htg (419) 393-4690 schlattersgeothermal.com

Sarka Electric (419) 532-3492 sarkaelectric.com

Dresden Federal Htg & Clg (740) 754-4328 federalheating.com

Mansfield Eberts Energy Center (419) 589-2000 ebertsheatingandcooling. com

Lancaster Fairfield Heating (740) 653-6421 fairfieldgeothermal.com

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

New Knoxville New Knoxville Supply (419) 753-2444 newknoxvillesupply.com Newark Hottinger Geothermal (740) 323-2330 hottingergeothermal.com

Sidney Lochard Inc. (937) 492-8811 Sunbury Westin Air (614) 794-1259 geothermalcentralohio.com Toledo Overcashier & Horst (419) 841-3333 ohcomfort.com Waverly Combs Htg & A/C (740) 947-4061 combsgeopro.com Wellington Wellington Indoor Comfort (440) 647-3421

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MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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George W. Haggard Memorial Journalism Award

Magazine honored as best in the nation O

hio Cooperative Living has been named the winner of the 2022 George W. Haggard Memorial Journalism Award by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The NRECA each year recognizes the electric cooperative statewide consumer publication that best presents “lucid, forthright contributions to electric cooperative objectives.” The award is named for George W. Haggard, first editor of the Texas statewide publication, who was killed in a plane crash in 1951.

“The whole reason our magazine exists is to help Ohio’s electric distribution cooperatives get their messages out to their members,” says Jeff McCallister, the magazine’s managing editor. “We take a lot of pride in making something that co-op members are not only willing

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to pick up and look at, but that they look forward to reading each month.”

“People have information flying at them from everywhere these days about some complicated subjects like solar energy, electric vehicles, even the reliability of the electrical grid, and it’s so hard to know what to trust,” McCallister says. “It’s our responsibility to make sure they have honest answers to their questions. This magazine comes from the co-op, and I think most everyone understands that their co-op is the best, most trusted source for that kind of information.”

The award was to be presented to the magazine staff, including Associate Editor Amy Howat and Graphic Designer Crystal Pomeroy, at PowerXchange, the NRECA’s annual meeting, March 4 in Nashville, Tennessee.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

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01-28217-001-E22451 MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

9

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Mohican country Full of natural beauty, southeast Richland County offers something for everyone.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

I

n 1896, a baby was born in Mansfield — a boy who would one day grow up to travel the world, become a writer, and win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1927, at just 30 years of age. He would then return to his hometown, purchase three adjacent rundown farms, and transform them into the conservation showplace called Malabar Farm, today known as Malabar Farm State Park. His name was Louis Bromfield.

Fifty-five years later, another baby boy was born in Mansfield who also grew up to be a writer. This one didn’t travel the world, nor did he win the Pulitzer Prize — at least not yet. But what he would do, like Bromfield, is fall in love with the beauty of the natural world, and particularly that area surrounding Malabar. OK, I’m sure you guessed: That second boy is me.

In his 1945 book titled Pleasant Valley, Bromfield wrote of the area: “It is a pleasant land all about you, valleys where the bottom land is rich, bordered by hills covered with wild and luxuriant forest, the whole filigreed with the silver of the streams called Switzer’s Run, Possum Run, and the Clear Fork; and far down lies the blue shield of Pleasant Hill Lake bordered by the deep red of sandstone bluffs and the blue black of hemlock trees.”

Today, the area is labeled Mohican country by the tourism folks. It still appears much as it did during

10

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

Bromfield’s time, and it’s my favorite part of the Buckeye State. It’s a fantastic place for a weekend getaway, relatively easy to access in southeast Richland County.

Here are my suggestions for where to stay, where to dine, and what to do to experience a sense of why Bromfield so loved Malabar: Where to stay: Other than a campground and single cabin — the Maple Syrup Cabin — Malabar Farm State Park has no overnight lodging facilities, so staying at nearby Mohican State Park is convenient. Mohican offers rooms and a restaurant at the lodge overlooking Pleasant Hill Lake, or cabins and campgrounds beside the Clear Fork of the Mohican River, a State Scenic River.

What to see: At Malabar, be sure to take the Big House tour to see Bromfield’s writing office, containing the custom-made desk he seldom used. He complained that the desk was too high for him, so instead he wrote at a small, folding card table. Bromfield was well connected with Hollywood, and you’ll hear the story of film legends Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall marrying at the farm and spending their honeymoon in the second-floor bedroom.

What to eat: Plan to have lunch or supper at Malabar Farm Restaurant just down the road from the entrance to the park. My wife and I consider it our favorite Ohio eatery.

Gourmet meals are served on white tablecloths, but the

Author and conservationist Louis Bromfield named his famous farm Malabar after the beautiful Malabar Coast of India, where he and his family lived for a short time during the early 20th century. atmosphere is casual, so blue jeans and hiking boots are more than acceptable. And no trip to Malabar is complete without making the short drive to the summit of Mount Jeez for a sweeping, panoramic view of the farm and Pleasant Valley. The scene is particularly stunning during the first blush of spring or the peak of autumn color.

What to do: Once back at Mohican, if you’d like to stretch your legs and do some hiking, park your vehicle at the covered bridge and take either of the two trails that parallel the Clear Fork River through the Clear Fork Gorge.

Heavily forested, the sandstone gorge measures 1,000 feet across by 300 feet deep, and is recognized by the National Park Service as a Registered National Natural Landmark. Heading northwest, both trails eventually lead

to the top of Pleasant Hill Lake Dam, providing spectacular views of the lake and spillway (as seen in the photo on the opposite page).

During summer, watersports are available on the lake, and several canoe liveries along the Black Fork of the Mohican River are located within a mile of Mohican’s main entrance.

Think about scheduling your visit to coincide with Mohican Wildlife Weekend (www.mohicanwildlifeweekend.com), held annually in late April, which offers many free outdoor activities at a number of area venues.

Oh, and one last thing. If you happen to have any influence with anyone serving on this year’s Pulitzer Prize committee, would you mind putting in a good word for me?

It seems I’m rapidly running out of time.

The Gardens at Malabar Farm State Park (below) are a must-see for all visitors. It takes a little more of a specialized interest to do some fly-fishing in the Clear Fork River in the park (above).

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

11

CO-OP PEOPLE

Oxford man gains national prominence as he takes his new hobby to the next level.

BY JODI BORGER

B

utler Rural Electric Cooperative member Bill Pyles gave himself a valuable piece of advice after a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity: “Never say never.”

Back in 2016, Bill found himself lying on the couch, recovering from surgery to repair two collapsed vertebrae in his neck, which he believes resulted from years of demolition derbies and bull-riding, plus a few wrecked vehicles in his younger years.

Doing the only thing he could at the time, he surfed TV channels in search of something interesting to keep himself occupied. That’s when he stumbled upon a marathon of the History Channel series Forged in Fire. In each episode of the competition, four bladesmiths compete in a three-round elimination contest to forge bladed weapons.

“After three days of (watching them make blades), I thought, ‘I bet I can do that,’” says Bill, a self-proclaimed tech geek who works for a company in California.

As it turned out, he was right.

Bill has a wife, Judy (who now refers to herself as a forge widow), four kids, four dogs, and two cats. He’s been a volunteer firefighter for Milford Township for 23 years and is also a part-time beekeeper. He seems to excel at anything he sets his mind to.

After he talked to his wife, he purchased his first small forge for $150. He already had everything else he needed.

“I started out using lawn mower blades,” Bill says. “I took any scrap steel I could get my hands on to determine whether or not forging was a hobby that would stick.”

As it turns out, it did. In 2020, Bill named his forging enterprise Overkill Knife Works, a reference to his road name with the Fire & Iron Motorcycle Club, a group of firefighters, first responders, and EMS workers.

12

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

Bill Pyles taught himself the art of steel blademaking while he recuperated from surgery, and ended up as a champion on the competition series Forged in Fire, thanks to Damascus steel blades he created such as the one above.

Forging quickly became his stress relief. After a long day of work, he’d head out to his workshop, turn the music up loud, and create unique blades out of scrap steel.

He eventually began creating blades from high-carbon, Damascus steel, which is easily recognizable by its wavy patterned design. “I usually start with 8 to 12 layers, stacked up and welded together on the corners,” says Bill.

“I heat it to 2,000 degrees, then slowly squish it down into one solid mass. Then I draw it out and chop it all up, and repeat the process — heat, beat, and repeat.”

“My favorite part is taking a tiny stack of steel and turning it into something everyone calls absolutely beautiful.”

Most of Bill’s projects use 128 to 256 layers of steel. “My favorite part is taking a tiny stack of steel and turning it into something everyone calls absolutely beautiful,” Bill says.

“Dipping the piece in the oil (quenching), pulling it out, and seeing what the final product looks like, that’s my joy.”

Bill used to do woodworking before he started forging.

“It was great because I could use a blank piece of wood and turn it into scroll saw art,” Bill says. “It gives me the capability to be quite creative, and I’m able to do that now with forging.”

Bill never thought he would forge Damascus steel. He never thought he’d make a sword. And he certainly never thought he’d compete on Forged in Fire. But now, he works almost exclusively with Damascus steel. He has a sword that hangs in his workshop, and he not only managed to make it onto Forged in Fire, but he won. “If there’s anything

I’ve learned it’s that I’ll never use the term ‘never’ when it comes to anything,” Bill laughs. “Because somehow, some way, I always end up doing whatever it is.”

When Forged in Fire put out a casting call in August 2021, “I asked myself, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’”

He began talking with producers in late October that year.

“It was a long process to get to the competition, but in late November they called and said, ‘Can you be here on Dec. 3 for filming?’” Bill says.

Bill flew to Stamford, Connecticut, where he competed against three other contestants in three different challenges, the first of which involved a knife brought from home, the second being the creation of a push dagger, and lastly, creating a replica blade from a past Forged in Fire champion.

Bill’s episode — season 9, episode 7 — aired on May 25, 2022. He took home $10,000 as the episode’s champion and was the winner of Forged in Fire’s first-ever Knife Fight.

“I had a blast, even though it was one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done,” he says. “I have made some lifelong friendships with the smiths that I competed against.”

The gloves he wore during the competition included encouraging messages from his family. They were highlighted during a segment of the show and signed by the judges and hosts.

“Immediately after Forged in Fire, I had orders coming in,” says Bill. “Anything from letter openers to skinning and kitchen knives.”

Bill continues to stay connected with those he met during his Forged in Fire experience. However, when Forged in Fire asked if he’d come back, Bill said he chose his words wisely and responded with “maybe.”

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

GOOD EATS

Grab

and

go

Prep: 5 minutes Servings: 1 each

1. sliced peaches / cottage cheese / sliced ham / pretzels / mustard

2. yogurt / berries / granola / orange slices

RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATHERINE MURRAY

3. hummus / veggies / cheddar cheese sticks

Layer into any food-safe, sealable container such as a Mason jar, or use a bento box to keep ingredients from touching each other. Store in a cool location until ready to eat. Don’t forget to pack a utensil!

Nutrition will vary depending on ingredients chosen.

With a little advance work, these snacks will be ready to take with you when you head out the door.

LAYERED SNACK JARS MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

15

THERMOS OATMEAL Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 2 minutes | Servings: 2 1 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats 1 tablespoon brown sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¾ cup (plus a little extra) water, milk, or alternative milk ¼ teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon maple syrup ¼ cup your choice of chopped nuts, shredded coconut, and/ or chocolate chips

Thermos instructions: In a thermos, mix oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat water or milk until almost boiling, then mix into oats along with vanilla and maple syrup, and stir. Wait a few minutes for oatmeal to thicken, stir once more, then top with remaining ingredients. Seal thermos until ready to eat.

Make and heat later instructions: In a heat-safe bowl, mix all ingredients except water/milk. Seal with lid, grab a spoon, and pack for later. When ready to eat, pour water/milk into oatmeal and heat in microwave for a minute or two until very hot. Wait a few minutes for oatmeal to thicken; stir and enjoy.

Per serving: 310 calories, 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated fat), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 21 milligrams sodium, 51 grams total carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 7 grams protein.

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

www.ohiocoopliving.com While you’re there, check out a video of a few of our recipes being prepared.

16

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

BANANA PB&J WRAP

Prep: 5 minutes | Servings: 2 1 8-inch flour tortilla 1 ounce cream cheese

2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

1 tablespoon jelly or jam of choice

1 large banana, peeled

Note: Adjust measurements to your liking — you know your preferred PB&J ratio! These can even be refrigerated for up to 3 days ahead.

Warm up flour tortilla in microwave for 10 seconds to make it easier to roll without cracking.

Spread cream cheese evenly over half of the tortilla (to the edges). Spread the peanut butter on the other half (to the edges). Spoon and spread jelly down the middle, then place banana on top.

Roll up tightly and seal. Cut in half lengthwise to share. Off you go with a tasty and filling snack!

Per serving: 245 calories, 10 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 16 milligrams cholesterol, 272 milligrams sodium, 34 grams total carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 4.5 grams protein.

SAVORY MUFFINS Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Servings: 12 6 ounces zucchini 6 ounces carrot 3 large eggs ¼ cup skim milk

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup bacon bits 1½ cups Bisquick mix

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grate zucchini and carrot by hand or in a food processor. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk, then mix in grated vegetables, cheese, and bacon. Fold in Bisquick until incorporated. Spoon batter into a greased or lined cupcake pan. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Store in fridge or freezer and heat up or eat at room temperature.

Per serving: 124 calories, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat), 55 milligrams cholesterol, 393 milligrams sodium, 12 grams total carbohydrates, 0.5 gram fiber, 6 grams protein.

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

17

Technical Scholarships Available

For adult and high school residential members

Rules and applications are available at www.ohioec.org/TechnicalScholarship APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 30 18

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

TRICOUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

Untangling the kinks in the electricity supply chain Electric utilities saw warning signs even before the pandemic.

Brett Perkins

M

any people first heard about supply chain issues two years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic left us looking at empty store shelves.

Shortages also affected electric utilities. But their attention to supply chains started years before the pandemic and is continuing into the future. For electric utilities, the pandemic simply amped up the job of keeping the lights on in an industry already adjusting to the rapid rise in renewable energy sources and power lines battered by more severe weather.

Electric co-ops are among those taking steps to manage both immediate and long-term supply chain constraints, says Stephanie Crawford, regulatory affairs director with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

“This didn’t happen overnight,” says Crawford. “Many of these dynamics started before the pandemic.”

Creating a supply chain task force

There is only one U.S.-based manufacturer of the type of steel used to make transformers, vital equipment to help regulate power levels so electricity is safe to use. Transformer manufacturers have not been able to keep pace with the increase in demand coming out of the pandemic. Lead times for ordering transformers jumped from one or two months to one to two years. Such delays threaten to slow progress on essential work, like restoring power after storms or connecting service for new co-op members.

Electric co-ops also have faced delays “for meters, conductors, utility poles, and bucket trucks — essentially all the things needed to keep the system running efficiently, including restoration needs and serving new load,” Crawford says.

To reduce those backlogs, last summer the utility industry, including electric co-ops, created a task force to work with the federal government on resolving supply chain slowdowns.

GENERAL MANAGER

Incentives for U.S. manufacturing

The task force recommended several actions the federal government could take to help get utilities what they need. One suggestion was to provide incentives to encourage domestic manufacturing of steel for transformers. The task force identified national trends and policies that could conflict with the utility supply chain:

Worker shortages: The lack of people to fill jobs affecting many sectors of the economy, from restaurants to hospitals, also hurts the manufacture of materials needed by utilities.

Competition for workers: Communities want

major new employers, for economic development.

But large new businesses can divert workers from companies that supply essential utility equipment.

The industry task force recommended the government support incentives for utilityrelated work.

Renewable energy and infrastructure initiatives: Electric

vehicles, solar energy, and efforts to expand broadband service consume some of the same materials needed by utilities. The task force recommended avoid disadvantaging utility work by favoring other projects.

All these supply chain issues are causing utilities to rethink traditional business practices, says NRECA’s Crawford. She says the logistics and procurement functions of electric utilities are getting increased attention.

Utilities have been adapting to dramatic changes, says Crawford, from weather patterns to sustainable energy.

Supply chain management is one of the latest twists.

“Electric co-ops are really good at keeping the lights on,” says Crawford. “But these supply chain issues have made that job more difficult. Real investment needs to be made in domestic manufacturing and supply capabilities to make sure that all utilities can get the equipment they need. This is critical infrastructure, especially as we rely on the electric grid to power everything from transportation to working at home.”

FEBRUARY MARCH 2023 2023 • OHIO • OHIO COOPERATIVE COOPERATIVE LIVING LIVING 19

19

TRICOUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

Play it safe: 10 do s and don ts when using portable generators PHOTO SOURCE: HONDA

Position portable generators at least 25 feet outside the home, away from doors, windows and vents that can allow carbon monoxide to enter the home.

S

torm season is upon us, which means greater potential for power outages. If you’re planning to use a portable generator in the event of an outage, Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative reminds you to play it safe.

With proper use and maintenance, portable generators can provide great convenience during an outage.

However, when generators are used incorrectly, they can be extremely hazardous. In a 2022 report, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that 85 U.S. consumers die every year from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning caused by gasoline-powered portable generators.

Here are 10 do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when using portable generators:

1. DO: Install backup CO alarms.

2. DO: Keep children and pets away from portable

generators at all times.

3. DO: Position generators at least 25 feet outside the home, away from doors, windows and vents that can allow CO to enter the home.

4. DO: Ensure your generator is properly grounded.

Use a portable ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to prevent electric shock injuries.

5. DO: Use three-pronged extension cords that are rated to handle the load of the generator. Inspect extension cords for cuts, frays, or other damage before use.

20

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

6. DON’T: Operate a generator inside your home or an enclosed (or partially enclosed) space. Generators produce high levels of CO, which can be deadly.

7. DON’T: Open windows or doors while the generator is running.

8. DON’T: Rely on generators as a full-time source of power. Three Eight Three Two Zero Three They should only be used temporarily or in emergency situations to power essential equipment or appliances.

9. DON’T: Overload generators. They should only be used to power essential equipment. Make sure your generator can handle the load of the items you plan to power.

10. DON’T: Connect generators directly into household wiring unless you have an appropriate transfer switch installed. If a generator is connected to a home’s wiring without a transfer switch, power can backfeed along power lines and electrocute utility lineworkers making repairs.

While generators provide convenience during power outages, they can quickly become hazardous –– even deadly –– If improperly operated. Before you operate a portable generator, be sure to thoroughly read the owner’s manual for important safety information and tips.

TRICOUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

Y

Electric vehicle FAQs

ou’ve likely heard or read that most automakers are transitioning many or all of their new vehicles to electric-only models over the next 10 years. Regardless of the type of car you drive today, the electrification of the transportation sector is underway.

We regularly receive inquiries about electric vehicles from our members, so we thought it would be helpful to respond to some of those frequently asked questions.

Q: Why is Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative communicating about electric vehicles?

A: It’s no secret that consumer interest in electric vehicles (EVs) is growing, and Tricounty is providing information about EVs so that our members can make informed decisions when considering an EV purchase.

Q: Why is Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative involved in EV infrastructure issues?

A: All electric utilities are planning now to ensure they have the necessary electric infrastructure in place to meet future EV charging needs — without jeopardizing the ability to keep reliable power flowing to our local homes and businesses. As your local energy provider, Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative is best suited to advise and help our members and local businesses plan for the electric vehicle future.

Q: Can I charge my EV using an existing outlet or do I need a special outlet?

A: All EVs come with a 110-volt-compatible (Level 1) charging unit, which can be plugged into any standard household outlet. For an eight-hour overnight charge, this will enable traveling about 36 to 40 miles per day. If you typically drive longer distances or are in a hurry, consider a Level 2 charger, which takes about half the time and provides about 180 miles of range over an eight-hour charging period. A Level 2 charger must be installed by a licensed electrician.

Q: Does the outside temperature affect the range of an EV? A: Outside temperatures, particularly colder weather, can affect the range of an EV. Unlike a gas-powered vehicle, which generates heat mostly from the engine, an EV must produce cabin heat and manage an optimal battery temperature with energy that comes from the battery.

This can reduce battery range.

Q: Will an EV meet my daily driving needs?

A: If you are like most Americans and drive an average of 30 miles per day, an EV can meet your daily needs.

Q: What kind of incentives are available for EVs? A: A variety of tax credits, rebates and other incentives are available for EV purchases. Visit www.afdc.energy.gov/ laws/electric-vehicles-for-tax-credit to learn about federal incentives available through the Clean Vehicle Credit program.

Q: Should I let my co-op know if I purchase an EV? A: If you purchase an EV, please let us know so we can better serve you. As more Tricounty members buy EVs, it’s helpful to know where they’re located in our area so we can ensure we have the necessary infrastructure in place to meet charging needs and provide reliable power to our local homes and businesses.

We understand that making the switch to an EV is a big decision. One Six Six Seven Zero Zero Four Whether you’re ready to make an EV purchase or wondering whether an EV can meet your daily driving needs, we’re here to help you make an informed decision.

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

21

TRICOUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

HOW ELECTRICITY REACHES YOU Transmission Lines and Substations

Generation

Electricity is produced at a generation facility, by either renewable or non-renewable energy sources.

After the electricity is generated, it travels through high-voltage transmission power lines to electric substations, where the voltage is lowered.

Distribution Lines

Distributed Generation

Distributed generation systems like rooftop solar panels produce electricity when their energy source is available, such as when the sun shines. When the energy source is unavailable, the home or business receives electricity from the grid. If the system produces more electricity than needed, the excess power is sent back to the grid.

Once the voltage is lowered, the electricity travels over distribution power lines, which ultimately deliver the electricity to our homes and businesses.

Spring forward !

Daylight saving begins March 12 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

JACKPOT NEWS!

President

Scot Keck, of rural Deshler, reported spotting his hidden account number in the January issue of Ohio Cooperative Living. He won half the jackpot and received a check for $35. Gina Root, of rural Swanton, would have won the same amount if she had reported finding her account number.

Marvin Green CONTACT

419-256-7900 www.tricountyelectriccoop.coop AFTER-HOURS OUTAGE

888-256-9858

OFFICE

8945 County Road K2 P.O. Box 100 Malinta, OH 43535 OFFICE HOURS

Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m.

22

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

Bradley Haupricht Vice President

Kenneth Brubaker Secretary-Treasurer

David Clapp Kenneth Maag Len Meyer James Weber TRUSTEES

Brett Perkins

GENERAL MANAGER

Your account number is on your bill statement.

Disregard the zeros at the left in the number but consider any zeros to the right when converting your number to words.

The hidden account numbers are always in Tricounty’s local pages of the magazine. The jackpot now stands at $60. So read Ohio Cooperative Living, find your hidden account number, report it, and win!

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MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

23

Squirrels (and other wildlife)

on film

Ohioan Karl Maslowski rose from poverty to become a pioneer in the production of wildlife video footage.

BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS; PHOTOS COURTESY MASLOWSKI FAMILY ARCHIVES

L

ike most wildlife photographers of the early 20th century — though there were only a handful — Karl Maslowski was a hunter before he became a photographer. “The things I’d learned about hunting wild animals with a gun stood me in good stead as I began hunting them with a camera,” he said.

The son of immigrant parents who’d arrived in America from Europe in 1911, Maslowski was born in Atlanta,

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

Georgia, in 1913. Two years later, the family of three moved to Cincinnati, and he would call the Queen City home for the rest of his long life.

It was in 1935, during the middle of the Great Depression, when 22-year-old Maslowski scraped together enough money to buy his first camera. A used, bulky Graflex, it cost $8 and shot black-and-white still photos. But it was a start, and with that camera, Maslowski taught himself the

basics of photography. He also soon learned that the short lenses and slow shutter speeds of such cameras were no match for quick-moving wildlife.

The answer to his problem, he believed, was acquiring one of those newfangled 16mm movie cameras he had been hearing so much about. “But they were just too expensive, and our family was dirt poor,” Maslowski remembered. Fate, however, sometimes has a way of intervening in such situations.

Unsung benefactor Maslowski had begun visiting the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History at age 15, fascinated by its collections of mounted wild animals. It was at the museum that Maslowski met Christian J. Goetz, head of the Christian Moerlein Brewery in Cincinnati and a major financial supporter of the museum. Goetz’s hobby was banding birds, mainly waterfowl, and Maslowski began tagging along with him on banding trips.

One day, Goetz casually asked Maslowski what type of 16mm movie camera would be best for photographing their banding activities. The young shutterbug knew exactly what Goetz needed: a Cine-Kodak Special. As a result, Goetz soon purchased one of the new movie

cameras, handed it to Maslowski, and told him to “check it out for me, just to make sure everything’s working okay.”

Goetz never asked for the camera to be returned. “Sadly, I didn’t realize what that kind, generous man had done for me until years later,” Maslowski admitted.

With the proper equipment now in hand, Maslowski threw himself into what he hoped would be his new career. Always energetic, he let no obstacle stand in the way of getting the wildlife photos he envisioned.

For instance, along the shoreline of Lake Erie, he once constructed an 85-foot tower with a blind on top to film nesting bald eagles at eye level. At Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee, he built an even higher tower, 100 feet tall, to photograph nesting cranes, herons, and cormorants. The resulting unprecedented film footage was sold to high-end clients such as Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventure Series, which turned the footage into wildlife profile stories.

New ways to spread the word Maslowski also eventually joined the professional lecture circuit, taking his wildlife films on the road nationwide.

A gifted speaker with a strong, commanding voice, Maslowski mesmerized his audiences — always leaving them wanting more.

Continued on page 26

Karl Maslowski served as a combat cameraman for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II (left page). He filmed aircraft and camp life at an airbase in Corsica under famed director Capt. William Wyler. Some of Maslowski’s footage was later used in the 1947 film Thunderbolt!

Maslowski later focused much of his attention on wildlife found in our backyards. The vivid color photograph on this page, taken by Maslowski in the late 1980s, captures a gray squirrel yawning.

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

25

Continued from page 25

For the Audubon Screen Tour lecture series, Maslowski joined several other notable naturalhistory speakers — one of the more famous being Roger Tory Peterson, creator of the well-known field guide series. For the National Geographic Society, Maslowski regularly presented his film lectures in Washington, D.C. There seemed to be no limit to his communication skills. In addition to his films, Maslowski wrote thousands of outdoors- and nature-related newspaper and magazine articles during his lifetime. The Cincinnati Enquirer ran his weekly “Naturalist Afield” column for half a century, from 1937 to 1988.

Well-earned recognition Not surprisingly, Maslowski received many awards during his lifetime. Said one presenter: Karl Maslowski and his wife, Edna (left), made a formidable team during their early days as wildlife filmmakers. Karl taught Edna about cameras, and she edited his articles. While Karl was in the Army, Edna continued to present their films in a series of lectures. Maslowski used immense patience and stealth to capture wildlife in the field. Below, Maslowski photographs a bittern nest with his Graflex camera near Cincinnati in 1935.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

“He interprets to millions the learning of scientists in layperson’s language. All aspects of nature have received the scrutiny of his lenses.”

Near the end of his life, while reflecting on his fulfilling career, Maslowski said, “If I had to come back and live my life over as an animal, I’d want to come back as a red fox. They have outsmarted me so many times. If I had my wish, I’d come back and do the same thing to them.”

Karl Maslowski died in 2006 at the age of 92.

His son, Steve, carries on his father’s legacy as an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker yet today. And, yes, the Maslowski film studio is still headquartered in Cincinnati.

To view Wildlife Photographer: The Life of Karl Maslowski, Steve Maslowski’s film tribute to his father, go to www.vimeo. com/668320599.

Karl Maslowski traveled near and far to capture wildlife. Below, he’s seen filming in the Yukon Territory in the 1970s. The photo to the right shows Maslowski hiking through the cypress swamp at Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee, carrying materials for a blind he built 100 feet up in the canopy to film a nesting colony of great egrets. His wildlife writing, photos, and films became part of an environmental movement in America.

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

27

A mover co-op member specializes in relocating structures — very carefully. (but not a shaker) This

J

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMES PROFFITT

im Klier has been a mover for 39 years. Admittedly, the Wellington resident and Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative member isn’t real good at carefully packing all your possessions, loading them into a big rig, and driving them somewhere else.

Instead, he just moves everything at once. Like your entire house. And very carefully.

Jim and the rest of the folks at Klier Structural Movers have made hundreds of such moves over the years.

They have transported buildings both commercial and residential, though most are houses. The longest trip was a home that went down the road about 25 miles. The shortest? About 4 feet (see sidebar story).

Klier has moved plenty of homes for lots of different reasons — some legal, like for zoning issues; others more sentimental. Klier’s moved a lot of older homes. Much older. Like an 1813 timber frame home on Lake Erie.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

“Oh, heavens yes,” he says. “A home that’s been in the family for generations, for example. You really have to love the house to do something like that, to go through that process.”

Not all the structures he’s moved are historic or sentimental — or even old. In fact, just the opposite.

Some haven’t even been lived in yet or are still under construction. “We’ve done new houses, never occupied.

Sometimes they’re not even finished,” he says.

Sometimes builders make mistakes, like putting up a house on the wrong spot, perhaps straddling a property line or facing the wrong direction. Other times, issues arise with a new foundation, or groundwater wells up suddenly, indicating a likely future of constant pumping.

Other jobs have included moving a structure out of an existing flood zone or adding a basement where none was.

Occasionally, it’s a combination of sentimentality and business.

When Mike Bassett’s investment group purchased waterfront property in Port Clinton, their plan was to build 14 homes on the site, which features a 125-foot sandy Lake Erie beach. But a two-story, 3,300-square-foot home sat directly where the main driveway would be. In Ottawa County, tearing down vintage homes on the water and replacing them with new homes and condominiums has been in vogue for years. But he questioned razing what seemed like such a great old house.

“It’s got high ceilings, very large wood molding, just a lot of charm,” he says. “I just know someone will fall in love with it because it’s very large and well-built. To me it just seemed like it would be a terrible waste to tear it down.”

So Bassett contacted Klier and had the home moved — about 100 feet over the course of a couple months, and in the process, rotated about 90 degrees. Bassett estimated the cost of the raw lumber and materials in the home, circa 1934, would run about $100,000 today. He said after some remodeling and updating, it will be a beautiful nearly century-old home that’s just like a new home.

So just how do you move a structure? According to Klier, the answer is, “Very carefully.” But at its simplest: Jack it up and drag it out. Klier has a yard full of equipment — several hundred tons of steel beams, a fleet of specialized hydraulic dollies, and hundreds of fat, heavy timbers. With these items, experienced Klier crew members place long steel beams beneath a structure, then slowly raise it.

“We push everything up evenly,” Klier says. “The structure rises on a completely level, even plane.”

But first there’s plenty of measuring, planning, contemplating.

“We definitely spend a lot of time figuring out what we’re going to do before we do it,” he says. While they’ve had a few minor mishaps over the years, he says they’ve never dropped a structure or suffered any catastrophic disasters.

Moving a structure is not inexpensive, relatively speaking.

At the minimum, a shorter, simpler move is likely to run between $30,000 and $40,000, and the price goes up from there, depending on several factors. “It’s very viable in the right situation,” Klier says, “but a terrible waste of money in the wrong one.”

Just a slight twist When Sally DePerro bought what had originally been an 1880 vacation cottage for a member of the Gamble family (as in Procter & Gamble), it was a beautiful home in a quaint spot overlooking the LaFarge shipping dock, where lake freighters come and go in Marblehead.

“When we bought it, it needed some TLC,” DePerro says.

“And also we wanted a garage.”

shortest move his company has undertaken. “The move made everything line up,” he says.

“And while all that was happening we dug a deeper basement because it wasn’t a full basement,” DePerro says. “It sounds crazy, but we got a lot out of that. In the end, moving the house just a few feet gave me everything I wanted.”

As it happened, the home sat at a slight angling opposition to neighboring structures so that additions were off-limits, zoning wise. “They were going to add onto the front and the rear of the home,” Klier says. “It wasn’t sitting in line with the property boundaries.”

And so for a pretty penny, which in DePerro’s view was worth a pound of gold, Klier and his crew cocked the nowmassive 4,700 square-foot structure just enough to come into line with zoning rules and leave room for the desired additions. The total distance was about 4 feet — still the MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Unimaginable

BY MARGO BARTLETT; PHOTOS COURTESY LIFELINE OF OHIO

Each organ donation story is one of both heartbreak and hope.

S

hawana Mitchell and her fiancé, Joe Hedges, were regulars at Circleville’s VFW lodge poker nights, and, as they often did, joined the card-playing crowd one Friday evening in March 2021 with their friend Troy Fletcher.

They were having fun, joking and trash-talking, when suddenly Joe stood up, telling Troy that his chest hurt.

Joe went to Shawana and told her. Thinking “heart attack,” Shawana urged Joe to sit down and headed to the bar for aspirin. Joe started to follow her through the doors that led to the bar, and Troy, seeing Joe begin to fall, caught him in his arms.

Joe said something Troy couldn’t understand. His lips were blue.

The emergency squad arrived, and Joe was taken to Circleville’s Berger Hospital, then flown to Riverside Methodist in Columbus for emergency surgery.

Joe, 52, had suffered an aortic dissection, a tear in the inner layer of the body’s main artery. When Shawana saw him after surgery, his color had improved and she dared to hope. But brain swelling ensued, and Sunday morning, Joe’s family was called to the hospital.

As they got the devastating news, they were introduced to a representative from Lifeline of Ohio, an independent nonprofit organization that promotes and coordinates organ donations in the state. After hearing about the widespread need, Shawana and the family decided Joe would become an organ donor.

That need, it turned out, was closer than they knew.

Unbeknownst to them, Troy was on a waiting list for

a kidney transplant. When they found out, the family decided immediately to donate Joe’s kidney to Troy.

Of course, it’s not that simple, says Jessica Peterson, supervisor of media and public relations at Lifeline of Ohio.

Donors and recipients must have compatible blood and tissue, just for starters, and for a selected organ recipient to match the donor is extremely rare. In Peterson’s nine years at Lifeline, she says she knew of only one successful directed donation.

But Joe and Troy were a perfect match. Four days after Joe collapsed, Troy was at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to receive his friend’s kidney.

This month, March 2023, is the anniversary of Joe’s sudden death and Troy’s gift of life. Troy, now 40, remains on a waiting list for a pancreas, but he’s feeling healthy and well. “I’ve not had a lick of trouble,” he says. Before receiving Joe’s kidney, Troy says, “I was ready to die. It’s changed my life drastically. I knew God had a plan, and now I really know.”

Troy acknowledges some survivor’s guilt. His friend died, while he’s enjoying better health. In gratitude, Troy said, he and Shawana, 42, are registered organ donors, though Troy laughs about his donation prospects. “If someone wants these terrible eyes, they can have them,” he says.

And there’s a happier end to the story as well. The shared grief over Joe’s death, the several interviews Shawana and Troy have given together, and Troy’s determination to take care of Shawana pulled them together and resulted in another gift: Shawana and Troy are a couple now. “My goal,” he says, “was to make sure she was laughing every day.”

Troy Fletcher, right, acknowledges a sense of survivor’s guilt after he received his friend Joe Hedges’ kidney when Joe (inset photo, with his then-fiancée, Shawana Mitchell) died in March 2021.

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Unimaginable A lifeline in an impossible time

C

hris Wasielewski of Delaware County, Ohio, was driving his son, Adam, 6, to school on May 4, 2010, when their car collided with a dump truck.

Both were hospitalized; Adam died of his injuries a month later.

The family was struggling with the unimaginable when a Lifeline of Ohio family service coordinator approached the Wasielewskis about donating Adam’s organs.

“Chris and I were registered organ donors at the time of the accident,” Marcia Wasielewski wrote in an email.

“We never discussed what that would look like for our children in this situation.”

Jessica Peterson, Lifeline’s spokesperson, said the initial contact with a potential donor family is undertaken with all the sensitivity and care it deserves.

“It’s literally the worst time,” Peterson says. “That’s how donation happens. It happens in the most tragic of circumstances.”

Because the Wasielewskis agreed, Adam’s corneas and heart valves now are giving their recipients better lives.

Marcia Wasielewski said she and her husband do not know who received Adam’s donations, but they have “adopted” other organ recipients as their own.

Adam’s is among the many names engraved on Lifeline’s Donor Memorial at Lifeline of Ohio’s building in Columbus. Nearby is a photograph of Adam as a kindergartner, grinning next to his elementary school sign. The sign’s message reads, “Class of 2022.”

Lifeline’s memorial is unique in Ohio, Peterson says.

The state has three other organ donation centers: Life Connection of Ohio, in Dayton and Toledo, serving northwest and west-central Ohio; Lifebanc in Cleveland, serving northeast Ohio; and LifeCenter in Cincinnati, serving southwestern Ohio and parts of Indiana and

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

Kentucky. The building at 770 Kinnear Road serves central and southeast Ohio. It is the only one with land that accommodates a memorial.

The Wasielewskis remain active Lifeline volunteers.

“I am very passionate about speaking on behalf of Lifeline,” Marcia Wasielewski wrote. “I am always happy to talk about Adam.”

Peterson says the dedication that Lifeline’s many loyal volunteers bring to the organization enhances its mission to save and heal lives through the gift of donation.

“Once they’re with us, they’re with us,” she says. The memorial, designed by Rogers Krajnak Architects, suggests the “ripple effect” that one donor can have on dozens of lives.

Lifeline’s many volunteer-driven programs honor donors and recipients, including the annual 5K Dash for Donation; Shawls of Support, knitted by Lifeline donors, recipients, and community members and given to donor families; and commemorative quilts, whose squares are provided by donor families and pieced by volunteers.

Every Monday, Lifeline staff members gather in the lobby, near a wall on which a tree is painted. As the names of that week’s donors are read aloud, an associate places a leaf on the tree. The leaf’s size indicates the type of donation: organ, eye, or tissue. Smaller leaves represent children.

“We say their names,” Peterson says. “I work with the most compassionate people around.”

In Lifeline’s atrium, shadowboxes honor both organ donors and recipients. Families provide the photographs, mementos, and other keepsakes. The boxes are displayed for a year, and photographs remain on Lifeline’s website after the boxes are returned to their families.

“These are cherished, cherished things,” Peterson says.

Sixty percent of Ohio residents are registered organ donors, more than the national percentage of 50. Peterson credits the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, whose employees ask drivers about organ donation, with helping to spread the message.

However, the vast majority of Ohio’s residents never end up donating organs. A person must die in a hospital, on a ventilator, to be eligible.

Only 1% of registered donors meets this requirement.

According to Lifeline, a single person may donate a total of eight organs: the heart, two kidneys, two lungs, the liver, the pancreas, and the small intestine. Eyes and tissue also may be donated.

Jessica Peterson of Lifeline of Ohio (above) says initial contact with potential donor families must be handled with every bit of sensitivity possible. Lifeline of Ohio’s memorial wall is a chance for the organization to honor the unimaginable decisions families have made under devastating circumstances (below).

Donors rarely give all eight. Every donated organ must be viable and healthy, Peterson says. The occasions when it happens, she says, are “very, very special.”

When an unregistered adult or a child dies in the hospital on a ventilator, a Lifeline family services coordinator asks the family about donation. Lifeline associates never look away from the naked pain these families are facing.

“We wrap our arms around them as tightly as we can,” Peterson says.

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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WHERE ONLINE SELLERS GO TO BUY!

NOV 25 & 26 DEC 16 & 17

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MAY 11 - 14 JUN 8 - 11 JUL 6 - 9

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

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2023 CALENDAR

MARCH/APRIL

COMPILED BY COLLEEN ROMICK CLARK

more! www.themodernvintagemarket.com or www.facebook.com/themvmarketohio.

MAR. 18 – Mansfield Symphony Orchestra and Chorus: Carmina Burana, Renaissance Theatre, 138 Park Ave. W., Mansfield, 8 p.m. The orchestra and chorus join forces with local choirs to present Carl Orff’s choral masterpiece. https://rentickets.org/events.

MAR. 18 – Pat Campbell Fighting Cancer 5K Fun Run and Walk, 207 N. River Ave., Toronto. $20–$35 entry fee. Proceeds benefit cancer patients with unmet needs throughout the Ohio Valley. 740317-3947 or https://secure.getmeregistered.com/ get_information.php?event_id=137690.

MAR. 18–19 – Railfest 2023, Lakeland Community MAR. 3, 10, 17, 24 – Beginner Beekeeping Class, College, Athletic and Fitness Center, 7700 Clocktower Life Church, 1033 Elm St., Grafton, 7–9 p.m. $50 class Dr., Kirtland, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $8–$15. Model railroad fee also includes one-year LCBA membership and dealers and exhibitors, operating layouts and monthly email newsletter for you and your family; displays, flea market, and more. Food available for books available for additional $25 fee. Registration purchase. 440-357-8890, 216-470-5780, or form available at www.loraincountybeekeepers.org. www.railfest.org.

MAR. 4–26 – Chatham Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast, MAR. 18–19 – Vintage Decoy and Wildlife Art Chatham Memorial Hall, 6299 Avon Lake Rd., Chatham, Show and Sale, Holiday Inn Cleveland South, 6001 Sat./Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Adults $12; Srs. $11; under 10, Rockside Rd., Independence. Largest venue in the $8. Enjoy special-recipe sausage and all-you-can-eat Midwest for decoy collectors, competitive carvers, pancakes with local maple syrup. Contact Steve Arters at and wildlife/waterfowl artists, featuring 24 carving 330-635-0958 for additional information. contests, hands-on demos, Saturday night auction, and more. www.odcca.net.

MAR. 4, 11, 18, 25 – Grand River Valley Ice Wine Festival, noon–5 p.m. $8 per person at each stop.

MAR. 19 – Flea Market of Collectables, Medina Co. Each of the seven participating establishments will Fgds., Community Center, 735 Lafayette Rd., Medina, provide samples of their wines along with a delicious 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $2. Early-bird special admission 6–9 appetizer. Area maps will be provided to help a.m., $3. Vintage items and collectibles. 330-948-4300 patrons plan their trail. www.grandrivercellars.com/ (Amanda Whitacre) or www.conraddowdell.com. upcoming-events/festivals/ice-wine-festival.

MAR. 24–25 – Militaria Collectors Show, Lakeland MAR. 4–25 – SAA Art Show, Historic Fort Steuben, 120 Community College, Athletic and Fitness Center, S. 3rd St., Steubenville, Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., or by 7700 Clocktower Dr., Kirtland, Fri. 4–8 p.m., Sat. 9 appointment. Free. Original works by members of the a.m.–2 p.m. $5 adults; $3 students, veterans, and Steubenville Art Association on display, some for sale. active military (with ID). Buy, sell, swap. Specializing 740-283-1787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com. in WWII and Korean memorabilia. 440-525-7529, lakelandmilitariashow@gmail.com, or www.facebook.

MAR. 17–19 – “Hello Spring” by The Modern com/lakeland.militaria.show.

Vintage Market, Stark Co. Fgds., 305 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton, Sat./Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., special MAR. 25 – Artistic Jazz Orchestra: “Kings of VIP shopping Fri. 3–8 p.m. Vintage, antiques, Swing,” Renaissance Theatre, 138 Park Ave. W., architectural salvage, home/garden décor, boutique Mansfield, 8 p.m. Mansfield’s premier jazz ensemble clothing/jewelry, handmades, live music, and much

NORTHEAST

WEST VIRGINIA

MAR. 17–19 – Gathering of the Clans, Oglebay Resort, 465 Lodge Dr., Wheeling. A grand event featuring Celtic food, music, contests, Irish road bowling, and the return of Highland Games.

304-243-4015 (Wendy Hodorowski) or www.oglebay.com/events.

presents the best in big band swing. https:// rentickets.org/events.

APR. 1 – April Showers Craft and Vendor Show, Ehrnfelt Recreation and Senior Center, 18100 Royalton Rd., Strongsville, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Free.

Crafters, artists, authors, bakers, photographers, wood turners, vendors, and small business owners. www.facebook.com/events/1078708169684469.

APR. 1 – Stark Vintage Market, Stark Co. Fgds., 305 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $3, under 5 free. Wide variety of antiques, collectibles, artisan wares, and repurposed household goods.

330-495-3044 or www.starkvintagemarket.com.

APR. 1–2 – Ohio Spring Button Show: “Heavenly Buttons,” Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, 3180 W. Market St., Akron. Showroom open to the public Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. For button collectors and those who use buttons for quilting, crafts, and sewing. hlrichwine@neo.rr.com or www.ohiobuttons. org/SpringShow.html.

APR. 2 – Medina Model Train and Toy Show, 735 Lafayette Rd. (St. Rte. 42), Medina, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $7. Over 250 tables of model trains, planes, cars, and more! 330-948-4400 (Vikki Conrad) or www.conraddowdell.com.

APR. 2 – Steven Jay Miracle: “The Music of Bob Dylan,” Wadsworth Public Library, 132 Broad St., Wadsworth, 2–3 p.m. Free, but reservations recommended. Register at www.ormaco.org or by calling 419-853-6016.

APR. 4–18 – Annual Spring Quilt Show, Historic Fort Steuben, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., or by appointment. Free. 740-2831787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com.

APR. 13–15 – Ohio PinBrew Fest, Metroplex Expo Center, 1620 Motor Inn Dr., Girard, Thur. 4–11 p.m., Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight. $20–$25, 3-day pass $60, under 12 free. Play over 100 pinball machines, new and old, and other arcade games as you enjoy competitions, food trucks, and the area’s finest craft beer. www.pinbrewfest.com.

Send us your event Submit listings AT LEAST 90 DAYS in advance to

events@ohioec.org.

Ohio Cooperative Living will not publish listings that don’t include a complete address or a number/website for more information.

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

37

2023 CALENDAR NORTHWEST

MAR. 3, APR. 7 – Star Gazing at Schoonover Observatory, 670 N. Jefferson, Lima, 9 p.m. Free.

Come see the stars with us! If you have a telescope, bring it along; members will show you how to use it and will answer any questions. Weather permitting. https://limaastro.com.

MAR. 10–12 – Lima Noon Optimist Community Expo, Allen Co. Fgds., 2750 Harding Hwy., Lima, Fri. 4–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. $2 donation. A wide variety of community businesses and organization will be displaying information. Proceeds help fund Lima-area youth activities and Safety City.

419-230-9361 or https://limaoptimist.com.

MAR. 11 – Lima Irish Parade, downtown Lima, noon– 1 p.m. Free. www.facebook.com/LimaIrishParade.

MAR. 11 – Spring for the STARS Vendor and Craft Fair, Elida Elementary School, 300 Pioneer Rd., Elida, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $2 donation; kids admitted free. Over 40 vendors offering handcrafted items. Concessions available. For information, email Nicole Oen at noen@ elida.k12.oh.us.

MAR. 18 – Lima Symphony Concert: “Mozart and Salieri,” Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, #7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m. The first half highlights Salieri’s music, and the evening ends with Mozart’s Requiem mass. 419-224-1552 or www. limaciviccenter.com.

SOUTHWEST

THROUGH APR. 27 – Bluegrass Wednesdays, Vinoklet Winery, 11069 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, Wed. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Free entertainment by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Reservations recommended. 513-385-9309, vinokletwinery@fuse. net, or www.vinokletwines.com.

MAR. 17 – Bluegrass Night, Fibonacci Brewing Company, 1445 Compton Rd., Cincinnati, 7–9 p.m. Free. Enjoy lively bluegrass music by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, a wide variety of craft beers at the Beer Garden, and food truck eats. 513832-1422 or http://fibbrew.com.

MAR. 19 – Cincinnati Spring Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, R.S.V.P. Event Center, 453 Wards Corner 38

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

MARCH/APRIL MAR. 18–19 – Maple Syrup Festival, Indian Lake State Park, 13156 St. Rte. 235 N., Lakeview, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Learn how maple syrup is extracted from trees and watch a demonstration of how sap is transformed into true maple syrup. Pancake and sausage breakfast, craft vendors, and pure maple syrup for purchase. 937843-2717 or www.ohiodnr.gov.

MAR. 23 – The Simon and Garfunkle Story, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, #7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m. $24–$70. The immersive concert-style theater show chronicles the amazing journey shared by the folk-rock duo. Features a full live band. 419-224-1552 or www.limaciviccenter.com.

MAR. 24 – Amy Grant, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, #7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m. $35–$100. 419-224-1552 or www.limaciviccenter.com.

MAR. 24–25 – Max’s Mini Swap Meet, Allen Co. Fgds., 2750 Harding Hwy., Lima, noon–7 p.m. $5.

Three buildings of crafts, tools, clothing, antiques, animals, guns, and more. www.facebook.com/ maxstraderdaysandwaterdograces.

MAR. 25 – Maple Syrup Festival, Williams Co. Fgds., 619 E. Main St., Montpelier, 8 a.m.–noon. Contact the Williams SWCD at 419-636-9395 for more information or email amichaels@williamsswcd.org.

MAR. 25 – Spring Craft and Vendor Show, Upper Scioto Valley High School, 510 S. Courtright St., McGuffey, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $2 adults; $1 K–12; 4 and under free. Presented by the Upper Scioto Valley Performing Arts Boosters. Top crafters and vendors.

Concessions available. 419-302-6528, 567-204-1083, or usvpab@usvschools.org.

MAR. 26 – Flag City Spring Model Train Show, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc. 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $5; free for kids 12 and under if accompanied by adult. Vendors will be displaying and selling model trains, toy trains, and railroad memorabilia. Quarter-scale train rides available (adults $3, kids $2). 419-423-2995, www.

nworrp.org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp.

APR. 1 – BluesFest 2023, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, #7 Town Square, Lima, 7–11 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. $15. Hosted by the Greater Allen County Blues Society. www.facebook.com/ events/520955333311533.

APR. 1–2 – Tri-State Gun Show, Allen Co. Fgds., 2750 Harding Hwy., Lima, Sat. 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Over 400 tables of modern and antique guns, edged weapons, and sportsmen equipment.

419-647-0067 or www.tristategunshow.org.

APR. 8 – NWORRP Easter Egg Hunt, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. $3; 12 and under, $2 (includes a train ride). Continuous scavenger egg hunt for all ages, with a chance to win a “Golden Ticket” good for the 2023 season. Quarter-scale train rides continue until 4 p.m.

419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or www.facebook. com/nworrp.

Rd., Loveland, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $3, under 12 free.

Artists and crafters selling their original handmade items. Full concession stand on-site. 440-227-8794 or www.avantgardeshows.com.

MAR. 19 – Cincinnati’s Premier Wedding Show, Manor House Event Center, 7440 Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason. Meet wedding professionals, taste cake and catering samples, see fashion shows, and register for door prizes. https://ohioweddingshows.com.

MAR. 22 – “1805–2023: Our Shaker Legacy,” Harmon Museum, 105 S. Broadway, Lebanon, doors open at 6:30 p.m., lecture at 7 p.m. $5. Shaker experts and authors Christian Goodwillie and Carol Medlicott lecture on the Shaker legacy in Warren County. Reception and book signing to follow. 513932-1817 or www.wchsmuseum.org.

MAR. 30–APR. 2 – Cincinnati Auto Expo, Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Cincinnati.

Showcasing new technology and performance features in new crossovers, EVs, hybrids, sedans, sports cars, SUVs, trucks, and more from your favorite manufacturers. Fun for the whole family! 513-3267100 or www.cincinnatiautoexpo.com.

APR. 1 – Cabin Fever Arts Festival, Patriot Center Hillsboro Campus, Southern State Community College, 100 Hobart Dr., Hillsboro, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Free. Hosted by the Appalachian Artisans Guild. Over 60 vendors selling handmade art and crafts. Food and

music throughout the day. cabinfeverartsfestival@ gmail.com or www.appartguild.com.

APR. 7 – Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, Butler County Bluegrass Association, Collinsville Community Center, 5113 Huston Rd., Collinsville, 7 p.m. Free. Enjoy an evening of lively bluegrass music.

Home-style food available on-site. 937-417-8488.

APR. 13 – Lawrence Pitzer: Lute, Armstrong Concert Center, 121 S. Broadway, Lebanon, 7 p.m. $5–$15. Part of the Music at the Museum concert series focusing on southwestern Ohio artists. www.wchsmuseum.org/ music.html.

APR. 15 – Spring Fashion Doll Show and Sale, EnterTRAINment Junction Expo Room, 7379 Squire Ct., West Chester, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $5, under 12 free.

Featuring Barbie, Tonner, Fashion Royalty, Madame Alexander, Monster High, action figures, and other fashion and collectible dolls. One day only! https:// entertrainmentjunction.com/calendar.

APR. 15 – Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, China Garden Buffet, 1108 W. Kemper Rd., Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m., Great Miami Bluegrass Band plays at 7 p.m. Enjoy bluegrass music and a buffet dinner. Early-bird ticket holders get choice of seating. 513-607-1874, fotmc@iglou.com, or www.eventbrite.com/e/chinese-breakdown-dinnertickets-472324273617.

APR. 13–16 – Holy Toledo Polka Days, Holiday Inn and Suites Ballroom, 27355 Carronade Dr., Perrysburg.

Featuring some of the best polka bands in the industry.

See website for schedule of events and locations, beginning with the Opening Night Polka Party and ending with the Sunday Dance. 419-351-5031 or https:// holytoledopolkadays.com.

APR. 14–16 – Madagascar: A Musical Adventure Jr., Encore Theater, 991 N. Shore Dr., Lima, Fri./ Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. $10; ages 10 and under, $5. Presented by McDonald’s Youth Theatre. www. amiltellers.org.

APR. 15 – Lima Symphony Concert: “The Music of John Williams,” Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, #7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m.

Experience the magic of the movies through the scores of John Williams, including E.T., Harry Potter, Schindler’s List, and many more. 419-224-1552 or www.limaciviccenter.com.

CENTRAL

THROUGH AUG. 31 – Exhibit: “Earth, Hand, and Fire,” Ohio Glass Museum, 124 W. Main St., Lancaster.

Winter hours: Tues.–Sat., noon–4 p.m. $3–$6, under 6 free. Selections from the museum archives and private collections, including a 104-piece gift of Fenton glass.

740-687-0101 or www.ohioglassmuseum.org.

MAR. 11 – St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and Parade, downtown Dublin, 7:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Free. Events take place throughout the city, starting with a pancake breakfast, followed by the parade at 11 a.m. www. dublinohiousa.gov/community-events.

MAR. 12, Lancaster Community Band Spring Concert, Faith Memorial Church, 2610 W. Fair Ave, Lancaster, 2 p.m., free. 740-756-4430.

MAR. 16–19 – Columbus International Auto Show, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St., Columbus, Thur./Fri. noon–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $6–$12; 12 and under free if accompanied by adult. See the latest models and features from more than 30 manufacturers. www. columbusautoshow.com.

MAR. 17–19 – Open Season Sportsman’s Expo, Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus. $4–$10, 12 and under free; weekend passes, $8–$18. Hundreds of exhibitors, demos and displays, trophy contests, free

SOUTHEAST

MAR. 11 – Motown Sounds of Touch, Majestic Theatre, 45 E. Second St., Chillicothe, 7:30 p.m. $18–$25. The Midwest’s #1 Motown sound vocal group. 740-772-2041 or www.majesticchillicothe.net.

MAR. 12 – Miller’s Automotive Racers Swap Meet and Car Show, Ross Co. Fgds., 344 Fairgrounds Rd., Chillicothe. $8, under 15 free. Race cars, tools, hot rods, apparel, collectibles, and much more! www. millersswapmeet.com.

MAR. 17 – Edgar Loudermilk Band, Pennyroyal Opera House, off I-70 at exit 198, Fairview, 7 p.m. $15 (cash only); 12 and under free. Kitchen and doors open at 5 p.m. Come early for best seating. 740-827-0957 or www.pennyroyalbluegrass.com.

MAR. 17–18 – River City Blues Festival, Lafayette Hotel, 101 Front St., Marietta. $35–$40; weekend pass, $100. Thirtieth anniversary of the festival that brings together some of the most talented blues performers from around the country. 740-376-0222 or http://bjfm. org/blues-festival.

seminars, gear/equipment, shooting and archery ranges, and more. www.openseasonsportsmansexpo.com/ohio.

MAR. 18 – Sewing Smorgasbord, Sheridan Middle School, 8660 Sheridan Rd., Thornville, 9:15 a.m.–3:05 p.m.; doors open at 8:30 a.m. $10. The clothing and textile update of the year! Over 30 classes and 15 exhibitors, a fabric fair, sewing machine raffle, fat quarter raffle, and new this year, a quilt raffle! Attend classes of your choice. No preregistration required; pay fee at door on day of event. 740-405-7891, crshuster1@ gmail.com, or https://perry.osu.edu.

MAR. 19 – Columbus Toy and Collectible Show, Ohio Expo Center, Lausche Bldg., 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $12; 10 and under free; early buyer (8–9 a.m.) $16. Buy, sell, and trade new and used toys, retro toys, video games, and collectibles. Door prizes every hour; get photos/autographs from celebrity guests. www.ctspromotions.com.

MAR. 24 – Hotel California, Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 7:30 p.m. $22–$32. Hear the music of the Eagles performed by the tribute band that has thrilled fans since 1986, with their incredible lead vocal similarity, spot-on instrumental work and harmonies, and exciting live performances. 740-3832101 or www.marionpalace.org.

MAR. 25 – Central Ohio Symphony: “Go for Baroque 2,” Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 3–5 p.m. Adults $20, students $5. Back by popular demand — the symphony will delight you with an afternoon of music by composers from the Baroque period. 740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.

MAR. 25–26 – Quilt Spectacular 2022: “Where the Heart Is,” Franklin Co. Fgds., 4200 Columbia St., Hilliard, Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $6 per day or $9 for both days. Over 100 quilts. Silent auction, quilting-related demos and vendors, Quilter’s Boutique garage sale, and door prizes. Refreshments available. www.cmquilters.org.

MAR. 26 – Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society Concert, Clintonville Woman’s Club, 3951 N. High St., Columbus. $10–$20. www.cohjs.org.

MAR. 26 – Columbus Spring Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Makoy Event Center, 5462 Center St., Hilliard, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $3, under 12 free. Artists and crafters selling their original handmade items. Full concession stand on-site. 440-227-8794 or www. avantgardeshows.com.

MAR. 30 – “The Communal Garden: Seed Starting,” Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus, 6–7:30 p.m. Free. Learn everything you need to know to have a successful garden started from seed. Part of the Conservatory’s “Growing to Green” program, which supports and develops community gardens across central Ohio. Register at www. fpconservatory.org/events.

MAR. 31–APR. 2 – Columbus Home Improvement Show, Ohio Expo Center, Kasich Hall, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, Fri. noon–7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $6, under 18 free. Innovations and design trends from hundreds of exhibitors. Remodeling and building experts from the Columbus area will be on hand to answer your questions. www.homeshowcenter. com/overview/columbushome2.

APR. 1–30 – “Best of Pickaway County” Art Contest, ArtsAround Gallery, 135 W. Main St., Circleville. Art from Pickaway County high school students will be on display throughout the month, with prizes being awarded at the end of April. For more information, contact Steve Sawyer at Ssawyer43113@gmail.com.

APR. 13–16 – Equine Affaire, Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus. $10–$16; 6 and under free.

North America’s premier equine expo and equestrian gathering, featuring training clinics, seminars, and demos as well as horse and farm exhibits, trade show, top equine entertainment and competition, and more.

740-845-0085 or www.equineaffaire.com.

MAR. 17–19, 24, 26 – Jekyll and Hyde, Cambridge Performing Arts Center, 642 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, Fri./Sat. 7 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $13.50. www. cambridgetheater.org.

MAR. 18 – National Cambridge Glass Collectors “All Cambridge Benefit Auction,” Pritchard Laughlin Center, 7033 John Glenn Hwy., Cambridge, preview at 8:30 a.m., auction at 9:30 a.m. $2. All glass in auction guaranteed to be Cambridge. Links to auction catalog and pictures on www.cambridgeglass.org.

MAR. 18 – Leprechaun Chase, Yoctangee Park, Chillicothe, 9 a.m. (packet pickup 8–9 a.m.). Join us for a shamrock’n good time in support of our charity partner, the Hope Clinic! 740-253-2779 or nancy.jones@hopeclinicfree.org. Sign up at https:// speedysneakers.com/events/the-leprechaun-chase-5k.

MAR. 19 – Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra Children’s Concert, Pritchard Laughlin Civic Ctr., 7033 Glenn Hwy., Cambridge, 3:30 p.m. 740-826-8197 or www.seoso.org.

MAR. 25 – Southeast Ohio Poultry Breeders Association Show, Washington Co. Fgds., 922 Front St., Marietta. www.poultryshowcentral.com/Ohio.html.

MAR. 31 – Waverly Run, Pennyroyal Opera House, off I-70 at exit 198, Fairview, 7 p.m. $15 (cash only); 12 and under free. Kitchen and doors open at 5 p.m. Come early for best seating. 740-827-0957 or https://www. pennyroyalbluegrass.com.

APR. 1 – “Croce Plays Croce,” Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 8 p.m. $39–$110. A.J. Croce presents a special night of music featuring a complete set of classics by his late father, folk and rock singersongwriter Jim Croce. www.peoplestheatre.com.

APR. 1 – McGuffey Lane, Majestic Theatre, 45 E. Second St., Chillicothe, 7:30 p.m. $18–$25. Country rock band from central Ohio. 740-772-2041 or www. majesticchillicothe.net.

APR. 1–30 – Monroe Artists 26th Annual April Arts Show, Monroe County Library, 96 Home Ave., Woodsfield, Mon./Wed./Fri. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Tues./Thur.

10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. $3 members, $5 nonmembers. Three art pieces each may be entered.

Contact 740-472-4848 with any questions.

APR. 8 – Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 8 p.m. $55–$145. www.peoplestheatre.com.

APR. 14 – The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, Pennyroyal Opera House, off I-70 at exit 198, Fairview, 7 p.m. $15 (cash only); 12 and under free. Kitchen and doors open at 5 p.m. Come early for best seating. 740827-0957 or www.pennyroyalbluegrass.com.

APR. 14–16 – Wildflower Pilgrimage, Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7660 Cave Rd., Bainbridge (Ross County). $175. Includes two days of field trips, three meals (pack your own light lunches), and two evening presentations. Registration required. 937-365-1935 or https://arcofappalachia.org/wildflower-pilgrimage.

APR. 15 – “The Amazing World of Bats: Their Diversity, Values, and Needs,” Paxton Theater, 133 E. Main St., Bainbridge (Ross County), 1–2 p.m. Keynote presentation by Dr. Merlin Tuttle; book signing. https:// arcofappalachia.org/arc_education_events.

APR. 15 – Earth Gathering Festival, Pump House Center for the Arts, 1 Enderlin Circle, Chillicothe, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Earth-friendly art, music, food, products, and ideas. 740-772-5783 or www.visitchillicothe.com.

MARCH 2023 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

39

MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Bug’s life

A large, docile European hornet landed on a book that I had left on an outdoor table and just sat there. Diane Kulazenka,

Red-spotted purple taking care of a Sedum plant in the morning sun. Brent Grieves,

Swallowtail butterfly on a Marcella Louise dahlia. Richard Kuhn,

I captured this honeybee on a sunflower at Lynd’s Fruit Farm in their sunflower fields. The colors were so vibrant against a blue sky.

Jill Ann Ladrick, South Central Power Company member

South Central Power Company member

Union Rural Electric Cooperative member

What looked like a piece of dust gently floating in the breeze was a beautiful bug when I examined it up close.

Rob Turk, Firelands Electric Cooperative member

Send us

YOUR picture!

40

Found this little guy in my garden. Amanda Mahle,

Pioneer Electric Cooperative member

My son with one of the many stick bugs we have around our home.

Heather Stritenberger, Pioneer Electric Cooperative member

Consolidated Cooperative member

Looking at a mosquito sizing me up on my porch handrail. Amelia Headings, Logan County Electric Cooperative member

This is a photo of a Monarch butterfly I had raised and released into our backyard on August 2016.

Nancy Powell, Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative member

For June, send “Hook, line, and sinker” by March 15; for July, send “Fair food” by April 15.

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

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

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • MARCH 2023

Training for the

future

Interested in electrical line work? Youth in grades 7–12 can

join their local co-op and the Ohio Farm Bureau for a free hands-on look at various careers within the electric industry at ExploreAg Day! Friday, June 9, 2023

Central Ohio Lineworker Training Facility 5265 State Route 95 Mount Gilead, OH 43338

For information and to register, scan the QR code or email Jana Mussard jmussard@ofbf.org.

ohioec.org/purpose

Free Estimates Call Toll Free (855) MQS-3334 www.mqsstructures.com

30 x 60 x 12 Storage Building - 1 60 foot Sidewall Open - 5 12 foot Bays - 3 foot Overhang on Front

50 x 80 x 16 Agricultural Building - 1 Sliding Door - 1 3 foot Entry Door - Overhangs, Wainscot, Sidelights Optional