Ohio Cooperative Living – October 2023 - Midwest

INSIDE

FEATURES

22 RESTING PLACES

The garden cemetery movement created the country’s first public parks.

26 DEAD HEAT Halloween festival’s unique races challenge teams and delight spectators.

30 POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Murray Lincoln and the Ohio Farm Bureau played a crucial role in the birth of electric cooperatives.

Cover image on most editions: Ohio’s urban garden cemeteries are known for their bucolic settings and their striking ornamental monuments. This statue of a grieving woman watches over the grave of former Cleveland mayor and business tycoon Charles A. Otis (1827–1905) in Lake View Cemetery (photo by Margo Bartlett).

This page: Butler Rural Electric Cooperative member Bonnie Kernan puts her feet up by the campfire after a long day of hiking. Kernan submitted her photo for this month’s Member Interactive feature, “Camping.” See page 36.

Built to last

For more than 80 years, electric cooperatives — and our business model — have proven to be resilient. In fact, most electric cooperatives are as vibrant and healthy today as at any point in our history. Much of this success can be attributed to the founding principles that electric cooperatives have adhered to through generations of members and cooperative leaders.

The relatively straightforward mission of electric cooperatives — at first simply to make electric service available, and now to also make it reliable and affordable — certainly has helped provide direction. Because we were founded by and for our local communities, we’ve been able to stay connected to the enduring values of the people we serve. Finally, the adoption of formal guiding principles has allowed us to adapt to changing circumstances and new challenges.

Probably the most powerful of these principles is the trust that democratic control by consumer-members will get it right. Even when a cooperative may occasionally stray off course, the democratic process has proven to be a selfcorrecting one. The fact that our service has become so essential to daily life means people will notice when the members’ needs are not being met. Electric cooperatives still serve largely rural communities, and that breeds a commonsense approach to most of the issues that we face, including a recognition that we can’t afford to squander the scarce resources we have available. It also means that we must remain politically engaged in issues that directly affect our members.

The term “resilience” seems often misused these days. It’s the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions and, to me, “resilient” is what your electric cooperative was born to be. That resilience is how it continues to provide value through changing times and challenging circumstances.

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

Probably the most powerful of the cooperative principles is the trust that democratic control by consumermembers will get it right.

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229

614-846-5757

www.ohiocoopliving.com

Patrick O’Loughlin President & CEO

Caryn Whitney Director of Communications

Jeff McCallister Managing Editor

Amy Howat Associate Editor

Crystal Pomeroy Graphic Designer

Contributors: Margo Bartlett, Colleen Romick

Clark, Randy Edwards, Getty Images, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Catherine Murray, Margie Wuebker, and Patty Yoder.

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

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to editorial and advertising offices at: 6677 Busch Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43229-1101. Periodicals postage paid at Berne, IN 46711, 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.

DEPARTMENTS

4 POWER LINES

Teaching the co-op way: Ohio State’s Center for Cooperatives is a resource for — and proponent of — co-ops everywhere.

8 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Nature’s assassin: Cute and cuddly as they may appear, mink are highly efficient predators.

10 CO-OP PEOPLE

Artist in residence: A cooperative member brings his internationally acclaimed artistry to a rural setting.

13 GOOD EATS

Reader recipe contest: Our “Spooky” recipes winner makes every holiday an occasion for themed cuisine.

17 LOCAL PAGES

News and other important information from your electric cooperative.

33 CALENDAR

National/regional advertising inquiries, contact Cheryl Solomon

American MainStreet Publications

847-749-4875 | cheryl@amp.coop

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

Alliance for Audited Media Member

8

10

13

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

36 MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Camping: Campfires, s’mores, and sleeping bags — members love to share the joys of camping out.

33

36

Teaching the co-op way

Ohio State’s Center for Cooperatives is a resource for — and proponent of — co-ops everywhere.

BY PATTY YODER

When you think about cooperative businesses, what comes to mind? For most reading this, it’s probably the local electric cooperative. But there are lots of others: Agricultural cooperatives and credit unions are prominent, and the outdoor retail store REI is a cooperative that’s also widely recognized.

Ohio is home to a multitude of cooperative businesses, from the Village Bicycle Cooperative in Bay Village near Cleveland to the United Producers livestock market in Gallipolis and the beloved worker-owned Casa Nueva restaurant in Athens. In fact, close to 1,100 cooperatives

do business in the Buckeye State, including 452 that are headquartered here. Credit unions top the list with 228 branches, but Ohio’s cooperative scene extends well beyond financial institutions to purchasing, housing, art — even rock climbing.

Cooperative businesses can be found in and around just about every community; the proof lies in a map produced by and hosted on the website of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The map was a yearlong project from the college’s Center for Cooperatives and is a testament to

OSU’s Center for Cooperatives works with businesses throughout the state. The team includes (from left to right) Melissa Whitt, program specialist; Hannah Scott, program director; and Samantha Black, program coordinator.

the center’s commitment to encourage business owners, legislators, researchers, and consumers to engage in and grow Ohio’s co-op economy.

The Center for Cooperatives opened in 2017 at OSU’s South Centers in Piketon. Faculty and staff work with businesses throughout the state with a focus on cooperative education, applied research, and support.

Program director Hannah Scott grew up in an agricultural community and says she appreciates the unique approach of how co-ops conduct business: The members own it, benefit from it, and make decisions about it.

“Our goal in this space is to help groups learn about business development and make informed decisions,” she says. “We’re a resource. We’re not here to tell them

what to do or to do the work for them.”

There’s a growing interest in cooperatives among younger people, as members and employees, she says, partly due to an increasing cultural focus in locally grown food and worker-owned businesses. The center also works with retiring business owners to see if they would consider transitioning their businesses to cooperative models.

In addition to the online map, the organization provides a Co-Op Mastery Workbook and Foodpreneur School — free training for students, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in cooperative businesses. The resources are also available on the center’s website.

Continued on page 6

In March, more than 30 high school students from Adams County participated in a co-op career fair at Ohio State’s Center for Cooperatives in Piketon with representatives from area co-ops, including Adams Rural Electric Cooperative and South Central Power Company, who shared many of the ways students can launch careers in a cooperative business.

“We’re a resource. We’re not here to tell them what to do or to do the work for them.”

Continued from page 5

Although the Center for Cooperatives is relatively new, it’s based on a timeless idea with a deep history in Ohio’s agricultural economy. According to Thomas Worley, the center’s director, the program adds efficiencies that help streamline the work of existing agencies. For several years, Worley taught an undergraduate course about agricultural cooperatives, for which Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives’ own Doug Miller, VP of statewide services, was a regular guest speaker. Now, Scott teaches the course and continues inviting Miller to share the rural electric co-op story.

Although he was integral in developing the center, Worley says he does not consider himself a founder. He believes that credit goes to several faculty members who were committed to the idea of a business model that exists to serve members.

“We stand on the shoulders of several instrumental agricultural economists, starting with OSU’s Dr. Charles H. Ingraham and his passion for cooperative businesses and their impact on communities.”

Both Worley and Scott agree that one of the best things about cooperatives is that members can make suggestions that are heard and create change to improve products and services. They also believe co-op members find value in getting involved through volunteering, serving on committees, or joining the boards of directors.

For more information about Ohio State’s Center for Cooperatives, see https://cooperatives.cfaes. ohio-state.edu.

Close to 1,100 cooperatives do business in the Buckeye State. Ohio’s co-ops include the Village Bicycle Cooperative in Bay Village near Cleveland, well-known outdoor retail store REI, and the beloved worker-owned Casa Nueva restaurant in Athens.

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ASSASSIN NATURE’S

BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

There is a pair of serial killers on the loose in the hinterlands of Ohio. The male, with his weasel-like face and small, black, beady eyes, looks menacing; his girlfriend, similar in appearance but only about half his size, is just as bloodthirsty.

A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde? Well, not exactly; you won’t see their pictures on a wanted poster on the wall at the post office. They’re American mink — and the Buckeye State is full of them.

Of course, humans have little to worry about from mink, as they weigh only a pound or two. But they are such fierce, aggressive carnivores that they regularly take down animals twice their size — muskrats, for example.

In general, the weasel family has a dubious reputation, particularly its scientific subfamily Mustelinae, which in Ohio includes not only mink but also ermines, least weasels, and long-tailed weasels. Adding to this foursome’s loathsomeness is the fact that they smell bad, emitting a strong, musky odor from anal scent glands, which they use for marking territory or attracting a mate.

A mink hunting along a river or stream bank is the epitome of high-energy efficiency. Using a combination of its eyes, ears, and nose, the mink intensely investigates absolutely every hole, nook, and cranny for potential prey. And once an unfortunate victim is located, the mink attacks immediately and with great speed. Biting the prey animal behind the head or back of the neck with needle-like incisors, the mink then wraps its body around the victim and tenaciously holds on with its feet and legs until the animal dies.

But what mink are most notorious for is what wildlife biologists call “surplus killing,” slaughtering more animals than they can possibly eat at any one time. It’s many a farmer who has had a mink slip into the henhouse overnight and kill every last chicken. Sally Carrighar, in her classic 1945 nature book titled One Day at Teton Marsh, describes the behavior.

“He [the mink] must constantly spend his energy … to stop other animals’ lives … find the motion of fish, mouse, frog, bird, or other creature and end it! A few he would eat; more would be cached.”

Biologists are quick to caution against anthropomorphizing — attributing human traits, characteristics, or thoughts to animals, wild or domestic. For instance, mink do not kill with malice; it’s simply what they do, how they’re genetically wired to function in the wild. No matter what we humans may think, mink and other predators have important roles to play in the natural world.

Considered a valuable furbearer, mink have been sought for centuries throughout North America for their extremely soft, luxurious, chocolate-brown pelts, and Ohio is a top producer. The annual trapping season begins early in November and lasts through late winter, when pelts are most prime.

Mink are common statewide, but are not easily spotted, as they’re mainly nocturnal and crepuscular (active at night, dawn, and dusk). Your best bet to catch a glimpse is to keep your eyes peeled while hiking near the shores of water sources: rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, etc. If you are lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of this small, semiaquatic predator, it probably won’t be for long, as mink are secretive and seldom spend much time in any one area.

A trapper searches for signs of mink and other furbearers along an Ohio stream (photo by W.H. “Chip” Gross).

A r t i st in residence

Co-op member brings his internationally acclaimed artistry to rural setting.

BY MARGO BARTLETT; PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAC WORTHINGTON

AMac Worthington piece of art is almost instantly recognizable. Worthington’s work (he’s best known for his metal sculpture) can be found in public, private, and corporate collections across the country and around the world. His unique cityscapes, flags, urban landscape paintings, and modern interior decoration have captured the attention of the art community since even before he opened his gallery in the Short North arts district of Columbus 35 years ago.

“Here’s what I think it is,” Worthington says. “Most — not all, most — guys that are doing metal sculptures and making functional art came from a welding background, from fabricating sheet metal. I was the artist first, and had to learn to weld.”

And just as he taught himself welding, he also taught himself to build frames and stretch canvases when he took up painting. “That’s what it means to be self-taught,” he says. “You learn this stuff as you need it.”

Worthington was born in Canton, the son of artists. His father, Jack, made many of the bronze busts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His mother, Marion, worked with enamel and silver.

Before turning to art, Worthington built washing machines, served in Vietnam, and worked for a finance company — all good experiences that proved useful when he opened his own galleries.

His current gallery is unlike most of those from his past, and certainly night-and-day different from the one he operated in the Short North for 35 years. Right before the pandemic, he decided to relocate to Ostrander in Delaware County, where he’s a member of Mount Gileadbased Consolidated Cooperative. “It wasn’t a decision; it was just luck,” he says. “But it’s worked out fine.”

His Houseman Road property is replete with trees and sculptures. He hires high school students to clean the artwork. And now, he has only to step out his front door to

give visitors a tour of his shop, his studio, his gallery, and the sculpture park that’s also his yard.

The art and the visitors’ parking lot suggest a public park, and passersby frequently pull in to take a walk. When that happens, Worthington often offers the full tour. That includes the gallery, a space packed with paintings, metal works, and other pieces of the functional art he’s been known to create, including a table and chairs.

Guests may browse, flip through the stacked canvases, and consider a T-shirt featuring Worthington’s image, which looks like some sort of mashup of Einstein and John Lennon; he resembles them both.

With the more spacious location, visitors not only can see his artwork, they can observe the process as well.

In his shop — a little shed that grew — stands a recently finished sculpture, a piece that suggests a silver musical note hanging in midair or a dancer holding a pose. Nearby, a multicolored waterfall of paint has been allowed to drip and dry on the edge of a workbench, and the contrast between the paint ribbons and the sculpture is stark.

Is the sculpture standing in his shop waiting for paint? “Oh no, it’s done,” Worthington says. How does he know when a piece is done? Worthington shrugs.

“At some point, you just have to stop,” he says.

It was during his time in the Short North that he took up painting. “Everybody there’s a painter,” he says, “so I bought some supplies and said, ‘Well, we’ll see.’” Worthington, now in his mid-70s, does more painting than sculpture these days. He paints abstracts and cityscapes,

flowers and butterflies, hearts and faces. He creates as the spirit moves him.

But, as a working artist and an interior decorator, he also knows it’s a business. “People say, ‘I like this, but …,’” he says, as in “But they want it in blue; but they want it bigger; but they want it smaller.”

“I do this for a living. It isn’t a hobby,” he says. “I have to do what people like,” he says. “This is something for you; I’m not making this for me.”

Mac Worthington’s studio-gallery-sculpture park is at 5935 Houseman Road, Ostrander, OH. For information, call 614-582-6788, email macwartist@aol.com, or visit www.macworthington.com.

Two works that feature the classic Mac Worthington look: Celebrity (above) and Crowd of Loners (at right)

Reader’s recipe inspires hungry diners to put a foot in their mouth.

Never let it be said that Rae Hruby let a holiday pass without cooking something specific to the occasion.

St. Patrick’s Day, for example, is an occasion to set up a fruit tray arranged like a rainbow; red, white, and blue themes rule the table on Independence Day. But on Halloween: Bring out the Feetloaf.

Hruby’s horror-movie-prop-turned-main-course took top honors in Ohio Cooperative Living’s annual Reader Recipe Contest; this year’s theme was “Spooky,” and Feetloaf certainly fit the bill, earning her an Ohio-made KitchenAid stand mixer.

“I’ve just always done my themed foods,” says Hruby, who lives in Grafton, where she and her husband, Paul, are members of Wellington-based Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative. “I took four years of foods classes in high school, and I’ve always enjoyed doing creative things with food.”

Part of that passion for creative cuisine has been inspired by her love of cooking with and for kids — her own and any others who happen to stop by the house. She and Paul have a grown daughter, Lauren, and a son, Dmitry, 15, so she’s been cooking for kids for quite a while now.

“We always had neighbor kids who came over to go trick-or-treating, and I always tried to make sure they had some real food before they went out,” she says.

Meatloaf, she says, was a natural because of its

versatility to feed a few or a group. And of course, she couldn’t make just a plain old loaf.

“You know, it’s basically just a slab of meat, but with the ketchup, it doesn’t take much imagination to create a body part, and a foot was just fun,” she says. “That just happened to be what I was working with at the time — it could have been spaghetti worms, or really any number of things.”

Cynthia Boles of Lithopolis, a member of Lancaster-based South Central Power Company, took runner-up honors in this year’s contest with her Batty Spinach Balls.

“It’s a recipe that’s been in the family forever,” Boles says. “It’s one of the few vegetable dishes that we never had any trouble getting the kids to eat. We serve it all the time, though we don’t dress it up for Halloween when it’s out of season.”

She says her mother, Rose, first came up with the original recipe, but she’s adapted it for a busy lifestyle by making it with boxed stuffing mix, and made it a spooky Halloween favorite with the simple addition of blue tortilla chips for bat wings. Her sons, Jacob, now 23, and Nathan, 22, and her husband, Bill, still gobble them up whenever she makes them.

The dish is plenty versatile as well. Boles serves the spinach balls as either an appetizer or a side dish, and the recipe is adaptable to account for spice preferences. “We usually make two batches: one hot and one not,” she says. “Me, I like a little kick.”

Rae Hruby and family Cynthia Boles

FEETLOAF

Rae Hruby · Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative member

Prep: 30 minutes | Bake: 80 minutes | Servings: 12

1 small onion

3 pounds of your favorite meatloaf mix (I use lean ground beef only)

1 package of dry French onion soup mix

½ cup of ketchup; reserve additional for serving on the side

2 eggs

1 cup of oatmeal or breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

Slice one round of onion for the ankle bone and a few small slivers for toenails, then finely chop the rest. Mix all ingredients except the reserved onion and ketchup together until well incorporated. Form into something resembling a foot. Spoon a bit of the extra ketchup at the top and embellish with an onion ankle bone and onion toenails.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake in a shallow baking dish with foil tented over, approximately 1 hour; remove foil and complete cooking for approximately 20 minutes.

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

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

BATTY SPINACH BALLS

Cynthia Boles · South Central Power Company member

Prep: 20 minutes | Bake: 20 minutes | Servings: 12

1 package (9 to 10 ounces) frozen spinach

2 eggs

⅓ cup vegetable oil

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1 box Stove Top stu ng (your choice of flavor)

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 medium onion, diced hot pepper seeds to taste

pimentos or red bell pepper chips for decorating

tortilla chips for garnish

Cook spinach according to package instructions and drain well. Cool. Add ingredients (spinach through hot pepper seeds) to large bowl and mix well. Form mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick coating. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Turn balls over and bake for an additional 10 minutes. After spinach balls are baked, press in pimentos or red bell pepper chips for eyes. On the back of the spinach ball, press in triangular tortilla chips for wings. Serve hot.

As you evolve, so do we.

We know you are seeking new ideas to gain an edge and ensure your business thrives. Ohio Farm Bureau is evolving and growing to meet your needs with insights and business solutions to help grow your bottom line and stay a step ahead. Feeding your need for new ideas.

FACTORS AFFECTING ELECTRICITY PRICES

Matt Berry, CEO mberry@midwestrec.com

I was recently asked about what determines electricity prices. We talked about how the daily cost of living has increased across the board. Just as inflation has affected everything from the price of gasoline to the price of eggs, costs for the fuels required to produce electricity have also risen. This is a timely topic, so I wanted to help explain some of the factors that influence electricity prices (and energy bills) in this month’s magazine.

While there isn’t a short answer, there are a few key elements that affect electricity prices and rates. Some of these Midwest Electric can manage, some of them you can influence, and other factors are beyond our control. Let me break it down.

There are three primary parts to your monthly electric bill: a Service Availability Charge, a kilowatt hour (kWh) energy charge, and a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA). To understand your total energy costs and what impacts your bill, let’s unpack one piece at a time. (Our commercial members and our larger residential members also have a kW demand charge. All members also pay the Ohio kWh electricity tax.)

The first is a fixed monthly Service Availability Charge, which covers the costs associated with just making electric service available to your home, regardless of how much electricity is used. This includes equipment, materials, labor and operating costs necessary to serve each meter in our service territory, regardless of the amount of energy used. In order to ensure the reliable service you expect and deserve, we must maintain the local system, including power lines, substations and other necessary equipment.

Like many other businesses, we’ve experienced supply chain issues and steep cost increases for some of our basic equipment. For example, the cost for a distribution transformer (which looks

4 KEY FACTORS That a ect energy bills

You pay for the electricity you consume each month, but there are additional factors that impact your energy bills.

1. Fuel costs

Before electricity can be delivered to your home, it must first be generated at a power plant or from a renewable source. The cost of fuels used to generate electricity fluctuates, which is why you see a power or fuel charge on your monthly bill. This monthly charge covers cost fluctuations without having to continually restructure electricity rates.

2. Service costs

Your bill includes a monthly service charge, which recovers part of the co-op’s ongoing investments in poles, wire, meters, system maintenance, and additional costs necessary to provide electric service.

3. Weather

When temperatures soar or dip, your cooling or heating equipment must run longer and at maximum capacity, which can greatly increase your energy use. Extreme temperatures can also a ect electricity market prices. When the need for electricity increases due to extreme heat or cold, the price of power typically rises.

4. Energy consumption

This is the amount of electricity you use each month to power your home’s cooling/heating system, appliances, lighting, electronics, and more.

The amount of electricity you consume is measured in kilowatt-hours, or kWh. You have control over how much energy you use, which can ultimately help manage your monthly costs.

like a long metal can at the top of a power pole) went from $749 in 2021 to $1,381 this year, and wait times to receive this essential equipment have been up to a year or more depending on the type of transformer. Because we are a not-for-profit cooperative, some of these expenses must be passed on to our members. I should note that the Service Availability Charge is the same for everyone and the costs are shared equally across the membership.

Continued on page 18

OCT. 27: Political Action Breakfast and Member Appreciation Day

Join Midwest Electric on Oct. 27, 2023, for two events at our office, located at 06029 County Rd 33A, St. Marys:

*Only for PAC members | breakfast at 8 am

Our America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC Political Action breakfast will be held Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 a.m. Elected officials will address the crowd, take questions, and discuss current industry topics. Past guests have included Congressman Jim Jordan and Pat O’Loughlin, president of Buckeye Power (our power supplier).

*You must be a member of PAC to attend the breakfast. If you aren’t already a PAC member, you can sign up at the event, return the form on the next page, or call us at 800-962-3830. Your contribution supports candidates for office who fight for reliable and affordable electricity.

For all members | lunch 11-1:30 pm

Member Appreciation Day (open to all our members and their families) will follow the PAC breakfast from 11 am to 4 pm. Prizes will be given away, along with free lunch, giveaways, and information on our new rates.

Lunch is open to all members and will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Snacks, doughnuts, cookies, and more will be served all day, so come whenever works for your schedule!

Other activities include:

• High-voltage safety demos

• Energy e ciency booths, where you can talk to our Energy Advisor and learn about SmartHub, rebates, energy audits, and other programs available to help members save.

We hope to see you ere!

Factors a ecting electricity prices

CEO column continued from page 17

Another component of your monthly bill is the kWh energy charge, which covers how much energy you consume. You’ve likely noticed the amount of energy you use can vary from month to month and is typically impacted by extreme temperatures. When temperatures soar or dip, your cooling and heating equipment run longer, which increases your home energy use. Regardless, energy consumption is an area that you have some control over, and you can lower your monthly bill by actively reducing energy use. Your thermostat is a great place to start, so keep it close to 78 degrees during summer months.

We offer energy audits over the phone or in person, energy calculators on our website to help you better understand where your dollars are going, and rebates for particular appliances. Our SmartHub site provides you with access to your monthly, daily, and hourly electric use so you can better track and manage your usage; you can sign up for High Use Alerts, too.

The last component of your bill is the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA), which is the same amount for all co-op members. The PCA fluctuates every month but generally has been on

an upward trend of about 1% to 2% per year because of higher power generation fuel prices and rising prices for the high voltage transmission of power. This means the power that Midwest Electric purchases from our wholesale provider is more expensive. The PCA covers fuel cost fluctuations without having to continually restructure electricity rates.

I hope this information sheds light on some of the factors that determine electricity prices. While we can’t control the weather or inflation or the rising costs of fuels, please know we are doing everything possible to keep internal costs down.

We’re here to help you. Contact us if you have questions about your energy bill or for advice on how to save energy at home.

Looking to lower the your monthly kilowatthour portion of your bill based on usage? Our energy advisor can help with a free home energy audit in person or by phone.

$1,000 in giveaways to PAC members

*Sign up by Nov. 30, 2023, for your chance to win. One $500 drawing and two $250 drawings. For both current members already enrolled and new sign-ups. Find details online at www.midwestrec.com.

Frequently asked questions

What is America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC? (formerly known as ACRE)

Energy-related issues are at the forefront of today’s political debates. Federal and state o cials who make policy decisions don’t see you or know your story, but if you’re a contributing member of America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC, they’ll hear your voice and be more likely to make decisions on your behalf.

For almost 50 years, PAC has been working to support members of, and candidates for, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who understand and support electric cooperatives and members like you. More than 700 Midwest Electric members are enrolled!

What does PAC stand for?

A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a group of people with common interests who pool their money to financially support candidates running for elected o ce. More than 30,000 electric co-op supporters combine their contributions through America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC nationwide.

Where do my contributions go?

With the exception of a small federal tax payment of less than 1%, all contributions go directly to the campaigns of candidates for political o ce who support electric co-ops.

PAC has established procedures for how and to whom the money is distributed, based on factors like the candidate’s positions on issues critical to electric co-ops as well as their votes and public statements on these issues, plus the candidate’s financial need and the strength of his or her opponent. PAC is bipartisan, meaning it supports candidates solely based on their record; their political party is not considered.

How much can I contribute?

Individual contributions usually range from $25 per year to $500 per year. Anything is appreciated. You can opt to add a donation onto your monthly electric bill for convenience. Email info@midwestrec.com or call 800-962-3830.

What do I receive?

Aside from helping elect o cials who will support your co-op and community, you also will receive entry into PAC-only events and a special newsletter, which contains profiles on leaders receiving contributions, updates on legislative news, and other features.

Tips to into savings

Take action now to make sure your home is ready to keep you comfortable during cold weather.

Doors and windows:

• Replace worn weatherstripping around all doors and windows.

• Caulk around gaps in windows and doors.

• Install storm doors if you don’t have them.

• Consider replacing older windows with newer, more energy-e cient models.

Insulation and air

sealing:

• Hire a contractor to ensure that your home is insulated according to recommended levels for your area. Install insulation as needed; we o er rebates.

• Use expandable caulk to seal around gaps in exterior plumbing and wiring access.

• Seal gaps in attic knee walls, so ts and basement rim joints by stu ng in pieces of insulation.

• Add foam insulation gaskets to electrical outlets and switches on external walls (turn o the power first).

Heating system tips:

• Hire a qualified professional to clean and inspect your furnace.

• Clean vents and other heating system components. Replace your furnace filter regularly throughout the heating season.

• Install a Wi-Fi enabled programmable thermostat, which can save energy by automatically adjusting temperatures according to your schedule. We o er up to a $100 rebate for smart thermostats.

Outside tips:

• Replace any missing or damaged roof shingles. Clean gutters and make sure downspouts point away from your house.

• Make sure flashings around the chimney and vent pipes are sealed tightly.

• Trim tree limbs that are touching or hanging over your house.

Get a home energy audit

Autumn is the perfect time to perform an energy assessment. I’ll come inspect your home, inside and out, to uncover energy waste. You’ll receive a targeted set of recommendations that will improve the comfort and e ciency of your home.

Call our o ce or email me at jjohns@midwestrec.com to start the process. I may even be able to help with one of many rebates we o er. Learn more at midwestrec.com/rebates.

Joel Johns ENERGY ADVISOR

Places of rest

The garden cemetery movement created the country’s first public parks — and Ohio’s are stunning.

BY MARGO BARTLETT

In the early 19th century, public city parks were virtually nonexistent. That doesn’t mean, however, that there was no green space in urban areas.

In fact, cemeteries were commonly found within the city limits of even the largest of cities. Most were in churchyards, where bodies were lined up with soldier-like precision to make the most efficient use of available land.

Around that time, Europe embraced a different concept. Instead of a precise grid of graves lined up row by endless, nondescript row and sometimes even stacked upon one another, “garden cemeteries” were designed with trees, ponds, and winding paths. They became places where the living could enjoy a visit, a stroll — even a picnic if they wished.

The trend quickly made it across the pond, and parklike cemeteries began popping up in the eastern U.S. and, before long, in Ohio.

Ohio’s urban garden cemeteries are some of the country’s most distinctive memorial parks, and stunning examples can be found in nearly every population center. Here are three that are particularly outstanding and accessible.

Lake View Cemetery

Garden cemeteries like Cleveland’s Lake View “were made for the living,” says CEO Katharine Goss. Early on, though, only people who owned burial lots could enter Lake View, founded in 1868. A ticket booth stood at the entrance. Now anyone is welcome to visit, and anyone may be interred there.

“Lake View is an all-walks-of-life place,” Goss says. One of Lake View’s most appealing aspects, Goss says, is the “natural layout … winding roads, big tree canopies. You walk in and you immediately feel your blood pressure go down.”

Lake View’s 285 acres include a large pond, where people may choose to scatter ashes; Daffodil Hill, site of 150,000 daffodils; and walking paths and trails.

The cemetery hosts many events, including concerts, 5Ks, trolley tours, and twilight tours of “Millionaires Row,” whose occupants include Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, the nation’s first billionaire. (Rockefeller’s obelisk is Lake View’s tallest memorial.) Seasonal programs, such as an October Owl Prowl and a December Winter Walk, also are offered.

Lake View memorial adviser Petronella Ragland says the cemetery is welcoming and busy. “People walk their dogs

here, they run, they walk,” Ragland says. (Bicycles, however, aren’t permitted.)

The Haserot Angel, which honors businessman and prominent Clevelander Francis Haserot, appears to be weeping black tears. Weathering is the scientific explanation for the bronze figure’s tears, but visitors nevertheless are startled and moved by the statue.

Disc jockey Alan Freed, credited with coining the term “rock and roll,” is memorialized with an intricately carved jukebox. Garret Morgan, inventor of the three-color traffic light and the gas mask, is at Lake View, as is Eliot Ness, the Prohibition officer who brought down Al Capone.

Two steps from Ness is underground comic book artist Harvey Pekar. His grave is blanketed by colorful pens and markers, each poked point-first into the soil.

The display is a spontaneous tribute by the artist’s friends and fans, Goss says. Groundskeepers try to keep leaves and other natural debris from tangling in the pens, but Goss gives Pekar’s widow primary credit for keeping the site tidy.

Raymond Chapman’s memorial also is laden with mementoes. Chapman, who played major league baseball for the then-Cleveland Indians, died when he was hit by a pitch in 1920. He remains the only major league player to be killed during a game.

Disc jockey Alan Freed’s memorial stone in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland is intricately carved to look like a jukebox.

Continued from page 23

Chapman’s fans leave many items on his stone. Caps, baseballs, coins, and a Beatles CD were there recently. Cemetery groundskeepers understand fans’ impulse to leave something. They also understand why others take things away.

Visitors don’t swipe mementoes out of malice, Goss says. They take them for the same reason others left them: because they cherish Chapman’s memory and want a keepsake.

Lake View Cemetery, 12316 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106. Open 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. from November through the end of March and 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. from April through the end of October. 216-421-2665, www.lakeviewcemetery.com.

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum

The Cincinnati Horticultural Club chartered Spring Grove’s 220 acres in 1845, and future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Salmon P. Chase, who’s interred at Spring Grove, helped prepare the cemetery’s charter.

For the cemetery’s first 10 years, lot owners tended their own family plots, which made for quite the cluttered look. A new superintendent came on board in 1855, however, and “changed the flavor” of Spring Grove by removing graveside

decorations, private plantings, and even fences, says Debbie Brandt, docent liaison at Spring Grove.

He also drained a swampy area, created ponds, and “opened up the vistas,” Brandt says. Visitors in the Victorian Age soon flocked to Spring Grove to see and be seen.

Two of Spring Grove’s more notable spots are a pair of chapels: the Dexter Chapel and Mausoleum, designed to resemble Paris’ La Sainte-Chapelle but never completed despite a staggering $100,000 being spent on it; and the Gothic Norman Chapel, built in 1880 and still the site of funerals, weddings, and even concerts.

Architect Samuel Hannaford, known as “the man who built Cincinnati,” is interred at Spring Grove, along with several names familiar to retail junkies, including Shillitos, McAlpins, and Kroger. Both William Procter and James Gamble are there; Procter’s grave is modest and unassuming, while Gamble’s features a towering obelisk. Brandt theorizes that Procter’s first wife died, and the family lot was created, before the company had risen to obelisk-worthy success.

Also at Spring Grove: mattress manufacturers George Stearns and Seth Foster; yeast maker, Cincinnati mayor, and Reds owner Julius Fleischmann; third baseman

The distinctive and stately Burnet Mausoleum sits in section 22 of Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.

Henry Knight “Heinie” Groh, who played from 1912 to 1927, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants; and, maybe, George Turner’s dog.

A story claims that Turner’s dog, Old Man, was buried with his master, thanks to an amiable superintendent. Brandt notes that Ohio law forbids animals from being interred in human cemeteries and no records verify the story. “So I can’t say yes or no,” she says.

Living dogs, normally also forbidden on the grounds, are welcome each Dog Day, held on the fourth Sunday in June. Other events include an annual Lantern Lighting, when participants send paper lanterns, illuminated by tea candles, afloat on a pond, and an annual car show in October. Brandt says 25 docents lead tours — on foot, by golf cart, or on trams — that focus on topics such as history and heritage, the cemetery’s circus connections, or “Movers and Shakers of Cincinnati.” One of the most popular is the Beer Barons Tour in August, featuring wellknown brewers such as Christian Moerlein.

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45232. Open 8 a.m.–6 p.m. daily. 513-681-7526, www.springgrove.org.

Green Lawn Cemetery

When Green Lawn Cemetery opened in Columbus in 1849, occupants of older nearby graveyards were relocated there. Adrianne Reese, a Green Lawn family service adviser, says those existing urban burial grounds had been overcrowded and landlocked, so “everybody was moved over here.”

Green Lawn was chartered during a cholera outbreak. First to be interred was cholera victim Leonora Perry, 7, who was buried two days before the cemetery’s grand opening. Another cholera victim, Dr. Benjamin Gard, who contracted the disease while tending patients at the penitentiary, soon followed.

Howard Daniels designed the cemetery to complement the site’s natural beauty. It’s a registered arboretum and is an Ohio Audubon Important Bird Area.

Randy Rogers, Green Lawn Cemetery Association executive director and a tireless cemetery worker, praises Daniels and his foresight.

“We’re unique,” Rogers says. “We still preserve 200-year-old trees that had been preserved by ranchers” who owned the land before Green Lawn existed.

Green Lawn’s 360 acres are home to five Medal of Honor recipients, five governors, and 6,000 veterans.

Writer and cartoonist James Thurber’s marker is flush with the ground, as are those of his family. The only

monument in the plot honors a Thurber dog, Muggs, who was immortalized in Thurber’s story, “The Dog That Bit People.” A sculpture of Muggs, looking peevish, is above the engraving, “Nobody knew exactly what was the matter with him. Cave Canem.”

“Little Georgie” is another well-loved grave. George Blount was 5 years old in 1873 when he fell off a banister and hit his head on a stove. His memorial shows him sitting, one leg tucked under the other, a cap in his lap. Visitors once dressed the statue in scarves and hats in cold weather. Now, Green Lawn asks donors to bring such items to the office, to be donated, instead.

For years, Georgie was thought to be interred alone, Rogers says. Recently, however, his father’s military grave was found behind the child’s monument and his mother is in an unmarked grave next to him.

World War I fighter pilot Eddie Rickenbacker is at Green Lawn, as are Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes; Samuel P. Bush, grandfather of President George H. W. Bush; Peter Sells, a Sells Circus co-owner; and Gordon Battelle, founder of Battelle Memorial Institute.

Green Lawn Cemetery, 1000 Greenlawn Ave., Columbus, OH 43223. Open 7 a.m.–7 p.m. in the summer and 7 a.m.–5 p.m. in the winter.

614-444-1123, www.greenlawncemetery.org.

“Little Georgie” Blount’s Green Lawn grave inspires visitors to donate hats and scarves during cold weather.

Deadheat

BY MARGIE WUEBKER

Think of it as the Halloween version of a good oldfashioned Soap Box Derby.

At the annual Chillicothe Halloween Festival, teams of T-rexes, various ghosts and ghouls, and even Cleopatra and her Egyptian slaves vie for bragging rights and prizes in an event that features athleticism, sportsmanship — and the occasional out-of-control coffin.

The festival’s popular coffin races take place this year at 2 p.m. on Oct. 15, along Alexandria Street in the heart of the community’s Yoctangee Park. It is just one of many offerings during the event, which runs Oct. 13 to 15.

The coffin races debuted at the festival in 2017 after a committee member saw something similar on a program showcasing how communities nationwide celebrate Halloween.

“It has certainly been a hilarious sight to see,” says festival vice president Adam Days. “Families and friends work together, and nobody knows what costumes participants will be wearing.”

Tonya Hartman, a member of Rio Grande-based Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative, started racing five years ago and plans to keep coming back.

“My entire family loves Halloween,” she says. “This is something we can all do.”

The rules of the event specify wood or plastic construction (with the exception of push bars and wheels), no steering mechanism (though wheels may swivel for easier turning) — and absolutely no propulsion other than pushing by the teams. Hartman says that after a bit of a learning curve her first two years, her team has become rather skilled at creating a racing coffin that’s aerodynamic as well as fun.

The top three finishers win cash prizes. Hartman and her team came close to the top prize a couple of times, and each time poured their prize money into the following year’s entry.

Finally, their T-bone team, inspired by the movie Grease, raced to top honors last year as Tonya rode in a coffin

Halloween festival’s unique races challenge teams, delight spectators.

outfitted with cushions and a fabric-appointed interior, pushed by her husband, Andrew Hartman; brother-inlaw, Chad Hartman; and nephew, Holden Hartman. She says the prize money last year went toward Halloween decorations for their homes.

Casey Demint, head of Team Demint, depends on his wife, Miranda, relatives Tim and Lindsey Demint, and co-worker Josh Walter to do their best maneuvering the course.

“Each year is a learning experience as we scope out the competition,” Demint says. As of late August, Team Demint was still deciding on this year’s costumes. Members have previously arrived at the starting line dressed as skeletons, vampires, and zombies. Their coffin usually bears cobwebs and spiders for a spooky look.

“I haul the coffin to the festival in the back of my pickup truck,” Demint says. “You should see all the strange looks I get.”

The number of spectators has grown each year, according to Days, and since crowds begin lining up hours before the event, it’s best to get there early to stake out the best viewing spots.

For complete rules and regulations for the coffin races, as well as information about the festival’s other events, including a haunted tent, costume contest, car show with trunk-or-treat, escape rooms, pumpkin drop, music, and food, see www.chillicothehalloweenfestival.com.

Each year, teams of Halloween hopefuls line up with their best coffin-racing gear to compete for a $500 top prize at the Chillicothe Halloween Festival, this year from Oct. 13 to 15 at the city’s Yoctangee Park.

Beetle alert

Got trees? Most co-op members do. If you’re among that group, the U.S. Department of Agriculture wants you to be on the lookout for yet another invasive insect species attacking woods in the Buckeye State: the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB).

So far, more than 100,000 trees nationwide have been removed due to ALB infestation and damage, and if left unchecked, the damage will only become worse.

The ALB is a wood-boring bug that attacks a dozen types of hardwood trees in North America, including maples, elms, buckeyes, birches, and willows. Infested trees do not recover. They then weaken and become safety hazards, especially during storms, and

eventually die.

In its larval stage, the ALB feeds inside tree trunks and the branches of trees, creating tunnels as it feeds. Adults then chew their way out during the warmer months of the year, leaving telltale round exit holes about the size of a dime or slightly smaller. Once the adults exit a tree, they feed on its leaves and bark before

tree, they feed on its leaves and bark before mating and laying eggs.

USDA issues warning for another Ohio tree-attacker.

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If you think you’ve found a beetle or tree damage, call the ALB hotline at 866 -702 -9938 or submit a report at www.asianlonghornedbeetle.com. Try to photograph the beetle or tree damage. If you can, capture the beetle in a durable container and freeze it, which helps preserve the insect for identification, then report it. In addition, don’t relocate ALB host materials, such as firewood.

It is possible to eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle. To date, the ALB program has eradicated beetle infestations at East Fork State Park and Stonelick and Monroe townships in Clermont County, as well as in areas of New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Illinois.

W.H. “Chip” Gross is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor. Email him at whchipgross@gmail.com.

• A shiny black body, 1 to 1½ inches long, with white spots.

• Black and white antennae that are longer than the insect’s body.

• Six legs and feet that can appear bluish in color.

• Round exit holes in tree trunks and branches.

• Shallow, oval, or round wounds in the bark, where sap might weep.

• Sawdust-like material called “frass” found on the ground or on branches.

• Branches or limbs falling from an otherwise healthy tree.

x

Ohio Cooperative Living (publication no. 134-760; ISSN 747-0592) is owned and published monthly by Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229. Subscription cost for electric cooperative members is $6.96 per year, paid from equity accruing to the member. 12-month avg Most recent

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.

Jeff McCallister, managing editor

Power to the people

BY RANDY EDWARDS

In the fall of 1935, in the depths of the Great Depression and the dawning of the New Deal, a young executive from the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet Morris L. Cooke, director of the Rural Electrification Administration — a program crucial to the success of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s firstterm economic recovery effort.

The rural electrification cause had helped FDR win the White House, and U.S. farmers were clamoring for power. The Farm Bureau wanted to help, and the organization sent its first executive secretary, Murray D. Lincoln, on a fact-finding mission to Washington months before Congress approved the government loan program to support Roosevelt’s vision.

The initial meeting didn’t go so well, as Lincoln remembers in his autobiography, Vice President in Charge of Revolution

Shown into his office, I told him that we of the Farm Bureau wanted to avail ourselves of the benefits of this legislation and set up our own utility plants.

“What do you know about the utility business?”

Mr. Cooke asked.

“Nothing,” I admitted cheerfully. “I was trained in dairying and animal husbandry.”

The story may well have been embellished for dramatic effect, but it captures the essence of what history remembers of Murray Lincoln: brash, confident to the point of hubris, and proud of his farm roots.

Born in 1892 on a small Massachusetts farm, Lincoln became a leader of the cooperative movement in the United States. He began his career as a county agent in New England in 1914, fresh out of agricultural college, urging farmers to organize associations to produce their own fertilizer and market their own milk.

Cooperatives, Lincoln believed, represented “something that prevents the average man from being smothered between Big Business and Big Government.”

He became the first executive secretary of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation in 1920 and led the organization into a variety of cooperative enterprises, from grain elevators and farm credit to auto insurance.

As an agent of change for farmers’ lives, however, Lincoln’s most significant undertaking was probably helping to launch the electric cooperative movement in Ohio. President Roosevelt, who believed access to electricity was essential to modernizing rural America, got the ball rolling in 1935 with an executive order establishing the REA. It had been half a century since the Edison Electric Illuminating Company built the

Murray Lincoln and the Ohio Farm Bureau played a crucial role in the birth of electric cooperatives.

Murray Lincoln believed that cooperatives were something that prevented “the average man from being smothered between Big Business and Big Government.”

first electric grid to light Manhattan, and by 1930 more than 90 percent of U.S. homes in cities and towns had electricity, along with a growing selection of electricpowered appliances.

The story was different in rural America. Roughly 33 million Americans lived on farms in 1935, and their lives were distinctly different from those in urban areas. The majority lacked indoor plumbing and used outhouses, and fewer than one in five farm homes were connected to the electricity grid. Farmers milked their cows by kerosene lamp in the morning darkness and did most of their chores in the daylight.

It wasn’t that farmers didn’t want electricity. The private, investor-owned utility companies of the time refused to extend service into sparsely populated farm country, saying it wasn’t cost-effective. But they weren’t excited about the New Deal program either. Morris and the rest of FDR’s team originally believed they would accomplish electrification with the help of private companies, but the utilities balked. In Ohio, they pressured the General Assembly to block enabling legislation that would have allowed the federal funds to flow to the states.

Lincoln and the Farm Bureau offered to set up rural electric cooperatives, which unleashed a battle with the private utilities that the coops eventually won, but not without political gamesmanship and wild tactics that Lincoln, who could be a bit pugilistic, seems to have relished. The private utilities managed to push legislation through the Ohio General Assembly that prevented the co-ops from crossing established

utility lines, and then deliberately strung lines — as fast as possible — over the cooperatives’ planned routes.

Sometimes, the private utilities didn’t bother to secure rights-of-way from landowners, Lincoln recalled, and many of those landowners were farmers.

“When the poles went up, the farmers got together and chopped them down. The utility people came back and put them up again and, again, the farmers chopped that down.”

Despite the drama, Lincoln and his farm partners established more than 20 cooperatives within months, moving much faster than other U.S. states. As a result, Ohio received more than $5 million of the first $5 5 million approved by the REA.

A new subsidiary, the Farm Bureau Rural Electrification Cooperative, Inc., was formed to oversee the buildout. They bought their power from municipal power plants and built the lines at less than half the cost of the private companies. By 1937, the cooperatives had more than doubled the percentage of farm homes connected to central electricity. A dozen years later, more than 90 percent of farms had power.

By then, the Farm Bureau was no longer involved, having passed the baton, in 1942, to a new, independent organization, Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Today, 25 electric cooperatives serve more than 400,000 homes and businesses in 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

“I believe that the rural electric cooperatives … are among the most dramatic demonstrations of the power of the cooperative concept that this country has ever seen,” Lincoln wrote in his autobiography, “and I am proud to say that I had a share in their conception, beginnings, and early days.”

Murray Lincoln talks insurance with members of the Ohio Farm Bureau, circa 1927.

Murray Lincoln addresses an assembly gathered to hear about electrification, as Eleanor Roosevelt (left) listens intently.

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2023 CALENDAR

NORTHWEST

butter for sale, craft show, food vendors, village garage sales, and kids’ activities. 419-889-8796 or vanburenapplebutter@yahoo.com.

OCT. 14 – Boos and Brews Festival, Downtown Revitalization District, Sidney, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Free. Trick or treat, costume contest, fun activities, and more! 937-658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

a picturesque outdoor setting. Families welcome! 419-447-7073, www.conservesenecacounty.com, or follow Seneca Conservation District on Facebook.

THROUGH OCT. 14 – The Great Sidney Farmers Market, Shelby County Court Square, 100 E. Court St., Sidney, Sat. 8 a.m.–noon. Fresh produce, baked goods, jams and jellies, crafts, plants, and flowers. 937-658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

THROUGH OCT. 22 – Pumpkin Train, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, Sat./Sun. 1–5 p.m. $2–$3. Ride a quarterscale train to the pumpkin patch to find that special pumpkin, then take one more trip around the track to return to the station. Additional charge for pumpkins. Games and activities at the museum. 419-423-2995 or www.facebook.com/nworrp.

THROUGH OCT. 28 – Halloween Express, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, Fri./Sat. 6:30–9 p.m. $3; 12 and under, $2. A non-scary ride around our tracks for the whole family to see the Halloween decorations after dark. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp.

OCT. 13 – Downtown Chocolate Walk, Sidney, 6–8 p.m. $25. Tour downtown businesses while gathering up delicious chocolates and great deals. 937-6586945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

OCT. 13 – Downtown Sidewalk Sales, Sidney. Check out downtown shops, have a great lunch or dinner, and support local! 937-658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

OCT. 14 – Apple Butter Fall Festival, Van Buren School, 217 S. Main St., Van Buren, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Free. Hosted by the Van Buren Lions Club. Homemade bean soup cooked on-site and apple

WEST VIRGINIA

OCT. 14 – Lima Symphony Concert: “Korngold and the Hollywood Sound,” Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, #7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m. Journey to the Golden Era of Hollywood and experience the sounds that made the classics; then, enjoy the lyrical virtuosity of Korngold’s Violin Concerto, featuring Grammy-winning violinist Charles Yang. 419-224-1552 or www.limaciviccenter.com.

OCT. 14–15 – Oak Harbor Apple Festival, downtown Oak Harbor. Parade, contests, cornhole tournament, classic car and bike show, 5K Apple Run, 1-mile kids’ fun run, beer tent, food, vendors, live entertainment. 419-898-0479 or www.oakharborapplefestival.com.

OCT. 20–21 – Harvest Happenings, Dairy Barn Emporium, and Apple Fest, Van Wert Co. Fgds., 1055 S. Washington St., Van Wert. Free. Three separate events, one great experience. Over 300 vendors. Crafts, food, and everything apples! 419238-9270 or www.vanwertcountyfair.com.

OCT. 21 – Murder Mystery Dinner, Vera Event Rentals, 330 E. Court St., Sidney, 5:30–9 p.m. $30–$40. A real-life game of Clue, complete with dinner and more! 937-658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

OCT. 21, 28 – Trick or Treat Halloween Train, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, 6:30–9 p.m. both days, 1–4 p.m. on 28th. $3; 12 and under, $2. Take a ride around our tracks and enjoy the Halloween displays as our train makes treat stops. No scary sites — just fun and treats for all! 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp.

NOV. 1 – Down on the Farm Story Time, Proving Ground Farm, 5670 E. Twp. Rd. 138, Tiffin, 10 a.m. Stories and activities are geared for preschoolage children and focus on farming and nature in

NOV. 3 – 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.

NOV. 4 – Lima Symphony Concert: “Musically Speaking,” Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, # 7 Town Square, Lima, 7 : 30 p.m. Learn about 19 th-century master Tchaikovsky before listening to a complete performance of his enigmatic Fifth Symphony. 419 - 224 - 1552 or www.limaciviccenter.com.

NOV. 4–5 – Bewitched Harvest Art and Craft Show, Premier Banquet Hall, 4480 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Jump-start your holiday shopping with handmade crafts, gifts, and fall decorations. Donate pet food and supplies to benefit local pet rescues. 419-842-1925 or www.toledocraftsmansguild.org.

NOV. 4–5 – 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. $6, under 18 free. Over 400 tables of modern and antique guns, edged weapons, and sportsman’s equipment. 419-647-0067 or www.tristategunshow.org.

NOV. 4–11 – Holiday Shop Hop, Sidney and Shelby County businesses. Stop by participating local shops for your holiday shopping needs. Find great deals and compete for a chance to win a grand prize valued at over $500! 937-658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org.

NOV. 11 - Homemade Craft Sale and Lunch, Shiloh Church, 2100 Co. Rd. 5, Delta, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Baked goods and peanut brittle, custom jewelry, wood crafts and signs, plastic canvas items, purses, holiday and Christmas décor, crocheted/knitted/sewn items, and much more! Delicious homemade lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or till gone). Benefits Sparrow’s Nest Women’s Shelter. 419-533-2083

OCT. 19–22 – Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival, Martinsburg. Apple pie baking contest, pop-up shops and art fair, music, rodeo, apple and agricultural contests, and more. Pancake breakfast Saturday and Sunday; grand parade Saturday. www.msahf.com.

NOV. 9–JAN. 8 – Festival of Lights, Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, dusk to midnight nightly. Featuring 300 acres of twinkling lights and displays over a 6-mile drive. $30 per-car donation requested; valid for the entire festival season. https://oglebay.com/

2023 CALENDAR

NORTHEAST

OCT. 20–22 – Carroll County Antique Collectors Club Power Show, Carroll Co. Fgds., St. Rte. 9, Carrollton. Free. Tractor pulls, flea market, antique equipment, working demos, and food daily. Car and vintage semi-truck show on Sunday. 330-933-5130 or https://ccacc.webs.com.

OCT. 21 – Kidron Red Beet Festival, Sonnenberg Village, 13515 Hackett Rd., Kidron, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Music, food, and tours of the village. 330-857-9111 or www.kidronhistoricalsociety.org.

OCT. 27–28 – Brigade of the American Revolution, Historic Fort Steuben, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville. $6; ages 6–12, $3; under 6 free. Reenactors demonstrate the maneuvers and armaments used during the early settlement and development of America. 740-2831787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com.

OCT. 29 – Model Railroad and Toy Show, 735 Lafayette Rd. (St. Rte. 42), Medina, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. $7 Get a jump on your Christmas shopping! 330-9484400 (Vikki Conrad) or www.conraddowdell.com.

THROUGH OCTOBER – Quilt Exhibit: “History in Pieces,” Bimeler Museum, Historic Zoar Village. Featuring fine quilts from the National Quilt Museum in Kentucky (including one from an Ohio quilter) and Zoar-made quilts from the 19th century. See website for museum schedule. 800-262-6195 or www. historiczoarvillage.com.

THROUGH OCT. 30 – Corn Maze, Beriswill Farms, 2200 Station Rd., Valley City, Tues.– Sun. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. $6–$8; free for seniors and ages 2 and under. 330-350-2486 or http://beriswillfarms.com.

OCT. 7–8, 14–15, 21–22 – Fall Foliage Tours, Lorain & West Virginia Railway, 46485 St. Rte. 18, Wellington, 1:30 p.m. Ride lasts about 1-1/2 hours. Tickets available at the station on days of operation. 440-647-6660 or www.lwvry.org.

OCT. 13–28 – Ghost Tours of Zoar, 198 Main St., Zoar, Fri./Sat. 6:30–8:45 p.m. $19. Costumed guides share haunted tales of Zoar on a walking tour of the village. Lantern light tours leave every 15 minutes from the Zoar Store. Reservations required. 800-262-6195 or www.historiczoarvillage.com.

OCT. 20 – Wine on Rails, Lorain & West Virginia Railway, 46485 St. Rte. 18, Wellington, 7 p.m. $38 50 ticket includes wine; $25 designated driver ticket. Must be 21 or older. Enjoy tasting a variety of wines as you travel leisurely through southern Lorain County. Ride lasts about 1-1/2 hours. For ticket information: 440-647-6660 or www.lwvry.org.

OCT. 21 – “Building a Model Railroad,” Public Library, Thompson (on Rt. 528, 5 miles south of I-90), 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Free. See model railroad displays of various sizes and watch demonstrations on scenery, electrical, kit- and scratchbuilding, DCC, and track and ballasting. www.mcr5.org.

OCT. 21 – Sweetest Day Train, Lorain & West Virginia Railway, 46485 St. Rte. 18, Wellington, 6 p.m. $38 50 ticket includes wine; $25 designated driver ticket. Must be 21 or older. Enjoy a variety of wines and receive a sampling of chocolates as you travel leisurely through southern Lorain County. Ride lasts about 1-1/2 hours. For ticket information: 440-647-6660 or www.lwvry.org.

OCT. 22 – Playhouse Square Bus Trip: The Wiz, departing from Buehler’s River Styx in Medina, 11:30 a.m., and returning at 5 p.m. $50–$130. See the groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz that changed the face of Broadway — from its iconic score to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in the contemporary world. On the bus, enjoy a catered box meal, beverages, homemade cookies, chocolates, a trivia quiz, and more! Seating is limited; book at www.ormaco.org or call 419-853-6016

OCT. 22 – Purses 4 Paws, American Legion Post #32, 11087 Middle Ave., Elyria, 1–5 p.m. $50; VIP tables available. Play bingo to win designer purses. Door prizes, cash bar, desserts, and other games available. Ticket sales end Oct. 6. Proceeds to benefit Partners With Paws of Lorain County, Inc., and Fido’s Companion Rescue. 440-897-8696 or lawilber@oberlin.net.

food trucks, mini golf, and more! www.homegrowngreat.com.

OCT. 20 – 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. 513-832-1422 or http://fibbrew.com.

OCT. 28 – Messiah Holiday Bazaar, Messiah Lutheran Church, 1013 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Features juried arts and crafts, jewelry, wreaths, ceramics, woodworking, sculptures, and food. 937-631-3324.

NOV. 3–4 – Earlier Times Antiques and Folk Arts Show, Harvest Ridge, Holmes Co. Fgds., 8880 St. Rte. 39, Millersburg, Fri. 4–7 p.m., Sat. 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Free. The theme is “Remembering Christmas Past.” For more information, call Cheryl Williams at 614-989-5811

NOV. 3–4 – “Season’s Splendor” Arts and Crafts Show, Fisher Auditorium and Shisler Conference Ctr., Madison Ave., Wooster, Fri. 5–9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Over 100 booths, handcrafted items only; no commercial vendors. Food available. 330-345-5962 or www.facebook.com/WCACG.

NOV. 4 – “Common Myths in American History,” Fort Laurens Theater, 11067 Fort Laurens Rd. NW, Bolivar, 11 a.m. Free. Presented by Dr. Jim Seelye from KSU. 330874-2059 or www.fortlaurensmuseum.org/events.html.

NOV. 12 – “Celtic Music: Love Songs, Lullabies, Laments, and Dances,” Wadsworth Public Library, 132 Broad St., Wadsworth, 2–3 p.m. Free, but reservations recommended. Norton-based flutist Dr. Janet Becker will present a program of Celtic music, performing on modern and traditional flutes. Register at www.ormaco.org or call 419-853-6016

NOV. 15 – ORMACO Annual Dinner, Williams on the Lake, 787 Lafayette Rd., Medina, 6 p.m. $ 50 Celebrate our 13 th anniversary by joining us for an evening of wine, sumptuous food, and music by Brazilian guitarist/vocalist Moises Borges. Seating is limited, so book early at www.ormaco.org or 419 - 853 - 6016

NOV. 9–11 – Industrial Strength Bluegrass Festival, Roberts Convention Centre, 123 Gano St., Wilmington. One of the Midwest’s premier bluegrass events. Headliners include Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, and many others. 937-372-5804 or www.somusicfest.com.

NOV. 10 – Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, Butler County Bluegrass Association, 5113 Huston Rd., Collinsville, 7–9 p.m. Free. Enjoy an evening of lively bluegrass music. Good, reasonably priced home-style food available on-site. 937-417-8488 or 513-410-3625,

THROUGH NOV. 29 – Bluegrass Wednesdays, Vinoklet Winery, 11069 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, Wed. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Enjoy dinner, wine, and an evening of free entertainment by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Reservations recommended. 513-385-9309, vinokletwinery@fuse.net, or www.vinokletwines.com.

OCT. 14 – Harvest Days, downtown Piqua, 12 – 6 p.m. Free. Old-fashioned fall fun includes tractor show, kids’ corn pit, costumed pooch parade, pumpkin painting, craft vendors, live music,

NOV. 3–5 – Christkindlmarkt, Germania Park, 3529 West Kemper Rd., Cincinnati, Fri. 5–10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. $5; 12 and under free; free for active or retired military with ID. The oldest and most authentic German Christmas market in the region. http://germaniasociety.com/christkindlmarkt.

NOV. 5 – The Butler Philharmonic Chorus: Open Door Pantry Concert, Hamilton Presbyterian Church, 23 S. Front St., Hamilton, 3 p.m. Free. Donations for the pantry appreciated. www. butlerphil.org or Facebook: @officialbutlerphil.

NOV. 11 – Holiday Affair, Tipp Center, 855 N. 3rd St., Tipp City, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free. This arts and crafts show is a great opportunity to browse and buy quality, original handcrafted items, just in time for the holidays! www.homegrowngreat.com/event/aholiday-affair.

NOV. 11 – Holiday Horse Parade, downtown Piqua. Free. See horse-drawn carriages, hitches, and riders, all outfitted with holiday lights, making their way down Main Street. Christmas banners and decorated street trees will create an amazing backdrop for this dazzlingly fun family-friendly event. 937-773-9355 or www.mainstreetpiqua.com.

THROUGH OCT. 28 – Coshocton County Farmers Market, 22375 Co. Rd. 1A, Coshocton, Sat. 8:30 a.m.–noon. Local fresh produce, baked goods, and artisan crafts at our new location by the Walhonding River. market.manager@coshfarmmarket.org or www.facebook.com/coshoctonfarmersmarket.

THROUGH OCT. 28 – Spring Farmers Market, Adornetto’s, 2224 Maple Ave., Zanesville, Sat. 9 a.m.–noon. Locally grown produce, homemade food, locally raised/processed meat, farm eggs, Ohio cheese, and more. www.zanesvillefarmersmarket.org.

THROUGH OCT. 29 – Rock Mill Days, Stebelton Park at Rock Mill, 1429 Rockmill Place NW, Lancaster, Wed./Sat. 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Sun. 1–4 p.m. Free. Tour the restored 1824 gristmill, walk on the covered bridge, and enjoy the view of Hocking River Falls. 740-243-4436 or www.fairfieldcountyparks.org.

THROUGH OCT. 31 – Corn Maze and Pumpkin

Patch, McDonald’s Greenhouse and Corn Maze, 3220 Adamsville Rd., Zanesville. $9–$24; 2 and under free. 740-452-4858 or www.mcdonaldsgreenhouse.com.

THROUGH NOV. 4 – The Haunted Farm, 5450

Old Millersport Rd. NE, Pleasantville, Fri./Sat. 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Haunted barn maze, corn maze, bonfire, concessions, and entertainment on select nights.

SOUTHEAST

Fright factor tailored to the group; can be family friendly. 614-230-9563 or www.haunted-farm.com.

OCT. 10, 24 – Farmers Market, Roseville Branch Library, 41 N. Main St., Roseville, 4 – 6 : 30 p.m. Sponsored by the Roseville Branch Library Friends Group. 740 - 697 - 0237 or juanita@ muskingumlibrary.org.

OCT. 12, NOV. 9 – Inventors Network Meeting, The Point at Otterbein University, 60 Collegeview Rd., Westerville, 43081, 7 p.m. Educational presentations and discussion about the invention process. Zoom meetings Oct. 19 and Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. 614-470-0144 or www.inventorscolumbus.com.

OCT. 18–21 – Circleville Pumpkin Show, downtown Circleville. Free. Ohio’s oldest and largest pumpkin celebration. Seven different parades. 740-474-7000 or www.pumpkinshow.com.

OCT. 20 – The Reagan Years: “80s Dance Party,” Woodward Opera House, 107 S. Main St., Mount Vernon, 8 p.m. $40. The band re-creates the sound of the 1980s with covers of all the mega-artists. Choose dance floor general admission with limited seating, or secure a seat in the balcony. www.mvac. org/reagan-years.

OCT. 20–22 – Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival, Historic Roscoe Village, 600 N. Whitewoman St., Coshocton, Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $5 advance, $8 at door, under 12 free. Fresh apple butter cooked over an open fire, live music, free crafts for kids, craft and food vendors, Spirit Tours, and much more. 740-622-7664 or www.roscoevillage.com.

OCT. 21–22 – Education of Yesterday Annual Farm Show, Old Captain Bryant’s Grist Mill, 3685 Cass Irish Ridge Rd., Dresden (intersections of St. Rtes. 16 and 60 ). Field demos, farm machinery, construction, trucks, train rides, food, music, and family fun for all ages. 740 - 754 - 6248 or www.facebook.com/EducationofYesterday.

OCT. 27 – Haunted Fest, Kemba Live, 405 Neil Ave., Columbus, doors open at 6 p.m. $54 99+. The highly anticipated Halloween-themed EDM festival will feature headliner deadmau5, Loud Luxury, Kaleena Zanders, and local artists from various genres. Embrace the festive spirit and dress in costume for this outdoor event! www.hauntedfest.com.

OCT. 28 – Apple Butter and Horseradish Day, Lawrence Orchards, 2634 Smeltzer Rd., Marion, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Free. Apple butter is cooked in a copper kettle over a wood fire, while the horseradish crop is ground fresh. 740-389-3019 or www.lawrenceorchards.com.

NOV. 3–4 – Heart of Ohio Quilters’ Guild Quilt Show, Bryn Du Mansion Field House, 537 Jones Rd., Granville, Fri. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $6, Srs. $5, 12 and under free. The theme is “A Harvest of Quilts.” https://heartofohioquilters.com/events.

NOV. 4 – Annual Holiday Bazaar, The Anchor Church, 1365 Chamberlain St., Zanesville. Crafts, holiday and home décor, books, Color Street, Scentsy, gifts, soap, jewelry, quilts, and so much more! 740-586-4352 (Candace) or https://theanchor.churchcenter.com/ registrations/events/1861542.

NOV. 4 – Veterans Day Concert, Epiphany Lutheran Church, 268 Hill Rd. N., Pickerington, 4 p.m. Free. Patriotic concert honoring our veterans, presented by the Pickerington Community Chorus. Free-will offering will be taken. www.pickeringtoncommunitychorus.com.

NOV. 11 – Veterans March and Ceremony, Canal Winchester, 10 a.m. March begins at the Community Center, 22 S. Trine St., and ends at Stradley Place, 36 S. High St., for the ceremony. Free pancake breakfast for veterans and their families 8 : 30 – 10 a.m. at the Community Center. 614 - 834 - 9915 or www.canalwinchesterohio.gov.

OCT. 13–15 – Chillicothe Halloween Festival, Yoctangee Park, Enderlin Circle, Chillicothe, Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free. Food, vendors, live entertainment, contests, kids’ zone, haunted house, coffin races, ghost walk, and much more. www.chillicothehalloweenfestival.com.

OCT. 14 – “Noble County Pioneers and Early Settlers,” Ball-Caldwell House, 16 East St., Caldwell, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Event focuses on settlers of Noble County before 1851. Descendants and people interested in early Noble County history can explore their family genealogy, tour the founder’s home, and visit the Noble County museum. Alan Hall will speak at 1 p.m. For more information, call 740-732-5288

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

NOV. 1–JAN. 1 – Guernsey County Courthouse Holiday Light Show, Cambridge, 5:30–9 p.m. nightly (Nov. 1–4, 6:30–10 p.m.). See the courthouse decked out with thousands of pulsating colorful lights synchronized to holiday music, three 20-foot Christmas trees, and 60 animated displays. 800-933-5480 or www.dickensvictorianvillage.com.

THROUGH OCT. 28 – The Frankenstein Experience at Haunted Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheater, 5968 Marietta Rd., Chillicothe, Thur.–Sat. 5:30 p.m. $20–$50. The largest Halloween theater production in Ohio! Features a performance on the main stage, Dr. Frank’s haunted trail, a Mad Lab Escape Room, and more. www.hauntedmountain.org.

THROUGH DEC. 30 – Athens Art Market, Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St., Athens, Sat. 9 a.m.–noon. Members of Athens Art Guild offer handmade and juried arts including pottery, live edge furniture, fiber arts, paintings, glassware, jewelry, wood, and much more. For more information, email athensartguildevents@gmail.com.

THROUGH DEC. 30 – Athens Farmers Market, Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St., Athens, Sat. 9 a.m.–noon; through Nov. 23, Wed./Sat. 9 a.m.–noon.

Voted Ohio’s #1 favorite farmers market! 740-593-6763 or www.athensfarmersmarket.org.

OCT. 20–22 – Fall Festival of Leaves, downtown Bainbridge, Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free. Arts and crafts, entertainment, flea market, midways, parades, antique tractor show, log sawing contest, antique and classic car show, 5K run. Take the four self-guided Paint Valley Skyline Drive tours to see the fall foliage. www.fallfestivalofleaves.com.

OCT. 20–22 – Muskingum Valley Trade Days, 6602 St. Rte. 78, Reinersville. Large flea market. 740-624-7080 (Shirley) or find us on Facebook.

OCT. 22 – NMRA Buckeye Division Annual Train Show, Pritchard Laughlin Center, 7033 Glenn Hwy., Cambridge, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $5; 12 and under free. To reserve a table or for more information, call 740-607-3223, email trainshow@div6mcr-nmra.org, or visit https://div6-mcr-nmra.org/trainshow.html.

OCT. 28 – Rural Ohio Appalachia Revisited (ROAR) Day, Lake Hope State Park, McArthur, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. A celebration of Appalachian culture through food, crafts, music, and traditional skills. 740-596-4938 or https://vintoncountytravel.com/roar-day.

NOV. 3–4 – Sherlock Holmes Murder Mystery Weekend, Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center, 7033 Glenn Hwy., Cambridge. 740-432-2022 or www.visitguernseycounty.com.

NOV. 3–DEC. 16 – Cambridge Glass Museum Holiday Hours, 136 S. 9th St., Cambridge, Fri./Sat. 12–4 p.m. $6, Srs. $5, under 12 free. 740-432-4245, www.cambridgeglass.org, or www.visitguernseycounty.com.

NOV. 3–DEC. 17 – Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum Christmas Tours, 532 N. Chestnut St., Barnesville, Fri. 5–8 p.m., Sat./Sun. 1–4 p.m. (closed Nov. 24). Join us for some Christmas cheer and see our museum decorated for the season. This year’s theme is “The 12 Days of Christmas.” www.belmontcountymuseum.com.

NOV. 4 – Miller’s Swap Meet and Car Show, Ross Co. Fgds., 344 Fairgrounds Rd., Chillicothe, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $9; under 14 free. Cars, trucks, tools, parts, signs, race parts, rat rod, and more. 740-701-3447 (Nate), 740-701-2511 (Brian), or www.millersswapmeet.com.

Hocking County. Jacklyn Rose, South Central Power Company member

Erica Weaver, North Central Electric Cooperative member

My sons, Greyson and Damien, building a campfire. Ashley Hall, South Central Power Company member

Candace Castle, Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative member

Steven Herron, South Central Power Company member

Rochelle Clouse, Mid-Ohio Energy member

Send

us

Charis,

For January, send “Snow days” by Oct. 15. For February, send “Romantic dinner” by Nov. 15.

My granddaughter, Rory Foster, camping with the family at Mt. Gilead State Park. Angela Schoonover, South Central Power Company member

Our son, Archer, shows off his very first s’more during our family camping trip last year.

Annual boys’ campout at Deer Creek State Park. Always a great time!

My husband, Michael, helps our son, Elijah, and friend, Landon, set up camp on our property in

Thomas and William Weaver of Attica,

ending their long summer day with a campfire.

My grandchildren, Jack, Xander, and

enjoy s’mores every camping trip.

Evelyn Neal on a hammock, camping at Mohican State Park.

36  OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2023

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