Shawnee Life - November 2022

HONORING FAMILY WISHES, THEN & NOW

Neighborhood SponsorDirectory

APPLIANCES

Tracy’s Appliances (419) 223-4786

Westrich Furniture & Appliances (419) 695-6045

CANCER CARE / ONCOLOGY

Cancer Care of West Central Ohio (419) 221-2273

CHRISTMAS LIGHTING Light Up Lima (567) 208-0551

CLEANING

Mark’s Maid Service (419) 604-0298

Northwest Ohio Kwik Dry (419) 701-2081

DONATION PICK UP

Habitat for Humanity Lima ReStore (419) 222-4937

EDUCATION

Lima Central Catholic High School (419) 222-4276

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR

Brunk Electric (800) 642-8942

ENTERTAINMENT

Westgate Entertainment Center (419) 227-7231

EVENT SPACE

The Meeting Place on Market (419) 330-5630

FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Financial Clarity Group (513) 752-0386

FOOD & DRINK

Old Barn Restaurant & Grill (419) 991-3075

Purple Feet Wine Boutique (567) 940-9944

The Meeting Place on Market (419) 330-5630

FOUNDATIONS & WATERPROOOFING

The Basement Doctor (419) 229-5800

FUNERAL HOME

Bayliff & Son (419) 645-4501

FURNITURE

Tracy’s Appliances (419) 223-4786

Westrich Furniture & Appliances (419) 695-6045

HEALTHCARE

Mercy Health – St. Rita’s (419) 227-3361

HEATING & AIR

Cleaves American Heating & Air Conditioning (419) 227-4328

Washam Plumbing Heating & Air (419) 339-0729

INSURANCE

Beery Insurance Services (419) 228-4000

Tyler Sutton State Farm Insurance (419) 516-0567

JEWELER

Vons Diamonds & Jewelry (419) 227-5616

MANUFACTURERS & INDUSTRY

Cenovus Energy Lima Refinery (419) 226-2300

PET MEMORIAL SERVICES

Bayliff & Son (419) 645-4501

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Ayers, Inc. (419) 222-9377

PLUMBING

Washam Plumbing Heating & Air (419) 339-0729

POOL CARE & INSTALLATION

Shawnee Pools (419) 330-5630

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS & PRINTING SERVICES ProForma Add-A-Line (419) 224-8747

REALTORS

Busy B Realty (419) 339-0600

Cowan Realtors (419) 222-1212

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Burton’s Ridge Assisted Living (419) 228-8412

SECURITY

Lima Security, Inc. (419) 222-1250

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ProForma Add-A-Line (419) 224-8747

SKILLED NURSING & REHAB

Shawnee Manor (419) 999-2055

TRANSPORTATION / LIMOS / PARTY BUS

Lucky Limo, LLC (419) 236-3964

WEDDINGS

The Ayers, Inc. (419) 222-9377 Lucky Limo, LLC (419) 236-3964

WINDOW TREATMENTS

Blinds & Window Fashions (419) 230-1558

FOCUS

ACHIEVERS

WAGON

From Diane’s Desk...

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are thankful to you, our Shawnee Life community, for supporting this magazine. I hope you are able to take a moment to reflect on all that you are grateful for! Does your family go around the Thanksgiving table and share these thoughts like we do? I always love hearing what my 8-year-old son will say or what my sarcastic husband and father-in-law will say.

I wanted to share one of our newest developments. Do you read any digital magazines? Would you like to have the option to read Shawnee Life Magazine digitally? Now you can! Simply visit ShawneeLife.com and register to get access to all of our past issues!

We are also offering a special incentive for everyone that has reg istered at ShawneeLife.com by November 9th. Your name will be entered to win a pair of tickets to a concert by the Lima Symphony Orchestra. You may use them yourself, give them to someone you are thankful for or save them as the perfect holiday gift for that per son that is impossible to shop for!

As always, remember to send your stories or article ideas to Diane@ShaweeLife.com! And, if you have any local businesses you love, let me know so I can ask them about advertising in the maga zine!

Diane Schoonover Publisher

Michael Ayers Photographer

Nick Schoonover Pumpkin Spice Boy

Janine Douglass DISH-cussions

Georgianna Damschroder Precious Pets

Julie Lundin Know Your Neighbor

Nicole Davis Welcome Wagon & Mercy Matters

Tara Reynolds Bales Talk of the Town Lifestyle

Paige Brinkman Amazing Achievers

Meet the FamilyOrndoff

Know Your Neighbors

by Julie Lundin

Meet Lance and Alexandria Orndoff of Shawnee. Lance and Alexandria built their house on Timberfield Drive and moved into their home in November 2020. They loved the building process because Lance’s best friend, David Peters, owner of Built Rite Builders, worked with them to bring their vision to life! The Orndoffs enjoy living in their neighborhood. Alex andria’s parents also live on Timberfield Drive, and they have family and friends close by, as well.

The couple met in 2011 and were engaged at an Ohio State football game in 2013 (with the Horseshoe in the background), then married and settled in Lima in 2015. Lance grew up in Elida and is a graduate of Temple Christian. Today he is a Licensed Representative at Tyler Sutton State Farm Insurance. Alexandria grew up in Spencerville and graduated from Spen cerville High School. After graduation she attended The Ohio State University. Today Alexandria is the Director of Health Information Manage ment (formerly known as Medical Records) with Ensemble Health Partners.

When not working, you will often find Lance and Alexandria riding

Lance’s Harley…as long as the weather cooperates. Going to get dinner or dessert at local restaurants on the motorcycle is a great way for them to spend time together. Some of their favorite local restaurants are Beer Barrel, LaCharreada, The Met, Lock 16, and Lulu’s Diner. Both sets of parents, as well as several friends, also have Harleys, so Lance and Alexandria are often enjoying bike rides with them! Lance also loves to be outside working in the yard or detailing cars during his free time. They purchase a lot of their beautiful plants from Jen Spieles at Blooms, as well as Spieles Nursery. Alexandria loves to go shopping and finding a good deal. You can often find her at My Chic Boutique in Lima. She also enjoys going on walks and now living so close to her mom and other family, they often walk together in the neighborhood or Hermon Woods. Because they do not have children of their own, Lance and Alexandria enjoy going to their nieces’ and nephew’s sporting events and extra-curricular activities. In addition, they are both involved in their church. Lance sings on the praise team and Alexandria is involved with the nursery and children’s minis try. On Saturdays in the fall, you can often find them rooting on the Buckeyes! Of course having good food, friends and family over for the games always make them much more fun!

When vacationing, they love to go to the beach, a lake, or Pigeon Forge. “Lance grew up going to Pigeon Forge as a kid

with lots of families, so in the past couple of years we have started going back there at least once a year. We love that there is so much to do and there is also a lot of good food! Our fa vorite places to eat are Paula Deen’s, The Mill, and The Local Goat,” stated Alexandria. This year they also went to Wilm ington, NC, Florida, and Norris Lake to visit and vacation with family that do not live locally.

With November being the start of the holiday season, Lance and Alexandria feel blessed to have such amazing families. On Thanksgiving they usually have lunch at Alexandria’s Aunt Cheryl’s house, then dinner at Lance’s grandma’s house with extended family. On Black Friday, Alexandria goes shopping

with her mom, Aunt Cheryl, and cousin, Abby. For the past 15 years these ladies have hit the big box stores first, then go to the local shops. Once they are finished, they meet up with the men in the family for lunch at La Charreada.

In this season of giving thanks for what we have, Lance and Alexandria are thankful for their health, faith, and that they live in such an amazing country. As they said, “We feel blessed beyond measure for our family and friends that are near and dear to our hearts.”

Don and Diana Degen also live on Timbefield Drive and are Alexandria’s parents. They say the best thing about living in Timberfield Estates is that their daughter, Alexandria, and son-in-law, Lance, built a home across the street. Diana’s sister also lives right down the way in Wildbrook so they are close to everything, especially where they work. Don works as a Maintenance Supervisor at Randall Bearings, while Diana is the Branch Manager of the Shawnee branch of Premier Bank.

The Degens are both graduates of Spencerville High School and moved to Shawnee in 2016. They have been married for 41 years. Don enjoys OSU and Cincinnati Bengals football, riding his Harley, and he is a proud nine-year veteran of the United States Air Force. Diana enjoys walking outdoors and volunteering in the community. She also enjoys going riding on the Harley and watching OSU football, especially since both of their children are OSU graduates. They both also enjoy traveling to Wilmington, North Carolina to visit their son Alan, their daughter-in-law Sara and their three beautiful granddaughters.

Making a

The Cole Collection event is a boutique shopping fundraiser. A curated collection of unique products from Ohio vendors will be presented, and the com munity will collectively come together once again to give back to others. The core purpose for The Cole Collection event is to impact the children in the foster care system by making their holiday a little brighter this year. The proceeds from the event will allow us to purchase holiday gifts for children in foster and relative care in Allen County. Our goal is to raise $11,000 to buy gifts for all 220 children in foster and relative care through Allen County Chil dren Services. Funds are also raised for the annual Ronald R. Miller Scholarship, which is awarded to a senior in the care of Allen County Children Services for post-secondary education.

A majority of the attendees are women of all ages who value the importance of giving back to the com munity and also enjoy finding one-of-a-kind gifts for the holidays. Everyone is invited to attend the 9th Annual Cole Collection event! Each ticket sold, sponsors Christmas gifts for children in foster and relative care through Allen County Children Ser vices.

This year the event will be open house style. Come whenever you’d like between 6pm and 9pm. Ticket includes light appetizers, desserts and most impor tantly, sponsors the gifts for one child.

Tickets = $50.00 per person

Submitted by Megan Rockey, The Cole Collection Founder

INSPIRATION BEHIND THE EVENT

For the past four years, we’ve held an annual shop ping event in Lima. Last November, I started thinking about how we could expand the event in 2014.

As I started thinking about the event a few thoughts came to mind:

•

•

•

incorporate a non-profit into the event?

can

increase the awareness for the event?

bring in more vendors offering

As the answers to the questions started to fall into

I uncovered a common thread, Virginia Cole

Crouse. At this point my grandmother had passed about two years prior but her impact on me was more profound than ever before. Her core fun

were faith, family

those, too, are the core fundamentals for The Cole

. In honor of Virginia, we created The

Collection event to carry on her legacy.

The Joy of PICKLEBALL

The Joy of PICKLEBALL!

The sport of pickleball is open to all age levels and skill levels. It brings people together for fun, exercise and new friendships. When you approach a pickleball court, you hear the pop of the pickleball, laughter, a little trash talk and often music. The downside to pickleball – it’s addictive!

It is the fastest growing sport in the USA and expanding quickly in the Shawnee/Lima area. It’s played on half a tennis court with a whiffle ball and paddles slightly larger than ping pong paddles.

Indoor pickleball courts are located in the Lima YMCA, Senior Citizens Center and in the winter months only at Westwood Tennis. Outdoor courts are located at Collett Street Tennis Courts and play 9-11:30AM, Monday-Friday. Our hope in the fu ture is to have dedicated pickleball courts in Lima.

The Lima Pickleball Facebook page is Great American Pickleball Club of Lima, OH. Come out and give it a try, fun is had by all and you will meet some great people.

For me, it was my son that encouraged me to start playing pickleball, soon I was encouraging every one to give it a try. It is a fun sport I can play with my kids and grandkids. Being part of the pickle ball community in Lima has helped me gain new friends that have turned into family. I will always be grateful to the sport; it brings people together and gave me support (and laughs) that I didn’t know I needed.

Linda Cornwell of Indianbrook believes that the sport provides a dual benefit. She says, “I abso lutely love pickleball and enjoy the fun and fitness simultaneously! My pickleball friends are special friends who I truly cherish!”

Submitted by Lisa Sims of Balyeat Drive

Lisa Sims

Images courtesy of Wes Howe

Jeanee and John Randall of Amanda Lakes are frequent pickleball players. Jeanne says, “I just love pickleball, due to the fact that anyone can play, and it is a great way to stay in shape. No matter where you play, the players are always friendly and inviting. I have acquired so many great new friends through pickleball.” Her husband, John, also en joys the sport for additional reasons. “We like to travel around to different facilities and other towns around the area to play. Many of them have beauti ful pickleball courts. We are hoping that Lima will someday build similar courts for us. The best part about pickleball is the camaraderie and community that we have built. It’s filled with great people who love to have fun!”

NEW Pickleball Rules for 2023

For those of you who already play pickleball, there are some MUST-KNOW updates to the official pickleball rules, beginning in 2023.

According to the rules committee at USA Pickleball the new rules you need to know about are the fol lowing:

- No more “spin serve!” If you spin the ball as you release it from your hand, it is a re-play or re-serve. You can still hit the ball with topspin, slice, etc, as long as you follow the other serve rules. The only new restriction is spinning it upon release.

- Avoid wearing clothing that matches the ball color. Clothing that approximates the color of the ball could be a safety issue or a distraction and may force the player to change their clothing.

- Equipment time-outs no longer require the use of your team’s time-outs and the limitation of “up to two minutes” has been replaced with “of reasonable duration.”

Jeanne Randall & Chris Lauck

Ron Dredge & Kathy Williams

Seasonal Sponsor

LightUpLima.com (567) 208-0551

Submitted by Zach Everett, Owner, Light Up Lima

My wife has always said that I am an “idea man.” My grandpa and my mother are both the same way, so I guess I come by it honestly. From a young age I was taught to work hard, pay attention to detail, and always do the best job that I could. I had considered installing Christmas lights for many years before I moved to Lima three years ago. There was always a lot of competition in South Texas for Christmas light installation companies. When we moved to Lima, I noticed that there were no other companies that really focused on installing profession al grade Christmas lights. A friend from Texas encouraged me and off we went. Our first year we installed around twenty-five homes and businesses. Seeing the joy that installing Christ mas lights brought to people after the Covid lock down, really inspired me to continue to help bring that joy to more people’s lives. When a car slows down to admire the lights, I know that a little bit of joy was brought to someone in that moment.

One of the biggest reasons to hire a professional company to install your Christmas lights is simply safety. Every year 12,000 to 15,000 people are injured from installing Christmas decora tions and around 100-200 people die each year. (CPSC) We use a lot of safety equipment as well as undergo training to ensure that we are using safe practices when installing lights on homes.

On a less serious note though, we provide a superior product than what most homeowners can purchase themselves. Some thing most people don’t see or realize is that we actually screw in every light bulb before we ever arrive at a home. Our lights are custom cut to fit your home perfectly. (No extra lights hanging down the side!) Our bulbs come with a three-year warranty and are rated for 60,000 hours of life. The bulbs can last for nearly 13 years although the socket line probably won’t last that long. A great perk of

using a professional company is that if something does go wrong like a bulb going out or the lights falling down, we come out and fix it. (Even in the snow and freezing cold.) Speaking of cold, no one really wants to go outside in Janu ary to remove their Christmas lights! So we bundle up and move as fast as we can in order to stay warm and remove all the lights and decorations from our customers’ homes. Lastly, we store all the lights for our cus tomers. If your garage or basement is anything like mine, there isn’t a lot of extra space to store a bunch of lights, wreaths, garland, a tree, and other decorations. It makes it easier for us to install the next year and takes something else off the plate of our customers.

One last service I want to highlight is permanent RGB lighting. There are a few homes in the neighborhood that you might see lighting up for every holiday, birthday, party, or special occa sion. We install RGB lights by Inception, which means that you can control what color or pattern your house is doing at any time, all from your phone. Inception Permanent Lights are nearly invisible during the day, but allow you to light up your home or business to help bring that same joy to every person that comes by.

Visit our website at LightUpLima.com for a fast quote or give me a call at 567-208-0551.

A Closer Look at Zach Everett & His Family

I was born and raised in Texas, but went to Franciscan Univer sity where I met my beautiful wife. We have been married for ten years now. Six of those years we were in Corpus Christi, TX, and then we moved to Lima in 2020 to be closer to her family. I have worked for the Catholic Church in some capacity for the last ten years. I currently work part time at St. Charles Borromeo here in Lima as the Director of Evangelization and Discipleship. My job at the parish is to help adults learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus. My third job is a soft washing/ pressure washing business which fits in well with the off-season

of Christmas lights (idea man, remember). When I get home from one of my three jobs, I spend time with my wife and our five awesome children. We try to stay involved at our parish, and spend time with my wife’s family as much as we can. We enjoy bike riding, disc golf, board games, and plan ning and planting our garden. Advent and Christmas in our house are a pretty big deal. We enjoy our traditions and the general warmth and good cheer of the season! Some favorites include the Jesse Tree which is an Advent countdown, stock ings on the feast of St. Nicholas, decorating our home, picking out our tree (our favorite is the balsam fir), spending time with family and friends, and of course driving around to see the lights. We always pack red and green chocolate candies for the kids and the grown-ups get a fancy Biggby Coffee!

Talk of the Town

by Tara Reynolds Bales

Want to shop like Oprah without leaving Lima, Ohio? If so, grab your purse and meet me at Jean and Lily’s Fashion Boutique in downtown Lima at 220 North Main Street. You will find an outfit for any event on your social calendar. Need a classic black dress? A hat for a Derby party? A pair of jeans, sweater, jacket, or a fun handbag? You will find it all at Jean and Lily’s Fashion Boutique.

I needed a new dress for the October 2022 Lima Symphony Wine Tasting event. At the recommendation of a few friends, I went to Jean & Lily’s to find that perfect dress. Since shopping is always more fun with friends, I invited Ann and Lisa to join me. We walked into the boutique and were immediately greeted by Linda Hampshire, bou tique owner. Linda loves encouraging women to shop out of their comfort zone. She educated us on each designer in the boutique and looked stunning in her kelly green layered dress from a designer called Made In Italy, which is super popular for dinner dates, cruises and weddings because of how it can be dressed down and up! Linda is a retired teacher who has a passion for style and fashion and we became students of style at Jean & Lily’s.

Ann was our trendsetter. She rocked a pair of liquid leather pants by Clara Sunwoo, a mother/daughter design team, who is a favorite of Oprah. Once you try on these pants you will share the love with Oprah! Ladies, these faux black leather pants are in vogue and are a musthave. The pants hugged all the right places. If you have a pair of red heels, you need this Frank Lyman plaid style sweater jacket. Trust me, go to Jean and Lily’s and pick up a pair of leather pants for the upcoming holiday parties. You will be so happy you did!

Linda Hampshire, Owner

We learned the boutique is named after Linda’s mother, Jean, and her mother-in-law, Lily. Jean made Linda’s clothes as a child. She gives her mother credit for nurturing a love of style and fashion. Lisa was looking for a stylish, comfort able, casual outfit to wear out for dinner. Linda styled Lisa in a Frank Lyman sweater and jeans. Frank Lyman is a Ca nadian designer that is an internationally renowned brand. The black zebra print sweater, worn with black jeans is a smart look for Lisa. The got-to-have gold with pearl necklace completes Lisa’s relaxed yet stylish look.

An added plus to shopping at Jean and Lily’s was meeting other shoppers in the boutique. Janet and Marie are Carlton House neighbors and shared their love for Linda and the fashion offered at Jean and Lily’s. Janet loves her liquid leather pants with a black and white Picasso-like pattern hooded sweatshirt. This fall-weather go-to sweatshirt by In sight is a staple piece. Janet stated, “Look at me!” as she beamed with confidence. She credits Linda with helping her find her fashion groove.

Watch out Lima! Here comes Marie in her head turning, hot-rod red leather jacket by Insight. Marie normally wears dark colors, but Linda encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone. Marie stated, “I think I can handle the color” and thanked Linda for giving her the

Ann Meiring

Lisa Hughes

Janet Moore

confidence to wear this bold state ment piece.

As I mentioned earlier, I was looking for a black dress. I found it – but you will have to wait to see the dress in my next article. When I asked for an exciting outfit, Linda said, “More is more and less is a bore.” She handed me a pair of amazing, jeweled Frank Lyman jeans. Viva La Paris!! These jeans are soft, comfortable, and have enough give so I can dance the night away. Paired with a waist-length belted black leather jacket by For Her and the fun blinged out round handbag, I am ready to go out with my friends.

Shopping at Jean and Lily’s Fashion Boutique was a mean ingful experience for all of us. We loved the individualized customer service. Linda knows how to make her customers feel important and special. The boutique is oozing with style and fashion. The selection available at Jean and Lily’s is impressive and you are guaranteed to find exactly what you didn’t know you needed. It is no surprise that Linda is known for her quality mer chandise and impeccable style. Shopping at Jean and Lily’s you can do just as Linda tells her customers, “Make a state ment wherever you go.”

Shawnee Life Magazine readers will receive 20% off one regular priced item!

Marie Leopold

Tara Reynolds-Bales

World-class health care in your neighborhood

Whether it’s tackling a serious health issue or improving your overall well-being, we’re committed to helping you stay healthy and strong. Our doctors and health care professionals are passionate about improving your overall health with personalized health care solutions so you can be there for what matters most.

Visit mercy.com to find a location and connect with a primary care provider today.

St. Rita’s Volunteer Auxiliary Presents: The Annual Holiday Street Fair!

by Nicole Davis

‘Tis the season for St. Rita’s Annual Holiday Street Fair that is open to employees and their families, as well as members of the community! A day full of merriment commences at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 1st. The event is hosted by St. Rita’s Volunteer Auxiliary, and they are excited to spread their holiday cheer. The street fair includes crafts and unique items, a country kitchen, raffle baskets, Santa and Mrs. Claus, a balloon artist, and culminates with the annual Tree Lighting. Throughout the event their will also be Christmas music, by piano, filling the air.

Beginning at 10:00 a.m. inside St. Rita’s High Street Mall, by the café, you will find a wide arrangement of holiday items. Crafts and unique items have been created from February through December, just for this event! There are also OSU items and special floral arrange ments. Various medical departments in the hospital sponsor cash raffle baskets and their creativity is always a fun surprise! You will also find a country kitchen with candies, cakes, jellies, and Putnam Pasta (if you know, you know). In the evening at 5:00 p.m., the family events begin. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their appearance to greet children and hear Christmas wishes. Everyone can then gather ‘round at 6:00 p.m. for St. Rita’s annual tree lighting.

Mercy Matters

Mark Miller, the Director of Volunteer/Auxiliary Re sources at Mercy St. Rita’s shared that the Holiday Street Fair is a fun, family atmosphere day. Since he began working in his department 34 years ago, the holiday street fair has always been something to look forward to. Not only is it a project that the craft club works on throughout the year, but it is the Volunteer Auxiliary’s third largest fundraiser. The proceeds go toward hospital projects, and they are currently fulfilling their pledge of one million dollars to the Graduate Medical Education project. Mark expressed that he has the best job in the world! Every day is new and fresh, and he works with fun and wonderful people.

Please come join in the holiday fun and kick off your winter season with us at St. Rita’s on Thursday, Decem ber the 1st! We’ll see you at the Holiday Street Fair!

Sponsor

Mark’s Maid Service is a local, family-owned and operated business that wants to meet the expectation of excellence every single time! Whether you are looking for a recurring clean or a one-time clean, Mark’s Maid Service is avail able to meet your needs. They are called for a multitude of reasons. Recurring cleans are perfect for anyone looking to reduce the stress of cleaning and free up more time to do things you truly enjoy doing. At first it might feel luxurious to have your home professionally cleaned, but many soon admit it becomes a service you depend on. One-time cleans are useful if you have a party and want someone else to handle the cleaning while you plan for the event. Cleaning a home before you move in or out, or before it goes on the market, are other popular reasons Mark’s Maid Service is utilized. Businesses that may need light cleaning also call Mark and Jen!

Mark and Jen Gordon launched Mark’s Maid Service this year in Lima because they noticed there was a need in the area for a reliable cleaning business with a high standard of excellence. They both have extensive experience in the cleaning field. Mark co-owned a cleaning business and completed lengthy trainings in various cleaning processes in order to become a “cleaning expert,” but was excited to venture out on his own. Jen grew up cleaning homes with her mother and loves keeping a tidy home. They enjoy work ing together cleaning residential homes and commercial busi nesses. By working together, not only do they hold each other accountable, but they are able to divide and conquer to focus on the areas they enjoy cleaning the

most. They operate on a “high to low” methodology, which means they start dusting ceil ing corners, fans and lighting fixtures and end with clean ing baseboards, dust bunnies behind doors, and floors. Using commercial-grade cleaning products is also something that elevates the level of service offered to customers. These two share the same work ethic and won’t stop until everything is pristine. If for any reason a customer isn’t satisfied, they offer to “make it right” be cause they insist that each and every customer is satisfied. According to Mark and Jen, “We love owning our own business because it gives us the ability to set our own goals for our business. We also love to make people happy! There is no better feeling than making your own custom ers happy!” They plan to expand their business, but want to focus on their product and make sure the customer is totally happy with their home every time! They say they “feel blessed to be a blessing by being able to provide a very ap preciated service to others.”

Mark was born and raised in Lima and Jen moved to Lima from Cleveland, Ohio, in 2021. They recently got married and had a boho-chic inspired wedding where Jen was able to decorate with her beautiful handmade textiles. Blend ing their families together to become one big happy family is a dream come true. Jen has a 12-year-old son and Mark has a four-year-old son and a two-yearold daughter. They also have a German shepherd named Zar. They like to go on dinner dates at The Met and they value spending time with

friends and family. They frequently travel to Cleveland to visit Jen’s family and go out to restaurants while enjoying the city life! They are also looking forward to spending their first Thanksgiving as a married couple with family this November.

This power couple have worked for themselves for as long as they can remember. Jen was a textile designer and has a talent for designing fabrics and making home textiles. Mark was an MMA fighter. They are both big into fitness as if cleaning homes wasn’t strenuous enough! Jen loves to ride her Peloton and Mark enjoys weight-lifting at West wood Fitness. On Sundays they make time to attend church at Bruised Reed Ministries where Mark’s dad is a pastor. When they have time to vaca tion, they love to travel to Florida and relax in the sun as often as possible.

The gift-giving season is upon us. A clean home is a perfect gift for any of those friends and family members that you want to take care of in a genuine way. Or maybe you have someone on your list that is challenging to shop for!

Contact Mark’s Maid Service to arrange a free quote and/or set up a gift someone will really appreciate! There truly is no better feeling than walk ing into a freshly cleaned home!

Mark’s

Cenovus Lima Refinery safety program earns industry award

Cenovus Lima Refinery recently earned an industry award for a new, more proactive safety audit program designed by an employee.

The program is driving improved engagement and con versation around potential hazards and pairing nontechni cal employees with subject matter experts. That’s helping all employees prevent safety incidents.

Safety is the No. 1 value at Cenovus Lima Refinery, and it was the driver of this innovative program to help prevent safety incidents during the facility’s 2021 fall turnaround, and add to our culture of owning our own safety.

Because of the Turnaround Audit Program’s success, refinery leaders have established a permanent monthly audit program.

Lima’s Turnaround Audit Program earned an Award for Excellence from the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council earlier this year. The award recognizes exceptional per formances in environmental, health, safety, and security by companies in Ohio’s chemical industry. Also this year, OCTC selected the refinery’s program for a presentation to the council’s Operational Excellence and Sustainabil ity Committee. The committee is the council’s avenue for member companies to share best practices.

The Lima program included 192 participants who con ducted 956 audits. Deficiencies were corrected in the

field and audit findings and trends were shared daily. The audit program helped to prevent safety incidents, particu larly near misses.

Audits are necessary in the refinery to assure regulatory compliance and a safe workplace and to verify the ef fectiveness of safety programs. But the refinery’s Safety Department wanted an audit process that was more proactive and engaged employees to identify potential hazards before they resulted in an injury or issue.

Lima Refinery Safety Advisor Doug Shick led an ef fort to create an audit that had its roots in another safety program called STOP (Safety Through Observation Program), which is a partnership with the United Steel workers. STOP observers are trained to watch activities and using a “no name, no blame” system, gaps can be addressed proactively.

During the 2021 turnaround, audit teams consisted of people with field experience and others from a non-tech nical background. Teams visited units and jobs with a safety topic and an audit form with open-ended questions that helped generate conversations.

The experience led to an expansion of the concept in 2022, increasing and improving proactive conversations in the plant and helping to drive down the refinery’s recordable injury rate.

Cenovus Lima Refinery Safety Manager Eddie Ramirez (left) and Safety Advisor Doug Shick receive an Ohio Chemistry Technology Council Award for Excellence at the organization’s annual conference.

Crazy Cat Codes

Precious Pets

by Georgie Damschroder

When owning a cat, there are some rules you may give your feline. No scratching the furniture, no jumping on the counter, and no dragging prey into the house are all common etiquettes by which most cats must abide. But some cities and countries made cat rules an official part of the law and what very strange laws they are! According to catingtonpost. com for example, if you’re a smoker, you may want to think twice before letting your cat have a go, for in Zion, Illinois, it is illegal to hand a lit cigar to cats. On the topic of sharing things, if you want to give kitty a nibble of your food, you’re legally obliged to fork over exactly half of whatever you’re eating to her in Italy. And while your cat may be inclined to slink around when it’s nice and dark after enjoying your dinner, they better not be caught doing so in Japan, where the curfew for any cat to be out is no later than eight p.m. If you’re wonder ing what your beloved cat may have been doing if not for the night time limit, simply ask the town of International Falls, Minnesota, who apparently had one too many run-ins and finally made it illegal for a cat to chase a dog up a telephone pole.

One local cat has lived in three different countries with some potentially quirky laws. Fourteen year old Leisel is a tabby cat who has lived in Germany, Canada, and now finally resides in the U.S.A. with Shelley Decker and Neil Murdoch on Adgate Road in Shawnee. She was adopted when she was around nine by her loving family from a shelter where Shelley worked.

“She seemed so sad at the shelter, so I decided she needed to come home with us,” Shelley says.

Leisel was born in Germany, where she lived for eight years before moving to Canada with her previous owners. After being adopted by Shelley and Neil, she lived with them in Canada for a while before moving down to Ohio. Decker & Murdoch strongly believe in an “adopt-don’t-shop” message, encouraging others to consider a shelter pet before purchasing from a breeder. They were specifically looking for an elderly shelter cat in need, which was when Leisel came into their lives at the perfect time. Now, Leisel lives the life of luxury in her retirement days, rolling about on soft carpets and getting lots of pats and scratches from her doting family. When the couple curls up for a quiet day of reading or relaxing in front of the TV, Leisel is sure to be there, purring and snoozing to her heart’s content. When Leisel does have to be left alone, she behaves herself quite well, even allowing pet sitters to momentarily take the place of her favorite people. Of course, she still misses Shelley and Neil terribly, and always loves greeting and nuzzling when they return home. Neil may have to leave often to work at the Cenovus Refinery, while retired Shelley may be home more often with Leisel. Leisel keeps out of trouble and loves her peaceful and caring life with Shelley and Neil in the more normally-lawed town of Lima.

Neil Murdoch & Shelley Decker

Readers Ask...

What is the best thing to invest in if you have $30k-$50k and you want your money to make money?

by Michael McCormick, CPA

What is the best thing to invest in if you have $30,000-$50,000 and you want your money to make money? The short answer is that it depends on your specific situation. A question often requires us to ask a lot of questions to get to the real question. This is one of those times. What does this money mean to you? Do you have other money set aside as an emergency fund of three to six months? How much do you want to work? Do you have “bad” debt, credit card debt? Is it qualified (retirement money) or non-qualified money? How soon will you need access to the money? How much risk are you really willing to endure?

I know lots of questions that don’t specifically answer our reader’s question but each must be dealt with before prudently “investing” the money. The answer to each question helps set the stage for how ready and to what extent you should be investing. If you don’t have an emergency fund, have “bad” debt, or need the money for other purposes within a year, you probably should not invest until you’ve resolved those issues.

Investing in the financial market, real estate, or anything else all entail risk, time, and effort. In the financial market you buy fractional ownership interests in publicly traded companies and based on empirically proved academic research your ex pected return on the portfolio and how much risk you are tak ing can be calculated. Real estate could entail buying renovat ing and selling properties or lending money to someone who does but there’s no academically determinable expected return. Each real estate transaction may have characteristics similar to the smallest publicly traded company (highly volatile results). How much risk are you willing to endure?

Once you are cleared to invest you should determine your in vesting expectations and acceptable range of returns. Range of returns? Yes, your annual return will fluctuate. Over-time your cumulative return should approach your portfolio’s expected return. How much fluctuation can you endure? The more risk/ volatility the wider the expected and acceptable range of oneyear returns.

Studies show that it is unreliable to attempt to pick individual stocks. An engineered portfolio of structured funds will give you broad diversification and market rates of return. Generally, the more equity positions you own in your portfolio the more volatility you should expect and be willing to accept.

Short answer – the longer you can leave the money invested the more equities you should own. Diversi fy based on the academic evidence of Fama and French and Mar kowitz and you will have a better investing experience. Investing in the financial markets will probably require less manual labor.

Michael McCormick is the Principle of Financial Clarity Group, Inc. an Ohio CPA and Investment Advisor Representative, with over 20 years experience. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Busi ness Administration and a 1988 graduate of Lima Central Catholic. He can be reached at 513-488-1121 or mike@financialclaritygroup.com and www.financialclaritygroup.com

Savvy Spaces

CURB APPEAL Tips by the Experts at Cowan Realtors

Curb Appeal is one of the most important factors in selling a home! Someone drives by your home and instantly wants to look at the inside because the outside is so appealing. It is the prospective buyers’ first impression of the exterior of the home. If the home’s exterior looks clean and well maintained, the buyer assumes that the interior will have the same attributes. It usually increases the value of the home and will help sell the home more quickly because more shoppers will take the time to tour the inside of the home, if the outside draws them in.

The main focus for curb appeal should be landscap ing. It does not need to be extensive. Landscaping should be neatly trimmed, weed free, and not over grown. You should be able to see the house, not just the trees and shrubs. Grass should be cut and weed free. The house should not have peeling or weather worn paint. The roof shingles should look fresh, not stained. The driveway should be edged and in good shape. If a house looks shabby from the out side, people will think the inside is not cared for or maintained. Even in a newer home, if the landscap ing or yard are not maintained, the house will lack curb appeal.

Fraunfelter Road: The landscaping used in the front of this home provides an almost resort-like feel. Carefully mowing your lawn to leave perfect geo metric lines can cause someone to do a double-take when passing by, because it simply communicates an elevated level of care. Fresh mulch makes the landscape feel clean and manicured. It gives your lawn a finished and refined look by occupying the empty spaces, which also helps in making the main tenance an easier job. Seating in front of a home provides a welcoming invitation to all that visit and can become a great way to connect with neighbors and foster community. The entrance is the first en counter for you, your visitors and the design moves that lie within. Offering a bright, power washed driveway also relays a message to potential home buyers that everything is well cared for. Adding décor to the front door can say so much about the occupants. Hanging baskets of flowers and wreaths are not just for Christmas or Easter, they work just as beautifully for fall and spring door décor, too.

Fraunfelter Road, Submitted by Agent, Melinda Sebenoler

Timberfield Drive: The darker paint scheme of this home provides a perfect backdrop for neutral or color ful landscape choices. The addition of stone veneer is a fantastic way to add texture, color and interest to a home’s exterior. Since stone has a natural aesthetic, matching stone with vinyl siding colors is easy. Perfectly installed light fixtures on the sides of the front door and garage doors, as well as under the eaves, can draw attention to unique features and provide safety at night.

Fairway Drive: Circular driveways not only look great, but they also create a comfortable entry for drivers. They offer more space to park and give drivers a safer option besides backing into the street. They usually fit best on larger properties because there needs to be sufficient front yard space. Shutters add charm and char acter to a home. Even though modern-day shutters are purely cosmetic, they should still match the shape and size of your windows and look like they could cover the windows perfectly when closed. If your window does not have space on both sides, it’s best to skip the shutters. Hanging plants are also a nice touch!

Timberfield Drive, Submitted by Agent, Reneé Smiley

Fairway Drive, Submitted by Agent, Julie Brodbeck

Amazing Achievers

A Team of ONE! Bridget Mulcahy

by Paige Brinkman

Lima Central Catholic High School (LCC) senior, Bridget Mulcahy is finishing up her last year of golf. Bridget started golfing at a super young age with her grandpa and sister. She really started taking golf seriously in middle school when she and her sisters noticed a group of girls with lots of potential in the LCC community and “knew we could have a good team in the future.” Bridget practices at the Shaw nee Country Club and this happens to also be her favorite course. The LCC Girls Golf Team has won the state tournament the past four years (2018-2021) and Bridget was a part of the winning team the last three years (2019-2021). Along with winning three state championships, Bridget was NWOGGL Player of the Year in 2021 and a member of the All Ohio Team in 2021.

The LCC Girls Golf Team is looking a little dif ferent for Bridget this year, for she is the only one on the team. Bridget plays the girls’ schedule by herself but she also gets to play in tournaments with LCC’s Boys Golf Team. With there being no girls on her team, it makes everything different. Bridget’s sisters were always there to push her in practice and motivate her at tournaments, but this year she says, “I have to motivate myself to practice and to play as hard as I can without my teammates there to push me.” Although she does not always have to practice by herself, she gets to practice with the

Coach Dan Reinicke & Bridget, 2021 Player of the Year

2020 State Champion Division II Girls Golf

2019 State Champion Division II Girls Golf

boys sometimes, which she says is nice. “They are like my team too, so I want to play well when I play with them.” Even with the team being different this year, Bridget is still aiming to play to the best of her abilities and succeed at the state tournament. She has been taking this season, one tournament at a time and tries not to dwell on her bad rounds or get too excited about her good rounds. “Keeping neutral is the key to success in golf in my opinion,” states Bridget. Her key to success is working because she recently won the sectionals tournament at the end of September, shooting a 79, which means she quali fied to compete at the state tournament!

Bridget also participates in Mu Alpha Theta Math Club, National Honor Society, basketball, and dance at Lyn’s Academy of Dance. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching mov ies, playing card games, and loves watching basketball. Bridget hopes to attend Bowling Green State University to study education.

2021 State Champion Division II Girls Golf

Hickory Nut Cake with Penuche Frosting

From the kitchen of Dana and Patrick Feasel on Hokan Trail

by Janine Douglass

Dana Feasel and husband, Patrick, of Lima Pa thology Associates, have lived with their young son and daughter, Wyatt and Nora, for four years in their Indianbrook home as of summer time 2022. But the recipe she offers spans six or seven generations, as evidenced by her great grandmother’s handwriting, noting its over 100 years age, in a cookbook compiled by her aunts and uncles for their extended family.

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• ½ cup salted butter (room temperature)

• 2 eggs beaten until creamy

• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 3 cups flour (separated)

• 1 cup raisins

• 1 cup hickory nuts, finely chopped (may substitute pecans or black English walnuts)

• 1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting ingredients:

• ½ cup butter

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ cup milk or half and half

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs until creamy. Add granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, and condensed milk. Beat until incorporated. Sift together baking powder & (2) cups of the flour. Slowly stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Incorporate raisins, finely chopped nuts and the last (1) cup of flour to make a stiff batter. Bake in a lightly greased tube pan (or angel food cake pan) for 35-45 min. (check doneness with toothpick).

Frosting: Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar, boil on medium/medium-high for two minutes (stirring frequently so the bottom doesn’t burn). Add milk and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Then beat in sugar and vanilla (adding chopped hickory nuts if desired.)

This delicious cake, great for holidays and parties, is also a delicious breakfast treat; and can be made a couple of days in advance, actually enhancing its flavor. Enjoying this dessert and cooking with a recipe from a treasured family cookbook, lets us have our cake and eat it, too!

Welcome

Welcome to Breezewood!

Michael and Megan Tremoulis recently moved to Breezewood with their son, Harrison. Michael is a lawyer for Huffman, Kelley & Brock, LLC here in Lima. Megan is a stay-at-home mom with Harrison, who just turned one! The Tremoulis family enjoys watching and playing sports, spending time with family, and travel.

Meet the Greeley Family: Michael, Ashley & Dylan. Mike works in skilled trades for the Ford Motor Co., and Ashley is a CPA for E.S. Evans and Co. Together, with their two-year-old son Dylan, the family loves any outdoor activities, spending time at Lake Erie, traveling, campfires, and spending time with family.

For the Halker Family, moving to Shawnee was coming home. Matt and Morgan were born and raised in Shawnee and are both very close with their families. Matt works here in Lima as a project manager for Smith-Boughan and Morgan is a stay-at-home mom with their daughter Evelyn, who just celebrated her first birthday. Boating, golfing, snowmobiling, skiing, and snowboarding are just some of the Halker family’s favorite things. Matt and Morgan look forward to raising Evelyn in their hometown.