Shawnee Life - February 2023

Neighborhood Sponsor Directory

These local businesses are proud to serve our community and sponsor Shawnee Life Magazine. Their contributions make this magazine possible. Please support these businesses and let them know that you saw them in Shawnee Life.

APPLIANCES

Tracy’s Appliances

(419) 223-4786

Westrich Furniture & Appliances

(419) 695-6045

BUILDING RESTORATION EXPERTS

Trisco Systems

(419) 339-3906

CANCER CARE / ONCOLOGY

Cancer Care of West Central Ohio

(419) 221-2273

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

FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Financial Clarity Group

(513) 752-0386

FOOD & DRINK

Old Barn Restaurant & Grill

(419) 991-3075

Purple Feet Wine Boutique

(567) 940-9944

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

JEWELER

Vons Diamonds & Jewelry

(419) 227-5616

LEASING LOFTS & BUSINESS SPACE

Kelly Martino

(419) 604-2356

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

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

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

Affordable Blinds & Window Fashions

(419) 230-1558

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18 SHAWNEE LUMINARY NIGHT & DECK YOUR HOUSE CONTEST WINNERS!

6 FROM DIANE’S DESK A message from the publisher, Diane Schoonover.

14 MAKING A MARK

See what a difference our local non-profit organizations and service groups are making.

16 SAVVY SPACES

Inspiration abounds as we highlight interior design ideas, curb appeal strategies, and explain how to make your house feel like a home.

25 MERCY MATTERS

Learn how Mercy Health provides high-quality hometown care.

26 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Our sponsors have the opportunity to share who they are and how their business works.

29 CENOVUS SAYS

Get the latest news from Lima Refinery and learn how Cenovus is reducing environmental impacts, leveraging new technology, and contributing to our community.

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30 PRECIOUS PETS

Everyone loves to share stories about their pets. Find out how many people tend to treat them like another member of the family.

32 FINANCIAL FOCUS

Securities, Real Estate, Tax Planning. We bring the sharpest minds with their practical advice of how to strategically invest your capital to meet you family’s goals.

33 DISH-CUSSIONS

What’s cooking in Shawnee? This is where you will discover a delicious recipe and the story behind the dish and the chef!

34 TRAVEL TALES

Vicariously travel with our readers to destinations, near and far.

36 AMAZING ACHIEVERS

Our Junior Writers and special school correspondents share stories about successful students, athletes, or events in local schools

39 WELCOME WAGON

New people are always moving into Shawnee... meet them here!

TALK OF THE TOWN: SHAWNEE LIFE SPONSORS GATHER TOGETHER

From Diane’s Desk...

Happy Valentine’s Day!

As a former teacher, one of my favorite school holidays was Valentine’s Day. I love watching children create and exchange valentines with each other and enjoying class parties. My hubby (aka “Love Machine”) refers to this day as a “Hallmark holiday,” but I enjoy the sentiment behind it. Why wouldn’t I enjoy an excuse to go out on a date, exchange gifts and reminisce about how it all started on match.com way back in the summer of 2010!? This time of year also reminds me of the importance of going on regular date nights to keep the love alive! I hope we will see some of our readers out on the town on February 14th!

I hope all of our readers have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with a loved one, family and/ or friends! Of course, I would also like to take a moment to share my love for everyone that reads and supports Shawnee Life Magazine.

MEET THE TRIBE

Diane Schoonover Publisher / Advertising

Michael Ayers Photographer

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

Nick Schoonover Love Machine

Meet the Family Williams

Know Your Neighbors

by Julie Lundin

For over 43 years, the Old Barn Out Back has been a staple for great food in the Shawnee community. The Williams family opened the restaurant in 1979, and it has remained in the family ever since. Meet the Williams family on Wapak Road: Pete, Bridgett, and their children: Gabe (22), Michaela (20), Alaina (18), and Noah (16).

Pete and Bridgett are both from the area and have been married for 24 years. Pete graduated from LCC in 1990, and Bridgett graduated from Spencerville in 1991. They met in January 1997 after Pete returned home to help run the restaurant after two and a half years in Orlando, Florida. By that December, they were engaged and the rest, as they say, is history!

Pete and Bridgett love the Shawnee community and enjoy living so close to the Shawnee Schools where their kids have been involved in numerous sports and activities through

the years. Gabe is currently a senior at Xavier University in Cincinnati studying biology in hopes of working in healthcare. Gabe is also the President of the Xavier Triathlon Team. While at Shawnee, he ran cross country, track, and was on the swim team. Michaela is currently living in Lima and is working as a licensed massage therapist at Modern Health & Wellness Chiropractic Care. When she attended Shawnee, she ran cross country, was on the swim/dive team, and was also a cheerleader. Alaina is a senior at Shawnee where she runs cross country (qualifying for State all four years), is on the track team, and is also a cheerleader for the Indians. Noah is a junior at Shawnee. Like his siblings before him, he is on the cross country team (holding the school record for men’s cross country), basketball team, and runs track.

The Williams family is very active and they love to wakeboard and surf behind their boat. They travel all over the country with their boat, but their favorite place to go is Lake Norris in Tennessee. They also enjoy skiing and snowboarding at Boyne Mountain in Michigan. When the kids were younger,

the Williams family took their motor home out West for extended vacations. Some of the places they visited include: Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, Banff National Park, the Grand Canyon, New Mexico, Colorado, and they even hiked five of the national parks in Utah!

Pete and Bridgett are involved in both the Shawnee and LCC Schools, Lima St. John’s Church, and several non-profit organizations. They know how important it is to give back to their community and their family is happy to do so!

The Old Barn is a labor of love for the entire family. Pete purchased the restaurant from his parents in 2000 and has been the owner and operator ever since. During the busy holidays you can find the entire Williams family working at the restaurant, and at the end of a long day they will sit down at one of the tables to share a meal together. During the 2020 Covid lockdown, Pete and Bridgett were able to totally renovate the restaurant, which is now known as the Old Barn Restaurant and Grill. They added a bar, outdoor patio, painted the exterior, developed a new menu with help from their family and friends, as well as many other updates. The Old Barn is also a great venue for wedding receptions, business events, and they even offer outside catering.

Starting in February, the restaurant will have live music on the weekends and there will even be a “Sweetheart Buffet” to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

You can check out all of the details at the restaurant’s website: oldbarnlima.com

Love (n.); an intense feeling of deep affection. With February being the month of love, the Williams family represents this word in so many aspects of their life. They have a true love for sports, adventure, business, and most importantly, their love for one another and their community.

Shawnee Life Sponsor Appreciation Dinner

The sponsors fuel the publication of the magazine so our readers can receive it each and every month. We invited all of our Shawnee Life Magazine sponsors to an appreciation dinner in December and even though not all could attend, we had a grand time with those that did join us. After being greeted with champagne and eating a delicious dinner, we all enjoyed loaded buckeyes and mini cupcakes from Sara’s Sweets and perfect French macarons from Miss Mel’s Bakery for dessert. It was wonderful to see a variety of local business owners mingling and networking with one another. The evening was full of amazing conversations, laughter and holiday cheer!

Jennifer Brogee, The Meeting Place & Kevin Brogee, Lima Lawn Care

Heather Rutz, Cenovus & Beth Jokinen

Sara Anderson, Sara’s Sweets & Ben Anderson

Joyce & Jeff Tracy, Tracy’s Appliances

Myron Meas & Ashley Cowan-Meas, Cowan Realtors

Nicholas Wheeler, Affordable Blinds and Window Fashions & Jared Wittenmyer

Cassie Gillette & Ann Stiles, Mercy Health Michael Ayers, The Ayers, Inc Zach & Kristen Everett, Light Up Lima

Dawn Arheit, Busy B Realty & Tim Arheit

Sara’s Sweets & Miss Mel’s Bakery

Bells, Brass and Bows was Spectacular!

by Bill and Kendra Mullholland

After winning tickets to the 2022 Lima Symphony Orchestra’s Bells, Brass, and Bows Annual Christmas Orchestra, we were able to experience the LSO for the first time. It was amazing! We were so excited to hear that we were the recipients of the tickets from the contest in Shawnee Life Magazine and were excited about the event for weeks! LSO did not disappoint! With a combination of classical music, traditional Christmas tunes, and a little bit of jazz, the musicians and singers were outstanding! The violinist, Anita Chiu, with her three solo pieces from The Four Seasons, was our favorite, but all the instrumentalists and singers were phenomenal. We will be attending future shows! Thank you, Diane and Nick Schoonover and Shawnee Life Magazine for gifting us these tickets from the LSO to such a great show!

We answer Christ’s call to serve our community and each other

During the 2021-2022 school year, LCC students logged a total of 4,455 service hours LCC had 33 students who were recognized for community service as National Award earners LCC students are making a difference and helping to build a better world!

Making a Mark

by Chelsea Sunderland, Client Services Director

Heartbeat of Lima & Putnam County is celebrating 50 years of serving the community in 2023! The location at 421 South Cable Road, purchased last May has allowed Heartbeat to bring formerly separated Lima-area services all under one roof, and what a blessing that has been! Heartbeat is also considering expanding services at the Ottawa location later this year.

This organization provides assistance to families of all sizes who are anticipating or parenting children under age 3 at both the Lima and Ottawa locations. Without accepting payment of any kind, they offer infant formula, diapers, bottles, wipes and more to those who need emergency help, individuals with foster placements, or parents who are simply between paychecks. Heartbeat also provides a long-term opportunity for clients to “learn & earn” additional items like clothing, nursery necessities, baby food, and bedding items from the “baby boutique” for women or men who participate in free parenting classes. They also offer free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds for women who suspect they may be pregnant, and can provide referrals for services like adoption

assistance, housing programs, mental health services, and any other immediate needs.

Because Heartbeat of Lima is a 501c3 non-profit organization funded by local donors, community events, church congregations and other independent local sources they do not accept government or taxpayer funding and therefore do not have residency restrictions, low-income requirements, or other limitations that would exclude them from helping people in need. They also accept donated items for the “baby boutique” such as new or gently used clothing, swings, strollers, bouncers, bedding, and unopened/ unexpired formulas, baby food, and toiletry products. Many of those items come from community “baby showers” such as the one hosted by the Parent Task Force at St Charles Catholic School during their Advent service project. This event alone provided nearly 3,000 diapers and over 400 ounces of formula, along with

Boutique at the new Lima location

Nearly 4,500 diapers purchased by the ABATE Region 3 Annual Toy Run and donated to Heartbeat Lobby at Cable Road loation in Lima

hundreds of bedding and clothing items, toys, and more. Our local worship communities have been a wonderful source of material and financial support as well, allowing Heartbeat to serve more families each year.

With the new location and a growing awareness of the benefits pregnancy resource centers provide, Heartbeat of Lima & Putnam County has been able to expand its available ultrasound appointments in the past year also. They do not accept insurance or any form of payment from clients and this service is not limited to families who are low-income or uninsured. They provide limited obstetrical ultrasounds for the purpose of confirming a pregnancy, verifying that the baby is growing within the uterus, confirming that a heartbeat is present, and taking measurements to estimate the gestational age and due date. With the ultrasound technology and sonographer training available today, they can commonly see and measure a heartbeat at as little as 6 weeks gestation.

As a life-affirming ministry, Heartbeat also seeks to help women who are in need of pregnancy support. They minister to women who are considering adoption, contemplating abortion, or who are having difficulty disclosing a pregnancy to loved ones. The nurses at Heartbeat provide honest and complete answers from a medical and practical perspective. Heartbeat’s goal is for women to choose life for their babies, and trained client advocates are committed to providing accurate information about pregnancy options, offering adoption support, post-abortive support and other necessary services so women can make an informed choice.

Heartbeat of Lima & Putnam County has been blessed by the community’s support for the past 50 years and looks forward to celebrating life with their clients for many years to come!

Baby bottle fundraisers are great for churches, schools, youth groups, or team challenges

“Baby Shower” at St. Charles School

Pastor James Menke, recipient of the Heartbeat Life Leadership Award during the 2022 Fundraising Banquet

Baby admires Santa during client Christmas Party

Savvy Spaces

Transforming Vision into Reality

by Ashley Kennedy, Owner/Principal

Back in April 2018, Ashley Kennedy Design slipped into the design scene unexpectedly and seemingly out of nowhere and has since been artfully crafting meticulously well-designed spaces. Four years, and a series of projects later, I still grab inspiration from the project that started it all – my own home. A 1970’s stone castle modernized by the style I define as classic contemporary and designed with a promise to make timeless selections. With an inability to relinquish design decisions to anyone, I found myself with an unanticipated full-time job of furnishing our newly renovated home. It proved to be more than difficult to find the furnishings I was looking for. I knew I wanted it to be different, and I couldn’t find anything I wanted anywhere. So, after months of research in finding unique, quality items, I went directly to the manufacturers of those products. Slowly but surely, something far more beautiful than I even knew I was capable of, was coming together and unknowingly, the beginnings of my business were forming.

Well into my own project, I received a call that changed the trajectory of my career. It was a request for my services to design a lake house. I was shocked and nervous, but also completely honored to be trusted to fabricate the space where this family would experience so many memories, special moments with friends and loved ones, laughter or even sadness and grief. And all of a sudden, I felt the weight of being chosen to be part of creating the backdrop against which this family

would experience their lives. After my reluctancy, my husband’s supportive persuasion encouraged me to accept the task with no real experience and no proper business. I only knew one thing for sure. I had the drive to succeed. That no matter what, I wasn’t going to fail. It just wasn’t an option. Ashley Kennedy Design was formed right there in that moment on the principle of success - the willingness and the ability to stick to a task or objective until you reach the desired outcome. We still operate under this principle today.

Ashley Kennedy Design began offering something new and exciting to the Lima area that was not currently available. I wanted to provide a custom design service that was more than decorating. I knew that I didn’t

want to just sell furniture picked by clients, and I was also very aware that leaving design decisions to those who are not experts in the field is a costly and inefficient choice. I had a clear and precise vision of helping clients craft spaces that inspire love and life. Spaces that are not only stunning, but also functional. In methodically creating the details of AKD, we began to offer our most valuable and unique resources: 3D renderings. These life-like models of spaces were the key to showing our clients what their space would actually look like. In addition to floorplans and design boards, these renderings serve as the foundation of creating a confident feeling amongst our clients. We realized the inability for most people to be able to visualize their finished space without a true representation of the final product. This has been a transformational part of the business for us mostly because we understand and take very seriously the trust and confidence that our clients have in us. As our business grows, we have made it our goal to always be adapting in order to best serve our clients.

Today, our mission is to be a visionary leader of design providing luxurious, timeless spaces that are uniquely tailored to our clients to enhance the beauty of their homes and lives. Our team is unwavering in our commitment to the vision of being a leading high-end design firm for both residential and commercial spaces creating timeless masterpieces that will last a lifetime.

Shawnee Luminary Night 2022

by Mike & Nora Beerline, Luminary Event Organizers

In the 1970’s, a new Christmas tradition was started in the Indianbrook subdivision by lining the streets with weighted bags with candles. At that time, the tradition was twofold: 1 - It allowed the residents of Indianbrook to show off their Christmas decorations to more people in the area, and 2 - It allowed the developers to show off the neighborhood to potential buyers.

holiday lighting competition for Indianbrook residents called, Deck Your House. This contest has prizes for the top 10 contestants that are voted on by resident judges. The HOA has adopted the idea of encouraging people to decorate their properties more with the incentive of a friendly competition. Mike Beerline, HOA treasurer and a luminary event organizer, said “During the process of the competition, we had neighbors helping neighbors decorate their homes. It’s great to see people responding by decorating more, and the more homes that decorate, the more money that can be raised for charity.”

Unfortunately, the luminary event died out after several years because it required so many volunteers. After a 20year hiatus, the tradition was revived by Jodie Robinson in her role as the owner of Shawnee Living Magazine. Jodie ran the luminary event for five years and grew the event into five Shawnee neighborhoods with over 500 homes participating. In 2022, Jodie stepped down as luminary event organizer, and the Indianbrook HOA ran the event for Indianbrook, and the Wildbrook HOA coordinated the Wildbrook and Timberfield neighborhoods. On December 13th, over 5000 luminaries were lit throughout the three neighborhoods, thanks to the organizers, street captains and sponsors. The evening was a huge success, as the event raised $1067.00 and 1374 pounds of food for the West Ohio Food Bank.

The Indianbrook side of the event is sponsored by local businesses and the HOA. Before the event, there is a

One example of how Shawnee Luminary Night positively impacts the community, in addition to raising funds for the food bank, is the number of local nursing home buses that come to see the lights on Luminary Night. John Clements from the Basement Doctor interacted with all of the residents on the bus as he passed out candy. The riders all had donations for the food bank. Then after they made their donations, they all started to thank John and the Luminary Night event organizers because it made them remember similar events from when they were young. “To see the smiles and joy on their faces was gratifying and that made the Shawnee Luminary Night worth all the hard work,” said Mike Beerline (Indianbrook HOA Treasurer).

The Shawnee Luminary Night will continue in 2023 with improvements, and hopefully more homes competing for the coveted “Deck Your House” trophy that stays in the home of the first place winner until the following year. Thank you to all who participated and contributed.

Deck Your House Contest!

Commentary by the Top 3 Winners!

A lot of work goes into our lighting installation. Two computers are used to control the lighting looks and power relays. There are approximately 10,000 - 15,000 LEDs used in the display. The icicles are actually a standard strand of Christmas lights that were zip-tied to form icicles and took approximately 15 hours to make. The lights on the roof are held in place with thin steel wire. There are over 110 strands hanging in the trees to create the willow effect. The approximate power consumption is around 1200-1500 watts (single 15a breaker).

And here’s a little information about us… Both of us were born and raised in Southern California. We’ve been together for over 16 years. We don’t have any children, but we do have one fat spoiled 15-year-old Russian Blue cat named Killer. Matt has been in the army for over 20 years and deployed to Iraq twice. We are currently stationed in Lima, OH and will be reassigned in the next few years.

The lighting inspiration comes from several aspects of my life growing up. When it came to Christmas my grandparents would deck out every single inch of their house, inside and out. Some of you may have noticed our house lighting changes based on other holidays. That's because the house is controlled via a computer and network nodes, which allow us to change the lighting looks and colors on a whim. When Christmas time arrives my two hobbies come together, lighting and computers. With a little magic and a big imagination, the skies the limit...well I mean budget, but you get the picture. Our display may be crazy but the power consumption is not as insane as you'd imagine. The roof alone uses the same amount of power as 3 strings of incandescent mini lights. Speaking of the roof, the inspiration for it came from Disneyland's Wintertime Castle during the holidays.

We love seeing people slow down or stop to look at the lights. It lets us know that even for just a moment our holiday spirit has brought some joy to others.

Judging Notes:

- Definite winner & good representation of Indianbrook!

- The drama and whimsy of the weeping willow lights combined with the light show that changes every few seconds were elements that made this home a showstopper…and a traffic stopper!

- Can see this house from far away. Love the spirit! The straight lines on the roof are so nice!

- Can only say WOW!

1st PLACE: Andrew & Matt Johnson of 5097 Tillamook Trail Winner of $500 cash prize, an award and the coveted traveling trophy!

2nd

PLACE: The Schmiedebusch Family

Erica, Dan, Lucy, James & Jax of 4857 Kitamat Trail

Winner of $250 cash prize and an award!

This is our fourth Christmas in Indianbrook! The decorating took off in 2020 when everyone needed something to make them smile. Since then, we have started in late October/early November with outdoor lights and decorations but the crafting and homemade touches are started much earlier. We drafted this year’s “North Pole” setup shortly after the contest last year so that we could start shopping the after Christmas sales for needed decor. While it was still warm, many hours were spent outside painting the kids’ playhouse to use as Santa’s Workshop, spray painting wooden stakes, and checking a rather outrageous number of light strands. Our kids, Lucy, James and Jax, love running through the yard at night when the lights start going up and driving through the neighborhood to look at everyone else’s. Stay tuned - next year’s theme is already in the works!

Judging Notes:

- Love the theme and effort is noticeable. The music was a nice touch and loved the elfie station!

- Lots of lights! Her own ideas! Used the whole yard!

- Classy and colorful!

- The path to the elf house was great!

- The décor is layered with so much to look at!

3rd PLACE: The Fry Family

Michelle, Bob, Zachary, Zoey, Bradley & Kelly of 800 Kiowa Trail

Winner of $100 cash prize and an award!

We are the Fry family: Michelle and Bob, with our four kids Zachary, Zoey, Bradley and Kelly. We have lived on Kiowa Trail since 2017. We bought our house because we fell in love with our backyard. Our family loves seeing the deer, owls, hawks, and other birds and critters. We also enjoy talking and getting to know many of our neighbors.

Our family loves to decorate for the holidays. Our parents and grandparents were always big on decorating for the holidays and we love to carry on that family tradition with our family. We have a couple of holiday decorations that were my grandparents, like the antique sled we have in our front yard.

Judging Notes:

- Loved the suckers! Great layout! Colorful! Snowflakes all over the house!

- I love the inflatables!

- Pretty Christmas tree! Noticed the pool noodle lollipops and reindeer pulling the sleigh! Display with the most spirit!

- Great layout! Amazing!

- The polar bears with moving heads are neat!

Volunteer Programs at Mercy Health!

by Nicole Davis

Have you ever considered a career in the medical field, but were unsure which department you were interested in? Did you ever want to see new experiences first-hand and volunteer in your community? Are you or someone you know a teenager wondering what direction to take in the future? One of the three volunteer programs at Mercy St. Rita’s may be just the thing you were looking for to help guide your path or the path of someone you know! Through the Volunteer/Auxiliary Resources office at St. Rita’s, you can apply for one of these three eye-opening programs. The options available include job shadowing, volunteering, or participating in the summer volunteen program. Applying is easy; a new opportunity is waiting for you!

JOB SHADOW

For employees going to school, college students who need hours for a degree or program, or high school students wanting to learn more about various professions, job shadowing is the right choice. The shadowing program is a way to observe and learn about a particular occupation or interest. Not only do you see first-hand what is required for a certain career, but you will also be in the position to see what you want and do not want as your future vocation. At St. Rita’s, you will gain experience to include on resumes and expand your networking contacts. The greater your networking circle, the more employment options you will have.

VOLUNTEER

Volunteering is the perfect way to be involved and gain hands-on experience in the hospital setting. From helping patients, completing clerical duties, to deliver-

ing flowers and mail, there are more than 75 options available and can be found in nearly every department at Mercy Health. Your schedule is also based on your availability and level of commitment. Volunteers must complete the application process and attend a hospital orientation. As a volunteer you not only help to make a positive difference in your own community but receive complimentary meals in the cafeteria and can attend the annual volunteer appreciation luncheon.

VOLUNTEEN

When looking toward the future, the sky is the limit. Students can discover their potential and lifelong career choice by participating in the summer volunteen program. The volunteen program is for middle/high school students aged 14+ and completed the 8th grade. Students volunteer for a minimum of 40 hours throughout the summer. Volunteens assist with a variety of needs in St. Rita’s medical facilities. Applications for this specialized program are due in March, so get yours in today!

Laurie Nicklaus, the Volunteer Coordinator at St. Rita’s Medical Center, can get you started on the right track. A simple call or email to her office and she will send you an application right away. As Laurie explained, “Our volunteer programs are the perfect way to see all the opportunities in the hospital setting. The impact can be life changing for our volunteers.” Depending on which program you are interested in, there are simple steps to follow, and you can get started right away. Please contact Laurie by phone at (419) 226-9461 or by email at ljnicklaus@mercy.com. She’s looking forward to hearing from you.

Heather Rutz, Cenovus & Beth Jokinen

Gift Shop volunteers: Becky & Ruth

A Day in the Life...

by Benji Bergstrand, ReStore Manager

The first thing Rick Kabara does when he sits down at his desk at the Lima ReStore each morning, after grabbing a cup of coffee of course, is check his e-mail, his voicemail and online donation pick-up requests. “We have several different ways people can request a donation,” Rick says. “I try to get people scheduled as quickly as possible.” Donations are vital to the ReStore’s mission of raising funds for Habitat for Humanity. “Without donations we can’t build homes,” Rick explains. “Donations are our largest source of income. If I don’t do my job, everything suffers.”

Donors who schedule online at www.restorelima. org have the luxury of choosing a convenient time slot from the available slots on the pick-up calendar. Donors who call or stop by the store will speak to Rick who sees customer service as an essential part of his job. “Our donors are the key people in our organization and we treat them as well as we possibly can,” Rick says. “You want them to have a pleasant experience. Then they’ll talk to their friends and family and the donations grow.”

As Rick is grabbing his first cup of coffee and beginning to contact donors, Stevie Seymour and Tom Snyder, the ReStore donations team, are hard at work checking over the ReStore truck and the route they will drive that day as they pick up the donations. “My job wouldn’t matter if it weren’t for the good work Stevie and Tom do,” Rick is quick to point out. “They are the face of the organization to our donors.”

After all the checks are done, Stevie and Tom hit the road. Life “on the road” has its share of challenges and Stevie, with five years of experience on the ReStore truck has just about seen it all. From weather related challenges to dealing with traffic and crazy drivers, he has learned to stay focused on the bigger purpose. “I just keep it calm,” Stevie says. “When we pick up donations we’re really building houses. That’s the mission.” Tom is motivated by the idea that the donations team are representatives of Habitat for Humanity and the ReStore. “One of the biggest compliments we ever got was, ‘You guys represent the ReStore well’, because that’s exactly what we’re trying to do,” Tom explained.

At the donor’s house, Stevie and Tom work quickly and carefully to load the donations. In the course of any given day the donations team sees a wide variety of donation. “At residences we will get donations from appliances to furniture to home décor or really just about anything,” Stevie says.

To illustrate that point, the team recently returned from U.S. Plastics with several tons worth of plastic cutting boards. “We don’t take everything,” Kabara says with a laugh. “But if we think we can sell it, we’ll give it a try.”

Back at the store volunteers and staff team up to unload, clean and price the donations. Donations

like upholstered furniture need to be sterilized, while electrical items need to be tested. Once it is ready the donation is moved to the sales floor where it will wait for that special customer to come in and buy it. The proceeds from that sale go to help Habitat build a home for a deserving family in the area.

After all the donations have been unloaded, the donation team will reconvene in Rick’s office to share stories from the road and strategize for the coming day. Keeping the ReStore donations flowing is not an easy job, but it is one with satisfying rewards. “Our work puts people in homes,” Rick points out. “We want other people to have a safe, decent home the same way we do.”

Many people know that Habitat for Humanity builds homes for deserving families who don’t have adequate housing, but beyond that there is one big misconception about how Habitat does their work. Contrary to what many people think, Habitat doesn’t give away houses. It’s the idea of giving a hand up instead of a hand out. Habitat homeowners will pay a mortgage that is tailored to their financial situation. Habitat also helps set up partner families for success by not requiring a down payment and not charging interest.

Habitat partner families are chosen through a rigorous process that involves determining their level of need and assessing their financial situation to ensure they can be successful in the partnership. Partner families are also expected to put in what is called “sweat equity” hours where they help build their own home. If anyone is physically unable to work on a build site Habitat makes accommodations such as allowing people to volunteer at the ReStore.

Partner families benefit from their new home in more ways than many people realize. The children of homeowners are more likely to graduate high school and college than they otherwise would be. Homeowners also have better physical and mental health. In addition they are more likely to vote and participate in community organization. The work of Habitat leads to stronger families and stronger communities.

If you would like to join Habitat in this important work or if you know of a family who might be interested in becoming a partner family visit www.habitatlima.org or call 419-222-4937 for the Habitat offices and call 419-222-4257 for ReStore.

At Cenovus, we are committed to creating positive impacts and to making people’s lives better. In Lima, that means safely and responsibly producing products we use in our daily lives, and strengthening our community as a trusted partner.

At Cenovus, we are committed to creating positive impacts and to making people’s lives better. In Lima, that means safely and responsibly producing products we use in our daily lives, and strengthening our community as a trusted partner.

RESPONSIBLE OPERATOR AND TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNER, FOR MORE THAN 135 YEARS

CENOVUS.COM

CENOVUS.COM

At Cenovus, we are committed to creating positive impacts and to making people’s lives better. In Lima, that means safely and responsibly producing products we use in our daily lives, and strengthening our community as a trusted partner.

CENOVUS.COM

Cenovus committed to emergency response preparation

Tabletop exercises and live drills are just some of the ways our emergency management team helps ensure we are properly prepared for any emergency. These planned exercises are an important part of Cenovus’s commitment to emergency response preparation—and are executed on a regular basis across all Cenovus locations.

Scott Andrews, Senior Emergency Management & Business Continuity Advisor, is part of a specialized team at Cenovus that leads response preparation. The Emergency Management team spend much of their time at our sites – building response capacity, helping on-site emergency response staff and employees practice response efforts and developing relationships with local emergency management officials and first responders.

“Safety will always be our top value, and that guides our decision making,” says Scott. “Despite the processes in place, things don’t always happen the way you would like them to, and we have a responsibility to have the right preparedness in place and the right capabilities to respond.”

Preparing for an emergency response is a collaborative effort. Both those who would respond at our field locations and our corporate Incident Support Team regularly participate in tabletop and live drill exercises that allow participants to think through scenarios and ask questions.

“We work with all levels of the organization to improve capability,” says Scott. “Our job is to make sure sites are prepared and that everyone goes home safe, even if we have an unforeseen event.”

Along with planned exercises, technology is helping Cenovus be more proactive and effective. New software provides the emergency response team with a bird’s eye view of each of our sites and combines that live mapping with a communication system. The dual tool allows us to identify nearby stakeholders and provide those at site with real-time, on-theground information such as the potential of a serious weather event.

When asked about his role, Scott says after 20 years in emergency management, the work continues to be rewarding, especially being a part of an experienced, professional team that drives continuous improvement.

“Our hope is we never have to deploy emergency teams, but if we do, thorough planning, training and practical exercises, we will have skilled and capable responders to protect what matters most, our people and the community” says Scott.

Cenovus Says

Crews in Lima recently placed equipment into the Ottawa River as part of planned exercises of the spill response capabilities at the refinery .

Precious Pets

by Georgie Damschroder

When owning a pet, there are definitely many supplies you’ll need: bedding, food, toys, the whole nine yards. And our local Dot’s Pet Center is committed to providing all of that and more for your furry, scaley, or feathered friend now and for decades to come. Many have even brought home a new forever member of the family from Dot’s!

youngest employee at sixteen to his oldest at sixty, Evan values each of their opinions and thoughts of improving the store. It is because of its innovative employees that you will see changes for the better at Dot’s, such as “care sheets,” which detail information on each pet such as feeding or enclosing.

Evan also surprised himself in store owning. “I surprised myself by noticing the fight I have for my staff, my family, and the health of our business. Knowing that I have so many people relying on me for employment, food on their table, a roof over their family’s head and so much more really makes you challenge yourself to be the best version of yourself,” Evan says. “As my father-in-law has taught me, ‘Wishing won’t work, work will.’”

Evan Nieto, the current owner of Dot’s, has helped shape the store and workplace into what it is today. When Evan was growing up, his family didn’t have the extra money to go out on vacations or join the YMCA. What Evan could do, and loved to do, was visit local pet stores every week to see and dote on all of the animals while learning as much as he could about each pet. This love stuck with him throughout his years, so when Dot’s went up for sale in 2019, Evan decided that he would purchase the business. Evan moved back to Lima from Columbus with his wife, Whitney, where the two became official owners of the pet center on May 1, 2019. Owning a business came with some challenges and surprises! Evan learned that he had to embrace the ideas and motivations of his employees. From his

One of the biggest challenges faced by both Dot’s and hundreds of other companies in Lima was the hit of the COVID pandemic. At home, the Nieto family welcomed its first child, Ava, just two weeks before the shutdown. Ava was born at only 28 weeks, weighing two pounds, seven ounces, and the family was in the hospital with her for much of her early months. Evan couldn’t even see his hard-fighting daughter in person once quarantine was in place, being forced to support her and his wife in the hospital through FaceTime calls. As if that wasn’t enough, he had to focus on keeping Dot’s from struggling through the pandemic as well. Dot’s Pet Center was not labeled

as an essential business by the government, and thus would come close to closing their doors. However, they bravely fought for their company, employees, and pets by countering that they were essential, as they provided special diets for some animals that other essential companies did not carry. The government eventually agreed, allowing Dot’s to stay open throughout COVID.

After getting through the thick of the pandemic, Evan and his team continued their work with their animals and their community.

To them, supporting our small town means a lot.

Evan believes strongly that the people of Lima should continue helping and loving one another in any way we can.

Evan encourages donating to organizations like the Equestrian Therapy Program, Deb’s Dogs, The Cat Haven, A Lotta Love Pet Rescue, and the West Ohio Food Bank to continue helping and loving our home of Lima.

Today Evan resides on Adgate Road with Whitney and Ava, and another daughter on the way expected in May of 2023. They also have four pets; Jerry, an eighteen-year-old cat who can never get enough treats, Luna, a seven-year-old cat who the Nietos lovingly refer to as their one-eyed princess, Bosa Joe, a three-year-old chocolate lab whose favorite thing to do is give hugs, and Mac, a three-year-old Shih-Tzu and Mini Poodle mix who the Nietos believe can hear you opening a wrapper from miles away! Despite the trope that cats and dogs are mortal enemies, all four of the animals get along with one another.

Evan is happy and proud to be raising his family in Lima, and he hopes it will remain an inspiring town for countless other families to come. Evan believes that the quote below motivated him, and hopes that at least someone will take a similar lesson away from it:

“Opportunities are brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

- Charles R. Swindoll

What could be sweeter than tax savings for your Valentine?

by Michael McCormick, CPA

I find myself writing an article for the Valentine’s Day edition of Shawnee Life as Christmas Day concludes. Searching for inspiring words that make a difference. The house is quiet. Not a creature is stirring. Hopefully not even a mouse. Our collective attention now turned to the coming new year and the visions of all its possibilities. Most of us don’t realize that now is the time for the romantic notion of tax planning. Right now, in February.

We have the majority of the year in front of us to make changes that will help us earn more, pay less, and invest more for our futures. It’s the sort of planning that’s better than what the mainstream media tells us about in December when we only have days to make changes.

Ask for that raise now, increase your marketing efforts, close more deals. If we’re in a recession you don’t need to let it be your recession. Keep at it. Find the customers, close the deals. Not confident, get coached up. Find a coach whose purpose is to get you your results. They aren’t there to be your friend and will cause you to do things you don’t want to do to get the results you want.

For the most part, 2022 is now history. Other than a possible retirement plan contribution, there’s little you can do to impact your 2022 income tax. Now is the time to affect the numbers and the boxes that go on your 2023 tax returns. If you’re an employee, are you setup to maximize your retirement plan deferral from your paycheck (potentially as high as $22,500 under 50, $30,000 if over 50)? Are you utilizing the ROTH option that may exist in your employer plan? If you are eligible, are you fully funding

an HSA savings account ($3,850 single, $7,750 family, over 55 add $1,000 to each)? Are you funding an IRA and if possible one for your spouse? It would be quite the romantic Valentine’s Day gesture. How about converting money to a ROTH account? It could be more long lasting than a dozen roses.

If you own your own business there are even more planning opportunities. Is your business operating within the most effective structure to provide you with the greatest benefit? Does the company have an employer retirement benefit plan? Is your business family friendly? Have you hired your children? They can earn up to $13,850 this year working for your business or someone else’s business tax free. Your child could fund a ROTH IRA and never pay tax on the money. How about hiring your brother-in-law you’re supporting anyway? Imagine the credit you earn with your spouse by taking care of their sibling. And, deducting it as a business expense. We’ve only scratched the surface of what planning makes possible. It really is the key to your financial offense. It’s the first step to putting you in position to have an intended outcome rather than simply taking what may come. Once the opportunities are identified you are in the position of knowing how much can be saved by implementing each strategy and when you want to implement each strategy. I know it’s a different way of thinking about running your life and the realization that you can impact the amount of tax you pay, to your benefit, might be a new experience, but we do it for people like you all the time. If not us, find someone who specializes in integrating the cash flow and tax reducing impact of pro-active tax planning and the empirically proven academic evidence of investing.

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 Business 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

Chocolate Pot de Crème

From the Kitchen of Chef Alisa McPheron, Purple Feet Wine Boutique

I have been working as a chef for over 30 years. I enjoy making cheesecakes and boozy chocolates for Purple Feet Wine Boutique. When I was asked to choose a “go-to” recipe that Shawnee Life readers could make for a loved one, it was an easy choice!

I chose this recipe because:

1 - It's delicious

2 - It's restaurant quality which = super impressive

3 - It's quick and easy (because who has time for a 10 page, 3 day recipe?)

4 - Absolutely anyone can successfully make it.

5 - Oh, did I mention that it's delicious?!

I use a Belgium semi-sweet chocolate called Callebaut, which is what I use for all the chocolates at Purple Feet. The better the quality the chocolate, the better the results. Quality of ingredients is the key for this recipe. This is a “go-to” recipe for me that is incredibly simple and fast to make but really satisfying for any chocolate lover.

Chocolate Pot de Crème - two 8 oz servings (serve in large ramekins or even pretty soup cups/ tea cups)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 ounces high quality dark chocolate - cut into very small pieces

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of sugar

pinch of salt

• 1/4 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Instructions:

Place the cut chocolate into a mixing bowl. Make sure the chocolate is cut into tiny pieces so that it will melt quicker.

In a saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla. Heat over medium high, whisking continually, until it comes to a slight boil. Pour over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of cooked egg. Divide the pot de creme into 2 large 8 ounce ramekins or cups.

Cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Top with a rosette of fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Serve with fresh berries. Pairs great with a nice bourbon. Share with your Valentine and enjoy!

48 Hours in New York!

A Photo Narrative

by Michael Ayers

The amazing Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes is a must see show! A Christmas show for the whole family, including parts of the presentation in 3-D, drone butterflies over the audience, a live nativity scene with real animals, an unbelievalbe orchestra, and many scenes featuring the world famous Rockettes!

The Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall has 2,800 seats and amazing acoustics for a 132 year old music theater. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is decorated beautifully for Christmas. The church is traditional gothic architecture and open late hours during advent.

Starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, the Broadway show, The Music Man, instantly became a favorite musical for its revival this past year. The show was slated to end its run in early 2023, so the ticket prices have now skyrocketed.

One of the first sights to walk past in Midtown Manhattan is the beautifully decorated Radio City Music Hall, near Rockefeller Center, and lots of shopping.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is the centerpiece for Midtown Manhattan. More than a half million people walk past the tree daily while it’s on display each year.

The Central Park Carousel, officially the Michael Friedsam Memorial Carousel, originally founded in 1871, but rebuilt in 1951 in its present form. It has 57 hand carved horses and hosts rides to 250,000 visitors a year.

Since 1927, the Russian Tea Room has been a famous place to dine, with notable regular patrons such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mel Brooks, and Henry Kissinger.

It’s always great to eat a good lunch at a traditional New York Deli. This one is at Seventh Avenue just north of Times Square. Times Square is always lit up, both day or night, but especially decorated for Christmas.

Grand Central Terminal is one of Manhattan’s busiest train stations and with 44 platforms, it is the world’s largest station.

The magical Rockefeller Christmas Tree with the famous view from the east across from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Shawnee Middle School STEM Day 2022

by Erica Schmiedebusch, Shawnee Middle School Correspondent

● Chuck Mulholland (Rhodes State College, Respiratory Therapy Program)

● Dr. Marin Harbur (Land O’ Lakes & Iowa State University)

● Dr. Brian Dietz (Premier Vision)

● Chad Massie, Nate Ankerman, Danielle Banks & Ann Best (Rhodes State College, Emergency Medical Services Program)

Shawnee Middle School hosted its fourth annual Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Day on Thursday, December 15, 2022. Area STEM professionals facilitated eight handson sessions for 7th and 8th graders. Students attended two sessions during their normally scheduled math and science periods. The professionals listed below spent the day presenting about their career fields:

● Dr. Rachel Dietz (Sam’s Club & WalMart Pharmacy)

● Sam Schroeder, Josie Schmidt, David Pauff, James Smith & Joyce Davis (Lima Memorial Health System, Lab Services)

● Rob White, Justin Niese, Logan Balbaugh, Greg Ditto, Sara Morissey & Caleb Newland (ODOT)

● Amy Banner (Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District)

Shawnee Middle School is extremely grateful for the time that the professionals gave that day as well as the effort they put into preparing engaging experiences for the students. As you walked down the halls, you saw students wearing lab coats, looking into microscopes, experiencing a variety of situations through VR goggles, holding animals and much more. In the civil engineering session, ODOT engineers gave students the opportunity to test out Trimble surveying equipment and see how it is utilized daily. The augmented reality topography sand table also made its way into the classroom which offered students a 3D, interactive tool to understand topography, natural hazards, and mapping.

Lima Memorial Health System’s Lab Services staff showed students how to examine white blood cells in a blood smear. The Rhodes Mobile Lab was on site equipped with 3D technology allowing students to see what actually happens during a heart attack. Students learned about eye health, disorders, and development. It’s vital to the local economy and beyond for students to begin making

connections to career options. Many students do not realize that careers in some of these fields exist in the Lima area. Thank you to all who made this event possible!

Lima Symphony Chorus

Salieri // Mozart // Sinfonia in D Major “Veneziana” Requiem in D Minor, K. 626 SHAWNEE LIFE

WELCOME WAGON

New to Shawnee? Welcome to our Community!

If you’re new to the area, we have a beautiful gift basket full of wonderful donations from our magazine sponsors and friends.

Introduce yourself and your family by emailing our Welcome Wagon Coordinator, Nicole Davis, at WelcomeToShawnee@gmail.com, and we’ll deliver a gift basket to your doorstep.

Welcome Basket made possible by:

Affordable Blinds & Window Fashions

Bayliff & Son

Brunk Electric

Cleaves American Kwik Dry

Mercy Health

Purple Feet Wine Boutique

Sara’s Sweets

Tracy’s Appliances

Westgate Entertainment Center

Welcome to Indianbrook!

Welcome GRONAS FAMILY to Hopi Trail in Indianbrook!

Please join Shawnee Life in welcoming the Gronas Family back to Shawnee! Sean, Jessica, Adeline, and Elise recently moved on to Hopi Trail in Indianbrook. Sean grew up here and graduated from LCC, while Jessica graduated from Delphos St. John’s. An opening for Jessica as the high school counselor for LCC brought them back to the area and Sean is continuing to work for Honda in Marysville. Jessica is also a personal trainer/yoga teacher and nutrition/mindset coach who is looking forward to hosting community workouts! Together, Sean and Jessica, are raising two beautiful daughters. Adeline turned three last month and little Elise just turned one in December. They love to be active as a family by going outside, working out, and spending time together.