Shawnee Life - September 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

BAKERIES

Sara’s Sweets

(419) 371-4745

BUILDING RESTORATION EXPERTS

Trisco Systems

(419) 339-3906

CANCER CARE / ONCOLOGY

Cancer Care of West Central Ohio

(419) 221-2273

CEMETERY & MAUSOLEUMS

Gethsemani Cemetery

(419) 233-0484

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

Gillis Chiropractic Clinic

Lima (419) 228-0000

Cridersville (419) 645-5555

CLEANING SERVICES

Grizz Cleaning

(567) 940-9449

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

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR

Brunk Electric

(800) 642-8942

FOOD & DRINK

Old Barn Restaurant & Grill

(419) 991-3075

Padrone’s Pizza Lima West

(419) 331-3111

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

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Fresh Press Threads

(419) 405-6575

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Mercy Health – St. Rita’s

(419) 227-3361

HEATING & AIR

Cleaves American Heating & Air

(419) 227-4328

Washam Plumbing Heating & Air

(419) 339-0729

INSURANCE

Beery Insurance Services

(419) 228-4000

Stolly Insurance Group

(419) 227-2570

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) 236-8418

PLUMBING

Washam Plumbing Heating & Air

(419) 339-0729

POOL CARE & INSTALLATION

Shawnee Pools

(419) 999-1505

REALTORS

Busy B Realty

(419) 339-0600

CCR Realtors

Jodi Cartagena (419) 204-7610

Ann Trueblood-Stiles (419) 231-5101

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

WINDOW TREATMENTS

Affordable Window Fashions

(419) 991-4400

26

September CONT ENTS

10 SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP

Stay up-to-date with a message from Chief Robert Kohli.

14

MAKING A MARK

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

18 THE PANGLE PAVILION

The history behind how this newest outdoor stage got its name is fascinating.

21 MERCY MATTERS

Learn how Mercy Health provides high-quality hometown care.

22 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!

24 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

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

28 PRECIOUS

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

31

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

34 AMAZING ACHIEVERS

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

36 FINANCIAL

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.

38 SURPRISE LANDING

Guess what landed in the middle of the Indianbrook neighborhood!

39 WELCOME WAGON

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

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

8 KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS AT CHATEAU GIDEON: MEET THE GIDEON FAMILY

16 TALK OF THE TOWN: CHECK OUT LIMA’S NEWEST OUTDOOR VENUE!

CENOVUS SAYS

FOCUS

THE LIMA LOCOS: CHAMPIONSHIP & BECOMING A HOST FAMILY

PETS

From Diane’s Desk...

I was recently asked how the families are selected for our Know Your Neighbor cover story. We love featuring families that are new to the Shawnee area, families that are well-established, as well as suggestions from other families we have featured. The hope is to share stories about families from a variety of neighborhoods and backgrounds. And of course our goal is that you will learn something about that family that will allow you to connect with someone new or simply learn more about the interesting lives of the people that live within our amazing Shawnee community.

Keep the magazine in mind when you have a story, article to share, or a business you want to advertise! Feel free to contact me at Diane@ShawneeLife.com with your ideas.

Sincerely,

MEET THE TRIBE

Diane Schoonover Publisher / Advertising

Michael Ayers Photographer

Janine Douglass DISH-cussions

Georgianna Damschroder Precious Pets & Amazing Achievers

Julie Lundin Know Your Neighbor

Nicole Davis Welcome Wagon & Mercy Matters

Tara Reynolds Bales Talk of the Town Lifestyle

Libby Simmons Amazing Achievers

Nick Schoonover The Fall Guy

Meet the Gideon

Know Your Neighbors

by Julie Lundin

Meet Jim and Anne Gideon of Spencerville Road. The Gideons designed and built their home in 1995 on 17 acres of woodland along the Ottawa River. They love the privacy their home provides, along with the abundance of wildlife they see on a regular basis. Jim and Anne enjoy filling their home with antiques and also spending time in their wine cellar. They fondly refer to their house as Chateau Gideon.

Jim is from Lima and he, along with several of his siblings and children, attended The Ohio State University. He is currently the CEO of three companies: Lima Equipment Company, Lima Economy Self-Storage, and Wine Discount Warehouse. Anne is a “yooper” as she was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the town of Newberry. She then went to the University of Michigan, so they have a house divided… but they love the Big Ten! Currently Anne is a retired pathologist from Mercy Health St. Rita’s. Jim and Anne were married in 1993, combining their eight children: Josh, Erin, Shannon, Brendon, Allison, Caitlin, Clifton, and Trevor.

Currently, Jim and Anne have seven children who are all married, as well as 22 grandchildren! Josh is a software developer and his wife, Jaime, is a teacher. Together they have three children: Mallory (16), Ewan (13), and Wyatt (10). Erin is a speech pathologist and her husband, Nick, is the minor league pitching coordinator for the Boston Red Sox. They have two children: Anna (16) and Paige (15). Shannon is an ophthalmol-

Family

ogist and her husband, Doug, is a hospital business manager. They are blessed with five children, of which two are twins: Henry (15), George (14), Helen and Edward (both are 10), and Charlie (4). Brendon is in manufacturing and is the co-owner of Machinery Sales Company. Morgan, his wife, is a doctor of physical therapy. Together they have three children: Hannah (13), William (11), and Miles (8). Allison is an attorney and her husband, David, is a teacher. They have three children: Mary (6), Julia (4), and Elliot (2). Caitlin is a teacher and her husband, Brian, is a residential dispatch manager. They have twins Emily and Jacob (6), and another son Connor (4). Trevor is a doctor of pharmacy and Catherine, his wife, is a teacher. Together they have three children: Eliza (8), Ryan (7), and Stella (4). Sadly, Jim and Anne’s son, Clifton, passed away when he was 12 years old.

Jim and Anne love to travel the world, as well as spending time at their lake house on Lake Columbia near Brooklyn, Michigan. Wine is a wonderful pastime of theirs and many of Jim and Anne’s trips throughout the U.S., Europe, and South Africa have been based around wine tasting. When they are home, you will find them spending time with family and friends at their house here in Shawnee. Guests are often served Jim’s crepes and barbeque hotdog hors d’oeuvres, as well as Anne’s “Doodles”...all of which are family favorites! When dining out, Jim and Anne enjoy eating at The Met, Old City Prime, Milano Cafe, and the Shawnee Country Club. As a family, the Gideons enjoy traveling and they take an annual ski trip to

Clifton

Michigan. “We like to travel wherever the kids want to go!” stated Jim. Music is also very important to the Gideon Family. They play various instruments and are also fond of barbershop quartet music. In addition, all of their grandkids are involved in a variety of sports, and Jim and Anne enjoy watching and cheering them on!

Both Anne and Jim have served on numer-

ous boards in the community including the Lima Symphony, Humane Society, Mercy Health, and Shawnee Country Club. In fact, Anne was the first female Chief of Staff as well as the first female Chairman of the Board at Mercy Health St. Rita’s.

Whether Jim and Anne are traveling, skiing, at their lake house, watching their grandkids play sports, or spending time at home, it is evident that the most important part of their lives is the love for their family and the time that is spent together.

Not present

Buckle Up, Slow Down and Phones Down!

A message from the Shawnee Township Police Department

by Robert A. Kohli, Police Chief

When summer is in full swing, more vehicles travel around our community. Between vacations, family get-togethers, outdoor barbeques, or pool parties we just have more things to do in the summer and the increase in activity causes an increase in traffic. Like other activities, the more you do something the more complacent you can become. Driving is no different.

In 2022 an estimated 42,795 people were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, with approximately 1,165 in Ohio. About half of the Ohio fatalities involved impaired driving crashes. July and August nationwide statistically produce more fatal crashes.

Year-to-date Shawnee Township Police Department has responded to 183 crash reports. Of those crashes, 42 reported injuries, and two resulted in death. Because of these statistics, our Department became eligible for a traffic safety grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

This grant allows us to have an officer dedicated to work volunteer overtime to focus on traffic safety. Officers focus on impaired driving, distracted driving, seat belt violations, and other traffic offenses to help reduce injury or death. Our Department participates in statewide blitzes, many of which coincide with major holidays. These blitzes focus on certain driving behaviors and they are generally advertised in order to raise awareness of our enforcement efforts. Our ultimate goal is not to write tickets, it is to save lives.

I’m sure you know of particular vehicles or individuals in your neighborhoods that drive too fast in your area or commit other violations. I have watched friends, neighbors, and citizens attempt to confront others about their driving behaviors. These confrontations, in general, never go well, as you can imagine causing unnecessary friction between neighbors, at times physical altercations, and generally do not make the situation better. Do yourself a favor, and leave this type of engagement to the officers of the Police Department. Traffic stops can be dangerous and sometimes reveal other criminal activity that would best be addressed by our Police Department.

In order to keep our neighborhoods and roadways safe we need the eyes and ears of our community. Do you have an intersection or area in our community in which you frequently watch vehicles commit violations? Maybe you know of someone driving suspended or impaired? We need your direction to help safeguard our community. Please call our non-emergent line, 419-227-3211. You may even call anonymously to request traffic enforcement or report issues in your neighborhood. My hope is for a safe and fun summer for everyone. Buckle up, slow down, and phones down!

Rotary Club of Lima People of Action

by Lesley Fry, President, Rotary Club of Lima

For more than a century, the Lima Rotary Club has enriched the lives of all of those whom it touches – its members, its immediate community and the world. Our organization is one of 46,000 clubs with more than 1.4 million members worldwide. The most impressive distinction, however, is that the vision by which Rotary International was founded in 1905 still leads us today: to provide people of diverse backgrounds a way to exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. This vision couldn’t be more accurate for the Lima Rotary Club at a pivotal juncture of our community’s trajectory.

Cultural well-being

The Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater is the Lima Rotary Club’s most recent and notable local service project. Providing the leadership to develop a nearly $4M outdoor entertainment venue, the Lima Rotary Club began with a vision to create a space for entertainment and grew to encompass dozens of stakeholders including the arts community. This space opens 40 years after the Lima Rotary Club constructed the Faurot Park Pavilion in collaboration with the City of Lima and the Council for the Arts.

Accessibility for children with diverse abilities

The Lima Rotary Club has a long tradition of supporting projects that provide accessibility and inclusion for children with diverse abilities. In 1917, the Lima Rotary Club formed what was then known as the Crippled Children’s Committee. This group purchased wheelchairs, braces and other needed equipment for children in the care of Lima hospitals. The club has hosted the Special Needs Christmas Party for more than 100 years and continues this tradition today.

The Rotary River Walk is another Lima Rotary project that dovetails with the two aforementioned projects. In celebration of the club’s 75th anniversary in 1990, the Lima Rotarians raised more than $500,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to complete this project that now extends 13 miles long and connects six parks and downtown Lima.

As the club approached its 100th anniversary in 2015, Rotarians raised $100,000 to build a dedicated field for the All Abilities Baseball League, which had been playing on dirt fields since 2003. The turf and accessible field remains in operation today at the University of Northwestern Ohio. Six years later, Rotary provided funding and manpower to support the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ second All Abilities Playground, located near the Board of DD and Ottawa Metro Park.

President: Lesley Fry / President - Elect: Demi Burden / Vice President: Russ Decker / Immediate Past President: Derek Stemen / Treasurer: Tracey Regula / Board of Directors: Elizabeth Brown-Ellis, Joel Mengerink, Jeff Unterbrink, Timothy Stanford, Katy Page, Richard Warren

Scholarships

In an effort to promote higher education and encourage students to complete their education here at home, the Lima Rotary Club began a scholarship program in 200l. Applicants must live in Allen County and must attend an educational institution in Allen County. Since its inception, the scholarship program has had a tremendous impact, having awarded more than 1,200 scholarships totaling more than $900,000 in financial aid.

Rotarians are People of Action. We demonstrate this through service and fellowship. It is my hope that we can extend our impact into new projects through new members and that we can strengthen existing partnerships. We welcome the opportunity to share these experiences with others and invite anyone interested to learn more about Rotary to join us from 12-1 p.m. each Monday at the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center in downtown Lima.

To learn more, visit LimaRotary.com

International Service

The Lima Rotary Club is a leader among its Rotary peers in terms of support for the Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad (MESA) program. The mission of MESA is to facilitate international service projects bringing equipment, technology and volunteerism to meet humanitarian needs throughout the world. MESA regularly ships donated medical supplies, educational equipment and emergency vehicles around the world. Lima is one of the highest contributing clubs in its northern Ohio district.

In 2022, the Lima Rotary Club served as the leading club for a global grant that focused on building and maintaining latrines and then maintaining and educating the people on good hygiene practices in Honduras. The club provided 10 percent of the match for the international grant.

Community grants

Last but certainly not least, the Lima Rotary Club provides community grants to more than a dozen local nonprofits each year. The club raises funds throughout the year in an effort to be able to award more than $20,000 in grants to impact the people, programs and initiatives in Allen County. The Lima Rotary Foundation oversees the awarding of these grants.

Amphitheater ribbon-cutting on July 31st, 2023

Talk of the Town

Opening Weekend

Pangle Pavilion at the Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater

by Tara Reynolds Bales

On August 2, 2023, I attended the Roast to the City, located at the new Greater Lima Region Amphitheater and Pangle Pavilion. The music was wonderful, the food delicious, and the atmosphere celebratory. What a perfect way to spend a Thursday night! The next night, I danced the night away to the sounds of Stedic Music, Naturally 7, and All 4 One.

During the Roast to the City, sponsors were thanked and recognized for their efforts to bring the idea of the amphitheater to fruition. Tracie Sanchez and Rich Rudolph explained to the attendees the history of the creation of the park and amphitheater. All involved in the building of the amphitheater should be proud of contributing to the greatness of Lima. The amphitheater is situated in a beautiful park in downtown Lima. The stage looks out to a lush green grassy area which is the perfect place to set up a lawn chair and watch a show.

Roast attendees enjoyed a good barbecue catered by Buckeye BBQ Boys, which was so good even my Texas native husband went for seconds. The pulled pork was tender and full of flavor. The macaroni and cheese was creamy, cheesy and really delicious. The Cowboy Beans were a crowd pleasurer! The beans were in a sweet and tangy sauce that exploded with flavor.

Stedic Music led by Chris Henderson. The Lima community is proud of Stedic Music. Chris is just as proud to be the opening act for Naturally 7 and All 4 One. “It is a complete honor, and we are humbled and blessed to have this opportunity.”

If you have seen Stedic Music you know they bring the sounds of the Islands to Lima. They did just that while on stage at the amphitheater. Their reggae sounds were the perfect mixture of island feel, rock, and soul music. They had the audience on their feet and dancing from the first song to the last. Once again, Chris and his band made Lima proud. Thank you for getting the audience ready for the next act.

Lima

sounds took attendees on a tour of memorable music from Johnny Cash, the Monkees, and other great bands. The trio was perfect for the atmosphere of the night. Laid back, comfortable, familiar, and celebratory was the best way to describe the Roast to the City. Great job to all involved in creating a wonderful event.

The Veterans Memorial Civic Center is responsible for booking acts for the amphitheater. Abe Ambroza and his team did a marvelous job bringing first-class music to the amphitheater. On August 3rd I went to see Lima’s very own

Ronda Lehman

Naturally 7 has a unique a cappella style which they describe as vocal play. The New York natives mesmerized the audience with their perfect pitch vocals. About two songs into the show, I realized there were no instruments. Which blew my mind

native Parker MacDonell and Friends’

because I could hear a bass, drums, and horns. The instrument sounds were made by the vocals of the group. The group tours with Michael Buble. Also, they tour with the I Love The 90’s tour. They sang a compilation of top 90’s hip-hop hits that brought down the house! I encourage readers to go online and listen to Naturally 7. Once you hear them, you will understand how they had the audience dancing and in awe of their vocal abilities.

The journey for securing a space to create a venue in a distressed part of downtown Lima began in July of 2017, when the Lima Rotary Club began discussing how they could help.

Tracie Sanchez (Rotary president at the time) and member Rich Rudolph, approached the Rotary Foundation and the Rotary Club to secure the first $150,000. Eventually more individuals and institutions wanted to help. Our local legislators, Senate President Matt Huffman and Speaker of the Ohio House Bob Cupp, secured funding through the state budget. Greater Lima Region and the Kriegel/Pangle family committed to naming rights sponsorships. More than 70 local businesses, organizations and individuals contributed to the project along with hundreds more who gave their time and energy to see the project through to fruition.

Emmy Award winning R&B and pop group, All 4 One was the final act of the night. The group took the audience back to the 1990’s as they performed top hits such as “I Swear,” “I Can Love You Like That,” and “So Much in Love.” The audience swayed to the familiar love songs. We jumped to our feet and cut a rug to the 1994 hit, “Skillz.” Those sitting around me and my friends discovered this was our favorite song. Our vocals and dancing were not the same as All 4 One – but we still showed our Skillz!

If you were not able to be at the amphitheater for the opening weekend, “I swear” you missed wonderful music, delicious food, and overall, a fantastic celebration of our great city. Bravo to all who made this $4 million dollar gem possible that we now know as the Greater Lima Region Amphitheater and Pangle Pavilion

There was something for everyone throughout the three nights of concerts during the amphitheater’s opening weekend. Al Jardine (who is originally from Lima and co-founder of the Beach Boys) with special guests The Indoorfins and Kevin Ashba performed on Friday night. Ian Munsick with special guests and Lima locals, Derek Alan and Liam Stolly, performed on Saturday night.

September 2019

Breaking Ground, April 2022

July, 2023

Ian Munsick Al Jardine

The Pangle Pavilion Behind the Name

Written

The Pangle/Kriegel family has a history of making significant contributions to the Lima community starting from 1924 to present.

In 1924, at the age of 24, Howard N. Pangle, Sr. stopped on his way home from work to purchase some pipe tobacco at a corner grocery store. While he was checking out, the owner of the Corner Grocery Store asked Mr. Pangle if he had any interest in purchasing his store for $1,000. With little money, Howard Sr. borrowed $600.00 to purchase the 900 square foot, full-service grocery store, with nothing more than a handshake, the exchange of keys, and $1,000.00 cash. On opening day, Mr. Pangle was filled with despair and ruin by closing time, when he realized his first day of sales totaled $7.35. Overnight, the previous store owner had pilfered nearly all of his recently purchased merchandise.

Within several weeks, and keeping a keen eye on customer services, Mr. Pangle grew the store’s employment base from husband-and-wife team, to six full-time employees, and opened the store every day…including Sunday.

By the end of their first year of business, they expanded the store and converted the shopping experience from fullservice to a new and refreshing concept called self-service. With the popularity of a self-service shopping experience, Howard, Sr. received many accolades from his new “style” of retailing.

In the Fall of 1934, they commenced with their first store remodel, which was completed in 1935. Thus, “A Supermarket Star was Born.”

In 1940, once again they remodeled and expanded the store to accommodate plentiful parking, extended check-out services and doubled the size of their product selection, and featured large displays of grocery products in their remodeled location on Central and Circular.

By 1945, word spread like wild-fire when Howard, Sr. received “The Supermarket Institute Award for Excellence” and for having one of the most progressive self-service supermarket stores in the country. Then in 1949 they completed the final remodeling of their original store, again doubling the size of the store.

In 1955, they opened their second store on Elm Street, and within less than a year, purchased the William Brother’s three stores in Cridersville, Delphos and Lima.

In 1957 they began construction on their own distribution facility – a 100,000 dry storage warehouse at the end of Prosperity Drive, on the east side of Lima.

Within two years, the Pangle Family, now under the management of Shirley (Pangle) Kriegel and Skip Pangle’s father, Raymond F. Pangle, sold their dry storage warehouse to Scot Lad Foods, Inc., now operated by Spartan Nash (formerly Roundy’s) in the same location, now over 10 times the size of Pangle’s original warehouse.

In 1962 they added their 6th location in Sidney, Ohio, and their 7th location in Northland Plaza. Later the same year, they purchased the 8th location in Westgate Shopping Center.

By the mid-1960’s, Pangle’s Master Markets grew “exponentially” by 15-20% per store, per year, making their stores the envy of the supermarket industry in the USA.

By 1965, Pangles Master Markets had 10 extremely successful high-volume supermarkets in Northwestern Ohio, with over 600 proud employees.

Every new or improved idea was implemented by Ray Pangle and his management team. They installed the first “electronic” eye doors to automatically open and close for customers coming in and departing their stores.

by Tracie Sanchez and the Pangle Family for the meeting with the Rotary Club of Lima, when they were given the naming rights to the stage

Supermarket owners and operators from all walks of life came to Lima, Ohio, to see Pangle’s new ideas in motion.

Then in late December, 1967, tragedy struck the Pangle family. Ray, at 42 years of age, was killed while piloting his 8-seater twin-engine Piper Navajo aircraft. Under poor weather conditions his plane plummeted into a field near Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

At the time of his death, Ray Pangle served as President of Pangle’s Master Markets, President of Newton Equipment company, Frederick Realty Co., Decker Dairy Company, and R & S Produce Company, and he was Vice President of Poultry Enterprises, Inc. and R & W Construction Company.

Ray Pangle was a noted civic leader, active in the YMCA, United Fund (United Way), Founder of Robin Rogers (now Marimor Industries), the Fraternal Order of Police, where Pangle stores donated the land and paid for the new construction of the FOPA Building on Robb Avenue. He was an active member in the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, an active participant in 4-H of Lima, and the National Rifleman’s Association.

Ray Pangle proudly served in the United States Marine Corps, where he served in WWII and was an infantryman who fought in the battles of Saipan, Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

In March of 1968, after the untimely death of Ray Pangle, and to the surprise of family members and key employees of Pangles Master Markets, Shirley (Pangle) Kriegel, and her husband, David Kriegel, united with Jim Lyle (Dave’s brother-in-law) to start-up Lima International Brake Parts.

In April of 1973, Dave and Shirley started a business in Van Wert, Ohio, called American Merchandise, Inc. In 1982 they purchased the assets of Dale Sales Company of Evansville, IN to become one of the largest distribution companies in the Midwest.

In 1976, after serving as the interim President & CEO of Diamond Wine & Novelty Company, Dave and Shirley Kriegel purchased the business from Ward and Steve Diamond. As their business grew for 22 consecutive years, they served over 1,000 customers from Toledo to Cincinnati and became the 3rd largest Gallo wine distributor in the state of Ohio.

In 1978, the Pangle/Kriegel family became co-investors in a small drug chain consisting of three stores, called Drug Emporium, based in Westerville, Ohio. They helped grow the firm to 219 high-volume discount drug stores with over 100 franchisees in 32 states. In 2002, Dave Kriegel, Chairman and CEO of this 4th largest publicly traded drug chain, sold out to a Canadian Drug Chain called Rexall.

In 1988, the Pangle/Kriegel family, along with a close personal friend, the late Ron Klausing, formerly of I & K Distributors in Delphos, Ohio, started up a new business venture called Lakeview Farms, Inc., a leading manufacturer of fresh and convenient dips, desserts, and specialty products.

As a start-up company, the investors commenced doing business with one customer, I & K Distributors, Inc., and one employee, Gene Graves. Ironically, they believed in the same business mantra of keeping a keen eye on customer service, the same motto that Howard N. Pangle started way back in 1924.

The Kriegel family currently owns and operates several entities in Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, Iowa and Minnesota, with an employment base exceeding 650 associates. Dave and Shirley, along with their three sons, Todd, Matt and Jay, have continued the Pangle family history of “giving” as examples set by Shirley’s grandfather, Howard Pangle, and her father, Raymond Pangle.

The Kriegel/Pangle family is now being honored because they continue to make significant contributions to the Lima Community and have secured the naming rights to the new amphitheater stage - the “Pangle Pavilion.”

If you look in the center of the name on the pavilion, you will see the symbol for Pangle Stores, which is a crown. The crown represents the five family members who worked for the family business back in the late 1930’s and 1940’s: Howard Sr. Jessie, Raymond, Howard Jr. and Ann Pangle Evans.

Gratitude abounds for the Pangle/Kriegel family for investing in the Greater Lima Region Amphitheater and Park as the history of their family will live on the front of the Amphitheater for many years to come.

Quality, Compassionate Stroke Care in Lima

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Individualized Care at the Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center

by Nicole Davis

With September at our doorsteps, it means that children have gone back to school and fall activities have begun. With children in mind, it is important to know where you can go when a child is diagnosed with an illness, injury, or disability. At Mercy St. Rita’s, therapy specifically designed for children and adolescents is provided at the Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center. They have been offering multidisciplinary pediatric rehab services for over 30 years and in the last 18 months their services and space have more than doubled! This means now more than ever; patients do not need to travel for exceptional care and can be seen right here in Lima. The need for speech, occupational, and physical therapy for children and adolescents in our area is great and the Rehabilitation Center’s team is happy to be growing to meet that need.

At the Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center, they work with a variety of both congenital and acquired diagnosis groups. The amount of time children are in therapy can range from short stretches to years. Children may also be referred to the center for only speech, occupational, or physical therapy, a combination, or all three. All of their pediatric therapists are specially trained to work with children’s needs and abilities and practice evidence-based techniques. Using therapy specialty suites, children are provided with private treatment rooms and proper equipment. The center is also home to a large therapy gym, with a variety of swings, and has access to fitness equipment for adolescent patients. The Rehabilitation Center has worked to expand a few key service lines focused on our community: pediatric feeding, adolescent life skills, pediatric pelvic health, constraint therapy and Assistive and Augmentative Communication device implementation and training.

After speaking with Christina Bender, Manager of Outpatient Rehabilitation Services and Audiology, it was clear that the Rehabilitation Center works with families and other healthcare providers to give each child individualized care. Not only that, the

staff pours so much heart and hard work into the therapy they administer. They do all they can to help children reach their highest potential. When asked what the best part of their job was the whole team immediately chimed in together, “the special bonds made and establishing relationships with patients and families.” There was no question that another one of the best parts about working in the Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center is seeing growth for all patients, especially ones that have been in therapy long term.

Christina put it best, “Our team works very hard to ensure support for the patient and the family, not just to achieve their therapy goals, but to tap into community resources and other layers of necessary support that could benefit the patient or family. We are a model of the mission of Mercy Healthacting in a way that truly embodies the goal of treating our community in a compassionate manner.“ The Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center provides specialized care and therapy for the youth of our area. They provide the staff, tools, and resources to make a difference. When it comes to the healing of the whole person, including children, Mercy St. Rita’s is there for the community. Talk to your doctor about a referral today.

Heather Rutz, Cenovus & Beth Jokinen

The Team: Ally, Izzy, Sandy, Kelsey, Casey, & Carissa

Raspberry Stroller Dessert

From the Kitchen of Ruth Ann & Greg Stover, Indianbrook

The meeting place where I happened to speak with Ruth Ann Stover for the very first time happened to be the polling place of a recent election. Engaging and helpful, she directed me toward the next step of completing my ballot, and in the process, I found we live in the same Indianbrook development. And that Ruth Ann, with her husband, Greg, and their daughter, Jennifer Brogee, own and run their 20-year-successful downtown Lima comfy gourmet coffee hangout, The Meeting Place on Market. Although “officially retired”, Ruth Ann is ever the epitome of the efficient and energetic business woman, filling me in on all the relevant relative info: 2 sons and the one daughter, all married, living in Lima with 10 children among them. The senior Stover couple came to Lima from Michigan and settled in Shawnee in June of 1988. This recipe, from Greg’s grandmother, Alice Herman, was retrieved from a church cookbook, is served year round, easy to make and take to a carry-in meal, and never fails to please.

Raspberry Stroller Dessert

Prep time: one hour.

Cook time: 9-15 minutes for the graham cracker crust.

Single recipe serves 8: 1 - 9” pie plate

Double recipe serves 12-15: 9”x13” pan

Ingredients:

• Graham cracker crust for pie pan: 1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 5 tablespoons melted butter. Combine and press into pie pan. Serve unbaked or bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, cool.

• Graham cracker crust for 9”x13” pan: 1 ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs (11 whole), ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup melted butter. Serve unbaked or bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, Cool.

Alice Herman

by Janine Douglass

Single pie ingredients (double this for 9”x13” pan)

White layer recipe:

• 4 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Dash of salt

• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions:

• Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Cream this mixture until smooth.

• Separately whip the whipping cream until fairly stiff peaks form.

• Gently fold the two together until smooth.

Red layer recipe:

• 3-ounce raspberry jello dissolved in 1 ¼ cups of boiling water.

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries (or use fresh raspberries – 1 ½ cups)

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

• Stir sugar into jello until dissolved.

• Add raspberries and lemon juice.

• Stir together and refrigerate until it is thick enough to pour over the white filling. (Ruth Ann sometimes puts fresh raspberries on a cookie sheet and freezes them before making this dessert.)

Assemble: Spread the white layer over the graham cracker crust. Pour thickened jello mixture over the cream cheese layer and chill until the jello hardens. You can serve this with more whipped cream.

When asked how this dessert got its name, Ruth Ann realized that she never asked Grandma Alice, so really there is no rhyme or reason behind the name.

Note: Ruth Ann taught two grandkids to make this for a family birthday party; one grandson to take to a friends’ party. (See enthusiastic grandkids’ photos below). During COVID, Ruth Ann made individual pies and delivered to family, good friends and Greg’s mom at Primrose.

Brett Stover, Greg Stover, Jennifer Brogee, Ruth Ann Stover, Jim Stover

Helped their grandson, Greg, make this for a party.

Talia and Jamie wanted to make this for their sister Addy’s birthday.

Ruth Ann & Greg Stover

Family-owned and operated!

by Diane Schoonover

Washam was started out of Pat Washam’s home because he had a passion for plumbing and heating along with a drive only reserved for brave entrepreneurs. After working at a few local plumbing and HVAC companies, he decided to use everything he had and bet it all, in order to start his own business. Washam Plumbing has been officially in business since 1990. 33 years is an accomplishment the entire family is proud of!

Pat was born and raised in Lima, Ohio. His father worked full time at Nickles Bakery as a delivery driver and after work he delivered candy for their family’s candy company. Pat’s mother made the candy while Pat and his father were in charge of delivering all of the orders. Pat developed a strong business sense from a young age. He graduated from Shawnee High School while his wife Shelly graduated from Elida High.

Pat and Shelly went on to have children who all attended Shawnee local schools. Pat is a big-time Ohio State Buckeyes fan and a Cleveland Browns fan (yes even through all the bad!). Pat’s favorite thing to do while not working is spending time with his family and grandchildren who bring unlimited smiles and laughter to him!

Washam plumbing is truly the definition of a small business. Family owned and operated, Pat Washam is the owner while his daughter, Sami Washam-LesCallett is his right-hand woman! Dedicated technicians who do quality work help their business stand out in the Lima community. Pat purchased Spencer Plumbing and Heating in January of 2006 and added the employees to his Washam team, including one technician named Wilbur that taught him a great deal and ended up working at Washam until he retired at the age of 75. Kerry has been part of the Washam family for over 30 years, while Jimmy is coming up on his 13th year! Pat is extremely thankful to have them as part of their team.

Equally important to their awesome reputation is their team of service members and support staff. Providing his staff with ongoing training is something Pat believes is vital to continued success. Their team is highly professional, customer-service oriented, and dedicated to your satisfaction. The mission at Washam is to provide you with knowledgeable staff, quality workmanship, and speedy service for your plumbing and HVAC needs - while maintaining a reasonable rate.

5028 Poling Road, Lima

Shelly & Pat with grandson, Nick who is now off at Navy boot camp.

Kerry, Washam Technician Jimmy, Washam Technician

Pat’s daughter, Sami, shared that “one of the biggest life lessons my dad taught me as a kid, as well as for all those that work for him, is that you get what you work for...nothing in life is free.”

Pat is known for continually encouraging his technicians to take pride in their work. When Pat looks at how far he has come, he knows it is because of his perseverance and the high standards of work he holds for himself

and his staff. When asked what Pat is most proud of,

he responded by saying, “having long-standing repeat customers. That’s how we know we do quality work at reasonable prices.” He knows that having experienced technicians who are

known around the area for the quality work they perform are what truly sets Washam Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning apart from their competitors. They won’t stop until the job gets done right. Washam was also a finalist for the Best of the Region contest in 2022 and they are extremely grateful for their loyal customers who made that honor possible.

Pat and his trusted staff members keep the business running, and all signs point to Washam having a bright future. His youngest grandkids are already shaping their career aspirations towards working for Paw Paw’s business!

If you have any plumbing, heating and air conditioning needs, try giving Washam a call at (419) 339-0729. They work with residential and commercial customers.

The grandkids already have dreams of working at Washam in the future. Havyn wants to work at Paw Paw’s office when she grows up, while Arlee wants to be in the work truck with her tools. Kade wants to run heavy equpment and be a technician.

Sami Washam-LesCallett & Jimmy LesCallett

Grandkids trick-or-treating at the shop: Havyn, Arlee, Emmy, Kade & Nick

Pat Washam has always said, “we may not be the lowest price in the field but we will always install quality products that we stand behind, cutting no corners. We always keep our customers’ best interests in mind.”

Havyn Arlee Kade

Lima Locos

by Tara Reynolds Bales Becoming a Host Family

Rick and I went to our first Lima Locos game in the summer of 2021. We became instant fans. Going to Simmons Field to cheer on the team became a habit. We went to every home game. I began following the Locos on Facebook and saw a post about needing host families. I reached out to learn what was involved with being a host family. Liking what we learned, Rick and I signed up to host two players for the 2022 season.

We loved being a host family so much we signed up for the 2023 season. We hosted three players from Texas. Reese, Hudson, and Justin were the best. They ate meals with us, attended family functions, and would just hang out with us. They became family. They became my “baseball boys.”

Rick and I loved cheering them on at games. We felt as if they were our boys out on the field. Justin loved the Locos fans.

“The fans here in Lima are amazing. I love hearing their cheers from the stands.”

Hudson enjoyed playing for the Locos and being in Lima.” We hit the jackpot when we joined the Locos. The fans are great, the teammates are awesome, and best of all we got to stay with Rick and Tara. Having a great host family was important to us as players. We felt welcomed supported, and cared for, just like being with our families back in Texas.”

Reese said it best, “If you want to support the Lima Locos, consider being a host family. We count on the hospitality of host families so we can further our baseball careers.”

If you would like to learn more on how you could host a player, please contact Cathy Altenbach at 567-371-1685. She is great to work with and is helpful when deciding if being a host works for your family. If you have aspiring baseball players in the house, this would be an inspiring opportunity. We highly recommend hosting a player. By doing so, you will not only support the Lima Locos, but you will also make memories and gain family members.

Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League Champions

One can’t help but think that all of the local support they received played a part in them winning their 7th League Championship, making the team second in history for winning the most league championships. The team is very proud to be known as the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League Champions!

Precious Pets

Heavenly House Pets

by Georgie Damschroder

Even in the earliest of civilizations, cats and dogs have been humanity’s closest companions. From guarding homes to keeping away pests, these animals always had important roles to play in some of the very first villages. However, some early cultures held cats and dogs to very different and godly standards. In ancient Egypt, cats were nothing short of royalty. They were adorned in jewels and gold, kept in palaces alongside rulers, and fed lavish treats. This is because cats were commonly associated with Egyptian gods, specifically Bastet, a goddess of prosperity who could transform into a cat. So loved were felines that it was a crime to harm a cat in ancient Egypt - one punishable by death! On the other side of the globe, ancient Native American tribes such as the Aztecs and the Mayans thought dogs to have godlike abilities. They believed dogs could pass between worlds, and that they would guide newly departed souls safely to the Underworld.

Three of these sacred animals live with the Wesley family: Addison, an eleven-year-old Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie mix), Gracie, a nine-year-old mini-goldendoodle, and Ryder, a three-year-old barn cat. Addison and Gracie were brought home from breeders, and Ryder was a small kitten living in a barn when son Beckham Tippie found him. After a lot of begging, the family agreed to bring Ryder home!

Despite Addie and Gracie’s age, they still run like puppies when playing fetch! Throwing toys to the dogs has become a favorite pastime of the kids. Though Addie dutifully brings the ball back, Gracie would much rather take it away and play by herself.

All three pets adore toys, of which they are never short of in their home!

Gracie and Addie are particularly special dogs because of their connection to holidays! Gracie was welcomed home as a Christmas present, and Addison’s birthday falls on February 14; Valentine’s Day!

When Grandma and Grandpa come up from Florida for a visit, they bring their two Bichon frises with them. Bianca and Toby love to play with their Ohioan friends, though Ryder would usually rather stay out of their way. Four dogs running amuck may seem like quite the handful to many, but the family wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The house becomes a zoo!” says mother Shannon.

The family lives on Honeysuckle Bend in Homestead Estates, where they have lived since November of 2021. Shannon works as a proctologist who

advocates for the importance of colon cancer screening. As March is colon cancer awareness month, she works especially hard to spread her message then. She encourages everyone to regularly receive screens for colon cancer! Son, Beckham Tippie is five-yearsold, and is excited to be going into Kindergarten this year at Elmwood! Daughter Sloan Tippie is three and in preschool at Temple Christian. The family adores their neighborhood, where they enjoy going for bike rides and walks with the dogs. Beckham and Sloan also get along very well with the other children in the neighborhood, and they love to play with them! Addie, Gracie, and Ryder appreciate frolicing and cuddling with their family, who give them all the treats, toys, and love a pet could ever ask for.

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

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

Then & now: Meet Joey Cox from our U.S. operations

Did you know – A recent survey in the U.S. reported most employees only stay with a company for an average of four years before moving jobs. While the reasons for leaving a job may vary, when you see employees remaining with one company for a long time, it typically means there is something worth staying for.

At Cenovus Energy, our corporate culture supports development, provides interesting work, pays competitively, and provides recognition based on performance and results. We aim to create a culture that encourages employees to grow their careers with us long term, and we see many who have chosen to do so over the years.

We caught up with an employee from the Lima Refinery who started with us as a student and has now been with the company since 2001.

Joey Cox started at the refinery during his second year of college, as an engineering intern. After graduating in 2001 with a mechanical engineering degree, he joined the refinery as a full-time Rotating Equipment Analyst.

Over two decades later, he is now the Senior Manager of Maintenance and Construction Projects and is responsible for leading teams accountable for executing projects related to the refinery’s objectives of improving safety, reliability and competitiveness.

“In my time at the Lima Refinery I’ve held a variety of roles in maintenance, reliability, turnarounds and projects. Through these experiences, I realized that I enjoy managing and leading people, so in 2008, I went back to college and pursued my MBA,” says Joey. I’m grateful that the company has enabled me to transition from technical roles into leadership roles as that’s what I’m passionate about.”

“I find it rewarding to provide vision, leadership and mentoring to up-and-coming leaders and this is part of why I chose to grow my career here,” says Joey.

Cenovus Says

Interested in starting your own career with Cenovus? Learn more about our student, new grad and career opportunities at www.cenovus.com/Careers/ Current-opportunities.

(L) Then: Joey Cox started at our Lima Refinery as an engineering intern. (R) Now: 21 years later, Joey is the Senior Manager of Maintenance and Construction Projects.

Achievers

Georgie Damschroder

I have been writing articles for Shawnee Life Magazine for about two years now. Primarily, I have served as your Precious Pets column writer, however, I’ve never formally introduced myself to you, our dear readers! So, I’ve decided to take this article to talk a bit about myself as your new Amazing Achievers writer and let you get to know me. My name is Georgianna Damschroder, though I am better known as Georgie. I was born and raised here in Lima, Ohio, and have grown up in my neighborhood, Indianbrook. I have an incredible family consisting of my parents, Richard and Vanessa, my younger sister, Elle, and our pets. Elle and I attend Shawnee Schools, and she will be entering seventh while I will enter ninth grade this coming August. This will be my first year of high school, and I am very excited to take new classes and meet new people! My favorite parts of school are science and, of course, writing! At home, some of my hobbies include crocheting, biking, and watercoloring. I also am a part of my school’s color guard, and have been attending band camp and practices a lot this summer! Outside of the school band, I also play the violin.

A good part of my time is spent caring for our six pets! Writing a mini Precious Pets article about my own best friends is certainly a change in pace for me, but I could probably ramble on about my pets for days on end! I’ll save your time and try my best to keep the animal prattling brief! We share our home with Lucy, our lab, Quetzal, our axolotl, Jigsaw, our chameleon, and our cats, Fritz, Fangster, and Barley (the three of whom have curled up with me as I write this!). Lucy, the eldest of the group, has been with us for ten years. We adopted her from a litter of puppies; we knew she was the one for us when she gave my dad a big, wet kiss across the face the very first time he held her! Lucy now loves going for swims in Indian Lake. She defends her stretch of the water from my uncle’s model boats, which she promptly sinks whenever he attempts to test them out! We brought Quetzal home, soon after Lucy,

from Dot’s Pet Center. When we brought him home, Quetzal was missing two legs! However, axolotls have incredible regenerative abilities, even being able to restore their heart if damaged! So, he was easily able to grow both limbs back. Now, he enjoys gobbling up worms! Jigsaw came as a Christmas gift. Living up to his chameleon stereotype, he’s incredible at camouflage, and it always takes a second glance to notice him! Jigsaw loves basking outside in the sun and munching on caterpillars.

The three cats are the life of the house. Fritz and Fangster were brought home as Christmas presents, and we found Barley in a wintry barn at a stable, where he had been dumped. Sick and flea-filled, it took weeks to nurse him back to health. Now, you could never tell that that sickly little kitten is the same cat as the rambunctious whirlwind that runs through our halls. Notorious for their boundless energy, the three brothers are as annoying as they are adorable. Between Fritz’s tendency to jump on the piano keys in the middle of the night, Fangster’s love of stealing hats and mittens, and Barley’s need to clamber his way to the highest points in the house, they can be quite the handful! However, we’ve grown used to their antics, and will always love the cats behind the chaos.

Living with all the pets can certainly be a challenge, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have always admired the intelligent yet gentle nature of all animals, and in the future, I hope to work with them as a veterinarian or zoologist. For now, I have found my niche in making these articles! Though I have been typing the Precious Pets articles for a while now, I am very happy to expand to also partially write the Amazing Achievers column as well! I take great joy in writing, and I hope to keep writing for you for articles to come!

Libby Simmons

Hello, I’m Libby Simmons! I’m from here in Shawnee, I live in the Amanda Lakes neighborhood. I’ve lived in my Amanda Lakes house for as long as I can remember and absolutely love the neighborhood. We have amazing and friendly neighbors. I’m currently 17 years old and I attend Lima Central Catholic High School. I’m the only daughter in my family of four. I have my mom Carla, my dad Roche, and my brother Aaron. Aaron attends the University of Dayton, where I also plan on attending college. In our home we have a rescue goldendoodle, Willis, and we have three cats: Boots, Mittens and Pam. We love all of our pets and we’ll always have a funny story for you.

In school, I ended with high honors all throughout the school year and care very much about my grades. I’m president of the Supporting Our Students Club which focuses on being aware of the mental health of the student body of LCC. We plan lots of fun activities and even dedicate a week to mental health awareness. I’m also a member of the Mu Alpha Theta math club which helps tutor other students struggling or needing extra help in their math classes. I myself am not the strongest in math and having other students helping me is very helpful. I’m very thankful to my math teacher Mrs. Thompson for being kind by helping me and giving me the opportunity to receive and give help to others. Finally, I’m a member of the Students Against Destructive Decisions, SADD, which brings awareness to how important our daily decisions can impact or change our lives. Some of my favorite parts about school would be getting to see all my friends and the staff. I enjoy seeing everyone everyday and having a fun day together. My favorite class is science and I took zoology last year, taught by Mr. Bryan. Zoology was very interesting because I love all animals and got to learn about even the smallest of animals

ranging all the way to the most abundant in the world. Surprisingly, my favorite unit was about the insects because I got to learn about their anatomy and discover all the millions of different species. As for becoming a senior, I’m very excited! I cannot wait to be the leader of the school that others look up to.

Outside of school, I enjoy playing tennis and volunteering. I’m going into my 11th year of tennis and my 4th year of high school tennis. I’ve played tennis ever since I was young and look forward to many more years. I’m just as passionate about volunteering. Every summer during high school I have volunteered at the Lima Area Tennis Association which focuses on teaching ages 5-18 tennis. I’m very passionate about this program because I want to spread the love of tennis as much as I can to the people around me. An accomplishment that I am proud of is that I believe all my hard work in tennis has paid off because I was blessed to be able to represent LCC for the past two years at the State Tennis Tournament. When not volunteering or playing tennis I enjoy a relaxing day by the Shawnee Country Club Pool and playing pickleball with friends.

For my future career choices, I have a very broad view on where I see myself. Professions that I find very appealing would be a journalist, a pilot and a veterinarian. To encourage my journaling path, being a writer for this magazine would help me realize if this is something I would want to pursue. Whenever the magazine comes to our house, I always look into it with my family. We love seeing the other Shawnee families on the cover and seeing if we recognize them.

That Time Pablo Picasso Died Without a Will

by Michael McCormick, CPA

When someone passes away without leaving a will, we say they “died intestate.” That’s precisely what happened when Prince, Aretha Franklin, and many more including the famous artist Pablo Picasso when he died in France in 1973 at 91.

Picasso left behind a tremendous estate. His assets included five beautiful homes, his artwork, a significant collection of other artists’ work, gold, government bonds and cash.

Thanks to the massive size of the estate and many heirs making claims, it took six years to settle the estate and distribute assets. The cost of asset management and distribution equaled $30 million at the time and would equal $228 million in present times, thanks to inflation. Surprisingly, Picasso’s estate is not yet wholly distributed! There are still ongoing disputes about his assets 50 years later.

Most people are surprised to hear about an adult of that age — and net worth — refusing to write a will or put his assets into a trust. After all, no one gets out of this world alive. It won’t happen to us we believe. And we imagine a 91-year-old man had a few brushes with danger over such a long lifetime, right?

According to family friends, Picasso was very superstitious about death. He kept a human skull in his studio and featured human and animal skulls in his artwork as early as 1908.

They claim his refusal to draw up a will was a refusal to acknowledge the existence of death. And maybe it worked. He did live until 91, after all.

But those of us who aren’t world-famous artists brooding over skulls, really need to prepare.

We should start the process as soon as we reach the age of majority. It’s not for us; it’s for those we love that remain.

Sadly, we’ll never know the truth about Picasso’s final wishes. Some speculate he wished everything to go to his second wife, Jacqueline Roque. He was a 79-year-old widower when he married the 27-year-old beauty, and we know he was smitten.

Picasso had a reputation as a womanizer and likely had affairs with many women over the years. Maybe that’s why Jacqueline wouldn’t allow their children to attend his funeral.

Michael

And we’ll never know if sheer loneliness or frustrations regarding the asset distribution finally led Jacqueline to commit suicide 13 years after his death. But that’s the reality of dying without a will. Heirs will be upset and family feuds can last decades.

Every U.S. state, and most counties, have specific rules regarding estate distribution when someone passes away with no will. In other words, the state in which you reside has a plan for your assets if you don’t. It’s not a great plan, its not your plan, but it’s a plan.

When someone dies intestate, the local probate court judge will hire an administrator to act as fiduciary and manage the estate. The administrator starts by tallying up the assets and liabilities of the decedent.

Picasso died in France with many assets in Europe, but if he died intestate here in Lima, for instance, the Allen County probate court would be in charge of his assets.

Except for student loans that are discharged (forgiven) at death, a decedent’s bills must be paid before an administrator can deliver funds to heirs. In some counties, a surviving spouse inherits all or most of the assets without much fanfare. In other counties, assets are split between legal children — both biological and legally adopted — and the surviving spouse / registered domestic partner.

Of course, there are ways to create an instant estate for your heirs, even without a will. Life insurance policies, joint bank accounts and joint CDs come to mind. The asset transfers to the joint owner upon the other owners passing. Another tool is TOD, (transfer on death) where the asset is owned outright by its owner but passes to the TOD designee upon the owner’s passing. In Ohio TOD can be used on real estate but that isn’t so in all states.

Ultimately, if Pablo had spent more time brooding about his asset distribution rather than his mortality, he would have saved his heirs millions of dollars and years of frustration. Don’t be like Pablo. Contact an estate attorney.

Put your wishes in writing, and find other ways to earmark funds for your heirs so the state doesn’t do it for you. You’ll sleep better at night.

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

SurpriSe Landing

by Janine Douglass

Quoting two very popular songs on the subject: Fifth Dimension’s 1967 hit, “Up, Up and Away” (My beautiful, my beautiful balloon), and Blood, Sweat and Tears’ Grammy winning song of 1968, “Spinning Wheel” (What goes up, must come down…), one’s mind immediately pictures the grandeur of a hot-air balloon becoming aloft, floating effortlessly across a flawless sky, and landing like a novel’s perfect conclusion. What one does not expect, as on the evening of Wednesday, July 19, 2023, is being beckoned outdoors to see a hot-air balloon landing right in front of my Indianbrook home! Referring to the photos I excitedly captured as it happened, I was indelibly impressed not only with the event itself, but mainly with the expertise of the pilot, Rick Cusick. Landing as gracefully as a swan on a lake, his balloon and crew and passenger alighted, huffing and puffing that now familiar expulsion sound like a Game of Thrones dragon, amidst amused and amazed children circling on bicycles and an ever-growing crowd of curious neighbors, smack dab in the center of my street as if it were a runway designated and designed for just such a thing.

Interviewing Rick at his home the next week, he kindly related many details of his piloting experience, as well as the reason for the unscheduled residential arrival. Taking off from his generously sized Shawnee outskirts backyard, there was almost no breeze at all, slowing down the flight speed and exhausting fuel, resulting in the cautious and careful descent onto our wide Trail, with no above-ground electrical wires to interfere. Familiar with this development, Rick has landed in Indianbrook two or three times prior.

Rick related how he is in his 37th year as a hot-air balloon pilot, having been taught by Lima’s Dave Schaublin, and having started crewing in 1981, as a member of the then Lima Balloon Club. Rick’s own weather-related guidelines now include no flying if there is rain within fifty miles, or if it’s windy. Rick

flies only in the evenings and as his flying season between July and October dictates an earlier sunset as the months progress, he allows at least two hours of daylight for each 45 minutes to one hour trip. The average flight is 5 to 7 miles.

Starting out, to earn the equivalent of a car driver’s permit, he had to pass ground school and take a check ride with a designated examiner. To become a private pilot, Rick had to have a minimum of 10 hours of instruction and 2 days of ground school. More in-depth training and more flying hours and check rides would be required to become a commercial pilot. A new hot-air balloon system today would cost $50,000 to $55,000, with American-made companies in Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Georgia and North Carolina. Rick’s 25-year old balloon is made of rip-stop nylon with flame-retardent sealer. The passenger/pilot’s basket is made of wicker. Both his balloon and basket are things of beauty. He acquired his colorful balloon tattoo, an exact replica of his own balloon, in June of 2022. I didn’t think to ask Rick if either his son or daughter-in-law, who both have their pilot’s licenses and own three balloons, or his son-in-law, who also has a balloon, have tattoos…but maybe the joy and honor of owning and flying these gorgeous, man-made, airborne, levitating devices is enough.

Rick Cusick, Hot Air Balloon Pilot

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 Window Fashions

Bayliff & Son Funeral Home

Brunk Electric Cleaves American Heating & Air Conditioning

Gillis Chiropractic Clinic

Kwik Dry Total Cleaning of Northwest Ohio

Mercy Health

Purple Feet Wine Boutique

Sara’s Sweets

Shawnee Station – Coffee ▪ Bar ▪ Grill

Tracy’s Appliances

Westgate Entertainment Center