Your member appreciation day is Aug. 26. We’ll see you there!
Kankakee Valley REMC’s
I N D I AN A
CONNECTION
Your Member Appreciation Day and Annual Business Meeting
Look inside for more details!
THURSDAY, AUG. 26 PORTER COUNTY EXPO CENTER DOORS OPEN — 4:30 P.M. BUSINESS MEETING — 7:30 P.M.
AUGUST 2021
It’s More Than A Meeting. It’s A Celebration.
You’re the honored guest at Member Appreciation Day Musical Entertainment
Your co-op has been gearing up for the year’s largest event: the Member Appreciation Day and Annual Business Meeting. Plan to attend on Aug. 26 at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso. The theme, Better Together, is so appropriate considering the challenges of this past year. I think we’ve all realized that there truly is nothing like being together. As we emerge from a year of social distancing and shutdowns, we
Catered Dinner
are excited to return to an in-person event. For many years, this time-honored event was called the Annual Meeting. But the event has grown to be more than just a meeting; it’s a party with you as the special guest. We’ll celebrate you and your membership in the cooperative with live musical entertainment, an electric vehicle show, kids’ entertainment, a catered meal and bingo. Since it’s an open house-style event, you can come and go as is convenient for you and your family. In addition to all the fun things we have planned, this event will feature our
Kids Activities
annual business meeting and board of directors election. During the business meeting, co-op leaders will discuss the REMC’s challenges and successes, the financial health of the cooperative, and goals for the coming year. While you are able to vote in the director election prior to the event, member-consumers can also cast their vote in person on Aug. 26. All votes will be tallied that evening with the election results announced during the business meeting. When members of a community come together for a common purpose, we
$4,550 In Prizes
includes cash and bill credit prize drawings
improve the quality of life for everyone in the community. If you have never attended an REMC meeting or if it’s been a while, please stop by on Aug. 26. Mark your calendar for an evening of food, fun, community and cash prizes.
Scott Sears CEO Kankakee Valley REMC
Election of Directors
THERE IS STILL TIME TO VOTE! You can vote for the board of directors election online and by mail until Aug. 24. After that time, you can only vote in person at the Member Appreciation Day and Annual Business Meeting event taking place at the Porter County Expo Center on Aug. 26. If you wait to vote in person, you will be provided with a new ballot at the event. Everyone who votes will receive a $5 bill credit.
Bingo
Member Appreciation Day and Annual Business Meeting: Aug. 26.
Kankakee Valley REMC’s
OUT OF THE BAG MASCOTING AS BIG CATS IS FAMILY LEGACY
pages 16–20
AUGUST 2021
from the editor
Calm down
How do you relax? Perhaps you take a walk or ride your bike around the neighborhood. Maybe you de-stress in a warm bubble bath or while napping in a hammock. I personally enjoy temporarily escaping reality by immersing myself in a good book. No matter what method you use to calm your mind, it’s just important that you take the time to relax. But if kicking back and tuning out isn’t yet part of your regular routine, you may want to take note of a day devoted to that peaceful easy feeling. Aug. 15 is Relaxation Day. Mark that on your calendar and start planning your day. Many of us have experienced increased stress and anxiety during the pandemic. The uncertainty and isolation of these unprecedented times can take their toll on our minds and bodies. Now more than ever, not only is our own self-care a must; we need to encourage others in our lives to schedule time to rejuvenate their minds and bodies. Indulge in hobbies you may have been too busy to enjoy. Watch a movie that makes you laugh. Play board games with your family. Book a massage. Listen to soothing music while taking deep breaths to calm your mind. If you don’t do these things regularly, make Aug. 15 the day to start. Then make them part of your routine. I’m often overwhelmed by my always-full to-do lists and how there are never enough hours to accomplish all that want to do. But I know that burning out while ticking off my task lists is not healthy. Join me in a day of calm. It could make all the difference in your life.
EMILY SCHILLING Editor eschilling@indianaec.org
On the menu: December issue: Chocolate, deadline Oct. 1.
January issue: Sheet pan meals, deadline Oct. 1. If we publish your recipe on our food pages, we’ll send you a $10 gift card.
Giveaways: Enter to win a $50 gift card from The Log Inn, this month’s Indiana
Eats-featured restaurant. For details and to enter, visit indianaconnection.org/talk-to-us/ contests. Entry deadline: Aug. 31.
Three ways to contact us: To send us recipes, photos, event listings, letters
and entries for gift drawings, please use the forms on our website indianaconnection.org; email info@indianaconnection.org; or send to Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606.
VOLUME 71 • NUMBER 2 ISSN 0745-4651 • USPS 262-340 Published monthly by Indiana Electric Cooperatives Indiana Connection is for and about members of Indiana’s locally-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. It helps consumers use electricity safely and efficiently; understand energy issues; connect with their co-op; and celebrate life in Indiana. Over 304,000 residents and businesses receive the magazine as part of their electric co-op membership. CONTACT US: 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600 Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606 317-487-2220 info@indianaconnection.org IndianaConnection.org INDIANA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OFFICERS: Walter Hunter President Randy Kleaving Vice President Steve McMichael Secretary/Treasurer John Gasstrom CEO EDITORIAL STAFF: Emily Schilling Editor Richard George Biever Senior Editor Holly Huffman Communication Support Specialist Ellie Schuler Senior Digital and Layout Design Specialist Taylor Maranion Senior Brand and Visual Design Specialist Lauren Carman Communication Coordinator Stacey Holton Director of Creative Services Mandy Barth Vice President of Communication ADVERTISING: American MainStreet Publications Cheryl Solomon, local ad representative; 512-441-5200; amp.coop Crosshair Media 502-216-8537; crosshairmedia.net Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication. UNSOLICITED MATERIAL: Indiana Connection does not use unsolicited freelance manuscripts or photographs and assumes no responsibility for the safe‑keeping or return of unsolicited material. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $12 for individuals not subscribing through participating REMCs/RECs. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you receive Indiana Connection through your electric co-op membership, report address changes to your local co-op. POSTAGE: Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, Ind., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606. Include key number.
No portion of Indiana Connection may be reproduced without permission of the editor.
AUGUST 2021
3
contents
AUGUST
10
14
energy
03 FROM THE EDITOR 05 CO-OP NEWS Energy news and information from your electric cooperative. 10 ENERGY Mini-split systems are efficient, secure. 11 INSIGHTS
21
food
25
safety
travel
12 COUNTY OF THE MONTH Spotlighting Bartholomew County.
16 COVER STORY
23 OUTDOORS
Mascoting as big cats is a family legacy.
13 INDIANA EATS
21 SAFETY Educate children on bus safety before they leave for school.
Sustenance afield: Salt and preservatives preserve us. (Not in all editions)
The Log Inn famous for Lincoln visit — and fried chicken. 14 FOOD Pepper up.
22 BACKYARD Limelight pruning primer; Jim Dandy to the rescue. (Not in all editions)
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Indiana Connection
24 H OOSIER ENERGY/ WABASH VALLEY NEWS 25 TRAVEL The Big Peach in Bruceville. 26 PROFILE Nick Stainbrook’s mindboggling blessing.
On the cover It’s all in the family for second generation mascot Mason Hinkle who fires up game day crowds as Pioneer Jr.-Sr. High School’s Pepe the Panther. He took over the role from his mom, Candice, five years ago. PHOTO BY RICHARD G. BIEVER
4
AUGUST 2021
Things to consider before
www.kvremc.com
BUYING AN EV
CONTACT US Toll Free: 800-552-2622 Local: 219-733-2511 OFFICE HOURS 7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m. Central Time Monday-Friday STREET ADDRESS 8642 W. U.S. Highway 30 Wanatah, IN 46390 MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 157, Wanatah, IN 46390 EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGES To report a power outage, please call 800-552-2622. We are available to serve you 24 hours a day. When calling, please provide the name in which your account is listed. Also, please be sure to check your fuses or breakers.
Electric vehicles (EV) continue
changes based on the time of day.
to gain momentum and many
During the on-peak hours of 4-7
Kankakee Valley REMC member-
p.m. CST, the cost of energy on
Scott Sears, Chief Executive Officer
consumers see the benefit of
the TOU rate is 0.365 cents per
Lori Young, Executive Assistant
refueling at the outlet instead
kilowatt-hour. Outside of those
Angie Swanson, Office Manager
of the gas pump. Kankakee
hours, the cost is only 0.598 cents
Valley REMC offers a couple of
per kWh. So, if you charge your
recommendations for those who
electric vehicle at 9 p.m. instead of
are considering switching to an EV.
5 p.m. you will save money on your
KANKAKEE VALLEY REMC STAFF
Josh Pepple, Director of Operations Amanda Steeb, Communications and Marketing Director Dave Howell, Purchasing and Facilities Manager Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/KVREMC
The new Wi-Fi thermostat program is now available to our membership through the PowerShift program. Visit powermoves.com to see how you can receive $50 for signing up and another $25 for each year enrolled.
Typically, the dealership or the car manufacturer will recommend a charging system for you to install
electric bill. This rate is available to all Kankakee Valley REMC memberconsumers.
at your home. Kankakee Valley
If you purchase an EV, let Kankakee
REMC does not offer electric
Valley REMC know before your
vehicle chargers or installation
electrician installs the charger.
services. However, the cooperative
The service to your home is sized
does have a rate structure — the
to meet your home’s demands
time of use (TOU) rate — to help
as they existed when service
you save money by shifting electric
was connected. Adding the EV
use, like charging, to off peak
charger could overload the wires
hours.
and transformers powering your
Through this rate structure, instead of energy being a flat rate, its cost
home. Overloaded services can fail and leave you in the dark with an uncharged EV.
AUGUST 2021
5
SECRETARYTREASURER REPORT After a unique year, Kankakee Valley REMC is proud to
SOURCES AND USES OF CASH MARGINS FOR THE YEAR ENDING DEC. 31, 2020 Sources of Cash
report that your cooperative weathered the COVID storm
Sales to Members
and remains in a solid financial position.
Borrowings from RUS/CFC (lenders)
KV REMC invested over $5 million in ongoing efforts to ensure reliability through continuous investments in utility plant improvements and replacements. The cooperative’s utility plant includes items such as poles, wires, meters, transformers and other equipment. The total assets held by the REMC totaled $74 million, with the majority
New Membership Fees & Consumer Deposits Total Sources of Cash
Payments to Power Supplier & Vendor New Construction & Replacement of Utility Plant Repayment of Long-Term Debt
consistent and had no other substantial changes. The
Total Uses of Cash
contributions from member-consumers and an increase in debt of $1.5 million. As of the end of the year, member-owned equity in the cooperative totaled $51 million. In addition, the cooperative returned $400,000 worth of patronage equity to the membership.
3,000,000 (38,780) $39,725,444
Uses of Cash
of those being electric plant. The cash position stayed investments made to the plant were made with equity
$36,764,224
New (Decrease) or Increase in cash
$32,327,537 5,127,016 1,925,854 $39,380,407
345,037
Kankakee Valley REMC has included in this report the financial statements from the year ended Dec. 31, 2020. These financial statements are reported to the REMC’s lenders, as well as our member-consumers. Kankakee Valley REMC also has an annual audit performed by London Witte Group, LLC, Certified Public Accounts, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. The audit reports are on file at the REMC office and available for inspection within 120 days after the audit period ends.
The revenue collected by the REMC was steady, compared to the prior year as rates stayed consistent. Operating expenses increased in 2020, primarily due to the increased cost of power. This increase drove margins for the cooperative down slightly to $3.3 million compared to the prior year’s $3.6 million. Through the REMC’s rates, member-consumers pay for the cost of their electric service. During the year, we collected $36.7 million to operate the utility. The REMC expended a total of $32 million to purchase power and cover the operating cost to manage the utility. As mentioned before, another $5 million was spent to invest in utility plant improvements. Given the challenges of 2020, your cooperative leadership team has remained focused on providing quality service to the membership. Your cooperative remained vigilant on the system’s integrity with increased investment, absorbing the rising costs while maintaining the same level of revenue, and collecting from the membership only what was necessary to provide safe and reliable electrical service.
6 AUGUST 2021
There’s still time to vote! You can vote in the board of directors election online, by mail until Aug. 24 and in person at the Porter County Expo Center on Aug. 26 during the Member Appreciation Day and Annual Business Meeting event.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS 2019
2020
$36,506,510
$36,764,224
$22,662,918
$23,566,910
Operations
2,165,177
1,985,454
Maintenance
2,241,909
2,443,363
Customer Accounts & Collections
764,000
794,164
Assets & Other Debits
Customer Service & Informational Expense
429,848
376,203
2,625,406
3,008,729
$30,889,258
$32,174,823
OPERATING REVENUES Operating Expenses Purchased Power
Administrative & General Total Cost of Operating Expenses Other Deductions Depreciation
$2,442,383
$2,296,330
Tax
525,590
530,005
Interest and Other
880,819
839,591
$3,848,792
$3,665,926
$34,738,050
$35,840,749
$1,768,460
$923,475
$446,818
$402,492
$1,402,294
$1,963,382
$3,617,572
$3,289,349
Total Cost of Other Deductions Total Cost of Electric Service Operating Margins Non-Operating Margins Other Capital Credits & Patronage Dividends
Patronage Capital or Margins
2020 OPERATING EXPENSES ADMINISTRATIVE & GENERAL CUSTOMER SERVICE & INFORMATIONAL EXPENSES
$3,008,729
COMPARATIVE BALANCE SHEET 2019
2020
Total Utility Plant
$78,437,742
$83,564,758
Less Reserve for Depreciation
30,426,628
32,038,177
Net Utility Plant
48,011,114
51,526,581
Other Property & Investments
13,557,332
14,234,897
2,956,948
3,301,985
2,897,052
2,792,987
1,023,251
614,089
Pre-Payments
66,659
65,789
Other Current & Accrued Assets
23,386
24,784
Deferred Debits
1,554,423
1,925,304
Total Assets & Other Debits
70,090,165
74,486,416
Membership Fees
646,860
651,750
Patronage Capital
43,416,059
46,760,266
General Funds (Cash & Temporary Investments) Accounts Receivable Materials & Supplies
Liabilities & Other Credits
$376,203
Other Margins & Equities
3,775,064
3,446,842
CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS & COLLECTIONS
Long-Term Debt — RUS
9,912,244
11,950,503
7,338,698
6,857,983
$794,164
Long-Term Debt — Other Notes & Accounts Payable
1,820,622
1,846,199
MAINTENANCE
Consumer Deposits
982,926
939,256
1,726,680
1,648,272
471,012
385,345
$70,090,165
$74,486,416
$2,443,363
Other Current & Accrued Liabilities Deferred Credits
OPERATIONS
Total Liabilities & Other Credits
$1,985,454
PURCHASED POWER
$23,566,910
AUGUST 2021
7
WHAT’S IN YOUR BILL?
When was the last time you took a hard look at your electric bill? You might just find the line that says Total Amount Due, and glance quickly over the other information. As we all look for ways to be more energy efficient, and save money on our bills, understanding the details in your bill are important. If you have questions about your electric bill, call our office at 800-552-2622 and a member of our customer service team will be happy to assist you.
1
ACCOUNT ACTIVITY :
FACILITIES CHARGE: The facilities fee covers operating, maintenance and administrative costs for the entire electrical distribution system.
FRONT OF KV REMC BILL STATEMENT
LOAD MANAGEMENT CREDITS: Participate in the PowerShift load management program by having a switch installed on your air conditioner or electric water heater, and you can receive a bill credit each month. E-BILL/E-NEWSLETTER CREDIT: Receive by email your electric bill or the Indiana Connection magazine and you will receive 50 cents per item each month. SALES TAX: The sales tax calculated for electricity used on your account.
0000
Sally Member
111-222-3333
000-111
0000
1
2
ROUND UP: For member-consumers who participate in Operation Round Up, the amount rounded up is added to your bill. Operation Round Up has provided over a million dollars in grants to non-profits in the community to benefit area residents. TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: The balance on your account, including any past due amounts or late fees.
2
3
4
COMPARISONS: Your energy use can
vary by month and year due to weather and your lifestyle. This chart and information on your bill provides details into the number of kWh used in the current billing period, last and exact time of the previous year. KWh is a measurement of electricity. A kilowatt-hour equals 1,000 watts of energy used for one hour. One 100-watt light bulb burning for 10 hours consumes one kilowatt-hour. The cost per kWh for a residential member is $0.09699.
PAYMENT STUB: If paying your bill by mail, you can remove this portion of the bill and return it with your check. This helps us to make sure we assign payment to the correct account.
000-111
3 Sally Member 111 Cooperative Way Wanatah, IN 46390
4 IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your cooperative will use this section of the bill to provide you with important information or details about your cooperative or electric service.
LEARN MORE AT KVREMC.COM
8 AUGUST 2021
0000
ADVERTISEMENT
energy
comfort Add-on
MINI-SP L IT S Y S T E M S A RE EFFICIE NT , S EC URE
DO YOU HAVE A RO O M THAT NE VE R RE AC H ES T H E TEM PE RATU RE YOU S ET A T Y OU R TH E RM OSTAT ? You are not alone! There are many reasons to consider adding additional heating and cooling to trouble areas like this and there is a solution I have found that is efficient and secure. Known as mini-split heat pumps, these units don’t require ductwork to provide heating and cooling solutions to your home. These units have
A common question I
window unit?” They are
with a system like this. If
get about these systems
cheaper to purchase and
you find that additional
is “Are they energy
don’t require professional
heating and cooling is
efficient?” Overall,
installation but there are
needed for a space in
yes. They are efficient
three things I want you
your home, mini-split
because air does not
to keep in mind:
systems provide a safe,
have to move from the unit located on one side of your home through ductwork to the other side. Mini-split systems are installed on a wall
• Window units only offer cool air.
noisy. • They can reduce the security of your
placed outside in close
home as it can be
proximity to the wall
challenging to secure
unit. This is one way
the windows they are
these units help increase
installed in. Conducting an energy
their own thermostat and
Another common
efficiency audit is always
can condition up to four
question is “Why
something I recommend
rooms.
shouldn’t I just use a
before moving forward
10
AUGUST 2021
consider.
• They tend to be
and the heat pump is
efficiency.
efficient solution to
by
Matt Brames
Manager of Cooperative Communication Dubois REC
MARKETPLACE Our Marketplace offers maximum exposure for your business or organization at a minimal cost. Please contact Cheryl Solomon, 847-749-4875 or cheryl@amp.coop, for other small business advertising opportunities in Indiana Connection.
Indiana Connection magazine, staffers receive awards Indiana Connection magazine — as
300-member-
well as staff members Richard G.
strong
Biever, Taylor Maranion, and Emily
organization
Schilling — were recently honored
of cooperative
by the Cooperative Communicators
communication
Association.
professionals.
The magazine received a third place
WE CLOSE LOANS IN 30 DAYS GUARANTEED!
award in the member publication category. Maranion, the magazine’s senior brand and visual design specialist, received the coveted photographer
Local Loan Originators We Lend in 48 States Loan Program Variety Low and No Down Payment Competitive Rates GSlater@ WaterstoneMortgage.com
of the year honor. Schilling, Indiana Connection’s editor, won first place in the headline writing category. Biever, the magazine’s senior editor, earned an honorable mention in the portrait photography category.
Nearly 500 entries representing the best in writing, photography, programs and projects and publications were submitted in this year’s competition by professional communicators from
The awards were presented at CCA’s
across the United
annual institute in June. CCA is a
States and Canada.
Indiana Connection Editor Emily Schilling earned a first place award for her “Haute Dogs” headline in the July 2020 issue. This photo was part of Taylor Maranion’s Photographer of the Year-winning portfolio.
AUGUST 2021
11
The distinctive 192-foot spire of the North Christian Church is one reason the church, built in 1964, is a landmark in Columbus, a city of landmarks.
county feature
Bartholomew County Bartholomew County celebrates its bicentennial this year. Parts of the county’s yearlong celebration will focus on looking forward to what’s next. But in celebrating the county, the story of county seat Columbus cannot be emphasized enough. For a city of its size, Columbus, population around 46,000, has a unique place in the nation for its noted architecture and public art. The American Institute of Architects ranked Columbus sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design — right behind Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The city’s visitors’ guide lists over 90 buildings and pieces of public art by internationally-noted architects and artists. Columbus has been called “Athens on the Prairie.” Seven buildings, constructed between 1942 and 1971, are National Historic Landmarks, and approximately 60 other buildings sustain the Bartholomew County seat’s reputation as a showcase of modern architecture. The seven are:
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 1942 • 531 FIFTH ST. Completed in 1942, it was the first contemporary building in Columbus and one of the first churches of contemporary architecture in the United States. The design includes a 166-foot high free-standing bell tower.
CUMMINS INC. IRWIN CONFERENCE CENTER, FORMERLY IRWIN UNION BANK, 1954 • 500 WASHINGTON ST. The center is a low, glass-walled building set in a grove of trees.
12
AUGUST 2021
PHO TO PROV I DE D BY CO LUM BUS AREA VI SI TO R S CE NTE R
County Facts FOUNDED: 1821
Unusual domed lights and an open interior creates a large open room and a feeling of openness and friendliness.
NAMED FOR:
MILLER HOUSE AND GARDEN, 1957
of Tippecanoe. He later
The Miller House is located in a residential neighborhood and is not accessible to the public. Entry is obtained via tours which start at the Columbus Visitors Center.
MCDOWELL EDUCATION CENTER, 1960 • 2700 MCKINLEY AVE. McDowell was designed as an elementary school with four cluster buildings that had three classrooms each and connecting open-air walkways. The school changed to adult education in 1988 and it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1999.
NORTH CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 1964 • 850 TIPTON LANE The sloping roof of this six-sided building blends with the landscaped earth mound which surrounds it. This low line accentuates the slender 192-foot spire, topped with a goldleaf cross, which gives its distinctive design.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 1965 • 3300 FAIRLAWN DRIVE First Baptist Church is positioned on the brow of a gently sloping knoll. This elevation, combined with its peaked non-dimensional bell tower, emphasizes the building’s function
Joseph Bartholomew, a general in the Indiana militia who fought at the 1811 Battle became a state lawmaker. POPULATION: 82,753 (2018 estimate) COUNTY SEAT: Columbus INDIANA COUNTY NUMBER: 3 as a place of worship. The steep roof, twice as high as the supporting brick walls, is covered with hand-laid slate. The highlight of the interior design is a wall of pierced brick at the front of the chancel.
THE REPUBLIC NEWSPAPER OFFICES, 1971 • 333 SECOND ST. The glass and steel design provided onlookers with a window into the business of communications. The open concept reflected the daily newspaper’s role as a central link in the information for the community. Originally, the paper’s printing presses could be viewed from the street. The newspaper later moved its offices near Fair Oaks Mall and the Indiana University J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program moved into the building in August 2018. Architecture tours are available. For more information, visit columbus.in.us/tour-options.
Indiana eats
INN-COMPARABLE The Log Inn famous for Lincoln visit — and fried chicken Its claim to fame as Indiana’s oldest
Elpers, and their
restaurant is reason enough to draw
families.
curious diners to The Log Inn in Warrenton, Indiana, 12 miles north of Evansville. But once there, the restaurant’s locally famous fried chicken, always fresh and made to order, turns first-timers to fans.
Besides the
Family-style meal featuring fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes and green beans.
chicken, fried low and slow using grandmother Victoria’s recipe,
The Log Inn was built by Henry
diners most
Haub in 1825. In the 1840s, it was
often rave about
a main stagecoach stop between
the catfish,
Evansville and Terre Haute, and an
secret-recipe
inn. Abraham Lincoln, then an Illinois
coleslaw and
attorney, stopped there in 1844 while
pie. Family-style meals featuring
campaigning for his role model,
comfort food staples like mashed
presidential candidate Henry Clay.
potatoes and rolls are available for
The building fittingly later became a
parties of three or more. Diners can
stop on the Underground Railroad.
also order a la carte off the menu.
It served the community as a general
Lincoln-philes are thrilled to enjoy
store, tavern and dance hall through
their meals in the Lincoln Room where
the years and through various owners.
the revered 16th president spent
In 1965, Pete and Victoria Rettig
time in 1844. The Lincoln Room is in
opened The Log Inn restaurant in the
the original portion of The Log Inn;
building. The restaurant passed on to
through the years — starting post-Civil
their daughter, Rita, and her husband
War — the several additions were
Gene Elpers in 1978. It is currently
made to the building.
run by the Elpers’ children: Kathy
The restaurant’s walls are adorned with historical photos, artwork, awards, and
Rita Elpers and her family run The Log Inn.
memorabilia — many donated by local
residents and regular patrons of the landmark restaurant. Among the memorabilia: a copy of a 2016 “Time” magazine article which mentioned The Log Inn as one of 240 reasons to celebrate the Fourth of July. The Gibson County restaurant was also featured in the Food Network’s “The Best Of” Viewers’ Choice
Holzmeyer, Trish Elpers and Daryl
program.
ENTER TO WIN a $50 gift card to The Log Inn
THE LOG INN 12491 County Road 200 E. Haubstadt, Indiana
812-867-3216
Open for dinner every night except Sundays and Mondays.
LEARN MORE ON PAGE 3.
theloginn.net AUGUST 2021
13
food SALSA
Patricia Kay Sharp, Monticello, Indiana 6 lbs. tomatoes ½ lb. peppers (suggested: 1 jalapeno pepper, ½ each yellow, red and orange bell pepper, 1 whole green pepper, and 3 banana peppers) 2 T. cilantro 1 (4 oz.) can green chiles 2 cups ketchup ½ head garlic, minced 1 cup white vinegar ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup pickling salt Rinse and dice all tomatoes; place them in a colander over the sink to drain excess liquid. Rinse and dice all peppers, removing stems and seeds first. Dice cilantro. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and rest of the ingredients; stir together thoroughly. Spoon into clean glass jars. This recipe makes one gallon so you can divide salsa into four quart jars or eight pint jars. Cover with lids. Place in refrigerator. Use salsa within one year. Cook’s Notes: You can adjust the peppers to your taste. This combination is very tasty but not hot. This is a great way to use up those extra tomatoes.
14
AUGUST 2021
Pepper Up
food
VERSATILE PEPPERS BRING GARDEN FRESH FLAVOR TO THESE READER RECIPES
CREAM CHEESE FILLED PEPPERS Glenda Sensenig Cutler, Indiana
In a small bowl, mix chili powder and brown sugar. Set aside. Wash, halve and seed peppers. Fill each pepper with ½ oz. of cream cheese. Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap ½ of a bacon slice around each
1 T. chili powder
pepper half, securing each with a toothpick.
½ cup brown sugar
Arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle brown
8 mini sweet peppers 8 oz. cream cheese 8 bacon slices, raw
sugar mixture over pepper halves. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
K’S SUMMER PENNE Beverly Allen Sellersburg, Indiana
1 red pepper, cored and diced 1 yellow pepper, cored and diced 1 orange pepper, cored and diced 1 small sweet onion, diced Oil, cooking spray or butter 16 oz. penne pasta, cooked according to package directions Approximately 15 (more or less to taste) grape tomatoes, quartered Oregano, basil, salt, and pepper, to taste Shredded mozzarella if desired
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS ¼ cup pine nuts Fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, tarragon, basil, oregano, parsley Cooked, diced chicken Yellow summer squash, diced Saute peppers and onion in oil, cooking spray, or butter until tender. Add cooked penne and mix together. Add tomatoes and cook until heated (tomatoes should still have their shape, not mushy). Add seasoning and/or fresh herbs; mix together. Add optional additions if desired. Serve warm. Top with shredded mozzarella, if desired. Makes 8-10 servings.
FO O D PREPARED BY I NDI ANA CO NNECTI O N STA FF PHO TO S BY TAYLO R M ARAN I O N
AUGUST 2021
15
OUT OF TH When Candice Hinkle — then Layman — first asked if she could don the fuzzy black suit and oversized head of her high school’s mascot, she let more than one cat out of the bag. Her high school was Logansport. The mascot was Felix the Cat, the famous feline of film and funny pages — and Indiana’s oldest mascot. “There was no actual ‘Felix’ being Felix,” Candice, Class of 1996, recalled. “They might catch one of the kids and say, ‘Hey, we need somebody to be Felix tonight. Would you do it?’” Given the chance to be Felix, Candice took the role and made it hers. She not only animated Felix in a way no Felix had been before (or since), she later went on to portray two other mascot cats, The Puma at
P HO TO BY RI CHARD G . B IE VE R
16
AUGUST 2021
PHO TO CO URTE S Y O F CANDICE HI NKLE
E BAG
MASCOTING AS BIG CATS IS FAMILY LEGACY
St. Joseph College on a mascoting
started with Felix when Candice was
onto the gridirons as normal school
scholarship, and Pepe the Panther at
just her son’s high school sweetheart.
activities are expected to resume. And
Pioneer Jr.-Sr. High School in Royal Center where she was teaching.
“I just have to laugh to think that my interest in mascoting would lead to an
mascots are a big part of that rah, rah, sis, boom, bah.
And to show that the claw doesn’t fall
entire family affair!” Candice, now 43,
“A mascot is the embodiment of
far from the paw: Candice’s then-
said recently. “They always say one
school spirit,” explained Matt Jones,
future sister-in-law, Shannon Hinkle,
decision can change your life. One
principal at Logansport High School.
followed in her pawprints as Felix;
decision as my 16-year-old self to step
“A mascot is there to cheer alongside
Candice’s son Mason took over from
out of my comfort zone changed an
the crowd and build a sense of
her as Pepe, the Pioneer mascot; and
entire family dynamic over 25 years
belonging to the school at its games
daughter Valerie hopes to step into the
later!”
and events. A mascot entertains and
Pepe costume next year after her big brother graduates.
MASCOT’S MEOW All over Indiana later this month, high school
heightens the engagement of the crowd.”
If all that wasn’t enough, Candice’s
students will step out of their comfort
Logansport, he noted, has all that in
mother-in-law, Barb, has always been
zones beneath veils of fleece, foam
Felix, as a source of entertainment
there, too. She was the seamstress to
and fuzz as fierce or farcical school
while being a big part of the history
adjust or fix all three costumes. She
mascots. They’ll lead their teams back
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Mascoting is the Hinkle Family legacy. Candice Hinkle started it off, when she was still Candice Layman, in the mid-1990s by assuming the full-time role of Felix the Cat, the iconic Logansport High School mascot (inset photo at left). Her son, Mason, is now Pepe the Panther at Pioneer Jr.-Sr. High School in Royal Center (far left and far right). Below, Mason and Candice pose with Shannon Hinkle, far right, Candice’s sister-in-law who followed her as Felix in high school and Valerie Hinkle, Candice’s daughter, who hopes to follow older brother Mason as Pepe next year.
P HO TO COU R T E SY OF T HE HI NK L E FA MILY
P HO TO BY RI CH ARD G . BI E V E R
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
After she got the part of Felix, she
gave her a tryout slip at the start of her
and tradition of the high school.
started doing research into her role.
sophomore year.
(Please see story on page 20.)
She read about Felix and watched his
Jones, who grew up in Logansport
has antics. And Felix is kind of ornery
and whose father taught at the school, was five years ahead of Candice, but the legend of her portrayal of Felix lived on when he returned to the school system as a teacher and then
old black and white films. “Oh, so Felix sometimes,” she learned. “I can do that. Just being creative and thinking outside the box was my favorite part of being Felix.”
Because of the new awareness and celebrity Candice had brought to Felix, several students wanted to be the mascot the following fall, and tryouts had to be held. “I was someone who would never really talk to anybody; I really kept to myself,” recalled
Her biggest fan, she said, was her
Shannon. “And so I thought this would
boyfriend, Jeremy Hinkle. “It was a
be a perfect way to get out of my shell.
interactive personality,” he noted.
natural fit. It really was,” said Jeremy.
Candice had a lot of fun. And nobody
Candice said peering through the
“She’s always had a real bubbly
really knows who’s behind the mask
personality. And she’s always been
and the costume.”
administrator. “Candice took Felix to another level as an animated and
mesh eyes of the Felix costume, she found freedom to really clown around. “I was outgoing, but I didn’t know that I could entertain crowds of 4,500 people. It’s like a transformation. I found my groove when I became
outgoing and wanting to talk and play around with people and just be the class clown.” Jeremy said that as a farm kid, he didn’t get to attend too many high
Felix.”
school games, but he always made it
She said she learned so much about
appeared as Felix. The couple dated
herself — through Felix. “I learned that I’m kinesthetic. I move with my body. If I hear music, I’m moving my hands and my legs. And what made Felix was how much I moved. Mascoting is all about telling a story through your body. Because you can’t talk, right? So you’ve got to communicate in other ways.”
P H OTO B Y R IC H A R D G. B IE V E R
18
AUGUST 2021
a point to attend the games Candice throughout high school and married just after college.
Shannon won the part as Felix for the 1996-97 school year and continued playing the role of Felix until she graduated in 1999. Shannon said she was always more introverted, not boisterous and a class clown like Candice — until she got into the Felix costume. “It’s kind of that switch that clicks, and you just feel invincible,” she said. “You just know
After Candice graduated from
what you have to do. And you know
Logansport, Jeremy’s little sister
that you make people smile. And when
Shannon tried out for Felix. As a
you make people smile, you feel good.
freshman, she knew Candice had been Felix, but she said she never thought much about it until someone
Felix the Cat, Logansport High School’s mascot since 1926, is everywhere around the school. Along with its celebrity mascot, Logansport also has the oddly unique nickname “Berries.” The dubbing is believed to have been aptly derived from the similarities in name and color to the red and black Loganberry.
Felix the Cat has been updated in looks (and costumes) over the years, but is still a mainstay at the Berry Bowl, the home gymnasium for the Logansport High School teams.
If it’s jumping around acting crazy,
grade son Mason asked if he could
then by golly, that’s what you’ll do. If
be Pepe. She let him try it on for size,
it’s sitting on the floor playing blocks
and he never gave it up.
with kids, then that’s what you need to do.”
Mason said he was more quiet than his mom. “I don’t normally like talking
Meanwhile, after graduation,
to people as much, … which is kind of
Candice had gone to St. Joseph
a nice thing because as Pepe you are
College in Rensselaer (which
expected to be silent,” noted Mason,
has since shuttered) on a softball
now 17 and entering his senior year.
scholarship. But the softball coach
“It’s a different mindset when you’re
He’s not kidding about “owning it.”
had also seen her perform as Felix
actually in Pepe. I’m happy chasing
Little sister Valerie, who’s a freshman
and recommended her for a mascot
people around, having my tail pulled
this fall, has asked about filling in as
scholarship, too. St. Joe’s mascot was
… off in some cases.”
Pepe. “She’s bugged me for the past
also a cat — a school-color purple feline known just as “The Puma.” Candice passed some of Felix’s zany
“From seeing both,” said Jeremy, “Felix as a cartoon was always kind of
himself. “So it took me until maybe all of eighth grade to fully go into it and just own it.”
two years to let her do it a few times,” said Mason.
the jokester, the prankster; Candice
So far, he hasn’t let her. But her time
tried to bring that to Felix when she
may come. She has been assisting
was on the basketball court during
Pepe, carrying his water bottle and
After college, Jeremy and Candice
halftime. Pepe, however, doesn’t have
making sure little kids don’t pull his
moved to rural Cass County as Carroll
a cartoon or anything to model after.
tail. She hopes to step into the suit
White REMC consumers. Candice
So, it’s kind of been Mason figuring
next year. “I want to get a taste for it,”
settled in as a fifth grade teacher in
out what he can get away with.”
she said. “I just like messing around in
antics and ornery humor on to the Puma during her four years there.
the Pioneer school system in Royal Center. In 2016, just like 22 years earlier at Logansport, she discovered Pioneer Jr.-Sr. High School had a mascot — another big cat named Pepe the Panther. Its costume was hardly being used. “I used to be a mascot,” she told folks at the high school. “Let me do it.” She reprised her crazy antics to the enjoyment of Pioneer fans. “I did it for three football games and had a blast,” she said.
“It has been fun watching Mason develop his own bag of tricks,” said Candice. “I never thought he’d stick with it this long, but he really has
front of other people, like dancing and stuff and not having to worry about them knowing who you are, because you have that mask on. ”
enjoyed himself — immensely! There
MASCOT DREAMS After 2018,
is a sense of pride as a parent to see
Candice took a year sabbatical from
that something so unusual you did and
her 20-year career as a teacher,
enjoyed as a kid, is now something
and then resigned to pursue a new
your own children like doing!”
calling — the ministry. She is working
Mason admits it took him a couple of years to grow into the role. “It was really hard at first to let go and not be Mason, anymore,” he noted. “I’m
Her comeback, however, was short
Pepe. I can do whatever I want. I don’t
lived. Out of the blue, her seventh
have to sit in the bleachers,” he told
to become a Lutheran minister. This summer, she’s been interning as a chaplain at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. “We just had to do a thing about what are your CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 AUGUST 2021
19
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
open to multiple types of people, and
And then that clues you in for this
squashed dreams.‘Oh, I thought one
just be loving to them — from little
profession. I know to back off, or, go
kids to older folks. I learned in my
forward, or give them their space. Now
That was my biggest dream.’”
youth that God had given me a special
that I’m being called to be a pastor, I
While she was joking, she did note
skill to be able to relate to people of
can use those skills to be with people.”
all ages, and races, denominations,
day I’d be a mascot in Disney World.
that mascoting did prepare her for the calling she’s now undertaking. “By
ethnicities, everything. By being a mascot, you observe people and their
being Felix, I learned that I could be
body language and their emotions.
RICHARD G. BIEVER IS SENIOR EDITOR OF INDIANA CONNECTION.
HOW LOGANSPORT
BAGGED FELIX THE CAT Don Oriolo, who carries on his father’s legacy as the artist of Felix the Cat, visited Logansport High School for two days in 2016 to celebrate Felix’s 90th anniversary as Logansport’s mascot.
Felix the Cat was among the first celluloid celebrities. Created in 1919, the anthropomorphic cat was a contemporary of the likes of Charlie Chaplain and predated Mickey Mouse. His cartoon misadventures made him as feline phenom in the early 1920s. So, how did such a big celebrity come to be the mascot at Logansport High School and recognized as the state’s first high school mascot? As the story goes … the Logansport basketball team was having its endof-the-season banquet at a hotel in downtown Logansport in March 1926. Next to the hotel, a store’s window display featured a small stuffed Felix toy which serendipitously sported the team’s colors of black and red. As the team entered the hotel, Coach Cliff Wells bought Felix at the store. He then sat it on a table at the banquet. At some point before the next season, Wells gave the doll to Raymond
20
AUGUST 2021
PHO TO CO URTESY O F LO G ANSPO RT HI G H SCHO O L
“Curly” Hupp, his senior captain on the 1926-27 team. Hupp kept the doll in his locker. At a home game early that next season, Logansport found itself down at halftime. As the team returned to floor for the second half, Hupp grabbed Felix from his locker and placed it on the floor during warmup. When the team came back to win, Felix was seen as a good luck charm. “From that point on,” said Matt Jones, Logansport’s current principal, “Felix was the official mascot of Logansport High School and the first known mascot in the state of Indiana.” The cartoon Felix underwent changes in the ensuing decades: making talking cartoons, getting face lifts and getting a “bag of tricks.” New animated cartoons for TV by Joe Oriolo, who also created Casper the Friendly Ghost and was a protégé of the original Felix artist, brought Felix to a new
generation of youngsters in the 1950s and 1960s. Always highly revered at Logansport, Felix became a living, breathing mascot for the first time in the late 1980s when the first Felix costume was donated. Felix has been interacting with fans, dancing, acting silly and firing up the home team ever since. In December 2016, Logansport celebrated Felix’s 90th anniversary with the school. The celebration took place in conjunction with a girls/boys varsity basketball double-header. Other mascots — including Boomer from the Indiana Pacers and high school and college mascots from around the state — joined the Felix festivities. For the event, Logansport also brought Oriolo’s son, Don, who carries on his father’s tradition as the Felix illustrator, to town. Oriolo appeared at a community event, singing, drawing images of Felix and telling stories from Felix’s past. He also talked about cartooning to both high school and elementary classes. “The tradition of the cat story is such a critical part of our rich traditions,” noted Jones. “We’re just extremely proud with the connection with Felix the Cat. It just goes hand-in-hand with Logansport High School.”
safety
LIFE LESSONS
Educate children on bus safety before they leave for school
T
he school bus stop is a place where friendships can be forged for life. But there are also hazards children should be aware of. Distracted drivers who don’t see or choose to ignore the stopped school bus lights are something children all need to watch for as they stand on the curb or cross the road. But there are also electrical hazards that children should be taught to avoid. “A lot can happen in the few minutes children are waiting for the bus,” said John Gasstrom, CEO of Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “It’s our duty as parents, grandparents or guardians to teach them of the dangers around them.” Keep these situations in mind when talking to your children about school bus and bus stop safety:
DON’T PLAY NEAR OR AROUND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT • Warn your child not to climb up trees and electrical poles or on
guy wires that might put them dangerously close to overhead power lines. • Warn your child to stay away from pad-mount transformers (the big, usually green boxes) or other electrical equipment in your neighborhood. Children might view these as perfect for climbing and playing on or lying on while waiting for the bus. But 7,200 volts of electricity are usually coursing through them. • Do some homework yourself: before the school year starts, find out exactly where the stop will be. Check it out yourself for blind spots and dangers curious kids might get into while waiting in the morning.
THINK HOW TO STAY SAFE IN CASE THERE’S A BUS ACCIDENT • If the school bus is ever in an accident and ends up in a ditch, the bus may have hit a utility pole. Power lines may have dropped and
be touching the bus. Teach your child to assume any fallen lines are still energized and dangerous. Let your child know if he or she is OK after an accident, remain in the bus as the driver calls 911. • In an emergency, your child may need to exit the bus. Show him or her how to jump clear from the bus with both feet together, avoiding contact with the bus and the ground at the same time. Then, he or she should shuffle away with tiny steps, keeping both feet together and on the ground at all times. This will reduce the risk for electrical shock or electrocution. Tell your child to look closely for fallen power lines to avoid accidently walking into them. Take the opportunity to practice this with your child, even if it’s just from your own vehicle. Talking to your kids about scary situations can sometimes be difficult but having continuous and proactive conversations is a great way to help them remember should the time come.
AUGUST 2021
21
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE KANKAKEE VALLEY RURAL ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION, INC. SEPT. 10, 2020 The 2020 Annual Meeting of the membership of
meeting, are also counted for purposes of a quorum. The
the Kankakee Valley Rural Electric Membership
preliminary report, once made available, showed a quorum
Corporation was held at the Porter County Expo Center
was reached during the online and vote by mail balloting.
in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, on the 10th day of
Moreover, 619 members also appeared in person at the
September 2020. A catered meal was served beginning
annual meeting. Bylaw Art. IV Sec. 4(d).
at 4:30 p.m. CDT. Recipients were asked to receive their pre-packaged meals via drive-through service provided by REMC employees and Board members. 45 RPM, an Indianapolis cover band, played on the outdoor stage from 5:00 to 7:30. Attendees were invited to park in the back of the Expo Center and remain in their vehicles in sight of the stage. A corporate highlight video was played on the outside stage. The business meeting began at 7:30 p.m.
The membership had been advised during the early voting period and at the annual meeting that there were two directors’ seats up for election at this annual meeting for terms of three years each or until their successor shall be duly elected and qualified. The candidates were selected by obtaining nominations by petition pursuant to the bylaws of the cooperative.
CDT, pursuant to notice provided to each member of the
All members had been given instructions to carry out the
Corporation included the announcement of Election results
membership voting. Voting could be accomplished online,
and prizes awarded.
by mail and in person at the annual meeting.
A copy of the proof of mailing of the Notices and
In accordance with Bylaw Art. IV the following candidates
Secretary’s Affidavit is appended as EXHIBIT A, at the end
were nominated for election by petition in Districts 4 and
of these minutes and was included in the member program
At-Large (6).
distributed to each member who appeared and registered
District 4
at the meeting, it was also available in the September member newsletter and on the corporate website. The business meeting opened, and the first matter of business was the consideration of the notice of the meeting. The reading of the Notice of the Meeting to Members as provided in Bylaw Art. III Sec. 3, was waived and dispensed with after a motion duly made and seconded carried on a unanimous vote. The next item on the agenda was the reading of the minutes of the 2019 annual meeting. On motion duly made and seconded, the
Michael Yankauskas (Unopposed) At-Large (6) Andy Blastick Russell Guse Due to an amendment to Bylaw Art. IV Sec. 4(d), Michael Yankauskas, by virtue of his being unopposed, was elected by the membership on voice vote. On motion duly made and seconded, Michael Yankauskas was duly elected to the position of Director of District 4 for the
membership resolved to waive reading of the minutes.
ensuing three years.
Then, on motion duly made and seconded, the minutes
Attorney Krsak called the members appointed to serve as
of the 2019 annual meeting were approved as printed in
election inspectors to gather and begin the count of the
the program, on vote. This was the second year that the
votes and certify the election. The members appointed
Board approved early voting which was available by mail
to serve as election inspectors were Dennis Leek and
or online. The amendment to the enabling law provides a
Edward Marks.
person who intended their vote be counted at the annual
22 AUGUST 2021
The election inspectors, aided by KVREMC employees,
The chairman called for any other business or new
counted the votes cast for the election for the At-Large
business to be brought to the attention of the membership;
position where Andy Blastick and Russell Guse were
there being none, the meeting was duly adjourned.
on the ballot by virtue of their nomination. Ballots were counted and added to the premeeting voting and the total results showed: Andy Blastick with 1,214 votes and Russell Guse with 1,275 votes. Thus, Mr. Guse was duly elected director on the Board of Directors for the At-Large District for the ensuing three years or until their successors have
Otto Werner, Board President
been elected and qualified. The results of the election
Chairman of the Meeting
to the board for District 4 and the At-Large District were
ATTEST:
duly certified by the Election Inspectors and the prevailing candidates are as reported above. The Certificate of Election Inspectors is available to member-consumers upon request at the KV REMC office.
Susan Bachert, Secretary of the Board
CEO Sears announced prize winners which included
Secretary of the Meeting
anyone whose registration card was selected regardless of
The foregoing proceedings were held Sept. 10, 2020 at
whether or not the member was present at the time of the
Porter County Expo Center, Valparaiso, Porter County, IN.
drawing.
EXHIBIT A
Secretary’s Affidavit of Mailing of the Notice of the 2020 Annual Meeting State of Indiana, County of LaPorte I, Susan Bachert, being first duly sworn, upon her oath deposes and says: That she is the duly elected and qualified Secretary of the Kankakee Valley Rural Electric Membership Corporation, hereinafter called the Cooperative. That on the 7th day of August 2020, she mailed to each member-consumer of the Cooperative, to the addresses as they appear on the records of the Cooperative, a notice of the annual meeting of the members on September 10, 2020 by depositing such notice with postage pre-paid thereon and addressed as aforesaid in the United States mail, and that the attached copy of the notice is a true and correct copy of such notice mailed as aforesaid.
Subscribed and sworn to Susan Bachert, Secretary before me this 7th day of August 2020
Lori S. Young Notary Public County of Resident, LaPorte My commission Expires: October 2023
AUGUST 2021
23
Wabash Valley Power news
Sunny Savings? Talk with your local electric co-op about solar energy to avoid getting burned
These dog days of
actionable steps you can
available with arrays
certified to ensure that
summer might have you
take to minimize energy
in Indiana, Illinois and
you are maximizing
considering putting those
waste. Even upgrading
Missouri. Your energy
energy savings. You may
loitering summer sunrays
to LED lighting or to
advisor can provide
find that by taking these
to work making electricity
ENERGY STAR® certified
details.
steps, your home will be
for your home.
equipment can lead to
Advances in technology
significant savings.
…But First: Seal, Insulate, Equip! Before
much more comfortable year-round while also lowering energy use
have helped make the
If you are considering
you consider a major
cost of solar energy more
buying solar panels,
investment, you should
affordable. More people
your energy advisor
first make your home
than ever before are
can help shed light on
as energy efficient as
considering adding solar
expectations. If a solar
possible. Consider air
panels to their home. But
energy company provided
sealing wasteful cracks
before you contact a solar
financial details about
and crevices to prevent
As solar energy becomes
panel sales company,
savings, your local energy
treated air from escaping.
more affordable, you may
review these steps to see
advisor can double check.
After your home is
be considering its benefits
if solar energy may be
Sometimes projected
properly air sealed, you
more than ever. You’ve
right for you.
savings can be based on
should maximize your
trusted your local energy
unrealistic assumptions.
home’s insulation. Once
advisor for answers about
Unfortunately, sometimes
you have done that, you
your home’s energy use.
people learn this after
can double check to make
You can trust him or her
they sign contracts. If
sure your home’s heating
as well to help answer
you want green energy,
and cooling equipment
your questions about
there may be lower cost
is efficient and properly
solar power That way, you
options. Some electric co-
sized for your home. You
can soak in the benefits
ops offer Co-op Solar, a
can search for equipment
without getting burned!
community solar program
that is ENERGY STAR®
Talk to Your Electric Cooperative If you want to lower your energy bill, your co-op’s energy advisor can review your home’s energy use and may even provide a home energy audit to provide
24
AUGUST 2021
– saving money in the process – and lowering the amount of solar panels you need to purchase and pay for.
Peachy KEEN
travel
Turn at the giant peach for produce and more PHO TO S BY RI CHARD G . BI EVER
How a roadside produce
But what has kept
make Knox County and
berries. Whenever family
stand called “The Big
locals and passersby
the surrounding areas a
members from Chicago
Peach” could become
coming to the Big Peach
melon mecca. Southwest
visit, they always have to
so iconic in the heart
for generations is its
Indiana’s sandy soils
visit the market. “They’re
of southwest Indiana’s
extraordinary variety of
and climate are well-
from the city so they like
melon country says a lot
fresh seasonal produce,
suited for producing
seeing a produce stand
about marketing. While
peach slushies, cider,
cantaloupes and melons.
like this.”
the popular family-
ice cream, and jars of
Small roadside stands that
owned market along U.S.
local honey, jellies and
rely on the honor system
41 north of Vincennes
jams, and salsa and
up to large enclosed
began with a peach
sauces. The family-
markets, like the Big
orchard on the property
owned market also
Peach, dot U.S. 41 from
in 1954, its giant 20-foot-
sells embroidery items,
Terre Haute south to the
tall concrete peach
T-shirts, homemade pies,
southernmost tip of the
alongside a yellow mini–
gift items, fudge, and
state.
Washington Monument
more. Come autumn,
that make for a vintage
specials include caramel
and kitschy attention
apples, apple cider, apple
grabber.
butters, pumpkin butter
“The kids get really
and persimmon pulp.
For the Flynn family, driving down from Terre Haute to Vincennes’ Rainbow Beach Family Aquatic Center, The Big Peach was a great rest stop before hitting the beach: A potty break for
“Everyone knows
the kids, and ice cream.
the Big Peach,” said
Dad Larry Flynn said they
Mattie Hagemeier, 24,
stop there all the time
a WIN Energy REMC
to check out the snacks,
consumer from up the
jams and jellies. “We
excited. They’ve just
Now’s the season for juicy
road in Carlisle, who
know they are localized
never seen a peach that
watermelons, cantaloupe
stopped in to purchase
here,” he said.
big,” said Esmeralda
and other melons that
some green beans and
Cavazos, who’s managed the shop for seven years. She said kids equate the peach with the popular children’s book and movie “James and the Giant Peach.” Copies of the books are sold at the market, too.
THE BIG PEACH is open daily from May through October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Its address is 7738 N. Pierce Road, Bruceville, Indiana 47516, but it’ll be easier looking for the giant peach and Washington Monument on the west side of U.S. 41, just south of the Sullivan-Knox County line. Find The Big Peach on Facebook at facebook.com/Big-Peach-936988086647074. Gabriel Flynn cools down with a chocolate ice cream cone. His family made a pit stop at the Big Peach while traveling from Terre Haute to Vincennes.
cooperative career Professional progression:
A MIND-BOGGLING BLESSING When Nick Stainbrook joined JCREMC in 2001, he came in as a 19-year-old local kid waiting his turn to become a lineman. But he had to wait in line for an apprentice position to become available. So, for the first year and a half, his position meant taking care of the JCREMC building, cleaning, mowing grass, pulling weeds. Twenty years later, Stainbrook is now heading up the engineering and operations for JCFiber, the REMC’s young fiber subsidiary. He supervises six engineers and techs as the Franklin-based cooperative, serving consumers in Johnson, Morgan, Shelby and Brown counties, joins others across the state on the “splicing” edge to bring high-speed internet to rural Hoosiers. “I love the challenge,” said Stainbrook, now 40. “When I first took it on, it was definitely mind boggling how fiber optics work and how you handle them vs. the electric. It’s definitely a different animal than what I was used to.” Stainbrook worked nine years for JCREMC as a journeyman lineman after graduating from the four-year lineman apprenticeship program. Then, in 2015, he accepted a staking engineer position which began his introduction to fiber. The cooperative had installed fiber to tie its substations
2001 hired Utility Man
26
AUGUST 2021
2002 promoted Apprentice Lineman
together as the electric utility industry became increasingly driven by information and reliant on realtime analytics. The employee who handled the fiber for the cooperative announced his plan to retire, which allowed him to mentor his successor. Stainbrook stepped up. “At that point, we had no real idea of what it was going to turn into,” he said. “We were connecting equipment and connecting substations, but we weren’t really selling it a whole lot to customers. I just raised my hand and said ‘I’ll do it,’ and didn’t really realize what I was getting into.” By 2018, JCREMC’s new CEO saw a need for high-speed fiber internet for residential and commercial consumers in the electric cooperative’s service area. Pilot programs were put in place and marketed, and Stainbrook was named director of fiber operations for the cooperative’s new JCFiber subsidiary. JCFiber now serves over 700 residential and 120 commercial customers. A multi-phase plan announced at the end of 2020 should bring service to an additional 5,000 JCREMC members over the next four years.
2006 GRADUATED Journeyman Lineman
Nick Stainbrook Director of Fiber Operations
JCFiber/JCREMC
Looking back, Stainbrook shakes his head while pondering the unbelievable changes within JCREMC and within himself in 20 years. Now, with a bachelor’s degree under his belt he’s managing a new side of the business that is helping bring a better experience to his community. “To land where I’ve landed — in such a good job with a cooperative — and then having the versatility to go into the fiber industry and, pretty much, lead the charge … most people don’t get those kind of opportunities. It’s been a blessing,” he said. “When I first started here at 19, I barely understood what the cooperative did. It was one of those things where you put in for a job and got it. And it turned into a career.”
INTERESTED IN AN ELECTRIC CO-OP CAREER? Visit WePowerIndiana.org to learn about available careers or tell us about yourself.
2015 JOB CHANGE
2018 promoted
2019 promoted
Staking Engineer
Fiber Project Supervisor
Director of Fiber Operations
Know what’s below. Beneath the surface of our towns and neighborhoods lies a network of buried utilities that all play a critical role in our homes and communities. That’s why it’s so important to avoid damaging these underground lines when digging for projects large and small. When you contact Indiana 811 at least two full business days before digging, our member utilities will mark the lines they operate with paint or flags. If your dig site has private underground utilities, you’ll want to go one step further and identify the location of these private lines. That’s because Indiana 811 members will never locate privately owned facilities. Always contact Indiana 811 before you dig, and if you think private utilities may be near your planned dig site, contact a private utility locating company. To learn more about private utilities, visit Indiana811.org/myutilities.
WATER
WATER GAS POWER CABLE
What are public utilities on private property? • Any utility owned and/or operated by a utility service provider.
What are private utilities? • Not owned and/or operated by a utility service provider. • Run from the service meter to another location on the property.
• Run from main lines onto a property, ending at a meter. • Examples include service lines for electric (red), natural gas (yellow), communications (orange) and water (blue). • Indiana 811 members will mark these lines after you contact Indiana 811.
• Examples include phone or internet service to outbuildings, sprinkler systems, water pipes leading to pools, gas lines to fire pits, and septic systems. • Indiana 811 members will not mark these lines after you contact Indiana 811.
Follow us for damage prevention news and tips. @IN811
Indiana 811
thursday, AUg. 26
Porter County Expo Center 215 E. Division Road, Valparaiso
2021 Kankakee Valley REMC
Member Appreciation Day AND ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
ATTEND THE EVENT AND YOU COULD WIN A CASH PRIZE OR BILL CREDIT.
Grand Prize- $2,000
5-$250 cash prizes • 7-$100 bill credits 12-$50 bill credits • Kids Prizes • Oldest/Youngest Member Prizes
Kids Entertainment 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The Chester Mouse Funhouse Show presents, “An Experiment Gone Wrong.” This family show features comedy and ventriloquism. Join in a chance to win some prizes! Bingo will be available from 5 -8 p.m.
Live Performance by
The Van-Dells
For 47 years, The Van-Dells have been entertaining audiences of all ages across the country with their upbeat show packed with comedy, choreography and tight harmonies as they pay tribute to the ‘50s and ‘60s. You will be taken on a nostalgic trip through time reliving the magical era with songs like “At The Hop” and “Morse Code of Love.” From doowop favorites to Motown classics, and everything in between, The Van-Dells will have you smiling, clapping and laughing the entire time.
Free Catered Dinner Hot meal served by Birky’s Catering from 4:30 -6:30 p.m.
VotE for Directors Registered member-consumers who did not vote using the mail-in or online option can vote in person from 4:30-7 p.m.
Bill Credit Each member-consumer who votes receives a $5 bill credit. Attend Member Appreciation Day and receive an Indianashaped bamboo cutting board, too.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. CDT Dinner 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. CDT Business Meeting 7:30 p.m. CDT
2021 Kankakee Valley REMC
Member Appreciation Day AND ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING THURSDAY, AUG. 26 AT THE PORTER COUNTY EXPO CENTER 4:30 p.m. Doors Open
Kankakee Valley
2021 Member Appre REMC ciation Day and Annual Business Meeting Registration Card
PLEASE DETACH
AND BRING REGISTRA TION CARD TO
THE MEMBER
Please bring this card to the Membe Appreciation r Day and Meeting, August Annual Business 26, 2021 at the Porter County Expo Center. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. CDT. APPRECIATION DAY AND ANNUAL
Voting Instructions
4:30-6:30 p.m. Dinner Provided by Birky’s Catering | Expo Main Hall
Voting by Mail • Mark your selections by filling in the box next to the candidate of your choice. You may vote for one candidate • Detach ballot and place in each district. in the to Survey & Ballot Systems, enclosed return envelope. Mail 7653 Angram Drive, MN 55344. Eden Prairie, • Envelopes must be received no later than August 24, 2021. • Please allow sufficient time for delivery. • Do not mail your ballot if you plan to vote online.
Kankakee Valley Completely fill in the
5-7:30 p.m. Live Show by The Van-Dells | Outdoor
REMC 2021 Board
(One to be elected
box to the left of the
of Directors Elect
Vote for one and only
one candidate per district.
MARKING INSTRUC TIONS EXAMPLE g
c Bill Bohling c Kathy A. Grott c Jessica Linscott
District 5
Entertainment Tent
ion
per district)
candidate of your choice.
District 3
BUSINESS MEETING
Voting Online • To access the login page of the official Kankakee election, please type Valley REMC 2021 www.kvremc.com into the address bar located top of your internet screen. at the Then click on the “Vote the KV REMC homepage Now” button at the top . of • Above is your Member Number and your Election these numbers to log Passcode. Use both in. of • Once registered, follow the online voting instructions • Online voting begins . July 26, 2021 and ends at 10:59 p.m. CDT, August 24, 2021. • If you have any problems voting online, please email support@directvote.n et
At-Large
c Katrina Harper
c Michael D. Collins c Dave Janney c Jim Polarek
5-8 p.m. Bingo | Expo East
Paper ballots must
5-8 p.m. Glitter Tattoos and Balloon Art for Kids | Outdoor Children’s Area
5:30 and 6:30 p.m. The Chester Mouse Funhouse Children’s Show | Outdoor Children’s Area 5-8 p.m. Vendor Tent
Exhibits include: Energy efficient rebate programs offered through Power Moves, solar installers, KV REMC tree trimming contractors and electric vehicle display (Tesla, Ford Mustang and Chevy Bolt).
7:30 p.m. Business Meeting, Election Results and Prize
be received no
later than August
24, 2021.
2021
Don’t Forget your Registration Card Your Member Appreciation Day and Annual Business Meeting registration card was mailed inside your voting packet, on the top half of the ballot. Please remember to bring your registration card with you to the event on Aug. 26 to be entered to win prize drawings of cash and bill credits.
Drawings (need not to be present to win, but must register at the event) | Expo Main Hall
WE’LL SEE YOU THERE! K VREMC.COM