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Official publication of your electric cooperative www.ohioec.org
Project Ohio lights up
Guatemala Local co-op pages Funny signs Spring and summer festivals Jack Nicklaus
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inside 6 Linemen and other representatives from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives traveled to the remote Guatemalan village of La Soledad in March to bring light and power to the grateful townspeople. Read about “Project Ohio” on page 6.
Our lineup of spring and summer “Fun and Funny Festivals” includes the Dog Fest at Zoar.
F E AT U R E S
24 FUNNY SIGNS We feature a montage of the hilarious signs you sent us from around Ohio and beyond.
26 FUN AND FUNNY FESTIVALS We suggest four spring and summertime festivals for you to consider.
30 GRIN AND (GOLDEN) BEAR IT Check out our compendium of facts about Jack Nicklaus in observance of this month’s 40th annual Memorial Tournament in Muirfield.
31 WHAT A KICK! Kick up your heels and try FootGolf.
26 DEPARTMENTS 3 C O O P E R AT I V E C O N N E C T I O N 6 P O W E R S TAT I O N 8 THE 7 COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES 12 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE 14 G A R D E N I N G L A N D S C A P E 16 F O O D S C E N E 24 M E M B E R I N T E R AC T I V E 32 C O - O P P E O P L E 34 O H I O I C O N Beloved by bikers and hikers alike, the Little Miami Scenic Trail turns 25 this year.
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Next month...
The work of
Government Affairs
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Cooperative Connection
Reality check PAT O’LOUGHLIN, PRESIDENT & CEO • OHIO RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES & BUCKEYE POWER Sometimes our perceptions become skewed by what we hear or read in the news. Headlines often emphasize problems and concerns but rarely celebrate the slow, constant progress made by business or idustry. We often need a reality check, or an opportunity to look at the facts and adjust our perception. I hope you’ll take a few moments to look at the electric power industry as I see it. Production of U.S. electric power is cleaner than it’s ever been, by a lot. Sounds like a bold claim, but it’s true by every measure. Since 1990, emissions of regulated pollutants from the production of electricity have steadily decreased. Depending on the factors measured, we produce one-third more electricity today, with 65 percent to 80 percent lower emissions, as compared to 1990. That’s correct — in 2015, we produced about one-third more electricity than we did a quarter of a century earlier, with far fewer emissions. You might wonder how we did it. Like many accomplishments, the reduction of emissions is the result of hard, concentrated effort. The technology used to scrub pollutants from power plant smoke stacks has improved dramatically throughout the past 25 years. Coal-burning power plant efficiencies have been enhanced, which typically reduces emissions by about 90 percent. Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives have been at the forefront of the charge.
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New supplies from shale formations have made natural gas more available and less expensive. As a result, some older, coal-fired plants have been replaced by new, cleaner-burning natural gas-fired power plants. In fact, it is expected that in 2016, we’ll produce more electricity from natural gas than from coal. That’s a first. As recently as 2005, more than half of the electricity produced in the U.S. was from coal. Today, that figure stands at about 33 percent. Renewable energy sources have been on the rise, as well. As of 2015, hydropower has remained at about six percent of U.S. power generation, while electric production from wind and solar power sources has grown from about two percent to more than eight percent of the nation’s total. Ohio’s electric cooperatives have been regularly adding renewable energy sources, too. Regardless of what you may have heard, facts are facts. The U.S. electric power system remains the envy of the world. The powerful combination of safe, reliable delivery and clean, affordable production makes our electric power system world-class. That fact may not make headlines, but it’s good news for those of us who use electricity every day.
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May 2016 Volume 58, No. 8
Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 fromourmembers@ohioruralelectric.coop www.ohioec.org Patrick O’Loughlin Patrick Higgins Rich Warren Magen Howard Adam Specht
President & CEO Dir. of Communications Managing Editor Associate Editor Member Services & Communications Consultant Chris Hall Communications Specialist Nikki Heath Communications Specialist Nila Moyers Administrative Assistant
COUNTRY LIVING (ISSN 0747-0592) is the official publication of Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. With a paid circulation of 294,359, it is the monthly communication link between the electric cooperatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their members. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without specific written permission from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. All rights reserved. Alliance for Audited Media Member
National advertising representatives: NATIONAL COUNTRY MARKET, 800-NCM-1181 State advertising representatives: Sandy Woolard 614-403-1653 Tim Dickes 614-855-5226 The fact that a product is advertised in Country Living should not be taken as an endorsement. If you find an advertisement misleading or a product unsatisfactory, please notify us or the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Section, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215, or call 1-800282-0515. Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, OH and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to editorial and advertising offices at: 6677 Busch Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43229-1101
Cooperative members — Please report any change of address to your local electric cooperative.
Follow us on :
ohioec.org Check out the mobile-friendly website and digital edition of Country Living, as well as other timely information from Ohio’s electric cooperatives. Online exclusives Home improvement For a package of stories describing how to enhance the curb appeal of your home — including improvements with doors and windows, paint, and windows and siding — look under “Online Exclusives” under the Country Living button at www.ohioec.org.
Ohio travel Want to see Ida McKinley’s tiara? A Lima jail cell that John Dillinger broke out of ? You never know what you’ll find in Ohio’s small-town museums. Click on the cover of the current issue and go to page 20.
Recipes In addition to the last installment of egg recipes you sent for the recipe contest in January, check out the Lake Erie fish recipes submitted by Cooking Editor Margie Wuebker and Nutrition Editor Diane Yoakam under the “Food Scene” button.
In addition • Read a story on “Can you have a Zero Net Energy Home?” • See more photos of the work of Project Ohio in Guatemala.
In this issue: Sandusky Bay (p. 12) Quailcrest Farm (p. 14) Lakeside (p.26) Cambridge (p. 26) Versailles (p. 26) Zoar (p. 26) Memorial Tournament, Muirfield (p. 30) Findlay (p. 32) Little Miami Scenic Trail (p. 34)
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POWER STATION
This little light of mine...
S TO R Y BY PAT R I C K H I G G I N S
‘Project Ohio’ brings power and light to a Guatemalan village GUATEMALA IS THE “place of many trees,” but for the 322 residents of La Soledad, nestled 8,800 feet above sea level, within the rugged, mountainous terrain of the country’s central region, the only thing they knew about electricity was when lightning lit up the skies of the surrounding forest. That changed in March, when 17 linemen, representing Ohio’s 24 electric cooperatives, spent more than two weeks bringing light to part of the 20 percent of Guatemala that had never known electricity.
It takes a village La Soledad’s picturesque backdrop is the setting for 72 primitive homes that house the village population, composed primarily of families who eke out a living doing backbreaking farm work. According to Dwight Miller, director of safety and loss control for Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, the partnership between the village residents and the “Project Ohio” linemen crew was a perfect pairing. “The people of La Soledad work tirelessly, in unforgiving conditions, and that resonated with the crew,” says Miller. “Linemen are used to hazardous, relentless work, in all kinds of weather, when the stakes are
"Project Ohio" is endorsed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), with its tenet to promote global development via rural electrification.
To see more photos of Project Ohio, go to www.ohioec.org.
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high,” Miller adds. The Ohio crew was determined to bring power to the tiny community, and the citizens of La Soledad worked side-by-side with the linemen to hand-dig holes through seemingly impenetrable rock, set 70 poles and 67 anchors, and do what was needed to be done to bring light to their lives.
Attitude of gratitude “La Soledad was considered the least of the villages in the area,” Miller states. “Now, it’s at the top of the list. Because of the electrification, people from nearby villages are streaming into La Soledad to build homes.” La Soledad’s value system can likely take partial credit. Accord-
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ing to Miller, the village has an overwhelming sense of community. The Ohio linemen and native men alike started each day in prayer and then got down to work as a team. Most workdays were virtually sunup to sundown; a treacherous trip down the mountainside for supplies meant even longer hours. In a land where hot showers had to wait until the water boiled and toilets are flushed by using buckets, life above the clouds wasn’t quite heaven. But despite the grueling work and endless hours, sweat and sacrifice were balanced by levity and laughter. The gratitude of the villagers and the opportunity to forever change their lives was a beacon for the Ohio linemen.
Los niños “Sundays were reserved for church and fun,” Miller indicates. After services, however, given the choice to go
into town for “R&R,” the linemen opted to stay in La Soledad. The reason? The village’s smallest residents had captured the linemen’s hearts. Soccer, football (American style), candy, and cornhole games were the order of the day. “‘Project Ohio’ did more than cross international lines,” Miller notes. “It brought generations and cultures together.” The crew brought more than electricity to La Soledad. Fortified by donations from back home, the bounty brought by the crew included 310 bars of soap; 340 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste; 156 assorted toys; 170 pairs of shoes; 24 blankets; umbrellas; school backpacks; boxes of school supplies; and financial contributions that will allow La Soledad’s children to complete grades 7 to 12 (to do so, electricity in the village schoolhouse is a requirement of the Guatemalan government). ( — continued on page 6)
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Project Ohio ( – continued from page 5) “Until I got to La Soledad, I didn’t know what poor was,” admits Chris Napier, safety and loss control consultant for Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives. “Still, I wouldn’t think twice about going back.” In fact, “sign me up” reflects the sentiments of the entire Ohio crew. The linemen and the villagers had formed a bond, even as they were beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
6:32 p.m. The lights pierced the darkness on Saturday, March 12, in an inauguration celebration that lasted into the now-illuminated night. Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives President and CEO Patrick O’Loughlin greeted the crowd in Spanish, joined by Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative CEO George Carter, who supplied candy for the piñatas. “There’s a special place in my heart for the people of La Soledad,” Miller intimates. The village, which used to shut down at nightfall, now has reason to burn the midnight oil — or to at least leave the lights on.
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The
Principle 3: Members’ Economic Participation IN OUR SEVEN-PART series, you’ll learn how the same seven principles that guide cooperatives around the world also govern your local electric co-op, keeping you — a valued member-owner — as the primary focus. Principle 3, “Members’ Economic Participation,” reads as follows: “Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative.”
BY SAMANTHA RHODES
Legionnaires: Dedicated to their country THE NUMBER OF OHIO VETERANS who are members of the American Legion — about 105,000 — exceeds the maximum capacity of “The Horseshoe,” The Ohio State University Buckeyes’ football stadium. Compared to the Legion’s nationwide membership of nearly 2.2 million, Ohio comprises only a small chunk of the country’s largest veterans’ service organization. But Ohio Department Adjutant Tom Simons, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and member of South Central Power Company from Canal Winchester, says Ohio plays a vital role. “As veterans, we say an oath to defend and support our constitution, and that doesn’t stop when we get out of uniform,” Simons says. “We firmly believe that as an American citizen, you have responsibilities to participate in your government. We try to teach that to our youth.” For more than 70 years, the Ohio department has annually sponsored Buckeye Boys State, a weeklong leadership camp for high school boys to learn about American government. Nationally, more than 20,000 young men from their respective states participate in Boys State every year. Alumni include former President Bill Clinton, professional basketball player Michael Jordan, and astronaut Neil Armstrong — to name a few. Simons says that the organization is nothing without its local posts in each state — the place where every resolution starts. Across Ohio, numerous posts are stationed in electric cooperative service territories, forging close relationships with their city councils and donating to various programs like local Scout troops. Each post even sponsors a Legion baseball team that competes throughout the year. “Veterans understand teamwork, and our Legion baseball teaches how to work in a collective to achieve a common goal,” Simons says. “No matter what service you’re in, it’s all about teamwork.”
Living the principle Just as you pay your monthly electric bill to your co-op, American Legion members also contribute by paying annual membership dues to cover administrative costs. Both forms of economic participation make the contributors partowners of their organization. In other words, as a paying member of your electric co-op, you democratically control the capital and common property of the cooperative and reap the same benefits as other member-owners. “Whether you’re a member of the Legion or your electric co-op, having ownership gives you a stake in the fight and brings you into the team,” Simons says. “Then you start to understand what your part is in it.” To learn more about the American Legion or to find a post in your area, visit www.legion.org.
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Understanding capital credits Did you know that by paying your monthly electric bill on time, you’re helping secure your co-op’s future? According to Cathy Bitler, vice president of member service and community relations at South Central Power, your electric co-op has two means of raising capital to fund its operations — through member participation or through loans. Thus, when members contribute to the company, they assure that funds are available to operate the cooperative without having to borrow money from a bank. “Members help hold down the cost of money, which holds down costs for everyone,” Bitler says. Your cooperative then uses that money to cover its expenses, including hiring and training staff, buying equipment, and building power lines to deliver safe, reliable power to homes, farms, schools, and businesses. But because cooperatives operate on a not-for-profit basis, any margin — or capital — left at the end of the year after all of the bills are paid is credited to members on an equitable basis. That’s where capital credits come in. “Think of it this way: Capital credits are the members’ share of the cooperative’s success in operating efficiently,” Bitler says. “It’s unique to our business model.” All cooperatives handle capital credits in different ways. For example, some send checks, while others issue rebates or credits on future electric bills. Even deceased members can still receive capital credits to their estate. To find out how your cooperative handles capital credits, call or visit your co-op’s website.
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FAST Roger action Keller’s rapid recovery from a stroke
BY R I C H WA R R E N
turned him into a congressional advocate LAST OCTOBER 30, Roger Keller, the energy advisor at Consolidated Electric Cooperative (CEC), arrived home after some late evening work when his wife, Brenda, offered him some coffee. With just one sip, Roger started choking and fell to the floor, his left side paralyzed. Sensing that Roger had just had a stroke, Brenda called for help, and Roger was rushed to a hospital in Marion. Since there were no stroke specialists on duty, Roger was evaluated by an off-site physician by a device called “telestroke,” where doctor and patient interact through a television screen. The doctor ordered that the clot-busting drug tPA be administered. Roger was then flown by helicopter to Riverside Hospital in Columbus, where doctors were able to remove the clot from his brain. Several minutes later, he started regaining feeling in his left side, a very promising sign. After a week in the hospital, Roger was moved to a rehabilitation center, where his recovery was swift. He was back at work on Feb. 15, as good as new. “If I’d waited longer to receive treatment because I didn’t have access to telestroke, my recovery would have been much longer,” Keller says. “There’s a good chance I’d still be in a wheelchair.” In fact, there’s a chance he’d have been wheelchair-bound the rest of his life. By a miraculous coincidence, Consolidated had expanded bandwidth infrastructure within its territory in 2014, including to the Marion hospital where Roger had the telestroke conference. As Consolidated President and CEO Phil Caskey puts it, “When CEC embarked on our project to bring highspeed data capabilities to our service areas, we hoped and expected the result would be to improve the quality of life for our members and communities. It’s almost impossible to express the joy that we feel by 10
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A telestroke device allows stroke patients to be evaluated by an off-site physician through use of web-based communications.
having helped to provide such a life-altering outcome for any person, let alone such a valued member of our employee family.” Roger’s stroke story hasn’t ended with his recovery. He was requested by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the Further Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act, also known as the FAST Act, which would require Medicare reimbursement for all telestroke evaluations. Because he lives in a rural area, Roger is eligible for this reimbursement. Patients at urban or suburban hospitals are not. Roger doesn’t think that’s right. “Everybody should have access to Medicare reimbursement, regardless of where they live,” he says. “I told them I’d be happy to go.” So, in early March, Roger and 200 other stroke advocates and neurologists from across the U.S. went knocking on the doors of lawmakers to tell their stories. Ohio legislators visited included Senator Sherrod Brown and representatives Pat Tiberi, Steve Stivers, and Joyce Beatty. Representative Beatty didn’t need any convincing. A stroke victim herself, she introduced the FAST bill to the House. It’s also been introduced in the Senate and has been assigned for committee consideration in both chambers. After their visits, seven congressional members pledged their support for the FAST Act, so Roger feels gratified that his trip was worthwhile. He urges Country Living readers to add their voices to the call by contacting their congressional representatives. To make that process easy, go to yourethecure.org. Just click on the red button “Take Action Today” and be guided through the process of expressing your support.
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WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE S TO R Y A N D P H OTO BY W. H . ‘ C H I P ’ G R O S S
Chasing Mr. Whiskers Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay is ‘Catfish Heaven’ IN ONE OF Hank Williams Jr.’s more famous songs, entitled “A Country Boy Can Survive,” he claims, “I can plow a field all day long; I can catfish fish from dusk ’til dawn.” Applying that same logic, Scott Heston must be a country boy, too, because he can definitely catch catfish from dusk ’til dawn — all day long for that matter. Of course, he is fishing Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay. Located at the south edge of the Western Basin just west of the town of Sandusky, the bay is
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catfish heaven. Shallow, muddy, and full of natural fish food, tens of thousands of channel catfish roam the bay, weighing up to 12 pounds or more and measuring more than 30 inches. “The fishing just continues to get better,” says Heston. “In recent years, the catfish have grown even bigger.” Heston, from Sugar Grove, should know. He has been fishing Sandusky Bay for more than 40 years. His grandfather once owned a small cabin beside the bay and taught him how to fish. “He and I would fish together almost every weekend during the summer,” Heston says. “I remember my parents driving up to the lake one weekend to spend some
time at the cabin with us. They decided to go to nearby Cedar Point amusement park for the day and asked me if I wanted to go along, thinking I’d jump at the chance. I told them I’d rather go fishing with Grandpa — and I did.” Heston begins his catfishing each spring in May and continues through September. “The best fishing is during the heat of summer, during July and August,” he says. “That’s usually when the walleye and yellow perch fishing on the main lake is slow, but you can always catch catfish in the bay.” I fished with Heston on a perfect July morning last summer. I have to admit that at the beginning of the trip I was a little skeptical about the numbers and size of catfish he claimed we’d catch. (If maybe you
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haven’t heard, some fishermen are known to stretch the truth a bit.) But during three hours of fishing, we caught more than 40 channel catfish — so many I eventually lost count. Some of those fish weighed nearly nine pounds! Any size catfish is fun to catch, but the biggest are brawlers. I was daydreaming for a few minutes while waiting for a bite, and a large cat hit so hard it nearly jerked the rod from my hands. A little later, Heston almost lost a rod over the side of the boat. For hooking the large cats, Heston borrows a technique from yellow perch fishing, using a weighted spreader with two hooks as his terminal tackle. But unlike in perch fishing, he baits the hooks with raw shrimp tails, not live minnows. “I once bought cooked shrimp by mistake and couldn’t understand why the fishing was so slow that day,” he says. “But when I switched back to uncooked raw shrimp, the fish started biting again. When fishing for catfish, it’s all about the scent of the bait.” If you’d like to fish with Scott Heston, he opened a catfishing charter service earlier this year. A
family-friendly trip aboard Captain Scott’s boat is a great experience for kids. “I use a 24-foot pontoon boat, so there is plenty of room for children and families to move around,” he says. “To make it easier for novice anglers, I do everything everyone else doesn’t want to do, such as baiting hooks and taking fish off, even cleaning the catch.” Heston recommends a halfday (four-hour) charter for families. If you’d like to make it a weekend at the lake, he suggests taking the kids to Cedar Point on day two. Just don’t be surprised if they’d rather go catfishing again instead. To find out more about Scott Heston’s catfishing charter service, call 740-243-1772, or go to www.captainscottcc.com.
Outdoors editor W. H. “CHIP” a member of Consolidated Electric Cooperative, is interested in hearing from you about any outdoor story idea you might like him to investigate. His e-mail address is whchipgross@gmail.com; his website is www.chipgross.com.
GROSS,
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GARDENING LANDSCAPE
From hostas to heirlooms
S TO R Y BY DA M A I N E V O N A DA P H OTO S BY G I N N A P H I L L I P S
Quailcrest Farm has become a gardening destination
AT QUAILCREST FARM, Ginna Phillips and her siblings encourage people to enjoy the many gardens that grace the family’s 200 acres of land near Wooster. Quailcrest Farm, which is served by Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, is the gardening business that Phillips owns and operates with her sister, Deborah Robinson, and brothers, Toby Bruch and Rusty Bruch. It’s also the place where the four of them grew up after their parents, Tom and Libby Bruch, transplanted them in 1957 from Cleveland to what was then a dairy farm. The Bruch youngsters were raised in the colonial-style farmhouse that still stands along Quailcrest Farm’s driveway and now shelters yet another generation of the family. The late Libby Bruch launched the Quailcrest Farm gardening business in 1975. “My mother was a great gardener,” says Phillips. “She couldn’t find the herbs and perennials she wanted, so she decided to grow them herself.” Mrs. Bruch turned an old summer kitchen into a small shop and planted row after row of perenni14
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als in the farm’s fields. “In the early days,” recalls Phillips, “customers would drive out to our farm to dig up clumps of whatever plants they wanted and then take them back home.” Quailcrest Farm today is a unique gardening destination that measures up to its “magical place in the country” motto. Part nursery, part greenhouse, and part gift shop, it’s a relaxed and welcoming place where the friendly farm dogs, Lola and Sarge, greet customers; where hundreds of varieties of flowering trees, shrubs, and other perennials are propagated; and where the Tea House
Garden’s giant allium, heliopsis, and acanthus provide a naturally lovely setting for weddings. It’s also where old-fashioned lilacs and crab apple trees surround a reconstructed schoolhouse and where an entire family of dedicated gardeners tends the grounds, cultivates the plants, and eagerly shares their years of knowledge and experience. Although Quailcrest Farm sells everything from hostas to heirloom tomato plants to hanging baskets of flowers, it’s known for its phenomenal selection of herbs and scented geraniums. “We have hundreds of different herbs,”
Just for fun Mark your calendar for these enjoyable Quailcrest Farm events. “Quail Cup” Old Time Baseball, Sunday, May 29 — Bring a chair and watch “gentlemanly” teams play 1860s-style baseball. No spitting or cussing, but plenty of fun and fresh air, as well as flourishing plants for sale. Spring Garden Fair, June 11 and 12 — More than 60 artisans bring their garden-related wares and demonstrate their skills. Come for hypertufa planters, miniature gardens, live alpacas, food wagons, and gardening ideas galore. Herb Fair, Sept. 10 — Ushering in autumn and the holidays, the fair offers bountiful herbs and beautiful dried flowers, a bevy of artists and craftsmen, and a bonanza of antiques, furniture, fine jewelry, and more.
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says Phillips, “including about 15 varieties each of rosemary, thyme, lavender, and basil.” With some 50 scented geraniums, Quailcrest also offers a delightful and diverse selection — lemon, rose, citrus, nutmeg, ginger — of fragrant foliage. “Scented geraniums,” notes Phillips, “make nice container plants. Some people like to place pots of the lemon ones around their patios to ward off mosquitoes.” Since May is a prime planting month for Ohio gardeners, Quailcrest Farm’s greenhouse is brimful of flowering annuals, vegetable seedlings, and popular perennials, such as butterfly plants, coral bells, and coneflowers. Customers who bring their own containers can pick out plants, pot them up at the onsite potting shed, and then shop for garden accessories, fairy garden items, silk floral arrangements, and much more in the bright and airy Gift Barn. The formal herb garden’s mint and lavender are coming to life, and the peony garden is in full, exquisite bloom. “Our peonies,” declares Phillips, “look gorgeous in May.” DAMAINE VONADA is a freelance writer from Xenia. Quailcrest Farm, 2810 Armstrong Rd., Wooster. Guided group tours with box lunches, by reservation. For hours and other information, call 330-345-6722, or visit www.quailcrest.com.
Member interactive: Send us your photos and stories! If we use your photo, you will get a Country Living mug. If we use your essay, you’ll get: $
25
For July, send us by May 15 photos of “Look-alikes.”
For August, send us by June. 15 essays on “My (not so) secret obession.” Guidelines: 1. Stories no longer than 150 words 2. Digital photos should be a minimum of 300 dpi 3. One entry per household per month 4. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want anything returned
5. Include your name, mailing address and the name of your electric co-op 6. E-mail: fromourmembers @ ohioruralelectric.coop By U.S. mail: Editor, Country Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229
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FOOD SCENE
Something f ishy going on
S TO R Y BY M A R G I E W U E B K E R ; P H OTO S BY C H E R Y L B AC H
Try your hand at cooking Lake Erie bounty — walleye and perch
SPRINGTIME LURES ANGLERS to Lake Erie, where fish like yellow perch and walleye abound. Once the “catch of the day” is brought home, it must be cooked properly to ensure flakiness and optimum flavor. Don Schonauer of Chardon considers Lake Erie perch “yellow gold,” claiming its flavor is excellent due to cold water temperatures and a diet rich in minnows. It has neither a fishy taste nor a telltale smell. Schonauer, who prefers perch deep fried in peanut oil, recommends using a cooking thermometer to ensure the oil reaches 375 degrees, before adding fillets. Bev Frischkorn of Mentor on the Lake loves the
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“mighty awesome” flavor of walleye grilled to perfection in foil packets with fresh garden produce. She alternates vegetables in season from the garden or farmers’ market. “My husband is a purist — he thinks fish needs to be fried — but this is a welcome alternative,” she says. “Try it once, and you’ll be hooked.” The Ohio Division of Wildlife (http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov) provides many recipes for baked fish. Also, see additional fish recipes at www.ohioec.org.
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LAKE ERIE YELLOW GOLD (DEEP-FRIED PERCH FILLETS) 12 to 15 perch fillets 1 cup Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour 1 cup of your favorite bread crumbs (Shore Lunch) or crushed pretzels Water 12 to 16 oz. peanut oil Wash perch fillets. In a plastic Ziploc bag, mix seasoned flour and bread crumbs or crushed pretzels. Place wet fillets in bag and shake well, until all fillets are coated. Take fillets out of bag and place on separate plate. Place remaining flour and bread crumbs from bag into a bowl and slowly add water, until you have a pancake batter consistency. Bring peanut oil to 375 de- Deep-fried perch grees in deep-frying pot. Dip fillets one at a time and drop into hot oil. Fillets should immediately float. Cook 1-1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serves 3 to 4.
BAKED PERCH 1 lb. perch fillets Cooking spray 2 Tbsp. Italian-style bread crumbs 1 tsp. parsley 1-1/2 cups Parmesan cheese 1/2 stick butter, melted Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray baking pan with cooking spray. Create one layer of fillets in bottom of pan, covering the entire bottom. For the topping, mix bread crumbs, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Using a basting brush, spread melted butter on top of fish and then spread topping, covering all of the fillets. Bake fish for 12 to 15 minutes depending on size of fillets. Fish are done when they are white and flaky when tested with a fork. Serves 3 to 4.
GRILLED WALLEYE AND VEGETABLES IN FOIL POUCHES 8 oz. walleye 4 Tbsp. butter 8 oz. cherry tomatoes, sliced 1 onion, sliced 4 cups sliced summer squash 1 large garden pepper, sliced 1 cup mushrooms, sliced Salt and lemon pepper to taste 2 cloves of garlic, minced 6 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped Use half of all ingredients for each serving packet. Adjust type and amount of vegetables to taste and availability. Prepare grill for medium-high heat (about 400 degrees). Tear off two large squares of aluminum foil, each about 10 inches in length. Fold each in half to create a fold line, then open, like a book. Cut
Baked perch
the fish into two equally sized portions. On each piece of foil, place 1 Tbsp. of the butter on the foil. Layer half of the vegetables on top of butter. Lay one piece of fish on top of the vegetables. Season well with salt and lemon pepper and minced garlic (or other seasonings of choice). Layer remaining half of vegetables on top of fish. Top with 1 Tbsp. butter. Fold up the sides of the foil and seal edges tightly to make a pouch. Place the packets directly on the grill. Cook for about 10 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully turn the packets. Cook until the packets puff up (about 5 minutes). Remove packets from the grill with a spatula and place them on a plate. Use kitchen shears or a knife to cut a slit through the top center of each packet to fold open. Open carefully — the steam that will rise from each packet is hot. Check to be sure fish is opaque and cooked through to the center. If not, place back on the grill for 5 to 7 more minutes. Top the fish with freshly chopped basil. Serve the fish pockets directly in the foil to retain all of the flavors. Serves 2.
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FOOD SCENE
Three ways to increase your omega-3 fat intake BY D I A N E YOA K A M , R D, L D
Talk of good fat and bad fat consumes the nutrition world. Omega-3 fatty acids rank high on the list of healthy fats and offer head-to-toe health benefits for dementia, depression, heart health, and arthritis. Adding a few servings of the following foods is the best bet for adequate intake. Fish: Two crucial omega-3 fats are found primarily in fish and fish oil. Both these fats are an important part of the process involved in reducing inflammation in the body and lowering triglyceride levels. Those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis also benefit, since stiffness and joint pain are reduced. Fish oil supplements appear to boost the effectiveness of medications often used to ease anti-inflammatory conditions. The best sources of omega-3 fats are salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, anchovies, tuna, and cod liver oil. Two servings of fish are recommended weekly. Flax and chia seeds: Plant sources of omega-3 fats contain an essential fat that must be consumed through dietary sources. A recent study found that this fat limited growth of cancer cells in both breast and cervical cancers and also caused cell death of cancer cells, without harming healthy cells. Walnuts: Walnuts provide 100 percent of the recommended daily serving of plant-based omega-3 fats in just a quarter cup. Men should consume 1.6 grams of this fat daily, while 1.1 grams per day is sufficient for women. Walnuts are an easy way to get more omega-3 into the diet, as they require no preparation, making them an excellent on-the-go source of healthy fat. ď Œ For recipes and tips on how to increase omega-3 fats, visit www.ohioec.org.
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC.
MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC.
Electric co-ops 06029 County Road 33A P.O. Box 10 St. Marys, OH 45885-0010 1-800-962-3830 Payments due by the 10th of each month. Account access online www.midwestrec.com or
Android
Apple
facebook.com/midwestelectric
@midwestrec
Office Hours Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Manager/CEO Rick D. Gerdeman rgerdeman@midwestrec.com
Board of Trustees Larry Vandemark, President James Wiechart, Vice Pres. Randy Heinl, Secy.-Treas. Steve Bauer, Trustee Bob Barnt, Trustee Gary R. Knapke, Trustee Gary Profit, Trustee Roger W. Rank, Trustee Courtney Burton, Attorney
A copy of Midwest Electric, Inc.’s Articles of Incorporation and Code of Regulations is available from the co-op office and also is available online at midwestrec.com. Call us to receive your copy.
and a culture of safety In the spirit of May being National Electrical Safety Month, let’s take a look at how electric cooperatives have been stepping up to the plate when it comes to safety at the co-op. Up until 2007, there was an alarming national trend among electric co-ops, which was the fact that the number of “lost-time” accidents was increasing. Lost time is defined as anything resulting in an employee missing time at work; these accidents could range from a sprained ankle to the ultimate tragedy of a fatality. Rick Gerdeman, Manager/CEO This is why Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, which insures the vast majority of electric co-ops nationwide, initiated a campaign called “Culture of Safety.” It was designed to create a much greater awareness about safety issues at all electric co-ops. Through the use of strategy labs across the country, Federated brought together co-op CEOs and general managers, operations supervisors, safety directors, and linemen to better understand how each group viewed safety. In doing so, differences in perceptions regarding safety within cooperatives were identified, allowing for much-needed conversations and evaluations of how to raise awareness and improve local safety cultures. The “Speak Up, Listen Up” program is designed to empower anyone who sees a potentially unsafe situation to “Speak Up” and encourages everyone to “Listen Up” to their concerns. The results have been dramatic, with more than a 30 percent decline in the number of accidents over the past nine years. As a member, you too have a role. If you see any potential dangerous situations or practices, you should report them as soon as possible to Midwest Electric. The implementation and success of the Culture of Safety program demonstrates a very important point. If we are intentional about our actions, we can indeed change the culture in our organizations. The same is true for our families, our teams, and any groups we may belong to. We also know that living our cooperative principles and values is equally important. We have the best business model because it puts you, the member-owner, at the center of our efforts. We look forward to being your safe electricity provider and energy advisor long into the future.
See how you can
win a $100 gift card on page 20B
$100 MAY 2016
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC. MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC.
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2016 Annual Meeting Highlights Saturday, June 4 St. Marys High School, State Route 66 and U.S. 33 8:15 a.m. — Registration and breakfast • 9:15 a.m. — Meeting
Annual Meeting
• $2,500 in cash prizes • Kids’ activities • Free breakfast buffet • Energy industry update • Co-op Owners for Political Action — learn how you can affect legislation that affects your cooperative • Q & A with co-op leaders
Health Fair Grand Lake Health System will hold a health fair at the Midwest Electric June 4 Annual Meeting. Several tests will be offered, some for free and some requiring payment, and a drug take-back program will also be available. For the fee services, please pay Grand Lake Health System at the Annual Meeting. $35 Body Mass Index (BMI) FREE PSA Screening $40 Heel Bone Density FREE Thyroid Screening Blood Pressure/Pulse Ox FREE Cardiovascular Risk Assessment $20 DermaScan FREE (12-hour fast; Lipid Profile) $20 Iron (Anemia Screen) $10 C-Reactive Protein $35 Diabetes Screening (A1C) $25 Vitamin D Deficiency Comprehensive Metabolic Panel - including glucose (6-hour fast) $25
Drug take-back program RSVP for breakfast! Use the postcard on this month’s back cover!
The Auglaize County Sheriff’s Department will be available to take expired, no-longer-used medications as part of the Grand Lake Health/Auglaize County Sheriff’s drug takeback program.
M r b c
In the Mail
Watch for your trustee election ballot One member, one vote. It’s the democratic way, and the cooperative way. Watch your mail around mid-May for your ballot for the 2016 Midwest Electric Board of Trustees election. If you’re a member of Midwest Electric, you’re eligible to vote for all districts. You may vote by mail with the ballot and return envelope that will be sent to you. Alternately, you may vote online at www.midwestrec.com. The ballot mailed to you will include instructions for online voting.
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Your ballot must be received by our voting firm by 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, in order to be counted. Do not send any ballots to our office. And do not include any payments with your ballot.
Results will be announced at the annual meeting, Saturday, June 4, at St. Marys Memorial High School. Please contact us if you have any questions at 1-800-9623830.
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, ELECTRIC, INC. INC. MIDWEST
Midwest linemen bring power to rural Guatemala
For as little as ...
$2
PER MONTH
... you can help your cooperative invest in a renewable energy future with
Midwest Electric linemen Chad Klaus (left) and Andrew Roettger show some of the rough, rocky terrain they worked on while volunteering in La Soledad, Guatemala, to bring electricity to the village for the first time. Read more about the volunteer trip, called Project Ohio, on pages 4-6.
EnviroWatts is a program that allows Ohio electric co-op members to support production of energy from renewable sources. For more information and to enroll, call the co-op at 1-800-962-3830.
Saving energy and saving money —
there’s an app for that
Are you interested in learning more about LEDs and how they can fit with your home and lifestyle? As a member of Midwest Electric, a Touchstone Energy® Cooperative, you can download the free “Save Energy, Save Money” app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Among other features, the app includes a lighting calculator that shows the potential savings from replacing incandescent lamps with either CFLs or LEDs. Just search “Touchstone Energy Save Energy Save Money,” and download the app for free.
Midwest Electric, Inc.
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MIDWEST MIDWEST ELECTRIC, ELECTRIC, INC. INC. Join Co-op Owners for Political Action to
win a $100 gift card You could win a $100 gift card of your choice by joining Co-op Owners for Political Action®. Co-op Owners is the national electric cooperative political action group that supports candidates and representatives who fight on behalf of us and our members. Co-op Owners is our best tool to get the attention of decision makers in Ohio and across the country. Just $25 a year — only $2.08 per month — makes you part of this voice for electric cooperatives. Send in the enrollment form before June 3 to qualify for the gift card drawing. The drawing will be held at our June 4 annual meeting. Members need not be present to win. If you’re already a part of Co-op Owners for Political Action, you will be included in the drawing and you don’t need to re-register. (If you’re part of Co-op Owners, your monthly electric bill has a line item that says “Grassroots-COPA.”) Co-op Owners gives you the opportunity to raise your voice on behalf of your electric cooperative. State
$100
and federal government officials make policy decisions that affect your local cooperative and your way of life. This program is an easy way for you to help determine who gets elected to make those decisions. Co-op Owners supports candidates for state and federal office — those in office now and those running for office — who will speak for and protect the interests of electric cooperatives and their consumer-owners. Your participation ensures that the voice of electric cooperatives remains strong in our nation’s capital and in the Ohio legislature. Maintaining a strong grassroots presence in the political process is instrumental to the long-term success of the electric cooperative program and the communities they serve. Co-op Owners has been instrumental in stopping costly legislation. Currently, we’re battling regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would have serious consequences on the cost and availability of electricity.
YES! I want to help keep the voice of rural electric cooperatives heard in the state and national political process and enter the $100 gift card drawing by participating in Co-op Owners for Political Action®. Sign up for any amount below to qualify for the drawing. Please add the following amount to my monthly electric bill: ____ Regular Co-op Owners Member: $2.08 per month ($25 per year) ____ Century Club Member: $8.33 per month ($100 per year) ____ President’s Club Member: $41.60 per month ($500 per year)* ____ Other $__________________________ I affirm that my contribution has been made with non-corporate funds:
Authorization Form Return form to: Midwest Electric P.O. Box 10 St. Marys, OH 45885
Name: ____________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________ Account #:_________________________ Signature: _______________________________________ E-mail address: _____________________________________________________________________ Return to Midwest Electric, P.O. Box 10, St. Marys, OH 45885 *Federal Election Law requires the following information for contributions equal to or exceeding $200: Employer:_______________________________ Occupation: ________________________________
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Think before pulling the plug You may have seen a new marketing initiative by the propane industry that encourages homeowners to dump their electric water heaters in favor of water heaters fueled by propane gas. The multimedia campaign, called “Pull the Plug on Electric Water Heaters,” makes its case with brochures, fliers, print advertisements, videos, radio spots, fact sheets, webinars, an e-book, and even endorsements by a celebrity home-improvement expert. But make no mistake — the intent of the campaign is simply to sell a lot more propane. At Midwest Electric, we believe electricity is the smart energy choice. It is safe, reliable, clean, predictably priced, and adaptable to many uses, from the exotic to the mundane. Electricity powers everything from cars, cellphones, and laptop computers to air conditioners, dishwashers, refrigerators, clothes washers, and lighting. More than ever, America runs on electricity. Still, you might be tempted to switch water heaters. The campaign developed by the Propane Education and Research Council is slick. As your trusted energy advisor, we want to provide you, our member-consumer, with the facts you need to make the best decision. Let’s look at the propane marketing campaign. Some of the claims challenge common sense and would be hard to prove, including assertions about efficiency, environmental impacts, and cost. “With a propane water heater, you can use less energy, save money, and reduce your carbon footprint,” proclaims Danny Lipford, host of the television program Today’s Homeowner, in a campaign video. “They really are that efficient.” Really? Apparently Danny neglected to mention that propane is a fossil fuel. The campaign also resorts to scare tactics. Installation of propane water heaters is often a laborious process that requires running propane lines and exhaust vents. Turning reality on its head, the pro-propane campaign would have you believe that replacing an electric water heater “can take days longer, days you’ll spend taking icy cold showers,” Lipford warns. Actually, in most cases, installing an electric heater is a snap — and less labor intensive than installing a propane water heater.
At Midwest Electric, we believe electric water heaters are the smart choice for many reasons: • High-efficiency electric water heaters, including heat pump water heaters, are readily available. • Electric water heaters are safe. They produce no carbon monoxide, and they pose no threat of combustion or explosion. • Electric water heaters can run on power generated from a range of energy sources, including solar, wind, hydro, and other renewables.
• Electric water heaters don’t lose energy from exhaust or the replacement air that circulates into and out of a house. • Propane heaters require on-site propane storage tanks. • Electric water heaters are easy to install. They require no expensive gas lines or exhaust flues. • The cost of electricity is less volatile than it is for other fuels. The cost of propane tends to fluctuate wildly.
Touchstone Energy has produced three fact sheets on water heating choices, water heater efficiency, and hot water distribution that are part of the Home Efficiency Analysis Tool — see homeefficiency. touchstoneenergy.com. To access these fact sheets, enter information about your home and go to the “systems” tab for the water heater sheets. Or call me at 800-962-3830.
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Dave Waltermire, Energy Advisor
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC.
Midwest Electric awards $11,000
in scholarships to 7 local students
Julia Evans
Riley Klaus
Emily Alig
Daniel Reichenbach
Madison Broering
Jacob Homan
Bath High School’s Julia Evans and Spencerville High School’s Riley Klaus captured top honors in the 2016 Midwest Electric scholarship competition, featuring judges from Wright State University–Lake Campus and Midwest Electric. The two seniors each received a $2,000 scholarship and represented Midwest Electric in the statewide electric cooperative scholarship competition in Columbus. Second-place $1,500 scholarships were awarded to Emily Alig, Ft. Recovery High School, and Daniel Reichenbach, Wapakoneta High School. Receiving third-place $1,000 scholarships were Madison Broering, St. Henry High School, and Jacob Homan, Seton Catholic Homeschool. The six general scholarship winners were selected from a field of 56 area high school seniors, with a 3.5 or higher grade-point average, whose parents are Midwest Electric members. Evans has a 4.0 grade-point average and is first in her class. She is planning to attend Ohio State University to study biomedical sciences. She is the daughter of Robert and Linda Evans of Lima. Klaus is the son of Michelle Klaus of Spencerville. He has a 3.977 gradepoint average, is third in his class, and is planning to study biology at Ohio State University. Alig will major in elementary education. She has a 3.984-grade point average. Her parents are Randy and Barb Alig of Ft. Recovery. Reichenbach will pursue an engineering degree. He has a 3.9 grade-point average, is ranked fifth in his class, and is the son of Jim and Mary Lee Reichenbach of Wapakoneta. Broering will study education at Ohio Northern University. She has a 4.0 grade point average and is first in her class. She is the daughter of Dale and Margie Broering of St. Henry. Homan will study mechanical engineering at Wright State University. He has a 3.98 grade-point average and is the son of Larry and Sue Homan of Ft. Recovery.
Touchstone Energy scholarship winner Additionally, Jenna Guggenbiller of St. Henry High School won the $2,000 Touchstone Energy® Achievement Scholarship, which is awarded to a student who has overcome a significant challenge in pursuit of his or her goals. Jenna, the daughter of Marvin and Barb Guggenbiller, will major in education at Wright State University.
How are scholarship winners chosen? For the first round, all 56 students came to our office for a 15-minute interview with judges from Wright State University–Lake Campus. The judges score the students based on poise, appearance, personality, and intelligence, as well as their knowledge of electric cooperative issues. 20D
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That score is combined with the student’s GPA, ACT score, and level of community involvement, thus producing the top candidates. The top six candidates go to the second round of judging, where they are placed first, second, and third.
• MAY 2016 4/20/16 2:57 PM
MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC.
Our priorities during outages of an extended outage. We cannot guarantee uninterrupted electric service to homes where serious medical conditions exist.
My neighbor has power
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When a major storm causes widespread damage to our electric system, our top goal is to restore service to the greatest number of members in the shortest amount of time. So we have priorities for making repairs, determined by the number of members affected. Those priorities in order are: 1. Transmission lines. These lines supply power to one or more substations. A problem with these lines could interrupt power to several thousand members and must be repaired before other parts of the system can operate. 2. Substations. A problem with a substation can affect several hundred members. When a major outage occurs, line crews inspect substations to discover if problems stem from transmission lines feeding into the substation or from the substation itself, or if problems exist down the line. 3. Main distribution feeders. These lines carry power from the substation. Each feeder serves a large portion of members from the substation. 4. Tap lines, or line sections. These branch lines serve a smaller group of members from the main feeder. The tap line will remain without power until the main
feeder line is repaired. 5. Individual service. These serve a single residence, business, or farm. It may not do you any good for us to repair your service line if one of our main lines is still out. We also give priority to emergency situations such as fallen lines. We advise you to have a backup plan to move a seriously ill person to a safe place in the event
Have you ever lost power only to see the lights still shining from your neighbor’s window? When this happens, it could mean the service line between your home and the transformer is damaged. Or, it could mean that a threephase power line serves your neighborhood and you are served by a different line than your neighbor.
Stay in the know During outages impacting a distribution feeder, substation, or transmission lines, we use our Facebook and Twitter pages and our website to provide the latest updates on the outage and restoration estimates. We typically do not provide updates on smaller outages affecting tap lines or individuals.
Report an outage from your smartphone or tablet On your smartphone or tablet, search for SmartHub in the Apple or Android store. After downloading (it’s free), search for Midwest Electric Ohio. Register and log in. Tap the “Report Outage” icon, then “Report an Outage.” Verify your contact address. Add comments that will assist in the outage restoration. An example is if you heard a loud “bang” from your transformer, let us know. Then click “Submit.” This will report it directly to our mapping and dispatch systems. With our meters, we typically know already when your power is out. However, we still recommend that you report the outage. You can also call to report the outage at 1-800-962-3830.
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC.
Why does the power blink? Blinks are created when a breaker, or switch, opens along any portion of the power system. The breaker usually opens because of a large, quick rise of electrical current. This large rise, called a fault condition, can occur when a tree branch touches a line, lightning strikes, or a wire breaks. When this happens, a relay senses the fault and tells the breaker to open, preventing the flow of power to the problem site. After opening, the breaker quickly closes. The brief delay, which allows the fault to clear, usually lasts less than two seconds. If the fault clears, every home or business that receives electricity off that power line has just experienced a blink but not a prolonged outage. This
Go Paperless and Save! • $5 one-time bill credit • Receive e-mail notice each month with link to safe, secure, convenient e-bill site • View payment and use history • Pay automatically each month with bank or credit card account • No more postage to mail payment • No gas to drive to paystation • No more late fees
Midwest Electric, Inc. 800-962-3830 midwestrec.com 20F
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could include thousands of accounts if the breaker protects a transmission line or a substation. There are things we do to reduce blink frequency. Tree trimming is probably the easiest and most common way, and one area where you can help. Make sure we know of any trees or limbs located close to a power line. Blinks affect all electrical equipment. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) on your computer can help prevent information loss. UPS incorporates surge suppression technology with a battery backup and provides you some time to save whatever you were working on and exit your computer properly.
Get electric-use alerts via text, e-mail E-bill also provides outage alerts Just like bank alerts that tell you when your bank balance hits a certain amount, you can get electric-use alerts from Midwest Electric. Go to midwestrec.com and then to our e-bill page. After registering, click on the Notifications tab, then Manage Contacts to set up your e-mail address or text number. Then click Manage Notifications to set your own electric use thresholds. You can also sign up to receive an alert when your power is out and when it’s restored.
• MAY 2016 4/20/16 2:57 PM
MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC. INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT Report on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Midwest Electric, Inc., which comprise the balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related statements of operations, comprehensive operations, equities and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements. Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. Auditor’s Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. Opinion In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Midwest Electric, Inc. as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued a report dated March 3, 2016, on our consideration of Midwest Electric, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting and our tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, grant agreements and other matters. The purpose of that report is to describe the scope of our testing of internal control over financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on
the internal control over financial reporting or on compliance. That report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering Midwest Electric, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting and compliance. Circleville, Ohio March 3, 2016 Balestra, Harr & Scherer
BALANCE SHEETS December 31, 2015 and 2014 2015 UTILITY PLANT Electric plant in service Construction work in progress
$ 55,415,412 480,989 55,896,401
$ 54,195,733 332,642 54,528,375
Less: Accumulated provision for depreciation and amortization NET UTILITY PLANT
(17,012,374) 38,884,027
(15,636,779) 38,891,596
NONCURRENT ASSETS Investments in associated organizations Notes receivable Deferred charges TOTAL NONCURRENT ASSETS
13,882,681 343,875 942,164 15,168,720
12,839,549 447,167 1,083,820 14,370,536
2,971,652
1,634,905
1,699,454 100,241 462,411 4,506,463 9,740,221
2,198,077 110,359 402,146 1,115,841 5,461,328
$ 63,792,968
$ 58,723,460
CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable, net of provision for doubtful accounts of $147,077 ($105,574 for 2014) Notes receivable Materials and supplies Other current assets TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS
2015
2014
LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES EQUITIES Patronage capital Accumulated other comprehensive income Other equities TOTAL EQUITIES LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Mortgage notes less current maturities Provision for pensions and benefits TOTAL LONG-TERM LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES Current maturities of long-term debt Accounts payable - purchased power Accounts payable - other Consumers’ deposits Accrued taxes Other current liabilities TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES
$ 29,321,633 828,400 399,319 30,549,352
$ 27,987,978 1,379,400 331,377 29,698,755
26,755,486 2,304,817 29,060,303
22,613,419 2,331,130 24,944,549
1,178,734 1,537,111 65,494 174,789 772,618 454,567 4,183,313
1,060,117 1,591,968 55,356 174,313 749,691 448,711 4,080,156
$ 63,792,968
$ 58,723,460
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC. NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ORGANIZATION Midwest Electric, Inc. (the Cooperative) is a nonprofit corporation operating on a cooperative basis. Its primary purpose is to provide electric power and energy to its membership, which includes residential consumers, as well as, agricultural, commercial and industrial businesses. Midwest Electric Community Connection Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is an Ohio not-for-profit corporation formed by the Cooperative and its members, for the purpose of accumulating, and disbursing funds for religious, charitable, benevolent, scientific, literary, and educational purposes within the service area of Midwest Electric Inc. and surrounding communities. The Fund is not included in these financial statements and is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Total assets of the Foundation at December 31, 2015 and 2014 were $14,999 and $10,133, respectively. Total public support and revenue was $61,656 and $54,460 for 2015 and 2014, respectively, while expenditures were $56,790 and $54,462, for 2015 and 2014, respectively.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The Cooperative’s accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles, as applied to Rural Electric Cooperatives, substantially in accordance with the Uniform System of Accounts of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Following is a description of the more significant accounting policies used by the Cooperative in the preparation of its financial statements: Utility Plant and Depreciation - The Cooperative records improvements and additions to the distribution plant at cost using continuing property records. Retirements are removed from the cost and accumulated depreciation accounts at average costs. The actual cost of removing retirements is charged to accumulated depreciation during the year the retirement is completed. The general plant and equipment are recorded at cost based on the unit method. Any retirements or disposals of general plant and equipment are removed from the cost and accumulated depreciation accounts. Any salvage received is credited to accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided for by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the property. The provisions are determined by the
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS For the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 2015 2014 OPERATING REVENUES $ 28,816,050 $ 29,181,018 OPERATING EXPENSES Cost of power Distribution expense - operations Distribution expense - maintenance Consumer accounts Customer service and information Sales Administrative and general Depreciation and amortization Taxes Other deductions TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES
18,473,028 1,765,018 1,331,360 430,103 311,325 89,309 1,285,718 1,520,043 1,087,486 28,881 26,322,271
18,533,734 1,957,878 1,688,711 540,051 373,148 116,869 1,375,201 1,504,426 1,096,442 26,851 27,213,311
OPERATING MARGINS BEFORE FIXED CHARGES Interest on long-term debt
2,493,779 ( 1,116,709)
1,967,707 (977,328)
OPERATING MARGINS AFTER FIXED CHARGES Capital credits
1,377,070 1,548,128
990,379 1,139,228
OPERATING MARGINS NON-OPERATING MARGINS (EXPENSE)
2,925,198
2,129,607
227,535 (1,776) 225,759
61,713 (4,194) 57,519
NET MARGINS FOR PERIOD $ 3,150,957 Unrecognized gains and losses related to the defined benefit postretirement plan, net of reclassification adjustment of $551,000 for amortization of prior service credit and actuarial gains and losses included in net periodic benefit cost ($240,800 for 2014) ( 551,000)
$ 2,187,126
Interest income Other TOTAL NON-OPERATING MARGINS
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
20H
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$ 2,599,957
3,622,300 $ 5,809,426
use of functional composite rates as follows:
Distribution plant: Station equipment Poles, towers and equipment Overhead lines Underground lines Transformers Services Meter equipment Sentinel lights AMI meter system
2.7% 3.0% 2.3% 2.9% 2.6% 3.1% 2.9% 4.4% 5-20%
General plant: Structure and improvements 2-12.5% Office equipment 6-33% Transportation equipment 5-20% Shop equipment 3-20% Laboratory equipment 5-20% Tools and large equipment 7-20% Communications equipment 6-20% Miscellaneous equipment 6-20%
Transmission plant: Poles and fixtures 2.70% Overhead conductors and devices 2.70% Transmission taps 2.75%
Accounts Receivable – Accounts receivable primarily represent amounts due from customers resulting from the sale of electricity on an unsecured basis. The Cooperative uses the reserve method for valuing potentially uncollectible accounts receivable and establishing an allowance for doubtful accounts receivable. In establishing and evaluating the allowance, management considers their knowledge of customers, historical losses and current economic conditions and provides for the allowance through a charge to operations. Balances that are still outstanding after reasonable collection efforts have been exhausted are written off through a charge to the allowance. Past charges to the allowance have not been significant. Notes Receivable – Notes receivable represent amounts due from local businesses through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program. The Cooperative records interest income on these loans when it is earned and they consider all loan amounts to be collectible. The notes are for a term of 5 to 10 years at interest rates from 0 to 2% and mature from 2016 to 2023. Materials and Supplies - Inventory of materials and supplies not allocated to construction work in progress is recorded at the lower of cost or market using the moving average cost method. Investments - Investments in associated organizations are recorded at cost, which is the same as par value. The investments have no established market making it impractical and costly to estimate their fair value. They are included in the financial statements as long-term assets. These investments represent equity contributions in other cooperatives and are adjusted annually to reflect patronage allocations received, net of cash. Income Taxes - The Cooperative is a Rural Electric Cooperative exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(12) of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes has been recorded. The Cooperative complies with ASC 740-10 related to uncertain tax positions. ASC 740-10 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement recognition and measurement of
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC. a tax position taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. Management is not aware of any tax positions taken by the Cooperative on its tax returns that they consider to be uncertain or that would jeopardize its tax exempt status. Tax returns for the years ended 2012, 2013 and 2014 are still open and subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service. Patronage Capital and Margins - Midwest Electric, Inc. operates under the Cooperative form of organization. As provided in the code of regulations, any excess of revenues over expenses from operations is treated as advances of capital by the patrons and credited to each of them on an individual basis. Generally, it is the Cooperative’s policy to retire capital contributed by patrons periodically as deemed appropriate by management and the Board of Trustees. Capital credits due to patrons who become deceased are paid to the estates of such patrons at amounts discounted to their present value in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Cooperative. Revenues and Cost of Purchased Power – Revenues are recorded during the month the energy is consumed by members, using established rates. The cost of power purchased is recorded during the period the energy is consumed. Comprehensive Income - Accumulated other comprehensive income represents the cumulative net changes related to recording the funded status of the nonpension postretirement benefit plan. Statement of Cash Flows - For purposes of the statement of cash flows, the Cooperative considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Net cash flows from operating activities includes cash payments for interest of $1,116,709 and $977,328 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. There were no payments for federal income taxes. Subsequent Events - Subsequent events were evaluated through March 3, 2016, which is the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Concentration of Credit Risk - The Cooperative’s accounts receivable result primarily from the sale of electricity to its members, located in west central Ohio. The Cooperative, from time to time, may have cash balances in financial institutions that exceed the federally insured limit. In such situations, the Cooperative generally obtains collateral agreements to protect the uninsured balance from potential loss. Use of Estimates - The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Although these estimates are based on management’s knowledge of current events and actions it may undertake in the future, they may ultimately differ from actual results. UTILITY PLANT AND DEPRECIATION
The following schedule presents the major classes of the electric plant at December 31: 2015 2014 Distribution plant $ 49,232,474 $ 48,147,073 General plant 6,182,938 6,048,660 Electric plant in service 55,415,412 54,195,733 Construction work in progress 480,989 332,642 Total utility plant, at cost $ 55,896,401 $ 54,528,375 The depreciation and amortization expense for the periods presented amounted to $1,625,323 and $1,627,684 for 2015 and 2014, respectively. Of the 2015 amount, $1,520,043 was charged to depreciation expense and $105,280 to transportation expense ($1,504,426 and $123,258, respectively for 2014).
No portion of any current allocation is paid in cash. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, patronage capital consisted of: Assignable Assigned to date Less: Retirements to date Total
2014 $ 2,187,126 51,054,209 53,241,335 (25,253,357) $ 27,987,978
Total equities of the Cooperative represents 48% of the total assets at the balance sheet date (51% at December 31, 2014). Capital credits of $1,817,302 and $1,077,458 were retired in 2015 and 2014, respectively.
(Continued on page 22)
PATRONAGE CAPITAL Patronage capital is the retained net margins arising from operations of the Cooperative which have been or are expected to be allocated to its members in the form of capital credits, determined by each member’s billings during the year the margins were generated.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW For the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 2015 2014 CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net margins $ 3,150,957 $ 2,187,126 Adjustments to reconcile net margins to net cash provided (used) by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 1,625,323 1,627,684 Noncash capital credits (1,526,864) (1,123,066) Salvage and retirement adjustments for utility plant (361,689) (230,233) Benefit plan expense in excess of contributions (contributions in excess of expense) (577,313) 357,991 Changes in assets and liabilities: Accounts and notes receivable 612,033 (253,997) Materials and supplies (60,265) (7,961) Other current assets (3,390,622) 83,547 Deferred charges 141,656 130,144 Accounts payable and accrued expenses (15,460) (40,045) Total adjustments (3,553,201) 544,064 Net cash provided (used) by operating activities (402,244) 2,731,190 CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Construction and acquisition of utility plant Proceeds from disposal of utility plant and aid to construction Proceeds from redemption of investments Purchase of investments Net cash used by investing activities CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from long-term debt Payments on long-term debt Changes in cushion of credit Patronage capital credits retired Net cash provided (used) by financing activities Increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
(1,618,625)
(2,358,857)
362,560 494,812 (11,080)
232,734 523,055 (11,084)
(772,333)
(1,614,152)
4,000,000 (1,109,492) 1,370,176 (1,749,360) 2,511,324
4,300,000 (1,260,656) (2,754,534) (1,037,262) (752,452)
1,336,747 1,634,905
364,586 1,270,319
$ 2,971,652
$ 1,634,905
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2015 $ 3,150,957 53,241,335 56,392,292 (27,070,659) $ 29,321,633
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MIDWEST ELECTRIC, INC. (—continued from page 21) INVESTMENTS IN ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS
.33% notes due July 27, 2038 877,667 915,782 4.89% notes due November 18, 2039 831,870 851,864 4.38% notes due November 18, 2039 1,803,615 1,849,720 4.23% notes due November 18, 2039 815,048 836,365 4.69% notes due November 18, 2039 2,776,146 2,844,680 4.62% notes due November 18, 2039 43,084 44,150 3.96% notes due December 31, 2042 2,811,800 2,869,062 4.49% notes due December 31, 2042 1,097,899 1,118,422 4.14% notes due December 31, 2042 2,493,845 2,543,139 2.57% notes due December 31, 2046 3,923,695 4,000,000 2.31% notes due December 31, 2046 3,956,872 Cushion of credit balance (1,984,358) (3,354,534) 0% notes through Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program, no specified due date 600,000 600,000 Subtotal United States 24,212,342 19,451,546 Notes payable to NRUCFC: 5.9% note due January 1, 2016 11,761 6.6% note due April 1, 2018 68,815 9 6,294 6.9% note due April 1, 2024 266,297 289,517 6.25% note due January 1, 2027 319,791 339,449 6.25% note due September 30, 2029 497,040 519,244 6.3% note due June 30, 2032 810,211 837,411 3.55% note due September 30, 2024 976,955 1,043,692 5.2% to 5.3%, serial notes due June 30, 2016-2018 782,769 1,084,622 Subtotal NRUCFC 3,721,878 4,221,990 Total mortgage notes 27,934,220 23,673,536 Less: current maturities (1,178,734) (1,060,117) Long-term portion $ 26,755,486 $ 22,613,419
Investments in associated organizations consisted of the following at December 31: 2015
2014
Equity Capital: Capital term certificates, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (NRUCFC) $ 590,880 $ 596,532 Equity contribution - Buckeye Power, Inc. 1,204,749 1,204,749 National Information Solutions Cooperative 59,995 54,030 Patronage Capital Credits: NRUCFC 193,080 183,125 Buckeye Power, Inc. 11,454,020 10,445,761 Rural Electric Supply Cooperative, Inc. 135,497 132,274 National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative 252 252 Cooperative Response Center 6,978 5 ,732 Other: Federated Rural Electric Insurance Corporation 94,468 84,326 NRUCFC membership 1,000 1 ,000 Buckeye Power, Inc. membership 50 50 Rural Electric Supply Cooperative, Inc. membership 50 50 National Information Solutions Cooperative, membership 25 25 Cooperative Response Center, membership 2,500 2 ,500 Heartland Emergency, LLC 139,137 129,143 Total investments in associated organizations $13,882,681 $12,839,549
MORTGAGE NOTES Long-term debt is comprised of mortgage notes payable to the United States of America and supplemental mortgages to National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (NRUCFC). Following is a summary of outstanding long-term debt as of December 31:
Notes payable to the United States: .13% notes due December 16, 2029 4.25% notes due December 16, 2029 4.125% notes due July 1, 2032 3% notes due April 2, 2036 3.66% notes due April 2, 2036 3.79% notes due April 2, 2036
2015
2014
$ 199,591 771,654 814,311 773,648 871,109 734,846
$ 213,782 811,672 w848,120 801,063 899,677 758,582
The Cooperative has a $2,500,000 line of credit available from NRUCFC of which no amounts were outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2014. They also had unadvanced commitments of $1,000,000 from the United States at December 31, 2015. Substantially all of the assets of the Cooperative are pledged as security against these loans. Annual maturities of the debt for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 are as follows: 2016 $ 1,178,734 2017 1,190,276
2018 2019 2020
1,198,141 961,573 995,638
LITIGATION Currently, there is no known significant litigation pending against or pertaining to the Cooperative. COMMITMENTS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS The Cooperative purchases all of its power from Buckeye Power, Inc., a nonprofit corporation operating on a cooperative basis, whose membership includes Midwest Electric, Inc. Rates for service to members of Buckeye Power, Inc. are in accordance with the provisions of the Wholesale Power Agreement which expires December 31, 2057. Materials and supplies are purchased from the Rural Electric Supply Cooperative, Inc., of which Midwest Electric, Inc. is an owner and member. The Cooperative borrows funds from the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation of which it is a member and owner. The Cooperative is a member of National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) of St. Louis, Missouri and contracts with them for data processing services. Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, of which Midwest Electric is a member, provides property and liability insurance to the Cooperative. The Cooperative is a member of Heartland Emergency, LLC, which provides emergency backup power for substations. The Cooperative is a partial owner of the Cooperative Response Center, which provides the Cooperative with after hours customer service and dispatching.
STATEMENTS OF EQUITIES For the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014
Balance at January 1, 2014 Net margins Unrecognized gains and losses related to the defined benefit postretirement plan Retirement of capital credits Discounted capital credits Balance at December 31, 2014 Net margins Unrecognized gains and losses related to the defined benefit postretirement plan Retirement of capital credits Discounted capital credits Balance at December 31, 2015
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Other Equities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Patronage Capital
Total Equities
$ 291,181 -
$ (2,242,900) -
$ 26,878,310 2,187,126
$ 24,926,591 2,187,126
-
3,622,300
40,196 331,377 -
1,379,400 -
(1,077,458) 27,987,978 3,150,957
3,622,300 (1,077,458) 40,196 29,698,755 3,150,957
-
(551,000)
67,942 $ 399,319
$ 828,400
(1,817,302) $ 29,321,633
(551,000) (1,817,302) 67,942 $ 30,549,352
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MEMBER INTERACTIVE
Funny signs Editor’s note: We received an avalanche of submissions for this category. To see more of the funny signs you sent us, go to www.ohioec.org.
See our guidelines and deadlines on page 39 for future months’ submissions.
Chip Hart, Hillsboro South Central Power
David Kupchick, West Salem Lorain-Medina REC
Greg Keller, Bellefontaine Logan County EC
Max Wood, Spencerville Midwest Electric
Angie Hamey, Somerville Butler REC
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Mary Maag, Findlay Hancock-Wood EC
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John Lamp, Wooster Holmes-Wayne Electric
Cathy Thomas, Strongsville South Central Power
Donald Weyrick, Akron Carrroll EC Dean Jones, Hillsboro South Central Power
Terri Bates, LaGrange Lorain-Medina REC
Harriet Bailey, Westerville Consolidated EC
Donna Breitinger South Central Power MAY 2016
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3
Fun and funny
festivals Spring and summer
1 4 2
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Wooden Boat Show and Plein Air Art Festival, Lakeside
They’re two terrific events at one exceedingly lovely location on the shores of Lake Erie at Lakeside, a family-oriented community where the summertime Chautauqua fun combines activities for mind, body, and spirit. Morning swims, afternoon shuffleboard, and evening concerts are all in a day’s fun at Lakeside, but in mid-July, its quintessential weekend features two singular outdoor events. The Wooden Boat Show presents the timeless beauty of some 75 vessels dating back to the early 1900s, while the Plein Air Art Festival provides the rare pleasure of communing with artists as they paint on Lakeside’s pristine grounds. Added attractions: Musicians perform at Lakeside’s Pavilion; the Hotel Lakeside grills picnic fare; and nostalgic boat rides are available on Amazing Grace, a 1937 Richardson Cruiseabout. Both events are free, but visitors must purchase a Chautauqua Pass (starting at $7) to enter the gated Lakeside community. Wooden Boat Show, July 17; Plein Air Art Festival, July 15-17. For more information, call 866-952-5374, or visit www.lakesideohio.com.
The Jerusalem Experience, Cambridge
Each summer, Jesus’s story comes to life at the Living Word Outdoor Drama, where costumed actors of all ages take the stage. Stories like the Sermon on the Mount, the Good Samaritan, and the Last Supper unfold in the naturally landscaped amphitheater on a slice of farmland outside of Cambridge. The Jerusalem Experience is a one-day multisensory event in August that’s an addition to the outdoor drama’s repertoire. The amphitheater, with its Bible-inspired sets, becomes the backdrop for kids and adults to learn about biblical times firsthand. From costume making to carpentry, or from basket making to pottery and playing games, families learn about Jesus’s time with hands-on activities. Try your skills blowing the shofar, the ancient instrument made from a ram’s horn, traditionally used for Jewish religious purposes. Food of the time period is included. August 27, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 6010 College Hill Rd., Cambridge. $10 admission includes a ticket to the outdoor drama. For more information, call 740-439-2761 or visit www.livingworddrama.org.
— Jamie Rhein
Poultry Days, Versailles
— Damaine Vonada
Dog Fest, Zoar
Diving dogs, jumping dogs, and swimming dogs — they’re all the darlings of the Dog Fest of Zoar, but the aquatic performances of the Buckeye DockDogs are only part of the canine competition and crowd-pleasing entertainment found here. See how your own dog stands up as an athletic wunderkind in agility and skill-based feats like obstacle-course runs. You can also show off your dog’s good looks in the pet parade and costume contests. The owner-pet look-alike contest is another shout-out opportunity at the two-day festival in a historic village founded by German separatists in 1817. See what’s new in the pet care scene, get a photo of your pet, and pick up pet paraphernalia and treats at the vendor booths before heading home. June 11-12, 198 Main St., Zoar. For more information, call 330874-3011.
— Jamie Rhein
Chicken reigns supreme in this Darke County community with the approach of Versailles Poultry Days. From whimsical chickens painted on village streets to the crowning of Miss Chick and Little Miss Chick, to a huge inflatable chicken float in the lavish parade, the event celebrates the area’s history as a leading poultry producer. This year’s theme continues in that vein with “Salute to the American Farmer.” More than 25,000 barbecued chicken dinners will be served throughout the weekend, along with an array of festival foods. Two parades will pass through village streets, while other activities include the Ultimate Frisbee Tournament; corn hole games; kiddie tractor pulls; musical entertainment; amusement rides; concession stands; a book sale; and art, photography, woodcarving, and flower shows. June 10-12 on the former Versailles High School grounds, 459 S. Center St., Versailles. For more information, visit www.versaillespoultrydays.com.
— Margie Wuebker
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Grin and (Golden) Bear it Celebrating Jack Nicklaus and the 40th Memorial Tournament B Y DA M A I N E VO N A DA
MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT founded by Jack Nicklaus turns 40 this month, so what better time to laud Ohio’s own golf legend? We hereby present a Nicklaus “golf digest.” THE
Biography Name: Jack William Nicklaus Birthdate: Jan. 21, 1940 Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio Parents: Charlie and Helen Nicklaus Education: Upper Arlington High School; Ohio State University Spouse: Barbara, married 1960 Children: 5 Grandchildren: 22 Residence: Florida Nickname: Golden Bear Noteworthy: While Upper Arlington’s teams are called “Golden Bears,” a sportswriter also applied that nickname to the blonde, burly young Nicklaus. Professional Career PGA Tour Victories: 73 Holes-in-One: 21 Top Money Winner: 8 times PGA Tour Earnings: $5,723,192 Champions Tour Victories: 10 Champions Tour Earnings: $3,372,207 Total Victories: 118 (including unofficial and international events) Major Titles: A record-setting 18 (6 Masters, 5 PGA Championships, 4 U.S. Opens, 3 British Opens) Noteworthy: Endurance may be Nicklaus’s greatest golfing feat. In 1963 at age 23, Nicklaus was the youngest person to win the Masters Tournament. In 1986, 46year-old Nicklaus took the Masters a record-setting sixth time and was its oldest winner. In 2015, at 75, Nicklaus aced the Masters Par 3 Contest’s fourth hole.
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Kudos Golfer of the Century/Millennium, Associated Press, BBC, numerous golf publications; 20th Century’s Best Male Athlete, Sports Illustrated; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2005’ Congressional Gold Medal, 2015 Noteworthy: In 2006, Nicklaus was the fifth non-Ohio State band member privileged to “dot the i” in Script Ohio. Memorial Tournament, 2016 The prestigious PGA invitational is played on the Nicklaus-designed course at Dublin’s Muirfield Village Golf Club. Hosted by Nicklaus, it honors leading golfers and raises millions for local charities. Noteworthy: Muirfield’s name salutes the Scotland course where Nicklaus won the 1966 Open Championship, clinching his first career grand slam.
From Nicklaus: “Professional golf is the only sport where, if you win 20 percent of the time, you’re the best.” “It takes hundreds of good golf shots to gain confidence, but only one bad one to lose it.” “If you want to hit it farther, hit it better.” “Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game.” DAMAINE VONADA is a freelance writer from Xenia. For more information on the Memorial Tournament, call 614-889-6712, or visit www.thememorialtourament.com. This month’s Ohio Quiz on page 39 also features Jack Nicklaus.
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What a kick! Kick up your heels and try footgolf B Y W. H . ‘ C H I P ’ G R O S S
REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A KID how much fun it was simply kicking a ball? In keeping with that concept, a new sport has arisen in recent years — footgolf. It’s being played on golf courses around the world, and some 25 courses have been developed in Ohio during the past decade alone. The sport is played like golf, but footgolfers don’t use the same holes or greens as regular golfers. The object of the game is to kick a #5 soccer ball from a designated tee box into a 21-inch-diameter cup in as few strokes (kicks) as possible. Par per hole is usually five or less. Footgolf holes are generally shorter than standard golf holes, so players can play a round of either nine or 18 holes in about one to two hours, respectively. Footgolf doesn’t require expensive equipment (clubs), clothing, or specialized skills. It’s also cheaper — a round of nine holes usually costs less than $10. Green Hills Golf Course
(www.greenhillsgolf.com) near Clyde added footgolf just a year ago. “In September, we were surprised that more rounds of footgolf were played on our executive course than regular golf,” says Adam Crockett, one of the course’s co-owners. “Many of those people participating were families, sometimes three generations — kids, parents, and grandparents.” Footgolf was a good fit for Green Hills because it already had an executive (par-three) course that was underutilized. “So nine holes of footgolf lent itself well to that course’s shorter layout,” said Crockett. Tiffin University’s women’s soccer team played footgolf at the course last year, and the Clyde High School boys’ soccer team played weekly during the summer as a team-building activity. “Many of those young people had not been exposed to a golf course atmosphere before, and as a result, some returned to try regular golf,” says Crockett. “Footgolf is
a good crossover sport, getting new people interested in trying traditional golf.” That’s important to golf course owners such as Crockett, as the number of people playing golf in America is gradually declining. The governing body for footgolf in the U.S. is the American FootGolf League (AFGL). For more information, or to locate a footgolf course near you, go to www.afgl.us. Adult or young person, if you can kick a soccer ball, you can play footgolf! is Country Living’s outdoors editor.
W. H. “CHIP” GROSS
It looks like soccer, and players are kicking an actual soccer ball, but footgolf’s goal is to get the ball not into a net but into a 21-inch cup in as few kicks as possible. And just like golf, each hole has a par, of usually five or less. (Photos courtesy of the American FootGolf League)
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CO-OP PEOPLE BY MICHAEL P R A M I K
A rock star with rockets Former co-op CEO collects them — as well as military vehicles and missiles — and you can see them at the Findlay Military Show in May PUTTERING AROUND IN RETIREMENT can mean different things to different people. For some, it means practicing their golf swing, leafing through a few books, maybe crafting a birdhouse or two. But 83-year-old John Cheney of North Baltimore in Wood County is more likely to spend his free time patching up a 28-ton military recovery vehicle, or assembling a Cold War-era rocket. Cheney is a retired U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who also worked for 41 years for Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, serving as CEO for 14 of those years. For decades, he has collected and rebuilt dozens of military vehicles and assorted materiel. With his son, John Cheney II, he’s amassed one of the largest private collections of military vehicles, rockets, and missiles in the world. The beneficiaries of the Cheneys’ passion have been the citizens of northwest Ohio and visitors from, well, all over. Cheney has been a driving force in the Findlay Military Show, an annual three-day celebration of the armed forces that has been
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going strong for 29 years. This year’s show is expected to include up to 300 vehicles that visitors can inspect up-close. The event, put on by the Findlay Military Association, is held annually on Armed Forces Day weekend, the third weekend in May. “We want to educate the people,” says Cheney II. “We want them to see the complexity and the simplicity of the vehicles. It’s one thing to go to a museum and see one, but it’s another thing to see it drive past you and stop where you can touch it. That’s important.” Other highlights of this year’s Findlay Show will include: • A pass-and-review, in which owners will set their vehicles in motion around the fairgrounds • A swap meet that will include more than 100 vendors trading military memorabilia, as well as vehicle parts • Battlefield re-enactments and livinghistory displays • Musical performances • An awards breakfast on Saturday morning.
Keith Kimmel, commander of the Findlay Military Association,
says an Indiana-based nonprofit group is scheduled to bring an American Huey 369 helicopter. You actually never know who’s going to show up. “Last year, a gentleman brought a semi-truck from Rhode Island with two armored vehicles on it,” Cheney says. “We didn’t even know he was coming.” Cheney, a Lima native, joined the Army as a commissioned officer, after graduating from Bowling Green State University in 1954. He served in active duty for a few years, assigned to work with rockets and missiles. They included corporal missiles, which were the first guided weapons in the United States to carry a nuclear warhead, and Honest John rockets, the nation’s first nuclearcapable, surface-to-surface rocket. A tour of the Cheneys’ three barns reveals their impressive, sprawling collection, which includes 35 trucks, eight types of rockets and missiles, about 15 trailers, and a large library on the history and restoration of military vehicles. The collection includes an MGR-1 rocket, otherwise known as the Honest John. “This is iden-
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tical to ones I shot in the ’50s,” Cheney says. Other collectibles include Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules missiles, a Little John rocket, and a Soviet SA-2 missile. Their vehicles include the huge military transport machine; a half-track vehicle; several Jeeps; a Hawk missile loader transporter; even a modified Soviet GAZ-69 anti-tank missile launch vehicle. There’s also a launcher for the Little John rocket. “It’s the ultimate Jeep accessory,” jokes Cheney II, “to have a towable nuclear missile behind you.” The Findlay Military Show is one of the top military vehicle attractions in the country, and much of its prestige reflects the Cheneys’ dedication to their craft, Kimmel says. “Their collection is unbelievable,” he states. “John was a career man in the Army, and his son knows every detail of every type of vehicle and weapon. He’s just a world of information.” Cheney describes their collection as “a mobile museum.” It’s a labor of love. They often find various parts of a rocket or vehicles in different locations. Touring his
John Cheney, former CEO of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, and his son, John Cheney II, have amassed one of the largest private collections of military vehicles, rockets, and missiles in the world. Many of their prized possessions will be among the 300 vehicles on display at the Findlay Military Show, an annual three-day celebration of the armed forces held during Armed Forces Day weekend, the third weekend in May. (Photo by Wendy Pramik)
garage, Cheney points to an Honest John rocket. “We found the motor at a junkyard in southern Indiana, and we found the warhead beside a barn in Kentucky,” he says. “We found the launcher at a surplus dealer in Texarkana, Texas.” The extra effort is worth it, they say. “We’ve had the pleasure of having veterans see the equipment they used to operate and re-
living their lives,” says Cheney II. “That’s the reason we collect and restore these vehicles.” MICHAEL PRAMIK is a freelance writer from Columbus. This year’s Findlay Military Show runs from May 20-22 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds, 1017 E. Sandusky St., in Findlay. For more information, call 419429-7344, 419-721-4456, or visit www.findlaymilitaryshow.org.
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ICON
The Little Miami Scenic Trail Southwest Ohio
B Y DA M A I N E VO N A DA
Location: Largely following the course of the Little Miami River, a state and nationally designated scenic stream, the nearly 80-milelong recreational trail stretches from Springfield to the east side of Cincinnati.
verted into a paved recreational trail that opened in 1991 and became a major feature of Little Miami State Park, a nontraditional linear greenspace that flanks the trail for some 50 miles.
Provenance: In the 1970s, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and local governments began acquiring right-ofway property on the route of the old Little Miami Railroad, which was incorporated in 1836 and initially ran between Springfield and Cincinnati. Those rights-of-way were con-
Significance: The Little Miami Scenic Trail is one of the nation’s longest continuously paved multiuse trails. It’s also a part of three larger trails — the seven-state North Country National Scenic Trail; the Buckeye Trail, which loops for some 1,400 miles around Ohio; and the Ohio to Erie Trail system between Cleveland and Cincinnati. In addition, it’s a mainstay of the largest paved trail network in the United States — Miami Valley Bike Trails, which boasts 330 miles of intersecting trails in southwest Ohio. Currently: Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Little Miami Scenic Trail is one of Ohio’s most popular rail trails, with more than 900,000 user visits during 2015. The tree-shaded, serpentine trail boasts the natural beauty of the Little Miami River; traverses a corner of the state whose history dates back to the Hopewell Indians; and leads to attractions that range from Young’s Jersey Dairy to Fort Ancient earthworks to Kings Island amusement park. The trail is also a destination for cross-country skiing, rollerblading, backpacking, and horseback riding.
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It’s a little-known fact that: According to surveys conducted by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Little Miami Scenic Trail’s annual impact on the regional economy is about $13 million. For more information about the Little Miami Scenic Trail, its route, and recreational opportunities and attractions along it, visit: www.miamivalleytrails.org; http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/littlemiami; www.gcparkstrails.com; www.littlemiamistatepark.org; www.railstotrails.org; and www.traillink.com.
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ADVERTISEMENT
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MAY 2016 CALENDAR
NORTHWEST Biggest Week in American Birding, many locations in the Oak Park area. A variety of field trips, workshops, and demonstrations during the peak of spring warbler migration. www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com.
MAY 6-15 —
MAY 7 — Schedel Gardens Community Day Festival, 19255 W. Portage River South Rd., Elmore, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Vendors, demonstrations, food, and drink. Free. 419-862-3182 or www.schedel-gardens.org.
Northwest Ohio Blacksmiths Hammer-In, AuGlaize Village and Farm Museum, 12296 Krouse Rd., Defiance. Registration fee. Demonstrations, workshops, classes. 419-542-6464 or www.auglaizevillage.com
MAY 7, 8 —
Perrysville Free Street Fair, 2016 N. Bridge St., Perrysville, Wed.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m., Fri. 9-11 p.m., Sat. 12 noon-11 p.m. Fri.night garden tractor pull, Sat. parade. 419-938-6142
MAY 11-14 —
Mercer County Ribfest, ribs from vendors from all over Ohio, 5-11:45 p.m. 419-586-3239 or www.ohio.org/events/mercer-countyribfest
MAY 13 —
Spring on the Farm, Encore Theater, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Guests experience what life was like in rural Ohio more than 100 years ago. 800-5909755 or http://saudervillage.org.
MAY 14 —
Lilac Festival and Streetfair, downtown Defiance, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 419-782-0739 or http://visitdefianceohio.com.
PLEASE NOTE• Country Living strives for accuracy but strongly urges readers to confirm dates and times before traveling long distances to events. Submit listings AT LEAST 90 DAYS prior to the event by writing to Country Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229 or events@ohioec.org. Country Living will not publish listings that don’t include a complete address of where the event takes place or a number to call for more information. MAY 21 — KeyBank Pops: Music of the Rolling Stones, Stranahan Theater, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, 8-10:30 p.m. 419-381-8851, 419-246-8000, or www.toledosymphony.com.
MAY 7 —
MAY 21, 22 — Settlers Re-enactment, AuGlaize Village and Farm Museum, 12296 Krouse Rd., Defiance. Living history demonstrations of how settlers from 1750 to 1812 survived. 419-6362560 or www.auglaizevillage.com
MAY 15 —
MAY 26-30 — Walleye Festival,
MAY 21 — Brass Band, Big Band Concert, Medina Performing Arts Ctr., 851 Weymouth Rd., Medina, 7 p.m. Presented by the Brass Band of the Western Reserve. Admission. 614-5637170.
Waterworks Park, Port Clinton. Live entertainment including a kids’ fishing derby, carnival rides, a beer fest, a Grand Parade, live concerts, and hundreds of vendors. 419-734-5503. Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Show, Shelby Co. Fgds., Sidney, $2. 937-596-6812
MAY 27-29 —
Logan Hills Festival Hall-Fawcett Park, Zanesfield. Free. Living history, music, outdoor drama, native woodland gathering. http://loganhills.homestead.com
MAY 28-30 —
MAY 14 —
Bluffton Arts and Crafts Festival, downtown Bluffton, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 419-369-2985, ext. 118, or www.explorebluffton.com.
MAY 14 —
Van Wert Area Boychoir Spring Concert, Trinity United Methodist Church, 220 S. Walnut St., Van Wert, 3 p.m. Free will offering. 419-238-1962.
MAY 15 —
Hamler Country Fest, St. Rte. 109, Hamler. Three days of country music with Craig Campbell, Nashville Crush, Tony Rio, and more. 419-748-7459 or www.hamlercountryfest.com.
MAY 20-22 —
Antique Car Gathering, Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 100 antique cars on display in the historic village. 800-590-9755 or http://saudervillage.org. MAY 21 —
Toledo Jazz Orchestra: The Beatles, Valentine Theatre, 400 N. Superior St., Toledo. 419-242-2787 or www.thetoledojazzorchestra.org.
MAY 21 —
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NORTHEAST Frank Lloyd Wright Home Tours, 534 Morgan St., Oberlin, 1-5 p.m. $5. 440-775-8671.
MAY 1 —
Ohio Civil War Show, Richland Co. Fgds., Mansfield, Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m, Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $7. Seven buildings with 750 tables of military items, relics, and memorabilia from 1785 to 1945. Buy, sell, or trade. 800-642-8282 or 419-525-1300.
MAY 1 —
MAY 1 — A Night of Sinatra, TrueNorth Chamber Orchestra and Big Band, Emerald Event Ctr., 33040 Just Imagine Dr., Avon, 3 p.m. 440-9495200 or www.tncarts.org. MAY 5-7 — Minerva Village-wide Garage Sales, more than 40 garage sales throughout Minerva. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 330-868-7705, ext. 106, or 330868-3783.
Dandelion MayFest, Breitenbach Wine Cellars, 5934 Old Rte. 39 Northwest, Dover, Fri. noon-7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Dandelion food tastings, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, dandelion picking contest, vendor fair. 330-343-3603 or www.breitenbachwine.com.
MAY 6, 7 —
• MAY 2016
Celtic Beltane Festival, Columbia Woods Park, Norton, gates open 10 a.m. Celtic music and dancing, Highland athletes competition, children’s games, vendors, clan tents. www.scottishamericansociety.org.
Paddle and Pedal Fest, Lakeview Park 1800 W. Erie Ave., Lorain, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Try out kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, or canoes. Pre-register at 800-LCM-PARK or www.metroparks.cc.
Summer Concert Series, Berkman Amphitheater, Fort Steuben Park, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, 6:309 p.m. Classic car cruise-in, craft vendors, and family-friendly music. 740-283-1787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com.
MAY 26 –
MAY 11 — Culpepper & Merriweather Circus, field behind 100 Washington St., Canal Winchester, shows at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Advance discount tickets $10, $7 C. and Srs. 614-837-1851 or http://canalwinchesterlions.org.
Five Nights on Campus – The General Guinness Band, OSU Marion, 1465 Mt. Vernon Ave., Marion, 7:30 p.m. $10, Srs. $9, Std. $4. Lively ballads, fiddle tunes, and step dancing. 740-725-6340. MAY 12 —
Community Days Festival, Fairfield Co. Fgds., Lancaster, Fri. 4-10 p.m., Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m. Amusement rides, food, arts and crafts show. Marbles tournament Sat., car show on Sun., Civil War encampment all 3 days. 740-654-9248 or www.communitydaysfestival.org.
MAY 13-15 —
Lancaster Fairfield Youth Choir Spring Concert, First Presbyterian Church, 222 N. Broad St., Lancaster, 4 p.m. 740-654-7392 or www.lancasteryouthchoir.com.
MAY 15 —
One for the Road, May Pavilion, Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 7:30 p.m. Hits ranging from 1958 to today. 740-3832101 or www.marionpalace.org.
MAY 20 —
MAY 20 — Six One Pour: The Ohio Craft Beer Fest, Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Lane, Columbus, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. www.columbusbeerweek.com/sixonepour.
Goodwill Wheel-A-Thon, Tri-Rivers Career Ctr., 2222 Marion-Mt. Gilead Rd., Marion. Charity auction and wheelchair roundup beginning at 10 a.m. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. 740-387-7023 or www.mariongoodwill.org.
MAY 21 —
CENTRAL MAY 1 — “Come, Stay With Me,” Lancaster Chorale Concert, St. Mary Church, 132 S. High St., Lancaster, 4 p.m. Traditional harmonies of Mendelssohn and Brahms, and modern American and British compositions. 740-687-5855 or www.lancasterchorale.com” MAY 6 — Olde Pickerington Village Chocolate Hop, 15 E. Columbus St., Pickerington, 6-8:30 p.m. Small donation for a map of the many Olde Village businesses offering a “thank you” chocolate treat. 614-321-8821 or www.pickeringtonvillage.com.
Time Travelers Ball, TriRivers Career Ctr., 2222 Marion-Mt. Gilead Rd., 7 p.m. $20. The evening is an opportunity for participants to “travel” to their favorite time in history while dressing in period clothing. 740387-4255 or www.marionhistory.com.
MAY 7 —
Herb Day, Ohio Herb Education Ctr., 110 and 117 Mill St., Gahanna. 614-342-5240 or http://gahanna.com.
MAY 7 —
Central Ohio Folk Festival, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, Galloway. 614-470-3963 or www.cfms-inc.org. MAY 7-9 —
Asian Festival, Genoa Park, 303 W. Broad St., Columbus, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. Learn about the cultures and traditions of people from China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Laos, and Pakistan. http://asian-festival.org.
MAY 28, 29 —
Utica Sertoma Ice Cream Festival, Ye Olde Mill and Velvet Ice Cream Co., 11339 Mt. Vernon Rd., Utica. 800-589-5000 or www.sertomaicecreamfestival.com.
MAY 28-30 —
Memorial Day Celebration, Veterans Memorial Park, Lockbourne. Parade starts at 12 noon with service honoring Tuskegee Airmen, WASPs, and other veterans to follow. 614-491-3161.
MAY 30 —
SOUTHEAST Morel Mushroom Mania, Shawnee State Park, 14755 Cadiz Rd., Lore City. Learn how to find and cook these mysterious mushrooms. 740858-6652.
MAY 1 —
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Zane Grey Day, National Rd. Zane Grey Museum, 8850 E. Pike, Norwich, noon-4 p.m. 740-8723143 or www.ohiohistory.org.
MAY 1 —
MAY 5-8 — Wild Turkey Festival, McArthur. A turkey calling contest and street fair with a parade, car show, quilt show, rides, games, and entertainment. 800-596-4459 or 740-596-5033.
Salt Fork Gospel Jubilee, Salt Fork Lodge and Conference Ctr., 14755 Cadiz Rd., Lore City, Fri. 6 p.m., Sat. 1 p.m. Reservations. 740-435-9000, 740432-3787, or www.saltforkstateparklodge.com.
MAY 6, 7 —
MAY 6, 7 — Spring Fest, Deerassic Park Education Ctr., 14250 Cadiz Rd., Cambridge, noon-4 p.m. 740-4353335 or http://deerassic.com.
Spring Craft Show, Lake Hope State Park, 27331 St. Rte. 278, McArthur, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Stop by the Lake Hope Dining Lodge and browse local crafters selling their wares. 740596-5253.
MAY 7 —
Otway Cruise-in Car Show, St. Rte. 348, Otway, registration 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Drive through a restored covered bridge. $10. 740372-3395.
MAY 7 —
Cambridge Singers Spring Show, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 941 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, Fri./Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. 740-432-3956.
MAY 13-15 —
Cabela’s King Kat Tournament, 300 block of First Ave., Gallipolis, 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Fishing tournament. 740-446-6882, 270395-4204, or www.kingkatusa.com.
MAY 14 —
Cabela’s Kids’ Fishing Rodeo, Bob Evans Farm, 10854 St. Rte. 588, Rio Grande, 8 a.m.-noon. 740-446-6882, 270-395-4204, or www.kingkatusa.com.
MAY 14 —
Glenn Miller Orchestra, People’s Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 8 p.m. $15/$20/$25. 740-373-0894.
MAY 14 —
Feast of the Flowering Moon, downtown Chillicothe, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Free. A family-oriented event featuring Native American music, dancing, traders, and exhibits. 740-702-7677, 800-413-4118, or www.feastofthefloweringmoon.org.
MAY 26-29 —
Moonshine Festival, downtown New Straitsville. Moonshine still display, vendors, moonshine burgers, moonshine pie, moonshine doggies. 740-394-2239or www.explorehockinghills.com. MAY 26-30 —
MAY 27-30 — Muskingum Valley Trade Days and Flea Market, St. Rte. 78 in Reinersville, 13 mi. east of McConnelsville. Free. 740-558-2740
Gallipolis Bass Busters Youth Fishing Day, Bob Evans Farm, 10854 St. Rte. 588, Rio Grande, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 800-994-3276 or www.bobevans.com.
MAY 28 —
Maifest, Germania Park, 3529 W. Kemper Rd., Cincinnati, Fri. 6 p.m-12 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.-12 a.m., Sun. 12-8 p.m. Traditional German food and entertainment. 513-742-0060 or http://germaniasociety.com.
OHIO CAMPGROUNDS
MAY 13-15 —
Hug the Earth Festival, Stillwater Prairie Reserve, 9750 St. Rte. 185, Covington, noon-5 p.m. Live music, tree climbing, archery, geocaching, rock wall, zip line, and high ropes stations. 937-335-6273 or www.miamicountyparks.com.
MAY 14 —
Arcanum OldFashioned Days, George St., Arcanum. 937-692-5139
MAY 20-22 —
A World A’Fair, Dayton Convention Ctr., downtown Dayton, Fri. 5 p.m.-11 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day international festival of music and dance. http://aworldafair.org.
MAY 20-22 —
Upper Valley Fiber Fest, Duke Lundgard Bldg., Miami Co. Fgds., Troy, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Lots of hands-on demonstrations and plenty of vendors. 800-348-8993 or www.uppervalleyfiberfest.org.
MAY 21 —
SOUTHWEST International Butterfly Show: Butterflies of the Caribbean, Krohn Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Dr., Cincinnati. $7, C. $4. 10,000 colorful butterflies in the greenhouse. 513-421-5707 or www.cincinnatiparks.com/krohn-conservatory.
THROUGH JUN. 19 —
APR. 30-MAY 1 — American Quarter Horse
Oxford Wine Festival, Uptown Park, Oxford, $20 in advance, $25 at door. Includes five tasting tickets and a tasting glass. 513-523-5200 or www.oxfordwinefestival.com.
MAY 21 —
Assoc. Youth Show, Roberts Arena, 4095 St. Rte. 730, Wilmington. 937-3821965 or www.robertsarena.com.
WEST VIRGINIA
MAY 1 — Bear’s Mill Spring Open
MAY 7 —
House, 6450 Arcanum-Bear’s Mill Rd., Greenville, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tour the fourstory working mill, shop in the store, and browse in the gallery. 937-5485112 or www.bearsmill.com. MAY 6-8 — Appalachian Festival, 6201 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati, Fri/Sat 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Two music stages, Appalachian storytelling, living history, crafts, demonstrations, food. 513-251-3370 or www.appalachianfestival.org.
Engines and Wheels Festival, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo. Old-fashioned engines and turn-of-the-century industrial, oil field, and farm machinery. 304-628-3587.
Bluegrass Festival, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo. 304-643-2931.
MAY 13, 14 —
Ohio Quiz U
(Answers from page 39)
1. Masters 2. 26 3. 1971 and 1978 4. Scioto 5. Akron’s Rubber City Open 6. 1961 7. Time 8. 5 9. 1988 10. University of St. Andrews in Scotland 11. Tiger Woods 12. 5 pounds
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OHIO MARKETPLACE
***ADVERTISE HERE*** ONLY $310 FOR 3 MONTHS!
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COUNTRY LIVING
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OHIO
A few
This mon and elde shines th May. We and you the ‘Big would b
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OHIO QUIZ A few of the “Bear” facts This month’s quiz features Jack Nicklaus, the pro golf superstar and elder statesman whose signature Memorial Tournament shines the PGA’s spotlight on his hometown of Columbus every May. We’ll provide the clues about golf’s famous “Golden Bear,” and you score the answers. For example, if the clue is “Who are the ‘Big Three’ credited with popularizing golf?,” the answer would be “Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.”
CLUES 1. Nicklaus was the first golfer to win this tournament in two consecutive years, 1965 and 1966. 2. In 1966, Nicklaus also became the youngest player to win the career grand slam — Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship — of men’s golf. How old was he? 3. When did Nicklaus achieve his second and third career grand slams? 4. Coached by his father and club pro Jack Grout, Nicklaus began playing golf at age 10 at what Columbus-area country club? 5. At 18, Nicklaus played in his first PGA tour event. What was it?
6. Nicklaus was the first to win both the NCAA golf championship and U.S. Amateur in the same year. What year was it? 7. After his first professional win at the 1962 U.S. Open, what magazine put Nicklaus on its cover? 8. How many times has Nicklaus been on U.S. teams that bested Great Britain to win the Ryder Cup? 9. In 1973, Nicklaus became the first golfer ever to win $2 million during a career. When was he the first to hit the $5 million mark? 10. In 1984, what university gave Nicklaus the first honorary doctorate it ever presented to a sportsman? 11. Wheaties featured Nicklaus and what other golfer on its “breakfast of champions” boxes in 2003? 12. Prior to his 2005 British Open appearance, the Royal Bank of Scotland made Nicklaus the first nonroyal living person to appear on one of its bank notes. What was its denomination? ANSWERS ON PAGE 37
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