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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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“Looking out for our cooperative members.”
Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc. Visit our website at www.weci.org Office Hours
Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. 440 Highland Ridge Road P.O. Box 800 Marietta, OH 45750 Phone: 740-373-2141 Toll-free in Ohio: 877-594-9324 After-hours: 877-544-0279
Official Notice The 76th Annual Meeting of Members of Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Thursday, May 19, 2016 WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE 440 HIGHLAND RIDGE ROAD, MARIETTA
Door prize drawings! Pay your bill online at weci.org!
Grand prize:
General Manager/CEO Jack Bragg Jr.
$250 electric bill credit!
weci@weci.org
Board of Trustees David P. Miller, CCD, BL Chairman
740-732-5402
Paul S. Fleeman, CCD, BL 1st Vice Chairman 740-934-2306
Betty Martin, CCD Secy.-Treas.
740-473-1539
Eldon E. Miller, CCD Assistant Secy.-Treas. 740-373-8594
William Bowersock, CCD, BL Trustee
740-373-5861
Gale DePuy, CCD, BL Trustee
740-473-1245
Larry Ullman, CCD Trustee
740-934-2561
Order of Business: 5 p.m. Registration begins FREE KFC DINNER 5 – 6 p.m. Entertainment by Pickin’ on Country 6 p.m. Official welcome 6:05 p.m. Business session — meeting called to order A. Reading of unapproved minutes of previous meeting and action thereon B. Reading of notice of meeting and proof of publication and mailing thereof 6:10 p.m. Nominations report and election information 6:15 p.m. Buckeye Power update 6:30 p.m. Management reports 6:45 p.m. Youth report C. Unfinished business D. New business E. Door prize drawings E. Election results F. Adjournment
CCD - Certified Cooperative Director; BL - Board Leadership
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Electric co-ops embody a culture of safety A children’s book titled Safety 1st, Safety Always encompasses many of the traditional safety lessons parents should teach their children. We drill youngsters about safety from an early age because we know how important it is to protect ourselves and the people we care about. In recognition of May as 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 in our communities. In 2007, Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, which insures many electric co-ops nationwide, initiated a campaign called “Culture of Safety.” It was designed to create greater awareness about safety issues at all electric co-ops and to reduce “losttime accidents,” which are any incident resulting in an employee missing time at work. 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. Out of this evaluation came the “Speak Up, Listen Up” program, which empowers anyone who sees a potentially unsafe situation to “Speak Up” and encourages everyone to “Listen Up” to concerns about safety. The results have been dramatic, with more than a 30 percent decline in the number of accidents over the past nine years. Safety is of the highest importance at Washington Electric. In addition to ensuring our employees have the tools and training they need to perform their
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jobs safely, we also work to educate our communities about electrical safety and other hazards through electrical safety demonstrations given to groups of all ages. 1291215202 As a member, you have a role, too. If you see any situations or practices that seem dangerous, you should report them as soon as possible to Washington Electric Cooperative. Treat all downed lines as if they are energized, and never climb or attempt to handle a tree that has a limb caught in a power line. Also, before you perform any kind of digging on your property, you need to contact the Ohio Utility Protection Service. This service will help you determine whether there are any underground electric or other utility lines that could cause harm. 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 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.
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Be aware of the dangers of electric shock drowning Despite being categorized as leisure activities, swimming and boating can quickly become dangerous. While water-safety behaviors like wearing life jackets and maintaining safe boating speeds have become commonplace, a serious hazard remains that is often overlooked. This silent killer, classified as electric shock drowning, occurs in fresh water when a typically low-level alternating current (AC) passes through the body, which causes muscular paralysis and eventually leads to drowning. “Although there are reported incidents every year, there is a lack of awareness about the dangers of electric shock drowning,” says Brett Brenner, president of the Electrical Safety Foundation International. A 21-year-old Illinois man died in 2015 when touching a dock ladder at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Additionally, there were at least two fatalities in Kentucky in 2013 and a pair of deaths in both Missouri and Tennessee during the Fourth of July holiday in 2012. Each of these victims was under the age of 13. Further, electric shock drowning deaths are usually recorded as drowning because victims show no signs of burns, so many instances remain undocumented. While a lack of awareness persists about the dangers of electric shock drowning, positive strides are being taken to combat the problem. In Tennessee, state legislators passed the Noah Dean and Nate Act in 2014, which protects state residents from electric shock injuries and drowning deaths near marinas and boat docks. The bill is named in memory of 10-yearold Noah Dean Winstead and 11-year-old Nate Lynam, who died from electrical injuries they suffered on July 4, 2012, at a marina in Tennessee. Jessica Winstead, Noah Dean’s mother, was the driving force behind the bill, which she crusaded tirelessly for to prevent similar accidents. An inspection following the tragic incident found that the marina did not have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Under the Noah Dean and Nate Act, Tennessee marinas must install ground fault protection, post notices about the danger of electrical leakage into waters surrounding a marina, and undergo a safety inspection conducted by the state fire marshal between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2017, and every five years thereafter. The law went into effect April 1, 2015. A similar law was passed in West Virginia in 2013 following the death of Michael Cunningham, three years after he passed away at the age of 15, and
in Arkansas in 2012 after several electrocutions near docks there and in surrounding states. The 2011 National Electrical Code addresses the dangers in marinas and boatyards by requiring the main overcurrent protective device to be GFCIprotected. However, this only applies to installations and inspections, which are recommended annually but not enforced. Protect yourself and your loved ones from the risk of electric shock drowning and common boat electrical hazards with these handy tips from ESFI. Don’t allow yourself or anyone else to swim near docks. Avoid entering the water when launching or loading your boat. Always maintain a distance of at least 10 feet between your boat and nearby power lines. If you feel a tingle while swimming, the water may be electrified. Get out as soon as possible, avoiding the use of metal objects such as ladders. Have your boat’s electrical system inspected and upgraded by a certified marine electrician who is familiar with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes 303 and 70. Have GFCIs installed on your boat, and test them once a month. Consider having equipment leakage circuit interrupters (ELCI) installed on boats to protect nearby swimmers from potential electricity leakage into water surrounding your boat. Only use shore or marine power cords, plugs, receptacles, and extension cords that have been tested by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or Intertek (ETL). Never use cords that are frayed or damaged or that have had the prongs removed or altered. Never stand or swim in water when turning off electrical devices or switches. Electric shock drowning can also occur in swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas. Have an electrician inspect and upgrade your pool, spa, or hot tub in accordance with applicable local codes and the National Electrical Code (NEC). For ESFI’s complete collection of Boating and Marina Safety resources, visit www.esfi.org. — Electrical Safety Foundation International
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Capital credits
Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc., refunded capital credits totaling $59,861.63 to the estates of 51 members through March 2016. If you know of a deceased member, please have the executor of the estate call our office for information on the member’s capital credits.
Credit for account number
If you find the number of your account in the local (center four) pages of this magazine, call the co-op office; you will receive at least $10 credit on your electric bill. In March, Earl Pickenpaugh of Caldwell did not locate his account number. If you find your account number, call the co-op office by the 16th of the month in which it is published.
Co-op Connections Card
Washington Electric Cooperative members saved $193.24 in February on prescription drugs with the Co-op Connections® discount card. Members have saved a total of $82,917.90 since the program launched in June 2011. Be sure to check out www.connections.coop for information on discounts from national retailers and Coupons.com!
Co-op rebate programs
Water heater — rebates from $200 to $400 for qualifying 50-gallon or higher new electric water heaters. Dual Fuel — rebates of $500 for new heat pumps installed with a fossil-fuel furnace system and co-op load-management switch. Geothermal — rebates of $600 for newly installed geothermal systems. Air conditioners — rebates of $100 for whole-house air conditioning systems with co-op load-management switch. Applies to systems younger than 10 years. Call for details.
Ball-Caldwell Homestead
to receive historical marker The Noble County Historical Society will host a ceremony to dedicate a historic marker at the Ball-Caldwell Homestead on June 2. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the presentation of the American flag by Boy Scout Troup 501 and the singing of the National Anthem by Jeannette Feldner. Remarks will be made by representatives from Ohio History Connection as well as Caldwell Mayor Jon Bates and Noble County Commissioner Gary Rossiter. Tours of the home will be given following the dedication, and a square dance will be in the barn at 7:30 p.m. with music by the Buckeye Travelers Band. The home was built by Samuel Caldwell in 1832. The Caldwell family later donated land to the village of Caldwell to make it the Noble County seat. In 1920, Ball became the second family name on the property’s deed. Later, Robert and Mary Ann Ball purchased the home to restore the structure and furnish it with articles of the period from places throughout Noble County. The Noble County Historical Society purchased the homestead in 2009 for a museum and as a hosting site for events and community activities. The Ball-Caldwell Homestead is at 16 East St., Caldwell. Call 740-732-5288 for more information.
Co-op services available
After-hours outage reporting — Call 877-5440279 to report a power outage outside of business hours. Outage Alerts – Sign up to receive free outage and peak alerts and other important co-op information by phone, text, or e-mail. Visit notify.weci.org or call our office to enroll. Online bill payment — Visit www.weci.org to use the cooperative’s secure Easy2Pay online payment system. Automatic bill payment — Call our office for details on having your electric bill drafted from your checking or savings account each month. Pay your bill by phone — Call 866-923-8148 to pay your bill with a check, credit card, or debit card.
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ANNUAL REPORT
2015
Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Cover photo courtesy of Denny Betts Photography: Facebook.com/DennyBettsPhotography Taken July 2015 above Montpelier, Ohio
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Your electric cooperative
David Miller, CCD, BL, Chairman
Paul Fleeman, CCD, BL, First Vice Chairman
William Bowersock, CCD, BL
Betty Martin, CCD, Secretary/Treasurer
Gale DePuy, CCD, BL
Washington Electric is a Touchstone Energy® Cooperative serving portions of six counties in southeastern Ohio. Locally owned and operated, the cooperative is governed by a democratically elected seven-member board of trustees. CCD = Credentialed Cooperative Director BL = Board Leadership
Mission Statement Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc., is a local, consumer-owned, nonprofit cooperative whose mission is to provide reliable electricity and other services to consumers while assuring the financial integrity of the cooperative and maintaining a strong community presence.
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Eldon Miller, CCD, Asst. Secretary/Treasurer
Larry Ullman, CCD
Seven Cooperative Principles Voluntary and open membership Democratic member control Members’ economic participation Autonomy and independence Education, training, and information Cooperation among cooperatives Concern for community
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From the boardroom Washington Electric Cooperative Fulfilling the mission, providing for the future Washington Electric fondly looked back at its proud 75 years of service at the 2015 Annual Meeting. As we look to the future, we face a time full of challenges and opportunities in serving the needs of our membership. The basic mission of the cooperative, to provide reliable electricity and other services while ensuring financial integrity and maintaining a strong community presence, will serve as the compass as we begin this journey. Following the cooperative business model and the seven cooperative principles will ensure that Washington Electric meets this basic mission. Because Washington Electric is a cooperative, we are a consumer-owned, not-for-profit business, designed to represent the interests of the owner-members and act as good stewards of the assets that are entrusted to us. Being a local entity, our services are provided by local people who have a vested interest in the communities we serve. We serve our neighbors, not absentee owners or unknown shareholders in faroff places, so the success of the cooperative and the communities we serve are of the highest importance. Moving forward into the future is not without challenges. Regulations like the Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States threaten to drive up the cost of generating, transmitting, and delivering electric energy, and the magnitude is unknown. Our membership and all utility users are facing economic challenges themselves, so how we approach these regulations and their potential costs is very important. Costs also continue to escalate for materials, supplies, insurance, and many other operating needs, which continually
makes it more difficult to hold down the cost of electricity delivered to homes and businesses. Aging transmission and distribution infrastructure requires cooperatives and other utilities to invest in and replace significant segments, resulting in costs to raise and service the necessary capital to keep the system functional and viable. Washington Electric continues to invest significant dollars in our right-ofway clearing program that has and will continue to improve the reliability of our members’ service. This is a consistent and continuing maintenance program that must be followed to help ensure the reliability of our system. Economic challenges have resulted in reduced revenues as demand for electricity has consistently dropped, making it more difficult to recover all the costs of operation. Higher-efficiency appliances and equipment, a general slowing of the economy, less than ideal weather conditions, and more consumer attention to conservation have trended revenues down over last few years. Washington Electric will move forward into the future by adhering to the cooperative principles and the purpose defined in its mission that has served it so well historically. WEC will continue to explore new technologies, practices, and methods to continue providing electricity at a fair cost. The future is bright, even with the challenges we face, thanks to the capable and dedicated team we have assembled to meet these challenges. When you have the right team in place, it is possible to complete even the most difficult tasks and achieve the farthest-reaching goals. ď Œ
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WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. BALANCE SHEETS December 31, 2015 and 2014 ASSETS
2015
UTILITY PLANT Electric plant in service Construction work in progress
2014
47,106,034
45,614,296
238,037 47,344,071
490,174 46,104,470
(11,465,324) 35,878,747
(10,787,836) 35,316,634
7,733,110 674,429 8,407,539
7,154,188 785,115 7,939,303
1,417,544
1,125,217
2,921,311 362,480 103,466
3,486,502 335,781 109,568
4,804,801
5,057,068
$49,091,087
$48,313,005
EQUITIES Patronage capital
21,281,105
21,092,676
Accumulated other comprehensive income Other equities TOTAL EQUITIES
448,700 5,357 21,735,162
460,100 5,357 21,558,133
22,572,472 353,702 292,600 23,218,774
22,734,754 373,422 307,600 23,415,776
500,000 991,000 1,215,758 220,787 1,209,606 4,137,151
1,012,000 1,030,239 208,467 1,088,390 3,339,096
$49,091,087
$48,313,005
Less: Accumulated provision for depreciation and amortization NET UTILITY PLANT INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS Investments in associated organizations Deferred charges TOTAL INVESTMENTS AND OTHER ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $263,890 ($249,046 in 2013) Materials and supplies Prepayments TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Mortgage notes payable Accrued sick leave Accrued postretirement benefits TOTAL LONG-TERM LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES Line of Credit Current maturities of long-term debt Accounts payable Consumer deposits Accrued liabilities TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES
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WASHINGTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. STATEMENTS OF REVENUES AND EXPENSES For the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014
2015 OPERATING REVENUES
2014
$16,526,592
$17,148,231
8,850,064 1,135,681 2,148,008 549,705 1,280,658 1,359,273 496,689 15,820,078
9,047,054 987,894 1,999,172 608,101 1,304,613 1,292,327 494,336 15,733,497
OPERATING MARGINS BEFORE FIXED CHARGES Interest on long-term debt
706,517 1,133,055
1,412,895 1,124,178
OPERATING MARGINS AFTER FIXED CHARGES Capital credits OPERATING MARGINS
(426,538) 836,694 410,156
288,717 596,609 885,326
129,571 23,342 152,913
82,436 76,539 158,975
$563,069
$1,044,301
OPERATING EXPENSES Cost of power Distribution expense - operations Distribution expense - maintenance Consumer accounts Administrative and general Depreciation and amortization Taxes TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES
NON-OPERATING MARGINS Interest income Other income TOTAL NON-OPERATING MARGINS NET MARGINS FOR PERIOD
HOW YOUR POWER DOLLAR WAS SPENT IN 2015
Cost of Purchased Power…….………..52.3% Line Operation & Maintenace……....19.22% Kilowatt Sales Tax …………….…………2.94% Consumer Accounting & Collecting...2.51% Depreciation………………………………..8.04% Administrative & General……………....7.56% Customer Service Expense…….……...0.74% Interest Expense Long Term…………..6.67%
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WEC uses advanced technology to improve members’ electric service 2015 brought exciting technology advancements for Washington Electric. The most notable among these was an automated meter reading (AMR) project that not only eliminated the need for members to submit monthly meter readings, but also enhanced our accounting, billing, and outage management practices. AMR is a comprehensive set of technologies and software applications that allows utilities to remotely collect meter readings and send them to a central database for billing. Washington Electric uses the Aclara Two-Way Automatic Communication System (TWACS), which uses our existing power lines to communicate with the meter and to transmit consumption data. This system provides many benefits for the cooperative, including meter-reading accuracy, helpful electric consumption data for the consumer, and data that is used in assessing and restoring power outages. It’s important to note that this is not a radio-based system, so no wireless radio frequency signals are transmitted. The meters use “powerline carrier” technology to send and receive data to and from the cooperative over the power lines. The substation is connected to the office via a secure computer network. There are no radioactive elements that emit radiation. TWACS-enabled electric meters only communicate when scheduled, and each communication with the cooperative takes less than eight seconds. TWACS automates only the meter-reading process. No user or account information is transmitted. Data collected via TWACS is the same data currently available from manually
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read meters. Members have asked us if their meters know what electrical devices or appliances are being used inside the home. The answer is no. Meters only collect the hourly energy-use data. The meters do not know what appliances are being used, and they cannot monitor personal activities inside the home. The collected data is no different than what would be collected if a meter reader visited your home. So in fact, AMR is actually a less invasive method of collecting meter readings. This advanced technology has also allowed us to close a billing gap. Prior to AMR, the billing period was a month or more behind. For example, bills due in October were actually for August’s electricity use. Using AMR means the co-op is able to read your meter monthly and bill you for the energy consumed during that 30- or 31-day billing period, with no time gap in between energy use and billing. “With this new technology, Washington Electric is now more automated than many cooperatives throughout the country — even some that are 50 times our size,” said Allen Casto, Washington Electric’s information technology specialist. “Members are now being billed for the electricity they consume in a much timelier manner. Our customer service representatives now have better information for helping members understand their energy use. We’re proud to have put in place a system that not only makes our employees’ jobs easier, but ultimately — and most importantly — benefits our members.”
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Get to know your co-op network The power behind your power Every day, Washington Electric Cooperative is hard at work to make sure all of our members have the electric power they need at the best possible price. And behind the scenes, we are working with a network of cooperatives to make that happen. Washington Electric is a member-owner of Buckeye Power, Inc., our wholesale electricity provider, along with 24 other electric distribution cooperatives serving Ohio. We helped to create this second-tier co-op so that we have more control over power supply and pricing. It takes a lot of money to run an electric co-op, so when we need to borrow capital, in addition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, we know we can also turn to the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC). CFC is a lending cooperative owned by electric co-ops throughout the country. As you know, every month we generate an electric bill that we send to you either electronically or through regular mail. We use National Information Solutions Cooperative to ensure we can apply the latest technology to send timely, accurate bills to you. No business can operate without several different types of insurance, such as general liability, auto, and worker’s compensation. So once again, along
with other electric cooperatives across the country, we are members of Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange. This allows us to maintain reliable coverage at an affordable price. It also takes a whole lot of “stuff ” to operate an electric co-op, such as poles, wires, transformers, and many other items that you may not see. This is why we partnered with other co-ops to create the Rural Electric Supply Cooperative, which allows us to have quick access to all the materials we need at the best price. Washington Electric is also a member of Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives, a nationwide alliance of 750 local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives. Our participation gives us access to a wealth of educational materials and helps us to benchmark our performance in comparison with other co-ops so that we can learn from others as we constantly strive to serve you better. Finally, your cooperative is also part of the Cooperative Response Center, which allows us to answer your calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You see, while you are a member of one electric co-op, you are actually connected to many other co-ops. Being connected to this cooperative network ensures your needs are met in the most efficient and cooperative way possible.
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Washington Electric Cooperative 440 Highland Ridge Road, Marietta, OH 45750 740-373-2141 After-hours outage calls: 877-544-0279 www.weci.org Facebook.com/WashingtonElectricCoop
Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.
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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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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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Fun and funny
festivals Spring and summer
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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
MAY 2016
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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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