OHIO
JUNE 2019
COOPERATIVE
Living
Official publication of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative | www.hwecoop.com
Treasure in the trees Unique lodging in Knox County
ALSO INSIDE Managing the Cardinal Plant A ride on The Wilds side Cincinnati’s Lazarus lizards
power future
Electric cooperatives the
We’ve come a long way from milking cows by hand. Now, we can use their waste to generate electricity. What will they think of next? Whatever new technology is on the horizon, cooperatives will be there to power the future.
ohioec.org/purpose
OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
INSIDE FEATURES 24 RIVER CROSSING Ferries traversing the Ohio River are important bonds in the communities they connect.
30 BURR’S LAST STAND Hamilton’s nemesis tried to organize a final grab for power on an island in the middle of the Ohio River.
34 LAZARUS LIZARDS If you’ve been to Cincinnati, you’ve no doubt seen them — but just where did those little critters come from?
Cover image on most issues: With help from area Amish craftsmen and from Discovery Channel’s Treehouse Masters, Kevin Mooney (on the cover in front of “Little Red”) built The Mohicans, where adventurous travelers can sleep in a variety of elevated accommodations. See page 28 for the story. This page: The mansion on Blennerhassett Island, host to Aaron Burr in his post-Hamilton days, is expertly reconstructed for the period.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 1
UP FRONT
CARDINAL
RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE
O
wning a power plant and being responsible for the day-to-day operations of a power plant are two very different things.
Ohio’s electric cooperatives got together to form Buckeye Power in 1959, built (in partnership with American Electric Power) the Cardinal Power Plant on the banks of the Ohio River near Brilliant, Ohio, and began generating electricity there in 1968. That allowed cooperatives to hold our energy destiny in our own hands in a way we’d never been able to before. Even so, we relied on AEP to run the plant, and while we had a say in all the major decisions, responsibility for daily operations belonged to AEP. That ended a little more than a year ago, when AEP decided to scale back its role in the Ohio power generation business. All those years of observation, gathering knowledge, and acquiring experience at Cardinal were put to use as we assumed responsibility for operational control there, as well as at our other generation facilities. Not surprisingly, as a cooperative, we do things a little differently than the way a large multistate utility like AEP does them. We seek greater involvement from our employees in decision-making and are less tied to “the way we’ve always done things” (see an example of that in our story on page 4). As not-for-profit co-ops, we operate at cost and we have a financial responsibility to our members to be both reliable and cost-competitive. We have a responsibility to the local community to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. Most importantly, we have a responsibility to our employees to operate safely. Meanwhile, we’re committed to an all-of-the-above energy approach, and we continue to explore and investigate economically sustainable sources of renewable power. However, we’ve also made significant investments in people, environmental controls, and technology, to help assure that our traditional power plants continue to provide value. Today, the Cardinal Power Plant simply offers the best combination of reliability and affordability for our members — ready to meet your needs each and every day, during the most blistering heat wave or any bone-chilling polar vortex that comes our way. That’s power generation for the generations.
2 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
Pat O’Loughlin PRESIDENT & CEO OHIO'S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES
As not-forprofit co-ops, we operate at cost and we have a financial responsibility to our members to be both reliable and costcompetitive.
MORE INSIDE
June 2019 • Volume 61, No. 9
DEPARTMENTS Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 memberinteract@ohioec.org www.ohioec.org Patrick O’Loughlin President & CEO Patrick Higgins Director of Communications Jeff McCallister Managing Editor Rebecca Seum Associate Editor Anita Cook Graphic Designer Contributors: Colleen Romick Clark, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Sarah Jaquay, Catherine Murray, James Proffitt, Damaine Vonada, Kris Wetherbee, Rick Wetherbee, and Kevin Williams. OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING (USPS 134-760; ISSN 2572-049X) is published monthly by Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. It is the official commun ication link between the electric cooperatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their members. Subscription cost for members ranges from $5.52 to $6.96 per year, paid from equity accruing to the member. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. All rights reserved.
For all advertising inquiries, contact
Cheryl Solomon American MainStreet Publications 847-749-4875 | cheryl@amp.coop The fact that a product is advertised in Ohio Cooperative 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 Offi ce, Consumer Protection Section, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215. 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 changes of address to your electric cooperative. Ohio Cooperative Living staff cannot process address changes. Alliance for Audited Media Member Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
4 POWER LINES
Fulfilling our mission: A change in culture has accompanied a change in operators at the Cardinal Plant.
4
8 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE
On The Wilds side: Chip Gross gets a behind-the-scenes look at the reclaimed surface mine, now a wildlife sanctuary.
10 OHIO ICON
The Buckeye Trail: Ohio’s longest scenic hiking trail celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
8
12 IN THE GARDEN
Potted herbs: A good, portable container gives you instant access to all your kitchen favorites.
15 GOOD EATS
Pucker up: When life gives you lemons, there’s way more to do with them than just making lemonade.
12
18 CO-OP SPOTLIGHT
Future leaders: Children of Ohio electric cooperative members take home nearly $37K in scholarships.
19 LOCAL PAGES
15
News and important information from your electric cooperative.
28 CO-OP PEOPLE
Treehouse lodging: Want to feel like a kid again? Spend a luxurious night in a treehouse.
37 CALENDAR
28
What’s happening: June/July events and other things to do.
40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE
Creature comfort: Readers turn their cameras away from their pets and toward animals a bit less domesticated.
40
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 3
POWER LINES
FULFILLING
our mission
P
art of the process of removing sulfur dioxide (SO2) from emissions at the Cardinal Power Plant involves the use of limestone. The process is complicated and can be messy, and when heavy deposits build up in the scrubber, the entire generating unit must come offline. An employee at the plant suggested adding a chemical to the process that not only would allow for less limestone to be used, it would reduce those deposits in the scrubber — meaning lower maintenance time and cost. It’s just one example of the kind of employee input that’s encouraged at the plant — even more so now since Cardinal Operating Company, overseen by Buckeye Power leadership, assumed operational control there from American Electric Power just over a year ago. Buckeye Power is the wholesale power provider for all 24 Ohio electric cooperatives, as well as one co-op based in Michigan. “The partnership between AEP and Buckeye Power has been successful for many years, but the way AEP did things isn’t necessarily the way we do things,” says Pat O’Loughlin, CEO of Buckeye Power. “Cardinal was operated as part of their system, and their plants were operated in a common fashion. Today, we are focused on the best way to run this plant, and we are counting on our employees to help us find ways to eliminate waste and be more efficient.” Finding those efficiencies was one of the benefits Buckeye Power hoped for when it began operating the plant. In the last decade, Ohio’s electric cooperatives have invested more than $1.2 billion in environmental safeguards — such as the scrubbers — that make Cardinal one of the cleanest coal-burning plants in the world. Those investments resulted in increased cost to produce power between 2003 and 2013. Since then, however, those rates have remained relatively flat, and O’Loughlin says he expects that trend to continue for at least another year.
Cardinal Operating Company and its employees are working hard to hold rates down. BY JEFF McCALLISTER
4 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
“When people see those rates stay about the same for that amount of time, they may think that means there’s not much going on to affect the rates, but in fact it’s taken a lot of work by a lot of people to make it happen,” he says. In addition to generating power at Cardinal and at other plants around the state, Buckeye Power is also responsible for delivering it to the distribution substations at the local electric cooperatives.
Because the co-ops own only a small percentage of the high-voltage transmission lines that carry electricity from the plant to the individual co-ops for distribution to their consumermembers, Buckeye Power’s wholesale rates are tied to the transmission rates charged by the investor-owned utilities that own those lines. Transmission owners are now investing heavily in line upgrades, and they’re passing a portion of the costs on to Buckeye Power and its members. Transmission costs represent a smaller portion of the power costs than generation, but still have doubled in the last six years. “We’ve been able to offset the rising transmission costs with reductions in fuel costs and the other costs associated with running the plant,” O’Loughlin says. Cardinal Plant Manager Bethany Schunn and Sustainability Lead Julie Jones (opposite page) say that actively seeking input from plant employees has led to more efficient operations there.
Fuel costs, generally, are fixed; with the closure of so many coal-fired plants in recent years, the price of coal has come down, at least temporarily. Some of the environmental investments at Cardinal have also allowed the company to use coal that’s mined locally, which is both less expensive to purchase and less costly to transport. The new environmental controls have also allowed the company to turn some of the byproducts of the burning and scrubbing, which would otherwise go into a landfill, into sellable commodities, such as wallboard-quality gypsum or bottom ash that can be used to safely treat icy roads in the winter. More savings are being found all the time, especially since company officials have begun enlisting employees for help. The chemical addition in the SO2 scrubbing process is just one example of such employee input. “We actively solicit ideas from the employees — it’s just part of the culture here now,” says Julie Jones, sustainability lead at the plant. “We share a lot more information with them now, and in return, they’re taking an active role in finding places that we might be wasting money. Continued on page 6
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 5
Continued from page 5
SCRUBBERS AT WORK Cardinal Plant’s $1.2 billion emission control system
Cooling Water Vapor Plume Flue Gas Water Vapor Plume
Coal-Fired Steam Generator Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System
SO3 Mitigation System
Catalyst Layers
Electrostatic Precipitator
Low-NOx Burners
Ammonia Gas Injection
Pulverized Coal
80% of SO3 Removed
Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) SO3 Mitigation Absorber System Induced Draft Fan
Air Heater
Ammonia Production System
This illustration is conceptual. Relationships — in size and volume — may not be accurately portrayed.
“It just makes sense because they’re on the front lines and see these things every day. They can help change it.” Employee suggestions have led to other changes as well. Coal is handled more efficiently from the time it’s unloaded from barges until it’s loaded into the boiler. Employee input brought about the replacement of a conveyor belt that was constantly spilling coal, which was costly to clean up. That upgrade to a larger-size belt could save as much as $500,000 every year. Another suggestion led to operational changes that may allow the plant to generate less power overnight, when power is needed less and therefore, is less valuable. “We are committed to our mission to deliver competitively priced, reliable power for the benefit of our 25 distribution cooperative members and their communities,” O’Loughlin says. “That, in turn, helps the local communities thrive in this challenging energy environment.”
Upper right, Brad Loy, Rob Webber, and Brian Richardson are part of the coal yard maintenance team at the Cardinal Plant and assisted with changing out a conveyor belt that was causing a series of costly spills. Right, Jeff Gremelspacher, chemist and plant environmental process owner, suggested adding a chemical that improved the sulfur-scrubbing process, saving time and money.
6 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
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JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 7
WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE
Wilds
BEHIND THE SCENES AT
The
STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS
O
ne of the three largest wildlife conservation facilities in North America — The Wilds — is located in the Buckeye State, just south of Cambridge. Now encompassing nearly 10,000 acres, The Wilds was incorporated in 1984 to reclaim surfacemined land, with a mission “to lead and inspire by connecting people and wildlife.”
More than two dozen wild species from around the world — most either endangered or threatened — live there to be studied in natural habitats. Critters vary in size from the diminutive American burying beetle, about an inch and a half long, to the southern white rhinoceros, which can grow to as much as 5,100 pounds. A typical tour of The Wilds involves climbing aboard a canopied, open-air bus and viewing the herds of wildlife from a distance as a tour guide slowly drives the miles of gravel roads throughout the complex. But if you’re a bit more adventurous, consider taking the two-and-a-half-hour Wildside Tour. You’ll pile into the open bed of a four-wheel-drive pickup truck — yes, there are padded bench seats — and go off-roading right into the heart of the herds. “No matter which tour you choose, no two are ever alike,” says Brock Gorrell, director of park operations. “The animals change their behaviors from season to
season. We consider the Wildside Tour our premium tour. Your guide will be a member of our animalmanagement staff, and each of those employees has a special connection to and knowledge of the animals.” Gorrell added that highlights of a Wildside Tour may include the chance to hand-feed a giraffe or other wildlife, and each tour makes a visit to the Carnivore Center for close-up views of cheetahs, dholes (Asian wild dogs), and a family of African painted dogs. Limited to just eight people, the Wildside Tour is more pricey than the standard tour ($125 per person as opposed to $30), but well worth the extra money. Heck, it’s as close as most of us will ever get to experiencing the thrill of a safari. A Wildside Tour is also the ultimate exotic wildlife photography opportunity. So whether you take pictures with a cellphone, point-and-shoot, or digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) with interchangeable lenses, don’t forget your camera. The Wilds (www.thewilds.org) is an extension of the Columbus Zoo and a member of Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative. W.H. “Chip” Gross (whchipgross@gmail.com) is a member of Consolidated Cooperative and is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor.
Among the endangered animals residing at The Wilds are (from left) red-crowned cranes, scimitar-horned oryxes, and cheetahs.
8 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
The Wildside Tour may include feeding giraffes (top); the southern white rhinos are one of the more imposing animals at The Wilds (middle); a family of Sichuan takins takes a rest (bottom).
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 9
OHIO ICON
The Buckeye Trail STORY AND PHOTO BY DAMAINE VONADA
Location: Around the state of Ohio in places that encompass forests and fields; riverbanks and lakeshores; public lands and private property; old canal towpaths and new bike paths; and cities, towns, and villages.
Provenance: In a 1958 Columbus Dispatch article, Merrill Gilfillan of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources proposed a public hiking path from Cincinnati to Lake Erie. Gilfillan and other supporters of his idea formed the Buckeye Trail Association (BTA) to develop Ohio’s first long-distance hiking trail, and on Sept. 19, 1959, the Buckeye Trail’s initial 20-mile section was dedicated in Hocking County. BTA founding members who participated in the dedication hike included Gallia County’s Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, who, at age 67, was the first woman to walk the entire Appalachian Trail on her own. The Buckeye Trail’s original termini were Cincinnati’s Eden Park and Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor, and blue streaks — called blazes — were painted on trees and posts to mark its route. Following the blue blazes became so popular that in 1967, state legislators designated the Buckeye Trail as Ohio’s official trail, and it evolved into a circular route that now loops through 49 of the state’s 88 counties. Still managed by the nonprofit BTA, the Buckeye Trail is maintained by volunteers and financed through donations. “BTA takes no state or federal money,” says Executive Director Andrew Bashaw. “It’s a point of pride that we’re self-funded by people who worked to build and preserve a trail they want to hike.”
Significance: Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the Buckeye Trail covers 1,452.7 miles and is Ohio’s longest scenic hiking trail. It also ranks among the nation’s largest and most diverse hiking trails and is believed to be the only trail encircling an entire state. of the American Discovery Trail and North Country National Scenic Trail, the Buckeye Trail is considered the backbone of Ohio’s ever-expanding network of trails. With more than 1,200 members, BTA partners with entities ranging from ODNR to “Trail Town” destinations to help protect and promote the Buckeye Trail, and this fall, it will open a new 15-mile-long trail section in Adams County’s Edge of Appalachia nature preserve.
It’s a little-known fact that: The color of the Buckeye Trail’s blue blazes is called “Sweeping Blue,” and Grandma Gatewood herself purchased the first can of “Sweeping Blue” paint and donated it to the BTA. The Buckeye Trail and Buckeye Trail Association, P.O. Box 5, Shawnee, OH 43782. For additional information, call 740-394-2008 or visit www.buckeyetrail.org.
10 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
PHOTO BY ANDREW BASHAW,
Currently: Overlapping numerous local trails as well as portions
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JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 11
IN THE GARDEN
Growing HERBS in pots BY KRIS WETHERBEE; PHOTOS BY RICK WETHERBEE
T
he late spring and summer season are great times to fill your outdoor living space with the lively colors, textures, and fragrances of herbs grown in containers. Potted herbs bring instant visual attraction to your outdoors, and their portability allows you to position plants where they grow and look their best. Just about any herb can be grown in a container, as long as the pot is sized right for the plant. Most culinary herbs are prime picks, especially familiar favorites like chives, parsley, mint, oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, and basil. Tropical and tender herbs like lemon grass, scented geraniums, sweet bay, and lemon verbena can be grown in pots and brought in to overwinter in a sheltered area or even indoors.
Pot pointers Whether you choose a small glazed pot, large stone urn, or even a vintage washbasin or retired wheelbarrow to plant your herbs, keep these two things in mind: • Make sure that the pot or container is deep enough to accommodate growing roots. Bigger pots result in bigger plants. • Your pot or container should have holes in the bottom for adequate drainage — poke or drill additional holes if you need more.
Soil and planting Garden soil is simply too heavy for use in containers and lacks the porosity needed to grow healthy potted herbs. Instead, use a lightweight potting mix that is friable and drains well. Look for a potting mix that includes pumice or perlite, or you can add either ingredient to help loosen and aerate the final mix. When planting your pots, fill the container two-thirds full with potting mix, then plant herbs so that the top of the plant’s root ball sits about 1 to 2 inches below the container’s rim. Fill in with additional potting soil as needed, press plants firmly in place, then water thoroughly.
Water and maintenance Water needs vary according to the plant’s need for moisture, its location, time of year, and the pot’s size and type. Let the potting soil dry slightly between waterings for drought-tolerant and Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme; keep the mix slightly moist at all times for basil, chives, and other herbs with moderate to average moisture needs. Always water thoroughly until you see water flowing freely from the pot’s bottom drainage holes. Feed plants during the growing season every three to four weeks with an organic liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion, kelp, or compost tea, or apply a slow-release organic fertilizer two or three times a year. Removing faded flowers will encourage more blooms. Pinch back leggy stems for bushier, fuller, and more productive plants. Remember, you can always enjoy the trimming and flowering stems of any culinary herbs in the kitchen.
12 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
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GOOD EATS
When life gives you lemons, there’s way more to do with them than just making lemonade. RECIPES AND PHOTOS BY CATHERINE MURRAY
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 15
ZESTY LEMON HUMMUS (page 15) Prep: 10 minutes | Servings: 8 2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas/ garbanzo beans 1 lemon 2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil water, optional salt and pepper to taste lemon-infused olive oil, optional
Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Set liquid aside and rinse chickpeas. Wash lemon under water. With a knife, carefully remove the outer peel, keeping as close to the yellow rind as possible (the white pith can taste bitter.) Set peel aside and juice the lemon. Discard the pulp and remains. Place lemon juice, lemon rind, chickpeas, garlic, and olive oil in food processor. Grind, adding small amounts of chickpea liquid a little at a time until mixture begins to loosen. Run food processor for 3 to 5 minutes, alternating fresh water and chickpea liquid until preferred texture is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with lemon-infused olive oil, if desired. Per serving: 381 calories, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat), 61 grams total carbs, 17 grams fiber, 19 grams protein
CHICKEN PICCATA Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Servings: 4 4 chicken breasts (approximately 1 pound) 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup flour 1 cup chicken broth 1 lemon, zest and juice 1/2 cup white wine 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons capers, drained 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 lemon, sliced thin 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Pound the chicken breasts to about 1 inch thick. Cut breasts in half if needed to fit in the skillet. Combine 1/2 cup flour, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture, shaking off excess. In a wide skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Set aside, covered. In the same pan, melt butter and add 2 tablespoons flour to create a roux. Whisk until smooth, cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, lemon juice, white wine, and capers. Simmer 3 minutes to thicken. Add chicken and simmer 3 more minutes to reheat chicken and infuse flavor. Top with parsley and lemon slices. Serve over pasta or with favorite vegetables. Per serving: 351 calories, 16 grams fat (5 grams saturated fat), 17 grams total carbs, 1 gram fiber, 28 grams protein
LEMON BEEF AND BROCCOLI Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 pound boneless beef grilling steak, cut into strips 1 lemon, zest and juice 6 cups broccoli, cut in pieces 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup chopped red pepper 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons grated ginger 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes 2 cups cooked rice In a bowl, whisk a little milk into cornstarch to make a paste. Whisk in remaining milk, lemon zest, soy sauce, honey, and hot pepper flakes. Set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add beef and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until browned. Pour milk mixture over top. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, until beef is tender and sauce has thickened. Add broccoli, red pepper, and ginger to skillet. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes until broccoli has reached desired tenderness. Add lemon juice and serve over rice. Per serving: 769 calories, 19 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat), 99 grams total carbs, 6 grams fiber, 48 grams protein
16 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
LEMONADE CAKE Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Servings: 12 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 large egg whites softened 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons thawed lemonade 1/2 teaspoon baking soda concentrate 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 11/4 cups low-fat buttermilk FROSTING: 8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 2 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate 4 tablespoons grated lemon rind (about 2 lemons’ worth) 31/2 cups powdered sugar candied lemon slices, optional With a mixer, beat first 5 ingredients until well blended. Add eggs and egg whites; beat well. Combine flour, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to egg/sugar mixture. Beat well after each addition. Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into two 9-inch round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting. For frosting, place cream cheese, grated lemon rind, and lemonade concentrate in a large bowl. Beat on high until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat on low until just blended. Place one cake layer on intended serving tray; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. If frosting is too runny, refrigerate for an hour and try again. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting on top, letting icing run down the sides, if desired. Decorate with candied lemon slices, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Per serving: 415 calories, 11 grams fat (7 grams saturated fat), 73 grams total carbs, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams protein JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 17
Children of Members
scholarship winners O
hio’s electric cooperatives are committed to investing in the youth in their communities. This spring, each cooperative held a scholarship contest for the children of members, to award promising high school seniors funds toward furthering their education. Each co-op’s winner then came to Columbus to compete for additional awards from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, the co-ops’ statewide services organization. A panel of independent judges reviewed the applications and interviewed the finalists to determine the winners.
First place: Aleah Schrock, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative Planned college course of study: History
Valedictorian of her class, Aleah holds leadership roles in National Honor Society, marching band, and her church, among others. In a letter of recommendation, her math teacher said, “Aleah is one of those rare students that makes it such a blessing to have the job that I do. I love seeing what she is capable of and knowing that she wants to be pushed as a learner.”
Aleah Schrock
Second place: Rachel Partington, Midwest Electric Planned college course of study: Bioengineering or biomedical engineering
In addition to being involved in her church and her community, Rachel is a scholar, an athlete, and a musician. Her math teacher said, “Rachel is one of the best in the graduating class of 2019. She has a bright future at any college she chooses to attend.”
Third place: Carson McCarthy, North Central Electric Cooperative Planned college course of study: Computer science and engineering
Carson has been class president, 4-H president, and committee chair of National Honor Society. His high school principal said of him, “Carson is a distinguished student and is committed to academic excellence.”
Rachel Partington
Other children of members who earned statewide scholarships: Josephina Fornara, The Frontier Power Company; Evan Frankfather, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative; Benjamin Schafer, Firelands Electric Cooperative; Caroline Liggett, The Energy Cooperative; Kathryn Meier, Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative; Hunter Humphreys, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative; Christian Nartker, Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative; Lily Arledge, Union Rural Electric Cooperative; Emma Blankenship, Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative; Jerilyn Garrett, Adams Rural Electric Cooperative; Rachel Gordon, South Central Power Company; Madelyn Harrison, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative; Harry Harman, Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative; Kloey Murphey, Darke Rural Electric Cooperative; Erin Spangenberg, Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative; Caroline Stollar, Washington Electric Cooperative; Payton Taylor, Carroll Electric Cooperative; Grant Tiefenthaler, Pioneer Electric Cooperative; Rachel Webb, North Western Electric Cooperative; and Madeline Weisburn, Consolidated Cooperative.
Carson McCarthy
18 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
HOLMES-WAYNE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE 2018 ANNUAL REPORT
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2019 ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS Thursday, June 27 West Holmes High School 10901 State Route 39, Millersburg, Ohio
Activities of the evening:
All Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative members are invited to attend the meeting and dinner.
1. Meeting called to order
Health and Information Fair – 5 p.m. Dinner – 5:45 p.m. Business Meeting – 6:30 p.m. In early June, all HWEC members will receive in the mail a trustee election ballot and an RSVP form for the annual meeting dinner. The voting ballot and RSVP form can be returned in the provided postage-paid envelope or online at www.hwecoop.com. Each membership (household or business) in attendance at the conclusion of this annual meeting will receive a $10 credit to be applied toward their August electric bill. We also will host a food drive at the annual meeting. Please feel free to bring a nonperishable item.
BUSINESS MEETING 2. Invocation 3. Minutes approved as in annual report 4. Chairman’s report 5. Financial report for 2018 6. Operation Round Up Foundation financial report for 2018 7. President’s report 8. Guest speaker 9. Scholarship winners presentation 10. Results of trustee election and swearing in of trustees 11. Unfinished business 12. New business 13. Adjournment
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 19
TRUSTEE ELECTIONS
2019
BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTION
District 8
District 9
Canaan, Green, Milton, and Wayne townships in Wayne County
East Union, Franklin, Salt Creek, and Wooster townships in Wayne County
District 2
Killbuck, Knox, and Richland townships in Holmes County; Monroe, New Castle, and Tiverton townships in Coshocton County; and Jefferson and Union townships in Knox County
Candidate information is presented as provided by each candidate. The HWEC Code of Regulations requires a nominating committee consisting of one member from each of the nine districts to select a minimum of one and maximum of three candidates for the election process.
20 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
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TRUSTEE ELECTIONS
DISTRICT 2 Name: Matthew Rohr
Name: William Grassbaugh
Home address: 3741 Township Road 55, Killbuck, OH 44637
Incumbent Home address: 3433 County Road 75, Glenmont, OH 44628
Email address: rohrfarms@ gmail.com
Email address: wpg1395@ centurylink.net
Number of years as HWEC member: 26
Number of years as HWEC member: 45
Education: 1980 West Holmes High School graduate Current employment or employment history: Owner and operator of Rohr Construction for 35 years. Owner and operator of Triple R Farms for 25 years.
Matthew Rohr
Leadership and community activities: I have donated time and labor to a number of community projects including the WHHS soccer field press box, Deer Run baseball field press box, and Jr. Fair Board offices at the new Holmes County Fairgrounds. Member of the United Methodist Church in Millersburg. Why are you interested in becoming a member of the HWEC Board of Trustees or serving another term? I am interested in contributing to the continued success of Holmes-Wayne Electric Co-op. HWEC is an important organization, and I would like to use my knowledge of this community, business, and agriculture to help serve its members. Any additional information you feel is essential for members to be aware of: I have lived and worked in and served this community my entire life. I am familiar with the geography of this area, its resources, and its people. Spouse, children, and/or grandchildren: Wife: Amy; children: Nicholas, Carolyn, and Hannah.
William Grassbaugh
Education: Killbuck High School graduate. Tool and die training at General Motors.
Current employment or employment history: Eight years employed by General Motors; 45 years self-employed dairy and grain farmer. Currently retired from crop production but continue to work on the farm making repairs and installing and constructing many conservation improvements. Leadership and community activities: I serve on the church council and cemetery committee at St. Peter and Paul Church in Glenmont. Why are you interested in becoming a member of the HWEC Board of Trustees or serving another term? I am proud to be a part of one of the best cooperatives in Ohio and would like to continue to see it grow and benefit our community. Any additional information you feel is essential for members to be aware of: I have attended many training classes and earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director Certificate and Board Leadership Certificate. Spouse, children, and/or grandchildren: Wife: Carol; children: Lisa and Kevin; grandchildren: Trent, Tyler, Taryn, and John.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO CODE OF REGULATIONS This year’s ballot will include the following proposed amendment to the Code of Regulations of the cooperative, adding new Article III – Section 14 to the Code of Regulations: SECTION 14 Trustee or Former Trustee as Employee. No person shall be hired as an employee of the Cooperative who has been a Trustee of the Cooperative within three (3) years of date of hire or whose close relative has been a Trustee of the Cooperative within three (3) years of the date of hire. Close relative means the relationship of spouse,
father, mother, brother, sister, son and daughter (or the spouse of any of the foregoing) existing by reason of blood (step children and in-laws) or adoption. Your Board of Trustees favors the above amendment to the Code of Regulations and encourages you to vote in favor of the proposed amendment.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20A
TRUSTEE ELECTIONS
DISTRICT 8 Name: Emily McDermott
Why are you interested in becoming a member of the HWEC Board of Trustees or serving another term? I wish to be more involved in my local community. I have admired the work/writings I have observed/read from HWEC.
Home address: 1526 Sterling Road, Creston, OH 44217 Email address: emcdermott28@ gmail.com
Any additional information you feel is essential for members to be aware of: Strong faith with family and community as top priorities. Driven to meet/exceed challenge. Try to maintain a sense of humor while working intently.
Number of years as HWEC member: 9 Education and specific degree: The University of Toledo – Bachelor of Business Administration – finance and marketing.
Emily McDermott
Current employment or employment history: June 2010–present: Westfield Insurance; personal lines market underwriter II. May 2009–June 2010: Target; executive team leader. November 2018–present: Flex Yoga Wooster: children’s yoga instructor. Why are you interested in becoming a member of the HWEC Board of Trustees or serving another term? I would like to become a member of the HWEC board to help to promote the co-op and carry out the mission and the seven cooperative principles of the co-op. I would also like to be more involved in my community, and HWEC has a daily impact on all its member-owners. I would also like to broaden my knowledge on a variety of topics through networking with others in my community. Spouse and children: Spouse: Mark; children: Derek and Mallory. Name: Chris Clark Home address: 3375 Aspen Drive, Wooster, OH 44691 Email address: chris.clark@ bentleymills.com Number of years as HWEC member: 13 Education and specific degree: Bachelor’s degree in pre-law Chris Clark (business administration). Ongoing sales and marketing training. Working as a business partner for a new online sales organization. Current employment or employment history: Textile industry: account executive, Bentley Mills – 11 years. Sales representative, Mohawk Industries – nine years. Leadership and community activities: Top 4 performer with Bentley Mills in 2017, ’18, and ’19 – $4.5 million annually. Increased volume/revenue by over 25% in 2018. Continuous education in relationship development and consulting volunteer work in Wayne County.
20B OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
Spouse, children, and/or grandchildren: Married to Kelly for eight years, two children — Gianna and Hayes (5-yearold twins). Name: Barry Jolliff
Incumbent Home address: 760 E. Hutton Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691 Email address: bjolliff@sssnet. com; bjolliff@hwecoop.com Number of years as HWEC member: 23 Education and specific degree: Master’s degree, agricultural Barry Jolliff education, The Ohio State University, 1985; bachelor’s degree in early and middle childhood education, The Ohio State University, 1982; Northwestern High School, West Salem, Ohio. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Credentialed Cooperative Director Program, 2014, NRECA Board Leadership Program, 2015. Current employment or employment history: I have owned Teamwork and Teamplay, LLC, since 1999, where I teach team building and leadership seminars, social recreation, and dance workshops, and I call square dances. I’ve taught agriculture and education classes at The Ohio State University/Agricultural Technical Institute for the last 10 years. Prior to that, I worked for the OSU Extension in Wayne and Lake counties in 4-H and youth development for 16 years, and I taught in Medina City Schools for three years. I have been a board member of Holmes-Wayne Electric since 2007, serving as secretary/ treasurer since 2012. I’ve represented Holmes-Wayne on the board of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives since 2012. Leadership and community activities: I have been on the board of directors for Buckeye Leadership Workshop for over 30 years. This board hosts and presents a Leadership Workshop each spring to teach leadership skills through recreation. I have been a 4-H advisor for over 20 years in Wayne County. I play piano and work with youth at the Church of the Cross in Wooster.
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TRUSTEE ELECTIONS Why are you interested in becoming a member of the HWEC Board of Trustees or serving another term? Over the past 11 years, I have worked diligently to become an educated and informed board member of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative. The HWEC board has elected me as their representative to serve on the Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives Board of Directors and also elected me as their secretary and treasurer. I enjoy working with the board, the co-op staff, and members. I have lived in Wayne County almost all my life, and I appreciate having the opportunity to serve my family, friends, and neighbors as part of the HWEC Board of Trustees.
Why are you interested in becoming a member of the HWEC Board of Trustees or serving another term? To give back to the community by using my knowledge and experiences to help provide direction to this not-forprofit that serves thousands of members.
Spouse, children, and/or grandchildren: My wife of thirty years is Dr. Amy Jolliff. She is a family practice physician in Wooster. She is also the Wayne County coroner. We have three children, and our family is growing. Christy is married to Jonathan Tolbert, and they blessed us with our first grandchild on Thanksgiving Day. Christy teaches for Wooster City Schools. Jonathan works as a counselor at the Village Network. Jesse is a student at OSU, studying business. Becky has a BS degree from OSU and is currently working on a second degree in Eugene, Oregon for physical therapy. Two wire-haired dachshunds complete the family.
Education: 1968 graduate of Triway High School
DISTRICT 9 Name: Galen Miller
Home address: 8205 James Road, Wooster, OH 44691 Email address: millergg77@hotmail.com Number of years as HWEC member: 14 Education and specific degree: College of Wooster – Bachelor of Arts, business economics Current employment or employment history: Community Development Group Ltd., owner/president, real estate investment company, 2010–present; Galen Miller Welcome Home Realty, Realtor, 2008–present; Stahl, Arbortech product manager, chip body manufacturer, 2008–2010; Rayco Manufacturing, national sales, stump cutter and brush shipper manufacturer, 2000–2008.
Name: David Mann
Incumbent Home address: 9743 Munson Road, Shreve, OH 44676 Email address: munsonknobfarm@gmail.com Number of years as HWEC member: 49
Current employment or employment history: Retired from City of Wooster Maintenance Department with 27 years’ service; currently farm the family farm, raising beef cattle, corn, hay, and soybeans. Leadership and community activities: Lifelong resident of David Mann Franklin Township and served six years in the Ohio Air Force National Guard. I have been a Franklin Township Trustee for 27 years and served on the Wayne County Planning Commission from 2000 to 2015; I was chairman from 2007 to 2012. I am a charter member and vice president of the Moreland Community Historical Society; chairman of the Moreland Cemetery Association; board chairman of the South-Central Fire District; and a member and administrative council chairman of the Moreland United Methodist Church. Why are you interested in becoming a member of the HWEC Board of Trustees or serving another term? I have served on the HWEC Board of Trustees for 18 years and have successfully completed the Credentialed Cooperative Director Program, the Board Leadership Program, and the Director Gold Program, so I am confident I have the experience and knowledge to work with the board and management to keep HWEC one of the best cooperatives in the state. Spouse, children, and/or grandchildren: Married to Karen for 49 years; have five children, 14 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Leadership and community activities: Partner at NewPointe Community Church. Member of core team that started the Wooster campus.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20C
ANNUAL REPORT
2018
ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES
The annual meeting of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held at the West Holmes High School on Thursday, June 28, 2018. The business meeting was called to order by Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, David Mann. It was moved and seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried. It was moved and seconded to approve the minutes of the June 29, 2017, annual meeting as presented. Motion carried. Randy Sprang, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, reported on behalf of the Board of Trustees: • The board recently approved a $23 million work plan. The vital initiatives of this four-year work plan include: enhancement of system reliability, providing service load availability for future growth, and investing in cost-saving technology benefiting all members. • In addition to investing wisely for the future of our members, your board is also dedicated to investing in the safety of our membership, staff, and community. In 2017, two sets of portable traffic lights were purchased for field personnel to utilize when working along busy roads. This not only helps protect HWEC personnel but also those driving in the area. • The board and cooperative staff live and work in the community and are actively involved in supporting your community, volunteering time and resources. This year we are proud to coordinate the third annual Holmes-Wayne Community Honor Trip. The funds are raised for this event through employee donations, potluck safety meals, board donations, and community donations. Earlier this year, HWEC was awarded the Cooperative Purpose Award for coordination of this trip. This national award recognizes cooperatives for meaningful contributions to the community and for exemplifying the purpose of cooperatives. • Your board is committed to legislative communication with lawmakers about the facts of our industry and the impact of legislation on you, the members of the cooperative. • The board of trustees and leadership at Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative contribute to the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE), which supports congressional candidates of both parties who share public policy goals that are consistent with the mission of member-owned electric cooperatives. Half of the contributions to ACRE are returned to statewide associations for use in state elections to express our concerns regarding proposed energy and environmental policies and the devastating impact this would have on our members.
20D OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
JUNE 28, 2018
• Our members have the opportunity to let their congressmen know they are concerned about maintaining affordable electricity and they are committed to promoting policies that will secure the future of our electric cooperative and our community by joining the (COPA) Co-op Owners for Political Action program. • Randy Sprang personally thanked the 369 Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative members who have already taken the step to join COPA. • Retirement of capital credits was $1,160,611.87 in 2018. This is a reminder of the principles on which the cooperative was built. • In 2018, $15,000 was awarded to 10 high school students through our annual scholarship program. • Members were invited to participate in the annual tour of the Cardinal Power Plant in Brilliant, Ohio. • Holmes-Wayne scored an 88 in the American Consumer Satisfaction Survey. Scoring was excellent or good in all 18 categories and exceeded the national average in all 18 categories. The average score for cooperatives our size across the state is 80, investor-owned utilities’ average is 75, and municipal-owned utilities’ average is 73. • As a board, we are always committed to continuous improvement. Through innovativeness, passion, and hard work, we will continue to safely provide reliable, competitively priced electricity to our member-owners to enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve. We were established in this mission and we will continue to thrive based on this simple but powerful philosophy. Chris Roush of REA & Associates reviewed the Auditor’s Report for 2017, which resulted in a clean, unqualified opinion. Daniel Mathie, attorney for Critchfield, Critchfield, and Johnston, LTD, and president of Holmes-Wayne Electric Foundation, gave an Operation Round Up status update. Members of the cooperative who were enrolled in Operation Round Up donated over $52,000 in 2017 to local community members and organizations, and over $590,000 since the beginning of the program 12 years ago. Glenn Miller, CEO of the cooperative, reported on the accomplishments during the past year and future plans: • Tie line construction between HWEC’s 18 substations is complete; there are now 203 miles of tie lines throughout the system. This has improved overall reliability and has proved to be a good investment. Last year, members had power 99.93% of the time. • HWEC has begun a new four-year work plan totaling $23.1 million in investment. This work plan features 126 miles of line
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rebuilding. Transformer capacity increases will be completed at the Trail, Killbuck, and Stillwell substations. • In 2004, we began a strategic tree-trimming program. This year we will trim another 406 miles in Mohicanville, Clear Creek, West Salem, North Wayne, and Golden Corners. In 2019, these same areas will be sprayed to minimize growth until the next trimming cycle. • In 2015, we added an ash tree removal program to be proactive in taking down trees that have been affected by the emerald ash borer in areas that are not in the current year tree-trimming program cycle. This helped to reduce outages that may have been caused by the affected trees. • 207 new services were added in 2017 for a total of 18,549 services at year’s end. Your cooperative has a very good mix of commercial and residential members. Revenues are approximately 55% residential and 45% commercial. This growth and load mix enables us to keep our rates low. • Last month, we introduced our new website. We are very excited about this new website; it is very user friendly. • Members continue to utilize SmartHub, our mobile option that allows you to submit meter readings, report outages, and pay bills through our website and all mobile devices. Members can now schedule payments while traveling and utilize the automatic payment process to avoid scheduling a payment every month. • Your cooperative continues to prosper in the area of community service. HWEC nominated a local food pantry for the national “Who Powers You” award. We are pleased to announce that The Lord’s Pantry, located in West Salem, placed second in the country and received $2,000 for their worthy cause. • Our staff remains active in the community by participating in answering phones for the Share-a-Christmas program, Touch-aTruck Day in Wayne County, Reality Days in local schools, and parades and concession stands at local ballgames. • Our staff is committed to helping others in need beyond just our service territory. Four HWEC linemen traveled to Georgia and four to New Hampshire to help with power restoration caused by hurricane damage. Class A lineman Josh Johnson traveled to Guatemala along with 16 other linemen from co-ops across the state to participate in “Project Ohio.” They worked tirelessly on their 17-day journey to provide electricity to a village for the very first time. The village consisted of 142 homes and 816 residents.
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• Glenn Miller stated, “You the members are key to the success of the co-op. We appreciate your valuable feedback to not only improve services but information on outages and vegetation management to reduce outages. It is our continued goal to provide you with clean, safe, reliable electricity with member service excellence.” Guest speaker Kurt Helfrich, general counsel and assistant secretary for Ohio's Electric Cooperatives and Buckeye Power, Inc., provided a recap of the accomplishments of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives in 2017: • Contributed $60,000 to economic development agencies in and around their service territories to assist with site certification for business development. • Returned $32 million in capital credits to members. • Contributed $1.7 million to neighbors in need though electric round-up programs. • Assisted in relief efforts after hurricanes Harvey and Irma: 72 operations employees from 19 Ohio co-ops assisted with restoring power in Georgia after Hurricane Irma; six weeks later, another 50 employees from 11 co-ops were deployed to New Hampshire after a devastating storm. • Throughout Ohio, co-ops supported their communities by coordinating Honor Trips for veterans, tackling service projects for members in need, and supporting first responders. • Opened a state-of-the-art indoor training center for the Central Ohio Lineworker Training program. This center allows our linemen to train hands-on, year-round. • After a successful 50-year partnership with American Electric Power, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives has taken over operational duties of the Cardinal Power Plant. Cardinal has become one of the cleanest coal-fired plants in the world. Mr. Helfrich assured members that under the leadership of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, co-op members can expect a safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible supply of electricity well into the future. Robyn Tate, HR/PR representative, presented the cooperative’s scholarship awards. Daniel Mathie, attorney from Critchfield, Critchfield, and Johnston, LTD, reported the results of the election:
• We continue to be active in promoting energy efficiency and safety by visiting local schools, appearing at safety fairs, and talking with youth in 4-H, Scout troops, and various other groups.
• Randy Sprang – District 1; Jackie McKee – District 3; David Tegtmeier – District 7
• In 2017, the cooperative paid $1,422,000 in kWh tax to the state of Ohio, and $1,121,000 in property taxes that benefit 12 local school districts and local governments.
There was no unfinished business.
• Holmes-Wayne has one of the lowest electric service rates in the state out of 25 cooperatives.
Upon motion made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned.
Attorney Daniel Mathie administered the oath to all trustees elected. There was no new business.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20E
OPERATION ROUND UP
2018
OPERATION ROUND UP SUMMARY
HWEC members give a piece of their heart all year In January 2006, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative (HWEC) introduced a community service program called Operation Round Up (ORU). This program allows HWEC members to round up their monthly electric bill to the next even dollar. The spare change is placed into a foundation to be distributed to those in need within our community. HWEC members have given over $650,000 back to the community since ORU’s inception. This is an amazing testament to our members’ generosity for our community. It’s an honor to assist our community and improve our neighborhoods.
Applicants for assistance must live within the local community, and applications are reviewed by a fivemember board. We give a special thanks to the following board members for volunteering their time: President Dan Mathie, Vice President Jonathan Berger, Secretary Lisa Grassbaugh, Matt Johnson, and HWEC CEO Glenn Miller. As your local electric provider, we want to thank you for allowing us to administer such a worthy program. The following is a summary of the 2018 distribution. If you would like to learn more about the program or how to participate, please call the office toll-free at 866-674-1055.
The Operation Round Up Board, pictured from left to right: (front) Glenn Miller, Lisa Grassbaugh, (back) Jonathan Berger, Dan Mathie, and Matt Johnson.
20F OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
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Assist family with beds for children — Millersburg Adaptive Sports Program, sled hockey — Wooster Assist special needs individual with bed — Wooster Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry — Wayne County Assist with residential needs — Creston Assist individual with heating and transportation for medical appointments — Wooster National Alliance for Mental Illness — Wayne and Holmes counties Apple Creek United Methodist Food Pantry Assist family with beds for children — Wooster The YMCA of Wooster Summer Camp Special Olympics, Field of Dreams — Wooster Kean Elementary, community picnic tables — Wooster Assist a family with transportation for medical appointments — Killbuck Assist family with beds for children — Wooster Assist family with beds for children — Wooster Holmes Fire District #1 — medical equipment Assist individual with bed — Wooster Hope for This Step, suicide and overdose awareness and prevention Assist a family with transportation for medical appointments — Brinkhaven Assist individual with medical needs — Millersburg Assist family with beds for children — Big Prairie Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry — Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties Assist family with bed and school supplies for grandchild — Millersburg Holmes County Home and Senior Center, processing of donated fair animals Camp Ohio 4-H Camp, camp improvements Assist family with beds for children — Millersburg Helping Hands Food Pantry — Loudonville Assist family with heating and transportation for medical appointments — Millersburg Wayne County Food Pantries and Agencies, processing of donated fair animals Adaptive Sports Program, wheelchair basketball — Wooster Assist family with medical needs with home repairs — Sugarcreek Assist a family with transportation for medical appointments — West Salem Assist disabled family with home repairs — Millersburg Assist veteran with heating — Wooster Ashland/Wayne Young Ag Professionals, holiday toy drive Assist family with bed for grandchild — Wooster Shop With a Teacher — Millersburg Assist with residential needs — Wooster Assist a family with transportation for medical appointments — Creston Assist special needs individual with bed — Wooster Assist a family with transportation for medical appointments — Millersburg Share-A-Christmas — Holmes County West Salem Outreach and Food Pantry Light House Love Center — Holmes County Salvation Army — Wayne County Salvation Army — Holmes County Town and Country Fire and Rescue — West Salem Toy Drive
PURPOSE $1,020.00 $1,000.00 $255.00 $1,000.00 $890.00 $540.75 $500.00 $1,000.00 $280.00 $1,500.00 $250.00 $1,430.00 $250.00 $267.50 $267.50 $2,500.00 $280.00 $500.00 $250.00 $374.11 $535.00 $1,250.00 $805.00 $2,500.00 $200.00 $510.00 $1,000.00 $736.65 $2,640.63 $1,000.00 $991.52 $500.00 $1,772.80 $2,205.00 $250.00 $280.00 $100.00 $600.00 $250.00 $280.00 $2,796.28 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20G
Christian Children’s Home — Wooster Meals and More — West Salem Meals on Wheels — Holmes County Senior Center OneEighty, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health services — Holmes County OneEighty, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health services — Wayne County American Red Cross — Wayne County Hospice — Holmes and Wayne counties Viola Startzman Health Clinic — Wooster Church of God, food pantry — Millersburg Meals Together, Wooster Methodist Church — Wooster Glenmont Food Pantry Shreve United Methodist Church, food pantry Mohican Area Community Fund Goodwill Industries of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Inc. 58:12 Rescue, domestic violence safe home — Holmes County The Lord’s Pantry — West Salem New Leaf Center, clinic for special needs children — Mount Eaton Apple Creek United Methodist Church Food Pantry Apple Creek United Methodist Church, community Christmas outreach Nick Amster Workshop — Wayne County TOTAL
Operation Round Up Annual Distribution 2018 — $ 5 9,807.74 2017 — $ 52,659.98 2016 — $ 5 6,137.27 2015 — $ 49,449.70 2014 — $ 4 8,216.56 2013 — $ 63,099.06 2012 — $ 5 1,343.99 2011 — $ 63,289.93 2010 — $ 59,670.87 2009 — $ 38,794.38 2008 — $ 3 8,279.61 2007 — $ 37,596.26 2006 — $ 3 1,986.93
20H OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
$1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $250.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $500.00 $500.00 $1,000.00 $59,807.74
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ANNUAL REPORT
2018
AUDITOR’S REPORT
February 20, 2019 Board of Trustees • Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. • Millersburg, Ohio 44654
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT Report on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. which comprise the balance sheets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the related statements of revenue, patronage capital and cash flows for the years then ended and the related notes to the financial statements.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used
and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Other Matter During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Cooperative received $0 in long-term loan fund advances from CFC on loans controlled by the CFC Loan Agreement and/or Mortgage or Security Agreement.
Other Reporting Required by Government Auditing Standards In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued our report dated February 20, 2019 on our consideration of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting and on our tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements and other matters. The purpose of that report is to solely describe the scope of our testing of internal control over financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the effectiveness of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting or on compliance. That report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting and compliance.
Millersburg, OH
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20I
2018
BALANCE SHEETS
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2018 AND 2017
ASSETS
2018
2017
UTILITY PLANT: Electric plant in service Construction work in progress
$85,153,131 595,300 85,748,431
$81,468,491 280,696 81,749,187
20,609,870
19,065,191
Less: provision for accumulated depreciation
Net utility plant
65,138,561
62,683,996
619,942 2,247,441 19,444,701
774,927 2,234,820 17,774,844
22,312,084
20,784,591
OTHER ASSETS AND INVESTMENTS:
Retirement security plan prepayment Investments in associated organizations Patronage capital from associated organizations
Total other assets and investments
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable, net of allowance Materials and supplies Other current assets
Total current assets
Total assets
EQUITIES AND LIABILITIES
1,004,032 4,663,895 872,793 137,686
654,427 5,102,197 767,838 136,823
6,678,406
6,661,285
$ 94,129,051
$90,129,872
2018
2017
EQUITY:
Patronage capital Other equities Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Total equity
$38,638,584 1,893,058 (143,700)
$35,786,947 1,777,822 (148,700)
40,387,942
37,416,069
46,332,380 32,332 556,582
45,400,446 44,954 525,100
46,921,294
45,970,500
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Mortgage notes payable Deferred credits Postretirement benefit obligation
Total long-term liabilities
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Current maturities of mortgage notes payable Line of credit Accounts payable Postretirement benefit obligation, current portion Accrued taxes Customers’ deposits Other current liabilities
Total current liabilities
Total equities and liabilities
1,554,000 0 3,240,467 17,400 1,346,727 173,265 487,956
1,522,000 700,000 2,562,770 13,200 1,314,828 188,250 442,255
6,819,815
6,743,303
$ 94,129,051
$90,129,872
(The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.)
20J OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
POWER WITH
A
2018
PURPOSE
STATEMENTS OF REVENUE
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018 AND 2017 2018 OPERATING REVENUES: $ 43,261,269
2017 $41,158,266
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Cost of purchased power Operations Maintenance Consumer accounts Customer service and informational expense Administrative and general Depreciation Tax expense Interest - other Other deductions
26,981,029 3,420,141 2,404,294 1,006,096 95,678 1,793,839 2,589,666 1,503,071 5,497 1,849
25,911,701 3,451,808 2,175,859 972,596 72,390 1,712,928 2,490,430 1,421,856 5,950 5,437
39,801,160
38,220,955
3,460,109
2,937,311
FIXED CHARGES, interest on long-term debt
1,681,387
1,694,720
1,778,722
1,242,591
2,242,152 81,086 2,323,238
1,763,009 78,381 1,841,390
4,101,960
3,083,981
Total cost of electric service
Operating margins before fixed charges
Operating margins after fixed charges
PATRONAGE CAPITAL CREDITS: Generation and transmission credits Other credits
Net operating margins
NON-OPERATING MARGINS: Interest income Other expense (Loss) gain on disposition of property
Net margins
2018
54,843 471 (18,296) 37,018
44,841 (289) 4,325 48,877
$ 4,138,978
$ 3,132,858
PATRONAGE CAPITAL
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018 AND 2017
2018
PATRONAGE CAPITAL, beginning of year
2017
$ 35,786,947
$ 33,941,996
Net margins
4,138,978
3,132,858
Retirement of capital credits
(1,287,341)
(1,287,907)
$ 38,638,584
$ 35,786,947
PATRONAGE CAPITAL, end of year
(The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.)
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20K
ANNUAL REPORT
2018
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018 AND 2017 2018
2017
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net margins Adjustments to reconcile net margins to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation Amortization of retirement security plan prepayment Non-cash capital credits received (Increase) decrease in assets: Accounts receivable, net Other current assets Increase (decrease) in liabilities: Accounts payable Accrued taxes Customers’ deposits Other current liabilities Deferred credits Postretirement benefit obligation
Total adjustments
Net cash provided by operating activities
$ 4,138,978
$ 3,132,858
2,589,666 154,985 (2,337,646)
2,490,430 154,985 (1,836,959)
438,302 (863)
(593,276) 28,582
677,697 31,899 (14,985) 45,701 (12,622) 35,682
(289,118) 56,741 (16,130) 2,651 41,747 (36,808)
1,607,816 5,746,794
2,845 3,135,703
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Construction and acquisition of utility plant Increase in materials and supplies Investments in associated organizations Proceeds from redemption of capital credits Return of investment in associated organizations
Net cash used in investing activities
(5,044,231) (104,955) (13,189) 667,789 568
(4,013,589) (5,270) (4,030) 489,872 534
(4,494,018)
(3,532,483)
(700,000) 2,500,000 (1,536,066) (1,287,341) 71,021 44,215 5,000
700,000 1,900,000 (1,527,056) (1,287,907) 25,774 49,471 125,700
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net (payments) borrowings on line of credit Proceeds from mortgage notes payable Principal payments on mortgage notes payable Patronage capital credits retired Retired capital credits unclaimed Donated capital received Actuarial gain on postretirement benefits
Net cash used by financing activities
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year
(903,171)
(140,798)
654,427 $1,004,032
(The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.)
20L OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
(14,018)
349,605
1,065,225 $
654,427
POWER WITH
A
PURPOSE
ANNUAL REPORT
2018
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE A: ORGANIZATION
Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. (the Cooperative) is a non-profit corporation operating on a cooperative basis. Its primary purpose is to provide electric power and energy to its membership, which includes individuals as well as commercial and industrial businesses.
NOTE B: SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES General The Cooperative’s accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles of the United States of America following the accounting procedures common to rural electrical cooperatives and as recommended by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
Uninsured Risk The Cooperative maintains its cash and cash equivalents balances in multiple financial institutions located in central Ohio. Deposits in interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing accounts are collectively insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to a coverage limit of $250,000 at each FDIC-insured depository institution. As a result, the Cooperative may have balances that exceed the insured limit. Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles general accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Electric Plant, Equipment, and Depreciation The Cooperative records improvements and additions to the distribution plant at cost using continuing property records. Retirements are removed from the asset and accumulated depreciation accounts at a standard cost, which approximates original cost, which is updated periodically. The general plant and equipment is recorded at cost based on the unit method. Any retirements or disposals of general plant and equipment are removed at cost from the asset and accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided for by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the property. The provisions are determined by the use of functional composite rates as follows:
Distribution plant General plant: Structure and improvements Office furniture and equipment Computer equipment Transportation equipment Power operating equipment
3.2%
Communications equipment 10.0% Other general plant 10.0% Investments Investments in associated organizations are recorded at cost, which is the same as par value. The investments have no ready market and are included in the financial statements as longterm assets. These investments, for the most part, represent equity contributions in other cooperatives and patronage capital received from other cooperatives.
Accounts Receivable and Revenues Revenue from the sale of electricity is recorded monthly based on consumer electricity consumption. The Cooperative bills monthly for all consumers. A few commercial consumers have “Demand” meters and are billed based upon meter readings made by Cooperative personnel. All other consumers are billed based upon self-read meter readings. Substantially all of the cooperative’s consumers are located in Holmes and Wayne counties. The allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2018 and 2017 was $30,000. Bad debt expense for 2018 and 2017 was $23,094 and $6,931, respectively.
Materials and Supplies Inventory of materials and supplies not allocated to construction in progress is valued at average cost.
Patronage Capital Net margins arising from operations are allocated to the members in the form of capital credits based on each member’s billings during the year. No portion of the current allocation is paid in cash.
Income Taxes The Cooperative is a Rural Electric Cooperative exempt from federal income taxes under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(12). Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes has been made. An informational tax return, Form 990, is prepared and filed each year with the Internal Revenue Service.
The Cooperative presently discloses or recognizes income tax positions based on management’s estimate of whether it is reasonably possible or probable, respectively, that a liability has been incurred for unrecognized income tax benefits. Interest and penalties would be recorded as operating expenses when they are incurred.
Statements of Cash Flows For purposes of the statements of cash flows, the Cooperative considers all highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Net cash flows from operating activities include cash payments for interest of $1,682,779 and $1,696,243 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. There were no payments for federal income taxes for 2018 or 2017.
2.0–5.0% 10.0% 25.0% 14.0% 12.0%
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20M
ANNUAL REPORT NOTE C: UTILITY PLANT Listed below are the major classes of the electric plant as of December 31: Intangible plant Distribution plant General plant Electric plant in service Construction work in progress Total utility plant at cost
2018 $ 248,131 75,491,832 9,413,168 85,153,131 595,300 $85,748,431
2017 248,131 72,423,354 8,797,006 81,468,491 280,696 $ 81,749,187
$
NOTE D: INVESTMENTS IN ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS Investments in associated organizations consisted of the following on December 31: Investments in associated organizations: Capital term certificates of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (NRUCFC) NRUCFC member capital securities Equity contribution with Buckeye Power, Inc. NRUCFC membership Cooperative Response Center membership Rural Electric Supply Cooperative, Inc. membership Heartland Emergency Equipment, Ltd. CoBank common stock Total investments in associated organizations Patronage capital from associated organizations: Rural Electric Supply Cooperative, Inc. Buckeye Power, Inc. NRUCFC National Information Solutions Cooperative Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange Cooperative Response Center membership Total patronage capital from associated organizations Total investments in associated organizations NOTE E: PATRONAGE CAPITAL At December 31, 2018 and 2017, patronage capital consisted of: 2018 2017 Assignable $ 4,138,978 $ 3,132,858 Assigned 60,141,230 57,008,372 64,280,208 60,141,230 Retired (25,641,624) (24,354,283) Total patronage capital $38,638,584 $35,786,947
The Cooperative’s patronage capital balances represent 41.0 percent and 39.7 percent of the total assets at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Capital credit retirements in the amount of $1,287,341 and $1,287,907 were paid in 2018 and 201, respectively. The Cooperative received donated capital from members totaling $44,215 and $49,471 during 2018 and 2017, respectively, which is included in the patronage capital retired for the year.
20N OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
2018
$
629,117 200,000 1,209,981 1,000 12,500
2017
$ 629,685 200,000 1,209,981 1,000 12,500
50 167,665 27,128 2,247,441
50 154,476 27,128 2,234,820
403,256 18,593,684 172,329 110,153 149,956 15,323
384,006 16,980,954 154,901 100,965 139,765 14,253
19,444,701 $ 21,692,142
17,774,844 $ 20,009,664
Patronage capital at December 31, 2018 and 2017 includes $20,776,147 and $19,480,963, respectively, reinvested in Buckeye Power, Inc., which has been restricted by action of the Board of Trustees and members of the Cooperative. This patronage capital reinvested in Buckeye Power, Inc., has been separately identified on the books of the Cooperative and will not be available for retirement by the Cooperative until retired in cash by Buckeye Power, Inc.
NOTE F: OTHER EQUITIES At December 31, 2018 and 2017, other equities consisted of: 2018 2017 Donated capital $1,180,825 $1,136,610 Retired capital credits unclaimed 712,233 641,212 Total other equities $1,893,058 $1,777,822
POWER WITH
A
PURPOSE
ANNUAL REPORT NOTE G: BENEFIT PLANS All employees of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc., participate in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Retirement & Security Program, a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan qualified under Section 410 and tax exempt under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Cooperative makes annual contributions to the Program equal to the amounts accrued for pension expense except for the period when a moratorium on contributions is in effect. In this Plan, which is available to all member cooperatives of NRECA, the accumulated benefits and plan assets are not determined or allocated separately by individual employer. The pension expense for 2018 and 2017 was $614,295 and $581,252, respectively. All employees of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc., are
Loan Fixed Interest Rate RUS advance payments unapplied CFC 3.000% CFC 6.250% CFC 6.300% CFC 5.150% CFC 4.100% - 4.850% CFC 3.550% - 4.950% FFB 4.503% FFB 4.120% FFB 2.736% FFB 4.269% FFB 4.295% FFB 3.879% FFB 2.009% FFB 2.231% FFB 2.795% FFB 4.550% FFB 4.353% FFB 4.543% FFB 3.889% FFB 3.849% FFB 4.419% FFB 3.873% FFB 2.763% FFB 2.702% FFB 2.330% FFB 2.421% FFB 2.777% FFB 2.256% FFB 2.331% FFB 2.813% FFB 1.965% FFB 2.384% FFB 2.308% FFB 2.791% FFB 2.936% FFB 2.941%
eligible to participate in the selected pension plan and trust defined contribution benefit plan administered by NRECA. The Cooperative contributes 1 percent of all eligible participants’ base salary and wages and matches up to an additional 4 percent of a participant’s voluntary contributions. The Cooperative expensed $135,458 and $126,788 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. NOTE H: LONG-TERM DEBT Long-term debt is comprised substantially of mortgage notes payable to the United States of America (RUS & FFB) and supplemental mortgages to NRUCFC. Following is a summary of outstanding long-term debt as of December 31, 2018 and 2017: Maturity Date $ 7/28/2018 3/14/2026 7/28/2029 4/29/2019 9/23/2026 11/25/2039 12/31/2031 12/31/2031 12/31/2031 12/31/2031 12/31/2031 12/31/2031 1/2/2035 1/2/2035 1/2/2035 1/2/2035 12/31/2034 12/31/2034 12/31/2042 12/31/2042 12/31/2042 1/2/2046 1/2/2046 1/2/2046 1/2/2046 1/2/2046 1/2/2046 1/2/2046 12/31/2048 12/31/2048 12/31/2048 12/31/2048 12/31/2048 12/31/2048 12/31/2048 12/31/2052
Total mortgage notes Less: current portion of mortgage notes
Long-term mortgage notes payable
2018 ( 95) 0 273,174 229,771 0 639,956 5,903,759 607,837 1,144,329 558,531 306,523 615,250 594,629 634,989 621,911 638,454 696,511 697,728 1,690,777 5,072,550 2,533,490 1,800,469 1,797,340 1,230,181 1,140,789 1,479,380 1,090,047 2,085,122 874,871 942,177 1,893,543 1,779,593 2,258,807 1,721,786 1,842,466 989,735 1,500,000 47,886,380 1,554,000
$46,332,380
2017 (90) 19,766 303,393 244,778 18,310 710,666 6,121,102 641,690 1,209,890 593,932 323,892 650,047 629,306 668,389 653,993 669,787 725,685 727,484 1,761,642 5,199,357 2,597,176 1,842,272 1,834,831 1,260,654 1,169,311 1,518,508 1,118,485 2,136,663 898,269 963,766 1,933,531 1,822,940 2,310,107 1,761,392 1,881,522 0 0
$
46,922,446 1,522,000 $45,400,446
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 20O
ANNUAL REPORT
The annual maturities of long-term debt for the next five years are as follows:
and $2,323,324 at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Cooperative purchases material from the Rural Electric Supply Cooperative, Inc., of which it is an owner and member. Total purchases were $1,637,477 and $1,326,099 for the years 2019 $ 1,554,000 ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 2020 1,629,000 The Cooperative has an agreement with National Information 2021 1,689,000 Solutions Cooperative (NISC), St. Louis, Missouri, to 2022 1,759,000 participate in data processing services offered by NISC. This 2023 1,821,000 contract will continue until terminated by written notice given Thereafter 39,434,380 by either party. The total expense under this agreement was $ 47,886,380 $162,241 and $147,558 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively The Cooperative has available $14,500,000 in loan funds The Cooperative borrows funds from National Rural Utilities from FFB that have not been advanced to the Cooperative as Cooperative Finance Corporation, of which it is a member and of December 31, 2018. owner (see also Note H). NOTE I: SHORT-TERM DEBT The Cooperative has an investment in Heartland Emergency The short-term line of credit of $5,000,000 maximum is Equipment, Ltd., a limited liability company (LLC). The LLC’s available to the Cooperative on loan commitments from members consist of 12 rural electric cooperatives. The purpose NRUCFC at December 31, 2018. The interest rate on the line of the LLC is for the cooperatives to pool resources for the of credit at December 31, 2018 and 2017 was 3.75 percent provision and use of emergency substation equipment. The and 2.75 percent, respectively, with outstanding balances on investment balance is disclosed in Note D. the line of $0 and $700,000, respectively. Substantially all of The Cooperative has an investment in Cooperative Response the assets of the Cooperative are pledged for the mortgage Center (CRC). CRC provides after-hours emergency notes payable and the line of credit. Principal and interest telephone services for the Cooperative. Total fees for services installments on the above notes are due either quarterly or were $51,830 and $53,990 for the years ended December 31, monthly. The Cooperative also has a corporate charge card 2018 and 2017, respectively. agreement in place with US Bank and NRUCFC. The terms of the agreement state that CFC will extend the Cooperative credit, if needed, at CFC’s current line of credit rate, payable upon demand by CFC.
NOTE J: DEFERRED CREDITS Deferred credits are summarized as follows: 2018 2017 Consumer energy prepayments $ 2,036 $ 2,997 Construction deposits 30,296 41,957 $32,332 $44,954 NOTE K: COMMITMENTS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS The Cooperative purchases all of its power from Buckeye Power, Inc., a non-profit corporation operating on a cooperative basis whose membership includes HolmesWayne Electric Cooperative, Inc., Rates for service members of Buckeye Power, Inc. are in accordance with the provisions of the Wholesale Power Agreement. The Cooperative had accounts payable due to Buckeye Power, Inc., of $2,209,397
20P OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
The Cooperative maintains insurance coverage through Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, of which it is a member and owner. Total premiums paid were $105,482 and $106,489 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
NOTE L: ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE GAIN (LOSS) The following table sets forth the accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at December 31:
2018 Accumulated other comprehensive loss, beginning of year Actuarial gain on postretirement benefits Accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss), end of year
$ (148,700)
2017 $ (274,400)
5,000
125,700
$ (143,700)
$ (148,700)
POWER WITH
A
NOTE M: EMPLOYEE POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS The Cooperative sponsors an unfunded defined benefit postretirement medical insurance plan, which covers substantially all employees retiring from the Cooperative. Such a plan requires the recording of the net periodic postretirement benefit cost as employees render services necessary to earn such benefits, and requires the accrual of the postretirement benefit obligation (including any unfunded portion of the plan).
PURPOSE
RUS is not requiring the Cooperative to fund the plan. The Cooperative is paying benefits to retirees on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. Therefore, there are no assets available for benefits.
The following table sets forth the plan’s accrued postretirement benefit obligation (“APBO”) at December 31: 2018
APBO, beginning of year Service cost Interest cost Amortization Additional expenses Less: actual cash payments and actuarial adjustment APBO, end of year Less: current portion APBO, long-term portion
Benefits expected to be paid, representing expected future service, are as follows:
2019 $ 17,400 2020 12,200 2021 20,100 2022 31,400 2023–2027 352,700 The annual health care cost trend rates, which have a significant effect on the amounts reported, are assumed as follows:
NOTE N: RETIREMENT SECURITY PLAN PREPAYMENT At the December 2012 meeting of the I&FS Committee of the NRECA Board of Directors, the Committee approved an option to allow participating cooperatives in the Retirement Security (RS) Plan (a defined benefit multi-employer pension plan) to make a prepayment and reduce future required contributions. The prepayment amount is a cooperative’s share, as of January 1, 2013, of future contributions required to fund the RS Plan’s unfunded value of benefits earned to date using Plan actuarial valuation assumptions. The prepayment amount will typically equal approximately 2.5 times a cooperative’s annual RS Plan required contribution as of January 1, 2013. After making the prepayment, for most cooperatives the billing rate is reduced by approximately 25 percent, retroactive to January 1, 2013. The 25 percent differential in billing rates is expected to continue for approximately 15 years. However, changes in interest rates, asset returns and other plan experience different from that expected, plan assumption changes, and other factors may have an impact on the differential in billing rates and the 15-year period.
On February 28, 2013, the Cooperative made a prepayment of $1,549,855 to the NRECA RS Plan. The cooperative is amortizing this amount over 10 years. The Cooperative obtained a loan through NRUCFC to finance the RS Plan prepayment. Interest expense associated with the prepayment loan was accounted for in accordance with the RUS USOA.
NOTE O: SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Management has evaluated subsequent events through February 20, 2019, the date on which the financial statements were issued.
2017
$538,300 31,000 22,300 (6,300) 2,706
$575,108 28,800 21,800 (5,000) 2,515
(14,024) 573,982 (17,400) $556,582
(84,923) 538,300 (13,200) $525,100
Medical/ Drugs 2018 7.50% 2019 7.50% 2020 7.00% 2021 6.50% 2022 6.25% 2023 6.00% 2024 5.75% 2025 5.50% 2026 5.25% 2027 and later 5.00% The weighted-average discount rate used in determining the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation was 4.25 percent. NOTE P: RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09 entitled “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” which may change the Company’s method of revenue recognition. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of the new standard by one year. This new standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, while allowing nonpublic companies an additional year to implement this new standard. Early implementation is permitted, but not before the original implementation date for periods beginning before December 15, 2016. The provisions of this standard will be applied retrospectively. Management has not yet determined whether this new standard will have a material effect on its financial statements.
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 201602 entitled “Leases (Topic 842),” which will change the Company’s statement of financial position by adding lease-related assets and liabilities. This may affect compliance with any contractual agreements and loan covenants. This new standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, while allowing nonpublic companies an additional year to implement this new standard. Early implementation is permitted, but not before the original implementation date for periods beginning before February 25, 2016. Management has not yet determined whether this new standard will have a material effect on its financial statements.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 21
ANNUAL REPORT
2018
AUDITOR’S REPORT
February 20, 2019 Board of Trustees • Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc. • Millersburg, Ohio 44654 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING AND ON COMPLIANCE AND OTHER MATTERS BASED ON AN AUDIT OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERFORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS We have audited, in accordance with the auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, the financial statements of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc., as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s basic financial statements, and have issued our report thereon dated February 20, 2019.
Internal Control Over Financial Reporting In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements, we considered Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting (internal control) to determine the audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s internal control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of HolmesWayne Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s internal control. A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the entity’s financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those charged with governance.
22 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph of this section and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. Given these limitations, during our audit we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material weaknesses. However, material weaknesses may exist that have not been identified.
Compliance and Other Matters As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s financial statements are free from material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements, noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the determination of financial statement amounts. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those provisions was not an objective of our audit, and accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.
Purpose of This Report The purpose of this report is solely to describe the scope of our testing of internal control and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control or on compliance. This report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering the entity’s internal control and compliance. Accordingly, this communication is not suitable for any other purpose.
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River crossing
Ferries traversing the Ohio River are important bonds in the communities they connect. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMES PROFFITT
B
efore there were bridges across the mighty, sometimes swift and muddy Ohio River, there were dozens of ferries that carried people, cargo, and the vehicles of the day from Ohio to Kentucky and West Virginia. Today, there are nearly 50 bridges, but only three ferries remain. Each of those that still ply their trade is cherished. The Anderson Ferry, operating a dozen miles west of Cincinnati, is the busiest. Its three vessels and their crew deliver hundreds of passengers every day but Christmas.
24 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
While the nearby Northern Kentucky International Airport and area businesses rely on the ferry, lots of folks take it just for fun. “We get plenty of people who just enjoy the ride,” says owner Paul Anderson, who may or may not be related to the George Anderson who founded the ferry in 1870. The ferries feature towboats, all named for Daniel Boone, that are attached to flat barges on a large pole, swinging around to reverse direction at each riverbank. The original Anderson Ferry had a rope that captains used to
Opposite, the City of Sistersville II patiently awaits early May — the beginning of her season. Left, a pipe and a calm river make this Anderson Ferry captain happy. Below, deckhand Jerry Mofferd chats it up with a passenger aboard the Jenny Ann.
hand-propelled. Today, the Augusta Ferry’s modern version still performs the same task between Augusta, Kentucky, and Higginsport, Ohio. For walk-on passengers, the trip is free. Audrey Clos and Sheryl Cruse, who live nearby, recently enjoyed lunch with their grandchildren and decided to see the sights in the quaint river town. “It was such a pretty day that after we had pizza, we decided we’d take a little walk down by the river. When we came around the corner, we saw the ferry coming in. So I said, ‘C’mon, kids!’” Cruse says. “The price is a great deal, too,” she adds, laughing. Captain Devin Claypool says the Jenny Ann runs all year long, river and weather permitting. Sometimes, though, they just don’t permit. “I got stuck one year in about 2 or 3 inches of ice. Got halfway across and couldn’t go anymore, so I wriggled around a little bit, got turned around, and headed right back the way I came,” he says. The Augusta Ferry is truly full-service, according to deckhand Jerry Mofferd. “We might get stuck sitting Continued on page 26
propel themselves across the river. That soon evolved into a two-horsepower paddle wheel configuration — literally, that is: Two horses walked on a treadmill to power the paddle wheel. More recently, one of Anderson’s towboats underwent a one-of-a-kind outfitting. “It’s the only ferry I know of with a Mack truck engine,” Anderson says. About 60 river miles upstream is another historic ferry, in operation since 1797, when it, too, was
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 25
Continued from page 25
on the other side for a few hours,” he says, “but if we see a car back here, we’ll come get ’em. “I’ve been doing this a long time,” he continues. “There’s people who — I know who they are and I know their entire family history, and to me, they’re just like family.” After taking Taylor Royalty’s five bucks, Mofferd chats it up with the Ohio resident, who drives to visit her boyfriend across the river regularly. When asked if Mofferd is bothering her, she laughs. “No, absolutely not,” she says. “He’s my favorite one on the ferry. I enjoy talking every time.” About 350 river miles upstream, in the middle of what future president George Washington in 1770 called “The Long Reach” — the straightest 20-mile section in the 981-mile river — another historic ferry has in recent years struggled to remain. The Sistersville Ferry, linking Sistersville, West Virginia, and Fly, Ohio, is a beloved one. Barb Gage, president of the ferry’s board, says times have been tough for the little ferry the last decade or so. It’s owned by the city of Sistersville and is required to be self-supporting.
“What really hurt us is when the price of diesel went way up,” she says, going on to describe a newly required maritime insurance policy as extremely expensive. “We just can’t afford to run seven days.” “We only run Thursday through Sunday and May through October,” explains Janet Witten Conn, another board member. “If we extended its operation, we wouldn’t be able to run in the black. It’s been here for better than 200 years, so we don’t want that to go away.” For the small sum of $1 anytime, folks can ride the ferry back and forth across the river as many times as they wish, so long as they don’t disembark. Gage says captains and deckhands aboard the Sistersville II, like those on the Jenny Ann, have never met a stranger. “That’s what happens — they get to know everybody and become like family. So much that we just had a request for our retired captain to return for a day, just so he can captain for a high school graduation party on the ferry for a customer’s son, who’s always loved the ferry.” Each July, the two water-linked communities celebrate their connection with a fundraising event that spans the river. The Ferry Festival has helped keep the Sistersville II afloat, hosting more than 1,200 passengers during the festival. Nowadays it’s just plain too easy to cross by bridge. Instead, try grabbing a map (or a cellphone) and find the ferries. Get right down on the water, and enjoy the modern version of the old ride. Maybe you’ll make a friend on the deck. JAMES PROFFITT is a freelance writer from Marblehead.
Left, the Augusta Ferry’s Jenny Ann heads for Ohio, where drivers pull right off and go about their day. Above, Audrey Clos and Sheryl Cruse enjoy the view from the deck.
26 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
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Ohio Cooperative Living magazine is looking for photos from Ohio and West Virginia electric cooperative members to use in its 2020 cooperative calendar. We’re interested in seasonal scenes from each month of the year — images that really “pop” and convey a sense of time and place. Photo subjects must be interesting and the shot well planned and framed. If their images are chosen for publication, amateur co-op photographers could earn $100 or more.
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• One photo entry per member. • High-resolution, color, digital images only. • No prints, slides, or proof sheets — no snail mail! Send submissions by email attachment only to photo@ohioec.org. • Photo format must be horizontal and capable of filling an 8 x 11-inch image area. • Include an explanation of the photo — the where, what, when — as well as who took the shot. • Include your name, address, phone number, and the name of your co-op. • Shots featuring people who can be identified within the photo must be accompanied by a signed publication release.
Deadline for submission: Aug. 16 • photo@ohioec.org
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 27
CO-OP PEOPLE
TREEHOUSE
LODGING Want to feel like a kid again? Spend a night in a treehouse — only this time with a lot more luxury. STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS
T
he Mohicans, located near Glenmont in the remote, rugged, wooded hills of extreme northeastern Knox County, offers no Kevin and Laura Mooney less than six treehouses available for a night’s stay. Ranging from rustic to romantic, even their various names invite a visit: Moonlight, Old Pine, White Oak, Little Red, Tin Shed, and a very unique and cozy one-room honeymoon suite: The Nest. A family business begun in 2012, The Mohicans is owned and operated by Kevin and Laura Mooney. “I got the idea of building treehouses for adults from a couple of my friends,” Kevin Mooney says. “At first, I thought they were crazy, but it’s worked out better than our wildest dreams. At the time, no one within hundreds of miles was offering that type of vacation lodging. I also have to credit the Amish builders and carpenters in our area who helped us. We literally couldn’t have done it without them.” Mooney contacted Pete Nelson — star of the Discovery Channel’s hit TV series Treehouse Masters — to design both his White Oak and Little Red treehouses. “Little Red was even featured on the show,” Mooney says. Each of the treehouses has electricity and a modern restroom with a sink and a flush toilet. The showers, however, are outdoors on the surrounding deck. Don’t worry — they’re enclosed, except for overhead. But hey, the birds and squirrels won’t laugh if they see you naked. Two new treehouses are coming online during 2019. The Castle is a two-story octagon. The View will be made mostly of glass, giving visitors a 180-degee panorama of the surrounding woodlands from bed. Never short on ideas, the Mooneys have future plans of putting a full-sized Airstream travel trailer up in a tree. “It will have a customized interior and sleep four,” Kevin says. If you prefer that your overnight stay be on solid ground, four cabins are also available that each sleep from 8 to 10 guests. Like the treehouses, the cabins are Amish-built, but these are named for the Mohican, Walhonding, and Kokosing rivers and Killbuck Creek. Looking for a wedding venue? The Grand Barn Event Center hosts nearly 100 weddings per year, accommodating up to 200 guests. Bridal parties come from all over the country, not just Ohio and surrounding states. “Last year, we had five couples from California married here,” Mooney says. “One of the brides was from San Diego, and I asked her if she had ties to Ohio. She said, ‘No, I just saw a picture of the Grand Barn online, then clicked on the pictures of your treehouses. That’s when I turned off my computer and picked up the phone. I knew I wanted to be married at The Mohicans.’” The Mohicans is a member of The Energy Cooperative. W.H. “Chip” Gross is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor. A year ago, he and his wife, Jan, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary at The Mohicans in The Nest treehouse.
28 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
The Tin Shed treehouse features a spiral staircase and swinging bridge (left and top); The Nest is a romantic getaway (middle and bottom).
JUNE 2019 2019 • OHIO • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 29 LIVING 29
TheIsland WHERE IT HAPPENED
Visitors can see the site of Aaron Burr’s weird, desperate endgame in the middle of the Ohio River. BY SARAH JAQUAY PHOTOS COURTESY OF GREATER PARKERSBURG CVB AND THE STONEWALL GROUP
T
hanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit musical, Hamilton, most Americans know how and where Alexander Hamilton’s story ended: in a duel with Aaron Burr in Weehawken, New Jersey, in July 1804 — Burr killed Hamilton and became persona non grata among the Eastern political elite. Fewer Americans know what became of Burr after that infamous duel. Ohioans and West Virginians, however, are among the fortunate who can take a day trip to
30 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park (BISP) and explore the place where Burr made his last attempt to become king of something. The park is in a gorgeous sylvan setting in the middle of the Ohio River between Marietta and Parkersburg, part of the West Virginia state park system. Along with a fascinating bit of history, it offers plenty of natural beauty and fun activities for the whole family.
Visitors are transported back in time the minute they step onto the Island Belle, a steam-powered sternwheeler that departs Parkersburg from May through October. Visitors may hike, bike, take wagon rides, and picnic on the island. Docents in periodappropriate clothing take visitors through the accurately rebuilt mansion, decorated according to its time in history, and tell the tale of the island’s part in a strange bit of U.S. history.
Burr and Blennerhassett A few years before the infamous duel, in 1797, an AngloIrish aristocrat named Harman Blennerhassett and his wife, Margaret, bought part of the island. They carved space out of the wilderness to build an imposing Palladian-style mansion and furnished it with the finest goods from England and Ireland: paintings, sculptures, Oriental rugs, alabaster lamps, and marble clocks. The estate included a 2-acre flower garden and was considered the most beautiful home in the country west of the Alleghenies. The island “Eden” drew the attention of travelers plying the Ohio River, and the Blennerhassetts were known to be gracious hosts. Among their visitors was the former vice president, Burr.
Visitors get to the island aboard the Island Belle, a steam-powered sternwheeler that departs Parkersburg from May through October.
Burr visited Harman and Margaret for the first time in 1805, a year after the duel. Having lost his political influence and in search of funds, he’d undoubtedly heard about the Blennerhassetts’ opulent lifestyle. After three visits, the couple had been charmed by the witty and persuasive Burr, and by 1806, Burr was using the island, and the couple’s funds, to stockpile weapons and supplies — and militiamen. Historians are divided on the exact intent of Burr’s scheme, but many think it was a plan to invade the Spanish-owned territory that’s now Texas and create a new, independent nation there. When then-President Thomas Jefferson got wind of the military exercises, he dubbed it a treasonous plot to separate the American West from the Union and had Burr and Harman Blennerhassett arrested. Blennerhassett was released only after Burr was ultimately acquitted of treason in 1807. Both men’s reputations and finances were irreparably damaged by the scandal, and both finished their lives in obscurity. Sadly, Virginia militiamen occupied and plundered the Blennerhassett Mansion shortly after the arrests, and irate locals burned it to the ground in 1811.
Reenactors (above) perform at the annual “Mansion by Candlelight” event, shown from outside the mansion (below).
Today, there are numerous special events at the Blennerhassett Island State Park throughout the summer and fall, but the pinnacle may be “Mansion by Candlelight,” when visitors can experience one of the Blennerhassetts’ legendary parties at the carefully reconstructed mansion. During the annual event (Oct. 11 and 12), visitors time-travel to the year 1805. On this evening, Harman and Margaret greet guests at the entrance, and music and dancing fills the mansion, while elsewhere on the island, the Servants’ Party features a bonfire, cloggers, ghost stories, and fortune-tellers. For more information, visit https://wvstateparks.com/ park/blennerhassett-island-historical-state-park.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 31
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JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 33
LAZARUS LIZARDS I
Why, exactly, are there so many of the little reptiles in Cincinnati? Because of one boy.
n 1951, a young boy was vacationing with his family near Milan, Italy. The boy, George Rau, was a scion of the well-known Lazarus family, which, for generations, ran one of the largest department store chains in Ohio. Rau became enchanted with the docile lizards that sunned themselves on the rocky walls around Milan, and so he tucked 10 of them into a sock and brought them back to Cincinnati, where he released them in his family’s Torrence Court backyard. Lazarus department stores are no more — absorbed by the Macy’s chain in 2005 — but the lizards, who apparently found Cincinnati’s climate and topography to their liking, have spread far and wide. Their connection to Ohio’s famed retailer has earned those common European wall lizards the moniker “Lazarus lizards,” and the area surrounding Torrence Court is now known locally as “Lizard Hill.” Today, the descendants from those 10 — perhaps as few as only three actually procreated — are everywhere in greater Cincinnati; chances are, they’ll be arriving at a rock ledge near you soon. Take a walk on a warm, sunny spring day in Ault Park or Fairview Park in Cincinnati, and you’ll see the lizards basking on the many rock ledges or foraging for food. In some areas, the density of lizards can reach over 1,000 on half a city block, or up to 1,500 an acre, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “Their range expansion has been quite far and at high densities,” says Ken Petren, dean of the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati and an expert on invasive species, who has created a database of the Lazarus lizards’ spread throughout southwestern Ohio. Reports have documented the lizards’ spread up through rural western Butler County to Oxford (the red bricks and stone walls of Miami University are an ideal habitat), the Kings Island area, Middletown, and even as far as Dublin, Ohio. Ohio’s other native lizards have been having a tough time of it with urban and suburban expansion gobbling up habitat, but the Lazarus lizards do just fine in the city (and everywhere else).
34 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
BY KEVIN WILLIAMS
“The native lizards are at much lower densities and perhaps are even in decline; people don’t see them as often as they have in the past,” Petren says. “The wall lizards, though, have really adapted.” For the most part, the Lazarus lizards occupy areas that don’t compete with Ohio’s native ones, according to Ryan Dumas, head keeper of the Cincinnati Zoo’s reptile team. “They typically only occupy areas that haven’t historically been occupied by other lizards,” Dumas says. “In a few areas, five-lined skinks have been outcompeted, but those areas seem to be few.” The lizards have spread their geographic range in several ways. The rocky beds of railroad tracks prove to be natural corridors for their expansion, so you see them spreading out from Cincinnati along railroad tracks so that coverage maps look like spokes from a wheel. Lizards have been known to hitchhike on floating logs in the Ohio River, which further spreads their population downstream. They also hitch rides in loads of mulch that are then scattered around town and, Petren says, some people have admitted to moving the lizards themselves (which is illegal). Anywhere there are southern-facing limestone rock walls, with nearby flat areas for foraging, is prime habitat for the lizards. While the lizards forage, they also have proven to be tasty snacks for other Ohio critters. “Birds eat them, especially jays, crows, kestrels, and shrike,” Petren says. Ohio’s wildlife department has generally welcomed the non-natives, so much so that the lizards are now considered permanent residents. One thing is certain: The Lazarus lizards all originated from that one boy’s sock. “We have genetic analysis,” Petren says. “We know they are all from the same source.” Equal measures of patience and luck are sometimes required to get an up-close look at one of the swift creatures.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 35
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Clogged, Backed—up Septic System…Can anything Restore It? Dear Darryl DEAR DARRYL: My home is about 10 years old, and so is my septic system. I have always taken pride in keeping my home and property in top shape. In fact, my neighbors and I are always kidding each other about who keeps their home and yard nicest. Lately, however, I have had a horrible smell in my yard, and also in one of my bathrooms, coming from the shower drain. My grass is muddy and all the drains in my home are very slow. My wife is on my back to make the bathroom stop smelling and as you can imagine, my neighbors are having a field day, kidding me about the mud pit and sewage stench in my yard. It’s humiliating. I called a plumber buddy of mine, who recommended pumping (and maybe even replacing) my septic system. But at the potential cost of thousands of dollars, I hate to explore that option. I tried the store bought, so called, Septic treatments out there, and they did Nothing to clear up my problem. Is there anything on the market I can pour or flush into my system that will restore it to normal, and keep it maintained? Clogged and Smelly – Lubbock , TX 36 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
DEAR CLOGGED AND SMELLY: As a reader of my column, I am sure you are aware that I have a great deal of experience in this particular field. You will be glad to know that there IS a septic solution that will solve your back-up and effectively restore your entire system from interior piping throughout the septic system and even unclog the drain field as well. SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs deliver your system the fast active bacteria and enzymes needed to liquefy solid waste and free the clogs causing your back-up. This fast-acting bacteria multiplies within minutes of application and is specifically designed to withstand many of today’s anti-bacterial cleaners, soaps and detergents. It comes in dissolvable plastic packs, that you just flush down your toilets. It’s so cool. Plus, they actually Guarantee that it restores ANY system, no matter how bad the problem is. SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs are designed to work on any septic system regardless of design or age. From modern day systems to sand mounds, and systems installed generations ago, I have personally seen SeptiCleanse unclog and restore these systems in a matter of weeks. I highly recommend that you try it before spending any money on repairs. SeptiCleanse products are available online at www.septicleanse.com or you can order or learn more by calling toll free at 1-888-899-8345. If you use the promo code “OHS1”, you can get a free shock treatment, added to your order, which normally costs $169. So, make sure you use that code when you call or buy online.
2019
JUNE/JULY COMPILED BY COLLEEN ROMICK CLARK
CALENDAR CENTRAL
JUN. 14–16 – Coshocton Dulcimer Days Festival, Roscoe Village, 600 N. Whitewoman St., Coshocton. Free admission and parking; workshop fee $15. Hear Appalachian and traditional music played on mountain dulcimers, hammered dulcimers, bowed psalteries, fiddles, guitars, banjos, and other instruments. 740-5456265 or www.coshoctondulcimerdays.com. JUN. 16, 30 – Zanesville Memorial Concert Band Performances, Zane’s Landing Park, west end of Market Street (along river), Zanesville, 7 p.m. Free. www.zmcb.org. JUN. 20–SEPT. 7 – Ohio Annual Art Exhibition, Zanesville Museum of Art, 620 Military Rd., Zanesville, Wed./Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Thur. 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m. www.zanesvilleart.org. THROUGH AUG. 3 – “Luminous: Encaustic Works by JUN. 22 – Dublin Kiwanis Frog Jump, Coffman Park, Barbara Vogel,” Zanesville Museum of Art, 620 Military 5600 Park Rd., Dublin, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Multiple playoff Rd., Zanesville, Wed./Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Thur. 10 rounds followed by a championship. Prizes, inflatables, a.m.–7:30 p.m. www.zanesvilleart.org. food, and fun for the whole family. 800-245-8387 or www. THROUGH AUG. 11 – CAPA Summer Movie Series, Ohio visitdublinohio.com. Theatre, 55 E. State St., Columbus, Wed.–Sun. 7:30 p.m., Sun. matinee 2 p.m. America’s longest-running classic film JUN. 22 – Uptown Food Crawl, Marysville, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Enjoy a tasty walking tour of restaurants and series. 614-469-0939 or www.capa.com. confectionaries in uptown Marysville. Proceeds benefit THROUGH OCT. 26 – Delaware Farmers Market, N. Union County Guardianship Services. Advance ticket Sandusky St. (between William and Winter), Delaware, required; contact Linda Fisher at 937-209-2275 ext. 1 or Wed. 3–6 p.m., Sat. 9–12 p.m. Accepts SNAP, Produce ucvgp1@gmail.com. Perks, SourcePoint, and Ohio Health Vouchers. 740JUN. 28–29 – Scott Antique Market, Fayette Co. 362-6050 or www.mainstreetdelaware.com/event/ Fgds., 213 Fairview Ave., Washington Court House, farmers-market. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. $1 admission, good all weekend. Free THROUGH OCT. 26 – Zanesville Farmers Market, parking. America’s favorite treasure hunt! 740Muskingum Co. Fgds., 1300 Pershing Rd., Zanesville, 569-4112, info@scottantiquemarket.com, or www. every Sat., 9 a.m.–12 p.m. June through September, the scottantiquemarket.com. market is also open every Wed. 4–7 p.m. at North 3rd JUL. 1–6 – Marion County Fair, 220 E. Fairground St., Street. www.zanesvillefarmersmarket.org. Marion. Rides, livestock shows, tractor and truck pulls, THROUGH OCT. 27 – Rock Mill Weekends, Stebelton rodeos, live music, and much more. Enjoy spectacular Park at Rock Mill, 1429 Rockmill Place NW, Lancaster, fireworks at 10 p.m. on the 4th. 740-382-2558 or www. every Sat. and Sun., 12–4 p.m. Free. Tour the restored marioncountyfairgrounds.com. 1824 gristmill, walk on the iconic Rock Mill Covered JUL. 3 – Red, White & BOOM!, downtown riverfront Bridge, and enjoy Hocking River Falls. 740-681-7249 or and the Arena District, Columbus, noon–midnight. www.fairfieldcountyparks.org. Kids’ activities, live music, parade, and much more, JUN. 13 – Pizza Challenge, Circleville, 5–9 p.m. Sample ending with Ohio’s largest fireworks display. www. pizza from across Pickaway County and enjoy a free redwhiteandboom.org. concert by McGuffey Lane. 740-474-3636 or www. JUL. 4 – Stars and Stripes on the River, Zane’s Landing pickaway.com. Park, west end of Market Street (along river), Zanesville.
WEST VIRGINIA
THROUGH OCT. 27 – Blennerhassett Voyage Package, North Bend State Park, 202 North Bend Park Rd., Cairo. $130 package includes one night of lodging for two at North Bend, plus two tickets for a sternwheeler ride to and from Blennerhassett Island, a wagon ride tour of the island, a tour of Blennerhassett Mansion, and passes for the Blennerhassett Regional History Museum. 304-643-2931, www.northbendsp.com, or www. blennerhassettislandstatepark.com. JUL. 5–7 – Wild and Wonderful Craft Festival, Jackson Co. Jr. Fgds., Cottageville, Fri. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. A festival like no other, featuring an impressive range of crafts and tunes by some of the country’s most talented artisans. 304-531-2009 or www.wildandwonderfulcrafts.com.
Live music, great food, and activities for all ages. All proceeds benefit the community. www.zanesvillejaycees. org/Events/Stars-Stripes-On-The-River-Zanesville-Ohio. JUL. 5 – First Friday Art Walk, downtown Zanesville, 5–8 p.m. Stroll through downtown as you tour over 35 participating art galleries, studios, and local businesses, many of which offer demos, make-and-take activities, and complimentary refreshments. Free shuttle service also available. www.artcoz.org. JUL. 9–13 – Pottery Lovers Reunion Week, Holiday Inn Express, Zanesville. Join fellow pottery lovers from across the nation at the largest and oldest gathering of pottery collectors and dealers. 609-407-9997, potteryloversinfo@ gmail.com, or www.potterylovers.org. JUL. 11 – Roundtown Blues and BBQ, Pumpkin Show Park, Circleville, 5–9 p.m. Free community event featuring barbecue food as well as blues music by Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel. 740-474-3636 or www.pickaway.com. JUL. 11–13 – Hull Pottery Association National Show, Crooksville High School, 4075 Ceramic Way, Crooksville, Fri. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. for general public; members admitted at 9 a.m. both days. The largest Hull Pottery show in the world. Hundreds of authentic, rare, and one-of-a-kind pieces of Hull Pottery and other favorite pottery on display. Drawings and giveaways. HPA Annual Social held Jul. 11, 6–8 p.m., at the Roseville Community Center. 800-743-2303 or www.visitzanesville.com. JUL. 11–13 – Picktown Palooza, 89 N. Center St., Pickerington. Fun and family-oriented event featuring live entertainment each night, food vendors, beer garden, and games. 614-379-2099 or www.picktownpalooza.org. JUL. 12–13 – Coshocton Canal Quilters Quilt Show, Coshocton County Career Ctr., 23640 Airport Rd., Coshocton, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $5, under 13 free. Free parking. Handicap accessible. Theme of this year’s show is “Quilting Through the Seasons.” www.facebook.com/ CCQQuiltShow. JUL. 13–14 – A Palace Production of The Music Man, Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion. Adults $19–$40, children $12. Meredith Willson’s six-time, Tony Award–winning musical comedy follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa. 740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.
PLEASE NOTE: Ohio Cooperative Living strives for accuracy but urges readers to confirm dates and times before traveling long distances to events. Submit listings AT LEAST 90 DAYS prior to the event to Ohio Cooperative Living, 6677 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229 or events@ohioec. org. Ohio Cooperative Living will not publish listings that don’t include a complete address or a number/website for more information.
Continued on page 38
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 37
2019 CALENDAR
JUNE/JULY
Continued from page 37
p.m., Sat. noon–11 p.m., Sun. noon–6 p.m. Parade Sat. 11:30 a.m. $3 daily. www.loraininternational.com. JUN. 29–30 – Mad River Bike Tour, Mad River Harley Davidson, 5316 Milan Rd., Sandusky. Registration Sat. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Ride to the Kelleys Island Ferry in Marblehead, tour the island for a chance to win a vacation. $10 for the tour, $20 per bike for the round-trip ferry ride. 419-746-2360 or www.kelleysislandchamber. com. JUL. 3–6 – Rib, White, and Blue, Lock 3, 200 S. Main St., Akron, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Free admission. Rib vendors from all over the state and other concessions. Concerts at 7 and 8:30 p.m. 330-375-2877 or www.lock3live.com. JUN. 13, 20, 27, JUL. 4, 11 – Fort Steuben Summer Concert Series, Berkman Amphitheater, Fort Steuben JUL. 4 – Fort Laurens Fourth of July Ceremony, 11067 Park, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, 7 p.m. Bring a blanket Fort Laurens Rd. NW, Bolivar, 11 a.m.–noon. Free. Wreathand picnic basket and enjoy a free concert at this site laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot overlooking the Ohio River. 740-283-1787 or www. honors the soldiers who lost their lives at Fort Laurens. oldfortsteuben.com. Includes guest speaker, color guard, and Revolutionary War honor guard. 330-874-2059 or www.fortlaurens.org. JUN. 15–JUL. 14 – Ohio Light Opera, Freedlander Theatre, 329 E. University St., Wooster, 2 and 7:30 p.m. JUL. 6 – Loudonville Car Show and Fireworks, 131 W. Shows include South Pacific, Girl Crazy, Into the Woods, Main St., Loudonville, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Over 500 cars and Pirates of Penzance. 330-263-2345 or www. on display! Enjoy music, food, a raffle, and downtown ohiolightopera.org. shopping. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m. or dusk. http:// JUN. 21–23 – Cy Young Days Festival, Newcomerstown. loudonvillechamber.com/events. Food, entertainment, contests and competitions, car JUL. 6–7 – Loudonville Antique Festival, Central Park, show, old-fashioned baseball games, and parade with Loudonville. Buy, sell, and trade antiques and collectibles. former Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones. Check 419-994-4789 or www.discovermohican.com. website for updates. www.cyyoungdaysfestival.com. JUL. 6–7 – Ashland County Yesteryear Machinery Club JUN. 22 – Ohio Scottish Games, Lorain Co. Fgds., Show, Ashland County–West Holmes Career Ctr., 1783 23000 Fairgrounds Rd., Wellington. $12–$20, under St. Rte. 60 S., Ashland. Free. Featuring Avery and B.F. 11 free. Animal shows, kids’ games, pipes and drums Avery tractors and engines, all makes garden tractors, competitions, Highland dance competitions, and other fun and Hercules and Jeager engines; car show on Sunday. activities. www.ohioscottishgames.com. Wagon rides, threshing, and corn husking. 419-651-4109 JUN. 28–30 – Lorain International Festival and Bazaar, or www.yesteryearmachinery.org. Black River Landing, Black River Lane, Lorain, Fri. 5–11
NORTHEAST
SOUTHWEST
THROUGH SEPT. 13 – Sculptures on the Square, Prouty Plaza, downtown Troy. Twenty life-sized Seward Johnson sculptures along with other works of art by regional artists. 937-339-5455. THROUGH SEPT. 26 – Uptown Music Concert Series, Uptown Park, Oxford, every Thur. 7–9:30 p.m. Free. 513523-8687 or www.enjoyoxford.org. JUN. 8 – Return of the Snakes, Serpent Mound, 3850 OH-73, Peebles, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Free with $8/vehicle parking fee. Live reptile displays and presentations on Ohio’s native reptiles and amphibians. 937-365-1935 or http://arcofappalachia.org/return-of-the-snakes. JUN. 14–16 – Versailles Poultry Days, 459 S. Center St., Versailles. Free admission and parking. World-famous barbecue chicken dinners and many fun events. 937-5269773 or www.versaillespoultrydays.com. JUN. 15 – West Milton Triathlon, West Milton Municipal Park. 3.5 miles canoeing, 5 miles running, and 17 miles biking. Compete solo or in teams of two. Registration fee. 937-698-0287 or www.speedy-feet.com.
38 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
JUN. 22 – Music at the Mound with Steve Free, Serpent Mound, 3850 OH-73, Peebles, 2 p.m. Free with $8/vehicle parking fee. http://arcofappalachia.org/steve-free. JUN. 22 – Summer Solstice Dinner and Celebration, Serpent Mound, 3850 OH-73, Peebles, 2–10 p.m. Afternoon archaeological lecture. Guided tour of mound followed by quiet hour preceding sunset. Optional BBQ dinner is $15/plate. Preregister at 937-365-1935 or http:// arcofappalachia.org/solstice. JUN. 22 – Spectacular Summer Cruise-In and Concert, Miami Valley Centre Mall, 987 E. Ash St., Piqua. Free. Country music star Neal McCoy headlines. www. facebook.com/2019-Spectacular-Summer-Cruise-inConcert-292810964722576. JUN. 22–23 – Brush and Palette Art Guild’s Annual Art Show, Southern State Community College, 100 Hobart Dr., Hillsboro, 1–5 p.m. Free admission and parking. Works from professional and nonprofessional artists are judged and offered for sale. Light refreshments. 937-393-4193. JUN. 22–23 – Vectren Dayton Air Show, Dayton International Airport, 3800 Wright Dr., Vandalia, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. $13–$25. One of America’s leading air shows. See the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as well as performers and aircraft displays. www.daytonairshow.com. JUL. 3–4 – Americana Festival, Franklin and Main streets, Centerville. Free. Concert and fireworks on the 3rd at Centerville High School, 500 E. Franklin St.; doors open at 6 p.m. Festival on the 4th, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., features parade, 5K run, and street fair with craft and food booths. 937-433-5898 or www.americanafestival.org. JUL. 4 – Piqua 4th Fest, Lock Nine Park, downtown Piqua, noon–9:30 p.m., fireworks at 10 p.m. Activities for
JUL. 7–14 – Trumbull County Fair, 899 Everett Hull Rd., Cortland. An array of grandstand entertainment, daily shows, local bands, exhibits, and rides. 330-637-6010 or www.trumbullcountyfair.com. JUL. 11–13 – Olde Canal Days Festival, 123 Tuscarawas St., Canal Fulton, Thur./Fri. 5–11 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Free admission. Rides $1 each, or $15 for all-day wristband. Saturday events include Grande Parade at 11 a.m., Trucks-N-Tykes at 12–2 p.m., and fireworks at 10 p.m. Also enjoy games and other entertainment, arts and crafts, concessions, and St. Helena III canal boat rides. 330-854-9095 or www.discovercanalfulton.com. JUL. 12–13 – “Wine on Rails,” Lorain & West Virginia Railway, 46485 St. Rte. 18, Wellington, Fri. 7 p.m., Sat. 6 p.m. Taste wines from Matus Winery during a 90-minute train ride. Tickets available on our website. 440-647-6660 or www.lwvry.org. JUL. 12–14 – Great Mohican Indian Pow-Wow, 23270 Wally Rd., Loudonville, Fri./Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m. $8, C. (6–12) $4, under 6 free. Native American live music, dancing, drum competitions, storytelling, tomahawk throwing, and fire starting demos. 800-766-2267 or www.mohicanpowwow.com. JUL. 13–14 – Revolution on the Tuscarawas, Fort Laurens, 11067 Fort Laurens Rd. NW, Bolivar, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $10; age 12 and under, $5. Revolutionary War reenactment and encampment. Colonial history, musket drills, mock battle, early American games, and crafts. 330-874-2059 or www.fortlaurens.org. JUL. 14 – Ohio Daylily Society Annual Show, Kingwood Center Gardens, 50 Trimble Rd., Mansfield, noon–4 p.m. See hundreds of beautiful daylilies by some of Ohio’s top cultivars; get information on growing daylilies and becoming a member of this group. www. ohiodaylilysociety.org. all ages at this hometown celebration of Independence Day. www.piquaoh.org/piqua-4th-fest. JUL. 4 – Red, White and Blue Ash, Summit Park, Blue Ash, 4–10:30 p.m. Music, rides, games, food and drink, and family fun. Biggest and best fireworks in the tri-state area at 10 p.m. http://blueashevents.com. JUL. 9 – Neal and Coleen Walters: Old-Time and Appalachian Tunes, Germantown Church of God, 760 Farmersville Pike, Germantown, 7–9 p.m. $12. Sponsored by the Germantown Dulcimer Society. Appalachian dulcimer, autoharp, bass, banjo, guitar. Contact Debbie Simpkins at 513-594-7855. JUL. 11–14 – Greenville Farm Power of the Past, Darke Co. Fgds., 800 Sweitzer St., Greenville. $5. Case and Oliver tractors and equipment, oil field engines, and Michigan-built engines. 937-547-1845 or www. greenvillefarmpower.org. JUL. 11–14 – Kathy Slack Troy Summer Skating Competition, Hobart Arena, 255 Adams St., Troy. This figure and freestyle competition is part of the 2019 National Solo Dance Series and 2020 Non-Qualifying Series, with over 300 participants from the Midwest and beyond. www.troyskatingclub.org. JUL. 13–14 – History Alive at the Johnston Farm, 9845 N. Hardin Rd., Piqua, 12–5 p.m. Reenactors present a historical timeline of the years 1748 to 1862, bringing to life people and events that had a great impact on the course of both American and Ohio history. Visit the Johnston home, tour the Indian and Canal Museum, and ride on the canal boat General Harrison of Piqua. 800752-2619 or www.johnstonfarmohio.com.
NORTHWEST
THROUGH OCT. 12 – The Great Sidney Farmer’s Market, 109 S. Ohio Ave., 8 a.m.–noon. Farmers bring their freshest produce, and crafters offer a large variety of homemade items. Fresh baked goods, jams and jellies, plants, and flowers. 937-658-6945 or www. sidneyalive.org. JUN. 15–16, JUL. 6–7 – The Fantastic Tiffin Flea Market, Seneca Co. Fgds., 100 Hopewell Ave., Tiffin, Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Free admission and parking; handicap accessible. 250 to 400 dealers per show. 419-447- 9613, tiffinfleamarket@gmail.com, or www.tiffinfleamarket.com. JUN. 21–22 – Perrysville Homestead Festival, Bridge St., Perrysville, Fri. 5–11 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–11 p.m. Music and comedy entertainment; food vendors; arts, crafts, and hobbies; merchant tent; bingo. Parade Sat. 10 a.m.; garden tractor pull Fri. 6 p.m. 330-465-9230 or www. perrysvilleecodev.com. JUN. 22 – Findlay Country Fest: Tunes and Trains, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay. Gates open at 4 p.m.; show starts at 5 p.m. Quarter-scale train rides will be offered before the show and during intermissions. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp. org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp. JUN. 29 – The Great Downtown BBQfest, downtown Sidney, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sample pork ribs, pulled pork, and BBQ chicken legs. Farmers market opens at 8 a.m. We partner with United Way agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses and churches to
SOUTHEAST
THROUGH SEPT. 27 – Rise and Shine Farmers Market, 2135 Southgate Pkwy., Cambridge, Fridays, 8 a.m.–noon. 740-680-1866. THROUGH DEC. – Athens Farmers Market, 1000 E. State St., Athens, Wed. 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m.–noon. Organic and conventionally grown fresh produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, flowers and nursery plants, baked goods, breads, herbs, teas, jarred products, and much more. 740-593-6763 or www. athensfarmersmarket.org. JUN. 14–15 – Firefly Workshop: Field ID and Firefly Ecology, Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7660 Cave Rd., Bainbridge. In addition to learning to recognize the distinct flash patterns of each species during this peak week of firefly activity, you will also learn about firefly conservation, ecology, and natural history. Space
provide a free FUN Kids Zone for ages 12 and under. 937658-6945 or www.sidneyalive.org. JUN. 29–30 – Northwest Ohio’s Picker’s Paradise, Henry Co. Fgds., 821 S. Perry St., Napoleon, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Huge flea market, with inside and outside spaces. Antiques, car parts, handcrafted arts and crafts, and food vendors. ksgeil@yahoo.com or 419-235-3264. JUL. 4 – Independence Day Concert, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museum, Spiegel Grove, Fremont, 2–3:30 p.m. Free. Bring your own chair or blanket for this patriotic concert, performed by the Toledo Symphony Concert Band on the verandah of the historic Hayes Home. Civil War reenactors will punctuate the performance of the “1812 Overture” with cannon fire. 419-332-2081 or www.rbhayes.org. JUL. 4–6 – Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Weekend, Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $18, Srs. $16, C. (6–16) $12, under 6 free. Veterans and active-duty military admitted free. Enjoy hand-cranked ice cream, old-fashioned games, and patriotic songs played on the reed organ. Witness a U.S. District Court naturalization ceremony on July 4 at 11 a.m. 800-5909755 or www.saudervillage.org. JUL. 5 – First Fridays Downtown, Sidney. Participating downtown shops and restaurants stay open later and offer a First Friday discount. 937-6586945 or www.sidneyalive.org. JUL. 6 – Beach Spectacular and Fireworks, Indian Lake State Park, Old Field Beach, Russells Point. Pageants, food, swimming, games, and other fun activities. Classic car show registration 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; fee $10, with dash plaques to first 50 participants; awards at 3 p.m. Fireworks at 10 p.m. 937-843-5392 or www. indianlakechamber.org. JUL. 6–7 – Toledo Lighthouse Waterfront Festival, Maumee Bay State Park, 1750 State Park Rd. #2, Oregon, Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. $5 donation requested; free parking. Live music, kids’ activities, Nautical Art and Craft Village, lighthouse story telling, food, and silent auction. Concert Sat. at 7 p.m. Boat rides to lighthouse, weather permitting ($30); for reservations,
email sandylakeerie@aol.com. 419-691-3788 or www. toledolighthousefestival.com. JUL. 7 – Presentation: “Walk in Their Shoes, Die in Their Shoes,” Fort Recovery State Museum, Community Room, 1 Fort Site St., Fort Recovery, 3 p.m. Free. Speaker Joe Beatty is a fifth-generation descendant of two officers who served in St. Clair’s army at the Battle of the Wabash in 1791. The presentation includes original letters, documents, and pictures. 419-375-4384 or www. facebook.com/FortRecoveryMuseum. JUL. 12–14 – Flag City Daylily Tour, locations throughout Findlay and Hancock counties. Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 12–6 p.m. Free. The fourth annual tour features seven daylily gardens, each with its own special personality. Tour at your leisure and see more than 3,000 different registered daylilies. Some sites will have plants for sale. 419-889-8827, www.pplantpeddler.com, on Facebook, or email anders@findlay.edu. JUL. 12–14 – Huron River Fest, Huron Boat Basin, 330 N. Main St., Huron. Free. Pageants and contests, parades, live entertainment, games and rides, 5K and Fun Run, Road Show, and other fun activities. Fireworks Friday at 10:15 p.m. over the river. www.huronriverfest.com. JUL. 13 – Family Fun Day, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m. $10 per person for all-day access. Enjoy games, quarter-scale train rides, bounce houses, and other family-friendly activities and events all day long for one price. Watch our website and Facebook page for additional information. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp. org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp. JUL. 13 – Malinta Festival, 8931-Co. Rd. K-2, Malinta, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Flea market, car show, BBQ chicken, bounce house, wagon rides, live auction, entertainment. 419-9669909 or find us on Facebook. JUL. 13 – Summer on the Farm, Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $18, Srs. $16, C. (6–16) $12, under 6 free. Experience life on the farm with handson activities, games, special demonstrations, and fiddle music! 800-590-9755 or www.saudervillage.org.
is limited. Register at 937-365-1937 or http:// arcofappalachia.org/wonder_workshop. JUN. 15 – Ice Cream Social, Little Muskingum Volunteer Fire Department, 15015 St. Rte. 26, Marietta. Serving will begin at 4 p.m., Bingo at 5 p.m., and Country Store drawing at 8 p.m. Please join us for food, fun, and entertainment for the whole family. Find us on Facebook. JUN. 21–22 – Kicking Bear One-on-One, Deerassic Park Education Ctr., 14250 Cadiz Rd., Cambridge. Free event, but pre-registration is required. 740-435-3335 or www.deerassic.com. JUN. 22 – Youth Bluegill Derby, Ross Lake, 501 Musselman Mill Rd., Chillicothe, 8 a.m. Free. Open to kids ages 1 to 15. Participants must provide their own fishing tackle and bait and can fish anywhere at Ross Lake. Plaques will be awarded to three age groups for biggest and most fish. www.visitchillicotheohio.com. JUN. 27–29 – The Butterfly Course, Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7660 Cave Rd., Bainbridge. Learn field identification and the natural history of the captivating butterfly species that call the Eastern prairies and forests home. This course is led by John Howard, accomplished naturalist, teacher, and lepidoptera enthusiast. Registration is required. 937-365-1935 or http:// arcofappalachia.org/butterfly-course-home. JUN. 28–29 – National Cambridge Glass Collectors Show and Sale, Pritchard Laughlin Civic Ctr., 7033 Glenn
Hwy., Cambridge, Fri. 1–5 p.m., Sat. 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. $5 admission good for both days. 740-432-4245 or www. cambridgeglass.org. JUL. 3–4 – Gallipolis River Recreation Festival, Gallipolis City Park, 300 block of Second Ave., Gallipolis. Contests and races, food, musical entertainment, arts and crafts, parade, and fireworks. 740-446-0596 or www.gallipolisriverrec.com. JUL. 5–7 – Ohio Jeep Fest, Ross Co. Fgds., 344 Fairgrounds Rd., Chillicothe, Fri. noon–8 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $10–$25. Drivers test their wheeling skills and participate in trail-rated challenges. Daily kids’ zone, vendors, obstacle course, mud pits, and much more. www.ohiojeepfest.com. JUL. 10–13 – Ohio Hills Folk Festival, Quaker City. Celebrate the festival’s 115th year! Parades, car show, country store, entertainment, rides, and activities for kids. 740-670-2070. JUL. 11–14 – Chillicothe Civic Theatre presents Beauty and the Beast, Chillicothe High School Auditorium, 425 Yoctangee Parkway, Chillicothe, 3 and 7 p.m. $12–$15. www.cctchillicothe.com. JUL. 14 – Barton Polkafest, 52176 Center St., Barton. Polish foods, crafts, CD sales, cash bar, and raffles. Music by “The Boys” from Maryland, and the reunion of “The Jolly J’s” polka band. 740-695-3029.
JUNE 2019 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 39
MEMBER INTERACTIVE
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1. O ne of our LaMancha goat does with her newborn kids. Elaine Beekman Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative member 2. One of five baby raccoons born in the buckeye tree in our front yard. We called this one“Monkey.” Debra Durning Firelands Electric Cooperative member 3. A bullfrog popped up right in between the cattails in our pond in Ada, Ohio. Rebecca Hazelton Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative member
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4. A robin feeding her young on our back porch! Patty and Larry Quaglia South Central Power Company members
8. My nephew’s 4-H pig enjoying the grass. Penny Rauch Midwest Electric member
5. My husband found this beautiful barred owl resting in a tree near our house. Patricia Lambert Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative member
9. I got a camera for my 12th birthday 52 years ago and snapped this picture at the zoo. Debra Malusky Carroll Electric Cooperative member
6. W e have 18 nest boxes, and many are home to beautiful bluebirds! Leslie Swonguer Logan County Electric Cooperative member
10. My friendly deer in my woods. Sharon Coleman Adams Rural Electric Cooperative member
7. Horse whisperers on an Amish farm in Knox County. Rachel Blevins Consolidated Cooperative member
Send us your picture! For September, send “Back to school” by June 15; for October, send “Picking pumpkins” by July 15. Upload your photos at www.ohioec.org/memberinteractive — and remember to include your co-op name and to identify everyone in the photos. 40 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2019
A COMMUNITY’S
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
GRANTS
SEVEN RIC ELECT IVES RAT years E P O CO past two in the TEN D E D AWAR ,000 for $15 grants
ment ctive p o l e v e pe site-d eir res s. h t n i use e area servic
ohioec.org/purpose