Ohio Cooperative Living - December 2017 - North Central

North Central Electric Cooperative Official publication | www.ncelec.org

DECEMBER 2017

Holiday traditions

Ohio’s big cities put on some flashy shows to celebrate the season

ALSO INSIDE Raising reindeer Spreading cheer with cookies Capital credits: Many happy returns

Building the next generation of

LEADERS

Whether it’s teaching middle-schoolers about energy efficiency, sending teens to Washington, D.C., for the national electric cooperative Youth Tour, or sending graduates off to college with a scholarship, Ohio’s electric cooperatives are actively helping to build the next generation of community leaders.

ohioec.org

INSIDE

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

HIGHLIGHTS 26

31

CHUGGING ALONG

’Tis the season for model trains to go chugging around their elaborate displays for all those revelers to admire.

CHRISTMASTIME IN THE CITY

The holidays inspire metropolitan Ohio to celebrate with all sorts of events — from nostalgic performances of Christmas classics to dazzling displays of lustrous lights.

FEATURES 4

6

19

CAPITAL CREDITS

When electric cooperatives have money left over after the bills are paid, many choose to return those funds to their members. It’s part of the cooperative difference.

ON A MISSION

A former CEO of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives keeps working to provide safe, clean, and reliable electric service — around the world.

LOCAL PAGES

News and important information from your electric cooperative.

Cover photo on most editions: Visitors admire the gorgeous decorati ons

at the Festival of Trees in Cleveland’s Allen Theatre.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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UP FRONT

C

WHAT S THE DIFFERENCE? E

lectric co-ops were established to provide electricity to people living in rural communities. Folks in rural America had been mostly ignored by electric companies that didn’t see enough potential profit to run electric lines into the country. In the 1930s, a public-private partnership was forged to provide the large capital investments needed to build and operate rural electric systems. Member-consumers provided start-up capital, usually in the form of membership fees, and the Rural Electrification Administration provided loans to cooperatives, because private banks found the business too risky.

Today, your cooperative is financed in a similar manner, but its business has become far more secure after decades of successful operation. Each year, as you purchase electricity from your co-op, a small percentage of margin is included in your bill, which becomes your investment in the co-op — your share of the member equity. Financial equity is necessary to provide capital for the operations of the cooperative, and it allows the co-op to borrow the additional funds necessary to invest in poles, wire, transformers, meters, trucks, substations, computers, offices, warehouses, and anything else required for a reliable electric system designed to meet your needs.

The investment you make each month is tracked from year to year, and eventually returned to you as a capital credit. In essence, it’s the return of the equity that you’ve invested in your cooperative. The return of your capital may be in the form of a check or a bill credit, as determined by your co-op’s board. Read more on Page 4 about how this works.

However, capital credits are only one form of equity. We like to believe that our greatest investment lies in our human resources, and the spirit that defines electric cooperatives. In this season of giving, there’s no better example of that esprit de corps than the 40 linemen from across the Ohio electric cooperative network who left home and hearth for the better part of a week to provide much-needed assistance to their fellow linemen in New Hampshire, after severe storms knocked out power in much of the Granite State. In the cooperative world, we call it “mutual aid,” but it’s really the heart of “the cooperative difference.”

Wishing you and yours happy holidays and a merry Christmas from all of us at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.

2 2

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

Pat O’Loughlin

President & CEO Ohio's Electric Cooperatives

We like to believe that our greatest investment lies in our human resources, and the spirit that defines electric cooperatives.

December 2017 • Volume 60, No. 3

OHIO

COOPERATIVE LIVING

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives 6677 Busch Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 memberinteract@ohioec.org www.ohioec.org Patrick O’Loughlin Patrick Higgins Jeff McCallister Samantha Rhodes Anita Cook

President & CEO Director of Communications Managing Editor Associate Editor Graphic Designer

Contributors: Colleen Romick Clark, John Egan, W.H. “Chip” Gross, John Lowe, Pat Keegan, Catherine Murray, Jamie Rhein, Damaine Vonada, Diane Yoakam, and Margie Wuebker.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING (USPS 134-760; ISSN 2572-049X) is published monthly by Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. With a paid circulation of 294,359, it is the official communication link between the electric cooperatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their members. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. All rights reserved.

For all advertising inquiries, contact GLM COMMUNICATIONS 212-929-1300 sales@glmcommunications.com

MORE INSIDE DEPARTMENTS 8 OHIO ICON

SPANGLER CANDY COMPANY: The Bryan-based

confectionery produces Dum Dums, Circus Peanuts — and most of the candy canes consumed in the world.

12 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

RAISING REINDEER: If your business includes raising and showing these domesticated caribou, be ready to answer every kid’s question: “Can they really fly?”

10 CO-OP PEOPLE WHITE PILLARS CHRISTMAS HOUSE: A former Guernsey-

Muskingum Electric Cooperative employee now specializes in unique holiday decorations.

15 GOOD EATS SPREADING CHEER: These treats will be the stars of any holiday cookie exchange.

23 CO-OP OHIO ELECTRIFYING EXPERIENCE: Logan County Electric Cooperative gives area students a hands-on science lesson.

38 CALENDAR WHAT’S HAPPENING: December events and other things to do.

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 Office, Consumer Protection Section, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215, or call 1-800-282-0515.

Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, OH, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to editorial and advertising offices at: 6677 Busch Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43229-1101

Cooperative members: Please report 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.

40 MEMBER INTERACTIVE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Sharing creative holiday moments.

IN THIS ISSUE

West Union (p.4) Bryan (p.8) Norwich (p.10) Bellville (p.12) Bellefontaine (p.23) Cleveland (p.26, 31) Columbus (p.26, 31) Cincinnati (p.26, 31) Fremont (p.26) Dayton (p.26) Toledo (p.31)

CORRECTION: Our November issue story on Matt Sutton and his connection to Ohio Northern University’s Polar Paws program incorrectly asserted that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the program’s service dogs in training can go anywhere humans are allowed.

The ADA, in fact, does not grant universal access to service dogs, and it only covers dogs that are already trained. Ohio law, however, is more broad than the ADA in its permissions and definitions and does contain provisions for dogs in training. More details can be found at www.disabilityrightsohio.org. Also, Sutton did not claim any involvement in the development of a dog park at ONU, only that he supported it; and the story should have included the names of the co-founders of the program at ONU: Matthew Garrity and Matthew Stroh.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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BY JOHN EGAN; PHOTOGRAPH BY BILLY JOE McCANN

HOLIDAY BONUS

Returning money to members is another part of the cooperative difference

T

o Roger Rhonemus, it’s almost like a Christmas bonus.

Every year for about 20 years now, Rhonemus, who farms 800 acres of corn, soybeans, and hay in Adams County, looks forward to receiving his capital credits check from Adams Rural Electric Cooperative.

Two decades ago, Rhonemus, 60, used those annual checks, which typically go out to Adams REC members each November, to buy Christmas presents for his three children. Now that the kids are grown with families of their own, he uses it to buy presents for his eight grandchildren. And he couldn’t be happier.

“That check comes in very handy at Christmastime, and I am always very thankful to receive it,” he says.

“Receiving a capital credits check tells me my electric cooperative is running a tight ship.”

A resident of West Union, about 60 miles southeast of Cincinnati, Rhonemus has been a member of Adams REC for nearly 40 years. While the checks certainly don’t cover all of his holiday shopping, every bit of it helps. “Any time you get a check in the mail, it’s a good thing. It’s the icing on the cake for being a member of a great co-op,” he says.

Ohio’s electric cooperative network, which comprises of the 24 not-for-profit, consumer-owned cooperatives throughout the state, collectively returned nearly $32 million in capital credits to member-consumers in 2016, the latest year for which full data is available.

“Electric cooperatives are not here to make a profit, and so a capital credits check is our way to return cash to members after we pay our operating expenses,” says Bill Swango, general manager of Adams REC. “A lot of members don’t understand what capital credits are, but once they receive their first check, that’s when they start to get it.”

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

Capital credits represent each member’s share of the co-op’s operating margins, which is the money left over after bills are paid. Every cooperative, including electric co-ops, handle capital credits differently.

While Adams REC is returning money from the early 1990s, other co-ops, such as Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, based in Oxford, have chosen a model that allows them to return capital credits to longstanding members and new ones alike.

In general, the co-op’s margins are allocated to members’ capital credits accounts and then returned to the member in a general retirement on a rotating basis.

Each year, a co-op’s board of directors evaluates whether the co-op’s finances will allow for a return of capital credits to members, so that means not every co-op retires those credits every year. Of those that do, not all issue checks — some simply issue bill credits — and the time of year they are issued also varies from cooperative to cooperative.

There are more than 900 electric co-ops across the country. Across the nation, those co-ops have returned almost $14 billion to their owner-members

since 1988, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Though Adams REC returns capital to its members nearly every year, there have been years when it could not. “In 2009, we had a major ice storm, and in 2010 we had the derecho that tore up our distribution system,” says Alice Baird, who handles communications duties at the co-op. “The costs of repairing the system in those years drove up our operating costs and reduced our margins.”

Although Adams REC couldn’t make capital credits payments in those two years, the members didn’t lose their credits. They were deferred until the co-op was able to fund them again in 2011.

“As a nonprofit cooperative owned by its members, we always think it’s a good thing to return their cash back to them,” Baird says. “Co-ops are a family, and you always want to take good care of your family.”

JOHN EGAN is president of Egan Energy Communications (www.eganenergy.com), a national energy communications firm.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

5

BY JEFF MCCALLISTER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ON A MISSION

Former OEC chief executive finds a calling in service to others

F

or Tony Ahern, volunteer service work truly was a leap of faith. It has led him around the world, where he has helped bring water, electricity, and transportation options to those in need.

“When I first started doing these trips, it wasn’t as if I had a grand vision,” he says. “I just wanted to do something, so that’s what I did. I decided I would just go on faith that I would find the right projects.

I didn’t need a whole game plan.”

Ahern, a chemical engineer and the retired CEO of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, made his first service trip in 1992, when he went with a group to install a hydroelectric system to provide power to a hospital in Honduras. He later returned there to work on several other projects, including a series of footbridges and a large pontoon boat, needed in the community.

“I like doing things at the intersection of where I have skills and what can help people,” he says. “I want to go where I can be close to the people who will actually benefit — not just make-work projects, but projects that have a significant beneficial outcome.”

He’s been on 27 trips with various groups such as Engineers Without Borders (EWB), Heart to Honduras (www.hth.org), and International Technical Electric and Construction (I-TEC, www.itec.org) — a group that provides infrastructure support to missionary groups around the world — using vacation time before he retired, and always paying his own way.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

Most recently, he joined with I-TEC to help install solar panels at Restoration Gateway, a Ugandan mission village that previously relied on diesel generators to power its hospital, dental clinic, and other buildings.

“When it was time to take an X-ray or drill someone’s tooth, they had to go out in the back and start the generator, then hope it would stay on for the entire task,” Ahern says. “With this new system, they don’t need to do that. There’s enough electricity for drilling, lighting, water pumps, all that, and they sized it so that on most days, it accumulates enough in the batteries to get through the night and even the next day if the sun doesn’t come out.”

The system was built in the U.S. over a period of months before the trip, then shipped in a container to Uganda, where the I-TEC group installed it, from the ground up, in a little over two weeks. Ahern says, mostly joking, that it took about three weeks to recover from the trip, but says the rewards make it all worthwhile.

“To be able to see the difference you can make in people’s lives — that’s what moves me, what motivates me,” he says. “Every now and then, someone will say, ‘I would love to do that,’ thinking that they can’t. But you know what? If I can do it, anyone can. You just have to make up your mind and do it.”

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OHIO ICON

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V

Spangler Candy Company Bryan, Ohio

LOCATION: Bryan, in northwest Ohio, the Williams County seat and home to about 9,000 people.

PROVENANCE: In 1906, Arthur Spangler used $450 he’d earned on a paper route to buy the Gold Leaf Baking Powder Company of Defiance at a sheriff’s sale.

After moving the baking products business to Bryan, he began making Spangler Cocoanut Balls and other confections. Spangler’s siblings, Ernest and Omar, also joined the business, and by 1920, the three brothers had shifted production entirely to candy and renamed their enterprise the Spangler Candy Company. Following the purchase of Dum Dums lollipops from Akron Candy Company and A-Z Christmas Candy Canes of Detroit in the early 1950s, the Spangler company became known for hard candies, and in 1966, it introduced a mascot — the grinning, white-gloved Dum Dums Drum Man. Today, Spangler Candy remains a fourth-generation, family-owned business, whose primary products are Dum Dums and Saf-T-Pops lollipops, Spangler Circus Peanuts, and Spangler Candy Canes. Spangler’s headquarters complex in Bryan includes office, manufacturing, and warehouse spaces, and the company has more than 500 employees in the United States and some 200 more at its co-manufacturing facility in Juarez, Mexico.

SIGNIFICANCE: Not only are Spangler’s Dum Dums suckers the nation’s best-selling lollipop, but as the only major U.S. candy cane manufacturer, the company also produces 40 percent of the world’s candy canes.

The Bryan factory produces 12 million Dum Dums and 1.5 million candy canes every workday. “In order for us to meet the worldwide demand, we manufacture candy canes year-round,” says Diana Moore Eschhofen,

Spangler’s corporate communications director. Besides traditional red and white, peppermint-flavored candy canes, Spangler makes the Christmastime treat in other colors and flavors that include strawberry, orange, blueberry, cinnamon, and Oreos cookies and cream.

Dum Dums in limited-edition flavors, such as Merry Cherry, Sugar Plum, Gingerbread, and Green Apple Grinch, also are enormously popular during the holidays.

CURRENTLY: Spangler candies are available in all 50 states and numerous foreign countries. Throughout the year, thousands of people travel to Bryan to visit the company’s store and museum and ride the Dum Dums Trolley for a fun tour of the candy factory, where they’re greeted by smiling and waving employees.

IT’S A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT THAT: Putting the colored stripes in candy canes is a skill that typically takes Spangler’s kitchen workers six months to master.

Spangler Candy Company, 400 N. Portland St., Bryan, OH 43506. For additional information about the Spangler company; ordering Spangler candies online; the Spangler Store & Museum; and Dum Dums Trolley Tours, call 419-636-4221 or visit www.spanglercandy.com.

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN LOWE

CO-OP PEOPLE

THE

CHRISTMAS

EXPERIENCE

White Pillars offers a mix of hospitality and dazzle no online store can match

K

eith Taylor epitomizes a jolly calm when he ushers his guest into the White Pillars Christmas House before hours on an early fall morning.

With Christmas still three months away, he and his wife, Yolanda, are preparing for the seasonal rush, confident that what they have to offer not only competes with, but surpasses, what one may obtain in a sterile online transaction.

As he guides his guest inside the house, a room of collectible Willow Tree items and Dept. 56 Villages yields to another room featuring collectible Jim Shore ornaments, Regal angels, and Christopher Radko snowglobes. Shelf after shelf and room after room cries out, Christmas! It’s almost more dazzle than the eye can take in.

The secret to embracing it, Yolanda says, is to slow down.

“This is a house of no hurries, no worries,” she says. “Once you come in here, it’s like stepping out of reality into a Christmas welcoming environment.

You may come in in a bad mood, but you can’t leave in a bad mood.”

The Taylors partnered with Trent Cubbison to reopen White Pillars Christmas House and More several years ago after a five-year hiatus. The previous owner had retired and closed the business during the Great Recession.

Cubbison is the principal of East Muskingum Middle School. Yolanda is chief operations officer at Muskingum Behavioral Health. Keith, a Methodist minister, was the credit manager at Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative.

Displays at the White Pillars Christmas House evoke holidays of yesteryear with unique items not found in larger stores.

10

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

When the manager whom the partners had hired to operate the Christmas House decided to retire in the spring, Keith

reflected and conferred with Yolanda before deciding to make a leap of faith. After 12 years of service to the cooperative, he submitted his resignation and took on the responsibility of running the business. It was a move that surprised his former colleagues.

“Keith is a phenomenal guy, and we regretted seeing him leave,” says Brian Bennett, Guernsey-Muskingum Electric’s manager of member services.

While some might question the wisdom of opening any kind of brick-and-mortar store in these days of Amazon, the Taylors believe their business will not only survive, but thrive — not just because of their merchandise, but because of their philosophy and who they are.

“I feel that Trent, Keith, and I are hospitable people,” Yolanda says. “We like welcoming you into our home, and we try to make you feel like you are a part of the family.”

Christmas is more than a time of giving gifts, it’s an experience — and the “millennial” generation craves experiences, she believes. The Taylors want their shop to help engender that sort of Christmas spirit that sometimes seems difficult to conjure in the modern age.

Built in 1882, the house at White Pillars seems to evoke a time when life moved at a slower, more graceful pace. The house still has no indoor plumbing, the Taylors report.

What it does have is character; from the hardwood floors to the baluster staircase, the house bespeaks charm. “This house is conducive for a shop like ours,” Keith says.

Beyond the ambience, White Pillars Christmas House and More offers a wide array of Christmas-themed treasure. In search of the best items, the Taylors have traveled to trade shows around the country.

“I work very hard to not copy what Hobby Lobby has or what Elder-Beerman gets in their Christmas shop,” Yolanda says.

“What you find here is truly unique.”

Keith Taylor (top photo, left) and his wife, Yolanda, put final touches on one of the numerous displays in their Norwich shop. They pride themselves on providing a festive, personal experience for their customers.

“Oh, and the collectors’ items we mentioned, you’re not going to find in Walmart,” Keith says. “Now that the economy has come back around, people are excited to have a unique place to shop.”

White Pillars draws visitors from near and far. People who knew the store before it closed are coming back. For many, a visit to the Christmas House has become a tradition, and tradition is something the Taylors respect and honor.

JOHN LOWE is a freelance writer from New Concord.

White Pillars Christmas House and More 7405 E. Pike, Norwich Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 1–4 p.m.

For more information, call 740-923-5093.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

11

STORY AND PHOTOS BY W.H. “CHIP” GROSS

WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Raising Reindeer

B

y far, the question Kevin and Debbie Kleer hear most this time of year is, “Can reindeer really fly?”

The Kleers run Kleerview Farm near Bellville, Ohio, in southern Richland County, and kids are there with their parents mostly to pick out a Christmas tree and see Santa. The real attraction, however, is the Kleers’ small herd of nine live reindeer — Blitzen, Noel, Belle, Nicholas, Crystal, Jingles, Clarice, Felice, and Cherry — which obviously prompts lots of questions, from both kids and adults.

“The adults want to know what our reindeer really are,” Debbie says. “It seems many people just don’t realize there is such a thing as a reindeer. They’re not fictional animals.”

Reindeer are domesticated caribou, members of the deer family. Females weigh from 250 to 350 pounds, males 350 to 500 pounds; they are formidable animals.

Reindeer grow and shed a set of antlers annually and, like caribou, both males and females sport antlers.

“The male antlers are usually far larger,” Kevin says.

“They’re about twice the size of female antlers, and a pair can weigh as much as 30 pounds or more.”

Always the entrepreneurs, the Kleers have been growing and selling Christmas trees on their cattle farm for more than 35 years. They got the idea to incorporate live reindeer only about five years ago.

“We were looking for a way to add interest and attract more customers,” Debbie says. “We wanted to offer something no other Christmas tree farm had, and it worked. Our sales have increased 44 percent.”

But it hasn’t been easy. Young reindeer are susceptible to many diseases and parasites, and the survival of calves is only about 20 percent. Veterinarians don’t yet know the reasons behind the low survival rate, but according to the Kleers, the problem is being studied both at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and at Iowa State University.

The Kleers have learned to beat the survival odds with their reindeer calves by taking them indoors to raise.

“We allow them to be with their mothers for only about a day or two after they’re born before bringing them into the house and bottle feeding them every four hours around the clock,” Debbie says. “It’s a lot of hard work for several weeks, but it pays off. Our survival rate of calves is now 100 percent, and a bonus is that bottle-fed calves are easier to handle once they become adults, because they’re used to people.”

In addition to having reindeer on display at their Christmas tree farm, the Kleers also take their reindeer on the road, trailering them to parties and celebrations throughout Ohio during the holiday season. This year they’ll make about 30 separate appearances between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Nathan Kleer (yellow jacket) and his wife, Brienna, are among the Kleer family members who help man the farm and manage the herd during the busy holiday season.

12

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

To find out which appearances are open to the public and their locations, visit www.kleerviewfarm.com.

During the hectic tree-selling season, when some 10,000 customers descend upon Kleerview Farm during a five-week period, family members come to help sell trees, hand out candy canes and hot chocolate, and wrangle reindeer. Helping are the Kleers’ son, Nathan, and his wife, Brienna; and Andrea Tingley, the Kleers’ daughter, and her husband, Dave. Both families are members of Consolidated Electric Cooperative.

So, can reindeer really fly? The Kleers have a standard answer for those kids who ask. “Only Santa’s reindeer can fly,” they tell them, “because he is the only one who has the magic glitter dust to sprinkle on them.”

W.H. “CHIP” GROSS is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor and a member of Consolidated Electric Cooperative. He can be reached by e-mail at whchipgross@gmail.com.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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23

71

Harriet Beecher Stowe House U.S. Grant Birthplace 52

Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve

Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve

L A N CA ST ER Logan Elm

68

William 275 Henry Harrison CINCINNATI Tomb

70

33

35 75

Campus Martius M A RIET TA Museum Ohio River Museum

Story Mound

50

50 50

32

77

Big Bottom Memorial Park

Wahkeena Nature Preserve

Adena Mansion & Gardens

68

Fort Hill Earthworks & Nature Preserve

35 23

32

Leo Petroglyphs & Nature Preserve

41

Serpent Mound

Buckeye Furnace

32

U.S. Grant Davis Memorial Boyhood Home Nature Preserve & Schoolhouse PO RT SM O UT H John Rankin House

Our House Tavern

33

7

Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park

7 52

52

Learn more at ohiohistory.org/coop

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

7

Quaker Yearly John & Annie Meeting House & Glenn Museum Benjamin Lundy/ Free Labor Store National Road & Zane Grey Museum

Newark Earthworks N EWA RK

270

Fort Jefferson Memorial Park

McCook House

Custer Monument

33

Lockington Locks

Museum of Ceramics

Schoenbrunn Village

71 23

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency

11

7

70

Spreading GOOD EATS

BY MARGIE WUEBKER; LIGHTER FARE BY DIANE YOAKAM PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHERINE MURRAY

CHEER

Baking cookies is a ti me-honored — and delicious — holiday traditi on in households everywhere. While friends, neighbors, teachers, and co-workers always appreciate a plate full of the holiday treats, make sure to save some for Santa!

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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CHRISTMAS SNOWBALLS 1½ cups pecan halves 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar 1½ tsp. water 1½ tsp. vanilla extract ½ cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Place nuts in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Combine chopped nuts, flour, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat water and vanilla extract into butter mixture. Stir in nut/flour mixture until just combined. Scoop up rounded tablespoons of dough and roll dough between your palms to form balls. Place balls on ungreased baking sheets, leaving 1½ inches between each cookie. Bake cookies until cooked through but not dry (about 20 minutes). Remove cookies to cool completely.

Place confectioners’ sugar in a shallow dish. Roll snowballs in sugar to coat heavily. Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container 2 to 3 days, or place in the refrigerator to last longer. Makes about 24 cookies.

LIGHTER FARE

CHOCOLATE-MINT MERINGUE COOKIES 2 egg whites, at room temperature 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

2/3 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder ¼ cup crushed peppermint candies (optional)

Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites, peppermint extract, and cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form.

Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer one-fourth of the egg mixture to a separate bowl, and gently fold in the cocoa powder. Return cocoa mixture to original bowl, and gently fold the 2 mixtures together just enough to produce a marbled effect. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy if desired. Bake about 20 minutes or until firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 36 cookies.

Per serving: 30 calories, 1 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 g fiber, 0.2 g protein

LEMON MACAROONS 2 egg whites 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

1 Tbsp. lemon juice 2/3 cup sugar 11/3 cups coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in coconut. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake about 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies.

Per serving: 33 calories, 1.2 g total fat (1.1 g saturated fat), 0.3 g fiber, 0.4 g protein

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

LIGHTER FARE

HOLIDAY CANDY CANES 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2½ cups unbleached allpurpose flour

½ tsp. salt Red food coloring ¼ cup crushed peppermint candies (about 10 candies) ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract; beat until incorporated, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add flour and salt, mixing on low speed until dough comes together in a ball. Remove half of the dough from mixer and set aside. Add several drops of food coloring to the remaining dough and mix until color is uniformly red. Shape each portion of dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm — at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 level teaspoon of white dough into a 5-inch-long rope. Roll 1 level teaspoon of red dough into a 5-inch-long rope. Twist the ropes together and place on prepared baking sheets. Curve one end down to create a cane shape. Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies about 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Combine crushed peppermint candy and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Lightly brush cookies with egg white and sprinkle with crushed candy mixture.

Bake until the white parts of the cookies are just coloring, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Makes 16 canes.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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THE ENERGY EXPERT

BY PAT KEEGAN

WATER HEATER

EFFICIENCY AND MAINTENANCE

W

hen a water heater reaches a certain age, it can be easy to assume it’s living on borrowed time. It’s hard to say how long your water heater will last. Certified home inspectors estimate the life span to be about 10 years. Some manufacturers suggest 12 to 13 years, but it’s not unheard of for a water tank to last more than 40 years before the heating element finally gives out. That said, it’s wise to replace a water heater before it fails, because that failure can cause a lot of damage.

The life span of a conventional water heater (one with a tank) depends on factors such as the volume of water cycled through it, the hardness of the water, and the tank’s interior coating. There are a few warning signs that your tank or heating element may be failing: Water is leaking from the tank or pooling on the fl oor underneath it.

It’s important to regularly inspect your water heater, especially once it reaches about 10 years of service.

Rust, corrosion, or mineral deposits are forming around fi tti ngs or release valves.

The water temperature from your faucets is dropping.

Most experts believe that an important water heater maintenance practice is to drain the tank every year or two. However, Bruce Warnecke, energy services advisor at Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative in North Baltimore, says that if your tank has not been drained in the past 6 to 7 years, you should avoid doing so, because draining could remove sediment in a way that could cause a leak.

Here are a few simple steps to increase water-heater efficiency: Insulate the fi rst 6 to 10 feet of easily accessed hot water line.

If the tank is warm to the touch or is in a cold locati on like your garage, consider insulati ng it with a heater blanket. Check the owner’s manual fi rst, to make sure doing so won’t void the warranty. If you have a gas or propane water heater, be careful the blanket doesn’t block the unit’s air supply.

Insulating your water heater and keeping the temperature at 120 degrees or below are two ways to save money on your utility bill.

Keep your water temperature at 120 degrees or less.

This will help you save money on your heati ng bill.

Keep safety in mind. If you have a gas or propane water heater, pick up a carbon monoxide detector from the hardware store and install it near the heater.

Mineral deposits on pressure release valves or corrosion on fittings coming out of the water heater are signs of leakage that should be addressed.

18

Opportunities to save money on your hot water budget abound. Since showering accounts Installing a carbon monfor almost 17 percent of indoor water use, oxide detector near your you can save money by installing low-flow shower heads. Replacing older dishwashers and natural gas or propane water heater is a critical washing machines with more efficient models safety measure. will also reduce your energy bills. Finally, repair leaky faucets or toilets, as those drips can add up quickly.

PAT KEEGAN writes for Collaborative Efficiency, an energy communications company.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

BY BRIAN E. BARR, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Rate adjustments effective Jan. 1

Monthly service charge upped $2; time of day rate spread 3.5 cents The North Central Electric Board of Trustees revised the cooperative’s rate schedules at its October meeting, approving a $2 per month increase in the Basic Service Charge for the residential Time-of-Day rate.

Additionally, the rate spread between on-peak and off-peak rates on this rate schedule will increase by one-half cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Both adjustments will be effective Jan. 1 and will be reflected on members’ February electric bills.

The difference between on-peak and off-peak electric generation charges will increase from 3 to 3.5 cents per kWh. “The actual cost spread between on-peak and off-peak hours is between 3.5 to 4 cents per kWh,”NCE General Manager Markus Bryant said. “We are closing in on this target and should be able to maintain that 4-cent difference for a while as our power supplier, Buckeye Power, has forecast the rates to remain stable for some time. This, however, could change if regulatory changes are made that affect power costs.”

To reach that point, the cooperative has gradually increased the spread annually by one-half cent per kWh. This will mark the fifth consecutive year the spread between on-peak and off-peak kWh charges will increase by one-half cent.

This change in the difference between on-peak and off-peak generation charges is not a rate increase. When

the rate difference is altered, the on-peak rate increases while the off-peak rate decreases proportionately.

Bryant said, this change in the Time-of-Day rate better reflects the cost of power purchased from Buckeye Power, NCE’s wholesale power supplier. Onpeak hours refers to times when electricity demand is the highest and therefore more expensive. Off-peak hours occurs during periods of lower consumption, which is less expensive, he said.

“The Time-of-Day rate allows members to save some money on their electric bill by voluntarily shifting the time they run their appliances, such as a dishwasher, clothes washer, or dryer, to off-peak hours,” Bryant said.

Basic service charge The basic service charge will increase from $34 to $36. This fee has been adjusted annually the past nine years. To avoid “rate shock” the board opted to raise the monthly service gradually each year in $2 increments rather than moving directly to the full cost of having a service in place.

Members pay the basic service charge regardless of how much electricity is used each month. It offsets some of the fixed costs of providing electric service, such as the cost of poles, wires, transformers, and other necessary equipment. The increase in the monthly service charge allows the cooperative to keep pace with the ongoing maintenance and replacements to its 1,781 miles of distribution lines.

“Every year, we conduct a cost of service study to ensure these costs will be covered, allowing us to continue providing safe, reliable power at an affordable rate,” Bryant said.

North Central spends an average of $2 million annually replacing aging power lines and other electricity distribution equipment. “Preventive maintenance is the cheapest and best form of maintenance,” Bryant said. “We believe our members value system reliability.”

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

BY TERI LEASE, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

CAPITAL CREDITS

Capital credits refund on December bill About 12,500 North Central current and former members will receive their patronage capital credits refunds on their December bills. A refund totaling $599,174 was approved by the board.

Since 1980, more than $19.75 million has been returned to members.

“Refunding capital credits sets cooperatives like North Central apart from other utilities,” Board President Duane Frankart said. “The board believes by refunding margins we’re sending a positive message to our members that the co-op is financially stable and that their board is making sure we operate efficiently and effectively. Being a member

of the cooperative is the reason you receive capital credits while other people who are customers of investor-owned utilities, like AEP (American Electric Power) or FirstEnergy, do not.”

The total refund is down about 33 percent from 2016.

Director of Finance, Accounting and Customer Service William Dye explained there are two components to the refund — North Central’s portion and Buckeye Power’s portion. “The Buckeye Power 2017 refund was almost half of what it was in 2016. The cooperative portion of the refund increased slightly,” Dye said. Buckeye Power is the wholesale power supplier for North Central and is also a cooperative.

Capital credit

FAQs

Q: When can I expect to receive my capital credits refund?

A: Capital credits refunds of $99.99 or less will be credited to active members’ December electric bills. Capital credits refunds of $100 or more will be mailed as checks to active members in December. All payments to prior members will be mailed in December.

Q: Are capital credits taxable income?

A: Capital credits are a return of the previous year’s margins and are not taxable unless electricity is claimed as a business expense.

Q: Why do I get a capital credits refund?

A: Capital credits are each member’s share of margins determined by how much electricity was purchased during the year and the rate under which the member was billed. The return of capital credits sets electric cooperatives apart from other utilities. One of the seven cooperative principles is to operate on a not-forprofit basis by returning any net savings to members on the basis of their patronage.

Q: I am a new member. When will I start receiving capital credits refunds?

A: Most members will begin receiving a refund in the second full year of service. Refunds are issued each December, pending board approval.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

Q: How does the cooperative determine the amount of my capital credits refund?

A: The board of trustees determines and approves the total refund amount annually based on the cooperative’s margins. The board has to ensure the cooperative is financially stable to refund capital credits by working closely with the management team on financial planning.

Q: I have lost my capital credits check. Will the cooperative send me a new one?

A: The cooperative will be happy to replace lost refund checks. However, the cooperative does have to wait until after the original check has expired, which is 90 days. At that time, the cooperative will verify the check has not been cashed and forward the refund check information to the accounting department for replacement.

Q: I no longer live within the cooperative’s service territory. What happens to my capital credits?

A: Each member is entitled to continue receiving an annual capital credits refund based on the time he or she received service from North Central Electric Cooperative.

Please remember to notify the cooperative of all address changes to ensure prompt delivery of the refund.

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

The cooperative retains annual margins to provide working capital for new construction, equipment, and system improvements throughout the cooperative’s service area. If North Central’s revenue exceeds expenses for the year, the excess is retained as margins and is allocated back to the members on the basis of their patronage.

The amount of each member’s patronage is determined by how much electricity is purchased during the year, as well as the rate at which the member is billed. The longer a member remains with North Central, the more the total amount of the refund will increase if his or her use remains consistent.

Each year, the cooperative’s financial condition is examined by the board of trustees to determine the refund amount.

Review of Capital Credits Refunds Pre-2010 . . . $ 14,127,258 2010. . . . . . . . . .$ 746,423 2011 . . . . . . . . . .$ 707,530 2012. . . . . . . . . .$ 578,667 2013 . . . . . . . . . . $ 725,119 2014. . . . . . . . . $ 689,373 2015. . . . . . . . . .$ 693,150 2016. . . . . . . . . .$ 891,446 2017 . . . . . . . . . .$ 599,174 Total. . . . . . . $ 19,758,140

Graduating Seniors: Have you overcome unique and significant personal challenges our your on your way to academic excellence?

FOR RULES AND APPLICATIONS: Visit ncelec.org Call the cooperative at 1-800-426-3072 Stop by the cooperative office Pick them up from your guidance counselor Deadline to apply: Jan. 19, 2018

You could earn $1,500 in scholarships in the ®

Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship

Program!

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

20A

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

YOUTH PROGRAMS

North Central Electric’s

Children of Members

SCHOLARSHIP North Central Electric Cooperative is committed to enhancing the quality of life in our community.

One way to provide this is to offer scholarships.

To be eligible, the scholarship applicant’s parent/guardian must be receiving electric service from NCE and be a member, not an employee or member of the board of trustees. The applicant must be a graduating high school senior, who will be enrolling in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or fouryear college, university, or vocational technical school for the upcoming fall term.

First Place Scholarships

North Central offers male and female, first place $3,000, and second place $2,000 scholarships for students enrolling in an accredited four year college or university.

Scholarships are based on academic achievement, personal statement, and community activities. The deadline is Jan. 19, 2018.

MALE $3,000

Second Place Scholarships

FEMALE $3,000

MALE $2,000 FEMALE $2,000

One of the two first-place winners will be eligible to earn up to $3,600 in additional scholarship funds from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives. He or she will travel to Columbus in April for the statewide scholarship competition.

TO OBTAIN RULES AND APPLICATIONS FOR THE

CHILDREN OF MEMBERS SCHOLARSHIP: Visit ncelec.org Call the cooperative at 419-426-3072 or 800-426-3072 Stop by the cooperative office Pick one up from your guidance counselor

Deadline to apply: Jan. 19, 2018 20B

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

:

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

SPECIAL REPORT

HIGH WINDS LEAD TO OUTAGES The storm on Nov. 5 produced high winds leading to power outages across Crawford, Seneca, and Richland counties. The winds brought down trees and limbs which brought down the powerlines.

Nearly 500 North Central Electric members were without power, some as long as seven hours.

Crews worked as quickly and safely as possible to restore power. They removed trees from the powerlines, repaired primary and secondary lines, and replaced broken poles. This is the reason the cooperative is so aggressive at maintaining the system, and, when possible, trimming or removing trees near power lines.

North Central line crews restored power Sunday night and early Monday. The cooperative then sent mutual aid to its federation partner, Lorain-Medina Rural Electric (LMRE) in Wellington. The three,

two-man bucket truck crews helped restore power for individual outages throughout LMRE’s service area.

The NCE crews worked with an assigned LMRE crew member until 11 p.m. on Nov. 6.

The cooperative’s call center, Cooperative Response Center, handled phone calls from NCE members Sunday night. Calls can be expedited if members keep their contact information up to date with the cooperative. Many members have dropped their landlines and are using cell phones.

The member’s phone number is entered into the cooperative’s database and is tied to the member’s account number. When the member contacts the call center during periods of heavy outages, the outage can be automatically tagged to their location based on the phone number, without even talking to the customer service representative.

Our automated system can instantly match your phone number with your account location. Update your account information today!

Return this form with your bill payment.

Update My Account Information North Central Electric Account # ___________________________________________________________ Member Name (as it appears on the bill) ___________________________________________________ Service Address ______________________________________________________________________________ City ___________________ State ______Zip _________Township ___________________________________ Billing Address (if different from above) ____________________________________________________ City ___________________ State ______Zip _________Township ___________________________________ Phone Number _______________________________________________________________________________ Cell Phone(s) _______________________________

________________________________________________

Please specify exactly what information related to your account needs to be changed. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

20C

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

Show us your lights this holiday season Show us your lights on our Facebook page!

We’re looking for the best Christmas lights displays in the North Central service area.

Message us your Christmas lighting display on Facebook and we will share it on our page.

The member with the most likes from others will recieve a North Central Electric Christmas gift.

Find us on Facebook, @NorthCentralElectric

Holiday Utility Gift card: The perfect gift Looking for the perfect gift idea for that hard-to-buy-for person on your gift list? Give him or her a Holiday Utility Gift (HUG) card. A HUG card credits the utility account of any North Central Electric member.

Instead of working like traditional gift certificates, which can get lost or become obsolete if the store or restaurant goes out of business, a HUG card is a credit placed directly on the recipient’s account.

When you purchase a HUG card, the amount of your purchase is automatically deducted from the recipient’s next bill. You receive a gift certificate to present to the recipient to let them know you bought them a HUG card. The recipient does not need to take any action when presented with the HUG card.

HUGs are especially ideal for families in need, senior citizens, grandparents and parents, newlyweds, and child care providers. HUGs also make a great gift for churches, nonprofits, and social service organizations that struggle to manage routine operating expenses throughout the year.

20D

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

IN THE COMMUNITY

Lenny Clouse, former co-op board member, earns Seneca County Citizenship Award Lenny Clouse and Clouse Construction received the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizenship Award at its 103rd Annual Meeting in October. The annual meeting highlights individual and collective achievements in the community and reviews the accomplishments of the organization.

profession, volunteerism, and community service; and personal qualities including high ethical and moral standards.

Clouse of Seneca Township near New Riegel, is president of Clouse Construction. He is a former member of the North Central Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees, representing District 6.

The award is presented to a community member who exhibits success in their

St. Bernard School experiments with energy efficiency

Energy Services Advisor Andrew Finton visited Mary Obringer’s class at St. Bernard School in New Washington in October.

The newest Be E3 Smart school sponsored

by North Central, Finton explored energy education/career opportunities and answered energy efficiency questions. He showed them the thermal imaging camera he uses on energy audits that highlights changes in temperature and enables him to identify areas of air infiltration and lack of insulation.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

21

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE LOCAL PAGES

MEMBERS’ MARKETPLACE The Members’ Marketplace is a free service to North Central Electric Cooperative members. Ads must be submitted IN WRITING (phone calls will not be accepted) to the cooperative office by the 20th of the month and will be printed on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as space is available. Due to space limitations, new submissions will be given priority over duplicate submissions. Please keep in mind that this is a monthly magazine, and all information is collected at least one full month prior to printing.

For Sale • Dry firewood. 419-426-2871. 2-foot by 4-foot

garden trailer with drop sides, attaches to a rider lawnmower, $45; large wheelbarrow with metal frame and hands, $45; riding John Deere pedal tractor, $35. 419-448-0333 • ADGA registered Nigerian Dwarf goats.

419-443-0091 • Rainbow series E sweeper, $150; 2003 Harley Davidson street glide, 8,000 miles, $5,800.

419-492-2813 • Three unit locker, 78 inches high by 18 inches deep by 46 inches wide, $25; four steel wheels,

two 28 inch diameter, two 32 inch diameter, $30 each; 23-inch iron kettle, $100; 1920 barber chair, $500. 419-937-2703 • Hempy Water osmosis system or drinking water system, like new. 419-435-1068 • Winegard HD8200 Platinum series long range outdoor TV antenna. 419-443-5377

Wanted • Clean, in good condition wine bottles or glass gallon jugs. 419-426-1121

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The office is closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

Emergency service is available at 1-800-426-3072 or 419-426-3072.

NORTH CENTRAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

GENERAL MANAGER

Rodney P. Snavely

LOCAL PAGES EDITORS Terry F. Mazzone, CCC, Director of Communications, Member and Community Relations Teri E. Lease, Communications Manager Brian E. Barr, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing

CONTACT 800-426-3072 | 419-426-3072 www.ncelec.org

President, District 7

OFFICE 350 Stump Pike Road P.O. Box 475 Attica, Ohio 44807

Treasurer, District 2

WEEKDAY OFFICE HOURS 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

24-hour night depository access

Vice President, District 4

Steven J. Seitz

Kevin E. Bishop Secretary, District 1

Dennis W. Schindler

Markus I. Bryant

Trustee, District 2

Ronald P. Frisch Facebook “f ” Logo

HAVE A STORY SUGGESTION? E-mail your ideas to: nce@fesco-oh.org

22

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Duane E. Frankart

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

CMYK / .eps

Trustee, District 5

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Nick W. Wagner IV Trustee, District 3

Randall D. Armstrong Trustee, District 1

Michael P. Scherger Trustee, District 6

BILL PAYMENT STATIONS Bascom Telephone Co. - Bascom, First Bank - Bloomville, Commercial Savings Bank - Carey, First Citizens National Bank - Carey, Civista - New Washington, First National Bank - McCutchenville & Sycamore, Tiffin Farmers Co-op - Tiffin, Discount Drug Mart - Upper Sandusky & Willard, Rock Run Bulk Foods - Tiffin

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO HIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO P OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO HIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO P OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP CO OP OHIO CO-OP NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE STATE O-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO HIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO CO-OP OHIO

LCEC welcomes 400 fourth-graders for electrifying experience Logan County Electric Cooperative recently hosted 400 fourth-graders from local Logan County schools participating in the Touchstone Energy Top of Ohio Ag Tour for an interactive, hands-on electrical education experience at the co-op’s office in Bellefontaine.

Students learned about renewable energy while standing inches away from LCEC’s OurSolar array, rode energy bikes to learn how power is generated and the effort it takes to sustain it, and wore linemen’s gloves to use a hot stick. The finale included watching the LCEC operations crew give a live wire safety demonstration that resulted in arcs of electricity, flashes of light, and flames.

Mid-Ohio Energy gifts ‘Friday Night Lights’ to local school The Kenton- and Marion-based electric cooperative, MidOhio Energy, has been a longtime partner with Ridgedale Local School District, working with administration on energy projects such as an LED upgrade of security lights around the parking lot and the installation of new football field lights.

To celebrate the partnership, Ridgedale High School hosted Mid-Ohio Energy Night, where the co-op presented the school with a $1,000 check to cover the cost of powering the football facilities for the 2017 home season. The co-op also treated attendees to vouchers for the school’s concession stand, where each voucher redeemed earned the school an additional donation from Mid-Ohio Energy to the athletic boosters.

South Central sends veteran to No Barriers Summit U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Craig Nicholson of Lithopolis attended the No Barriers Warriors Summit in Lake Tahoe in June, thanks to a partnership between South Central Power Company and its lender, CoBank.

The event is designed for disabled veterans and features inspirational speakers, cutting-edge innovations, and transformative experiences like hiking, extreme kite flying, and falconry.

Nicholson learned what “no barriers” meant on a 5-mile hike he signed up for, which began at an elevation of 6,200 feet and increased to 7,000 feet. Thanks to the use of an all-terrain wheelchair, Nicholson was able to overcome obstacles including rocks, snow, and mud.

Unfortunately, the wheelchair’s battery died a mile into the hike, but in true No Barriers spirit, the other participants joined together and pulled Nicholson’s chair the rest of the way up — dog-sled style.

“This trip showed me that there really are no barriers,” Nicholson said.

“Nothing is in our way — it’s just what’s inside us that’s the barrier.”

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

23

BY KRIS WETHERBEE; PHOTOS BY RICK WETHERBEE

IN THE GARDEN

WINTER BLOOMS

Enjoy springtime splendor long before winter wanes by forcing branches to bloom indoors This time of year finds many of us looking to brighten up the cold and gloomy days of winter. And there’s no better way to jump-start spring than with flowering branches from your garden or yard.

With just a little coaxing, you can fill your indoors with a profusion of colorful blooms by forcing spring-flowering branches to bloom weeks ahead of schedule.

Branches from a variety of dormant spring-flowering trees and shrubs can be forced indoors into early bloom. Great options include dogwood, eastern redbud, flowering cherry, forsythia, hawthorn, lilac, pussy willow, serviceberry, spirea, and witch hazel.

Forcing basics Spring-flowering trees and shrubs need at least 4 to 6 weeks of cold weather to ensure spring blooming success. After plants have received the required “chill period,” you can begin cutting branches once flower buds appear. Depending on the tree or shrub, this usually takes place from January through March.

Making the cut You will need a sharp pair of pruning shears, a bucket or pail, an armful of branches from any dormant spring-blooming tree or shrub, and a decorative vase for displaying cut branches.

Wait for a somewhat sunny day that’s above freezing to cut and gather your branches. For best results, choose younger branches that are 12 to 18 inches long with plenty of plump flower buds, then cut each branch at a slight angle. Cut more than you think you will need, as there will always be a few that fail to bloom.

Bring your bucket of branches to a sheltered location, such as a garage, mudroom, basement, or indoor room, away from direct sunlight. The key to kick-starting the forcing process is to fill your bucket of branches with warm water and let them soak for several hours or overnight. Doing so will break their dormancy and bring them out of winter hibernation.

Enjoy the show The next day, fill your decorative vase from half to three-fourths full of warm water. One by one, trim 1 to 2 inches off the bottom of each stem and remove any buds or twigs that would be submerged in the vase. Make sure to stagger the heights for added dimension and appeal. The more you use, the more spectacular the show.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

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BY JAMIE RHEIN

CHUGGING ALONG ’Tis the season to check out whimsical, creative model train displays around the state Applied Imagination, Cincinnati and Columbus Through scenes of fairy tale dwellings, and city landmarks that look as if elves came from a forest to create them, Applied Imagination’s trains are a nationwide hit. Ohio native Paul Busse, the company’s founder, made his first public garden train from natural materials for the Ohio State Fair in 1982.

Botanical gardens in Washington, D.C., New York, and Chicago boast Busse’s brand of holiday magic, but Ohioans only need to go as far as Cincinnati and Columbus to experience the wizardry.

In Busse’s world, magnolia and eucalyptus leaves are shingles, and grapevine tendrils are wrought-iron embellishments. Acorn caps, seed pods, and bark create intricate buildings that hearken to yesteryear.

At Cincinnati’s Krohn Conservatory, the display features replicas of three local landmarks — Union Terminal, the Music Hall, and the Krohn Conservatory itself. Two of Busse’s displays run within minutes of one another in Columbus. The display at the main branch of the Metropolitan Library features a castle atop a mountain with a waterfall and a Bavarian 26

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

village below. Here, the inspiration is Bernkastel and Rothenberg, Germany. Close by, Franklin Park Conservatory hosts a trip through childhood where Rapunzel’s tower and the Three Little Pigs’ houses are neighbors to the Old Woman’s shoe.

No matter the display, trains move through scenery on multiple tracks from knee-level to well above arm’s reach in a whimsical game of now-you-see-usnow-you-don’t.

Hayes Train Special, Fremont When Rutherford B. Hayes traveled to the West Coast by train in 1880, he was the first sitting U.S. president to make the trip. At Spiegel Grove, the 19th president’s 25-acre estate, the holiday train display pays tribute to his love of train travel.

Along three levels of tracks that wind through Victorian-era scenery reminiscent of when Hayes was in office, G-gauge and O-gauge trains chug past nostalgia. Tiny ice-skaters on a pond, a Ferris wheel, and a musical carousel turn in holiday cheer.

Nearby, a horse-drawn sleigh is being loaded with a Christmas tree, and light from the buildings’ miniature windows cast a glow on cottony snow.

As the trains appear and disappear through tunnels, interactive buttons set parts in motion.

Crossing guards lift, red lights flash, and a signal man steps out from his post. The favorite button makes a train whistle blow. Even adults can’t resist. Laughs Christina Smith, the marketing director, “The front desk knows when I’m going by. I blow the whistle.”

Kettering Tower Holiday Train, Dayton During the holidays, Kettering Tower’s lobby becomes a place of childhood delight where Dayton’s past becomes memories of the present.

Through scenes reminiscent of when the Wright Brothers owned their bicycle shop, three G-scale trains pass each other on their way through a hillside tunnel and around curves of 300 feet of oval tracks that weave through Dayton’s history.

Edged with lit-up period street lamps and evergreen trees, the buildings include a replica of Requarth Lumber, a Dayton fixture since 1860.

Small milled lumber planks dot the lumberyard where workers add an aura of bustle to the Victorian-era scene.

The holiday train display at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums draws upon the 19th president’s well-known love of train travel to evoke a sense of nostalgia in young and old alike.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

27

Virginia Kettering, a Dayton philanthropic powerhouse who started Dayton’s Holiday Festival in 1972, added the model train display more than 20 years ago. Kettering, who believed the excitement of the season should be shared by everyone and be free of charge, gifted the display to the city. When the building is closed, the train is visible through Kettering Tower’s plate glass windows.

EnterTRAINment Junction, West Chester Boasting 2 miles of train tracks and 90 moving trains in the world’s largest indoor G-scale train display, EnterTRAINment Junction celebrates train history year-round. Here’s where childhood memories are made every day of the week.

At left, the Huntington Holiday Train at the main branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library delights visitors with its whimsical, multilevel set.

At right, Cincinnati’s Krohn Conservatory hosts another of the three major Paul Busse-designed layouts displayed in Ohio during the holidays.

28

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

During the holidays, train love is multiplied when 12 trains wind through wintery wonderlands of snow-dusted evergreens and Victorian-style buildings. Houses festooned with tiny Christmas wreaths, shops with miniature signs, and buildings reminiscent of a Candy Land game are centerpieces of good cheer.

Running along elaborate configurations of raised tracks, bridges, and tunnels, passenger, locomotive, and freight trains appear and disappear over, under, and past one another in a whizzing version of hide-and-seek.

Above left, EnterTRAINment Junction has sets on display year-round, but goes all-out for the holiday season; above right, the late Dayton philanthropist Virginia Kettering admires the display she donated to her community.

Each December, Neil Young’s O-gauge model train display is part of the celebration. Young showed his train around the United States before he gave it to EnterTRAINment Junction for its collection.

Continued on Page 30

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Continued from Page 29

If You Go

Krohn Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Dr. in Cincinnati ’s Eden Park, 513-352-4080. On display through January 7. Open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; special holiday hours: Nov. 25, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dec. 24, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Dec. 25, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Adults $7, youth (5-17) $4, children (4 and under) free.

Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus, info@ fpconservatory.org, 614-715-8000.

On display through Jan. 3. Open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m., though open unti l 9 p.m. in December except Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day. Adults $14, seniors $11, children (3-12) $7, 2 and under free.

Columbus Metropolitan Library, main branch, 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, 614-645-2275. On display through Dec. 29 during regular library hours, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 1–5 p.m.

Sunday; closed Dec. 24, 25, 26, and 31 and Jan. 1 and 2. Free.

Morton_OHCountryLiv_12.17.qxp_Layout 1 10/19/17 5:00 PM Page 1

Kettering Tower Holiday Train, 40 N. Main St., Suite 1550, Dayton, 937224-1518. On display through Jan. 2, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Monday– Friday, viewable through the window 24 hours a day. Free.

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Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center and Museum, Spiegel Grove, Fremont, 419-332-2081. On display Nov. 24–Jan. 6, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Monday–Saturday, closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Adults $7.50, seniors $6.50, children (6-12) $3, 5 and under free.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

EnterTRAINment Junction, 7379 Squire Ct., West Chester, 877898-4656. On display year-round; extended hours Dec. 9–30, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday–Saturday, noon–9 p.m. Sunday; but closes 4 p.m. Dec. 24 and Jan. 31, and closed Dec. 25. Adults $13.95, seniors (65+) $11.95, children (3-12) $9.95, 2 and under free.

It’s Christmastime in the City

BY DAMAINE VONADA

Ohio’s major cities host a variety of signature holiday events. Some are old favorites as nostalgic and treasured as a childhood Christmas stocking.

Others are as shiny and exciting as a new toy.

But all are sure to delight this Christmas and kindle memories for Christmases yet to come.

Cincinnati As the heart of downtown, Fountain Square is Cincinnati’s holly-jolly hub. Its ice rink hosts Santa Skates, and during Macy’s Downtown Dazzle, Mrs. Claus reads stories while Santa forgets about chimneys and rappels from an office tower to herald Saturday night fireworks. Channeling Cincinnati’s German heritage, Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt captures the pleasures of Germany’s Advent markets with roasted almonds, mulled wine, and jagdhorn concerts. http://myfountainsquare.com; www. cincinnatiusa. com/events/macys-downtown-dazzle; www. cincideutsch.com

Taft Museum of Art’s Antique Christmas The mansion where William Howard Taft accepted his presidential nomination provides a handsome and historic setting for a gem of a museum with outstanding decorative arts collections. Its antique decorations and toys exhibit contains Lionel trains, hosts of angels, and exquisite ornaments that convey erstwhile Christmas artistry.

COURTESY TAFT MUSEUM OF ART

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY CINCINNATIUSA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Fountain Square’s Festivities

www.taftmuseum.org

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

31

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE

Cleveland No wonder the house where A Christmas Story was filmed ranks among Cleveland’s top attractions. From the front window’s leg lamp to a Red Rider rifle, it’s chock-full of props, costumes, and memorabilia. Movie fans can even spend the night in Ralphie’s and Randy’s twin beds. www.achristmasstoryhouse.com

ROGER MASTROIANNI

A Christmas Story House & Museum

www.clevelandplayhouse.com; www.greatlakestheater.org

Nela Park’s Holiday Lighting Showcase Started in 1925, the holiday spectaculars at GE Lighting’s campus-like headquarters in Nela Park are an iconic Cleveland tradition. This year’s “Melodies & Memories” theme features vignettes inspired by Christmas songs along Noble Road, and for the first time since 1959, Friday evening visitors can enter Nela Park to enjoy a retrospective of past displays. www.facebook.com/GELighting

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s Polar Express It’s okay to wear pajamas on this enchanting journey based on the book The Polar Express. Santa boards the train at Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s “North Pole,” and pint-sized passengers receive sleigh bells. Tip: Since this ride often sells out, check the CVSR website for cancellations. www.cvsr.com

32

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

COURTESY CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

Cleveland’s Playhouse Square theater district delivers a double Yuletide treat. The Cleveland Play House’s A Christmas Story presents a heart-warming production about one boy’s wish, and audiences get a bedazzling bonus: the Allen Theatre’s Festival of Trees. Great Lakes Theater stages A Christmas Carol at the Ohio Theatre. Its one-of-a-kind adaptation has ghostly special effects, and the Cleaveland family’s cantankerous servant conjures Scrooge.

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Columbus Ohio Village’s Dickens of a Christmas Imagine strolling through a Victorian village on a frosty evening, sipping wassail, and listening to “The First Noel” and other time-honored carols. The Ohio History Connection’s living history museum re-creates “Christmas á la” Dickens with storied dinners, buffets, and decorations. www.ohiohistory.org/Dickens

Gardens Aglow This year’s holiday show at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens evokes mid-century America with pink and blue horticultural displays reminiscent of aluminum and pastel-colored Christmas trees. Oldfashioned Christmas bulbs bathe evergreens in retro hues on the Conservatory terraces, and “trees” cleverly created from glass ornaments blown in-house deck the Courtyard. www.fpconservatory.org

Holiday Lights at Columbus Commons and Scioto Mile Thanks to two different but complementary displays, Columbus hosts the ultimate downtown lighting tour.

Some 300,000 lights make Columbus Commons totally merry and bright, while thousands of additional lights cascade though Scioto Mile’s extensive parklands. Tip: Quickly connect to both events by walking down Town Street to view vintage “Twelve Days of Christmas” window displays in the old Lazarus department store building. www.columbuscommons.org; www.columbus. gov; www.sciotomile.com

State Auto’s Christmas Corner In 1931, State Auto’s founder began decorating the insurance company headquarters as a gift to the community. Today, Christmas Corner is one of Columbus’s most enduring holiday traditions with giant wreaths festooning State Auto’s building; choirs singing joyful tunes; and a Nativity with life-sized figures. www. stateauto.com/Christmas

Opposite page, from top: Visitors admire the festive decorations at the Allen Theatre’s Festival of Trees; the Cleaveland family enjoys their own holiday tradition in the Great Lakes Theater’s production of A Christmas Carol; the Polar Express prepares for a trip through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; Flick sticks his tongue to the flagpole in the infamous scene from A Christmas Story in the Cleveland Play House’s production.

This page: Franklin Park Conservatory gets all dressed up for the holidays with Gardens Aglow; Ohio History Center brings the Dickens vision of Christmas to life; 300,000 lights give Columbus Commons a glow of holiday cheer.

COURTESY COLUMBUS DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORP.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

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Top: Toledo’s Hensville district boasts a spectacular display to wow holiday shoppers; Below: The Toledo Zoo brings out hundreds of glowing aniumal lights to complement the glorious Big Tree during the holiday season.

Toledo Toledo Zoo’s Lights Before Christmas Northwest Ohio’s beloved holiday lights show features a glorious “Big Tree,” hundreds of glowing animal images, Ice Slide rides, reindeer, and the zoo’s famous hot chocolate and fudge. www.toledozoo.org

Hensville Lights

Wildwood Preserve Metropark’s Holidays in the Manor House Dozens of different displays adorn every nook and cranny of the Champion Spark Plug co-founder’s Georgian Colonial mansion. Be sure to see the basement’s model trains and the courtyard’s fanciful fairy garden. www.metroparkstoledo.com

34

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

COURTESY DESTINATION TOLEDO

Located near the stadium where the Mud Hens play baseball, the new Hensville entertainment district transforms Hensville Park and the rehabbed buildings that now house pubs and restaurants into a fantasy of gleaming lights and good cheer. www.hensvilletoledo.com

Holiday traditions We asked our readers to share on social media some of the wackiest holiday traditions they’ve come across; here’s a sampling: “I’m from England and my husband is from America, so the kids get a traditional American stocking and a British stocking, which is a leg of pantyhose stuffed with candy, fruit, and toys. Our tradition is carried on from when I was young and my parents were young, where we empty everything out of the pantyhose and pull it over our head for a picture with our siblings. LOL. We’re still doing it today with our kids.”

Brooke Singleton, via Facebook “I started a new tradition a few years back. We call it Grinch Night! We watch both Grinch movies, and I make green food, green chocolate chip cookies, and green drinks! We all look forward to it every year!”

Nikki Huddleston, via Facebook “We have our kids sit on the stairs Christmas morning to wait for us to get out of bed so they can open presents. It’s quite impressive since we have 9 kids! I wonder if we will ever run out of steps!”

Karah Shininger, via Facebook “A classmate of mine buys a real tree every year, then when they go to take it down, they cut off a slice, engrave the year into it, and make it into an ornament!”

Olivia Thiel, via Facebook

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37

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11/8/17 3:58 PM

DECEMBER 2017 CALENDAR

NORTHWEST

THROUGH FEB. 2018 – “Glorious Splendor: Treasures of Early Christian Art,” Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo. Features some 30 masterpieces of Late Roman art: precious stones, metals, and jewelry. 419-255-8000 or www.toledomuseum.org/exhibitions.

NOV. 29–DEC. 7 – Christmas Tree Festival, Allen Co. Museum, 620 W. Market St., Lima, Wed./Thur./Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. 419-222-9426 or www.allencountymuseum.org.

DEC. 1–26 – Lake of Lights, Saulisbery Park, 13344 St. Rte. 67 W., Kenton, 6–9 p.m. $5 per car. Special events on Sat. and Sun. evenings. 419-675-2547 or www.facebook.com/LakeOfLights/.

DEC. 1–30 – North Pole Express, 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, Fri./Sat. 5–9 p.m., Sun. 5–8 p.m. $3, C. $2. Closed Christmas Eve, open Christmas Day. Take a ride on a quarter-scale locomotive through our festive decorated property, see operating model trains, and see Santa and Mrs. Claus (on select days). 419-4232995 or http://nworrp.org.

DEC. 1–31 – Firelands Festival of Lights, Sawmill Creek Resort, 400 Sawmill Creek Dr. (off U.S. 6), Huron, 5–10 p.m. Free drive-

NORTHEAST

through light display. 800-729-6455, 419-433-3800 (ext. 784), or www.facebook.com/FirelandsFestivalOfLights.

DEC. 9 – Concert: “Bells, Brass, and Bows,” 7 Town Square, Lima, 7:30 p.m. $25/$30. The Lima Symphony Orchestra and the Lima Symphony Chorus join together in this beloved holiday DEC. 1–31 – Lights Before Christmas, Toledo Zoo, 2 Hippo Way, classic featuring traditional favorites, sacred carols, and familiar Toledo, Sun.–Thur. 3–8 p.m., Fri./Sat. 3–9 p.m. $14–$17, under standards. 419-222-5701 or www.limasymphony.com.

2 free. 419-385-5721 or www.toledozoo.org.

DEC. 9 – Christmas Carousel Ride-a-Thon, Merry-Go-Round DEC. 1–JAN. 7 – Hayes Train Special Exhibit, R.B. Hayes Library Museum, 301 Jackson St., Sandusky, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 419-626and Museums, Spiegel Grove, 1337 Hayes Ave., Fremont, Mon.– 6111 or www.merrygoroundmuseum.org.

Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. $7.50, Srs. $6.50, C. (6–12) $3.

An operating model train display runs through an intricate Victorian DEC. 10 – Concert: “Wassail! An Olde English Christmas,” holiday scene. Interactive buttons allow visitors to control aspects of Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St., the trains’ movements. 419-332-2081 or www.rbhayes.org.

Findlay, 3 p.m. Free. The University of Findlay Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will join to present their annual Christmas DEC. 2 – Christmas in the Village, Main St., Mt. Blanchard, 3–7 concert, featuring a variety of well-known holiday songs from the p.m. Holiday parade, Santa’s House, kids’ activities and crafts, British Isles. 330-595-4650 or http://marathoncenterarts.org. storytelling from Santa’s favorite elves, horse-drawn wagon rides, and more. Fun for the whole family! 419-422-3315 or DEC. 16 – Train Town Show and Swap Meet, Allen Co. Fgds., https://visitfindlay.com/event/.

2750 Harding Hwy., Lima, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. $5, under 12 free. Free parking and handicap accessible. Vendors, railway fan items, DEC. 2, 8, 9 – Holiday Lantern Tours: “A 1920s Christmas,” toy trains, and operating layouts. Food service will be available.

Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 4–8:30 p.m. Reserva- 419-228-7141. tions required. Experience American Christmas traditions of the 1920s. 800-590-9755 or www.saudervillage.org.

DEC. 16 – Ugly Christmas Sweater 5K Run and Walk, 300 S. Main St., Gibsonburg, starts at 9 a.m. Entry fee is a new and DEC. 3 – A 1940s Nutcracker, Marathon Center for the Perunwrapped toy or nonperishable food item for local families in forming Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay, 2 and 7 p.m. The need. Awards to the adult male, adult female, boy, and girl with beloved holiday class re-imagined in 1940s Findlay, Ohio. 330the ugliest sweaters! 419-637-2634 or www.gibsonburgohio.org.

595-4650 or http://marathoncenterarts.org.

DEC. 17 – Upper Valley Community Orchestra Concert, St. DEC. 3 – Christmas Village Craft Show, Ridgeville American John’s Lutheran Church, 120 W. Water St., Sidney, 3 p.m. 937Legion, S031 Co. Rd. 19, Ridgeville Corners, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. $1. 638-1466.

This juried craft show features 36 excellent area crafters and has been going strong for over 20 years. 419-267-3898.

DEC. 18 – Upper Valley Community Orchestra Concert, Temperance Masonic Lodge, 303 E. Poplar St., Sidney, 7 p.m.

DEC. 7–10, 14–17 – Winter Wonderland Light Display, Sandusky 937-638-1466.

Co. Fgds., 901 Rawson Ave., Fremont. $1 per person or donation of 1 nonperishable food item. Kids under 12 free. Drive-thru only DEC. 26–31 – Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides at Spiegel Grove, Thurs. and Sun., 6–8 p.m. Walk-thru only Fri. and Sat., 6–9 p.m.

1337 Hayes Ave., Fremont, 1–4 p.m. $3, under 3 free. 419-332419-332-5604 or www.sanduskycountyfair.com.

2081 or www.rbhayes.org.

DEC. 1–30 – International Tree and Model Train Display, Black River Transportation Ctr., 421 Black River Lane, Lorain, Fri./Sat. 5–9 p.m., Sun. 3–7 p.m. Free. http://lorainwinterfest.com.

DEC. 1–JAN. 7, 2018 – Steubenville Nutcracker Village and Advent Market, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville. Free. See the world’s largest collection of life-size nutcrackers on display at Fort Steuben Park. 866-301-1787 or www.steubenvillenutcrackervillage.com.

DEC. 2 – Christmas Down on the Farm, Tis the Season and Schrock’s Amish Farm, 4363 St. Rte. 39, Berlin. Bring the kids out for sleigh rides, gingerbread house decorating, Christmas cutout cookies, great food, and much more! 330-893-3232 or www.tistheseasonchristmas.com.

DEC. 1–2, 5–9, 13–16 – Our Christmas Dinner, Ohio Star Theater, Dutch Valley, 1387 Old Rte. 39, Sugarcreek. 855-344-7547 or www.dhgroup.com/theater.

DEC. 1–3, 7–10, 14–23, 26–30 – Deck the Hall, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, 5–8 p.m. $7–$22, under 6 free. One of Ohio’s largest and most spectacular holiday traditions. The estate is illuminated inside and out with over 1 million lights, and the historic Manor House is decorated in style for the season. Enjoy live music, sweet treats, and much more. 888-836-5533 or www.stanhywet.org/ events/deck-hall-2017.

DEC. 1–3, 8–10 – Candlelight Holiday Tours of Malabar Farm, 4050 Bromfield Rd., Lucas, Fri./Sat. 5–9 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m.

Tour Louis Bromfield’s Big House, all decked out for the holidays. $5, C. (6–17) $4, under 6 free. 419-892-2784 or www. malabarfarm.org/events/.

CENTRAL

DEC. 2 – Christmas in the Alpaca Barn, 16800 Cowley Rd., Grafton, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Come and enjoy an up-close look at these wonderful peaceful creatures. 440-477-4300 or www. ourlittleworldalpacas.com.

DEC. 2 – Christmas Potluck Dinner, Richland County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society Meeting, OGS Library, 611 St. Rte. 97, Bellville, 1 p.m. Free and open to the public. Bring a dish to share. Table service and drinks provided. 419-5664560, sunda1960@yahoo.com, or www.rootsweb.ancestry. com/~ohrichgs/.

DEC. 2–3 – Christmas in Zoar, 198 Main St., Zoar. $8, 12 and under free. Musical entertainment, horse-drawn wagon rides, juried craft show, and tours of decorated museum buildings.

Church service and tree lighting ceremony Sat. only. 800-2626195 or www.historiczoarvillage.com.

DEC. 9–10 – “Breath of Heaven” Live Nativity, St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 15617 Mason Rd., Vermilion, 4–8 p.m., workshop; and lots more! Featuring our candlelight dinner with live music. Cost for dinner is $15 for adults, $8 for children. Prepaid reservations requested; cost is higher at the door. 740-653-2119 or www.lancastercampground.com.

DEC. 1–3 – Christmas at the Palace, Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, Fri./Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. $12–$18. Join us this year when your friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors take center stage to share the warmth and wonder of the holidays in song and dance, instrumental solos and group numbers, heartfelt vignettes, silly sketches, and more. 740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.

DEC. 1–2 – Lancaster Camp Ground Christmas Walk, 2151 W. Fair Ave., Lancaster, 4–8 p.m. Tours of cottages and historical buildings; Nativity drama; holiday shopping; Santa’s

38

COMPILED BY COLLEEN ROMICK CLARK

DEC. 1–25 – Christmas by Candlelight, Marion Co. Fgds., 220 E. Fairground St., Marion, Thur.–Sun. 6–10 p.m., open daily Christmas week. $6 per car. Marion’s only drive-through holiday light display featuring animated characters. Live Nativity on Sat. and Sun. nights. 740-382-2558 or www. marioncountyfairgrounds.com.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

walk-throughs every 15 minutes. Free. Canned food donations for local food banks are welcome. 440-225-9775.

DEC. 10 – Christmas Train and Toy Show, Lakeland Community College (AFC) Main Gym, 7700 Clocktower Dr., Kirtland, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. $6, Family $15, C. (6–12) $3, under 6 free. Active military free. Over 200 dealers with model trains of all gauges, antique toys, and diecast toys. Meet Santa Claus,12:30–2 p.m. 440-256-8141, cleveshows@att.net, or www.christmastrainshow.com.

DEC. 10 – Massillon Train and Toy Show, 988 Cherry Rd. NW, Massillon, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $5, under 13 free. Free parking. 150 dealer tables. All gauges and parts, running layouts, farm and vintage toys, diecast models, NASCAR items, and more. Food and drink available. www.cjtrains.com.

DEC. 10 – Winter Festival of Crafts, Franciscan Center at Lourdes University, 6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Pick up that last-minute holiday gift or decoration that will make your holiday bright. Crafts by the Craftsman — no imports here! 419-842-1925 or www.toledocraftsmansguild.org.

DEC. 13 – Lolley the Trolley Lights Tour, 255 Park Ave., Amherst, 6–8 p.m. $5 per person per ride; tickets must be prepurchased. Hop aboard the trolley and ride through Amherst to see the city’s most beautiful light displays. 440-984-6709 or http://mainstreetamherst.org/trolley/.

DEC. 16–17 – Winter Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Federated Church–Family Life Ctr., 16349 Chillicothe Rd., Chagrin Falls, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. $3, under 12 free. This large show will feature artists and crafters selling their original handmade items. Full concession stand on site. www.avantgardeshows.com.

DEC. 1–25 – Festival of Lights, Fairfield Co. Fgds., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster, daily 5–10 p.m. $5. Continue the festival tradition at a new location! www.facebook.com/CollisonLights/.

DEC. 1–JAN. 1, 2018 – “A Storybook Christmas,” Zanesville and Muskingum Co. locations. Visit over 100 unique stores and attractions, and explore the beautifully decorated streets and parks. Stop by to enjoy the nightly “Light & Music Show” at the Muskingum Co. Courthouse, Sun.–Thur. 6–9 p.m., Fri./Sat. 6–10 p.m. 740-455-8282, 800-743-2303, or www. visitzanesville.com.

DEC. 2 – Annual Toy and Train Show, Marion Co. Fgds., 220 E. Fairground St., Marion, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. $5 per person, $12 per family, kids 8 and under free. Collectibles, displays, hands-on items for sale. Over 100 tables for train enthusiasts to view. 740-383-3768.

DEC. 2 – Winter Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Makoy Event Ctr., 5462 Center St., Hilliard, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $3, under

12 free. Join us at our new location and get started on that holiday shopping! This large show will feature artists and crafters selling their original handmade items. Full concession stand on site. www.avantgardeshows.com.

DEC. 2 – WMRN Peanut Push, Center St., Marion. Watch people actually push a peanut across the street with their nose. A king and queen are crowned based on how much money they raise for the Junior Service Guild Christmas Clearinghouse. 740-383-1131 or www.wmrn.com.

DEC. 2 – Pickerington Community Chorus: “Home for the Holidays” Christmas Concert, Pickerington Church of the Nazarene, 11775 Pickerington Rd. NW, Pickerington, 3 p.m. $10, Srs./C. $8. www.pickeringtoncommunitychorus.com.

DEC. 2, 9 – Christmas Candlelighting, Roscoe Village, 600 N. Whitewoman St., Coshocton, 6–8 p.m. Share in the evening’s tradition of lighting the Christmas tree and your own candle as everyone softly sings “Silent Night.” Candlelit guided tour of the Village at 7 p.m. 800-877-1830 or www.roscoevillage.com.

DEC. 3 – Annual Delaware Christmas Parade, begins at 3 p.m. This year’s theme is “Delaware: Your Home for the Holidays.” www.mainstreetdelaware.com/parade.html.

SOUTHEAST

DEC. 5–JAN. 2, 2018 – State Auto’s Christmas Corner, 518 E. Broad St., Columbus. Free. Historic life-sized Nativity display.

Choirs Fri. and Sat. evenings until Christmas. Lighting times: Mon.–Thur. 6–8 a.m., 5–11:30 p.m., Fri. and Sat until 12:30 a.m.; Christmas Eve 3 p.m. till 8 a.m. Christmas Day. christmas@stateauto.com or https://www.stateauto.com/Christmas.

DEC. 8–10 – Classic Christmas Movie Weekend: The Santa Clause, Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, Fri./Sun. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 2 and 7:30 p.m. $4 all ages, $2 for PCAA members. 740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.

DEC. 8–10, 15–17 – Dickens of a Christmas, Ohio Village, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, Fri./Sat. 5:30–9 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. $7, C. (6–12) $4, under 6 free. Capture the spirit of holidays past. Charles Dickens’s festive and enduring vision comes to life through jolly carols, decorations, and traditions inspired by his colorful tales. 800-686-1541 or www.ohiohistory.org.

DEC. 9 – Annual Holiday Cookie Walk, Fairfield County Genealogical Research Library, 503 Lenwood Dr., Lancaster, 1–4 p.m. 740-407-2794.

DEC. 9 – Care Train Benefit Concert, Marysville H.S. Auditorium, 800 Amrine Mill Rd., Marysville, 7:30 p.m. 937-738-7946 or www.caretrain.org.

DEC. 1–JAN. 1, 2018 – Dickens Victorian Village, downtown Cambridge. Stroll the streets to view scenes depicting life in 1850s England, featuring life-sized, handmade mannequins wearing real vintage clothing. 800-933-5480 or www.dickensvictorianvillage.com.

DEC. 1–JAN. 1, 2018 – Holiday Light Show, Guernsey County Courthouse, Cambridge, 5:30–9 p.m. nightly. Four different light and music shows performed each evening. 800-933-5480 or www.dickensvictorianvillage.com.

DEC. 2 – Ohio Valley Symphony: “The Christmas Show,” Ariel Theatre, 426 Second Ave., Gallipolis, 7:30 p.m. $24, Srs. $22, Stds. $12. 740-446-ARTS or www.arieltheatre.org.

DEC. 1–11 – Holidays at Adena, Adena Mansion and Gardens, 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 800-319-7248 or www.adenamansion.com.

DEC. 1–18 – Santa Train, Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, Nelsonville Depot, 33 W. Canal St., Nelsonville, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

740-249-1452 or www.hvsry.org/trainlist.

SOUTHWEST

DEC. 2 – Cookies with Santa, Deerassic Park Education Ctr., 14250 Cadiz Rd., Cambridge, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 740-435-3335 or http://deerassic.com.

WEST VIRGINIA

DEC. 31 – New Year’s Eve Popcorn Pop-n-Drop, downtown Marion. Watch as the lighted popcorn ball drops at the stroke of midnight with fireworks! 740-802-7329 or www.downtownmarion.com.

DEC. 9 – Merry TubaChristmas, Ariel Theatre, 426 Second Ave., Gallipolis, 2 p.m. Free. 740-446-ARTS or www.arieltheatre.org.

DEC. 3 – National Road/Zane Grey Museum Open House, 8850 E. Pike, Norwich, 1–4 p.m. Enjoy holiday decorations and music, spinning demonstrations, make-and-take crafts, and Christmas treats. 740-872-3143 or www.ohiohistory.org.

DEC. 9 – Sardis Elf Academy in Winter Wonderland, Sardis Community Ctr., 37184 Mound St., Sardis. Free event for kids.

Crafts, games, and treats. www.facebook.com/sardisohcc/.

DEC. 21 – Solstice Watch, Sacra Via Park (between Second and Third Streets), Marietta, 4 p.m. Free. Weather permitting, between 4 and 4:30 p.m., we will view the sun setting on the western Muskingum Valley bluff in near perfect alignment with Sacra Via. http://mariettacastle.org.

DEC. 2–3, 9–10, 15–17, 21, 29 – Ornament Blow, 11925 Kemper Springs Dr., Forest Park, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. $35.

Professional glassblowers teach you how to blow your own ornament from hot molten glass. 513-751-3292 or www. neusoleglassworks.com.

DEC. 2 – An Evening of Lights at Charleston Falls, 2535 Ross Rd., Tipp City, 6–9 p.m. Free. Stroll down the luminary trail that leads to the 37-foot lighted falls. Visit with Santa and his helpers. Please bring a canned good to be donated to a local food pantry. 937-335-6273 or www.miamicountyparks.com.

DEC. 2 – Lebanon Horse-Drawn Carriage and Christmas Festival, downtown Lebanon, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Carriage parade at 1 p.m., candlelit parade at 7 p.m., with over 100 decorated carriages pulled by minis, Clydesdales, Percherons, and more.

Enjoy shopping, entertainment, food, and crafts between the parades. 513-932-1100 or www.lebanonchamber.org.

DEC. 1–31 – Christmas Fantasy Light Show, Krodel Park, Point Pleasant. 304-675-3844.

DEC. 1–JAN. 1 – Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights, Oglebay Resort and Conference Ctr., 465 Lodge Dr., Wheeling, Sun.– Thur. until 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. until 11 p.m. World-famous light show covering 6 miles and featuring larger-than-life displays. Per car donation is requested and is valid for the entire festival season. Trolley tours offered. 877-436-1797 or www.oglebay-resort.com/festival.html.

DEC. 17 – Lancaster Community Band Holiday Concert, Sixth Avenue Methodist Church, 1004 W. Sixth Ave., Lancaster, 2 p.m. Free. A variety of holiday music both old and new.

740-756-4430.

DEC. 1–JAN. 3, 2018 – Christmas at the EnterTRAINment Junction, 7379 Squire Court, West Chester. Take a “Journey to the North Pole” where you’ll meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.

877-898-4656.

DEC. 1–31 – Holiday in the Park, City Park and Southwood Park, Parkersburg, 6–9 p.m. A holiday light drive-through display. 304-480-2655.

DEC. 16–17 – Scott Antique Markets, Ohio Expo Ctrs., 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, Sat. 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Free admission, $5 parking. www.scottantiquemarket.com.

DEC. 31 – New Year’s Gospel Sing, Harvest Christian Fellowship, 6060 Glenn Hwy., Cambridge. Free will offering, free parking. 740704-1487 (Tim Thomas) or www.gospeljubilee.org.

DEC. 2 – Downtown Piqua Holiday Parade, 300 and 400 blocks of N. Main St., Piqua, 2–3 p.m. www.mainstreetpiqua.com.

DEC. 1–JAN. 1, 2018 – Holiday Lights on the Hill, 1763 Hamilton-Cleves Rd., St. Rte. 128, Hamilton, Mon.–Thur. 6–9 p.m., $20 per car; Fri.–Sun. 6–10 p.m., $25 per car. 513-868-1234 or http://pyramidhill.org/holiday-lights.

DEC. 10 – It’s a Wonderful Wurlitzer Holiday Sing-a-Long, Marion Palace Theatre, 276 W. Center St., Marion, 3 p.m.

Free. This annual event kicks off with a special showing of a favorite holiday movie. After the short film, organists will play a selection of favorite holiday tunes on the theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. 740-383-2101 or www.marionpalace.org.

DEC. 2 – Logan Santa Parade, Main St., Logan, beginning at 2 p.m. Watch for Santa at the end of the parade, and visit with him afterward in Worthington Park. 740-385-6836 or www. logan200.com.

DEC. 1 – Christmas on the Green, downtown Piqua, 5–8 p.m. Free. Community caroling, horse-drawn carriage rides, children’s activities, and live entertainment. 937-773-9355 or www.mainstreetpiqua.com.

DEC. 1–31 – Light Up Middletown, Smith Park, 500 Tytus Ave., Middletown, 6–10 p.m. daily. A drive-through fantasy light display! See Santa and Mrs. Claus every Fri. and Sat., 7–9 p.m., through Dec. 23. Balloon Glow on Dec. 11, 7–7:30 p.m. www.lightupmiddletown.org.

DEC. 9 – Care Train of Union County Live Auction, McAuliffe’s Ace Hardware, 1299 W. Fifth St., Marysville, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. 937-738-7946 or www.caretrain.org.

DEC. 9–10 – Christmas on the Corner, Monroe Historical Society Museum, 10 E. Elm St., Monroe, 5–8 p.m. Live music, vintage decorations, period exhibit, unique gift ideas, and more. 513-539-2270 or http://monroeohhistoricalsociety.org.

DEC. 9–10 – Dayton Christkindlmarkt, 1400 E. Fifth St., Dayton, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 12–4 p.m. Celebrate the centuries-old Christmas market tradition that originated in Germany. 937-223-9013 or www.daytongermanclub.org.

DEC. 21 – Lighting of the Serpent, Serpent Mound, 3850 St. Rte. 73, Peebles, 4–10 p.m. Celebrate the winter solstice by helping light more than 1,000 luminary candles surrounding the serpent effigy. Bring a taper candle and a flashlight. Free hot drinks and seasonal goodies. 937-205-0094 or www. serpentmound.org.

PLEASE NOTE: Ohio Cooperative Living strives for accuracy but strongly urges readers to confirm dates and times before traveling long distances to events. Submit listings AT LEAST 90 DAYS prior to the event by writing to 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 of where the event takes place or a number/website for more information.

DECEMBER 2017 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

39

MEMBER INTERACTIVE

12 Days of Christmas

A chickadee in a “bare” tree. The little fellow was outside our kitchen window last winter in the Rose of Sharon bush. He loves his birdseed.

Lori Bryan Carroll Electric Cooperative member

On the 12th day of Christmas, Santa brought to me…a reindeer in a sleigh! This is my son, Kenneth Jr., pulling our dog Slugger in a sleigh!

Rebekah Caddell Butler Rural Electric Cooperative member

Send us your pictures!

Upload your photos at www.ohioec.org/memberinteractive.

For March 2018, send “Baby Faces” by Dec. 15; for April, send “The First Time We...” by Jan. 15. Make sure to give us your name, mailing address, phone number or e-mail, the name of your electric co-op, and an explanation of the photo, including the names of people shown.

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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • DECEMBER 2017

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a Santa in a Christmas tree! We had two Christmas trees: a family tree and a kids’ tree. Only kids could touch their tree and move ornaments as often as they liked. As adults, our kids reminisced every Christmas about their tree and what fun they had decorating it. All were delighted when they saw the kids’ tree tradition revived for the holidays last year with a Santa tree!

Debbie Vogt Butler Rural Electric Cooperative member

One recycled ring! I recycled baby food jars and made a Christmas wreath.

Diana Randolph Harrison Rural Electrification Association member

Talk to us

Connect with your local cooperative on social media, and let us know your favorite romantic meal. We’ll print some of the best responses in a future edition of Ohio Cooperative Living!

DID YOU KNOW? Co-ops give money back to their members!

That’s right — co-ops are not-for-profit, so when there’s money left after bills are paid, it is returned to members as “capital credits,” or “patronage capital.”

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Ohio electric co-ops returned nearly $32 MILLION to members in 2016.

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Nationally, electric co-ops returned $1 BILLION to members in 2015— almost $14 BILLION since 1988.

Members paying their bill generates the operating revenue for the co-op.

When all the bills are paid, the extra money at the end of each year, called “margins,” is returned to each member.

The co-op’s board approves a return to members, called “capital credits” or “patronage capital.”

ohioec.org PatronageCapitalCreditsAd.indd 1

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