Ohio Cooperative Living - May 2024 - Butler

Celebrating 30 years of Butler Rural Community Connection

See page 18F to learn more

Be SAFE around LIGHTNING

If you hear thunder, you are close enough to get struck by lightning.

Seek shelter indoors:

• Refrain from using corded electrical devices

• Avoid running water, including baths and showers, and stay away from windows

• Stay in shelter until 30 minutes after the last thunder

If you can’t get to shelter:

• Avoid open fields and hilltops

• Stay away from tall, isolated trees and objects

• Spread out from others if you’re in a group

ohioec.org/purpose

Staying safe

Every year as winter fades, spring brings the promise of a refresh to our landscape. This year, spring also has brought several deadly tornadoes and strong storms, and Ohio’s electric cooperatives continue to assist in the rebuilding of devastated communities and pray for those who have suffered great loss.

Of course, no one can know when or where such natural disasters may happen, so your co-op constantly prepares for severe events like we’ve experienced this year. While we can’t prevent the havoc that powerful spring and summer storms can cause, there are things we can control, and we have our people trained and ready to step in whenever we’re needed to restore essential electric service to your homes and businesses.

It’s a year-round process to be as ready as possible for the severe weather that we know is likely to come our way.

It starts with engineering and planning to be sure our facilities — poles, wires, structures, substations — are up to date and in good working order. It requires consistent, well-planned clearance of rights-of-way and easements to keep trees and brush clear of those facilities (see our story on page 4).

And when bad weather strikes, it takes dedicated and well-trained employees willing to respond as quickly and safely as possible. Right away, we’ll work to determine the scope of the problem and mobilize people and equipment needed to make the area safe for the public and other first responders (even calling on neighboring co-ops when necessary). Only then can we begin the hard work of rebuilding whatever nature has broken or destroyed. It takes special training and discipline to neutralize the threat that electric facilities can pose when they’re knocked out of their normal operation. That’s why we always ask you to stay clear until we can be on the scene to assess, make safe, and repair.

Rest assured, thanks to our planning and preparation, we’re ready to take on whatever Mother Nature sends us. Please be sure your family has plans in place to stay as safe as possible when severe storms strike, so we can all enjoy the lovely spring and summer days ahead.

Pat O’Loughlin PRESIDENT & CEO OHIO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

It’s a year-round process to be as ready as possible for the severe weather that we know is likely to come our way.

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229

614-846-5757 www.ohiocoopliving.com

Patrick O’Loughlin President & CEO

Caryn Whitney Director of Communications

Jeff McCallister Senior Managing Editor

Amy Howat Assistant Managing Editor

Neal Kindig Graphic Designer

Contributors: Colleen Romick Clark, David Clark, Randy Edwards, Vivian Elke, Getty Images, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Chase Smoak, Catherine Murray, James Proffitt, and Michael Wilson.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING (USPS 134-760; ISSN 2572-049X) is published monthly by Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. It is the official communication link between the electric cooperatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their members. Subscription cost for members ranges from $5.52 to $6.96 per year, paid from equity accruing to the member.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to editorial and advertising offices at: 6677 Busch Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43229-1101. Periodicals postage paid at Berne, IN 46711, and at additional mailing offices. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in

DEPARTMENTS

4 POWER LINES

Tree-liable power: Vegetation management plays an important but often-overlooked role in keeping the lights on.

8 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Snakes on a plain: W.H. “Chip” Gross takes a look at Ohio’s three venomous snake species.

10 CO-OP PEOPLE

Pole position: Co-op member turns a one-man barn-building business into a thriving five-state operation.

13 GOOD EATS

Easy cheats: Pressed for time, or just feeling a little lazy? These dishes are ready in a fraction of the time and effort it takes to make their traditional counterparts.

17 LOCAL PAGES

News and other important information from your electric cooperative.

33 CALENDAR

What’s happening: May/June events and other things to do around Ohio.

8

10

13

36 MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Mom at her best: Members share photos for a Mother’s Day tribute. At right, Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative member Wayne Klass shared this photo of his mom, Evelyn Lafever, enjoying her new mower.

Visit Ohio Cooperative Living magazine online at www.ohiocoopliving.com! Read past issues and watch videos about our articles or our recipes. Our site features an expanded Member Interactive area, where you can share your stories, recipes, and photos and find content submitted by other co-op members across the state.

power Tree-liable

Vegetation management plays an important but often-overlooked role in keeping the lights on.

BY JEFF MCCALLISTER; PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL WILSON

In early March, a spring storm ravaged much of the region served by Logan County Electric Cooperative in Bellefontaine. It was the same storm that spurred the deadly tornado that destroyed a significant part of the community of Indian Lake, and even outside the tornado’s path, high winds snapped trees and brought down limbs and branches all around the area.

As might be expected, power outages were widespread. But upon examination in the following weeks, it seemed as if power had been out less for LCEC members — both fewer and shorter instances — than might have been expected.

“System reliability and safety are extremely important,” says Scott Roach, director of engineering services at LCEC. “With every new project, every work plan, it’s always with that in mind.”

Foliage foibles

One of the most significant factors affecting that reliability is the presence of trees. Of course, properly placed trees not only are beautiful to look at, but they also provide tangible benefits: increasing property values, reducing the cost to heat and cool a home, providing privacy, and even cutting stormwater runoff.

So homeowners are understandably attached to the trees that grow on their property, and Roach,

who directs LCEC’s two-man full-time vegetation management crew that’s charged with keeping trees and other flora away from power lines, knows that co-op members can be quite protective of their foliage.

“We completely understand that trees hold a lot of sentimental value for our members,” Roach says. “At the same time, they need to understand the public safety issue and what impact a tree can have on their ability — and sometimes the ability of all of their neighbors — to turn their lights on.”

Trees can be a contributing factor, if not a direct cause, of as much as 50% of power outages. Problems can develop suddenly, such as when branches break and fall across power lines during wind or ice storms, or over time through natural growth patterns, where tree branches may begin to crowd and rub against those lines.

Investing in reliability

Logan County Electric has one of the best records of reliable power delivery in the country, but it wasn’t always that way. In 2005, a powerful winter storm came through Ohio, bringing with it layers of heavy ice that snapped off limbs and branches and brought down trees across the state.

Many of those branches and trees fell across electric power lines, and as many as 500,000 Ohioans

were without power at one point — including a significant number of LCEC members. Some of those outages lasted 10 days or more.

“That storm taught us an important lesson, and we invested a lot of time and effort in our vegetation management right after that,” says Roach, who was hired in 2006. “We were not maintaining our right-ofway the way it should have been, but we made some changes in our procedures, and it has made a big difference in our outage numbers.”

Professional standards

Part of the co-op’s investment was to hire full-time vegetation management staff to implement a five-year trimming cycle, rather than bringing in contractors as needed.

“Tree trimming is a very difficult, laborintensive job that’s also dangerous because obviously you’re working very close to energized lines,” Roach says, “But at the same time, there’s also an aspect of member service to it. If it’s rainy out and they have to put away the chain saws and chippers, they’re out talking to our members — informing them of what’s in the works and educating them about the public safety dangers of trees and power lines.”

In Ohio, along with LCEC, Adams Rural Electric Cooperative in West Union, The Energy Cooperative in Newark, and Frontier Power Company in Coshocton have full-time vegetation managers on staff. The other Ohio co-ops, for the most part, have long-standing relationships with professional tree contractors who perform the trimming around their lines.

Continued on page 6

Dan Craig, a certified line clearance arborist, is one of two full-time staff members at Logan County Electric Cooperative who are charged with the task of trimming trees and other vegetation away from the co-op’s power lines.

Continued from page 5

All take great care to perform work that conforms to standards and practices of the National Arborist Association, the American Association of Nurserymen, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The last thing anyone at the co-op wants is to fight with a member about a tree.

“Most people understand the reasons we need to trim their trees and don’t object to us doing what we need to do,” says Dan Craig, a certified line-clearance arborist, who has worked at Logan County Electric since 2015. “But it doesn’t always sit well with everyone, and we give members options and work with them to try to come up with a solution that works for both their needs and our needs.”

Of course, when a powerful storm comes through like the one in March, members are bluntly reminded the effect trees can have on utility lines. Says Roach, “After a storm that causes power outages, members see first-hand both the safety concerns and the importance of clearing vegetation away from power lines. No one likes to be without power.”

Trees and electricity

• The National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) requires electric utilities to maintain trees around power lines, pruning or removing vegetation that may damage supply conductors.

• The Occupational Safety and Hazards Act (OSHA), Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) mandate utility companies must keep their power lines safe and reliable.

• Trees account for more than half of all power interruptions.

• Tree damage to power lines can create severe public safety hazards such as fires or electrocution.

• Consider all electrical lines and electrical utility equipment dangerous. Keep away from them and keep all objects (ladders, antennas, kites, etc.) away from them.

• Keeping clear access to utility equipment gives line crews the room to perform inspections and repairs — and keeps everyone safe.

Play Time

From exploring scenic trails to camping under the stars, discover the outdoor world right here in the Greater Parkersburg area.

For two-wheel excitement, head to Mountwood Park for 35 miles of flowing trails surrounding a lake or explore 80 miles of rugged and scenic trails in Wayne National Forest. For a little easier pace, the North Bend Rail Trail takes riders on a journey across 36 bridges and through 10 tunnels.

Grab your paddle and hit the water for scenic kayaking in Parkersburg that the whole family can enjoy. On the Ohio River Water Trail, kayakers can paddle 39 miles of the Ohio River and 18 miles of the Little Kanawha River.

Hikers can traverse a number of well-maintained trails at North Bend State Park and the McDonough Wildlife Refuge, and the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area

HIT THE TRAILS IN GREATER PARKERSBURG.

SNAKES

Ohio is home to three venomous serpent species.

Iam not what anyone might call a “snake guy.”

But the reptiles do hold a certain fascination for me, especially the three venomous species inhabiting the Buckeye State: timber rattlesnake, copperhead, and eastern massasauga.

The largest and rarest of the trio is the timber rattlesnake. A state endangered species, the timber rattler historically lived in every Ohio county, including on the Lake Erie islands. Only four small, remnant populations remain today, located in the southeastern portion of the state. Timber rattlers can grow to a whopping 6 feet in length, though they’re usually closer to 3 feet.

Copperheads, which grow up to 3 feet in length, are the most common venomous snake in Ohio, with populations widely scattered throughout the unglaciated section of the state. Copperheads have the dubious distinction of having bitten more people in the U.S. than any other venomous snake. That’s not because copperheads are unusually aggressive, but simply because they’re among the most common venomous snake species. Fortunately, few deaths have occurred as a result. That said, the last human snakebite fatality encountered in the wild in Ohio happened in 1947. A young woman near Tar Hollow State Park was bitten on the hand by a copperhead and died a few days later.

Another state (and federally) endangered species is the smallest of Ohio’s three venomous snakes, the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, a name derived from the Chippewa Indian language. It’s also known as the swamp rattler or black snapper — the latter moniker giving some idea of the snake’s dark coloration as well as its aggressive striking behavior upon becoming agitated. Massasaugas measure up to 30 inches in length.

Historically recorded in more than 30 counties, the secretive massasauga inhabited the scattered prairies of glaciated Ohio. One of those prairie-remnant habitats today can be found at the extensive Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area in Wyandot County. The Ohio Division of Wildlife conducts annual snake surveys there each May, and I had the good fortune of tagging along last year. (Most people probably wouldn’t consider searching for venomous snakes in waist-high grass “good fortune,” but I’ve never been considered real smart.)

Twenty-seven massasaugas were located by the researchers during the day, a dozen of which were recaptures from earlier in the day or from previous years’ surveys. In addition, we found 36 Kirtland’s snakes, 26 eastern plains garter snakes, and 15 smooth green snakes — all three species are both state endangered and nonvenomous.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY W. H. “CHIP” GROSS

Timber rattlesnakes like this one are the rarest of Ohio’s three venomous snake varieties; copperheads, like the one below, are the most common.

“It is difficult to assess the exact population trends of massasaugas at Killdeer Plains, because the population is presumed to be fairly large and recapture rates are so low,” says Eileen Wyza, Ph.D., a biologist with the Division of Wildlife. “However, the Killdeer Plains population appears to at least be stable. Statewide, the trend is much more dire. The remaining populations of massasaugas seem to be in decline or have disappeared entirely during recent years.”

Wyza believes that the threats to massasaugas are primarily habitat-related. Changes in succession — particularly increasing woody growth — constitute one of the largest contributors to the population decline, followed by changes in hydrology. For example, in Ohio, massasaugas rely heavily on terrestrial crayfish burrows

for places to both hide and hibernate, and hydrology shifts that affect those crayfish also heavily impact the snakes.

When hiking or climbing in venomous snake country, it’s a good idea to never place your hands or feet anywhere you can’t see them — for instance, over a downed log or up onto a rock ledge. But if you do happen to be bitten by a snake that you believe might be venomous (chances of that are extremely unlikely in the Buckeye State), the best first aid is your vehicle. You should get to a hospital for an antivenin treatment ASAP!

Pole position

Co-op member turns his one-man barn-building business into five-state operation.

TBY RANDY EDWARDS; PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALEB MILLER

he pole barn — as familiar a fixture on modern farms as a pickup truck — is an architectural innovation born in the 1930s, the result of a marriage of necessity and opportunity. Cash-strapped farmers of the Depression needed an inexpensive way to keep tractors and motorized equipment under cover, while the electrification of rural America led to the easy availability of utility poles. The earliest pole barns were rudimentary structures with dirt floors and poles planted directly into the soil around the perimeter, topped with trusses and a sheet metal roof. These post-frame structures could be built quickly and at far less expense than timber-framed barns, and while the continued mechanization of agriculture drove demand for more covered area on the farm, space for a tractor didn’t need to be as fancy and complicated as you’d need for, say, a team of horses.

For decades, the pole barn has reigned supreme on American farms. But the pole-frame structures of today have come a long way from the simple pole barns of the Depression, says Caleb Miller, owner and president of MQS Structures in Lancaster. Pole framing remains a popular design for farm outbuildings, but these days, Miller’s company, a member of Lancaster-based South Central Power Company, may just as likely be using pole-frame construction to build the shell for a far more complex structure.

“When Dad started, a pole-frame building was an agricultural building,” says Miller, who began his training at age 12 by helping his father, John, build barns. “It has evolved into a lot more than that. These days, we’re building event centers, a lot of residential garages. We build ‘shouses’ (a combination of workshop and house) and that’s evolved into the ‘barndominium.’”

In that first year he hired a second salesperson, put together a crew, and built 51 structures. In 2023, with 10 office employees and seven construction crews, the company built 330 buildings over a five-state area. “We have been blessed,” he says. “I never dreamed we could be so blessed.”

Miller credits his company’s success to honesty and hard work, values instilled in him by his Amish-Mennonite father, who moved his family from Geauga County to Perry County in 1966 and raised 11 children, including eight sons. John Miller worked well into his 70s and died five years ago at 83. “We had to work hard, but it didn’t hurt us,” says Caleb, the youngest of the eight sons. “My dad taught me honesty and to take care of the customers, and the good Lord will take care of the rest.”

“I was the owner, the CEO, and the salesman. That’s how I started.”

Barndominiums, or “barndos,” are built on precast concrete columns to support upright poles, creating a solid but inexpensive shell that can cover almost any kind of interior finish. The term was popularized by the HGTV show Fixer Upper in 2016. That was the same year that Miller, who had been building barns most of his life with his father and brothers, found some investors and struck out on his own with MQS Structures.

“In 2016 I was the owner, the CEO, and the salesman. It was me by myself in a pickup truck. That’s how I started,” says Miller, now 47, who lives in Perry County with his wife, Dorcas, and their three sons.

Caleb married Dorcas, the daughter of Mennonite dairy farmers from Tennessee, 15 years ago. The couple lives in a house built by his father on Amish Ridge Road (renamed after his family after they moved there). They farm 180 acres, mostly for beef cattle. Miller jokes that he has two vices: “farming and golf, but farming is what gets me up in the morning.” The couple’s sons — 11-year-old twins Carter and Colton, and Cayson, 7 — all help out, Miller says, caring for the chickens and keeping up on yard work.

Miller also credits MQS’s employees, nearly all of whom are Amish or Mennonite, for the company’s success. “Our employees make MQS stand out,” he says. “Without them, we could never achieve what we have achieved.”

CHEATSEasy

Pressed for time, or just feeling a little lazy? These dishes are ready in a fraction of the time and effort it takes to make their traditional counterparts.

NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

Traditional cheesecakes take 90 minutes to make and 6 hours to cool. Satisfy the cheesecake craving much faster with this version.

Prep: 10 minutes | Chill: 2 to 3 hours | Servings: 6

8-ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

4 ounces whipped topping (thawed in fridge)

9-inch prepared graham cracker crust

21-ounce can cherry pie filling

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Fold in whipped topping with a rubber spatula. Spread mixture into graham cracker crust, smoothing out the top. Loosely cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, cut into slices, plate, and liberally top with cherry pie filling.

Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Per serving: 474 calories, 26 grams fat (12.5 grams saturated fat), 56 grams total carbohydrates, 57 milligrams cholesterol, 274 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams protein.

ENCHILADA STOVETOP CASSEROLE

Ready in a fraction of the time it takes to make enchiladas, yet just as satisfying.

Cook: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

10-ounce can red enchilada sauce

15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained*

6 6-inch corn tortillas, cut in half, then sliced into strips

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 green onions, diced (greens only)

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, mix together black beans (or meat) and enchilada sauce. Stir and heat until sauce is bubbling. Mix in tortilla strips, stir well, and top with cheese. Reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove lid, sprinkle diced green onion on top, and serve.

*Cooked ground beef or shredded chicken can be substituted for the black beans.

Per serving: 304 calories, 12 grams fat (5.5 grams saturated fat), 34 grams total carbohydrates, 28 milligrams cholesterol, 827 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber, 14 grams protein.

FOUR-INGREDIENT PUMPKIN MUFFINS

The easiest muffins you'll ever make!

Prep: 10 minutes | Bake: 25 minutes | Servings: 12

15.25-ounce box spice cake mix

15-ounce can pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

2 tablespoons water

2/3+ cup pecans or chocolate chips (optional)

In a bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin purée, and water with a spatula until well combined (it'll take a few minutes). Pecans or chocolate chips can all be mixed in now, with some reserved to sprinkle on top.

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Spoon batter into liners, topping with more nuts or chips (if desired). Bake about 25 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. Optional icing: Whisk ½ cup powdered sugar with ½ tablespoon milk and drizzle over cooled muffins. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Per serving: 137 calories, 0.5 grams fat (0 grams saturated fat), 33 grams total carbohydrates, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 286 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber, 1 gram protein.

20-MINUTE FLATBREAD

No preplanning required to fulfill your pizza craving in a flash. It's also a great way to use up leftover herbs or yogurt before they turn! Choose precooked toppings, as they'll be in the oven a very short time.

Prep: 5 minutes | Bake: 15 minutes |

Servings: 2 to 4

1 cup flour, plus extra for dusting

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

½ cup (approximately) Greek yogurt or sour cream

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. The moisture content of the Greek yogurt/sour cream will dictate how much is needed — low-fat versions have more moisture. Add ¼ cup yogurt at a time, mixing until dough forms into a ball. Knead 1 minute.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Transfer dough to a floured surface (this can be done on a flat metal baking sheet without edges to skip a step). Roll out to approximately the size of your baking sheet. Lift and flip to ensure it doesn't stick. Bake 7 minutes on middle rack

Suggested toppings

SAUCES: pesto, white pizza sauce, or olive oil with garlic and crushed red pepper

VEGGIES: sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, olives, mushrooms, roasted onion

MEATS: cooked/cured meats — bacon, sausage, pepperoni

CHEESES: shredded or fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, feta

(Shown: pesto with sun-dried tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, and fresh mozzarella)

of oven, then remove to add toppings. Spread sauce to the edges and evenly place chosen toppings. Bake another 7 minutes, keeping a close eye for when the cheese is melted. Serves four as an appetizer or two for dinner.

Per serving (dinner serving, without toppings): 280 calories, 3 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat), 51 grams total carbohydrates, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 677 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber, 11 grams protein.

Although tremendous strides have been

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

UNDERSTANDING ENERGY DEMAND + PURCHASING

You may not think you need to have an understanding of energy demand and purchasing, but do you ever look at your energy bill and wonder what it all means? If your answer to that question is yes, then you might be interested to learn how demand impacts your utility bill.

To start, it is important to understand how electricity is made and how it is delivered to your home.

Before Butler Rural Electric Cooperative can send electricity to your home, that electricity needs to be generated by Buckeye Power, our generation and transmission cooperative. Once the electricity has been generated, it travels over high-voltage transmission lines to substations, where the voltage is reduced to a lower level that is appropriate for local distribution. The electricity then travels over distribution power lines, through your service transformer, and finds its way into your home.

While you pay your bill to us — your electric distribution cooperative — we don’t actually generate the electricity you use. That is the job of Buckeye Power. Buckeye Power is jointly owned by all Ohio distribution cooperatives, including Butler Rural Electric Cooperative.

We do help determine how much electricity our members need to power their homes and businesses, and you play a big part in deciding how much electricity Buckeye Power needs to create in order to keep the lights on in our community. That is where the terms “consumption” and “demand” come in.

Consumption is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Demand is measured in kilowatts (kW). A light bulb consumes a certain number of watts, let’s say 100 watts at any given time. That’s its demand. If that light bulb stays on for 10 hours, it uses a certain number of

kilowatt-hours (in this case, 1 kWh = 10 x 100 watts) from the generation station producing electricity.

If you turn on 10 100-watt light bulbs in your home for one hour, you are still consuming the same number of kWh (1,000). However, you are placing a demand on the utility to have those kW available to you over the course of one hour, instead of 10. This requires the generation and transmission plant to produce more energy in less time in order to meet your demand.

Tom Wolfenbarger GENERAL MANAGER

Buckeye Power charges Butler Rural Electric Cooperative for the total kWh consumption and kW demand. Peak demand refers to the time of day when the demand for electricity is highest. This is typically during the evening, when families return home from work or school, cook dinner, and use appliances the most. Using electricity during this peak demand period often costs Butler Rural Electric Cooperative more.

Varying demand and consumption are the reasons your electricity bill fluctuates season to season and even year to year. Generating and distributing power can be a tricky and complicated business, but rest assured Butler Rural Electric Cooperative will always work to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to your family.

BUTLER

2024 scholarship RECIPIENTS

SASHA KROEGER

$2,500 Michael L. Sims Scholarship

ABIGAIL GARLAND

$2,500 R. Fred Woodruff Scholarship

MADDIE SACKENHEIM

$1,000 Scholarship

EMMA PUCKETT

$2,500 Thomas Humbach Scholarship

SOPHIA YERKES

$1,500 Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship

MORGAN SLY

$1,000 Scholarship

DYLAN PENCE

$1,000 Scholarship

LILY WOLF

$1,000 Scholarship

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Education is the building block of a strong community. That’s why we offer scholarships for high school students whose parents are cooperative members. We hope these scholarships prepare the recipients for leadership roles in our community.

SASHA KROEGER is the son of Michael Kroeger. He is graduating from Ross High School and will attend college to major in business analytics, human capital management, and leadership. Sasha’s favorite extracurricular activity in high school is being a member and senior year captain of the Ross High School soccer team. He also volunteers at JEE Foods, a student-run nonprofit organization, and works as a soccer referee and at New Life Furniture and Thrift Store. After college, Sasha would like to pursue an internship and begin a career as a consultant.

As the recipient of the Michael L. Sims Scholarship from Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, Sasha will receive $2,500 each year of his college career for up to four years. He will compete for up to $4,300 in additional scholarships from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives. Michael L. Sims was Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s general manager who retired in 2020 after working at the cooperative for 44 years.

EMMA PUCKETT is the daughter of Laura and Thomas Puckett. She is graduating from Talawanda High School and plans to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to major in agricultural communications. Emma is the Talawanda/Butler Tech FFA chapter president, the Butler County Junior Fair Board president, and the president of her 4-H club. She is also a 4-H camp counselor, is a member of the Cobblestone Community Church worship team and kids ministry volunteer, and is involved in volleyball and choir.

Emma is the recipient of the cooperative’s $2,500 Thomas Humbach Scholarship. Thomas Humbach was Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s attorney from 1983 until his retirement in 2021.

ABIGAIL GARLAND is the daughter of Matthew and Summer Garland. She is graduating from Talawanda High School and will attend college to major in food policy and agriculture advocacy and education. Abigail is a member of the Butler County Junior Fair Board, was a Butler Rural Electric Cooperative delegate on the 2023 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C., and is a member of Talawanda High School’s varsity field hockey team. She is also the reporter for the Talawanda/Butler Tech FFA chapter and works for the City of Oxford, the Butler County Board of Elections, and Gillespie Feed and Farm Supply. Abigail would like to work as an education specialist for the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture after college.

Abigail is the recipient of the $2,500 R. Fred Woodruff Scholarship from Butler Rural Electric Cooperative. R. Fred Woodruff was the cooperative’s first attorney. He was hired by the board of trustees shortly after graduating from the University of Cincinnati’s law school in 1938 and retired in 1983.

SOPHIA YERKES is the daughter of Jessica Yerkes. She is graduating from Ross High School and will attend The Ohio State University to major in agricultural systems management. Sophia is the team captain of the Ross High School soccer team and is involved in the Okeana/ Ross Ski Club. She works at Burwinkel Farm and John. T. Nieman Nursery and Landscaping. Sophia looks forward to working in the agricultural field after college.

Continued on page 18B

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Continued from page 18A

Sophia is the recipient of the cooperative’s $1,500 Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship, which is awarded to a high school senior who is attending a technical college or trade school after graduation.

DYLAN PENCE is the son of David Pence. He is graduating from Ross High School and will attend college to major in business administration. Dylan is involved in Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America; volunteers at Matthew 25 Ministries; is a student council officer; and was a Butler Rural Electric Cooperative delegate on the 2023 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C. He is also a crew member at Raising Cane’s. Dylan’s favorite activity in high school is marching band. He looks forward to making new friends and learning more about business in college.

MADDIE SACKENHEIM is the daughter of Matthew and Whitney Sackenheim. She is graduating from Ross High School and will attend medical school to pursue a career as an anesthesiologist. Maddie is the president of the Wrangler B.R.A.T.S. 4-H club, is the team captain of the Ross High School volleyball team, and is the Ross junior class vice president. She is also the Ross High School swim team captain, is a member of the Ross/

BILL CREDIT

winners

Butler Tech FFA Chapter, and is involved in Ross DECA, which is a professional organization for students enrolled in Butler Tech Business.

MORGAN SLY is the daughter of Lisa and Michael Sly. She is graduating from Talawanda High School and will attend college to major in applied mathematics. Morgan is a member of Oxford and Talawanda’s swim and dive teams. She is also involved in the Talawanda High School orchestra, field hockey team, and drama club, and writes and edits articles for the Talawanda Tribune. Morgan works as a swim and dive coach and also fosters cats for the Animal Adoption Foundation.

LILY WOLF is the daughter of Robert Wolf. She is graduating from Edgewood High School and will attend Murray State University to major in agronomy crop and soil science and agricultural business. Lily is involved in Butler County 4-H, the Butler County Junior Fair Board, and FFA. She is also the student body vice president and works for State Street Coffee, Hiltbrand Trucking, and Shepherd Showstock. Lily looks forward to developing more efficient ways to grow crops and using technological advancements in the agriculture industry while in college.

Did you attend our annual meeting in April 2023? If so, you could be the winner of a $50 bill credit! All attendees who did not win bill credits at the meeting are eligible to win. Congratulations to the March winners!

Kevin Anderson • Gareda Guecking • Winston Gumm

Katherine S. McNeil • Bill Padget

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

Looking for an easy way to manage home energy use? Smart plugs are inexpensive and offer convenient solutions for scheduling and controlling your favorite electronic devices. With smart plugs, you can easily manage your coffee maker, lighting, home office equipment, video game consoles, and more. Smart plugs can help you manage devices through a smart phone app, your home assistant, or voice control. By conveniently powering off or scheduling devices, you can save energy and money.

Bob Hoelle retires from Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees

In April, we celebrated the retirement of Bob Hoelle from our board of trustees.

Bob has been a co-op member living in Wayne Township for 45 years and has five daughters and five granddaughters. He retired from AK Steel and is a farmer. Bob was a Wayne Township Trustee for 36 years and served as chairman of the board. He also served as a Southwest Regional Water District trustee for 13 years and served as vice chairman of the board. Bob was a volunteer firefighter with the Wayne Township Fire Department for 20 years and is a Butler County Farm Bureau member.

Bob was elected to Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s board of trustees in 2000. He was elected vice president of the board in 2002, a title he held for 22 years. During his time on the board of trustees, Bob earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director, Board Leadership, and Director Gold certification through NRECA.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the members of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative,” Bob says. “Time has flown by, but I have enjoyed working with everyone at the co-op. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the members for 24 years.”

Congratulations, Bob!

Bob Hoelle

GROW YOUR SUMMER ENERGY SAVINGS

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative can help you save money

One of the best things about summer is the opportunity for fresh, homegrown food, whether it’s shopping at the local farmers’ market or sharing the abundance of garden tomatoes with a neighbor. It’s amazing how just a few seeds, some fertilizer, and water can turn into a bounty.

When thinking about energy efficiency, you can consider that bounty of food and how with just a few simple actions, you can use less electricity and reap the rewards of energy savings.

You don’t need to be a farmer or botanist to know that plants need water — just like you don’t have to be a lineworker or engineer to know that adjusting the thermostat or turning off lights can reduce your monthly electric bill. If you read Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s publications regularly and follow us on Facebook, you know there are many ways to save electricity and money.

Summer months bring some of the highest energy bills of the year. Cooling your home accounts for a large portion of your energy use, and the hotter it gets, the harder (and longer) your air conditioner works to keep you cool.

One of the great things about being part of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative is that we’re locally owned by you, our members. So instead of making profits, we can focus on helping our community. That’s why we’ve developed incentives and programs to help you keep your money in your wallet.

There are several ways you can manage energy use at home and on the next page, we’re providing a few tips that can help grow your summer energy savings. Below, we also offer a few ways we’re here to help you save — not only during the dog days of summer, but throughout the year.

Save money with these easy incentives:

> Rebates – Butler Rural Electric Cooperative offers many ways to give you money back for efficient equipment

you purchase, like heat pumps and water heaters. Many of our rebates can be claimed by simply filling out a form. Find a list of our rebates at butlerrural.coop > Energy Solutions > Member Rebates.

> Free Residential Energy Advisor – Our free Residential Energy Advisory tool on our website allows you to conduct a virtual energy assessment of your home. It takes just minutes to set up your home profile and receive energy savings recommendations. Use the tool at butlerrural.coop > Energy Solutions > Save Energy & Money > Home Energy Calculators > Residential Energy Advisor.

> Take control of your use – Use SmartHub to track your energy use. You can even get alerts when your use spikes so you can make changes in real time. Download the free SmartHub app today to start saving.

> Peak alerts – Peak Alerts are issued when the demand for electricity is high and rising toward a peak. They typically occur on hot summer days but can also occur in extremely cold temperatures. We ask our members to reduce their energy consumption during this time in order to help avoid reaching a new peak. Reducing your electric use during Peak Alerts helps the co-op hold down electric costs.

> Ways to pay – If you’re having a difficult time paying the higher bills that come with increased electric use in the summer, contact us to learn about our budget billing program.

Most people don’t know everything about electricity, and that’s why we’re here to help you. There are no investors making profits here, just knowledgeable people with local jobs, working for our neighbors to ensure there is electricity available when you need it. Contact us, and we can work with you to find more ways to save energy — and money.

Co-op welcomes new employee

In March, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative welcomed Adam Bens as our new custodian.

Adam lives in Lebanon, Ohio, with his wife and 7-month-old son. He enjoys working out, fishing, hiking, and spending time with family.

Adam is excited for his new role at the cop-op and looks forward to growing his career at Butler Rural Electric Cooperative.

Welcome, Adam!

Adam Bens CUSTODIAN

The power of giving Butler Rural Electric Cooperative members donate over $43,600 to local organizations

In 2024, we’re celebrating 30 years of Butler Rural Community Connection and the impact it has had in the communities we serve.

Since September 1994, Butler Rural Community Connection has funded more than $1.5 million in grants to local nonprofit groups in Butler, Preble, Hamilton, and Montgomery counties. To celebrate this milestone, we refreshed the Community Connection logo. The new logo is shown on this page.

Currently, 9,139 cooperative members and 36 employees contribute to Community Connection by rounding up their monthly electric bills to the next highest dollar amount or by making donations throughout the year. These generous donations make a huge impact in our communities.

The Community Connection board of trustees met in March to choose grant recipients. These voluntary board members are co-op members and are separate from Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s board of trustees. They meet twice a year to evaluate Community Connection applications and select grant recipients. They will meet September 11 to award fall grants.

Visit butlerrural.coop > Community > Community Outreach > Community Connection to apply for a Community Connection grant. The fall application deadline is August 30.

Community Connection is a separate entity from Butler Rural Electric Cooperative. Donating to the program is voluntary and does not affect the cooperative’s rates.

We hope the lives of our members have been touched by Community Connection. We are thankful for the continued support of members and employees who donate to the program.

SPRING COMMUNITY CONNECTION GRANT RECIPIENTS

Amazing Grace Lutheran Church Quilt Group $160 for quilt-making supplies

Butler County Big Brothers Big Sisters

$2,000 for after-school programs

Butler County Educational Service Center

$2,300 for baby safety items

Camden Somers Township Fire and EMS $670 for thermal camera truck charger

Collinsville Grange #2264 – Patrons of Husbandry $249.73 for U.S. flag disposal box

Crosby Elementary $250 for learning resources

Crosby Township Senior Citizens Club $480 for Creative Aging of Cincinnati membership fee

Edgewood Primary School

$1,034 for Passport to Adventure program

Friends of White Water Shaker Village $386.51 for presentation floor stand

Germantown Fire and EMS

$1,000 for gas meters

Gratis EMS

$400 for Panasonic Toughbook

Gratis Police Department

$700 for hard drive, rain coat, and batteries

Hanover Township Fire Department

$1,500 for gas detectors

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

$500 for Red Door Community Concerts

Home Is The Foundation

$4,200 for senior citizen home repairs

Kramer Elementary

$670 for sensory path

Madison Elementary School

$400 for student book publishing

Miami University Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

$500 for food warmer

Miamitown Church of Christ Quilt Ministry

$160 for printing supplies

Milford Township Fire Department

$1,900 for communication pagers

National Inventors Hall of Fame

$1,100 for Camp Invention program fees

New Miami Elementary

$1,300 for swing set

PARACHUTE: Butler County CASA

$1,800 for Be a Child’s Voice program

Pathway to Hope Pregnancy Care Center

$2,740 for formula project

Play in the Park

$700 for field trip food

Preble County Agricultural Society

$1,000 for iPads and cases

Preble County Historical Society and Nature Reserve

$1,200 for trail signs

Preble Shawnee High School

$865.64 for sensory chairs

Preble Shawnee High School

$1,000 for online classroom program

Ross Intermediate School

$1,240 for sensory classroom materials

Ross Local School Choral Association

$600 for choral participation and song fees

Ross Local School District

$660 for staff wellness programs

Safe Haven Farms

$2,500 for animal care

St. Matthew Lutheran Church

$350 for AED supplies

Talawanda High School FCCLA

$400 for 4th grade field trip

Talawanda High School FFA

$450 for Ag Day expenses

Talawanda High School Parent Initiative Team

$1,000 for After Prom recreation center

Talawanda Middle School

$1,350 for fishing club equipment

Talawanda Middle School

$600 for greenhouse electric installation

The Coleraine Historical Society

$179 for hard drive

The Oxford Catty Shack

$600 for cat rehab materials

Trenton Fire Department

$1,000 for equipment

Union County High School After Prom Parent Committee

$1,500 for After Prom supplies

Track your energy use through SmartHub’s Usage Explorer

1 4 3 2

You can use the Usage Explorer in SmartHub to understand your home’s energy patterns and to get an idea of how to conserve electricity. The Usage Explorer provides members with their electric use data on a monthly, daily, and hourly basis.

The Usage Explorer allows members to:

• Access their home’s energy use history.

• Monitor how changes in temperature impact energy use.

• Troubleshoot malfunctioning items that may be using more energy than normal.

Here is an example of how one member monitors their daily energy consumption using the Usage Explorer. Get the free SmartHub app at butlerrural.coop > My Account > SmartHub.

1. It was hot outside, but we kept the thermostat up.

If we had turned the thermostat down when it was hot, our electric use would have been even higher. The greater the difference between the temperature outside and our thermostat inside,

the harder our system has to work to keep the house warm.

2. Our kids were home for the weekend. It’s amazing how much energy we used these few days, but we did a lot of baking, took plenty of hot showers and baths, and used the dryer a lot. Ovens, water heaters, and dryers are appliances that use a lot of energy.

3. We went on a short vacation.

While we were away, we put the lights on timers and turned the cooling system down so it would cycle less. It made a difference, but the fridge, water heater, and electronics still used energy.

4. There was a problem with our cooling system.

It wasn’t very hot outside, but our energy use was high. We found out our cooling system wasn’t working properly, which caused our bill to be higher than usual. I will sign up for Usage Alerts through SmartHub at butlerrural.coop > My Account > Power Usage Alerts so I can catch problems like this sooner in the future.

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Help protect our poles

Utility poles play an important role in delivering reliable power to members. It takes more than 22 ,000 poles to provide electricity to the 11 , 500 homes and businesses we serve. That’s why it’s critical for us to protect and maintain them.

It’s illegal to attach anything to utility poles

Wind and storms have an obvious effect on utility poles, but other elements can also have negative consequences. Excess moisture, insects, and woodpeckers can cause poles to deteriorate. People can be harmful to poles, as well. Anytime a nail, staple, or other fastener is attached, it creates an additional pathway for water and insects to access and weaken the pole. Attaching yard sale signs, solar-powered automatic gate openers, deer stands, flags, and basketball hoops to poles can lead to damage and such items will be removed by the cooperative’s employees. In addition to reducing the life of the pole, unauthorized attachments can pose a hazard to lineworkers. Nails, tacks, and screws can tear their essential protective gear, like rubber gloves or flame-resistant clothing, exposing workers to the risk of electric shock. Signs are also dangerous for the public because they can block the view at busy intersections.

Poles are inspected regularly American Energy Services, the cooperative’s contractor, will examine roughly 3,000 poles serving our Huston and Tolbert substations this year. A substation is where a transformer and other equipment is located. At the substation, 69,000 volts come into transformers, which steps the voltage down to 7,200 volts. Then, electric lines distribute the electricity throughout our system. Butler Rural Electric Cooperative has 16 substations.

The Huston Substation serves members in Hanover, Milford, and Wayne townships. The Tolbert Substation serves members in Gratis, Milford, Somers, and Wayne townships.

An annual investment

At a cost of $13 to inspect each pole, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative will spend more than $39,000 this year to ensure our poles can deliver the reliable electricity you expect from us.

To check their condition, poles are exposed just below the surface and examined for decay or damage. Those that show signs of damage are placed on the co-op’s list to repair or replace, depending on the nature of the problem. Poles to be replaced will be marked with red ribbons.

The average cost to replace a pole is $4,200 per pole, which includes labor and materials. The cooperative will spend $525,000 on pole replacement in 2024.

Regular inspections, along with avoiding unapproved attachments, helps prolong the lifespan of utility poles. A well-maintained pole can last 30 to 40 years — sometimes even longer — and allows Butler Rural Electric Cooperative to continue providing the power you depend on.

Solar-powered automatic gate openers, like the one shown here, along with yard sale signs, flags, and other unauthorized items, should never be attached to utility poles. They create a hazard for lineworkers and cause the poles to deteriorate faster.

YOU CAN LEASE AN OUTDOOR L.E.D. LIGHT FROM THE CO-OP FOR $10 PER MONTH.* A 36-month agreement must be signed prior to installation. For more information and to schedule an installation, visit butlerrural.coop > Electric Service > Home Services > Dusk-to-Dawn Outdoor Lights or call us at 513-867-4400.

*If an additional transformer is required, the monthly charge is $12.60.

1DETAILS OF OFFER: Offer expires 7/31/2024. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Buy one (1) window or entry/patio door, get one (1) window or entry/patio door 40% off, and 12 months no money down, no monthly payments, no interest when you purchase four (4) or more windows or entry/patio doors between 5/1/2024 and 7/31/2024. 40% off windows and entry/patio doors are less than or equal to lowest cost window or entry/patio door in the order. Additional $200 off your purchase, minimum purchase of 4 required, taken after initial discount(s), when you purchase by 7/31/2024. Subject to credit approval. Interest is billed during the promotional period, but all interest is waived if the purchase amount is paid before the expiration of the promotional period. Financing for GreenSky® consumer loan programs is provided by federally insured, federal and state chartered financial institutions without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or familial status. Savings comparison based on purchase of a single unit at list price. Available at participating locations and offer applies throughout the service area. See your local Renewal by Andersen location for details. CA License CLSB #1050316. Central CA License #1096271. License

Bikers from all over are attracted to southeast Ohio for its challenging but enjoyable terrain and well-maintained roadways.

Clevelander and motorcycle aficionado Dan Davis and his biker buddies tackled a 7,000-mile roundtrip ride to the West Coast and back in 2022. But last year, they opted for an epic road trip closer to home ... and headed to southeast Ohio’s legendary Windy 9.

“The Windy 9 routes are like roller coasters for motorcycles with twists and hills galore,” Davis says. “Many of the roads require your full attention because they’re full of blind hills and tight turns. Having grown up in northwest Ohio, where the roads are flat and straight, riding the Windy 9 feels like being in another state.”

Ohio’s Windy 9, promoted by the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a motorcycling destination that encompasses nine routes — nearly 800 miles of winding roads that twist through southeastern Ohio’s hilly Appalachian region. The abundance of curves and the elevation change along the roads make it a hugely popular draw for motorcyclists.

“All of the routes start and end in Athens,” says Amy Spoutz, the bureau's marketing manager. “Riders can start off here, ride, and explore Appalachian Ohio, and end up back in Athens.” Navigating eight counties, riders can choose from routes like the Rim of the World, the Southern Dip, the Black Diamond Run, and the Zaleski Zipper (see next page). The exceedingly popular Triple

Nickel is admiringly compared to North Carolina’s legendary Tail of the Dragon.

Seven years ago, the visitors bureau partnered with Roadrunner magazine to develop the Windy 9 route map (www.windy9.com/routes). The website also includes turn-by-turn directions for the routes as well as roadside attractions, suggested eateries, fuel stations, and places to stay overnight.

“Every time we advertise the map in Roadrunner, we immediately get about 400 requests for information,” says Spoutz, adding that it’s been a strong lure to the Athens area and a boon to local hotels and restaurants, with thousands of riders tackling the routes each year.

The pure fun of riding the routes, plus low traffic and good upkeep of the roads, is what attracts visitors to the Windy 9. “We are packed with riders in the summer,” Spoutz says. “People come from all over. I remember two gentlemen last summer from Nebraska, and one of them said he wished he had put a video camera on his bike when they were riding the Triple Nickel. He said he was like a kid on a roller coaster — he’d holler, then laugh, then holler again.”

Davis, who bought his first motorcycle two decades ago, says, “I’ve owned about a dozen bikes and currently have five. How many motorcycles does one need?

Infinity plus one!”

Windy tidbits

The routes

Nine routes loop throughout the hills of southeast Ohio, and all start and end in the hip college town of Athens. Routes vary in length; some are more challenging than others. A few of note:

• The 87-mile Rim of the World loop. The popular, winding route cruises along State Route 78 through Wayne National Forest to McConnelsville, past the Stockport Mill and the Chesterhill Produce Auction.

• The 101-mile Lazy Rivers route. This one snakes along the Ohio River, where riders pass river locks and dams and hit the biker-friendly town of Pomeroy, which boasts excellent river views.

• The Hocking Hills Nipper, about 92 miles. The Nipper showcases the Hocking Hills region, taking riders past Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave.

• The Triple Nickel (not recommended for beginners). The most technically challenging of the routes, its 92 miles (184 round trip) are twisty, hilly, and scenic, thrilling riders along OH-555.

Pies and more

Quaint towns, unusual attractions, and delectable diners await riders on the Windy 9. A sampling:

• The Blue Bell Diner in McConnelsville offers breakfasts and a top-notch coffee bar.

• The Triple Nickel Diner in Chesterhill is a great place to stop when riding the Triple Nickel, Davis says. “Did you know it’s okay to have pie for breakfast? No, really!”

• More favorite lunch stops listed by the tourism group: Boathouse BBQ in Marietta, the Restaurant at the Mill in Stockport, Court Grill in Pomeroy, and the Lake Hope Lodge in McArthur.

• A few oddities also dot the routes. The Big Muskie Bucket at Miner’s Memorial Park in McConnelsville is the enormous bucket from the largest dragline excavator ever built; navigate the gravel portion of the Zaleski Zipper, and you’ll come to the Moonville Tunnel, said to be haunted by ghosts of railway workers who wave their lanterns at night; and just across the Ohio River from Gallipolis is the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, W.Va., devoted to the legendary 7-foot, red-eyed cryptid.

A ride of their own

The annual Athena Ride for Women is a four-day event based in Athens that offers not only a variety of guided and selfguided routes each day, but also workshops, evening activities, games, and educational sessions on everything from confidence building to riding skills and maintenance.

“It’s a lot of fun, and we get women riders of all ages. Last year, we had 130 women taking part, ranging from age 18 to an 83-year-old who rode a trike (motorcycle) with her husband co-piloting on the back. They even camped overnight,” says Amy Spoutz of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

This year’s Athena Ride for Women is scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 3. The event builds a community of women riders and supports My Sister’s Place, a local domestic violence shelter for women.

The Athena Ride for Women draws participants from all over to Athens for a weekend full of motorcycle-related activities.

YOUR LOCAL WATERFURNACE DEALERS:

Ashland Comfort Control (419) 281-0144 comfortcontrolohio.com

Bowling Green United Home Comfort (419) 352-7092 unitedhomecomfort.com

Chillicothe

Accurate Htg & Clg (740) 775-5005 accurategeothermal.com

Coldwater

Ray’s Refrigeration (419) 678-8711 raysrefrigeration.com

Defiance Schlatters Plbg & Htg (419) 393-4690 schlattersgeothermal.com

Dresden Federal Htg & Clg (740) 754-4328 federalheating.com

Findlay Knueve & Sons Inc. (419) 420-7638 knueve.com

Gahanna Custom A/C & Htg (614) 552-4822 customairco.com/ geothermal

Groveport Patriot Air (614) 577-1577 patriotair.com

Holgate Holgate Hardware (419) 264-3012

Kalida Knueve & Sons Inc. (419) 420-7638 knueve.com

Sarka Electric (419) 532-3492 sarkaelectric.com

Lancaster Fairfield Heating (740) 653-6421

fairfieldgeothermal.com

Mansfield Eberts Energy Center (419) 589-2000

ebertsheatingandcooling. com

Marion Wenig’s Inc. (740) 383-5012 wenigsinc.com

Medina

Sisler Heating (330) 722-7101 sislerwaterfurnace.com

Mt. Vernon

Cosby Htg & Clg (740) 393-4328 cosbyhc.com

New Knoxville

New Knoxville Supply (419) 753-2444 newknoxvillesupply.com

Newark

Hottinger Geothermal (740) 323-2330 hottingergeothermal.com

Portsmouth

Accurate Htg & Clg (740) 353-4328 accurategeothermal.com

Sidney Lochard Inc. (937) 492-8811

Springfield Danco Enterprises (937) 969-8440

daytongeothermal.com

Sunbury

Westin Air (614) 794-1259

geothermalcentralohio.com

Toledo

Overcashier & Horst (419) 841-3333 ohcomfort.com

Wellington

Wellington Indoor Comfort (440) 647-3421

Comparing is believing.

When you compare our geothermal system to a traditional gas or electric HVAC unit, the winner is clear.

We’ve got the competition beat on every level. A WaterFurnace geothermal heat pump offers unmatched efficiencies, so your energy costs are much lower than with a conventional furnace or a/c. It doesn’t rely on fossil fuels, so it’s much better on the environment. And the consistent temperatures and low humidity allow you to dial in your ideal comfort. Try it out and you’ll see—WaterFurnace wins.

Geothermal is the only renewable that provides reliable operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. visit us at waterfurnace.com/Ohio

Island connection

Ferries get everyone and everything on and off the Lake Erie islands.

Nearly a million people visit the tiny cluster of islands at the western end of Lake Erie each year, and most of them arrive by boat — specifically, on one of three ferry services that tote folks across the water from Port Clinton, Catawba, Sandusky, and Marblehead.

All three — Kelleys Island Ferry, Miller Boat Line, and Jet Express — welcome pets and bicycles. Two, Kelleys and Miller, also take freight: cars, motorcycles, large trucks, construction equipment, and tractor trailers. Once, Kelleys transported an entire circus, including tigers and elephants, across the lake on its boats.

The rates are reasonable — though that cost is definitely a consideration for anyone, say, building a house on the island, according to Eddie Ehrbar, a captain for Kelleys Island Ferry. The cost to transport all the workers, equipment, and materials alone could add as much as $20,000 to the price tag of a new house, compared to what it might cost to build on the mainland.

Ehrbar is one of a half-dozen full-time Kelleys captains, who, along with nine part-timers, keep the service’s five boats running from Marblehead to Kelleys Island nearly year-round. “In season, we’re running a boat every 30 minutes — we just raise the ramp and go,” Ehrbar says. “But in the off-season, we’ll give a couple minutes leeway here or there.”

Of course, the trips are at the captain’s discretion when things get rough. “Most of the guys will run in 6- to 8-foot seas,” he says, noting that most passengers stay dry by entering the cabin or staying inside vehicles when it’s that rough, though some prefer to get wet standing on the deck.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES PROFFITT

The Jet Express is a different animal than the other two. It’s only for people, pets, bicycles — and speed. The Express operates four boats with capacities between 149 and 385 passengers, and each is propelled by diesel water jets situated in catamaran hulls. One of the company’s boats, the Jet Express IV, was formerly owned by a New York City operation (it was named M/V Monmouth at that time) and was involved in the emergency sea lift of thousands after the 9/ 11 terrorist attack.

“[The Jet Express boats] can do what no other boat line in this region can do, and that is to cover a vast distance in a very short amount of time with a large number of people on board,” says Chase Eagleson, marketing manager for the Jet during the 2023 season. “The fastest boat can top out over 40 mph.”

Jet Express services carry a higher price tag, but folks say it’s worth it, especially for a day trip or a quick dinner on the island.

For all three ferry services, business is full throttle from May until autumn — though at times, people there joke that the islands may sink if any more people arrive.

“There comes a point where businesses and infrastructure simply cannot support any more traffic, and we’ve had moments where they said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to stop bringing people over,’” he says. “It’s kind of hard to plan for until you’re there; you just have to play your cards.”

Most of the time, the ferry business is a ho-hum affair. Every now and then, however, something extraordinary happens. In August 2010, for example, when a Cessna airplane carrying a pilot and three passengers hit the water just short of the South Bass Island runway, Miller Boat Line Captain Steve Rose sprang into action, and the resulting rescue video hit newscasts and spread across the internet like wildfire.

“I just thought, ‘We need to get over there and get the people out of the water,’” Rose told reporters after a ceremony honoring Miller employees. “I just want to thank my crew. They really hopped into action. All the training we do really pays off in the end.”

The captains have great views of the lake from the bridges of their ferries.

Passengers on the upper deck of this Miller’s Boat Line ferry are all smiles as they leave Put-in-Bay. Most passengers tend to stay in the ships’ cabins when the waters get rough (right inset). With boats running past 9:30 on summer evenings, there are plenty of opportunities for some spectacular sunset views on the lake (left inset).

State Residents hit Jackpot with ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls

Up for grabs for the next 21 days: Casino Rolls loaded with rarely seen American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins just like the old Casino Slots paid out, all coins are decades old and never to be minted again by the U. S . Gov’t

MUCH

NATIONWIDE - “It’s like hitting the jackpot on an old Vegas Slot Machine decades ago” said Mary Ellen Withrow.

That’s because for the next 21 days everyone can get these rarely seen ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls, and only those who beat the 21-day order deadline are getting a free U.S. Gov’t issued Lady Liberty Presidential Dollar Coin.

These full 15 count ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls are filled with historic American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins like the ones from 1976 and earlier that were used decades ago in slot machines in the world famous Casinos.

It’s amazing that these ‘Old

Vegas’ Casino Rolls are up for grabs. Just holding one in your hand reminds you of walking down the Vegas Strip in the glory days of Elvis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. It just makes you feel good.

“I’ll tell you this, it’s the best gift you could ever give someone. It’s actually the perfect gift for any occasion. Everyone you give one of these ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls to will never forget your generosity and they’ll be the envy of all who see them,” Withrow said.

“We’re bracing for thousands of state residents who will be calling to get these ‘Old

Vegas’ Casino Rolls over the next 21 days. That’s because these rolls are not torn, faded, ripped or beat up. They are in brand-new pristine collector condition. And here’s the best part. These are full 15 count ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls loaded with the same American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins like the coins used to fill the world famous casino slot machines decades ago, and there can never be any more so there’s no telling what they could one day be worth ,” Withrow explained.

Today’s callers need to remember this. These are not ordinary rolls of coins you get at a bank or credit union. These ‘Old Vegas’

Casino Rolls contain old American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins commemorating the Rat Pack days of the early 1970’s when Las Vegas Casinos were all the rage. These rolls are now being released from the private vaults at the Lincoln Treasury, each with 15 U.S. Gov’t issued American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins dating back to 1976 and earlier. We won’t be surprised if thousands of people claim the six roll limit before they’re gone. That’s because after the rolls were sealed with these U.S. Gov’t minted American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins, each verified to meet a minimum collector grade quality of very

HOW

ARE THE ‘OLD VEGAS’ CASINO ROLLS WORTH: There’s no way to tell, but at less than $7 per coin you better believe they’re a real steal. That’s because the dates and mint marks of the U.S. Gov’t issued American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins are sealed away inside the 15 count ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls. Coin values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees, but each ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Roll contains American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins that are decades old. Any scarce coins, regardless of their value that you may find inside the sealed ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls are yours to keep. One thing that is known is these are the only ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls known to exist and you can only get them by calling 1-888-841-8539 before the deadline ends and using the Promo Code IKE143.

American Eagle Casino Roll Handout: All those who beat the deadline get a free U.S. Government Issued Lady Liberty Presidential Dollar Coin never to be minted again

good or above, the dates and mint marks are unsearched to determine collector values and the rolls are now securely sealed. That means there’s no telling what’s in each roll.

“My advice, get as many as you can, stash them away in a safe place to pass down from generation to generation,” Withrow said.

“Just imagine how much these remaining ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls could be worth someday. The American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins alone are decades old and are never to be struck again by the U.S. Gov’t,” Withrow confirmed.

Withrow knows a thing or two about money, she is retired 40th Treasurer of the United States of America and now is the Executive Advisor to the Lincoln Treasury.

All readers of today’s newspaper publication trying to be the first to get the Free Presidential Dollar Coin with every ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Roll just need to call the Hotline at 1-888-841-8539 and give the Promo Code IKE143 beginning at 8:30 am this morning.

The Toll-Free Hotlines are expected to be overwhelmed. That’s why everyone hoping to get their hands on these ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls are being urged to call right away. If lines are busy keep calling. All calls will be answered over the next 21 days.

LIMITED ROLLS AVAILABLE

No more will ever be minted

Get your share of Vegas history now by calling the toll free hotline at: 1-888-842-8539, IKE143

Or …

Claim your rolls by Mail by enclosing $98 for each roll in check or money order made payable to: Lincoln Treasury. Choose from: “Slot Machines”, “Show Girls”, or “Vegas Sign” and mail it to: Lincoln Treasury, Dept IKE143 PO Box 9971 Canton, OH 44711

Or …

For fastest service, go online to: LincolnTreasury.com/Ohio Enter code IKE143 at checkout.

How to get the ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls:

The Call-In Hotlines open at 8:30am (EST) this morning. Callers who beat the deadline are guaranteed to get them for less than $7 per coin that’s only $98 for the full 15 count ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls loaded with decades old American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins. That’s the lowest price ever offered and a real steal for these one of a kind ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls and the best part is everyone who beats the deadline gets a free U.S. Government issued Lady Liberty Presidential Dollar Coin never to be minted again with each Casino Roll they claim. Important: if any remain after the deadline the price skyrockets to $255 per roll.

LAST CHANCE: You’ve heard the old saying, “When they’re gone, they’re gone”. That’s why today’s Public Release may be the best chance the public gets to own one of these ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls. And here’s the best part. The price is right, in fact it’s a steal for callers lucky enough to beat the deadline and get the ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls for less than $7 per coin.

JACKPOT: It’s like hitting 777 on an old Vegas “one armed bandit”. That’s because the dates and mint marks of the 15 American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins from decades ago are now

■ VEGAS SLOTS: Shown left is a post card from the famous Dunes Casino. The hotel opened on the strip in 1955. Over the years, millions have flocked to the world famous Las Vegas Casinos like the Dunes hoping to hit the jackpot. Of course many hit big time, and now for the next 21 days everyone who calls will feel like a winner too. That’s because the last ‘Old Vegas’ Casino Rolls filled with American Eagle Ike Large Dollar Coins like those that filled the “loose” Casino Slots decades ago are now actually being handed over to today’s callers who beat the deadline.

sealed away in each roll exclusively by the Lincoln Treasury so you never know what you might find.

A matter

BY CHASE SMOAK; ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAVID CLARK

Tired of losing tomatoes to unwanted garden pests? Worried you’ll need to sacrifice excellent taste for improved yield? Take a deep breath and relax: This year, you can have your tomato and eat it, too. With the help of a few new varieties and field-proven tactics, you’ll be on your way to growing the best tomato crop yet.

If you want to grow delicious, homegrown tomatoes this year, simply focus your attention on these three stages of gardening: planning, preparing, and protecting.

Stage 1: Plan

Planning for a successful tomato harvest starts with choosing the right varieties to grow in your garden.

Many gardeners claim that if you want great flavor, you’ll need to plant heirloom varieties. People selected these landrace tomato plants long ago for traits such as shape, size, and taste, so the claim has a basis. In pursuit of a better-tasting tomato, however, significant factors like resistance to insects and disease resistance were overlooked.

If you’ve grown heirlooms, you know how challenging the process can be. This bittersweet truth has left many gardeners wondering if old-timey taste is a thing of the past. Well, there’s good news. Consumer demand for resilient, flavorful tomatoes has not fallen on deaf ears. Plant breeders have come up with several improved tomato varieties — but with so many options available, how do you make the best choice?

A nonprofit organization called All-America Selections (AAS) may have the answer. The group tests new varieties before they hit the market, and their trial notes will tell you everything you need to know.

How does it work? Professional horticulturists across the country volunteer to grow test plots of new tomato varieties and compare notes on disease resistance, yields, and taste alongside established varieties.

“Our judges rate taste and texture first, then everything else second,” says Diane Blazek, executive director of AllAmerica Selections and the National Garden Bureau. “You can have the most prolific, cute, unique new tomato, but if it doesn’t taste good, nobody wants it.”

Stage 2: Prepare

Proper site selection and planting techniques are vital to tomato gardening success.

Your tomato garden needs access to full sun (6 to 8 hours a day) and should have good drainage. Tomato plants hate wet feet and often succumb to root rot when left in waterlogged soils. They do, however, need regular watering throughout the growing season, so select a spot with easy access to water. Irrigating deeply but infrequently strengthens plants and encourages deep, healthy root systems for hot summer days.

Avoid using a place where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, and other solanaceous crops have been grown within the past three years. Many pests overwinter in the soil adjacent to plants and will terrorize unsuspecting gardeners.

Once you’ve selected the right spot, make sure to test your soil and amend the ground as indicated. Your local extension agent can help you arrange a test and interpret

the results. Tomatoes are nutrient hogs that require a good supply of nutrients from start to finish, so you’ll likely need to fertilize before and during the growing cycle. Adequate moisture is necessary for nutrient uptake. Drip irrigation works well and doesn’t soak leaves, which often leads to disease issues.

And don’t forget to deal with weeds. They are an oftenoverlooked source of tomato pests. After clearing the site of any weeds, spread mulch 3 to 4 inches deep and keep it a palm-width away from the bases of tomato stems.

Tomatoes should be planted after the last frost, according to The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. In central Ohio, the ideal planting time is around May 20. In the southern part of the state, it’s one to two weeks earlier, and to the north, it’s a week later.

Stage 3: Protect

Like the rising of the sun, pests — insects and diseases — are to be expected in every garden. The good news: They can be controlled or even avoided using integrated pest management (IPM), a commonsense approach to gardening that treads lightly on the environment and minimizes use of garden chemicals.

Heirlooms for Ohio

Here are a few AAS winning tomato varieties to consider growing this season. To find seed suppliers and garden centers that carry these and other AASrecommended varieties, visit www.allamericaselections.org/buy-winners.

Purple Zebra. If you want a tomato that looks just as good as it tastes, search no more. According to AAS, Purple Zebra is a national winner with fruit that is “firm in texture, complex in flavor and has a taste more sweet than acidic.” This variety has high resistance to tomato mosaic virus, verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and late blight. Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks

Monitor and identify. Get to know your garden and what lives in it. Talk to your local extension agent for a precise understanding of the insects and diseases to watch out for. Remember that beneficial insects like praying mantis and lady beetles naturally keep damaging insects in check. Don’t resort to pesticides at the first sign of something that flies or crawls.

Make an evaluation. If you do spot harmful pests or damage on tomatoes, evaluate whether real damage is being done to the landscape. They may be annoying, but small pest populations can often be tolerated. Set thresholds to guide your treatment decisions. For example, you may decide there’s little benefit to treating a pest problem if there is less than 10% damage to the plant.

Choose a wise treatment. If treatment is necessary, use the least toxic measure first. Cultural methods such as proper watering, plant spacing, and fertilization can help prevent or reduce the number of pests. Mechanical means are another option that requires the physical removal of pests and can be useful for small populations. For example, hornworms are easily removable by hand-picking, and aphids are often washed away by a good squirt from a water hose.

If these approaches fail, reach out to your local extension agent for advice on pesticides and follow all label directions. Pesticide labels are the law, and many chemicals may be unethical or even illegal to use on fruitbearing plants. Err on the side of caution.

before the last frost for best results. In the garden, space transplants no less than 2 feet apart or, if using containers, select 5-gallon pots with drainage. This variety produces 150 to 200 green-striped, purple tomatoes and requires staking. Most gardeners can begin harvesting tomatoes 80 to 85 days after transplant.

As for disease resistance, this variety has superior tolerance to late blight. Transplants should be spaced at least 2 feet apart in the garden and will benefit from staking.

Celano. Another national winner, Celano, is an early-producing, high-yielding grape-type tomato for your patio or garden. According to AAS trial notes, Celano developed fruit much earlier and produced much longer than comparable varieties. Deepred, oblong tomatoes typically weigh a little over half an ounce and taste sweet.

Early Resilience. Another national winner, Early Resilience, is a fantastic selection for canning enthusiasts. Each plant will produce roughly 25 tomatoes with good-quality flesh and excellent flavor. This variety displays high resistance to blossom-end rot and numerous diseases. From transplant, gardeners can expect to harvest tomatoes after 70 to 115 days. For best results, space each plant at least 2 feet apart. Staking may help but is not required.

Make Stumps Disappear Fast with a DR® Stump Grinder

• 3-sided Greenteeth® tungsten carbide-tipped teeth that last 3X longer

Burn Safely with a DR® BurnCage™

• Perforated stainless steel for max airflow

• Powerful engines that take 372 “bites” per second through even the toughest hardwoods PRO XL

• Light, durable, and folds flat for storage

• Traps embers and burns more thoroughly BURN

Scan the code to visit DRPower.com today to shop or request a free catalog!

Free Shipping on orders over $100

MAY 1, JUN. 5 – Down on the Farm Story Time, Proving Ground Farm, 5670 E. Twp. Rd. 138, Tiffin, 10 a.m. Stories and activities are geared for preschool-age children and focus on farming and nature in a picturesque outdoor setting. Families welcome! 419-447-7073, www.conservesenecacounty.com, or follow Seneca Conservation District on Facebook.

MAY 4–SEP. 15 – NWORRP Museum Summer Hours, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, Sat./Sun. 1–4 p.m. $3; 12 and under, $2 (includes 1 train ride ticket per admission). Museum tours, quarter-scale train rides, model train displays, games, play area, and more. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp.

MAY 16–19 – The Findlay Show: Armed Forces Day Celebration, Hancock Co. Fgds., 1017 E. Sandusky St., Findlay. $10; ages 6–17, $5; under 6 free. Reenactments, living history displays, American Huey 369 and UH-1B Gunship 049, military vehicles, and more. www. findlaymilitaryshow.org.

MAY 17–19 – Settlers’ Encampment, AuGlaize Village, 12296 Krouse Rd., Defiance. Step back in time to 1750–1815 and see how settlers survived. Demonstrations and instructions on topics ranging from plant dyeing and

WEST VIRGINIA

food preparation to the fur trade and weapons of that era. Friday is School Day. 419-990-0107; villageauglaize@ gmail.com or ravensroost@metalink.net (Cheryl Daniel); or www.auglaizevillage.com.

MAY 18–19 – Family Fun Weekend: “End of the School Year,” Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co. Rd. 99, Findlay, 1–4 p.m. $5. Games, quarter-scale train rides, bounce house, and other family-friendly activities and events. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp.

MAY 18 – West Liberty Fire Sales, downtown West Liberty. Relive history and find unique treasures at West Liberty’s village-wide garage sale! Commemorate the “Day of the Fire,” May 13, 1880, and explore the charming shops from a bygone era. www.mywestliberty.com.

MAY 19 – Shelby County Coin Club Coin Show, American Legion Post 217, 1265 Fourth Ave., Sidney, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. For more information, call 937-339-5437

MAY 23 – Fourth Thursdays Salute to Service, downtown Lakeview. Welcome in the summer season and pay homage to the USA, the “Home of the Free Because of the Brave”! Enjoy food trucks and live music while you stroll the downtown streets collecting stamps on your shopping passport. www.facebook.com/ downtownlakeviewohio.

MAY 25–26 – Findlay Flea Market, Hancock Co. Fgds., 1017 E. Sandusky St., Findlay, Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Free admission. Variety of merchandise: new, used, vintage items, crafts, and more. Vendors welcome! Contact Christine at 419-619-0041 or findlayfleamarket@ gmail.com for more information.

MAY 27 – Memorial Day Service, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, 93 Delaware Ave., Put-inBay, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Free. 419-285-2184 or www.nps.gov/ pevi/index.htm.

JUN. 1 – Findlay Craft Beer Fest and Wine Tasting, Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc., 12505 Co.

MAY 18 – John Randolph Spring Arts Kick Off, Fort New Salem, 81 Settlers Lane, Salem, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Features live demonstrations by various artisans. 304-695-2220, director@fortnewsalemfoundation.org, or www.fortnewsalemfoundation.org.

MAY 18 – Taste of Parkersburg, corner of 3rd and Market Sts., Parkersburg, 6–11 p.m. Food, wine, beer, and live music. 304-865-0522 or www.downtownpkb.com.

Rd. 99, Findlay, 5–8 p.m. (VIP early admission at 4 p.m.). Must be 21+. Sample offerings from several local craft breweries and a local winery; enjoy refreshments and entertainment. In case of rain, the event will be held in the train barn. 419-423-2995, www.nworrp.org, or www.facebook.com/nworrp.

JUN. 6 – Defiance Community Band: Park Concert, Kingsbury Park, 102 Auglaize St., Defiance, 7:30 p.m. Free. Bring lawn chair. Contact Erin Redick at defiancecommunityband@gmail.com.

JUN. 7 – First Fridays Pineapple Palooza, downtown Bellefontaine. Zipline down Main Street, bounce in our inflatables, shop the vendor fair, and fill your belly at the dozen-plus food trucks. Don’t forget a selfie with the giant pineapple! www.firstfridaysbellefontaine.com.

JUN. 8 – Fleurette Garden Club Flower Show and Plant Sale, 600 N. Main St., Bellefontaine. Plant sale 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Silent auction of selected container plants. Flower show 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.; judging begins at 12 p.m. To receive a show schedule and entry information, send request to fleurettesgc@gmail.com. Entries to show must be completed by Jun. 1

JUN. 8–9 – Antique Tractor Show/Pulls, Flea Market, and Fiber Show, AuGlaize Village, 12296 Krouse Rd., Defiance. 419-990-0107 or www.auglaizevillage.com. Antique tractor pulls Sat. 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; small hitch fee. Trophies and prize money awarded. Participants and vendors contact us through Facebook Messenger or email at villageauglaize@gmail.com or rgoyings@live.com (Randy Goyings). Fiber Show: We will be demonstrating period spinning, weaving, sewing, and quilting on various types of fiber equipment from various eras. Participants and vendors contact us at villageauglaize.com or loriekonopka@yahoo.com (Lorie Konopka).

JUN. 15 – Summer Garden Tour, West Liberty. Come explore the town’s gorgeous and secret gardens. Bask in the beauty of nature, breathe in the fresh air, and escape from reality! www.mywestliberty.com.

JUN. 7–9 – Fostoria Glass Society of America Glass Show and Sale, Moundsville Ctr. Bldg., 901 8th St., Moundsville, Sat. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. $8. Held in the historic West Virginia State Penitentiary. Auction Sat. 5 p.m., flea market Sun. 7 a.m.–noon. 304-845-9188 or www.fostoriaglass.org.

2024 CALENDAR MAY/JUNE

CENTRAL

THROUGH OCT. 27 – Rock Mill Days, Stebelton Park at Rock Mill, 1429 Rockmill Place NW, Lancaster, Wed./ Sat. 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Sun. 1–4 p.m. Tour the restored 1824 gristmill, walk the Rock Mill Covered Bridge, and view the waterfall near the headwaters of the Hocking River. On the last Sunday of each month, see how corn was ground like it was done 200 years ago. 614-321-4833 ext. 103 or www.fairfieldcountyparks.org/events.

MAY 3, JUN. 7 – First Friday Art Walk, downtown Zanesville, 5–8 p.m. Come downtown on the first Friday of each month, when all our participating galleries, studios, and small businesses are open at the same time! Visit the Artist Colony of Zanesville’s website for a map of current participants: https://artcoz.org/arts-district-map.

MAY 4–OCT. 26 – Coshocton Farmers Market, 22442 Co. Rd. 1A, Coshocton, Sat. 8:30 a.m.–noon. Fresh, locally grown, in-season produce; baked goods; and handmade artisan crafts. For the most up-to-date information about vendors who will be attending the market, visit www. facebook.com/coshoctonfarmersmarket or email market. manager@coshfarmmarket.org.

SOUTHWEST

THROUGH JUN. 26 – Bluegrass Wednesdays, Vinoklet Winery, 11069 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, Wed. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Enjoy dinner, wine, and an evening of free entertainment by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. Reservations recommended. 513-385-9309, vinokletwinery@fuse.net, or www.vinokletwines.com.

MAY 11 – Strong Beer Fest, Liberty Home German Society, 2361 Hamilton Cleves Rd., Hamilton, 2–10 p.m. Gerhard Albinus, 2–6 p.m.; Polka Cola, 6–10 p.m. https:// libertyhome.net or follow Liberty Home Association on Facebook.

MAY 17, JUN. 21 – Bluegrass Night, Fibonacci Brewing Company, 1445 Compton Rd., Cincinnati, 7–9 p.m. Free. Enjoy lively bluegrass music by Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, a wide variety of craft beers at the Beer Garden, and food truck eats. 513-832-1422 or http://fibbrew.com.

MAY 9, JUN. 13 – Inventors Network Meetings, Rusty Bucket, 3901 Britton Parkway, Hilliard, 43026 (614-7775868, MyRustyBucket.com), 7 p.m. Informal meetings for networking and invention-related discussion. 614-470-0144 or www.inventorscolumbus.com.

MAY 11 – Sunbury Farmers Market Vendors and Food Truck Meet-N-Greet, Sunbury Community Library, 44 Burrer Dr., Sunbury, 10 a.m.–noon. Sign-up day. Refreshments served. 740-513-9192 or sunburyohiofarmersmarket@gmail.com.

MAY 17 – AHA Waffles Saturday Breakfast, Union County Airport (KMRT), 760 Clymer Rd., Marysville, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Free admission. Fly or drive on over for a breakfast featuring AHA Waffles specials: waffles, home fries, breakfast sandwiches, and more! The airport has a covered outdoor eating area and capacity for up to 50 planes at a time to park on the ramp. Local aviation groups will also be supporting the event. www.unioncountyohio.gov/departments/AirportAuthority/airport_meeting_schedule.

MAY 18 – Art on the Canal Art Stroll, Historic Downtown Canal Winchester, noon–6 p.m. The downtown will come alive with music, dancing, exhibits, and performances, along with a variety of exquisite works of art and fine crafts from central Ohio artists. As you stroll the sidewalks of our quaint city, stop and enjoy some local food, drinks, and shopping, as well as Robert Warren’s Art Studio. 614-270-5053 or www.destinationcw.org.

MAY 19 – Martinsburg Activity Center Motorcycle, Truck, and Car Show, 422 W. Liberty St., Martinsburg. Registration 8 a.m.–12 p.m. ($10 fee); awards 2 p.m. 50/50, door prizes, raffle prizes, 50 trophy giveaways, 100 dash plaques, DJ Eddie Powell. Breakfast sandwiches and lunch available for purchase. 740-398-0907

MAY 25–26 – Asian Festival, Franklin Park, 1755 E. Broad St., Columbus. Free. A celebration of Asian culture, including dance, music, martial arts, food, and much more. http://asian-festival.org.

MAY 25–SEP. 28 – Sunbury Farmers Market, 36 Cherry St., on the Square of Sunbury, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Offering local products — handmade, homemade, or homegrown. Vendors welcome. 740-513-9192 or sunburyohiofarmersmarket@gmail.com.

MAY 27 – Memorial Day Celebration, Veterans Memorial Park, 95 Landis St., Lockbourne. Parade starts at noon, followed by a service featuring the Rickenbacker 121st Air Refueling Wing. For more information, call the Municipal Offices at 614-491-3161 or visit www.lockbourneohio.us

JUN. 2 – Summer Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show, Makoy Event Ctr., 5462 Center St., Hilliard, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $3, under 12 free. www.avantgardeshows.com.

JUN. 6–8 – Hot Air Balloon Festival, Coshocton Co. Fgds., 707 Kenilworth Ave., Coshocton. Balloon launches at dawn and dusk, night glow, food vendors, kiddie rides, craft booths, fireworks, and more. www. coshoctonhotairballoonfestival.com.

JUN. 13–15 – Eastern National Expo XII, Fairfield Co. Fgds., 157 E. Fair Ave., Lancaster, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Featuring John Deere tractors and equipment. www. ohiotwocylinderclub.org.

MAY 24–26 – Coshocton Flint Festival/Flint Ridge Knap-In, Coshocton Co. Fgds., 724 S. 7th St., Coshocton, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The ancient art of chipping arrowheads; other native crafts; gems; handmade items; family fun and entertainment! Contact: 330-473-7041 or 419-632-1274

MAY 25–26 – Celtic Heritage Festival, Johnston Farm and Indian Agency, 9845 N. Hardin Rd., Piqua. 937-7732522 or www.johnstonfarmohio.com.

MAY 26 – White Water Shaker Village Tour, 11813 Oxford Rd., Harrison, 2–5 p.m. Free. Established in 1823, White Water is one of the 24 Shaker communal villages founded in the United States. Learn about the daily life of a Shaker; discover the styles of businesses they conducted; and check out our collections of Shaker goods. Explore the property to see the stable, barns, and historic outbuildings of this 200-year-old village.  www.whitewatervillage.org.

MAY 30–JUN. 1 – Milford Frontier Days, Riverside Park, 425 Victor Stier Dr., Milford. Kickoff parade, live music, food, kids’ activities, Youth Makers Market, and family fun. 513-831-2411 or www.frontierdaysmilford.com.

MAY 31 – Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, May Fest, Alms Park Pavilion, 710 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, 6–9 p.m. Free. Enjoy an evening of lively bluegrass music with lightning-fast instrumentals, close harmonies, and entertaining novelty songs. Spectacular view of the Ohio River, children’s playground nearby, food trucks, and more! Bring a lawn chair. www.fotmc.com.

JUN. 1 – Biergarten Band Night, Liberty Home German Society, 2361 Hamilton Cleves Rd., Hamilton, 5–10 p.m. M*A*M*B (Middle Aged Man Band), 6–10 p.m. https:// libertyhome.net or follow Liberty Home Association on Facebook.

JUN. 13–15 – Washboard Music Festival, downtown Logan. Free. Ohio’s most unique music and arts festival, celebrating the old-fashioned washboard as a musical instrument. 740-277-1806, washboardfestival@gmail. com, or www.washboardmusicfestival.com.

JUN. 1–2 – Troy Strawberry Festival, downtown Troy, Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. This premier festival features strawberry cuisine along with a wide variety of foods offered by area nonprofits, arts and crafts, games, competitions, and much more. 937-3397714 or www.gostrawberries.com.

JUN. 8 – Canal Music Fest, Tipp City Park, 35 Park Ave., Tipp City, gates open at 5 p.m. Free family-friendly concert featuring Draw the Line, an Aerosmith tribute band, and Michael Williams, a Middletown musician and contestant on The Voice and American Idol. Bring your chairs or blankets. No coolers! 937-543-5115 or www.canalmusicfest.com.

JUN. 8 – “Fascinating Fossils,” Wagers’ Memorial Park (Devil’s Backbone), 1301 OH-725 W., Camden, 11 a.m. Free adult program presented by naturalists Doug and Ann Horvath. Registration required. 937-962-5561, pcpdevents@gmail.com, or www. preblecountyparks.org.

JUN. 8–9 – “Whaur Aur Ye Frae,” Johnston Farm and Indian Agency, 9845 N. Hardin Rd., Piqua. Immerse yourself in John Johnston’s Ulter Scots heritage through tales and music. 937-773-2522 or www. johnstonfarmohio.com.

JUN. 14 – Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass, Butler County Bluegrass Association, Collinsville Community Center, 5113 Huston Rd., Collinsville, 7–9 p.m. Free. Enjoy an evening of lively bluegrass music. Good, reasonably priced home-style food available on-site. 937-417-8488

SOUTHEAST

THROUGH NOV. 2 – Athens Farmers Market, Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St., Athens, Wed. 9 a.m.–noon. Open year-round Sat. 9 a.m.–noon. Voted Ohio’s #1 favorite farmers market! 740-593-6763 or www. athensfarmersmarket.org.

MAY 4–19 – Heirloom Plant Sale, Adena Mansion and Gardens, 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, Wed.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 12–5 p.m. The annual sale focuses on plant varieties raised and passed on before the advent of industrial farming, with many going back at least as far as Thomas Worthington’s time. www.adenamansion.com.

MAY 11–12 – Gus Macker Returns, downtown Chillicothe. Gus Macker 3on3 Basketball celebrates its 50th year and returns to the downtown streets. All ages and skill levels can participate. Cost: $180. www.macker. com/local/chillicothe-oh.

MAY 17 – The Best of Bon Jovi and Journey, featuring Don Jovi’s Journey, Majestic Theatre, 45 E. Second St., Chillicothe, 7:30 p.m. $39–$69. Covering the hits of two of the most popular American rock bands in history, the

NORTHEAST

MAY 18 – World Bee Day Fun Day, Cuyahoga Co. Fgds., Bee Barn, 19201 E. Bagley Rd., Middleburg Heights, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. World Bee Day celebration raises awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy, and of the many challenges they face today. https:// loraincountybeekeepers.org or follow us on Facebook.

MAY 24–AUG. 3 – Woodcarver’s Exhibit, McCook House Museum, 15 S. Lisbon St., Carrollton, Fri./Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Exhibit included in museum admission: $3; ages 5–12, $2. Co-organizers of the event are master carvers Ken Grigsby and Keith Shumaker. For further information, call 330-437-9715 or 330-627-3345

MAY 25–26 – Great Lakes Fiber Show, Wayne Co. Fgds., 199 Vancouver St., Wooster. Free. Competitions, fleece show and sale, children’s activities, workshops ($45–$80), fibers, supplies, handcrafted goods, and more. Food available for purchase. www.greatlakesfibershow.com.

MAY 30–AUG. 1 – Fort Steuben Summer Concert Series, Fort Steuben Park, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville, Thur. 7–9 p.m. Bring a blanket and picnic basket and enjoy a free concert at this site overlooking the Ohio River. 740-2831787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com.

group has established itself as one of the premier party bands. www.majesticchillicothe.net.

MAY 24–26 – Bash for Cash, Ross Co. Fgds., 344 Fairgrounds Rd., Chillicothe. Smash It Demolition Derby raises the bar in the demolition derby industry and presents a huge weekend of entertainment. www.smashitderby.com/bash-for-cash.

MAY 24–26 – Feast of the Flowering Moon, Yoctangee Park, Enderlin Circle, Chillicothe, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Free. Family-friendly entertainment featuring Native American music, dancing, a wide assortment of vendors, a Mountain Men Encampment, and much more! www.feastofthefloweringmoon.org.

MAY 25–26 – Pre-1840 Rendezvous, Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp, 1362 Caves Rd., Jackson, Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–noon. Free and open to the public. Participants in period dress will be portraying life in the periods of 1700–1840. Camping fee for participants: $15 members, $20 non-members. For additional information, call 740-773-3891

MAY 31–JUN. 2 – ELEVATE: A Wellness Event, McConnelsville. Healing arts, wellness education, holistic nutrition, health, fitness, and more. Healers, practitioners, and experts will be offering private and group sessions as well as free presentations. Bring a friend, participate in the wellness offerings, and enjoy the local community arts, entertainment, food, and drink. www.facebook.com/ events/1327419717942503

MAY 31–JUN. 2 – Southern Ohio Farm Power of the Past Antique Tractor and Machinery Show, Pike Co. Fgds., Piketon. Hosting IH Chapter 6 state show. Featuring Farmall tractors and equipment. Vintage tractors and farm equipment demos, hit and miss engines, working sawmill, truck and tractor pulls Sat. 7 p.m., car show Sunday, flea market/craft items, food,

MAY 31 – Alla Boara: “Italian Folk Songs,” John Streeter Garden Amphitheater, 2122 Williams Rd., Wooster, 6:30 p.m. Free, but registration recommended. The Clevelandbased ensemble reimagines Italian folk songs by adding elements of modern jazz and world music. In the event of rain, the concert will be held at Fisher Auditorium, 1680 Madison Ave. Register at www.ormaco.org or by calling 419-853-6016

MAY 29 – Bike Week Dice Run, Kelleys Island. Participants will experience an exciting tour of the island while completing a scavenger hunt and collecting dice rolls at a variety of local businesses. 419-746-2360 or www.kelleysislandchamber.com.

JUN. 1 – Jazz Under the Stars: The Dan Zola Orchestra, Uptown Park, 79–89 Public Square, Medina, 7–9 p.m. Free. Musical director Eric Dregne will lead this highenergy group in an evening of big band favorites. In the event of rain, the concert will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 317 E. Liberty St. 419-853-6016

JUN. 1 – LCBA Annual Beekeeping Field Day, Queen Right Colonies, 43655 St. Rte. 162, Spencer, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Beekeeping industry leaders Randy Oliver and Ray Olivarez will be the featured speakers. Peer beekeeping sessions, food, fun, raffles, door prizes. https:// loraincountybeekeepers.org or follow us on Facebook.

JUN. 1–2 – Ohio Valley Frontier Days, Historic Fort Steuben, 120 S. 3rd St., Steubenville. $6; ages 6–12, $3; under 6 free. Annual festival featuring soldier, settler, surveyor, and artisan reenactors, re-creating life on the Ohio frontier; crafts, games, food, and entertainment. 740-283-1787 or www.oldfortsteuben.com.

JUN. 2 – Cleveland Comic Book and Nostalgia Festival, Doubletree by Hilton Cleveland/Westlake, 1100 Crocker Rd., Westlake, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $5; 6 and under free. Comic and toy vendors, guest comic creators, hourly prizes. 330-462-3985, jeff@harpercomics.com, or www. harpercomics.com.

kids’ activities. Contact Steve Dean, pres., at 740-289-4124

JUN. 1 – “Base Ball”: Adena Worthingtons vs. The Ohio Village Muffins, Adena Mansion & Gardens, 847 Adena Rd., Chillicothe, 2 p.m. Free. Doubleheader exhibition of vintage baseball played by 19th-century rules. www.adenamansion.com.

JUN. 1 – Chillicothe BrewFest, North Paint Street, Chillicothe, 1:30–7 p.m. $20–$50. Sample beer from area breweries and listen to live local music. This year the event will partner with Fifty West Brewing Company and Race Penguin for the Chillicothe Half Marathon and 5K. www.downtownchillicothe.com.

JUN. 1 – Metahqua 24 Trail Races, Metahqua Nature Preserve, 3663 Walnut Creek Rd., Chillicothe, 9 a.m. $35–$320. Beautiful 2-mile trail with race options: 2-mile, 24-hour solo race, and 24-hour 4-person relay race. https://visitchillicotheohio.com/event/metahqua-24

JUN. 6–8 – Southern Ohio Forest Rally, Yoctangee Park and other locations. Free. www. southernohioforestrally.com.

JUN. 8 – Chillicothe Jazz, Funk, and Blues Concert, Majestic Theatre, 45 E. Second St., Chillicothe, 6 p.m. $40. Five bands performing include Yoctangee Fire, YOLO Band, Thump Daddy Funk Band, Urban Jazz Coalition, and Hitman Blues Band. Proceeds benefit two local nonprofits. www.majesticchillicothe.net.

JUN. 14–15 – Art Festival, Historic Village Square, 419 West St., Caldwell. Free. Arts and crafts for sale Fri. 6–8 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Cruise-in and Marquis 66 band (60s music) Fri. 6–8 p.m., Laura Cramblett (dulcimer) on Saturday. 740-732-5288 or director@ visitnoblecountyohio.com.

JUN. 7 – First Fridays on Fourth, 155 N. 4th St., Steubenville, 6–10 p.m. Free. Monthly themed celebration featuring art, crafts, games, food trucks, live entertainment, and activities to stimulate the imagination. www. theharmoniumproject.org/first-Fridays.

JUN. 8 – Secrest Garden Fair, Secrest Arboretum, 2122 Williams Rd., Wooster, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Free. Over 50 arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, crafts for kids, gardenthemed workshops, and tours of the arboretum.  www.friendsofsecrest.com.

JUN. 8 – Burton Antiques Festival, Geauga Co. Fgds., 14373 Cheshire St., Burton, early buyers 8–10 a.m., $25; general admission 10 a.m.–1 p.m., $10; 1–4 p.m., $5. Antique, vintage, and midcentury furniture will be offered along with vintage jewelry, primitives, stoneware, postcards, and much more. You buy it, we load it for you! Contact Kay Puchstein at 740-998-5300 or puchs2@yahoo.com for more info or visit www. burtonantiquesmarket.com.

JUN. 9 – Hichem Ferrah, Guitar: “Algerian-Inspired Music,” Wadsworth Public Library, 132 Broad Street, Wadsworth, 2–3 p.m. Free, but reservations recommended. Register at www.ormaco.org or by calling 419-853-6016. Seating is on a first-come, firstserved basis.

JUN. 12–14 – Holy Trinity Greek Food Festival, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 300 S. 4th St., Steubenville, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Music, tours of the church, outdoor dining, and takeout. 740-282-7770 or https://holytrinitygreekfest.com.

JUN. 14–15 – Simply Slavic Festival, Federal Plaza East, downtown Youngstown, Fri. 5–11 p.m., Sat. noon to midnight. $5; 12 and under free. Live music, folk dance performances, homemade food, children’s learning areas, educational exhibits, and ethnic vendors. www. simplyslavic.org.

Mom at

1

4

2

her best 3

5

1 Such delight on the face of my mom, Alice, when celebrating 87 years of life!

Sandra Troester, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative member

2 Joan Rench, my mom — a rose amongst the tulips.

Beverly Rench, Darke Rural Electric Cooperative member

3 Shafer and Theo Fronckowiak listen to their bedtime story read by Grammie Bobby Bender.

Bobby Bender, Pioneer Electric Cooperative member

4 My mother, Gladys Kill, watering her flowers beside the pear tree. Karen Pugh, Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative member

5 Blessed to celebrate my mom’s 88th birthday in September and looking forward to Mother’s Day.

Tonya Bess, South Central Power Company member

6

6 My mom, Deanna Phillips, doing what she’s always done best: rocking babies. She is a mom of eight, grandma to 27, and great-grandma to 41. Here she’s rocking her 37th greatgrandchild (and my fourth grandchild), Maeve Elizabeth Brown. Elizabeth McDougle, North Central Electric Cooperative member

For August, send “Diving board” by May 15. For September, send “Four (or more) generations” by June 15.

Upload your photos at www.ohiocoopliving.com/ memberinteractive. Your photo may be featured in our magazine or on our website.

Right TREE, right PLACE

to locate underground electric or other utility lines. This is a free service and it’s the law!

Before you buy a tree, look up and around. See any power lines? That’s your cue to plant far away — use the chart below as a guide.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Avoid planting shrubs and flowers around green transformer boxes and electric meters. Your co-op needs access for meters, and it’s safer to keep the space clear.

Small-tree zone: Less than 25 feet in height and spread; at least 25 feet from lines.

Medium-tree zone: 25-40 feet in height and spread; at least 40 feet from lines.

Large-tree zone: Larger than 40 feet in height and spread; at least 60 feet from lines.