Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

The power beneath your feet

sbradford — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 18:51:41 +0000

The power beneath your feet

March 1, 2026

When people consider renewable energy sources, many people tend to look up. Solar power, after all, is a common choice for someone looking to go green or potentially save money on electricity.

For some, however, it can pay to look down. Geothermal systems take advantage of the naturally consistent temperature underground to provide energy-efficient heating and cooling year-round.

“People choose geothermal for the environmental benefits and to save money,” says Tim Litton, director of marketing for WaterFurnace, an Indiana-based geothermal system manufacturer. “Geothermal is twice as efficient as any traditional heat pump, which means people can save more money on heating and cooling.

Avoiding extremes

Home geothermal systems work generally the same as the more-common air source heat pumps, which use refrigerant and a compressor to transfer heat, says Bruce Warnecke, energy service advisor at Hancock- Wood Electric Cooperative in North Baltimore. “But geothermal uses ground temperatures, which remain constant compared to air temperatures, which fluctuate widely,” he says.

In the Midwest, the temperature just a few feet under the ground stays at a consistent 55 degrees, no matter the air temperature above. “The system uses pipes that circulate liquid through the ground to either extract warmth to heat the refrigerant or deposit the heat to cool the refrigerant,” Warnecke says. “On a day when it’s 90 degrees outside, it’s much more efficient to use 55-degree water to cool than to use 90-degree air. If it’s 15 degrees outside, it’s much more efficient to use 50 degree water than that extremely cold air.”

The harder the system works, the more electricity it uses, raising the homeowner’s electric bill. “In the winter, the colder it gets, the harder a traditional heat pump has to work to get heat from the outside air,” Litton says. Extremely cold days can push air-source heat pumps to switch to auxiliary or supplemental electric heat, which can use five or 10 times as much electricity as the normal heat pump mode. Geothermal heat pumps almost never use backup heat, Litton says, because of the consistent ground temperature.

Real-life application

Hancock-Wood member Doug Schwiebert of Hamler recently put a geothermal system into a newly constructed barndominium in Henry County. The choice was easy, he says, because he’d had a positive experience using geothermal in an old farmhouse.

“The one in the farmhouse is 20 years old,” Schwiebert says. “When we put it in, our electric bill did drop. It’s also been really reliable. We just clean the furnace filter and we haven’t had to do anything else to it.”

Litton says longevity is another advantage of these systems. “A geothermal unit lasts about 25 years, while most other types of HVAC units are expected to last 15 to 18 years. There’s no combustion, no flames or fumes, and no outdoor components. It’s quieter and there’s no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

Schwiebert’s systems use horizontal loops buried in the ground.

“We’re in the middle of a field, so we’ve got plenty of room here,” he says. Other configurations include vertical loops that go straight down and open-loop systems that use water from a nearby pond.

Investing in efficiency

Geothermal systems can be a good option for people building new homes, especially if they have available land for a horizontal loop, which is the most cost-effective option, Warnecke says. Geothermal may also be installed in existing homes. The choice makes the most sense for people who plan to stay in their homes for a significant time, he says.

“They cost more up front to purchase, often about 1 ½ to two times a traditional system,” he says. “But the month-to-month energy savings will pay off.” How long that payoff takes varies, he says, but a good contractor can provide a cost-savings analysis to help homeowners decide whether geothermal is a good investment in their particular situation.

Litton said that, on average, homeowners recoup the costs of a geothermal system in about 10 years, depending on the initial costs, incentives, and other variables.

Another factor to consider is rebates from electricity providers and possible state or local tax credits or incentives, as well. “Our cooperative offered a rebate and we also got a 30% federal tax credit,” Schwiebert says. “That made the investment much closer to what we might have paid for another type of system.”

On its website, WaterFurnace offers a calculator to help potential customers estimate their savings and also directs them to available local incentives, Litton says.

A win-win for co-ops

Because geothermal systems avoid the worst energy-use spikes in extremely hot or cold weather, they keep homeowners’ bills more constant. At the same time, they don’t contribute to the energy demand surge that comes with extreme temperatures, benefitting utilities, which have prices set based on their peak energy use. For co-ops, lower peak demand means lower costs for everyone.

“For every 1,000 homes that adopt geothermal, it reduces peak demand by about 10 megawatts,” Litton says. “That’s why utilities offer geothermal incentives.”

URE: LEED-ing by example

Electric cooperatives frequently advise and educate members about energy efficiency. When Marysville-based Union Rural Electric Cooperative built its new headquarters in 2007, the cooperative led by example, constructing a LEED-certified green building.

A major component of its energy-efficiency plan was a geothermal system for heating and air conditioning, says Matt Zarnosky, URE’s chief operating officer and vice president of engineering.

“We have geothermal for the whole building,” he says. “We have 18 compressor units in the building for geothermal heating and air conditioning. If you put geothermal in your house, you’d have just one.”

The co-op benefits both from lower overall energy usage and from consistent costs throughout the year. “Because the temperature of the ground is always constant, we don’t see huge spikes in cost during especially hot or cold weather.”

URE’s building is raised off the ground and heat comes through vents in the floor, Zarnosky says, and a glass section of flooring makes that space visible. Additionally, some of the geothermal units may be seen behind glass doors in the co-op building.

The co-op’s building also has an enthalpy wheel, an energy-recovery unit that saves heat from exhaust air.

“It transfers heat from exhaust air to intake air, and tempers the air as we’re bringing in fresh air,” Zarnosky says. “We don’t let any heat go to waste.”

Tags

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

Union Rural Electric Cooperative

geothermal

HVAC

Island art space

sbradford — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 18:37:39 +0000

Island art space

February 1, 2026

James Proffitt

Co-op People

Like many Kelleys Island residents, Charles and Cindy Herndon spent their childhood summers in the bucolic setting on western Lake Erie before returning decades later to live there. But they didn’t just come back to fade away into retirement.

Charles, 79, and Cindy, 74, established the Charles Herndon Galleries and Sculpture Garden, a sprawling art campus that includes two galleries, working studio spaces that have served as a sanctuary for art since 1999, and a sprawling garden with cedar woods with trails for visitors to walk around and view the art.

Charles is a retired professor from Columbus College of Art and Design. He is a sculptor, painter, and photographer whose work is intimately connected to the lake — and to the sprawling 10-acre garden on its shore.

“The lake is a provider for paintings using propagation, waves, the stones it brings to shore, its movement, repetition, and variety,” he says. “The natural world is important to my soul and its creative juices.”

Before he painted, Charles mostly sculpted, and the garden portion of the campus is home to about 150 pieces ranging from smaller works to massive creations 7 or 8 feet tall. Some are wood, steel, or bronze; others are pieces of glacial erratic (granite) and limestone, many quarried from the island.

“The granite came down from the Wisconsin glacier, and you can see it’s gone through the molten process, so there are veins where it was really, really hot,” Cindy says. “They’re very hard and you have to use diamond tools to carve those. And the limestone from Kelleys has all kinds of interesting patterns, so the fossils really show through.”

While the Herndon galleries themselves are seasonal (a no-brainer on Lake Erie islands), the studios serve as creative “hotspots” year-round — a term that’s quite literal for one of the two island artists whose work is born there.

“Jackie Polofka is our glass artist and does amazing things in the studio Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays during the season,” says Carmen Smith, the gallery’s manager. “She used to blow glass in different places around the island with a trailer.”

Polofka’s yearning for a larger and more permanent working space eventually led to a perfect marriage with the Herndons’ desire to have artists working on
the campus.

“It’s a huge draw for the gallery and people love her work,” Smith says. “She blows a lot of touristy things you can hang in the window and cute little birds — fun stuff — but also pieces like goblets with extremely fancy stems. Those are stunningly gorgeous.”

The other artist whose work regularly rises from the studios is Smith herself. “I’m a jeweler and also work in fibers, sewing, weaving, and things like that,” she says. “I have a loom where I can make textiles, but I do a lot of wall hangings, more artistic-leaning than functional weaving. I also use a lot of clothing and other textiles that I find, both for the environment and the price.”

Smith says soaring silver prices have cut into her jewelry work, though she’s still a working jeweler with the know-how to mill silver. That’s the process of taking raw silver and forming it into sheets, shapes, wires, or whatever form is needed to create original pieces. She also does free-form casting, in which liquid silver is poured into materials such as beans, water, rice or spaghetti to create one-of-a-kind shapes; she says it’s quite the crowd pleaser.

“It’s fun because it’s visual and so I do it as a demonstration down at the gardens sometimes,” she says. “It’s just very fun to work with.”

The gallery and gardens are free and open to the public during the season, and while the space is located at the eastern end of the island, away from the downtown bars and restaurants, it still sees regular traffic from summer revelers — many with drinks in hand, which Smith says has never caused an issue.

“We like to share the art and garden with visitors, especially our community members,” Charles says. “We enjoy it and feel it’s important to our society to give explanation to some of the stone carving processes and welding of steel. And we always encourage young children to enjoy the outdoor work — we have games they can play to seek a better understanding.”

The Herndons are members of North Baltimore-based Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, as are all residents and businesses on Kelleys.

“We have great people on the island here, absolutely,” Cindy says. “That’s another story in itself, just the people that work on the island. It’s a great co-op and we’re happy with things and if we’re ever not, they’re always responsive.”

Island rescues

While Charles Herndon paints and sculpts, plucking ideas and forms from ancient stone and colors and patterns from palettes with a searching mind and heart, he also will occasionally be called upon to transform dark to light in a more metaphysical sense.

In 2007, a small plane crashed into Lake Erie about a half-mile out from his gallery and sculpture garden at the eastern end of Kelleys Island. He launched his small rowboat and saved a young boy whose father and brother had perished in the crash.

Years earlier, he and Cindy were fishing south of the island when they came upon another fishing boat that had sunk and they rescued two anglers from the water — though a third person aboard did not survive.

Tags

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

Lake Erie

artist

Rideshare, the island way

sbradford — Tue, 27 May 2025 14:46:14 +0000

Rideshare, the island way

June 1, 2025

James Proffitt

Co-op People

Taxi cabs, like dense traffic, honking horns, and skyscrapers, usually are synonymous with big-city life. But the taxi business is different for Bobby and Natasha Skeans, members of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative.

The Skeans family operates Island Ride on bucolic Kelleys Island. Covering only about 4 square miles, the Lake Erie island is awash with parks, nature preserves, and woods. It’s home to just a couple hundred year-round residents, and the tallest building there is three stories high.

But from May through September, Kelleys is a hot spot for tourists, who can number into the thousands on weekends — many needing safe rides to the island’s eateries and attractions. And Island Ride is always ready to serve.

Of course, with such a small operating radius, every day of operation is more smooth and uneventful than the last. Not!

While the Skeanses live in a home tucked away down a gravel lane in a quiet, peaceful, wooded area of the island, other spots on Kelleys — especially on those busy weekends — have an altogether different vibe, and the island’s roads can feature some chaotic twists and turns.

“[Riders] can be very happy and like to sing songs,” Natasha says. “One time I had a football team. They were like 55 years old, and they decided to share all the songs they used to sing back in the day.”

To be a good taxi driver on the island, it takes an easygoing, free-flowing personality — and the gift of gab helps.

“On Saturdays, with three or four big vans running, we’re seven calls deep and the phone keeps ringing,” Bobby says. “We just assure them that we’re on the way.”

There have been times when passengers “take a nap.” In that case, Bobby (who is also the island’s fire chief) heads to the EMS station, where the passenger gets a wake-up. If that fails, that passenger gets evacuated off the island.

Bobby says it’s not uncommon to get pickup calls from people who aren’t exactly certain where they are.

“Either they don’t know the address where they’re staying or they’re too intoxicated,” he says. “So I begin by asking them what they see, like Cedar Point or Perry’s Monument. That gives me a direction at least, and I can go from there. Or, we pick up people downtown who don’t know where they’re staying and they’ll say something like ‘It’s the house with the red door.’”

Either way, taxi drivers use their experience and clues provided to get folks home after their big adventures.

But it can be tricky if overindulgence leads to aggression.

“It rarely happens, but people have gotten kicked out of a cab on the wrong part of the island,” Bobby chuckles. “And then we get people calling for rides and they’re actually on another island or the mainland.”

Large groups of dozens of people can prearrange transportation to events or sightseeing tours. And there are specialty runs too, like delivering food, cigarettes, or … wood. Huh?

“I get people who want to drive around and look for firewood. I mean, they want to look for random tree branches on the side of the road. That’s kind of annoying, so now I just buy it from the firewood spots and deliver it to them,” Bobby says.
Island Rides has also been known to save the day (or night) on occasion.

“Sometimes people heading to Sandusky on the last Jet Express (ferry) will mistakenly get off on Kelleys Island, so they’re stuck,” Bobby says. “We’ll try to find them a room for the night, but sometimes there are none.” In those cases, if there’s no serious weather coming through, Island Ride may hook them up with blankets and pillows, and perhaps even snacks and drinks, so they can sleep at the ferry dock and catch the first boat the next day.

Sometimes people get kicked out of a bar and, after getting picked up, Natasha says, they’ll try to pay the driver to take them back.

“We had one guy try to jump out of the van to get back to the bar,” she says, explaining that they convinced him to call it a night and go home.

When folks are informed of a longer wait time than they expected, those unfamiliar with the island often say they’ll just get an Uber and hang up.

“Yeah, they always call back,” Bobby says, noting that there are no ride shares on the island. “And you can hear it in their voice: ‘Yeah, you win.’”

Over the past few years, some callers have been surprised when a young girl answers the phone. Daughter Viktoriya, now 15, helps with operations by cleaning vans and other important tasks, and was 11 when she first began dispatching.

“A guy was complaining about the price ($7 per person) and I told him it would be a 40-minute wait because we’re so busy,” she says. “He said, ‘I don’t know, sweetheart, you can do better than that. Can I talk to an adult, please?’”

Viktoriya said a short time later they were picking up customers and the man approached and began arguing with her dad. She says she then stuck her nose into the conversation, but that’s all she has to say about that incident.

“I think she’s gotten a lot of value out of it because she can talk, and she knows customer service and how to handle all sorts of people, you know, in conversation,” Natasha explains. “And our son, Nikolay — he just turned 12 — he’ll learn those skills this year because he’s going to start doing some dispatching this year.”

Island Ride fun includes two-way radio communication between vans, which customers often like to get involved in. And according to the Skeanses, an enjoyable taxi ride with friends means tips.

“Returning customers can be very generous and respectful,” Natasha explains. “They know we are reliable and are all good drivers and good people and we do a lot of stuff around the island, and that’s their way of showing their respect."

Tags

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

Kelleys Island

If you ask me...

sbradford — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 20:10:14 +0000

If you ask me...

March 1, 2022

Rebecca Seum

Power Lines

March is the time of year when Ohioans are treated to an occasional teasing day of sunshine and warmth before winter reminds us that it’s not done just yet. Still, the blue skies and abundant sun Ohio will get in the next few months may have you thinking about putting that weather to work for you in the form of a home solar array.

There’s a lot to learn about home solar before you sign on the dotted line, though, and sometimes, homeowners get stuck because they don’t know what they don’t know. Fortunately, as a member of a not-for-profit electric cooperative, you have access to an expert you can count on to give you impartial advice — your cooperative energy advisor.

We asked a handful of energy advisors from across the state to get us started with some basic information and a few questions to ask as you do your research. All of them agree on the most important step: Contact your electric cooperative before signing any agreement. This is a crucial part of the procedure, not only to ensure that your array is built correctly and properly connects to the cooperative’s system, but also to get an understanding of exactly how solar is going to work for you.

Will solar work on my home?

Bruce Warnecke, energy services advisor at Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, emphasizes the importance of a critical evaluation of your home. “Make sure your roof is in good condition first. If you need to replace your roof, that’s going to add to the cost.” Ideally, he says, your roof should face south, but other directions may work as well. “Take a look at the trees near your home,” Warnecke says. “Do they shade the roof? Anything that shades the roof will decrease your energy production, so you might need to look at removing trees as well.”

Additionally, he stresses that this is the time to assess your home for easier, cheaper energy fixes. “It may be more beneficial to improve the envelope of the home to increase its efficiency rather than financing an expensive solar system for many years,” Warnecke says. Ensuring that your home is not leaking any of the air you’ve already paid to heat or cool will provide an immediate return on investment.

Which company should I work with?

“Check their qualifications first,” says Michael Wilson, director of business development and communications at Logan County Electric Cooperative. “Ask about their licenses, insurance, and certifications.” Don’t forget to ask about subcontractors, too — the company installer should be able to tell you what company the subcontractors will be hired from and what experience they have. When it comes to prices, Wilson says, “Get a free quote or bid from multiple contractors to compare, but be sure to look beyond the lowest price; that could be indicative of poor workmanship and bad service.” Wilson stresses the importance of asking for references from previous customers and reading online reviews. Then, he says, ask about their products. “Experienced contractors know their products. Ask what products they carry, how they differ, and which one they’ve selected for your home. If they’ve successfully installed them multiple times before, they’ll know what they’re talking about.”

Will solar save me money on my electric bill?

Ray Crock, energy advisor at Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative, says, “The short answer is — of course it will save you money on your electric bill. But the real question is whether it will save you money overall, with the cost of solar accounted for.” Crock relates the story of a solar consultation and energy audit he performed a few years ago: “At that time, electricity was costing them about 14 cents per kWh, but the solar salesman told them that price was forecast to rise to 18 cents in five years. Here we are, five years later, and the cost is closer to 12.5 cents. It doesn’t make sense to invest in something that has a 20- to 30-year payback when it will be worn out in 20 to 25 years. My point is to really check the numbers — and have a sharp pencil.”

How much will a solar array cost?

“There are many factors that play into the cost of a solar array,” says Jacob Atkins, energy advisor at South Central Power Company. “One of the contributors of cost is the system size — the larger it is, the more it will cost overall, but it will have a lower cost per watt. The average cost per watt for a system is between $2.50 and $3.50. Another thing to account for is the installer that is putting in the system. Each installer has a different brand of equipment and cost of labor, which will affect the overall price. Also look out for permitting and interconnection fees. The municipality you live in could have permit fees, and your utility could have a fee for interconnecting your array. If taking out a loan, pay attention to the interest rate and associated terms that will impact your loan.”

Can I use batteries to store my energy?

“In a word, yes,” says Chris Bear, energy advisor for North Central Electric Cooperative. But it’s complicated. “You have to install an inverter that will convert the AC power into DC power and then choose where to send the power from the solar panels — either to the house, back to the grid, or to the battery storage system.” He continued, “Battery storage can be installed inside or outside of the structure. The sizing of the battery storage depends solely on the load needed to run. Is the focus on just the minimum household equipment during an outage or running the entire house at any given time? You can add batteries to existing solar arrays, especially if they had the system designed for a future battery backup. It does get more complex if the system was originally not designed for a battery backup.”
Batteries, he says, can last about 7 to 10 years depending on the type and on how often they’re discharged — so replacements should be factored into the overall cost of the system.

What are my co-op’s net billing policies?

“Cooperatives’ rates weren’t originally designed to accommodate solar, and in many cases, rates change,” says Peter Niagu, energy advisor for Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative. Previously, many co-ops used net metering, which credited members for excess energy at retail costs. That’s given way to net billing, a more equitable system in which the utility, in this case your co-op, pays for the electricity coming from a solar system at the same rate as it would for electricity it generates itself — basically the difference between a retail and a wholesale rate. Niagu cautions to be sure to communicate with the co-op about its policies so you can calculate costs and savings using the proper rate. “There’s a substantial difference between the two main methods of metering,” Niagu says.

There’s much more to learn about home solar, and your electric cooperative energy advisor is committed to making sure you know all you can before your purchase. For even more questions to ask and topics to consider, click here. Then call your electric cooperative to take advantage of one of the benefits of your membership and the fifth cooperative principle of education, training, and information.

Top 10 steps when considering home solar

Research, research, research, before investing in a solar system.
Make your home more energy efficient before buying a solar system — it may be a better money-saving option.
Understand how a solar system meshes with your cooperative’s system — a call to the co-op early in the process is always a good idea.
Review your current energy use so you can determine what size PV system to install.
Tally upfront costs.
Search for incentives, rebates, and tax credits.
Establish a project partnership between you, your contractor, and your electric cooperative.
Follow all safety precautions.
Choose a reputable contractor/installer — check reviews and ask for references.
Maintain good records, both financial and notes from conversations.

Tags

solar power

Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative

North Central Electric Cooperative

South Central Power

Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative

Logan County Electric Cooperative

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

Winter's tale

aspecht — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 16:18:20 +0000

Winter's tale

November 30, 2020

Becky Linhardt

Features

Kelleys Island is both the largest American island on Lake Erie and also the town that covers the island’s entire 4.4 square miles of land. During summer, it’s one of Ohio’s most popular travel destinations, drawing upward of 250,000 visitors during the tourist season.

“Downtown is pretty lively in the summer,” says Jordan Killam, director of the Kelleys Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. “Visitors patronize our businesses, dock at our marinas, stay in our lodging properties, and tour our nature preserves.” Kelleys Island State Park and its sand beach is also a big draw.

As the summer season comes to an end, though, and the tourist-related business slows to a trickle and then stops altogether, residents of the island begin making their own winter plans; the decision to stay put or to pack up and go is not one to be made lightly.

There is no bridge to Kelleys Island from the mainland, 5 miles away. Air service is available year-round — but only weather permitting. Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line schedules service into late fall and resumes service in the spring, but some years, the lake ice can linger, and spring fog can cause flights and ferries to be canceled. It’s never a sure bet whether you can get on or off the island in a pinch.

In the early 1900s, it was common for more than 1,000 residents to brave the conditions and stay the winter, but today that number is more like 100 to 150.

Alexi Panehal bought a cabin on the island in 2001, near her father’s. When she retired from the Diplomatic Corps in 2015, she decided to take up residence on Kelleys Island to write books. She says there are three types of residents who stay over winter: “socializers, ‘see you at church on Sunday,’ and those who hibernate.”

“The socializers organize a variety of activities,” Panehal says. “They started dancercise and yoga classes five days a week for anyone who was interested, a book club, a ‘girls in winter’ group, Wii bowling, and VFW potlucks every Sunday.”

There are also traditional island events such as the Christmas potluck, held the Friday after Thanksgiving (the mayor acting as Santa), and the December fish fry. New Year’s Eve is usually celebrated at the Kelleys Island Winery, and at the end of the winter, before the ferry starts running again, the ice party in March — on the ice, thickness permitting.

Winter life routine includes school for the few children who stay after the tourist season — this year, there are eight enrolled at Kelleys Island School.

“We have the opportunity to design programming for the individual student,” says Cindi Herndon, president of the school board. “We connect students with island entities in after-school sessions: the fire department, the Coast Guard, gallery and artist visits, Lego groups, Runners Club, and more.”

As much as they love their fair-weather homes, the winter proves to be too much of a challenge for some longtime residents. Pat and Lori Hayes have owned The Inn, an iconic bed-and-breakfast on Kelleys, for 40 years. But they seal the place snugly for winter and leave the island.

Basic services continue for those who stay. Safety services are the responsibility of the Village of Kelleys Island. “We don’t salt roads; that has been a taboo for a long time, so no expense there,” says Mayor Ron Ehrbar. “We do have to budget for heating and higher electric bills. Since we always have police on the island, we budget for the extra cost when we have to fly officers over.”

The volunteer fire department personnel are fully certified for their specialties. “In the winter, the 15-member crew is down to about six winter residents,” says Fire Chief Bobby Skeans. “We respond to fire calls, critical health issues, accidents, people through the ice — we are always updated on our water rescue training.”

The island’s EMS has had Life Flight available to evacuate critical patients to hospitals in Sandusky or Toledo for decades now — but that, of course, also depends on Mother Nature’s mood. “Life Flight is always weather permitting, so in the winter we have sometimes had to get creative,” Skeans says. “We have even transported via airboat across the ice.”

Electricity, of course, is a tricky bit for an island town. Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative maintains service on the island year-round via a pair of underwater cables and keeps an employee there 24/7 for the entire year — with additional staff sent over as needed.

“We get some severe winds, so preparation for winter includes dealing with tree issues early, and we have to make sure there are enough supplies here to last the winter,” says Dave Ervin, the Hancock-Wood lineman who staffs Kelleys full-time. “With fewer folks on the island, I get to know the ‘winter people’ by name, even join in on potlucks.”

To keep the Island Market stocked, Rob and Elic Watkins order heavy nonperishables for delivery before the ice sets in. Bread, milk, and other fresh items are flown in once the ferry stops running. “We bought our airboat to be able to collect goods from the mainland for the store,” Elic says.

Josh McGinnis, vice president and general manager for Griffing Flying Service, says winter and summer seasons are quite different for his business. “During summer, we fly mostly one trip a day into Kelleys, with the U.S. mail,” he says. “During winter, we fly four or five trips into and out of Kelleys each day, including the U.S. mail, UPS, FedEx, local freight deliveries for groceries, and passenger travel for the locals and for utility workers. We have flown a number of things to and from the island, anything from normal packages to large outboard motors, bathtubs, construction supplies, caskets, tires — lots of things.”

“We first wintered over in 1992,” says Kelleys Island resident Sandy Alexander. “Our decision to stay harkens back to the idea of a great adventure. We have a good social life with friends — walks, talks, organized activities. There is a real feeling of community.”

“The natural beauty and close ties to the full-time residents are my favorite things about the island,” says longtime resident Rick Holmes. “The winter up here is serene, quiet, and low-key.” Although “it’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” he says, “I feel this is my home here.”

Tags

Kelleys Island

Lake Erie

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

In the know

aspecht — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:21:18 +0000

In the know

October 29, 2020

Jeff McCallister

Power Lines

For customers of an investor-owned utility like AEP or Dayton Power and Light, communication with their electric company probably extends no further than paying their bill or finding out how long an outage might last. Certainly, these are important aspects of communication, but consumer-members of an electric cooperative find they have opportunities to engage on a deeper level.

“Members who are engaged are the ones who will attend the annual meeting — for more than just the chance of getting a bill credit,” says Michael Wilson, director of communications at Logan County Electric Cooperative, based in Bellefontaine. “Without engaged and educated members, the cooperative business model could not exist.”

Effective communications, then, is one of the most important services a cooperative can provide. “For outages, timely communication is key,” says Mark Owen, communications manager at Lancaster-based South Central Power Company. “Members want to know what’s happening with outage situations in near real time, and fortunately, today’s technology helps us do that.”

Communicating with members on a regular basis, however, also allows them to understand the real value they receive from the co-op — beyond just having the lights come on when they flip a switch or finding out that a tree branch has fallen on a line and caused an outage.

“We have been long focused on providing not just the information we think our members need to have and understand, but on identifying and delivering the information they think they need and want,” says Nanci McMaken, vice president and chief communications officer at Pioneer Electric Cooperative in Piqua. “It’s really at the heart of everything we do in communications.”

“Members may see the price per kilowatt-hour on their bills and might think that’s where the value stops,” Wilson says. “Do they know about the scholarships we provide to local students, the grants offered through Operation Round Up, the sponsorships we provide to local organizations, the safety and energy efficiency education we provide? Every co-op was created by the local community, and our service goes well beyond just a light switch and a bill. All of those pieces go into what makes the co-op different, and we try to communicate that as often and in as many ways as we can.”

Engaged members who know and understand issues are able — and hopefully willing — to advocate on behalf of the co-op, either with public officials in the face of adverse legislation or with neighbors in the face of unreasonable complaints. More than that, they will make informed votes in trustee elections and perhaps even go even further and run for the board of trustees themselves. Democratic member control is one of the guiding principles of all cooperatives, and that would be impossible without members who understand what the co-op is all about.

Ohio electric cooperatives have numerous methods at their disposal to be able to reach as many of their members as possible. The immediacy of text messaging, social media, and app notifications is crucial when members lose power unexpectedly, but not every medium works for every message.

Ohio Cooperative Living magazine, for example, is the first place many members find news about the co-op — dates of important meetings, changes in business practices, alerts about utility scams, efficiency tips, and more. Co-ops also place inserts with members’ electric bills, send out direct-mail pieces, post to social media, and update their individual websites.

“The more ways we can communicate with our members, the better,” says Leslie Guisinger, director of marketing and communications at Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, based in North Baltimore. “We want to get information out as soon as possible and use every appropriate avenue. The sooner we begin to let people know we intend to enact a rate change, for example, the more time they can prepare. We also do a lot of communicating about capital credits, because that’s an important part of co-op membership.”

Of course, talking with members is still one of the most important tools in the box, one that cooperatives know makes a difference when it comes to their members’ experience versus that of an investor-owned utility customer. “One of the most critical communicators for the co-op is the operations team member who engages with frustrated members,” Wilson says. “That face-to-face communication in a difficult time can do more to explain the cooperative difference than a thousand words written on a page.”

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Logan County Electric Cooperative

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South Central Power

Co-op Spotlight: Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

aspecht — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 13:01:38 +0000

Co-op Spotlight: Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

January 1, 2020

Ohio's Electric Cooperatives

Co-op Spotlight

Serving more than 11,000 members in portions of 10 counties, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative is located in the northwestern quadrant of the state, roughly centered around the city of Findlay. Hancock-Wood has a quirk to its service territory, though: Kelleys Island in Lake Erie is served by the cooperative, receiving electricity from two underwater cables that run from the mainland to the island.

Diverse consumer base

Findlay has been named the No. 1 “micropolitan” (a city between 10,000 and 50,000 people) five years in a row by Site Selection magazine for its ability to attract new business and expand existing ones. Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative works to be a partner in driving economic development in Findlay and the surrounding region. Employees establish and maintain strong ties with local and state government officials and cultivate relationships with business partners.

Like most Ohio electric cooperatives, Hancock-Wood serves farms and homes in its rural territory. Over the years, though, it has seen an increase in suburban development and has several notable commercial members. A few of the largest:

Keystone Foods, which, among its many accounts, supplies chicken to Tyson and hamburger patties to McDonald’s;
Mars Petcare, which makes some of the most recognizable pet-food brands in the country;
Grob Systems, a German company whose Bluffton plant is its North American headquarters. Grob makes machines and automation for the automotive, aerospace, medical, and die/mold industries, including for Honda.

Modern home, linked to the past

The cooperative office is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment designed to provide its members with the best possible service. Staff are alerted to outages in seconds, and crews are dispatched to correct the problem. The warehouse is hung with banners reminding employees and visitors of pivotal moments of the cooperative’s history, including the 1967 merger with Lake Erie Electric Cooperative that brought Kelleys Island to the service territory, and the blizzard of 1978, during which every single member of the cooperative experienced an outage and every single one was restored within six days.

Helping communities

Hancock-Wood employees demonstrate the cooperative principle of Concern for Community by volunteering and donating to numerous local charities, such as Habitat for Humanity, schools, churches, and community events. The co-op also has distributed grants and Operation Round Up funds totaling nearly $500,000 in the last decade to individuals and organizations in need.

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Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

Operation Round Up

hgraffice — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 12:53:36 +0000

Operation Round Up

September 29, 2016

Maura Gallagher

Features

Not-for-profit electric cooperatives have a responsibility not only to fulfill the needs of their consumer-members, but to help their neighbors in need. To that end, Operation Round Up was born.

Operation Round Up is a voluntary program in which more than 200 electric cooperatives across the country participate, including most Ohio electric cooperatives. The programs go by different names, but they all operate under the same premise: Small change makes a big impact in communities all across Ohio.

How big? Ohio electric co-ops gave back $1.57 million in just the past year.

Participating members’ monthly electric bills are rounded up to the nearest dollar, and the extra pennies go into a fund. The typical annual donation is $6 a year, or just 50 cents a month. That small change adds up to create a significant pool of money, which is then distributed to individuals, schools, nonprofit organizations, and other groups, depending on the cooperative’s program guidelines.

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, Oxford

Butler Rural Electric has helped many local organizations with its Community Connection program, including a grant to the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities that enabled the agency to purchase a pediatric treadmill.

The equipment specifically helped little Lucas Myers take his first steps, a difficult task because of developmental impairments. Using the pediatric treadmill for eight minutes each day over the course of about three months, Lucas was able to walk about six months earlier than he would have without the therapy.

The Myers family says that the early intervention and equipment, thanks to the co-op’s Community Connection program, changed their lives.

Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative (GMEC), New Concord

GMEC has supported a therapeutic horse-riding center called Breaking Free through its Operation Helping Others program.

Breaking Free is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) PATH Premier Center member that provides therapeutic equine services to individuals, people with disabilities, and veterans. GMEC recognized that Breaking Free cannot operate and help individuals in need without the caring of generous donors.

“This story is a success. Breaking Free has been growing for eight to 10 years and looks to have a strong future. Though dreams like these often fall short of funds and passion with time, this one perseveres,” says Brian Bennett, GMEC’s manager of marketing and member services.

Logan County Electric Cooperative, Bellefontaine

Logan County Electric Cooperative has made Operation Round Up grants to many local organizations, including two shelters in the county.

The Lighthouse Emergency Shelter is a safe place for the homeless, and New Directions Consolidated Care established Soteria House, a haven for victims of domestic violence and abuse. Grant money has assisted in remodeling the Lighthouse Emergency Shelter, creating a healthy and secure environment.

New Direction officials say the co-op’s Operation Round Up grant gave them the opportunity to fund the curriculum for their Survivors of Trauma Embracing Positive Support program.

Midwest Electric, St. Marys

Midwest Electric received a letter from a member who wrote about how the co-op’s Community Connection Fund (CCF) helped his father, who had recently passed away.

The writer said that his father had received care from Grand Lake Hospice during his final days of life, and a woman from the hospice’s music therapy program offered great comfort to the entire family by playing music and singing. The member later found out that his own cooperative’s CCF had donated to the music therapy program.

The member feels a strong personal connection to CCF, and he is thankful for the resources that it provides.

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, North Baltimore

Hancock-Wood awards the bulk of its grants to local organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity; police and fire departments; libraries, schools, and museums; county services agencies; city missions; and centers for children’s aid.
The words of the co-op’s grant recipients tell the story of why the Operation Round Up program is crucial to improving the quality of life in local communities:

“Your humanitarian efforts provide comfort and hope to so many during their times of need. Thank you for your commitment to this critically important work. Our mission depends on the support and compassion of donors like you.”

“We truly appreciate your partnering with us and allowing us to be your hands, as together we meet the needs of individuals and families right here in our own community. Your willingness to share with others will bring much joy to those who find themselves in difficult situations. Thank you for being a beacon of hope.”

“It’s partners like you who make this a great place to live.”

For more information, or to find out if your co-op offers an Operation Round Up program, contact your electric cooperative.

Maura Gallagher is a strategic communications major at Ohio University who interned at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives this summer.

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Butler Rural Electric Cooperative

Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative

Logan County Electric Cooperative

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Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

health

Marblehead Lighthouse: Lake Erie icon

hgraffice — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 13:36:55 +0000

Marblehead Lighthouse: Lake Erie icon

August 1, 2018

W.H. Chip Gross

Features

What is it that attracts us to lighthouses? Could it be their immovable stability in an ever-changing world? Mute guides to somehow show us the way, much as they do for wayward sailors?

Whatever the reason, people have been visiting the Marblehead Lighthouse on Lake Erie at the mouth of Sandusky Bay for nearly two centuries, ever since its construction in 1821. It’s the oldest lighthouse in continuous service anywhere on the Great Lakes.

Today part of Marblehead Lighthouse State Park, the lighthouse is owned and operated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. One of the Buckeye State’s smallest state parks — only a few acres — it’s also one of Ohio’s most popular, offering spectacular views and photo opportunities of Lake Erie, the Bass Islands, and Kelleys Island, which is served by Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative.

Unlike most Great Lakes lighthouses, Marblehead is open to the public, and visitors are welcome to climb to the top of the 65-foot structure on its interior spiral staircase (it’s $3 — cash only — per climber over 6 years old). The lighthouse is open from noon to 4 p.m. daily, beginning the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. It’s also open during the annual community Lighthouse Festival, the second Saturday of October.

The Marblehead Lighthouse had 15 keepers during the many years before its light was automated in 1958 — including two women, distinguishing Marblehead as the only Ohio lighthouse to ever have two female keepers.

The structure itself has endured nearly 200 years because of its rugged construction. Built of extremely durable Columbus Limestone quarried locally (the same white stone used to construct Ohio’s state Capitol), the lighthouse has a 25-foot diameter base, tapering to 12 feet just below the lantern room. Its lower walls are 5 feet thick, narrowing to 2 feet thick at the top.

Most of Lake Erie’s original lighthouses are long gone, destroyed through the years by rain, wind, ice, snow, or fire. Yet today, the Marblehead Lighthouse flashes its green beacon 11 nautical miles across the waters of western Lake Erie every evening. It’s a great picnic spot, as there always seems to be a cooling lake breeze blowing, even on the hottest days.

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Great Lakes

Ohio icon

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

Apples: Everybody has a favorite

hgraffice — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 12:44:10 +0000

Apples: Everybody has a favorite

August 30, 2018

Margie Wuebker

Co-op People

Clusters of apples begin to decorate trees in Dennis Thatcher’s orchard throughout each spring and early summer, promising the reward of sweet fruit and jugs of freshly pressed cider in the fall.

Thatcher and his wife, Angela, who reside in rural western Logan County and who are members of Logan County Electric Cooperative, established Thatcher Farm in 1972, when he planted a few apple trees. Today, the farm has more than 420 trees that produce 25 varieties.

“Everybody has a favorite,” Thatcher says. “Some claim one variety is better for sauce and another is better for baking, and others have their own opinions.”

The telephone starts ringing around Labor Day as prospective customers begin inquiring when different varieties will be ready for purchase. Summer Rambo, a tart variety that Thatcher recommends for pie and other baking, is the first to reach maturity at Thatcher’s, in late August. Many of the other varieties will be ready for picking in mid-to-late September.

Maybe more so even than for those apples, Thatcher’s is known for its cider. Pressing begins in early October, and Thatcher admits he is fanatical about all steps of the process.

“If I’m going to drink it, the cider has to be clean,” he says. “We pick our apples off the tree and do not use fallen apples that could introduce contaminants.”

Volunteers inspect each apple and cut away any bad spots. The fruit is then washed twice before heading to the 3-ton press. Thatcher uses a mixture of sweet, semisweet, and tart apples for cider, tweaking the recipe as the season progresses to compensate for subtle flavor changes. The introduction of a tart variety like Granny Smith not only cuts the sweetness, but boosts the rich apple flavor.

Work begins long before dawn with sterilization of all equipment used in the process. The actual pressing does not take place until 6 or 7 at night — when there are no customers around to stir up dust, and insects have settled down for the day.

Each pressing yields 90 to 110 gallons of cider, which is strained through ultra-fine Dacron fabric to remove sediment, then stored at precisely 38 degrees for 24 hours before being pumped into plastic jugs for sale. The resting period is important to let any starch present in the cider turn to sugar.

Thatcher does not pasteurize the cider, because he claims the process ruins a natural product and requires the use of preservatives, additives, and coloring. “I sell natural apple cider that will stay at its prime in the refrigerator for 29 days,” he says. “A lot of people buy more than a gallon or two and freeze it for use at a later date. Freezing does not affect the flavor one bit.”

Since Ohio law requires that unpasteurized cider be sold no farther than 50 feet from the location of the press, all of his customers must come to the farm. At times, folks wait in droves until daily sales begin at 3 p.m. during the pressing season, which concludes around Thanksgiving each year. “I don’t have to advertise,” he says. “News of our quality apples and cider spread by word of mouth. People come to us and they are not disappointed.”

Where to pick ’em

The following is a sampling of family orchards around Ohio electric cooperative territory:

Bachman Sunny Hill Fruit Farm, 3850 Pickerington Road, Carroll, 740-756-7572 (South Central Power Company)
Brumbaugh Fruit Farm, 6420 Arcanum-Hollansburg Road, Arcanum, 937-692-8084 (Darke Rural Electric Cooperative)
Charlie’s Apples at Windy Hill Apple Farm, 1740 Sportsman Club Road, Newark, 740-587-3632 (The Energy Cooperative)
Clark’s Orchard, 20768 Township Road 164 (Morgan Run Road), Coshocton, 740-622-1881 (Pioneer Electric Cooperative)
Fruit-Full Acres, 18680 Bellville Road, Marysville, 937-642-6961 (Union Rural Electric Cooperative)
Geckle Orchard, 8729 Township Road 258, Alvada, 419-387-7305 (Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative)
Haslinger Orchards, 7404 U.S. Route 6, Gibsonburg,
419-288-2567 (Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative)
Heartland Orchard, 13029 Laurel Hill Road, Thornville, 740-787-1353 (The Energy Cooperative)
Hillcrest Orchard, 2474 Township Road 444, Sugarcreek, 330-893-9906 (Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative)
Laurelville Fruit Farm, 16181 Pike Street, Laurelville, 740-332-2621 (South Central Power Company)
Legend Hills Orchard, 11335 Reynolds Road, Utica, 740-892-3090 (The Energy Cooperative)
Moreland Fruit Farm, 1558 W. Moreland Road, Wooster, 330-264-8735 (Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative)
Reed Orchards, 33245 Clendening Lake Road, Freeport, 740-658-4466 (South Central Power Company)
Remerowski Orchards, 4035 Idle Road (off State Route 29 NW), Urbana, 937-362-3927 (Pioneer Electric Cooperative)
Richards Brothers Fruit Farm, 2054 Orpheus Road, Thurman, 740-286-4584 (Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative)
Volk Fruit Farm, 5782 Addison New Carlisle Road, Casstown, 937-857-9300 (Pioneer Electric Cooperative)
Yeary Orchards, 11195 Yeary Road, Adamsville, 740-796-5922 (Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative)

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Logan County Electric Cooperative

South Central Power

Darke Rural Electric Cooperative

The Energy Cooperative

Pioneer Electric Cooperative

Union Rural Electric Cooperative

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative

Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative

Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative