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CO-OP NEWS
CONTACT US Office: 260-726-7121 / 800-835-7362
WEBSITE www.jayremc.com
EMAIL remc@jayremc.com
OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday
STREET ADDRESS 484 S. 200 W. Portland, IN 47371
MAILING ADDRESS 484 S. 200 W. Portland, IN 47371
POWER OUTAGES To report a power outage, call 260-726-7121 or 800-835-7362, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kenneth Denton Rick Dues Dru Hall Kent Homan Klint Moser Michael Ninde Steven D. Ritchie, Chairman Diane Schrock, Secretary Ronald Smithson
STAFF Neil Draper President/CEO Becky Napert Business Manager Pete Byrum Operations Manager Jeff Myers Engineering Manager Carly Nichols Marketing and Communications Coordinator
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Your pennies can make a difference
They say small acts of kindness can change the world, or in this case, your small change can transform our community.
Jay County REMC is proud to announce a new program called Operation Round Up. Though simple in nature, this program has the power to make big changes for the community we serve.
WHAT IS OPERATION ROUND UP?
The program allows members to be an important part of our initiative to bring more opportunities to the charitable organizations in the counties we serve. If you opt into Operation Round Up, your bills would be rounded up to the nearest dollar each month. For example, if your monthly bill is $80.50, it would be rounded up to $81 allowing the extra 50 cents to go into the Round Up fund.
HOW MUCH WILL I END UP DONATING? On average, members in the program usually donate around $6 a year, but you can rest assured you will never donate more than 99¢ per month. Individually these numbers may sound small, but collectively will make a huge impact for the organizations that serve the people of these communities.
WHO GETS THESE FUNDS? Operation Round Up funds will be used to support local non-profits and charitable organizations. The program is governed by a small board of trustees comprised of seven REMC members from different parts of our service area. When the Round Up funds are ready to be distributed, this board will release applications to the community so interested parties can request funds. Each application will then be reviewed by the board and decisions on how the funds will be awarded will be made. We will advertise heavily when application times roll around, and community members will be able to access that document on our website.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
If you would like to be a part of this incredible program you can call our office at 260-726-7121, and we can enroll you over the phone. If you’d like to enroll yourself, sign up for our new SmartHub application at jayremc.com/ smarthub where you will be able to enroll yourself for the program.
This month also happens to be National Cooperative Month. This means we work even harder to show our membership (and our community) how much we appreciate them. In the spirit of Cooperative Month, we would like to get as many members signed up for Operation Round Up as possible.
Our goal is to have at least 500 members signed up before 2023. Just imagine the change that many members could make in the lives of our community. We look forward to working with you to make these small changes into big results! NEIL DRAPER
CEO
Chris and Marah Steele are owners of Steele Farms in Decatur.
A slice of harvest heaven
Imagine a place where the beauty of autumn nature surrounds you, and ageless entertainment exists as far as the eye can see. It may sound too good to be true, but this piece of fall paradise exists at Steele Farms in Decatur.
Owned by Chris and Marah Steele, Steele Farms is the perfect fall destination. Though it’s been a familyowned farm since 1880, the Steeles began to shape it into an autumn wonderland in 2009 with the opening of its first corn maze. It was essential to their family that Marah could be home with their children, and this new attraction made that possible.
Although the maze was the first activity the farm added, the farm has come a long way since 2009. “Every year, we’ve added a little something,” said Chris. To date, the farm houses a one-acre you-pick flower patch (which begins in July), a corn maze, flower patch, a play zone with something for all ages, a you-pick pumpkin patch, a barn boutique, farm animals, wagon rides, a market filled with fall items, and a special train called the Steele Farm Express. Each of these activities (except the flower patch) begins the last Saturday in September and will be available on the weekends for five weeks.
The Steeles also sell beef and pork. You can purchase one-quarter or onehalf of a hog or cow, or buy the meat per cut. You can place these orders in advance to ensure availability or check Steele Farms’ onsite cooler to see what’s available.
If your family gets hungry while visiting the farm, a concession stand can keep those tummies full. The stand offers hot dogs, coney dogs, nachos, apples with caramel dip, pretzels, and various drinks, including hot chocolate and apple cider slushies. Steele Farms is the perfect place to spend a fun family evening where you can eat supper and forget about having to do dishes later.
You can cap off your trip to the farm by visiting the maze or the play zone. You can navigate the maze as is, or for an added challenge, you can play the Farm Scene Investigation game. This fun game takes you through the maze as you attempt to solve the mystery of who kidnapped the farmer. Or, if corn mazes aren’t for you, there’s a play zone that will be sure to tire anyone out. Climbing a straw mountain, conquering a spider web, a play set, duck races, games, and so much more will keep you on your toes.
Steele Farms is also an excellent location for pre-planned field trips. The Steeles love to share their farm and the knowledge they’ve gathered about agriculture through their years of farming. “We’re about people. We love people and the opportunity to share the life we love,” Marah said. Their guided school tours offer a pumpkin presentation, a pumpkin to take home, a hayride, climbing the straw mountain, interacting with their farm animals, and access to the corn maze. It’s an experience your class won’t soon forget.
If you would like to visit Steele Farms, you can find its most up-to-date information, hours, and rates on its website, visitsteelefarms.com, or on the Steele Farms Facebook page. If you want to plan a field trip, please contact them at 260-565-3355. Steele Farms is a slice of harvest heaven that will leave you with pumpkin to talk about!
WIN A FAMILY FOUR-PACK!
Complete this form for a chance to win ONE of three family four-packs of tickets to
Steele Farms. Mail entry to Jay County REMC, 484 S. 200 W., Portland, IN 47371. You may also call 800-835-7362 or drop off your entry at the REMC. Entries can be emailed to nicholsc@jayremc.com. Drawing will be held Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
As a way to show our appreciation to our membership we will be giving away goodies all month long. Stop into our lobby any time during October to receive the swag we are giving away.
Also, we have a $50 Chamber gift certificate up for grabs! When you stop in, be sure to ask us how you can get your name entered to win.
Jay County REMC has been awarded a grant from The Portland Foundation to be applied to the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Thank you to The Portland Foundation for this generous funding!
REMC RATES AND REBATES
RATES
RESIDENTIAL AND FARM SERVICE Service charge: $28 per month
Kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge:
• 0-500 kWh: $.0371/kWh • 501-1,500 kWh: $.0191/kWh • Over 1,500 kWh: $.0131/kWh Power Cost Adjustment: $.092/kWh
Outdoor Lights:
• 50-watt LED: $8.75 per month • 400-watt MV: $13 per month
Rebates
ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS 30 GALLONS OR LARGER • Replacement of an existing electric water heater: $125 • Gas to electric replacement: $175 • New construction water heater: $200 Visit jayremc.com for complete guidelines and restrictions. Additional rebates can be found at powermoves.com.
DRAWING WINNERS
The winners of the $10 gift certificates from the Farmland General Store are: Diane D. of Portland, James A. of Bryant, John A. of Geneva, Dennis H. of Portland, and Roger F. of Berne.
Win a $50 bill credit
Follow these simple steps for your chance to win a bill credit for $50 in electricity. CLIP THE COUPON BELOW. Complete and return the form to the office with your monthly payment by the bill due date in order to be entered. Or you can email your entry to marketing@jayremc.com.
AUGUST WINNER: Glassworks of Winchester
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