A friend’s recent Facebook callout for favorite eateries yielded some surprising choices and the opportunity to realize that our area’s culinary cachet is, indeed, mighty fine.

This is my first column opportunity since our July 28 Annual Meeting at McCutcheon High School. Officially, 899 memberships attended, an 18 percent increase from 2017. Thank you to all who took the time to visit with us. I want to also extend my congratulations to Jan Harlow on her re-election to Tipmont’s board of directors.

Although the deadline for this article was before our 2018 Annual Meeting, by the time it lands in your mailbox, we'll have another meeting in the books. As I write this, Tipmont’s staff is putting the finishing touches on what we hope will be an informative and engaging experience for all in attendance.

2018 marks the 79th year that Tipmont’s membership will gather for our Annual Meeting. When Tipmont’s first Annual Meeting was held on August 26, 1938, it consisted of about 1,000 members looking to bring electricity to their rural homes and farms. Nearly eight decades later, we’re facing similar transformative circumstances today that will fundamentally redefine how Tipmont serves you tomorrow.

The building at 119 N. River Road in West Lafayette has always been a bit of an odd duck. Getting in or out is tricky. The first floor is tiny. Parking is … a gamble. (More on that later.)

When you open an atypically high utility bill, plenty of questions run through your head … along with that DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN music.

As you read this, crews are preparing the infrastructure that will deliver high speed broadband internet along with television and telephone service to Tipmont’s membership. I’ve received emails and calls from many of you, and I’m humbled by your excitement.

For our 2018 Community Day, Tipmont donated and planted 51 trees in Lafayette on Erie Avenue between Greenbush Street and 19th Street. Also participating were crews from Mint City Tree and Tree Lafayette volunteers.

The trees planted include:

• White Oak
• Autumn Gold Ginkgo
• Yellowwood
• Nuttall Oak
• Scarlet Oak
• Palisade Hornbeam
• Endowment Sugar Maple
• Sargent Cherry
• Bosque Elm
• Exclamation London Planetree
• Wildfire Blackgum
• Espresso Ky. Coffeetree
• Musashino Zelkova
• Ivory Silk Tree Lilac

Everybody’s got their favorite weather app. Some even toss colorful words into the forecast that may miraculously match up to your feelings about this year’s meteorological maelstrom.

In last month’s article, I shared that Tipmont is bringing fiber broadband internet to our members. Feedback from our members has made it clear that their quality of life was threatened due to the lack of a high speed broadband internet service. As a member-owned and member-driven organization, Tipmont is uniquely positioned to meet these challenges.