Brian Barhorst: “200 donations just kinda started as a friendly competition to reach 10 gallons.”

Long-time Choice One designer Brian “Barney” Barhorst recently hit his 200th lifetime blood donation. That’s right—two hundred. For context, that’s enough blood to fill a small kiddie pool, or, more practically, to help save an estimated 600 lives. No big deal, right? 

What began as a casual challenge among peers has turned into a decades-long commitment to giving back. While most of us are still trying to remember our blood type, Barney has been quietly and quite literally rolling up his sleeve every chance he gets, reminding us that not all heroes make headlines—some just show up in a Choice One polo and make saving lives look like part of the daily routine.

 Of course, Barney’s not in it for the glory. He’s in it for the granola bars, the occasional t-shirt, and the knowledge that he’s made a difference—600 times over. Thank you, Barney, for your dedication, your generous spirit, and your iron-rich veins. You’ve set the bar high—and the blood pressure just right.

 Read about Barney’s generosity in the Sidney Daily News here: https://www.sidneydailynews.com/2025/06/20/minster-man-makes-200th-blood-donation/

Justin Puthoff: “The race will be at 3:00pm. Please let Nolan and Slim know how excited you are!”

A few weeks back, engineering co-op Nolan Siefring (middle) and engineer Isaiah “Slim” Winhoven (right) were challenged to compete in a 40-yard dash organized by Justin Puthoff (left). Why? Because nothing says “engineering excellence” like a footrace in business casual attire.

Neither Nolan nor Slim was particularly eager to participate. In fact, both probably hoped that an “important meeting” or “urgent CAD update” would materialize at 3:00pm that Friday. Alas, their calendars were mysteriously cleared by someone [ahem, Justin] with administrative access and a love of spectacle. Tension was high. So were the odds that someone would fake a cramp to avoid

embarrassment. In the end, Nolan prevailed with a convincing victory and bragging rights.

 

This event now joins the hallowed halls of Choice One “athletic” history, alongside such legendary competitions as Cotton Ball Shotput, Charity Cup Bucketball, Sledgehammer Golf, and Pop-a-Shot P-I-G. Because at Choice One, the only thing more competitive than our need to turn everyday life into extremely competitive events is our engineering. Congrats, Nolan—may your victory be long remembered, your stride forever admired, and your inbox never again contain an office-wide calendar invite labeled “mandatory athletic demonstration—back parking lot.”

 

Want to see other Choice Oners faceoff in a footrace? Let us know!

Inquiring Mindsets: “What’s something you never expected to say… and then you worked at Choice One?”

Kole Egbert: “Frizz didn’t fall into the water, but he did slide down the muddy hill on his backside…”

Click the enlarge.

Our field surveyors get lots of opportunities to get wet, but this wasn’t one of them for Craig “Frizz” Frilling. If it looks like he’s standing in the water in the photo, look again… he’s not! Official career score – Frizz: 1, Water: 364.

Surveying in the field isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about collecting experiences. And if you were to follow Frizz or the other Choice One surveyors, you know they have a bingo card full of “experiences”:

• Truck stuck in mud
• Honked at by a passing car
• Caught on Google Earth
• Wore earplugs to drown out cicadas
• Sunburn in March
• Curious Dog
• Burrito recommendation from a stranger
• Chased by a goose
• Played Marco Polo in the woods to find coworkers
• Dodged lawn sprinklers
• Starred in “feature” film

Bingo? For sure—but we’re pretty certain Frizz is working toward a cover-all. Frizz didn’t fall in this time, but the mud made sure he didn’t leave clean. Slid down a hill? Check. Almost fell in? Check. Got the shot? Always.

Jeff Puthoff: “I’m a fan of your fan.”

With the first warmer weeks of spring came unexpected warmer days in Choice One’s Sidney office as one of the building’s AC units went on the fritz. To keep a little air moving, Kyle Siegrist brought a fan from home that invited comments from passersby, which Kyle then exhibited on the fan. Not only did Jeff Puthoff make his pun-intended dad joke, but Brian Barhorst allegedly commented, “I’m Kyle’s biggest fan.”  We’ll not remark on the legitimacy of that statement.

The temporary lack of AC in the office this week made many of us older Choice Oners reminisce about the days of yore, before AC was in every building and when some of us had less gray hair. Tales of the olden times have been recalled all week, like all the hand-cramping that used to happen during Christmas card signing, how there was a time we didn’t realize we could drink coffee after lunch, and, of course, how Jeff Puthoff used to have a mullet.

Thankfully, the AC has been fixed and generally, everyone is back to being cold. With the AC on, we can stop being ‘fans’ of the good old days. Kyle, however, will continue his usual role as the office comedian, fan or no fan.

Inquiring Mindsets: “What emojis would you assign to various Choice Oners?”