Nick Schmidt: “A goose management service came to get rid of the geese. They didn’t stay gone.”

Last week, the Loveland office’s favorite all‑season attraction, the neighboring pond, reached its most dramatic chapter yet. Known for previous window‑side spectating and at least one spirited debate about its true depth, lunch hour took a turn when a goose management service arrived with a dog, a laser pointer, and a clear mission. Within minutes, the scene had become a literal, full‑blown wild goose chase.

Nick Selhorst: “A heads-up would’ve been nice.”

At last week’s annual Sidney Charity Cup, clients and friends of Choice One gathered for a mini-golf competition in support of a great cause. Teams navigated a delightfully chaotic course while raising funds for the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association (MVDSA) and the Ronald McDonald House at Dayton Children’s. Thanks to Choice One’s experience with a golf simulator last year, the COEC team wisely stuck to caddying duties, where damage to scores could be kept to a minimum. Mostly.

While every team came ready to make a difference, one team also came to prove that charity pairs well with cheetah print. Jill Rhoades, Sheri Green, and Christy Butera from the City of Troy arrived sporting matching cheetah print shoes and accessories—and even offered to share a matching cardigan with their Choice One caddy, Nick Selhorst. Unfortunately, Nick’s concerns over his proven spill record kept the cardigan out of play, leaving him wishing he’d had advance notice of the cheetah-print theme.

While the Troy team didn’t take home the Charity Cup—that honor went to Sugarcreek Township (pictured below)—they more than delivered on fun. At the end of the day, the event successfully raised enough donations to fund the MVDSA’s Summer Family Picnic and to support the Ronald McDonald House. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Sidney Charity Cup and for helping prove that giving back (like cheetah print) never goes out of style.

Kaye Borchers: “You will certainly have plenty to choose from.”

It’s National Surveyors Week, and we’re celebrating with a quick‑fire “highlight reel” of our survey crew’s most unforgettable Mindset moments—aka the funniest, wildest, and most forehead‑slapping stories they’ve gifted us over the years. Enjoy!

• Face to Face – When Aaron missed the field crew so much he FaceTimed Dan in the middle of a full‑scale gnat war.
• Get to the Chopper! – The crew dreams of survey helicopters… but everyone agrees Ryan Francis should never fly one.
• Pity the Fool – Jim Niergarth joins the “Surv‑A Team,” starring in a drone‑powered remake no one asked for—but everyone enjoyed.
• Hot Doggin’ – A lovable wannabe surveyor leaps into the truck, ready to work in exchange for snacks and belly rubs.
• Good Egg – Even our action‑hero surveyors can’t resist showing their soft side when a tiny ball of fluff waddles onto the scene.
• Bright-Eyed – New office lights expose everything—from surveyor sunglasses to mysteriously empty Canteen shelves.
• Why Me? – Ryan Francis once again proves that if bad luck is looking for someone… it knows exactly where to find him.
• Vacation Mode – When your survey crew insists they’re “working,” but it sure looks like they’re taking two vacations a day.

Whether encountering not‑so‑wildlife, starring in low‑budget action films, or simply providing the rest of us stories from their hours out in the field, our survey crew manages to work hard, play hard, and laugh even harder. We appreciate everything they do—both in the field and in our Choice Mindsets—and we’re grateful to celebrate them this National Surveyors Week.

Nora Schwartz: “Messages come in many forms, including mint-flavored.”

In Choice One’s Sidney office, there is a highly sophisticated communication system operating behind the scenes—and by that, we mean Nora Schwartz and Jeff Puthoff leaving peppermints on each other’s desks. This cutting‑edge, sugar‑powered system works like this: when one stops by the other’s workstation and misses them, they leave a mint as a tiny calling card that says, “I was here; come see me when you’re available.” Since neither has a dedicated waiting room, the mint stands in as their own tiny queue-management system.

While this communication method may be delicious, it does bring into question what would happen if our stock of mints ever ran out. Widespread panic? Mass confusion? Jeff going through sugar withdrawal?

Jokes aside, it’s funny how this tiny peppermint ritual ends up reflecting something real about how we work at Choice One. Responsiveness doesn’t always look like a rapid email or perfectly timed call—sometimes it’s just a mint on a keyboard saying, “Hey, I stopped by.” Candy just happens to be a very tasty form of follow‑up that won’t get buried in a swarm of notifications.

Craig Frilling: “Feel the burn!”

Last week, the Winter Olympics returned to Sidney and Loveland via Choice One’s own Office Olympics. Fifteen teams battled through tabletop curling, a typing speed skate, a breakroom luge, and a snow shovel relay involving a spoon that somehow became our second cutlery‑related scandal of the year—all building toward the unforgettable finale: the Office Chair Slalom.

For this event, one brave teammate climbed onto a rolling chair while another sprinted them through an obstacle course as fast as better judgment allowed. In Loveland, Landscape Designer Na Lin and co‑op Caileen Gibbons set the gold‑medal standard, carving turns at speeds deserving of the slogan penned by Craig Frilling: “Feel the burn!” Whether pushing, riding, or cheering, everyone felt the pulse-spiking excitement.

No Choice Oners were harmed in the making of these Olympics. The only casualty was Max Scherch’s le

ft shoe, which bravely gave its life somewhere between the third turn and finish line for the good of the team. If that isn’t dedication to the sport, we don’t know what is.

Isaiah Winhoven: “I just want to use the microwave.”

In the new Sidney office, the silverware has been almost as busy as the staff, having been moved three times in a single week as Choice Oners search for its perfect home. So, when Kyle Siegrist examined the drawer, sighed, and launched yet another reorganization, lunchtime lit up with a discussion the likes of which Choice One has not seen since the Loveland pond debate.

Soon the lunchroom was abuzz with theories on efficient utensil placement, left- versus right-handed drawer access optimization, and the alarming number of redesigns to date. Opinions flew freely, while Jeff Kunk expertly avoided getting involved—just as he does when doughnuts are involved—by choosing not to pick a side (or a drawer) in the debate at all.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the drawer-design committee, Isaiah stood patiently off to the side, waiting for the debate (and reconfiguration) to end so he could reach the microwave now blocked by the silverware’s new home. At Choice One, it seems that the only challenge we have with organization is deciding the best way to do it.