24 minute read
More Power
from 2022-09-CEMC
September Quick Hits
A Grand Day Do something grand for Grandparents’ Day this September 11! Children can connect with grandparents or older adults; Grandparents can share wisdom — and love — with younger generations.
Farm Traffic As farmers prepare for harvest, be aware and prepared to share the road with slow-moving farm vehicles.
School Days Set a consistent bedtime for school-aged children to ensure they’re getting the sleep they need for success during the week.
EV Week Considering going electric? Visit driveelectricweek.org to find in-person and online events to learn about electric vehicles during National Drive Electric Week, Sept. 23–Oct. 2.
NC Co-op Leaders Share Insights at International electrification Conference
Joe Brannan spoke during the Electrification 2022 opening session.
In June, the Electrification 2022 International Conference & Exposition brought together more than 1,500 stakeholders in Charlotte to chart the future of energy. The second semi-annual conference, hosted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), drew innovators from around the world to discuss the path to decarbonization and the role of beneficial electrification in achieving a net-zero carbon economy.
Several representatives from North Carolina’s electric cooperatives spoke at the event, sharing insight into how cooperatives are leading innovation that supports a Brighter Future vision — a shared mission of maintaining affordability and reliability while pursuing sustainability goals, as well as programs and partnerships with members that achieve beneficial outcomes.
At the opening session, Joe Brannan, CEO of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, emphasized the cooperatives’ focus on members in developing programs and strategies to power a brighter future.
“We are working together toward a shared goal: a decarbonized economy achieved through a variety of solutions at a pace and cost that doesn’t leave anyone behind,” Brannan said. “Our efforts should go beyond not leaving anyone behind to inviting all people and businesses to engage in new energy solutions that benefit them and balance the needs of the grid. We have a tremendous opportunity to innovate and reshape the energy industry from being the backbone — to also being the brains — of our society and economy.”
Other speakers from electric cooperatives shared insights on topics ranging from consumer electrification programs, to grid resilience, to equity in the energy transition.
Travis Bode of Surry-Yadkin EMC and Todd Moore of Pee Dee Electric led a pre-conference workshop on electrification in the agriculture and food industries, sharing details about partnerships with local commercial members that have integrated innovation and new electric technologies.
Marshall Cherry, president and CEO of Roanoke Electric Cooperative, led a workshop on practical approaches to community decarbonization, as well as a panel titled “Equity at Scale: Programs and Partnerships to Advance Solutions for Impacted Communities.”
Jim Musilek, vice president of innovation and business development for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, spoke to audiences on two panels about agricultural electrification and utility programs that accelerate end-use electrification.
Nikki Hensley, innovation and business development analyst for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, was a panelist in a discussion on the environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles, and ensuring that EV adoption is accessible to all, including underserved communities.
Lee Ragsdale, senior vice president of energy delivery for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, led a panel on grid resilience, and the technology, planning and investment to support it, in a rapidly electrifying society.
“Much is at stake as we take on the global challenge of decarbonizing our economy,” Brannan said in his remarks. “Achieving net-zero energy across the U.S. by 2050 will involve an energy transformation that is unprecedented in speed, scope and scale. Working together, we can succeed in this transition.”
—Olivia Dela Cruz, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives
Alleghany Teacher’s ‘Bright Ideas’ Take Students on Problem-Solving Adventures
At Sparta Elementary in Alleghany County, enthusiasm for learning lights up every corner of the school. Many of the sparks that kindle that enthusiasm emanate from sixth-grade math teacher Cecelia Hampton.
Hampton, who has been teaching for 31 years, believes in making learning interactive and relevant for her students. To put her creative ideas into action, she turned to her local electric cooperative, Blue Ridge Energy, and the Bright Ideas education grant program.
Bright Ideas grants are offered by electric cooperatives in North Carolina to enhance student success and bring creative learning to life.
Hampton won her first Bright Ideas grant in 2004, for a project that paired older and younger students to create a recycling effort using red wiggler worms and lunchroom garbage in order to develop a better understanding of our impact on the environment. Since then, she has won close to $11,000 in Bright Ideas grants for more than a dozen projects covering several subjects, ranging from math and history to science and technology. She said the projects have helped students schoolwide delve deeper into learning and make broader connections.
“I like to think of Blue Ridge Energy and the Bright Ideas program as spreading ‘glitter’ far and wide across our school,” Hampton said. “It has stuck with us and turned up in the most amazing places!”
Her partnership with her local electric co-op has provided new tools for Hampton to innovate the ways her students learn, taking students on interactive experiences through history and setting them up for success as they advance through grade levels. Her most recent project in 2021, “Dive into Digital,” equips students with Wacom electronic drawing tablets and digital scanners to take any paper project and turn it into a digital masterpiece.
“From worms wiggling to Wacom tablets, I have had the privilege of joining in the joy and wonder of learning,” Hampton said. “The Bright Ideas grant program has provided me with the opportunity year after year to furnish my students with quality, hands-on, problemsolving adventures.”
The impact of these projects expands well beyond Hampton’s classroom. As teachers have moved classrooms, and because projects are utilized year after year, the benefits reach schoolwide and are growing every year.
Tasha Rountree, director of community relations for Blue Ridge Energy, says that supporting students and teachers is part of their mission as a community-owned cooperative to power a brighter future, now and for generations to come.
“Mrs. Hampton is the most decorated Bright Ideas teacher in our service area,” Rountree said. “We’re proud to continue Blue Ridge Energy’s 28-year tradition of supporting educators like Mrs. Hampton and investing in the future of our local students through the Bright Ideas program.”
Since 1994, electric cooperatives in North Carolina have supported 14,000 projects statewide, benefiting millions of students. Applications for Bright Ideas grants for the 2022–2023 school year are being accepted now at NCBrightIdeas.com.
—Math teacher Cecelia Hampton (right), pictured with fellow math teacher Shannon Osborne Cecelia Hampton and her students with “Whiteboard World,” her 2019 Bright Ideas Grant winner.
—Lindsey Davis, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives
Connections to the past
Native American Artifacts of North Carolina
These are just a few examples of artifacts that can be found around the state. Visit bit.ly/unc-artifacts to view 3D models of more from UNC’s archaeology program.
Archeologists and private artifact collectors study NC’s earliest societies
By Emory Rakestraw
Carved stone face
Late Woodland Period (A.D. 1550–1700) Montgomery County (Town Creek)
Old Town burnished jar Late Woodland Period (A.D. 1500–1600) Stokes County
Palmer corner-notched spear point
Early Archaic Period (8000–6000 B.C.) Stanly County (Hardaway site) Randolph stemmed spear point
Middle Woodland Period (500 B.C.–A.D. 500) Montgomery County
Stone pipe
Middle Woodland Period (A.D. 300–1000) Jackson County Hardaway-Dalton spear point Late Paleoindian Period (8500–7900 B.C.) Stanly County (Hardaway site)
In 1951, at the age of 10, Ron Harris found his first arrowhead. Featuring a pointed tip, flaked scars and composed of fine-grain rock, he immediately knew what lay in his palm. Today, Ron, who lives in Taylorsville and is a member of EnergyUnited, has a vast collection of Native American artifacts — some discovered, some traded and some significant, like his collection of stone Clovis points dating back 10,000 to 12,000 years, which denote the earliest inhabitants of present-day North Carolina.
“The Clovis is the oldest and earliest prized Native American point. They’re very hard to come by,” Ron says. He has 50 of them.
For someone like Dr. Randolph Daniel Jr., who chairs the anthropology department at East Carolina University in Greenville, these finds by private collectors can link to “diagnostic projectile points” (a variety of pointed tools for different uses). In this way, private collectors and archaeologists can work together. Detailing the locations of finds helps archaeologists discover excavation sites, learning the how and why of early inhabitants.
Found objects
Notable sites
The Hardaway archaeological site, situated in the Uwharrie Mountains outside of Badin, inspired Randy’s Ph.D. dissertation. Hardaway is the oldest excavated site in the state. Artifacts found here indicate occupation that could date to the Paleoindian Period (9,500 – 7,500 B.C.), and the original excavator, the late Dr. Joffre Coe, wove together chronologies of consistent settlement. Randy has re-examined much of the Hardaway material, which serves as a guidebook for identifying similar artifacts across the eastern United States.
“It’s not about what you find, it’s about what you find out,” Randy says. “Everyone has a frame of reference for what an arrowhead or spearhead looks like, other stone tools are less obvious.”
In Gilead, Town Creek Indian Mound was settled as we know it today between the years 1000 to 1150, and has undergone consistent archaeological research for more than half a century. The Pee Dee people flourished there as part of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture, a regional civilization that shared cultural traits including earthen mounds, widespread trading and religious ceremonies.
“These people were living a woodland lifestyle and experimenting with gardening,” explains Rich Thompson, site manager of Town Creek Indian Mound. “We also have jewelry made with shells from the coast, Mica elements from the mountains, and copper, which I was told came from the Great Lakes area.”
It's only natural to wonder how these materials wound up here, and Rich describes it as a highway system composed of waterways. Canoes allowed Native Americans to establish trade routes. While goods were swapped, the rocks
that make up the Uwharrie Mountains were the preferred stone for toolmaking, significant to both Town Creek, Hardaway and beyond. Due to vast Native American settlements throughout North Carolina, objects are still waiting to be unearthed. But with slightly differing goals, there can be friction between archaeologists and private collectors. “The perspective of professional archaeologists is stewardship; for collectors it’s ownership,” Randy says. “The main question is, who owns the past?” He encourages collectors to keep detailed records of their findings, such as numbering artifacts to coincide with GPS points. Both seasoned and novice collectors can benefit from Piedmont Archaeology Society (csasi.org/states/nsc) meetups, which provide opportunities to buy artifacts and form connections. “These meetups are also great for meeting other collectors, and sometimes you can even buddy up with people and they will invite you to go on [pre-approved] excavations,” Ron says. For novices, it’s important to remember objects found on state land belong to the state. Most arti“It’s not about facts that belong to collectors have been found on their privately owned property what you find, or purchased at meetups. If you’re unsure where to start, a tip of advice is to look it’s about what you on riverbanks. “Throughout time, these societies have been set up within a short distance of find out.” fresh, moving water,” Rich explains. For him, the thrill of excavation — for both —Dr. Randolph Daniel Jr. hobbyists and professionals — revolves around one central theme. “If you’re the person in the trench, you could discover an artifact that hasn’t seen the light of day in thousands of years. It’s a connection to the past and a feeling of knowing you’re the next in line to have contact with that artifact. It creates a fellowship.” Emory Rakestraw is a Wilmington-based freelance journalist. Her love for North Carolina and its history has inspired a wide range of stories available at emoryrakestraw.wordpress.com. Digital Extras Learn more about Town Creek Indian Mound in a video from NC Historic Sites at carolinacountry.com/extras.
Coming Home to Make Meaningful Change
Megan Hiner is providing mental health services in northeastern NC
By Jacob Brooks
Megan and her husband, Erik with their dog Macy. Eric helped her realize how her home town made her grow into who she is.
Hey hey, North Cackalacky. I’ve got another servant leader y’all need to meet. She’s just another big-hearted North Carolinian making a difference. Megan, please meet all o’ my friends across rural NC. All o’ my friends across rural NC, please meet Megan.
A pillar of many communities in northeastern North Carolina, Megan Hiner is the proud owner of her own clinic, Mindful Tides, PLLC, where she provides counseling services to folks in need.
Megan and I go back to the Washington Youth Tour in 2009. She had never heard of Alleghany High School or my co-op, Blue Ridge Energy. I had never heard of Camden County High School or her co-op, Albemarle EMC. But, like the other 30 rising seniors on the trip, our small public high schools and local co-ops set us on a path for success.
Megan’s journey took her to Raleigh. She began her undergrad career at Meredith then transferred to NC State. Graduating with a degree in communications, she realized her calling was in the public sector.
“I care about identifying systems that are not working and making structural change,” she says. “I realized I was in an echo-chamber where the same voices were being heard. I wanted to make real, meaningful change for folks on the outside.”
Lead by her convictions, Megan began working for agencies such as Albemarle Hopeline (albemarlehopeline.org), a domestic and sexual violence agency serving Pasquotank, Perquimans, Camden, Currituck, Chowan and Gates counties. In the fall of 2015, she went a little further south to Florida State for a master’s in social work.
“Time spent with Veteran’s Affairs was incredibly rewarding,” she says with sincerity. “I assisted countless veterans struggling with their mental health and housing insecurity. I also worked at a center designed to support housing insecure and truant teenagers.”
“It was great to see people who really deserve and need support, get support. Seeing folks who were once really struggling begin achieving crucial milestones is incredibly powerful. Generally, mental health services are incredibly stigmatized in our world. In reality, we all need support.”
Equipped with her Master of social work, Megan returned to NC and picked up where she left off. She returned to Albemarle Hopeline in the fall of 2017 and quickly started working on her licensure. From there, she took a position working with local health departments in Camden, Currituck, Martin, Pasquotank and Washington counties.
When asked what called her home, a familiar somberness fills the air. “I came back after losing some loved ones in my family. They needed me, so I came home. But I stayed because I was able to find a fantastic community.”
One person specifically in that community was a handsome fella named Erik Alnes. Erik works for the NC Division of Coastal Management, where he manages three different reserve lands on the Outer Banks.
They were married earlier this year! Megan credits Erik’s individual journey for refreshing gratitude in her rural roots.
“I did not really realize what home meant to me until I met my husband,” she explains. “He moved around a lot growing up. His story helped me reflect and be thankful for the strong foundation I was able to build in such a small community.”
Well Megan, it was so great catching up with you. Huge congratulations to you and Erik! Excited to see what y’all will do next.
Jacob Brooks has personally sought therapy in the past. He's battled depression and anxiety. He wishes all y’all well.
Powering
ADVENTURE
From cost savings and convenience to lower emissions and a great driving experience, electric vehicles have something for everyone.
North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives are accelerating access to the benefits of driving electric with an expanding network of more than 100 charging ports in destinations from the mountains to the coast. See how driving electric can power your adventures at NCDriveElectric.com.
NCDriveElectric.com
NEWSCentral SEPT. 2022
Central sends youth to leadership camp
Monthly newsletter from Central Electric Membership Corp. The cooperative recently sponsored Brett Mills, Madelyn Travis and Nicole Jozefowicz to attend Cooperative Leadership Camp hosted by the NC Cooperative Council. The week-long camp was held at Camp Monroe in Laurel Hill, NC, featuring energetic and interactive workshops, presentations, outdoor recreation and leadership building exercises. The camp is designed to provide a learning experience that concentrates on the cooperative way of doing business and building a better understanding and appreciation for the cooperative model. Brett, Madelyn and Nicole were chosen to attend the camp on behalf of the cooperative due to their strong work ethic in the classroom and extracurricular involvement in their schools and community. Central Electric sponsors three local high school students each year to attend Cooperative Leadership Camp. If you will be a sophomore, junior or senior during the 202324 school year, the application period for next year’s camp will begin in March and run through May 2023. For more information about this great program, visit CEMCPower.com.
Brett Mills, Madelyn Travis and Nicole Jozefowicz represented Central Electric at the 2022 Cooperative Leadership Camp held at Camp Monroe. The camp featured team building and leadership exercises, as well as curriculum focused on the cooperative business model.
Scan this QR Code with your phone’s camera to watch a video and learn more about leadership camp!
SEPT. 5 the Central Electric office will be closed for Labor Day. Crews will be on-call.
SEPT. 16 is the deadline for Bright Ideas applications. Central is awarding $15,000 to local educators to help bring creative and innovative projects into their classroom. Apply at NCBrightIdeas.com.
POINT OF VIEW
Co-op is community
From the desk of CEO & General Manager Eddie Oldham
In this monthly edition of “News Central,” you will notice a common theme – community. You’ll also notice in the Annual Report and Annual Meeting cover wrap materials included in your Carolina Country packet this month that the theme of this year’s Annual Meeting and 2021 Annual Report is “Your Community, Your Power, Your Service.” Community is essential to who we are here at Central Electric.
We serve our community not only by being an essential service provider to you, our members, but also being a resource and advocate for bettering and enriching the lives of individuals throughout our small, but quickly growing, pocket of North Carolina. Throughout the year, we engage with our community through many different co-op specific programs and events. While our core job is keeping the lights on, our passion lies in serving our members as well as the communities we live, work and play in. This service focus is at the heart of who we are.
Whether through economic development, volunteering or donations to local causes, we invest in this community because it’s our home too. We go to church with our members, we shop at the same grocery stores and our children attend the same schools. Little league baseball games, dance recitals, the YMCA, you name it, we are there, listening to and interacting with our members. That’s essential to what we call the “Cooperative Difference.” You can find each of us right here in our community. I know I speak for all of our employees when I say that we are thankful to be a part of this community. We are fortunate to live in the same place where we work, which makes our ties to this community that much stronger. Each of you are also an important part of our coop as well as our community. We hope that you will read through the materials included with your newsletter this month and learn more about what the co-op is doing to better this great place that we call home.
We also hope that you will take part in our upcoming Annual Meeting of the Members. You can register your participation in the meeting by submitting either an online or mail-in voting ballot, and then be sure to join us at 10 a.m. on Oct. 7 for the meeting live stream. Community is important and that is what the coop is all about. Your co-op has been here for you from the start, and we’re still here for you today, just as we will be tomorrow. Thank you for your participation in this year’s Annual meeting and for being a part of this great co-op! Until next time,
Local students learn skills at basketball camp
Two local students recently participated in basketball camps at two of the state’s largest college campuses, thanks to Central Electric’s Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarship program. Ryan Oakley of Whispering Pines attended the Carolina Basketball School at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Cameron Hawthorne of Carthage attended the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp at NC State University in Raleigh.
Campers stayed in dorms, experienced life as a college student, and also developed fundamental skills that will help them excel on and off the court. At both camps, coaches and student-athletes worked directly with campers to improve their basketball skills and practice working as a team. Check back in January 2023 for more information on 2023 camps!
Ryan Oakley Cameron Hawthorne
Students rewarded for classroom efforts
Five outstanding students earned a Visa® gift card for receiving at least one “A” on their recent report cards. The reward is in connection with Central Electric’s “Give us an A” program. Local students from kindergarten to college with a grade of at least one “A” are invited to submit a copy of their most recent report card. Four times each school year, Central Electric will draw from the entries and award a $25 Visa gift card to four winners with at least one “A” and a $50 Visa gift card to one winner with all “A’s.” If you have at least one “A” on your next report card, visit the Education Programs section at CEMCPower.com by Nov. 18 to enter the next random drawing.
Caroline Oakley New Century Jackson Lavengood
Western Harnett
Callie Fogleman Levi Scott Jordan Matthews South Harnett Jimmie Lynn Godfrey Southern Lee
Making a positive difference in the community
Thanks to the Operation Round Up program, almost $34,000 is being put back into the local communities to provide assistance for worthy projects. Another Choice for Black Children, Inc. – $3,000 to purchase beds, night stands, lamps, washer and dryer. Chatham County Literacy Council, Inc. – $3,000 to help meet budget goals for EOSL Program. FACES of Chatham County – $2,000 to pay for summer camps for Chatham County children who otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend. Five N Two Food Pantry – $3,000 to help purchase a newer truck.
Helping Hands Clinic, Inc. – $3,000 to purchase glucose monitors and bilingual education material.
Johnsonville Community Center – $3,000 to help with repairs to the facility and replacment of chairs. Johnsonville Elementary School – $2,202.51 to supply materials needed for the Special Education classroom.
Johnsonville Ruritan Club – $2,335.00 for maintenance to the memorial and to replace flag poles. The CARE Group, Inc. – $3,000 to help purchase books, snacks, advertisements and STEAM packets for children. Union Taylor Community Action Assoc. Center – $3,000 to pay for water connections to the community center. YMCA Sandhills-Saleeby Family – $3,000 to help purchase supplies for summer camp. Western Harnett Lion’s Club – $3,000 to send three to five visually impaired or blind campers to Camp Dogwood for one week.
Franceine Atiebrah, Executive Director of Helping Hands Clinic in Lee County, accepts a grant for $3,000. The funds will help purchase glucose monitors and educational materials.
128 Wilson Road P.O. Box 1107 Sanford, NC 27331
OFFICE HOURS
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CONTACT
Phone: (919) 774-4900 Bill Payment: (866) 488-5011 Eddie Oldham CEO & General Manager
DIRECTORS
Rebecca G. Cogan, President Tommy Dalrymple, Vice President James B. Brooks, Secretary-Treasurer W. Phillip Thompson, Asst. Secretary Charles E. Cameron, Sr., Frank Comer III, Dr. Nancy G. Holmes, Henry Outz, Tim Priest and Henry Randolph. James Taylor, Editor This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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