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Wake Electric’s Privette Posthumously Awarded Order of the Longleaf Pine

Late director’s family received the award on his behalf

On Dec. 8, former Wake Electric Director Rodney Privette was posthumously awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Since 1963, North Carolina’s governors have reserved the award as the highest honor for persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.

Privette passed away unexpectedly in August. He had served on the Wake Electric Board of Directors since March 2016. The award was presented to Privette’s family by NC Senator Sarah Crawford and NC Representative Terence Everitt. Donnie Lawrence, current chief of the Rolesville Rural Fire Department, coordinated the presentation, which coincided with the annual meeting for the fire department.

“Rodney’s impact on our community is an inspiring example of leadership to everyone who knows him,” said Wake Electric Board President Suzy Morgan. “As a Rolesville native, Rodney’s community ties ran deep, and Wake Electric celebrates the mark he left on the cooperative as well as public safety and economic development in our area.”

In addition to serving on the Wake Electric Board of Directors, Privette had served as chief of the Rolesville Rural Fire Department since 1992 where he had begun as a volunteer firefighter in 1975. He also served on the Wake County Fire Commission, helped form the Rolesville Chamber of Commerce, served on the board of the Wake Forest Federal Savings & Loan and co-owned Privette Insurance Agency with his sister. He was also a devoted, lifelong member of the Rolesville Baptist Church.

“Rodney filled so many roles in service to his hometown,” said NC Senator Sarah Crawford, as quoted by The Wake Weekly. “And what I knew of Rodney from such a short time, and what I’ve learned since, is that he taught every single one of us what it means to live a life of devotion to others.”

“This prestigious award is a fitting way to recognize and honor Rodney’s legacy and impact on his community and our great state,” Morgan added. “We are proud to see one of our own being honored among North Carolina’s notables.”

(L to R) Privette’s family receiving the award were fiancée Susan Cashion; daughter Brandi Privette and her fiancé Kevin; Niki Privette and grandsons Carson, Hunter and Andrew, and son Coy Privette. NC Sen. Crawford and NC Rep. Everitt presented the award.

In his spare time, Privette would restore old cars, including a 1965 Plymouth Barracuda that was once owned by a U.S. Army soldier who died in Vietnam (“The Compassionate Collector,” May 2020, page 14).

Students: Apply Now for Basketball Camp!

Rising sixth and seventh graders can now apply for a Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarship to attend basketball camp in June. Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp NC State University Raleigh Carolina Basketball School The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Powering A Brighter Future

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives are enhancing reliability and advancing our service to consumer-members with cutting-edge technology as part of our Brighter Future vision.

Learn about our 5 microgrids, 10 battery energy storage systems, 13 solar + storage sites and more.

rural A fresh start for healthcare

Training the next generation of rural doctors

By Sarah Thompson

Before Cannon Memorial Hospital’s labor and delivery unit closed in 2015, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer delivered one of the last babies to be born in an Avery County hospital. The unit where his cousins were born is gone because it was no longer seen as cost-effective to provide obstetrical care in the county, Dr. Gilmer explains.

“We have had more labor and delivery closures per capita than any other region in the country,” Dr. Gilmer says. “This is bad for communities, bad for the economy and certainly bad for women who would like to deliver their child in their home communities.”

Dr. Gilmer is the medical director of the Rural Health Initiative and Rural Fellowship at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), the largest of nine area health education centers in the state, which address the supply, retention and quality of health professionals, particularly in rural communities. Before joining MAHEC, he lived and worked as a doctor in rural North Carolina. He believes that inspiring the next generation of doctors is the best way to help rural places not only survive, but attain health literacy and gain access to specialized doctors educated on social justice in health advocacy.

Counties in need The North Carolina Institute of Medicine describes primary care providers as “the entry point into the health care system.” Access to their care is associated with fewer health disparities and better health among various socioeconomic statuses. The target primary care provider to population ratio should be equal to roughly 6.6 providers per 10,000 patients, according to the Institute. This ratio symbolizes how access to providers improves overall health of communities and can prevent a diagnosis or injury from becoming a NC Primary Care Physicians 2021, by county Greater than recommended minimum of 6.67 per 10,000 patients Below the recommended minimum critical health issue. Yet many rural counties in North Carolina fall far short of this ratio (see map). The gap between access to health providers in rural versus urban counties is not just an inconvenience, it’s causing serious health disparities that doctors like Benjamin Gilmer want students to understand — and want to change.

Rural training Dr. Crystal Gaddy worked in rural healthcare systems for more than 18 years. She has witnessed its shortfalls firsthand. Today, she is an associate professor at Pfeiffer

University’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program in Stanly County, where she and other faculty echo the significant need for students to practice medicine in rural areas.

“We’re able to, along with other faculty, really teach and educate our students with the hopes that they will, at least initially or at sometime within their careers, serve those who are really underserved,” Dr. Gaddy says. “From the moment the students enter Pfeiffer’s Occupational Therapy Program, that is the main focus.”

Pfeiffer University’s graduate program in Occupational Therapy (OT) began about two years ago alongside their Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program. As their brandnew building started construction and faculty got together to discuss curriculums, rural health was always a part of the conversation. The most pressing issue discussed was the shortage of health providers in rural regions.

Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies and Randolph EMC member Dale Patterson says that it is extremely difficult to keep providers in rural places. When he’s not at the university, Dale continues to provide clinical care once a week in his local county, Montgomery. At Pfeiffer, students learn about the need for their skills in rural areas, but also the unique opportunities that practicing and living in a rural community can bring.

“The more rural you get, the more difficult it is to retain providers over time,” Dale says. “It can be burdensome on someone over a long period of time if you’re the only provider in office.”

Students discover this for themselves during their required fieldwork. Both the OT and PA programs place students across the country, and the world, to work with health providers and experience what it means to serve and be a part of a community. Dr. Gaddy believes that rural fieldwork is where students get the chance to show off their creativity and critical thinking.

“The best place to be creative is within rural healthcare,” Dr. Gaddy says. “When you have access to everything in the world, you don’t have to critically think as hard. With our students — with us trying to push them within those fieldwork areas and those opportunities in places we call ‘emerging areas’ — it shows them that anything is possible.”

Universities and rural health organizations try to motivate students to practice in rural areas through scholarships, loan forgiveness and other incentives. When Dale was in school, he received a National Health Service Corps scholarship and advises his students to take advantage of those opportunities, which give them more financial freedom to serve communities in need.

Desiring the work Back in Western North Carolina, Dr. Gilmer works 60 to 80 hours a week trying to recruit the newest generation of doctors to practice in rural places. Over the past five years, they’ve placed approximately 30 doctors in western regions of the state. The Rural Health Initiative (RHI) has become the largest recruiter of the health professionals in the mountains and are busy looking to place more psychiatrists, general surgeons and obstetricians.

“Our ultimate goal is for every member of every rural community to have access to a primary care provider,” Dr. Gilmer says. “We want our students and doctors to desire work in rural areas.”

Like Pfeiffer, Dr. Gilmer advises students to look for avenues of support that can ease their transition into rural health systems. He explains the three pillars of support that RHI utilizes to attract and retain health professionals in western North Carolina. First, they talk with high school students to inspire them to give back to their community by becoming a rural care provider. Second, they recruit, train and support students through their schooling by providing scholarships, special training for rural care and connecting them with communities early on. Third, they support practices so that they feel well-capacitated and that they’re a part of a much larger mission.

Hope for the future The work is exhausting yet rewarding. Doctors and local citizens are dedicating their lives to advocate and save lives in rural communities because they know everyone deserves the best care, no matter where they live. These advocates of rural healthcare find solace in those they work with and in the changes they’re seeing in the eyes of their students, patients and communities.

“Everybody wants to give rural communities the health services they need. It’s apolitical,” Dr. Gilmer says. “It’s more than medicine, and we’re just trying to do our part.”

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer

Corey Nolen

Sarah Thompson was a Carolina Country editorial intern in 2022. She is currently pursuing a journalism degree from UNC Chapel Hill.

Alan Cradick Stephen Hayes

Cameron Art Museum

Marching Toward Freedom

Stephen Hayes honors Black history through sculpture

By Vanessa Infanzon

In 2019, the Cameron Art Museum approached Durham-resident and sculptor Stephen Hayes about memorializing the United States Colored Troops (USCT) who marched through Wilmington during the Civil War Battle of Forks Road in 1865. Stephen accepted the challenge to create the memorial.

“This is a super important monument,” Stephen says, a 39-year-old Duke University assistant professor of the Practice of Art, Art History and Visual Studies. “It will tell the history of a story that is untold.”

Stephen’s creation — “Boundless,” a life-size bronze statue of 11 African American men — was unveiled in November 2021 on the grounds where the Battle of Forks Road was fought. The permanent exhibit is also the focal point at the only park in the nation built to honor the United States Colored Troops and their fight for freedom.

“They will be here until the end of time,” Stephen says of the troops. “I use my artwork to change the narrative.”

In the early stages of developing sketches for the sculpture, Stephen immersed himself in the history of the battle by walking the site and meeting the United States Colored Troops reenactors from Battery B 2nd United States Colored Light Artillery, USCT 35th Regiment Tryon Palace New Bern, and the 5th USCT Company C. While in character, these men gave Stephen a history lesson explaining what it was like to march and what kinds of clothing and shoes were worn. These soldiers didn’t have the benefit of making the trek on horses.

Each soldier’s face is based on a real person. At Stephen’s request, the museum put out a call for descendants of the soldiers and reenactors to pose for the sculpture. Stephen casted their faces, using plaster gauze to capture the details in a mold which would later be filled with plaster. The hands were cast from another group of people, veterans and additional descendants of the soldiers.

“The bodies were made from mannequins, dressed in clothing from that time period,” Stephen explains. “I made the clothes flow in the direction of the movement pattern. Then I placed the heads on top of the bodies.”

Unlike most monuments, Stephen intentionally placed “Boundless” on the ground, not on a pedestal. He wants viewers to question how this monument speaks to ones they’ve seen mounted on a tall platform.

“A lot of my work is on the ground so people can be a part of the work,” Stephen says. “These guys marched on the ground. I wanted people to be face to face with my work. I didn’t want it to be on a pedestal so people have to look up and gawk at it.”

Once the plaster mold was ready, Stephen reached out to Carolina Bronze Sculpture, Inc., in Seagrove about casting the piece in bronze. The large multifigure casting was complex, says Ed Walker, president of Carolina Bronze. He and Stephen worked closely together.

“(Stephen) is a visionary,” Ed says. “He can create pieces that have strong statements about societal changes, especially about the plight of African American people. He’s highly respected in my book in his ability to convey those types of images so that people can view and experience his sculpture, and lead with a new sensibility about important social issues.”

Vanessa Infanzon moved to Charlotte for college and never left. When she’s not writing about business or travel, she’s paddle boarding on the Catawba River.

Powerlines

February 2023

Director Alan Israel Obtains National Recognition Certificate

Haywood EMC's newest Board of Directors member, Alan Israel, recently received the Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) certificate from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

An ever-changing business environment has imposed new demands on electric cooperative directors, requiring increased knowledge of changes in the electrical utility business, new governance skills, and a solid knowledge for the benefit of their electric cooperative member-owners.

The NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) program requires attendance and demonstrated understanding of the basic competencies contained in five core courses: „ Director Duties and Liabilities „ Understanding the Electric Business „ Board Operations and Process „ Strategic Planning „ Financial Decision Making

Join us in congratulating Director Israel in obtaining this certification.

ROW February

Each month, Haywood EMC’s Right-of-Way crews work through communities of our service territory to ensure electrical service with less interruption from trees and brush. This month, crews will be tree trimming in the following communities: „ Davidson River „ Ironduff „ Cherokee „ Maggie Valley „ Fie Top „ Toxaway „ Hidden Valley „ Sapphire „ Midway „ Candler If you have a tree or bush that is close to power lines or if there are dead trees that may fall on your property and contact power lines, please call our office at 828-452-2281.

What’s SmartHub and Why Should I Create an Account?

SmartHub is a robust web and mobile account management app that allows members to do business with Haywood EMC like never before.

„ Manage your account „ View and pay your bill „ Monitor your energy use 24/7/365 „ Receive important notices

All in the palm of your hand or online!

You can create an online account on our website or download the free SmartHub mobile app for your smart device from your app store. Managing your account

Your Haywood EMC account information is all in one convenient place where you can access anywhere at any time. Need to update a credit card or your email address? Just log in. Your complete account information is available for quick reference and review whenever you need it. View and pay your bill

When payment is due each month, no need to watch the mailbox and find a stamp to send in your payment. With SmartHub, you’ll get an alert that your bill is due.

You can view the charges and set up a one-time credit card, bank payment or monthly automatic payments so you never have to worry about remembering a due date again. This can be completed for multiple accounts, saving you time and saving the planet paper and postal costs. *You will still receive paper bill statements each month in the mail unless you opt out.* Monitor your energy use 24/7/365

Curious how much energy you’re using? Want to see how your usage changes when the kids are gone for a weekend or after you got rid of that old freezer in the basement? SmartHub tracks your electric use so you can monitor how many killowatt-hours you are using and make changes in your home to reduce your electric bill (if you want). You can even set up energy use alerts so you get a text or email when your usage exceeds a certain threshold you set. The energy-saving opportunities are endless! Receive important notices

Your co-op has the capability to send out notices to members. When your bill is due, if you miss a payment, or if you have an outage, you’ll be notified so you never miss a thing. We can also send out notices for capital credits, tree trimming and annual meeting alerts. Help us stay in contact with you by signing up for all the alerts available. *We cannot send you notifications unless you opt-in.*

Have questions about how to maximize SmartHub’s capabilities or need help setting your account up? Call us at 800-951-6088 any time Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

While New Year’s Resolutions may have passed in January, you can always improve yourself and your habits throughout each year. This can include your energy use habits, especially as winter’s cold temperatures bring an increased demand for electricity to heat your home. Haywood EMC wants each member-owner to know there are some simple things you can do to manage your energy usage. „ Lower your thermostat: Set your thermostat as low as you can and still be comfortable. One should set the temperature at 68 degrees or lower for winter heating. By setting the thermostat at 66 or 64, you can save up to 10%-20% in heating costs. „ Take showers instead of baths:

Bathing uses more hot water in the average household, up to 25 gallons.

A five-minute shower uses less hot water and could add up to substantial savings over time. „ Keep warm air inside: Make sure all windows are closed tightly and locked. Raise shades and open curtains during the day. Close shades and curtains at night. „ Keep the garage door closed if the garage is attached to the house or climate controlled „ Seal holes and cracks around windows, doors and walls: You can save 10% or more on your energy bill by reducing leaks with caulking or weather stripping. Close off vents or registers in rooms that you are not using and close the door. „ Remove furniture or items that block vents supplying and returning air to the furnace. „ Increase insulation in attic, crawl space and basement. Since heat rises, adding a layer of insulation to your attic is one of the most cost-effective ways to conserve heat. „ Clean or change your furnace filter so your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard. „ Take the “Home Energy Ad-

venture” or check out our “Touchstone Energy Savers”:

These will give you recommendations for making your home more energy efficient as well as calculate annual savings. Visit haywoodemc.com and click on the “Energy Efficiency” link on our home page. Call Haywood EMC and ask about their whole house energy audit: Your electric co-op has its own Building Analyst on staff that will do a whole house energy audit using the latest technology. Call 1-800-951-6088 or 828-452-2281 today. Let Haywood EMC help manage your costs.

Middle Schoolers: Apply Now for a Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarship

Haywood EMC is now accepting applications for full scholarships to basketball camps at two North Carolina universities this summer.

Middle school boys can apply for a scholarship to attend the Carolina Basketball School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Middle school girls can apply for a spot at the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp held at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. These camps will take place in June.

To apply, students must be a rising sixth- or seventh-grade student at a qualifying school. Applicants will be judged on their academics, extracurricular activities and an essay. The application period begins Jan. 1 and applications must be submitted by March 31.

Powerlines

Published by Haywood Electric Membership Corp 376 Grindstone Road Waynesville, NC 28785 haywoodemc.com

Board of Directors

Officers: Larry Clark President, BLC, CCD, DGC 828-627-8064 Lucas Sorrells Vice President, CCD 828-734-4099 Clay Talley Sec./Treas, CCD 828-526-4506 David Noland Asst. Sec.-Treas, CCD 828-507-1991

Directors:

James P. Boyette BLC, CCD: 828-884-6316 Steve Foster CCD: 828-743-3771 Alan Israel CCD: 828-273-4580

Executive Vice President/CEO

Tom Batchelor: 828-452-9192

Member Service

1-800-951-6088

Waynesville Office

828-452-2281

Lake Toxaway Office

828-966-4215

Here Comes Breakfast for Dinner

Meals perfectly suited for sharing while destressing at dinnertime

Regular meals with loved ones encourage connections and conversations, which in turn can benefit mental and physical wellbeing. And these easy breakfast recipes can make for filling (and simple) dinner options.

—Family Features

American Heart Association

Southwestern Quinoa and Egg Breakfast Bowls This simple recipe makes for a light, healthy dinner option. ¼ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups) 1 cup no-salt-added frozen corn, thawed ½ medium avocado, pitted and diced ¼ cup chopped green onions ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional) 4 large eggs 1/8 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Nonstick cooking spray Red hot-pepper sauce, to taste (optional) Egg, Avocado and Black Bean Breakfast Burritos Unwind and relax with this colorful dish that will brighten spirits.

Nonstick cooking spray 11/3 cups liquid egg whites 1 can (15½-ounce) no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained 4 whole-wheat tortillas (6-inch, lowest sodium available) 2 medium avocados, sliced ¼ cup hot sauce or salsa (lowest sodium available, optional)

Lightly spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat.

In skillet, stir egg whites constantly with rubber spatula to scramble. Cook until eggs are almost set. Add beans, stirring until combined and heated through.

Microwave tortillas on high 45 seconds. Transfer to work surface.

Spread egg mixture in center of each tortilla. Top with the avocado and hot sauce, if desired.

For each burrito, fold two sides of tortilla toward center. Starting from closest unfolded side, roll burrito toward remaining unfolded side to enclose filling. Transfer with seam side down to plates.

Yield: 4 servings

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Remove from heat.

Spoon quinoa into four bowls. Top each with tomatoes, corn, avocado, green onions and cilantro, if desired.

Lightly spray large skillet over medium-high heat with nonstick cooking spray. Crack eggs into skillet. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, 3–4 minutes, or until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny.

Using spatula, carefully transfer one egg sunny side up into each bowl. Sprinkle with hot sauce, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

PRESIDENTS’ DAY Window Special!

Presidents’ Day Special ENDS Tuesday, February 28

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• Renewal by Andersen is the full-service replacement window division of Andersen, and every window that we custom-build has to live up to their strict quality standards • Our window helps make homes more comfortable because our Fibrex® material is two times stronger than vinyl • To lock in this Presidents’ Day Special, call on or before

Tuesday, February 28 and schedule your free Window and

Door Diagnosis

Call or scan the code for your FREE Window & Door Diagnosis 704-626-1644

CarolinaReplacementWindow.com

1Subject to availability, on a total purchase of 4 or more. Buy 2 windows or doors and get the second 2 windows or doors, of equal or lesser value, 40% off – applied to lowest priced window and/or door products in purchase. Special Presidents’ Day $200 discount valid during first appointment only. To qualify for discount offer, initial contact for an appointment must be made and documented on or before 2/28/23 with the purchase then occurring on or before 3/10/23. 2No payments and deferred interest for 12 months available from third-party lenders to well qualified buyers on approved credit only. No Finance Charges will be assessed if promo balance is paid in full in 12 months. Products are marketed, sold and installed (but not manufactured) by Renewal by Andersen retailers, which are independently owned and operated under S&L Windows and Doors, LLC d/b/a Renewal by Andersen of the Carolinas. NC Residential Builders License #80213. South Carolina Residential Builders Commission #571. See complete information and entity identification at www.rbaguidelines.com. ©2023 Andersen Corporation. ©2023 Lead Surge LLC. All rights reserved.