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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.

ROANOKE ELECTRIC Flashes Flashes

Roanoke Electric Cooperative

Welcome Home!

Co-op member-owners receive hope and homeownership in Gates County The “B” and the “G” in “CDBG,” of course, stand for “block grant.” But thanks to a project launched by the Community Development Block Grant for Neighborhood Development, four people may think that “B” and “G” stands for “blessings” in “Gates”.

Why? Days before the New Year, three of the four Roanoke Electric Co-op member-owners have a new place to call home thanks to funds awarded through the Community Development Block Grant for Neighborhood Development. The fourth is still in progress. Back in 2018, Gates County’s local government was awarded $750,000 through the block grant to aid with community development needs in addressing substandard housing with health and safety issues beyond repair for the elderly.

Instrumental to the project was the Gates County Housing Committee, a volunteer group of believers in the power of grassroots community development. The committee was established in 2012 as a 501(c) 3 to assist with minor home repairs concerning health and safety issues and housing resources for the limited resource, elderly, disabled and veterans.

Committee President Reba Green-Holley said that the initiative was a testament to the committee’s mission of eliminating unsafe and unhealthy substandard housing and homelessness in Gates County utilizing community collaboration strategies. She also contracts with the co-op as the Resource Developer and Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program Youth Program Assistant.

“Part of fulfilling that mission was identifying elderly, limited resource homeowners needing assistance with health and safety repairs so that they can have a better quality of life and remain in their homes,” Green-Holley explained. “In our continued partnership with the county, I am delighted that four families will reap the long-term benefits of this effort.” Green-Holley also explained that even after the homes were in place, a key piece to getting residents into their new homes was ensuring they had electric service. “Discussions with Roanoke Electric and their willingness to accommodate the schedule of this initiative ultimately helped with the final step in this process.”

Gates resident Donald Jones was one of four member-owners who benefited from the block grant. In addition to his excitement about having a new home, Jones expressed gratitude for the co-op’s collaboration in making his dream come true. “Roanoke Electric did a good job,” Jones said. “They were quick to get my meter up, and I am very thankful for everyone involved in getting my lights on.”

Co-op Vice-President of Engineering and Operations Jimmy Liverman said this was just one instance of how the co-op seeks to enhance the quality of life in its diverse communities. “Providing reliable service for everyday life is our ultimate goal. I am glad we could do our part in making this happen in the Gates County area.”

Visit https://Gchousingcomm.org for more information.

Gates resident Donald Jones was one of four member-owners who benefited from the block grant.

Middle Schoolers:

Apply for Sports Camp Scholarship to Attend Basketball Camp this Summer

APPLICATIONS OPEN THROUGH MARCH 31

Do you have a rising sixth or seventh grader who dreams of playing basketball on a college campus? Roanoke Electric Cooperative is again partnering with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NC State University to make that dream a reality for two lucky students in Hertford, Gates, Bertie, Halifax, and Northampton counties.

The co-op will provide one young woman with a scholarship to attend the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp at NC State June 18-22. Young men can apply for a scholarship to attend the Carolina Basketball School, which will be held June 17–21 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“This scholarship program demonstrates Roanoke’s commitment to building a brighter future through continued support for education and community programs,” said Patrice Jordan, the co-op’s coordinator of community relations and engagement.

The scholarships cover all expenses at the overnight camps, providing a glimpse into college life. Campers stay overnight in dorms, learn fundamental skills that will help them excel on and off the court, and receive individual and group instruction from Division 1 coaches to enhance their basketball and team-building abilities.

To apply, sixth- or seventh-grade students must be at a qualifying school during the 2023–2024 school year. The application opens this month and must be submitted by March 31.

To learn more and apply, visit roanokeelectric.com/bball.

Surprising Ways to Save on Super Bowl Sunday

Basil Williams, Manager of Member Services

It’s that time of the year again—the Super Bowl. Most people will be gathered around the television to watch an American classic, indulging in game-day favorites like hot wings and sausage dip.

Even if your team isn’t playing for the Lombardi Trophy this year, you can use these quick tips in your playbook and score big with energy savings: è Watch the game with friends at one house. This decreases electricity consumption across the home and usually makes for a better variety of game-day snacks! If you’re leaving your house, turn everything off and unplug what you can before you head out. è Turn off the lights and electronics in your other rooms during the game. If you’re focused on the TV in the living room, make sure everything else is off in other parts of the home. This three-hour block can help save energy. è Reduce the heat during the game. Having more guests will warm the area with their body heat and movement, so you can probably turn down the thermostat a few degrees. If you’re still cold, grab your favorite team’s sweatshirt! è Use the dishwasher-but run a full load. Generally, using a full dishwasher is more energy efficient than hand washing dishes, especially with an energy-efficient Energy Star dishwasher. You do not have to sacrifice the comfort of your friends and family or the quality of game-day food to save on energy costs. Make the play that counts this month and score savings.

7 Tips for Maximizing Heat Pump Performance in Winter

Heat pumps offer an energyefficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. Heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house during the heating season.

Despite chilly temperatures, they can still manage to pull a bit of heat from the air. However, below freezing, they lose a bit of operational efficiency. Fortunately, you can ensure performance by keeping the following tips in mind: è Stop cranking up the temperature. Pumping the temperature settings up to the 90s won’t heat your home any faster. It will burn a lot more energy, particularly if your system is equipped with an auxiliary/ emergency (electric) heat back up. Equipping your system with a smart home thermostat designed specifically for use with a heat pump system can help you ensure comfort and savings, turning your system off when you are not home and helping you develop a schedule to ensure a cozy, warm home when you return. è Don’t rely on emergency heat. Save emergency heat for real emergencies. This mode is notoriously inefficient and will quickly drive up your energy bills. è Keep your filter clean. A dirty filter forces your system to move air. A clean filter safeguards the lifespan of your system and, more importantly, ensures good indoor air quality. è Keep leaves and debris clear of your outdoor unit. Your outdoor unit must be free to circulate air as well. Regularly clear dead, fallen leaves and debris surrounding your system for optimum performance. è Do NOT cover your system.

Your system is designed to survive outdoors and does not need to be covered in the winter. In fact, covering your system at this time can lead to serious problems, such as mold growth and pest infestation. In frigid weather, leave ice alone. It is sharp and dangerous to you and your system, and your heat pump should manage this in defrost mode. è Don’t worry about the defrost mode. This mode scares some homeowners; however, defrosting frozen system components is part of normal winter operation. Be aware, though, this cycle is typically short, and if your system stays in this mode for a long time, it may require heating repair services. è Follow a regular maintenance schedule. Regular professional cleaning and maintenance, at least once a year, ensures efficient performance and prevents unexpected breakdowns.

Sources: Energy.gov and delcohvac.com “ NOTABLE & QUOTABLE What comes to mind when you think about the co-op’s efforts to build a better future for memberowners?

“I have been a member of the Roanoke Electric team for approximately one year and a half. During this time, I have been really excited about the services they provide and the energy savings my family has incurred since the beginning of the relationship. I look forward to a brighter future with Roanoke Electric due to the company’s leadership, expertise, and professionalism that the company displays. I trust in Roanoke Electric because they are always utilizing their critical thinking to be more “ innovative to find ways to please their customers. I highly recommend Roanoke Electric to any customer for energy efficiency needs because they specialize in results.” –Jacqueline White, member-owner and Hertford County resident

Purchasing Space Heaters and Space Heater Safety

When used correctly, space heaters can provide your space with added warmth and comfort during winter months. When buying and installing a small space heater, follow these guidelines:

è Safety: Newer model small space heaters have current safety features.

Make sure the heater carries the

Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label. Keep heaters at least 3 feet away from children, pets and flammable materials. è Size: Choose a thermostat-controlled heater because they avoid the energy waste of overheating a room. Select a heater of the proper size for the room you wish to heat. Do not purchase oversized heaters. Most heaters come with a general sizing table. è Type: If you’re just looking to heat part of a room, choose a radiant heater which emits infrared radiation that heats up whatever is closest to the unit. If you want to heat up the whole room, opt for a convection heater, which warms up the air. Both can range from about $30 to $130.

Holiday closings

Roanoke Electric Cooperative offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in observance of President’s Day. All co-op operations and payment systems will resume as normal on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. To report outages:

è Call 1-800-358-9437 è Text “OUTAGE” to 352667.

To make a payment:

è Use our automated system at 252-209-2236. è Download our mobile app by texting “Roanoke” to 252-479-7929. è Text “PAY” to 352667.

ROANOKE ELECTRIC Flashes Flashes

Published monthly for the member-owners of Roanoke Electric Cooperative P.O. Drawer 1326, Ahoskie, NC 27910 Office: 252-209-2236 or 1-800-433-2236 For outages call: 1-800-358-9437 For online bill payment: roanokeelectric.com Statement of Nondiscrimination: Roanoke Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Visit us at roanokeelectric.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Allen Speller

Chairman Robert “Nat” Riddick

Vice Chairman Delores Amason

Secretary-Treasurer Kenneth Jernigan

Asst. Secretary-Treasurer Marva Bond Carolyn Bradley Columbus Jeffers Darnell Lee Cynthia Vaughan Editor: Brittany Tann President and CEO: Marshall Cherry

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