2015 November Gulf Coast Electric Newsletter

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative

N OV E M B E R 2015

A Salute to Our Veterans

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative employees and trustees served our country before they began serving our members. Take a journey through history on page 6.

Frank Bailey, U.S. Army

Ken Newsome, U.S. Navy

Jimmy Black, U.S. Air Force

Help Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative Help You PAGE 4 Streetlight Out? PAGE 29 n

Gulf Coast

Fall Back on November 1 Members acknowledge that $3.96, plus actual postage, is the cost to publish 12 issues a year of Florida Currents (USPS8300). Published by Ruralite Services Inc., 5605 NE Elam Young Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124—a not-for-profit Oregon cooperative corporation—the magazine serves the communications needs of consumer-owned electric utilities in Florida. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, OR 97123 and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Please send address corrections to 5605 NE Elam Young Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124.

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Have a problem receiving your edition of Florida Currents? Utility members should contact the local utility office listed on the back cover.

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Subscription services: Nonmember subscriptions $12 (U.S.) per year; $25 (foreign) per year. Prepayment required. Allow 4 to 8 weeks for first issue. Be sure to identify which local edition you want to receive. Order online at www.floridacurrents.com.

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Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before retiring for the night on Saturday, October 31. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, daylight saving time ends, and the time will revert back to 1 a.m.

In the 1770s, Benjamin Franklin was the first to discuss the idea of a time change after he woke up early one morning to find the sun already shining bright. Not until 1915, when British builder William Willett revised the idea, was it taken into consideration.

Germany was the first to adopt the idea, followed by Britain. Eventually, during World War I, parts of Europe, Canada and the United States jumped on board.

After the wars, the states in the U.S. were free to choose whether to observe daylight saving time and the calendar start dates of the time change. The result was time confusion.

In 1966, the U.S. enacted the Uniform Time Act, making any state that participated in daylight saving time start and end on the same day. Through the years, the start and end date has changed several times, most recently in 2005, when the Energy Policy Act was passed.

Now, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November.

The reason for observing daylight saving time is because the sun rises earlier in the spring and summer months, giving you more daylight during the evening hours. In the fall, the exact opposite happens, so we set our clocks back to gain an extra hour of sunlight in the morning.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, daylight saving time decreases the country’s electricity use 1 percent each day.

The use of energy and demand for electricity for lighting homes is related directly to the times people go to bed and rise. Daylight saving time saves energy for lighting in all seasons, but saves the least amount during the four darkest months of the year: November, December, January and February.

With clocks set back, it gets darker earlier, making it a challenge to complete outdoor tasks. Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative can help by offering a variety of outdoor lighting options. Choose which best fits your needs.

For more information on lighting options, please contact one of our offices or access the necessary paperwork at www.gcec.com. n

Inside

November 2015 Vol. 5, No. 1

Untangling Your Roots 12 The quest to discover who you are and how you fit into your family requires deciphering the origins of your genes.

Also In This Issue Side Roads 10 In the Kitchen 16 Great Picture Hunt 18

Festival Roundup 22 Outdoor Pursuits 24 Parting Shot 30

Your utility pages: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32

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Gulf Coast

Help Gulf Coast Electric Help You Please give the co-op your current information

Did you know you can help Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative personnel with the power restoration process? How? By making sure all of your account information is up to date.

Having the correct phone number listed on your account is important to our outage restoration efforts. If the automated system answers your call, enter the number listed on your account—either your cell or land line. If you call from a different number, the system won’t recognize your location, delaying our response time.

After hours, the cooperative uses its automated power outage response call handle equipment system. Our automated system is capable of answering up to 96 calls at once and can call back 30 residences at a single time to verify your power has been restored.

The system is easy to use and guides you through the outage reporting process. Information can be entered into the system using a touchtone phone or by speaking answers to the system prompts. If circumstances permit, a live operator can be accessed by staying on the line. During a multiple-outage situation, the system provides callers with a recorded list of areas where crews have been dispatched.

Please allow sufficient time for repairs before

calling GCEC to report an outage again, especially during major weather events such as tropical storms or hurricanes. GCEC employees work hard to restore electric service to members as quickly and safely as possible, but some repairs take a lot of time—especially if debris hinders their work.

During outages that follow severe storms, repairs are made in a sequence that restores service to the greatest number of members in the least amount of time. Working out from the substations, line crews concentrate on repairing the three-phase feeder lines (main lines) leading from the substations first.

The closer a home is to a substation, the sooner power will be restored to that home. Next, the first sets of breakers on a section of line are fixed. Each section is energized before crews move on to the next set of breakers, while gradually working out to the single-phase taps.

To ensure we have your correct information on file, please complete the form below. We will make sure the information on your account is correct so your power can be restored as quickly as possible after an outage. Please return the form with your electric payment or mail it to Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative; Attention Kristin Evans, P.O. Box 8370, Southport, FL 32409. n

Don’t Be Left in the Dark! Make Sure We Have Your Phone Number Our automated power outage reporting system identifies your location and other pertinent information by capturing your phone number when you call to report a problem. If we do not have your current phone number listed in our system, you will be identified as not listed, delaying our response time. Please help us by providing the information below and returning the form to GCEC. Name: Mailing address: Physical address of service location: GCEC account number: Service location phone number: Cell phone number:

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NOVEMBER 2015

Earn $25 Credit for Your Participation H2O Plus, a program available to you from Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, has the potential to dramatically reduce the demand for electricity. But we need your participation.

Using energy wisely has never been easier. A device that allows our power supplier to cycle your unit for short periods is installed on your electric water heater.

By managing energy use when demand is high—when you and your neighbors are using the most electricity—our supplier can reduce demand when electricity is most expensive, putting off the need to build facilities to generate more power, alleviating or postponing those costs. An added benefit is the reduction of greenhouse gases, which helps our environment. You still will have enough hot water for showers and household chores. In fact, you shouldn’t even notice a difference in the amount of hot water available.

For more information, please call GCEC Energy Services Representative Manuela Heyn. She will take your information and, after ensuring the program is a good fit for your household, schedule someone to come to your home and install the device at no cost to you.

For your participation, GCEC will make a one-time $25 credit to your electric bill. We look forward to hearing from you soon. n

H2O

PLUS

Office numbers: Southport—(850) 265-3631

(800) 568-3667 Wewahitchka—(850) 639-2216 (800) 333-9392 Panama City—(850) 481-1188

Home Energy Assistance Programs Available Did you know the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity offers a couple of programs for assistance with home energy needs?

The first is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP helps low-income families with home heating and cooling costs.

The second is the Weatherization Assistance Program. The extent of services provided by WAP is contingent on available funding, but services provided by this program—depending on available funding—include repair or replacement of inefficient heating and cooling units; measures to control air infiltration, including weather stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor wall, ceiling and floor repairs, and window and door replacement; installation of attic and floor insulation; repair or replacement of water heaters; installation of solar screens; application of solar reflective coating to manufactured homes; and installation of attic ventilation.

For more information about these programs, visit www.floridajobs.org or contact the agency for your county at the numbers listed in the chart at right. n

BAY: Bay County Council on Aging Inc., (850) 769-3468 CALHOUN: LIHEAP: Capital Area Community Action Agency Inc., (850) 674-5067 WAP: Calhoun County Board of County Commissioners, (850) 674-2571 GULF: Capital Area Community Action Agency Inc., (850) 229-1717 JACKSON: LIHEAP: Jackson County Senior Citizens Organization Inc., (850) 263-4650 WAP: Community Action Program Committee Inc., (850) 438-4021 WALTON: LIHEAP: Tri-County Community Action Inc., (850) 892-3615 WAP: Community Action Program Committee Inc., (850) 438-4021 WASHINGTON: LIHEAP: Tri-County Community Action Inc., (850) 638-4520 extension 28 WAP: Community Action Program Committee Inc., (850) 438-4021

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Gulf  Coast

A Salute to Our Veterans Thirteen former servicemen are among the trustees and employees of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative

Lonnie Perry, GIS Technician U.S. Army, 1984-1994

Frank Bailey, Line Tech Trainee III U.S. Army, 2008-2012; Army Reserve, 2012-2014

Sid Dykes, Engineering Supervisor National Guard, 1970-1976

Pat Floyd, Attorney U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 1970-1972 6

NOVEMBER 2015

Matt Salvo, AMI Specialist U.S. Navy, 1989-1999

Rupert Brown, Trustee District 3, Group 1 U.S. Naval Intelligence, 1964-1968

Robert Byrd, Trustee District 3, Group 3 U.S. Army Reserve, 1964-1970

Bob Logan, GIS Locator U.S. Navy, 1976-1980

Daniel Gene Hanlon, Custodian U.S. Navy, 1968-1969

Jimmy Black, Trustee District 3, Group 2 U.S. Air Force, 1977-1994

Ralph Jamerson, Supervisor of Military Affairs U.S. Army, 1975-1977

Kinneth Daniels, Trustee District 1, Group 1 U.S. Air Force, 1955-1959

Ken Newsome, Utility Technician U.S. Navy, 1977-1983

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Gulf  Coast

Acknowledging Our Partners at Tyndall Thank you for your dedicated service

Right, an F-16 Fighting Falcon sits on the flightline before morning sorties on Tyndall Air Force Base.

Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker

Below right, members of Team Tyndall stand in formation at last year’s Veterans Day parade in Panama City.

Photo by Airman First Class Dustin Mullen

Above, spectators watch as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds taxi to the runway at the Gulf Coast Salute open house and air show at Tyndall.

Right, F-22 Raptors return to Tyndall after a sixmonth deployment to Southeast Asia. It was the first Tyndall and F-22 Raptor combat deployment.

Photos by Senior Airman Alex Echols

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NOVEMBER 2015

Gulf Coast

Trading Post For Rent Four-bedroom, one-bath, 1,800-sq.-ft. home in Scotts Ferry. Rents monthly. (850) 265-0872 or (850) 674-6409.

Horse barn with five stalls, paddock and about 4 acres of pasture in Wewahitchka, one block from the old courthouse. Lease by the stall, with discount for multiple horses. (740) 334-0341.

For Sale Gated chain link fence dog pen, 6’ height. Can be 10’x10’ or 15’x5’. $270 new; will sell for $100.

Delivery and assembly possible for additional fee. (850) 773-1970.

Classic 1974 Ford Courier truck with 4-speed, 4-cylinder Mazda manual engine, good condition, all matching numbers, etc. Needs a little more engine work to make it run, body repair, repainting and reupholstery. Reduced to $900. (850) 814-4492.

One-pound bag of minced/dehydrated jalapenos, $29, shipping included, or $20 picked up at the farm. (850) 303-1460.

Complete 100-gallon tank with stand. Can be fresh or saltwater. Has ICECAP660 ballast (needs repair), four working VHO light systems, wet/dry filter system, two power pumps and skimmer.

(850) 785-1882.

Local gallberry, tupelo and wildflower honey.

(850) 832-0457 or (850) 628-1361.

Miniature donkeys. Jacks and Jennys, black, brown, gray and paints. All ages. $300 and up.

Make great pets. Also standard donkeys. Betty, (850) 899-7424.

Quarter horses. Ride well on trails, gentle, good for lessons. (850) 773-1957.

1997 SeaDoo Bombardier GT 720. New wheels and tires. Looks and runs great. $1,500 OBO. James, (850) 210-8836.

2001 Coachmen travel trailer. Catalina 366 TBS model. Two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths, two slides, 36’. Needs a little TLC. $4,500. Willing to trade up to $1,200 of the asking price for minor home repair and yard maintenance (must be licensed/insured in Florida). (850) 647-9227.

Pomegranates, figs and lemons. (850) 639-9698.

Trees: pomegranate, 10 varieties of figs, Japanese snowball, dwarf sweet lady finger banana and lemongrass. (850) 639-9698.

Free Tiles of all sizes, loads of them. You haul. Howard Creek. Call for appointment, (850) 827-2943.

Real Estate Home on nice ¾-acre lot with well and septic tank. Home can be lived in as is, but needs some repair. 516 Murphy Road in Howard Creek. $30,000. (334) 797-8020 or (334) 797-8021.

Two-bedroom, two-bath home on 2 acres on a crystal clear lake in the Vernon area. Waterfront gazebo; second building with two garage stalls, shop and partially finished upstairs; 1,900-sq.-ft. pole barn; well house. $185,000. Owner financing available. (850) 797-4559 or (850) 835-5143.

Doublewide mobile home on half-acre lot. New roof, carpet and HVAC unit; fenced backyard; carport; 8’x12’ utility building. $59,900, as is.

(850) 890-0296.

24’x32’ modular home/camp with new interior.

Must be moved. (850) 209-9299. ½-acre corner lot. (850) 639-2220.

Trading Post is a FREE service to members of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative. GCEC reserves the right to edit or reject ads. PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY OR TYPE.

1.5-acre lakefront property in Altha with threebedroom, two-bath mobile home. New metal roof, fireplace, front and back decks, shed and greenhouse. $155,000. (850) 896-3188.

75’ x 135’ lot in Cypress Park in Calhoun County.

Has service pole, septic tank and water. Nice fishing village. (334) 723-6082 or (334) 449-0677.

Very nice, move-in ready 1997 Redmond fourbedroom, two-bath doublewide on a private, half-acre lot (739 Alpine Way, 32404). Many upgrades and beautiful country living 9 miles from Tyndall Parkway shopping. Reduced for cash quick sale. $49,900. (850) 814-4492.

Two-bedroom furnished mobile home in Calhoun County. Cathedral ceilings in living and bedroom; carport, well and septic. $39,000.

(978) 840-1844 or (850) 762-4635.

Three-plus-bedroom, two-bath, 2,022-sq.-ft. waterfront home on Deerpoint Lake. Seawall, dock, boat slip, detached 20’x24’ garage, attached two-car carport and many extras. View photos on forsalebyowner.com. 4909 High Point Drive, Panama City. (850) 814-4001 or (850) 533-6294.

Please leave message if no answer.

FSBO. Two adjacent lots, about 2.5 acres on paved road, 10 miles north of Wewahitchka, 45 minutes from beaches. Borders the Chipola River and Cypress Creek. Cleared and ready to build.

Quiet and peaceful; no neighbors. Deeded restrictions. Underground utilities, deep well and many fruit trees. $69,900. (850) 648-4214.

Two- or three-bedroom cabin. About 1,200 sq. ft. with large screened porch. 150’ on West Arm Creek in Meeks subdivision. (850) 271-9040.

Two-bedroom home on 5 acres in Calhoun County. Frontage on 274; 32’x50’ metal building; two pole barns. $119,000. (850) 896-3633.

Please circle the category that applies: For Rent For Sale Real Estate Free Miscellaneous Trade Wanted

Items:

Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Phone:

Mail your ad to: The Trading Post; Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative; P.O. Box 8370; Southport, FL 32409; return with your electric payment; or email ad information to tradingpost@gcec.com. ** Due to press deadlines, expect up to 60 days from submission for your ad to appear.

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Gulf Coast

Above, Mike Carlton watches Andy Dick perform compressions as part of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Right, Johnny Hutto and Sid Dykes practice operating an automated external defibrillator using a training module and a manikin as employee Bob Logan looks on.

Learning Life-Saving Skills GCEC employees complete recertification training

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NOVEMBER 2015

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is committed to the safety of its employees and members. At least once a month, GCEC employees have safety training.

Recently, all employees were recertified in the operation of an automated external defibrillator, basic first aid skills and CPR. To renew their certifications, all employees attended training classes taught by Lacy Pettis, compliance officer for the cooperative.

Classes are required annually for employees to retain their certifications.

After reviewing written material, employees had to demonstrate they know proper techniques by performing CPR on a manikin. They also had to demonstrate how to properly operate an AED by using a training module with the manikin.

GCEC has invested in 13 AED units.

One is at each office. The remaining units are taken into the field each day.

“We offer this training with the hope that none of our employees actually have to use it,” Lacy said. “However, we all need to be prepared, just in case.” n

Gulf Coast

Trimming for Safety, Reliability Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is required to eliminate hazardous conditions through its right-of-way maintenance program Do you live in the city of Wewahitchka or the Howard Creek area? In November, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative crews will clear trees and plants from rights of way that threaten your access and other members’ access to safe, reliable power.

GCEC has about 2,600 miles of distribution line. If vegetation comes into contact with power lines, it can interfere with your electric service and cause a dangerous situation.

Vegetation must be cleared from power lines to provide reliable electric service and prevent a hazardous condition.

When a person signs up to be a member of the cooperative, there is an agreement between the member and GCEC to allow right-of-way maintenance. The agreement gives GCEC the legal right to remove from the right of way anything that could interfere with safe, reliable electric service for all members.

The co-op realizes most people regard trees as an asset, but if the cooperative’s right-of-way clearance is not maintained, tree limbs and other growth coming into contact with power lines could increase the number of power outages.

GCEC tries to work with landowners to preserve landscaping when maintaining rights of way. However, federal law requires GCEC to eliminate hazardous conditions. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to bring you quality, reliable service. n

Jason Curry

T.J. Davis

Issac Madrid

GCEC Welcomes New Employees

Jacob O’Bryan

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative has hired seven new employees. Line technician apprentices are Jason Curry, T.J. Davis, Issac Madrid and Jacob O’Bryan. Utility technicians are Matthew Fleming, Jay Shiver and Steven Ward. n

Matthew Fleming

Jay Shiver

Steven Ward

Brackin Promoted to Service Foreman Chad Brackin was named service foreman for Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative.

Chad has worked at GCEC since 2000. He previously was lead line technician and crew leader for the overhead, service and underground departments.

A graduate of Chipley High School, Chad completed the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association’s apprentice lineworker program. He is certified in Chad Brackin voltage regulation and TWACS metering, and has metering and switching training.

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NOVEMBER 2015

Light Out? We Need to Know Streetlights make our roadways and sidewalks safer for vehicles and pedestrians. An outdoor light on your property also can provide a sense of security and keep you from fumbling for your keys in the dark. However, these benefits can’t be realized if a light is inoperative. If you know of a malfunctioning outdoor light in our service territory, please let us know so that we can make sure it is repaired. When reporting a light out, please provide: XX

The specific street address where the light is located.

XX

A description of where the light is located on the property.

XX

A description of the nature of the malfunction of the light.

XX

Sufficient contact information, including your name, address, telephone number, GCEC account number and email address so cooperative personnel can contact you with any questions.

We appreciate your help. Safe, reliable service. That’s our promise.

To report an outdoor light that is inoperative or malfunctioning, call: Panama City (850) 481-1188

Southport (850) 265-3631 (800) 568-3667

Wewahitchka (850) 639-2216 (800) 333-9392

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FL-154

Offices 722 West Highway 22 P. O. Box 220 Wewahitchka, FL 32465 (850) 639-2216 or (800) 333-9392

9434 Highway 77 P. O. Box 8370 Southport, FL 32409 (850) 265-3631 or (800) 568-3667 6243 East Highway 98 Panama City, FL 32404 Phone: (850) 481-1188 www.gcec.com

CEO/General Manager Michael E. White

Trustees President Waylon Graham Vice President Jimmy Black Secretary Eddie Jones Treasurer Rupert Brown Doug Birmingham Robert Byrd Gary Cox Kinneth Daniels Betty Moore Trustees normally meet the third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. CST. The board meets at the Wewahitchka office in even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December) and the Southport office in odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September and November).

The mission of GCEC: Fulfilling the changing needs of our membership and communities by providing cost effective, reliable and safe utility services through a dedicated and responsive workforce.

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NOVEMBER 2015

GCEC President’s Message

The Value of Your Co-op Why being a member saves you money There are three main types of electricity providers in the U.S. • Investor-owned utilities, which serve primarily densely populated areas.

• Municipal-owned utilities, which serve densely populated cities and towns, large and small.

• Electric cooperatives, which serve rural areas.

In the utility business, population matters. Since the costs to serve any given area are similar, more customers—or memWaylon Graham bers, in the case of co-ops—means more people to divide costs among, keeping rates lower. At least that is the theory.

Municipal-owned utilities have the greatest density: 48.3 customers per mile of line. IOUs follow with 34 customers per mile of line. Electric cooperatives average 7.4 members per mile of line.

If I were to give this data to any business school in the country and ask—based on this information—what the rates should be for each of the utilities, the answer likely would be that electric co-ops would have a rate 7.5 times greater than municipal-owned utilities and 5 times higher than IOUs. But that is not the case. Why not? It has to do with the business model.

IOUs are owned by outside investors who may or may not be users of the electric utility they own. These companies’ stocks are traded on Wall Street. Investors demand a return on their investment. This drives up the price their customers pay.

Many municipal systems charge rates that generate a “profit” for their cities to help pay for other services.

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative operates on a not-for-profit basis. Of course, we are a business and must generate enough revenue to cover costs—the largest being the purchase of wholesale power. But we do not charge rates to pay outside stockholders.

The benefit of the cooperative business model can be seen by the rates you currently pay. You pay about $123 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed, an average monthly use. This equates to around $4 a day to power your home.

How’s that for value?

Safe, reliable and affordable power: That’s our promise. n

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative offices will be closed November 11 for Veterans Day and November 26-27 for Thanksgiving. We thank our veterans for their service, commitment and heroism. We salute you!