2017 November Gulf Coast Electric - Florida Currents

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative

N OV E M B E R 2017

A Sweet Wewahitchka Tradition

Brian Bertonneau bought Smiley Honey from founder Donald Smiley in 2012. He has expanded from the trademark tupelo honey to other varieties. Read more on page 5.

PHOTO BY HOLLIE HALLMARK

GCEC Lends a Hand After Hurricane Irma PAGE 4 Get Ready for Youth Tour PAGE 29 n

Gulf Coast

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Tree-Trimming Program Ensures Safety, Reliability Do you live in the Crystal Lake or Fountain areas? Gulf Coast Electric will be clearing rights-of-way in those areas during November.

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-ofway. 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

Inside

November 2017 Vol. 7, No. 1

Living the Dream 10 Jersey boy moves up in the world with purchase of the historic Stetson mansion.

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

Travel Journal 20 Festival Roundup 22 Outdoor Pursuits 24

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

NOVEMBER 2017

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Gulf Coast

GCEC Lends a Hand After Hurricane Irma

The territory served by Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative experienced tropical stormforce winds and outages, but was spared from the worst of Hurricane Irma.

Other electric cooperatives in Florida were not so fortunate. Once power was restored to GCEC members, we stepped in to help.

The effects of Irma passed through our area Monday, September 11. Early September 13, six employDowned poles and water challenged ees left for Talquin Electric power restoration efforts in Glades Electric Cooperative’s service area.

Cooperative.

TEC provides electricity to about 53,000 members in Gadsden, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties. At the height of the storm, Talquin had 32,000 members without power. GCEC worked with TEC and other utility crews removing trees and debris, and repairing lines and equipment. Once most of the service territory was repaired and restored, GCEC employees returned home September 14.

Employees were on the road again September 15, this time to help Glades Electric Cooperative. GEC’s service territory was hit hard, requiring 693 poles to be replaced in two weeks, with employees working 18-hour days. At the height of the storm, 99 percent of Glades’ service territory was without power. Six GCEC employees were there more than a week.

“I am proud of our employees and their hard work,” said GCEC CEO John Bartley. “We were glad to send crews to Talquin and Glades in their time of need. Cooperation Among Cooperatives is what sets us apart from other utilities.” n

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NOVEMBER 2017

Above, Jacob O’Bryan works on lines at Glades Electric Cooperative. Below, GCEC Manager of Operations Andy Dick prays with employees being deployed to Glades. Bottom, crews head out to help a neighboring cooperative.

A Sweet Wewahitchka Tradition Smiley Honey closes in on three decades working with bees

By Hollie Hallmark

Harvesting tupelo honey in Wewahitchka dates back to the 1800s. Donald Smiley, founder of Smiley Honey, credits beekeeper S.S. Alderman with building the area’s reputation for tupelo.

Donald was born and raised in Wewahitchka, but did not begin beekeeping until later in his life.

Once he had a few hives, he was hooked.

“It was like falling in love all over again,” Donald says.

In 1989, he opened Smiley Honey. At the peak of his career, he had more than 1,000 beehives.

In 2012, Donald decided it was time to retire from dayto-day operations.

Brian Bertonneau was at a crossroads when he saw Smiley Honey listed for sale.

He had been a hobbyist beekeeper for several years, and saw Smiley Honey as the perfect opportunity to expand on his love for bees and honey.

After buying the business, Brian expanded the varieties the company offers.

In addition to tupelo, orange blossom and wildflower honey from Florida, Smiley Honey now receives honey in 55-gallon drums— around 650 pounds each— from Oregon, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina,

North Dakota, Spain, Romania and Italy.

These drums of honey are stored in the company’s climate-controlled warehouse in Wewahitchka.

“We bottle and sell thousands and thousands of gallons a year,” Brian says, noting the process of bottling raw honey is relatively simple.

Above, Brian Bertonneau offers a variety of honey A warmer is from Florida, displayed on old beehive boxes. Right, placed on the equipment used during the bottling process. Below, honey is stored in a climate-controlled warehouse. bottom of a 55-gallon barrel to slowly heat the honey. The flavors you get from different honey must be warm to move flowering plants,” he says. n through bottling equipment.

For more information, visit www.

The honey is pumped from smileyhoney.com or stop by the warehouse at 163 Bozeman the barrel through a strainer Circle in Wewahitchka. Hours are that pulls out beeswax and Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to other particles, and then into 3 p.m. Please call (850) 639-5672 before stopping by, since they somea stainless steel bottling tank. times are out delivering honey or From there, it is put in bottles visiting other beekeepers. and labeled.

Smiley Honey is most famous for the delicious tupelo honey harvested in the Florida Panhandle each May. But Smiley also offers other varieties, including acacia, blackberry citrus, clover, holly, linden, orange blossom, sage, thyme and wildflower.

Brian hopes to add varieties.

“I enjoy the many varieties of honey and the unique NOVEMBER 2017

5

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 2017

Fall Back on November 5 Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before retiring for the night Saturday, November 4.

At 2 a.m. Sunday, November 5, daylight saving time ends, and the time will revert 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 revisited the idea, was it taken into consideration.

Germany was the first to adopt the time change, 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

NOVEMBER 2017

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Attention, High School Seniors!

Are you a college- or trade school-bound high school senior, or do you have a dependent who fits this description? Could you use help with the costs of furthering your education?

In 2018, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative will disperse $10,000 in scholarship funds to deserving high school seniors. To apply for one of the $1,000 scholarships, you must be an active member or a dependent of an active member of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative.

Completed applications, along with an essay of no more than 500 words and two letters of reference are due to your high school guidance department or organization representative no later than Friday, January 26, 2018. Winners will be announced in February.

Applications are available in the guidance department of the following high schools: Bay County XX A. Crawford Mosley High School XX Bay High School XX Deane Bozeman School XX Rutherford High School Calhoun County XX Altha Public School XX Blountstown High School Gulf County XX Port St. Joe High School XX Wewahitchka High School Washington County XX Chipley High School XX Vernon High School

For more information, call (800) 568-3667, email kevans@gcec.com or see your high school guidance counselor.

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NOVEMBER 2017

Gulf Coast

Trading Post For Rent 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.

Room for rent. Full house and yard privileges.

Must have job and transportation. $100 a week or $350 a month. $200 deposit. (850) 257-1972.

For Sale Cosco padded folding chairs. Gray, set of four. $50. (850) 866-0321.

Goulds JRD10 1 horsepower pump with jet and well adapter with two pumps, $400. Woodchuck floor plate with four bolts and gib bolts, $100.

Set of four very sharp 12” chipper blades for Woodchuck drum chipper and Asplundh blades, $50 for the set. (850) 722-6004.

1991 Pontiac four-door with lots of new parts.

Runs with excellent body work (all new emblems). $700 OBO. (850) 257-1972.

Table stand for 40” TV or bigger. Black wood grain. 24” high, 45” x 21” oval. Middle shelf is glass. $75. (850) 866-0321.

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.

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative offices will be closed Friday, November 10, in observance of Veterans Day and again Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24, in observance of Thanksgiving.

We thank our veterans for their service, commitment and heroism. For all of this and more, we salute you!

Miscellaneous Greenhead turkey shoot every Friday at 6 p.m. through January 19. 5725 Highway 77. (850) 249-8765.

Real Estate Three-bedroom, two-bath 1,850-sq.-ft. A-frame on 10 acres at Compass Lake. Custom-built, fenced, amenities included. (850) 693-0907.

Three lots at Scotts Ferry. One is on the water with a boat launch. Two have camp house with one bedroom, one bath, kitchen, living room and front porch with screen. $50,000 for all.

(850) 871-4524.

Three-bedroom, one-bath 888-sq.-ft. home on two lots at 1234 7th St. in Southport. $49,500.

(317) 254-1984.

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. ½-acre corner lot. (850) 639-2220.

Three 10-acre parcels or full 30 acres on Doriece Road in Bay County. 10 acres are on Bear Pond.

All are on county-maintained road. Owner will finance with 20 percent down. (850) 265-0872 or (850) 866-2057.

2,700-sq.-ft. heated and cooled brick home on 100’ x 170’ lot in Scotts Ferry on the Chipola River. One bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and living room downstairs; two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen and living room upstairs. Also has 20’ x 24’ garage, 8’ x 36’ glass sunporch and fireplace. Fenced side yard. $147,000. (850) 9336150. Email patti_m_@hotmail.com for photos.

10 adjoining 40’ x 100’ cleared lots, 35 miles to Panama City Marina, ½ mile off 231. $8,000 for all 10. (850) 303-1460.

Five acres with septic tank and 4-inch well shaft in Washington County, near Singer Road in Bay County. $33,500. Owner will finance with 20 percent down. (850) 265-0872 or (850) 866-2057.

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. Please circle the category that applies:

For Rent

For Sale

Real Estate

Free

Miscellaneous

Trade

Wanted

Items:

Name:

Phone:

Address:

City/zip:

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, please expect up to 60 days from submission for your advertisement to appear.

NOVEMBER 2017

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Gulf Coast

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

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NOVEMBER 2017

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

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

Gulf Coast

Cooperative Announces Staffing Changes One employee joins GCEC ranks; one moves to new post

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is proud to announce the addition of an employee to its staff, and the transfer of one of its employees.

Ashley Watkins has joined the cooperative as cashier/receptionist in the Southport office.

Ashley comes to the cooperative with 11 years of experience working for Comcast.

Angie Morris has moved to the secretary position in the Wewahitchka office.

Angie has worked at the cooperative for 10 years in the positions of cashier/receptionist and member service representative. She has an associate degree and worked in banking before becoming a GCEC employee. She also has completed the nationally recognized Continuum Customer Service Training program. n

Ashley Watkins

Angie Morris

Callaway Historical Society

Heritage Day Festival Saturday, November 4  10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Callaway Historical Society  522 Beulah Ave.

Events geared for the entire family!

Historical items Old tractors Western show Live music Food Kids’ zone Live marine display Model boats An old one-room schoolhouse and two museums will be open to the public.

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NOVEMBER 2017

The 3rd annual Carter Craft Boat Show is featured during the Heritage Day Festival.

Be part of the group that tours sites in Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas during a weeklong trip to the nation’s capital in June with high school students from across Florida. Here, 2017 Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative representatives Savannah Gardner, far right, and Savanah Parker, fourth from the right, have some fun at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

Get Ready for Youth Tour 2018 Attention, high school juniors. Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is recruiting students for the 2018 Washington Youth Tour competition.

High school juniors whose parents are members of the cooperative are eligible to participate.

Each student nominated for the competition wins a T-shirt and a two-day trip to Tallahassee to tour the state capital. Applicants participate in a 10-minute interview with three judges, who choose two students to travel on the all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June.

After the judging, students and their families are invited to a banquet, where the winners are revealed.

Applications are available from the high schools and civic organizations listed at right.

For more information, see your guidance counselor, or contact GCEC at (800) 568-3667 ext. 3002 or kevans@gcec.com. n

Civic Organizations hh Blountstown Woman’s Club hh Dalkeith Volunteer Fire Department

hh Wewahitchka Search and Rescue hh Wewahitchka Volunteer Fire Department hh Wewahitchka Woman’s Club

hh Ebro Volunteer Fire Department

hh White City Volunteer Fire Department

hh Greenhead Volunteer Fire Department

High Schools

hh Howard Creek Volunteer Fire Department

hh A. Crawford Mosley High School

hh Kinard Volunteer Fire Department

hh Altha Public School

hh Mossy Pond Volunteer Fire Department

hh Blountstown High School

hh Overstreet Volunteer Fire Department

hh Chipley High School

hh Sand Hills Volunteer Fire Department

hh Deane Bozeman School

hh Scotts Ferry Volunteer Fire Department

hh Port St. Joe High School

hh Stone Mill Creek Volunteer Fire Department

hh Rutherford High School

hh Wetappo Creek Volunteer Fire Department

hh Vernon High School

hh Wewahitchka Ambulance Service

hh Wewahitchka High School

NOVEMBER 2017

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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 John Bartley

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 2017

GCEC President’s Message

Watch Out for Scams

Unfortunately, in today’s world, scams are inevitable. Scammers threaten you with everything from legal action involving the IRS to turning off power to your home.

Utility scams often involve an individual or group posing as an employee of your electric cooperative. The scammer may use threatening language to frighten you into offering your credit card or bank account information.

Don’t fall victim to these types of scams. Understand the threats posed and your best course of action.

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative does conduct reminder Waylon Graham courtesy calls to members who are going to have their power disconnected due to nonpayment. However, exercise caution when giving out payment information by phone. If you have doubts you are speaking to a GCEC employee, get as much information as you can from the caller, hang up and call our office. Our employees will not be demanding, use threats or pressure you into giving them your bank account number if you are not comfortable doing so. We will never ask you to load a prepaid credit or debit card, such as a Green Dot card.

If someone comes to your home claiming to be an employee of GCEC, call us to verify that they are, in fact, an employee. None of our employees collect payments in the field.

Other types of scams consumers should watch out for include: • Government agencies such as the IRS will never call to inform you that you have unpaid taxes or other liens against you. You will always receive this type of information in the mail. If someone calls claiming to be the IRS, hang up immediately.

• If you receive an email from an unknown sender, an email riddled with spelling errors and typos, or an email threatening action unless money is paid, do not click any links provided within the email, and do not respond to the email. Simply delete the email, or send it to your spam folder. Again, our employees may send an email to members who face disconnect of their service due to nonpayment. However, we only use email regarding payment on an account when we do not have a correct telephone number for the member.

• If someone calls your home claiming to have discovered a virus on your computer, hang up. The caller’s intent is to access personal information you may keep on your computer.

GCEC wants to make sure you avoid all types of scams that could put you or your financial information in jeopardy. If you have any questions or would like more information about how you can protect yourself from scammers, call us.