February 2022

A newsletter for members of Rural Electric Cooperative

February 2022

Co-op Comments Tree giveaway set for February 19 Having over 3,000 miles of electric distribution lines, clearing trees for Rural Electric Cooperative is an on-going project. One of the ways REC can provide reliable, affordable electric power is through its right-of-way clearing program which includes pruning, removals and chemical control. In addition to removing trees, REC crews also prune new growth during their daily routines.

REC’s tree giveaway program helps replace trees the Cooperative must remove from under its power lines. These trees are provided to the members as a way for the Cooperative to help replace one of our natural resources.

Rural Electric Cooperative’s annual tree giveaway for its members will be held Saturday, February 19 beginning at 8 a.m.

Employees of REC will be in Lindsay, Elmore City, Maysville and Rush Springs to give members trees during the Cooperative’s Operation Tree Planting/Replacement Program. Each member will each receive up to ten trees.

Employees of the Cooperative will be at the Walmart parking lot in Lindsay, located at the junction of Highways 19 and 76; in front of the Town of Rush Springs City Hall/Police Department in Rush Springs, located at 301 W. Blakely Street; the parking lot

of Worth Every Bite in Maysville, located at 314 6th Street and the parking area of Speedy G’s in Elmore City, located at 22964 Highway 29. 1835400 The types of trees available are Loblolly Pine and Nuttall Oak. Loblolly Pines are one of the most common pine trees. This North American native has dark green needles with narrow, redbrown pinecones about three to six inches long. These trees grow to be about 60’ to 90’ tall and have a spread of 25’ to 35’ wide once they reach maturity.

Nuttall Oak is one of the most well-adapted oaks for landscape use. This oak variety grows quickly and develops a good branching structure. They provide fall color changes from yellow to orange to red and tolerate a wide range of soil conditions and produce acorns. These trees grow to be 40’ to 60’ tall and have a spread of 35’ to 50’ wide.

The Cooperative requests members to not plant trees any closer than 30 feet of our electric power lines. This will allow the trees to mature without requiring trimming or removal in the future.

Members should contact our office for additional information.

CEO’s MESSAGE

Five reasons we love serving our members

February may be the shortest month, but it is packed with special observances like Presidents’ Day, Black History Month and Valentine’s Day. They all have something in common. They were created to draw attention to a particular issue or theme.

Valentine’s Day may seem like an observance originally created by a greeting card company, but over time, it has become a widely celebrated day generating millions of dollars spent on flowers, candy and of course, greeting cards professing our love.

It is also the perfect time to let our friends, family, co-workers and other special people in our lives know we care about them––with or without a store-bought greeting card.

So we have created our list of top five reasons why we love serving you, the members of Rural Electric.

1. We love serving our members because without you, the Co-op would not exist. Our purpose is to provide you with reliable, responsible and safe electricity.

Simply put, REC exists to serve you. We were formed in 1938––to bring power 2 Co-op Comments

to our local area when for-profit utilities would not.

2. You enable us to complete our mission by supporting our efforts to give back. A major part of our mission is to serve our community and look after the greater good. With your assistance, we are able to help the most vulnerable members with our Operation RoundUp program.

3. Members of our Co-op also serve on the Board of Trustees. They provide guidance for setting Co-op priorities and helping make big decisions. Our Board Members live in the area, they are able to serve as the pulse of the larger community and identify immediate and long-term needs. The broader Co-op membership provides helpful input through their vote on Board elections and by weighing in on Co-op and community issues.

4. You help us get it right. REC members are great about keeping us in the know. We do our best to avoid power outages, but Mother Nature can occasionally throw us a curve ball; our members are quick to report any power disruptions and are patient as our crews work to safely restore power.

We know outages are frustrating, and your support as we work through storms means so much to our employees. Your opinions are critical for the Co-op’s success, and we thank you for sharing.

5. You and other REC members make up the community we serve––and for us, it is all about community. Our employees live and work here too and care about our community the same way you do. We are invested and work to help it thrive.

As a Co-op, our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community and look after its long-term interests. We love serving our members and our local communities and just like you, want to see it continue to thrive.

February 2022 Co-op Comments Official publication of Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. CO-OP COMMENTS is owned, controlled and directed by Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. It is printed monthly and mailed to members in Garvin, McClain, Comanche, Stephens, Grady and Carter counties in Oklahoma.

Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. 13942 Highway 76 • P.O. Box 609 Lindsay, OK 73052 405-756-3104 • 800-259-3504 Outage Number: 855-399-2683 www.recok.coop

Board of Trustees Gary Jones, President, District 1 Scott Christian, Vice President, District 1 Brent Bacon, Sec./Treasurer, District 1 Larry Anderson, District 2 Johnny Harrel, District 2 Terri Hays, District 2 Charles Crawford, District 3 Mark Finch, District 3 Randy Griswold, District 3 Dan Williams, Attorney Management and Staff Dusty Ricks, Manager/CEO Linda Ray, CFO Kelli Lindsey, Administrative Assistant and Staff Coordinator Elaine Gilreath, Manager of Customer Service and Data Processing Jon Jones, Manager of Engineering Mitch Gilreath, Manager of Information Technology Services Megan Lawrence, Manager of Member Services and Marketing Jason Brown, Manager of Safety and Loss Control/Facilities David Crull, System Superintendent Jason Mays, Operations Superintendent

REC recognizes two employees for Employees of the Year Every year REC recognizes employees who exceed in their defined job description, achieve outstanding results in certain areas and demonstrate loyalty to the Cooperative. Since 1994, REC has honored these employees as its Employees of the Year.

Beginning in 2010, REC started recognizing two employees – one from Administration and one from Operations.

For 2021, Carli Milsap was named the 2021 Administrative Employee of the Year.

She started in October of 2018. Currently, Milsap is a Customer Service Representative. Since she started, Milsap was quick to learn and help anywhere she could.

School and lives in Lindsay with her husband Ryan and their two children Blakely and Braxton.

"I was completely shocked to be named Employee of the Year," says Milsap. "I did not expect it at all. While surprised, I am honored to have been selected."

REC's 2021 Operations Employee of the Year was Brandon McCaskill. McCaskill started in April of 2017 as a Line Worker.

He is no stranger to assisting anyone from REC's membership to fellow employees.

McCaskill volunteers during times of natural disasters and trusted to lead a crew in the absence of a supervisor. He puts the safety of others before his own. He takes pride in his work and doing a job to the best of his ability.

He graduated from Maysville High School and he and his wife Kortney still live around the Maysville area. They have two children - Wyatt and Raelee.

"To be named the Employee of the Year is a great honor," says McCaskill. "I am grateful to be recognized for my work and this opportunity."

Brandon McCaskill

Inspect tools before starting yard work

Carli Milsap Milsap is a dedicated, loyal employee who always has a smile on her face. She has adapted to the many challenges from over the past year and willing to assist in other departments whenever she can.

She graduated from Lindsay High

Can you not wait to get outdoors to start sprucing up your yard for spring?

Take a few minutes before you power up your lawn tools to make sure they are in good shape for the season ahead.

Here are some tips for spring cleaning your power tools.

Dust them off. Even if you store your tools in a cabinet over the winter, they could get dusty. Even if you cleaned them before you put them away for the season, you might find some residual grime and dirt on blades and filters. Use a damp cloth to wipe down all moving parts.

Inspect for rust. Older tools are prone

to rusting. Use steel wool to gently rub rust from metal parts. For tough spots, use a degreaser, and then spray the moving parts with a corrosion protector/lubricant.

Do a test run. Before you start trimming hedges or mowing your lawn, turn your tool on to learn if it is operating properly. Odd noises, dull blades, loose bolts and frayed wires are warning signs your tool needs repairing or replacing.

Working with damaged or malfunctioning tools can cause injuries. Keep yourself and your family safe by inspecting, repairing and replacing tools so your beautiful spring does not turn into a disaster.

Co-op Comments 3

Classified Advertisement MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE: Wheelchair, $280.

PH: 405-351-0878.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE: 3 bed, 2 bath double-wide mobile home on 2.6 acres with large shop,

enclosed deck on the front, open deck on back, two storage buildings, $140,000.

PH: 405-207-7135

Classified Ads are FREE to REC members to post noncommercial items. Deadline for ads is the 8th of every month.

Call the Member Services Dept. at 405-756-3104 ext. 238.

Account number worth $10 bill credit Locate your account number in an article of this issue; it will be good for a $10 credit on your electric bill.

To claim the prize, you must locate the account number - if the number is yours, contact REC by the 10th of the month and we will credit your account. Only the member assigned that number is eligible for the prize. If you don’t know your account number, it can be located on your electric bill.

Co-op Connections Use your Co-op Connections Card to save you money on lodging, photographs, oil changes and other items. You can also save on prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, lab work and imaging and chiropractor services at participating locations.

Your card is a discount card. If you have misplaced your card, contact REC for a replacement card and use it to save yourself some money.

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month About 30 percent of a home’s heating energy is lost through inefficient windows. Caulk and weatherstrip windows to seal air leaks. When running your home heating system, lock all operable windows to ensure the tightest seal possible.

Learn more at www.energy.gov.

Local Co-op Connection Card Deals A-U-Store It, Purcell $5 off first month rent Backroads Boutique, Lindsay 5% off everything excluding special order and sale items Best Western, Chickasha 15% Off Regular Room Rate Blue Moose Outdoor Portable Rentals, Elmore City 5% Off Septic Tank Pumping, Tent Rental and Special Event Toilet Rentals

Chickasha Diesel Services, Chickasha $50 off any big diesel oil change Edwards Canvas, Pauls Valley - 5% Off Jenny’s Pics Photography, Lindsay 10% Off $50 or More Purchase of Pictures Lindsay Tire and Lube, Lindsay $5 Off Any Full Service Oil Change M &M Furniture, Chickasha 10% Off Any Purchase Mazzio’s Italian Eatery, Purcell 10% Off Purchase Photos by Ginger, Pauls Valley 1 Free 8x10 Print With First Order of $25 Pharmacy Discounts Check out the discounts available using your Co-op Connections Card at participating pharmacies throughout our area. For a complete list of pharmacies, visit REC’s website to see if your pharmacy is offering discounts to Co-op Connections Card holders.

Co-op Comments 4