Currents-April 2024

APRIL 2024

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS

INSIDE: OUT ON THE LINES Get a look at how our linemen spend a day on the job.

SNORKEL UP Dive into the Gulf Coast’s best scallop grounds.

AROUND THE COMMUNITY SVEC engages in the county fair, safety demonstrations and more.

CEO’S MESSAGE

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS April 2024

Michael S. McWaters Executive VP/CEO

Up at dawn It’s no secret how hard our linemen work when storms come rolling through. Most of our consumer-members understand that these crews can get a call at any hour to leave their families, brave the conditions that others are taking shelter from and get to work making repairs so you and I can have the electricity we need.

Even when the wind and rain are gone, they’re often called upon to work long hours for days on end replacing broken power poles and miles of fallen lines. These are the moments when our linemen are most visible, and our community always does a great job of showing support for the work they do.

But what about in between the storms? When the emergency repairs are done and the backup crews have left town, our linemen continue to work hard every day to bring our consumer-members the affordable and reliable power they deserve.

Because they do their job so well, there’s a good chance most of us don’t even notice.

Maybe it’s replacing an old pole to stand up to stronger winds during the next storm, while our control room operators reroute power so your service is never interrupted. Or they might be hooking up power for a new co-op member.

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So much of the work our crews do each day is easy to overlook.

But as SVEC celebrates Lineworker Appreciation Day this month, we wanted to give you a glimpse of just one part of the job our linemen do. In this newsletter, you’ll find great photos illustrating the work they do daily, starting before the sun rises and continuing under its full heat.

You can also get a look at some of the ways we've been engaging in the community and some fun upcoming events. SVEC was at the Suwannee County Fair in March, where we were excited to be joined for the first time by our friends at Rapid Fiber Internet.

You can get a look at a safety demonstration we held for local homeschooled students. And, of course, April means it’s time to start thinking about playing in our Suwannee Valley Cornhole Tournament for United Way, which has quickly become a favorite local tradition.

As we celebrate our linemen, I hope you’ll all find your own ways to say thank you. If you see them out at the grocery store, at church or coaching Little League, take a moment to let them know you appreciate all the hard work they do for this cooperative and our community. 

Suwannee Valley Currents is a monthly newsletter published by Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, © 2024. It is distributed without charge to all consumermembers of the cooperative.

WE BELONG TO THOSE WE SERVE Business Office: 800-447-4509 11340 100th St. Live Oak, FL 32060 Lobby Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday Drive-thru Kiosk Open 24 Hours 24/7 Power Outage Reporting 800-752-0025

svec-coop.com facebook.com/sveccoop Instagram.com/sveccoop SVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

On the cover: Jimmy Alexander, left, and Austin Long use a plumb bob to make sure the new pole is straight.

Suwannee Valley Currents

Save when you buy a new standby generator SVEC is a Generac Energy Alliance Partner. That means SVEC consumer-members can purchase Generac whole-house automatic standby generators at special discounted prices.

Extended warranties are also available for 22 kW units — the most frequently purchased size — at discounted prices. Contact the following Generac-certified sales and service partners for more information: Felknor Electric Inc. 386-362-1441 felknorelectric@gmail.com Holly Electric Inc. 386-755-5944 hollyelectricinc@gmail.com Anderson Power Services 229-740-6765 sales@andersonpowerservices.com

Pay your way with Getting a monthly electric bill doesn’t have to cause you stress. With the MyChoice pay-as-you-go plan, you can say goodbye to the monthly bill and pay for electricity when you want, in the amounts you want.

Here’s how it works:

will be closed on observance of Memorial

Pay for electricity you use, when you use it.

Never pay a late charge or disconnect fee.

Track your energy usage last week, last month or last year in the SmartHub app.

Save money learning about your energy habits.

Suwannee Valley Currents

The SVEC office Monday, May 27, in

Get rid of the monthly power bill.

When you switch to MyChoice, your existing security deposit will be put toward paying for your electricity usage.

Start saving today by visiting svecmychoice.com or calling our Member Services Department at 800-447-4509.

MEMORIAL DAY

Powering

Day. The 24-hour outagereporting system will still be available, as will the drive-thru payment kiosk.

Crews will be standing by to restore power if needed.

APRIL 2024 | 3

A day on the Up close with one of SVEC’s line crews

At Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, we know the hard work our linemen put in every day. But when there isn’t a storm or major outage, so much of that work goes unseen. SVEC recognizes Lineworker Appreciation Day every April.

With a few photos, we’re giving you a glimpse at a few parts of a typical day for one of our line crews, starting before dawn and running through the hottest hours of a Florida day.

Line crew foreman Evan Skeen looks over his work orders to plan his day.

PHOTOS BY MARK GILLILAND

Skeen, left, checks in with dispatcher Ricky Mortlock before heading into the field.

Linemen start their day with a pre-dawn bucket check.

4 | APRIL 2024

Suwannee Valley Currents

job A lineman encounters local wildlife.

Linemen get to work installing a new pole.

Jimmy Alexander, left, and Austin Long use a plumb bob to make sure the new pole is straight.

RIGHT: John Shuman keeps an eye on the auger as it bores a hole for the new pole.

BELOW: The crew regroups at the end of the day.

Jimmy Alexander throws a section of the old pole onto the trailer.

Suwannee Valley Currents

APRIL 2024 | 5

Apricot-Cinnamon Coffee Cake INGREDIENTS 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup finely chopped dried apricots 2 ½ cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 2 sticks butter, softened 3 eggs 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla ½ cup sour cream Drizzle: 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoons butter, softened 2-3 tablespoons half-and-half Zest of 1 lemon Generously butter the inside of an angel food cake pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, stir brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts together. Split mixture into halves. In one half, stir in chopped apricots. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until blended.

Safety first

In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar and butter until blended. Add eggs and vanilla until mixture is just incorporated and no lumps appear. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture in two additions until blended. Add sour cream. Batter will be thick.

Spoon half of the cake batter into a cake pan, sprinkle brown sugar-apricot mixture around the top and spoon on the rest of the cake batter. Top with reserved brown sugar-walnut mixture.

For drizzle, mix powdered sugar, vanilla and butter until crumbs form. Add half-and-half to form drizzle consistency.

Drizzle the cake and sprinkle with zest. 

Electricity powers modern life, but it can be dangerous if not handled carefully.

Check back here each month for new tips on how to stay safe around electric power at your home or business.

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Overloaded outlets are a common cause of electrical fires. While adapters and power strips can allow you to plug more devices into a single outlet, it’s important to remember that the outlet’s load limit remains the same.

Only plug a single heat-producing appliance into an outlet at a time.

To learn more about building safe electric habits, click the Outages & Safety tab on the SVEC website, svec-coop.com, and follow us on social media.

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Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 F and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake in its pan on a cooling rack. When cooled, gently loosen the outer edge of the cake with a knife. Invert the pan to remove onto a serving plate.

/sveccoop

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Check outlet covers to make sure they aren’t cracked and cover all the wiring. If an outlet is burnt, buzzing or hot to the touch, call a qualified electrician.

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If you use a power strip, make sure it has an internal circuit breaker to protect your devices and reduce the risk of a fire. 

@sveccoop

@SVEC_COOP_FL

Suwannee Valley Currents

Crystal River’s waters make it a favorite spot for fishing, kayaking and snorkeling with manatees.

Photo courtesy of Visit Florida

Dive into Florida’s Gulf Coast scallop season

When scallop season rolls around on Florida’s Gulf Coast, it’s time to dust off your snorkeling gear and make sure that swimsuit still fits. You’ll find Argopecten irradians scattered throughout the Gulf of Mexico, but places where freshwater rivers flow into the ocean are where the scallops are thickest.

These tasty mollusks need the right mix of salt water and fresh water to survive. If rains are heavy, too much fresh water can flood the bay and wipe out a crop. If the water is too salty, they won’t survive, either.

The state’s prime scallop grounds — Steinhatchee, Homosassa and Crystal River — have the perfect combination of fresh and salt water. If you’re looking to get in on “the hunt,” then you’ll need a boat, mask, snorkel, saltwater fishing license and dive flag. The best time to go is on a slack tide, when the grass blades stand straight up.

Bay scallops, like other types of game, are masters of camouflage. It takes a keen eye and steady hand to find these critters as they hide in the thick beds of eel and turtle grass that flourish in the shallows off the state’s west coast.

Once you spot a scallop, get ready for a chase. These mollusks, unlike Suwannee Valley Currents

Photo courtesy of steinhatchee.com

BY TERRY TOMALIN

their clam and oyster cousins, can swim. By squeezing their shells together, scallops expel a jet of water that rockets them across grass beds.

As you approach the scallop, beware of the bivalve’s bewitching stare. These animals have a row of purple eyes that can mesmerize even veteran scallopers. So don’t be distracted. Many a scalloper has returned home empty-handed because they hesitated at the moment of truth.

When you move, move quickly. You may not get a second chance.

And remember that a scallop may look harmless, but it is a wild animal trying to survive. The scallop’s strong abductor muscle, which provides the delicate meat you seek, can snap the shells shut like a vise. Scallops will pinch, and it doesn’t tickle.

A snorkeler grabs a scallop in the waters of Steinhatchee.

Scallop season along Florida’s Gulf Coast varies by location. It is legal to gather scallops north of the PascoHernando county line (Aripeka) to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County. It’s also legal to land up to two gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or one pint of scallop meat each day during the open season. Recreational scallopers may not have more than 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or a half gallon of meat aboard any boat.

You may catch bay scallops only by hand or with a landing or dip net. They cannot be sold for commercial purposes. For details on Florida seasons, zones and bag limits, visit myfwc.com.  APRIL 2024 | 7

Join us for the Suwannee Valley Cornhole Tournament SVEC IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE SEVENTH ANNUAL SUWANNEE VALLEY CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT. ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE EVENT GO TO UNITED WAY OF SUWANNEE VALLEY.

WHERE?

Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative 11340 100th St., Live Oak

WHEN?

Saturday, May 4 Registration/Check-in: 9-9:45 a.m.

Games start: 10 a.m.

Sign up today at suwanneecornhole.com.

No professional cornhole players, please.

Fair play

Homeschool safety presentation

Manager of Safety and Compliance Craig Ragan presented memorable, and potentially lifesaving, information on electrical safety to a group of home-schooled students in March.

To request a free demonstration for your school, club or organization, email communications@svec-coop.com.

SVEC was proud to once again sponsor the main entertainment stage at the Suwannee County Fair in March. This year, we were joined by representatives of the cooperative’s new subsidiary, Rapid Fiber Internet. We always enjoy meeting our consumermembers and hearing their thoughts on our electric and internet service.

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Suwannee Valley Currents