Currents-January 2023

JANUARY 2023

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS

INSIDE: BLAZING A TRAIL SVEC’s right-of-way crews keep the lines clear to bring you reliable service.

TARPON SPRINGS Explore Florida’s Sponge Docks and one of the oldest tourist attractions in the state.

SEASON’S GREETINGS See the winners and designs of SVEC’s 2022 Christmas card contest.

CEO’S MESSAGE

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS January 2023

Suwannee Valley Currents is a monthly newsletter published by Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, © 2023. It is distributed without charge to all consumermembers of the cooperative.

Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

From plan to practice One of the best things about kicking off a new year is thinking about all the potential of the months to come. We make resolutions for all the personal and professional milestones we want to reach and the new activities we want to try. And, if we really want to follow through, we start considering how we can accomplish that.

Getting on that path takes a lot of planning and the ability to see what problems might wait ahead so we can minimize them. It’s no different for us at Suwannee Valley Electric as we look forward to an exciting year for our cooperative.

Not only are we continuing to find new ways to bring you the affordable and reliable electric service you need, but in 2023 we will take some major steps toward bringing high-speed fiber internet to our members. That means it’s also time to start considering some of the ways we’ll need to prepare our system for this new milestone.

That’s why, in this month’s newsletter, we wanted to take a look at how your cooperative manages vegetation in rights of way. If you’re not familiar with the term, right of way simply refers to SVEC’s right to keep the areas around our electric lines and equipment clear to reduce the chance that debris like falling tree branches will knock out your service.

As you’ll see, maintaining rights of way requires diligent work on a daily basis and the foresight to plan years in advance. After all, keeping thousands of miles of line clear is no small task. It takes the combined efforts of our own crews along with contracted help. And, while it can be painful to see our favorite greenery get trimmed back, those efforts keep the lights on for all of us.

Hanging new fiber cable on our existing power lines means our right-of-way crews will have even more work. You can read more about how the new fiber will impact the space around SVEC lines and what you should keep in mind when planting new trees and shrubs to make sure our new fiber service is just as reliable as our electric service.

It’s just one more way we’re thinking about the long-term success of this cooperative for our members. While other utilities might put an emphasis on short-term profits or shareholder dividends, SVEC is part of this community.

And as such, we want to do everything we can to help it thrive tomorrow and for years to come.

So as we settle into this new year, I’d like to wish all of you good luck on your own resolutions and plans for the months ahead. We’ll be here making sure you have the service you need to make them a reality. 

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 @SVEC_COOP_FL Instagram.com/sveccoop SVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

On the cover:

The SVEC office will be closed on Monday, FEB. 20, for Presidents Day and an annual employee training day. The 24-hour outage reporting system will still be available, as well as the drive-thru payment kiosk.

Crews will be standing by to restore power if needed.

2 | January 2023

WE BELONG TO THOSE WE SERVE

SVEC’s right of way crewmen manage vegetation to help prevent outages from occurring due to contact with power lines.

See story, Page 4.

Suwannee Valley Currents

DON’T GET LEFT IN THE DARK Register medical necessities with SVEC SVEC recognizes that many of our members have unique needs. In some cases, they may be immobile or reliant on medical equipment or oxygen. It is important for members with medical needs who are dependent on electricity to register with SVEC so we

can notify you of planned or extended outages. You should also keep the information SVEC has on file for you current. To update your information, please visit our office or download the Medical Necessity Form at svec-coop.com/member-services/medical-necessity.

Register with County Emergency Management The Florida Division of Emergency Management allows citizens with special needs to register with their county emergency management agency.

Information submitted to the register will only be used for planning and, if necessary, to provide emergency or disaster services. Residents of all Florida COLUMBIA COUNTY: 263 NW Lake City Ave. Lake City, FL 32055 386-758-1383

HAMILTON COUNTY: 1133 U.S. Highway 41 NW Suite 1 Jasper, FL 32052 386-792-6647

counties can register using the online Florida Special Needs Registry: snr.flhealthresponse.com Residents of Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette and Suwannee counties can also request a special needs registration form by visiting or calling their county’s emergency management office.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY: 194 SW Virginia Circle Mayo, FL 32066 386-294-1950

SUWANNEE COUNTY: 617 Ontario Ave. SW Live Oak, FL 32064 386-364-3405

2022 Operation Round Up® report Members raise more than $100,000 for schools Operation Round Up continues to make a difference for our local students. By rounding up electric bills and making an average monthly donation of just 50 cents, members like you contributed $105,821 last year to give local teachers some valuable tools for teaching our kids.

P

2022

Funds collected:

$105,821

Grants approved:

199, worth $104,152

Funds collected:

P

$421,336

Grants approved:

812, worth $416,329

Suwannee Valley Currents

Life of Program January 2022 | 3

A CUT ABOVE How SVEC crews clear a path to reliable service One of the defining features of the Suwannee Valley is its natural beauty.

The nearby city of Live Oak is even named for the distinctive trees so common in the area.

Like many of our members, those oaks have deep roots. They’ve given their sturdy wood to ships as far back as the decades after the American Revolution and continue to provide food and shelter to local wildlife today.

But while trees such as these are beautiful, they’re also the primary cause of electric outages on the Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative system. About 80% of all outages are caused by limbs and branches coming in contact with, or falling on, power lines.

“Trees are the leading cause of our power outages, and we live in a treerich environment. They grow all year 4 | January 2023

long, and they also die,” says Leslie Laffoon, SVEC’s right-of-way supervisor. “We continually move throughout our system, cutting back the dead ones and what we call ‘hazard trees’ near power lines to reduce outages.”

Right of way refers to the stretches of land underneath and around power lines. As an electric utility, SVEC has the right and responsibility to keep that area well-maintained and clear of any growth that could interfere with power lines and other equipment.

Not only is having an effective right of way program important to providing reliable electric service, but it also helps keep cooperative members safe. SVEC power lines can carry up to 25,000 volts of electricity. A tree that touches a line can become energized, which is extremely dangerous — even deadly.

That’s why SVEC works hard to maintain 15 feet of clearance on either side of power lines, ensuring that members’ families are safe and reducing the likelihood of branches causing an outage when winds and rain pick up.

“You can’t do much about the major storms, but our goal is to reduce the day-to-day outages that might occur by maintaining the right of way,” Laffoon says.

Trailblazing

With over 4,000 miles of line to cover, SVEC alone does not have the manpower to control tree growth across its entire system. That’s why the cooperative partners with contractors, such as Bryant Tree Service, to check each section of line on a regular cycle.

Suwannee Valley Currents

Currently, the cycle takes about three and a half years to cover the entire system. But Laffoon and his team are working to bring it down to three years.

“We’ve taken a pretty aggressive approach,” he says. “It’s really helping, and we’re getting better and better every year. We’re hoping that over the next few years we’ll continue to see a significant reduction in the number of outages our members experience.”

Wherever possible, contract crews clear the space above and below power lines. These “ground to sky” clearances mean no vegetation is left to grow up under the lines and no branches are left to hang over them. While it’s not always possible to achieve that goal, leaving as few branches as possible helps prevent falling ones from interrupting electric service.

As contract crews handle the cyclical clearing, SVEC employees take care of day-to-day calls from members. Those calls can include dead or dangerous trees that appear at risk of falling on an electric line.

An SVEC crew will cut down a tree only if is endangering cooperative equipment. If a tree needs trimming only to prevent damage to a member’s personal property, the cooperative can recommend a tree service handle the job.

“If someone tells us they see a tree that’s about to tear down a line, we go in and cut it,” says Laffoon. “We have more than 4,000 miles of line, so we can’t see everything. It helps for people to call in what they see.”

Clearing the way

While right-of-way crews are a vital part of keeping the lights on, they are not lineworkers with the equipment needed to restore power. Rather, when members see them clearing debris around a broken pole after a major storm, they should think of the right-of-way crews as setting the stage for the people who will complete repairs.

“Sometimes you’ll have a tree that a right-of-way crew has to remove before the linemen can get to work,” Suwannee Valley Currents

says Laffoon. “That could take a couple of hours to clean up while the linemen are getting somebody else’s lights on.”

In addition to clearing large debris, right-of-way crews are careful to mow a work area and remove any smaller roots and branches that could slow down work or even lead to injury for lineworkers.

“We try to keep a clean work environment for them,” Laffoon says. “It can be aggravating or even dangerous to have a broken pole and be tripping over fallen trees when trying to construct a new line or restore power.”

It’s a challenging job, and one that isn’t always met with enthusiasm from members unhappy to see their trees or plants trimmed away from power lines. But Laffoon tries to help members understand that a tree growing near cooperative equipment might not only pose a risk to their own electric service, but also to hundreds of their neighbors.

“If someone is on a little tap line by themselves and they don’t want us to cut a tree that won’t affect anyone else, we might make an exception,” he says. “But if they’re on a main line and a branch falls on it, many more people could lose power if we haven’t trimmed it.”

Ultimately, a proactive right-of-way program is one of the most important parts of providing reliable electric service to all SVEC members. And as the cooperative begins to construct its fiber network, it will also be

key to maintaining a reliable internet connection.

“Starting this year, people may notice crews working to create the required 8-foot minimum clearance below the fiber optic cables that will be installed under our power lines,” says Laffoon. “Any shrubs and small trees growing close to our lines may have to be trimmed lower than usual to keep them from interfering with the cable.”

Members should keep safety in mind and never try to trim a tree in the right-of-way zone on their own. If you would like help trimming or removing trees near a power line, please contact SVEC. Or, if you see a tree in contact with a power line, stay away and notify the cooperative by calling 800-447-4509. 

January 2023 | 5

Air fryer egg rolls 1 1/2 4 cups 1/2 cup 1/4 teaspoon 2 3 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons 1/2 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon 1/8 teaspoon 12 1 tablespoon

tablespoon sesame oil pound ground pork or ground chicken coleslaw mix matchstick-cut carrots ground ginger garlic cloves, minced green onions, sliced soy sauce rice or white vinegar ground black pepper kosher salt Chinese five-spice seasoning egg roll wrappers olive oil Nonstick cooking spray Sweet chili sauce, duck sauce or hot mustard sauce, for dipping

bright ideas

When you save energy, you save money.

Check back here each month for new ways to make your home or business more energy-efficient.

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork and cook until crumbled and cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Add the coleslaw mix, carrots, ginger and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes or until the cabbage has wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, salt and five-spice seasoning. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.

Place 1 egg roll wrapper flat on a work surface with the points of the wrapper facing up and down, like a diamond. Place about 1/3 cup of the pork/chicken mixture in the middle of the wrapper. Dip your fingers in water and dampen the edges of the wrapper. Fold the left and then right points of the wrapper in toward the center.

Fold the bottom point over the center just like you would a burrito, rolling the wrapper toward the remaining point to form a tight cylinder. Press edges to seal. Place on a plate and cover with a dry towel. Repeat the process with remaining wrappers and pork/ chicken mixture.

©Adobe Stock

Preheat the air fryer to 375 F and spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Brush the tops of the egg rolls with olive oil.

Working in batches, place the egg rolls in the basket and cook 7 minutes. Flip the egg rolls over and brush with more oil. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Keep your home cozy with proper insulation Just like you might wrap up in a blanket to stay snug on a cool evening, properly insulating your home keeps the warmth you want inside while keeping the cold out. During hotter months, it can also keep your home cool, without you ever having to touch the thermostat. Severe weather or water damage can impact your insulation’s life span. If your home is feeling drafty, it may be time to get the insulation replaced. Filling any noticeable gaps with weatherstripping or caulk can also help you stay comfortable for less money.  For more energy saving tips, the latest cooperative news and more, follow SVEC at: facebook.com/sveccoop instagram.com/sveccoop twitter.com/SVEC_COOP

6 | January 2023

Suwannee Valley Currents

Discover the Sponge Docks

By Visit Florida staff

— of Tarpon Springs —

For years Tarpon Springs ruled as the Sponge Capital of the World. At Spongeorama and The Sponge Factory, both located on Dodecanese Boulevard, you can watch a free movie about sponging history.

Sponges are the skeletons of small sea creatures, brought up by hand from the ocean bottom. In the late 1800s, spongers working the Florida Straits and Gulf of Mexico came from Cuba, The Bahamas or Key West. Using small boats, one man rowed while another looked into the water with a glass-bottomed bucket. When he spotted a sponge, he'd hook it with a long pole.

On June 18, 1905, a diver was lowered into the water and walked for the first time on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, trailing oxygen bubbles and carrying a short rake to hook sponges. To those in the small hooker boats bobbing on the water's surface, mechanized diving must have seemed like an alien invasion.

In 1908 the Sponge Exchange started as a storage and auction site for sponges. Sponges are still sold there and at new specialty stores and boutiques. Bring a camera to take a picture of friends next to a replica of a great white shark.

What may be the oldest tourist attraction on the west coast of Florida is near the Sponge Exchange. George Billiris, owner of St. Nicholas Boat Lines, said his father, Michael Billiris, started giving boat rides in 1924 to tourists during January and February when rich winter visitors were in residence.

Today, the Anclote River along the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs churns with possibilities for boat rides. St. Nicholas Boat Line continues the family tradition, going out daily for half-hour cruises with a demonstration of traditional Tarpon Springs sponge diving.

Tarpon Springs has the largest Epiphany celebration in Suwannee Valley Currents

the United States. You can admire a statue of a boy holding up the cross in a courtyard next to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Pinellas Avenue. The church was built as a replica of St. Sophia in Constantinople. Open to visitors, it has 23 stained glass windows of amazing beauty.

A city trolley goes back and forth between downtown and the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs. Both parts of town are meant for walking. Parking lots are numerous, and all-day parking is less than $5.

Train buffs will want to visit the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot built in 1909 on Tarpon Avenue. The old railroad line has a new use as the Pinellas Trail, 38 miles of paved trail running from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs and used by walkers and bicyclists. 

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

January 2023 | 7

Festive designs Congratulations to our 2022 Christmas Card Contest winners! Their designs were mailed all across the U.S., including to legislators in Florida and Washington, D.C! Each winning student received an art gift and their teachers received $100 toward classroom supplies.

Branford Elementary School winner Adalyn Meherg with Principal Deidre McManaway

Hamilton Elementary School winner Avery Tanzosh

Lafayette Elementary School winner Emily Cardona

Suwannee Pineview Elementary School winner Camryn Carter

Suwannee Riverside Elementary School winner Adelmary Jeronimo with her art teacher, Michelle Jessup

Suwannee Springcrest Elementary School winner Lillian Pellicer with her teacher, Natalie Haney

8 | January 2023

Suwannee Valley Currents