Currents-July 2023

JULY 2023

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS

INSIDE: HEAVY LIFTING Learn about the vehicles that help lineworkers do their jobs.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Experience the beauty of Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

AROUND THE COMMUNITY Congratulations to SVEC’s 2023 scholarship winners!

CEO’S MESSAGE

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS July 2023

Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

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.

Continuing education I like to consider myself a lifetime learner. No matter how long I’ve been in the electric business, there are always new developments to stay on top of and surprises to tackle. As a cooperative, that keeps us on our toes and ensures we are always on the lookout for new ways to bring our consumer-members the most reliable service at affordable rates.

We also have a responsibility to keep the people we serve just as informed and up to date. In fact, educating our membership on how their cooperative works is one of the core principles that governs everything we do.

One example of this is the newsletter you’re holding in your hands right now.

In these pages we have run stories that help explain the big picture, like how broader trends in the energy market influence our community, as well as the more routine projects, like how we maintain our electric lines and keep them clear of obstructions.

Sometimes, our consumer-members just want to know a little more about the tools of the electric trade. Last year, we ran a story explaining each piece of equipment people may have seen our lineworkers wearing on the job. This month, we’re following that up with a similar story about our fleet of trucks that helps keep crews working safely and efficiently.

2 | JULY 2023

I know from the Touch-a-Truck events we’ve hosted that there is always curiosity about how our vehicles work and all the tools that help our crews do their job. I hope you’ll enjoy getting this close-up look at our trucks and maybe even learn a few things you’ll remember the next time you see one out on the road.

Of course, our dedication to education extends beyond the electric industry alone. We also know that a more informed membership makes for a better community for everyone. It’s why we send local students on the Youth Tour and offer thousands of dollars in scholarships each year.

We’re proud to announce the winners of this year’s scholarships and feature all 10 of them on the back page of this newsletter. Each one is a dedicated student and a credit to this community so, if you see them around town, be sure to congratulate them. We can’t wait to see everything they’ll accomplish in the years to come.

In the meantime, I know everyone here at your cooperative will continue learning and making new discoveries ourselves. No matter how our industry continues to change, you can rest assured that we will keep looking for new ways to serve you better. 

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

On the cover:

Vehicles like the aerial service truck have become essential tools for modern SVEC crews.

To learn more about the equipment they carry and how they work, see story Page 4.

Suwannee Valley Currents

Scammers are out there

Protect yourself from fraud

From time to time, SVEC’s consumermembers report calls from scammers impersonating cooperative employees. These callers often threaten to cut off electric service if a payment isn’t made immediately.

It is important to remember that SVEC never handles payment issues this way. The cooperative also DOES NOT: • Ask for personal information, like your Social Security number, over the phone.

• Ask for payment via a prepaid debit card.

• Visit your home unannounced to promote a service or request information.

SVEC will always work with consumer-members to resolve payment issues before disconnecting service. If you suspect you are dealing with a scammer, hang up the phone or close the door and call our Member Service Department at 800-447-4509.

Don’t leave capital credits on the table If you think you might have unclaimed capital credits, or are the legal beneficiary of a member with unclaimed capital credits, visit svec-coop.com/my-account/capital-credits.

From there, you'll be able to find all kinds of information about capital credits and search our list of unclaimed credits.

Suwannee Valley Currents

JULY 2023 | 3

Keep on

SVEC’s service

vehicles put lineworkers on the In the early days of Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, lineworkers did not have a lot of equipment available to them. If they needed to repair a line, that meant scaling a power pole to get to the problem. If new power poles needed to be installed, teams would dig the holes and raise the poles by hand.

You’ve probably seen these trucks on the side of the road while crews are making repairs in the wake of a storm or doing routine maintenance on the system. But have you ever wondered how each piece of equipment on these vehicles helps our lineworkers get the job done?

While today’s lineworkers are still capable of doing a job the old-fashioned way when necessary, they also have powerful new tools to help them get it done more safely and efficiently. First and foremost is SVEC’s fleet of aerial service trucks and digger derricks.

Below you can find photos of our service trucks and digger derricks with labels for some of the most important pieces of equipment they carry. Take a look to get an understanding of what's on our trucks.

AERIAL SERVICE TRUCK Basket / Bucket Holds lineworker

Telescopic Upper Boom Extends for farther reach

Materials Handler Lifts transformers and conductor wire

Lower Boom Lifts basket

Utility Bins

Hold tools and small equipment

4 | JULY 2023

Hydraulic Outriggers

Stabilize truck while basket is raised

Suwannee Valley Currents

truckin’

road to success

BACK OF SERVICE TRUCK Basket / Bucket Traffic Cone Spare Transformer Cooler Tie Wire Truck Ground Outrigger Controls Trash Bag

DIGGER DERRICK Pole Claw Winch Line Raises pole

Auger

Digs holes for poles

Suwannee Valley Currents

Steadies pole during installation

Boom

Spool of Primary Conductor Wire JULY 2023 | 5

Banana Brickle Pudding Brulee 3 2/3 1/4 1/3 8 2 1

6

cups half-and-half cup sugar teaspoon salt cup cornstarch egg yolks, beaten teaspoons vanilla extract cup butter, softened Vanilla wafers bananas

Toppings: Vanilla wafers 1 pint heavy cream, whipped and sweetened with a little sugar

In 3-quart saucepan over low heat, heat half-and-half, sugar, salt and cornstarch, whisking constantly until it begins to thicken. Temper beaten eggs by whisking in separate bowl with some of the hot mixture. Add tempered egg mixture back into saucepan and continue cooking until thick. Remove from heat, add vanilla and softened butter. Let cool to room temperature. In large dish, layer vanilla wafers, sliced bananas and pudding. Repeat layers. Top with whipped cream and vanilla brickle cookies.

Prepare cookies: Place one vanilla wafer in each cup of a mini-muffin pan. In a saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar and pecans to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Spoon over cookies and bake at 375º F for 10 minutes. Cool.

To make cookies: Vanilla wafers cup butter cup brown sugar cup chopped pecans

1 3/4 1/2

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.

We usually think about insulation as something that keeps us warm during cold months, keeping the heat in and cooler temperatures out. But during hotter months, insulation can be just as important for keeping your home cool, without you ever having to touch the thermostat.

No matter what the temperature is outside, make sure any attic spaces, including the access door, are well-insulated. You should also prioritize exterior walls, floors above unconditioned spaces like crawl spaces and garages, and ceilings with unconditioned spaces above them. Filling any noticeable gaps with weatherstripping or caulking is another way to stay comfortable for less money.

Severe weather or water damage can also impact your insulation’s life span, so if your home is feeling especially drafty after a bad storm it may be time to have the insulation replaced.

For more energy saving tips, the latest cooperative news and more, follow SVEC at: 6 | JULY 2023

facebook.com/sveccoop instagram.com/sveccoop twitter.com/SVEC_COOP Suwannee Valley Currents

Experience Florida's wild side at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

BY MICHELLE BEARDEN, VISIT FLORIDA

Elly Lamme loves exploring Florida, but the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park was not high on her list.

Two young opossums pose for the camera.

“I thought it was a zoo, and I’m not fond of looking at caged wild animals,” says the Netherlands native, who lives part-time in nearby Inverness. “It’s just not my thing.”

But after a friend persuaded her to pay a visit to the park, Lamme came away with an entirely different viewpoint of the 210-acre facility in Citrus County that put her misconceptions to rest.

She learned that the park is actually home to rescued animals and rehabilitated birds and animals native to Florida, with the exception of 55-year-old Lu the hippopotamus, famously declared an honorary citizen of Florida by the late Gov. Lawton Chiles. The park residents, most unable to survive in the wild, now live safely on diets and in habitats as close to their native environments as possible.

The park takes visitors through a variety of animal and bird exhibits.

Informal educational programs by park volunteers and staff, along with detailed storyboards at each exhibit, gave Lamme insight into the history of the furry and feathered friends that make their home here. Among them are a black bear, Florida panthers, alligators, cougars, red wolves, bobcats, Key deer, gray fox, otters and a dedicated building just for reptiles. A bird lover, Lamme was thrilled by the flamingos, roseate spoonbills, wide-eyed owls, herons, egrets and the majestic hawks and bald eagles.

And getting an up-close and personal view of the massive West Indian manatees feasting on lettuce leaves in the park’s freshwater springs meant she could cross another item off her bucket list.

The younger of the two bears, Maximus, was deemed unreleasable after he imprinted on his rescuers.

Visitors keep an eye out for native wildlife along Pepper Creek.

Lu the hippopotamus has been named an honorary citizen of Florida.

A mother alligator watches over her babies.

Best of all, Lamme says, is the ambiance. Visitors can begin with a short pontoon boat ride down Pepper Creek guided by a captain who points out details such as sunbathing turtles, nests of blue herons and the red cedar trees along the shoreline.

The park is home to two black bears, abandoned by their mothers as cubs.

Visitors can get a glimpse of native wildlife along Pepper Creek

Boat tours give visitors an introduction to the park.

Guests can also spot a variety of beautiful butterflies.

Back on land, visitors follow a path on boardwalks and paved trails in a lush tropical setting under a canopy of grand oak, cypress and palm trees. Even on the hottest summer day, there’s the comfort of constant shade on the jungle-like grounds.

Now, Lamme is one of the park’s many devoted fans, calling it a “true hidden treasure” on the state’s Nature Coast.

“Anyone with an interest in what makes Florida unique needs to put this place on a must-see list,” she says. “Once isn’t enough. It’s the kind of place where you can return time and time again and see something different.” 

Suwannee Valley Currents

West Indian manatees make their home in the park’s fresh water springs.

JULY 2023 | 7

Congratulations

SVEC’s 2023 scholarship winners Each spring, SVEC awards scholarships to outstanding high school seniors who are dependents of co-op members. The scholarships go toward the costs of attending an accredited community college, four-year college, technical school or vocational school.

Jacelle Taylor, Branford High School

Natalie Dunn, Suwannee High School

Braxtyn Green, Suwannee High School

Anna Swisher, Columbia High School

Cash Blalock, Branford High School Kenzie Dungan, Columbia High School

Morgan Griffin, Hamilton County High School Elisabeth Cook, Lafayette High School

Taryn Maund, Lafayette High School

8 | JULY 2023

Malyiah Marcano, Hamilton County High School

Suwannee Valley Currents