How our substations got their names
WHALE WATCHING
Tips for spotting northern right whales in Florida
AROUND THE COMMUNITY
SVEC has a scary good time at local Halloween events.
Take a breath
Our area has been through a lot these past few months. In August, our system was struck by Hurricane Debby, causing flooding and widespread outages. Then, as our work routine was getting back to normal, Hurricane Helene came along to knock out service on 99.9% of our system, followed quickly by less widespread damage from the outer bands of Hurricane Milton.
Executive VP/CEO
MICHAEL S. MCWATERS
As Floridians, we know that’s part of the deal. In return for beautiful weather most of the year and gorgeous beaches just a short drive away, we will have to face severe storms from time to time.
In those situations, we rely on our own and assisting crews to spring into action and restore power. Recent storms have been no exception.
This month’s issue of our newsletter explores a question that sprouted some curiosity as we reported service restorations to various substations: Where did the substation names come from?
The history of our substations is not often talked about, and it’s likely even some Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative employees may not know all their origin stories. We looked back through the record books to find the people and places each substation is named after, and as it turns out, some of the names go all the way back to our cooperative’s founding leaders.
You can also find information about the 2025 Youth Tour and how to sign up if you or a student you know is interested in the amazing opportunity to learn about our cooperative and government firsthand. On the back page, you will also see some fun photos of our SVEC team out in the community at local Halloween events.
As we approach the hectic holiday season, this is also a good opportunity for all of us to take a breath and reflect before the year rushes to a close. As a cooperative family, we have faced our share of challenges but also continued to embrace new opportunities this year.
Suwannee
When I sit down at the Thanksgiving table this month, there will be a lot of stories to tell. Some fun, some frustrating, some downright amazing. But I will also have so much to be thankful for, not least of which is the chance to spend another year bringing safe, affordable and reliable electric service to our consumer-members. I hope each of you has just as much to be thankful for at your own table. ■ facebook.com/sveccoop
Happy Thanksgiving
In observance of Thanksgiving, SVEC’s office will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29
Our 24-hour outage reporting system is always available, as is our drive-thru payment kiosk. Standby crews will restore power if needed.
Scammers are out there
From time to time, SVEC’s consumer-members report calls from scammers impersonating cooperative employees. These callers often threaten to cut off electric service without immediate payment.
While these calls can be scary — especially for those who rely on electronic medical equipment — it is important to remember that SVEC never handles payment issues this way. The cooperative DOES NOT:
• Call consumer-members to demand payment right before disconnection.
• 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 demand 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 Services Department at 800-447-4509.
How our substations got their names What’s in a Name?
Stagecoach Substation
Named for Stagecoach Road, also known as County Road 132, in Suwannee County where it is located.
It’s the newest of SVEC’s substations – activated in 2016.
185th Road Substation
Named for 185th Road, also known as Falmouth Road, in Suwannee County where it is located.
As Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative and assisting crews got to work restoring power in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the first question on every member’s mind was when their power would be back on. But as the cooperative started reporting which substations were without transmission service, another question came up: “How did the substations get their names?”
Most recently, those names have been based on the substation’s location. But in others, they are reminders of SVEC history. Some even go back to the very earliest days of the cooperative.
As Rapid Fiber Internet continues to spread throughout our service area, we are also using these same names to let consumer-members know where the service is available. So, brush up on some SVEC history and learn where the names of our substations came from. ■
Burnham Substation
Named for the Burnham community of Hamilton County where it is located.
Power is delivered to a substation and then distributed to consumers within a specific area.
Blackmon Substation
Named after S.B. Blackmon, who served on the cooperative’s charter board of trustees from 1937-70.
Blair Substation
Named after Roy Blair, who served on the cooperative’s board of trustees from 1949-83.
Croft Substation
Named after J.N. Croft, who served on the cooperative’s board of trustees from 1971-93.
Davis Substation
Named after Perry Davis, who served on the cooperative’s charter board of trustees from 1937-68.
Johns Substation
Named after H.L. Johns, who served on the cooperative’s board of trustees from 1947-72.
Sandlin Substation
Named after P.D. Sandlin, who served on the cooperative’s board of trustees from 1946-87.
Scott Substation
Named after Reginald Scott, who served on the cooperative’s board of trustees from 1966-2010.
Smith Substation
Named after Madison L. Smith, who served on the cooperative’s charter board of trustees from 1937-71.
Walker Substation
Named after J.C. Walker, who served on the cooperative’s board of trustees from 1968-2005.
Ward Substation
Named after W.S. Ward, who served on the cooperative’s board of trustees from 1945-67.
Zucchini Bread
INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 extra large eggs
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 sticks salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 325 F. Grease two 8 1/4-by-4 1/4-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to mix well.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the zucchini, butter and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine. Add the dry ingredients to liquid ingredients. Mix until just combined. Add the walnuts. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set the pans on a wire rack and let cool, then turn the loaves out onto the rack to cool completely.
Safety first
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.
As electrical appliances have become a more important part of our daily lives, electrical systems in older homes have struggled to keep up with the growing load of all the devices in a household. Fortunately, safety devices can help address these hazards before they become a danger to you and your family. These devices have even become requirements in newly constructed homes.
• Ground fault circuit interrupters prevent deadly shocks by quickly shutting off power to a circuit if the electricity flowing into it differs from the amount going out. They should be used in any areas where water may come into contact with electrical products, like kitchens, bathrooms, garages or outdoor areas.
• Arc faults are dangerous electrical hazards caused by damaged, overheated or stressed electrical wiring, often as the result of old wires that are frayed, cracked or damaged by nails and screws. Arc fault circuit interrupters help prevent these faults and protect your home from electrical fires.
• Electrical outlets are a constant concern with small children who may try to place keys, pins or paper clips into them. Tamper-resistant receptacles can give parents peace of mind by placing springloaded receptacle cover plates over the openings or slots to prevent disastrous consequences.
A Guide to Watching Northern Right Whales in Florida
BY VISIT FLORIDA STAFF
Manatees may be the most lovable and panthers the rarest, but Florida’s biggest endangered mammal may be one you don’t know about—the northern right whale.
Right whales, which can grow to 70 tons and 55 feet long, are sighted every winter off the Atlantic coast between Jacksonville and Cape Canaveral. Hundreds of volunteers, plus visitors and residents of the northeastern coast, get the thrill of about 75 whale sightings between December and March each year.
Right whales spend the summer off New England and Nova Scotia. In November, some females, a few adult males and assorted juveniles migrate south for the winter. By December, they’re acting like tourists, lolling around the beaches of Florida’s northern coast. The whales, however, are here on serious business—some of the females are pregnant, and it is in these waters that northern right whales give birth to calves and nurse them. In March, it’s time to head north again.
How to go whale watching in Florida
There are no Florida whale-watching excursions. The whales are too hard to predict and spot, plus scientists are concerned that boats getting close could cause stress to the mothers and calves.
If you decide to go whale watching along Florida’s coast between Cape Canaveral and Jacksonville in the winter, you can improve your chances of spotting whales with this advice:
• Keep binoculars handy, but you can scan the ocean without them from any high vantage point.
• Whales are often in the company of dolphins, with seabirds overhead, so if you see either of those, take a closer look for whales.
• The most likely way you’ll spot a whale? First, you might see a lot of cars and a clump of people on the shoreline pointing and looking at the sea with binoculars. Since Flagler Beach has 6 miles of beachfront
visible along A1A, it’s a likely place to come upon a whale sighting in progress.
• You can identify right whales by these characteristics: They spout a V-shaped spray of water, they have no dorsal fin, they have whitish patches of raised and roughened skin, called callosities, on top of their heads, and their tails are black on both sides.
• Humpback whales migrate through the same area on their way to their Dominican Republic winter waters, but they move through earlier and later than right whales.
There are four fishing piers that make good whale-watching spots: the St. Augustine pier, the 800-foot-long pier in Flagler Beach, the Sunglow pier in Daytona Beach Shores and the Main Street pier in Daytona Beach.
Even if you don’t get lucky and spot a right whale, the northeast coast of Florida offers excellent opportunities for observing wildlife.
Why Are They ‘Right’ Whales?
Right whales got their name because they were the right whales to hunt. Early whalers appreciated that their high blubber content made them float when dead. Whalers reduced the population to a few dozen by 1900.
Two sisters swim south off Ormond Beach.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA ELLIS, MARINELAND RIGHT WHALE PROJECT
Apply for the 2025 Youth Tour today!
SVEC is accepting applications for the February youth tour of Tallahassee and the co-op’s campus in Live Oak for up to 10 high school juniors. While in Tallahassee, students will explore Florida’s legislative process.
Possible activities include a visit to the state Capitol, participation in a mock bill debate on the floor of the Senate or House of Representatives and visits to the Florida Supreme Court and offices of state legislators.
To be eligible for the Feb. 12-13 tour, a student must be enrolled in the 11th grade of a high school or homeschool program in SVEC’s service territory and have an unweighted grade point average of at least 3.0. The student must also be a dependent of an SVEC member but cannot be the child or grandchild of a current SVEC employee or trustee.
Two of the students on the tour will also be selected to represent SVEC in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Youth Tour scheduled for June 16-21. They will be flown to Washington and join students from around the country on visits to
sites such as the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Smithsonian museums and Mount Vernon. SVEC will pay for the trip.
More information and a tour application form are available through juniorclass guidance counselors or online at svec-coop.com/youth-tour. Applications must be submitted to SVEC by Jan. 17, 2025.
Spooky fun
SVEC’s Mad Scientist’s Laboratory booth won the Best Decorated Business Award at the Suwannee County Candy Carnival. Meanwhile, SVEC employees also gave out candy at community trunk or treat events.
SVEC’s Mad Scientist’s Laboratory won the Best Decorated Business Award at the Suwannee County Candy Carnival. SVEC employees and a four-legged friend hand out candy at Hamilton County’s trunk or treat event.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SVEC
SVEC participated at the Bedrock Rehabilitation & Nursing Center Trunk or Treat.