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Currents Suwannee Valley

BUILD MY FUTURE

SVEC shows students the ins and outs of a lineworker’s job

MAY 2025

UNTOUCHED BEAUTY Explore five Florida beaches away from crowds and high-rises AROUND THE COMMUNITY Operation Round Up® in action, scholarship winners and more

CEO’S MESSAGE

Building our future Most of our consumer-members recognize how hard our line crews work to keep the power on for all of us. You may have seen them out on the road doing routine maintenance or up on the lines late at night, making repairs after a major storm. They are routinely called on to brave conditions that other people take shelter from so we can have the electricity we need for our daily lives. In addition to the physical demands of the job, lineworkers must also complete a demanding fouryear apprenticeship program that includes relevant coursework and periodic exams to prove they understand the technical aspects of the field. But beyond the lessons and training manuals, there are some aspects of the job that can only be picked up in the field. That’s exactly why Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative is excited to participate in events like Build My Future in Columbia County. It gives students a Executive VP/CEO chance to see the hands-on aspects of jobs like linework, MICHAEL S. MCWATERS and explore other valuable paths that open up when they learn a trade. You can learn more about SVEC’s time at this year’s event in this newsletter and see photos of students enjoying the hands-on display our team built to give them a taste of what it takes to repair an electric line. It is an exciting event we have been proud to be part of for the last three years, and I hope you will all take a moment to learn more about it. You’ll also find a spotlight on a local teacher who has made the most of her Operation Round Up® grant, alongside a list of this year’s SVEC scholarship winners from high schools across our service area. Congratulations to everyone who was selected. We can’t wait to see all that you accomplish as you continue your education. Finally, don’t forget to sign up for the eighth annual Suwannee Valley Charity Cornhole Tournament. This is a favorite event of ours each summer, and I know our local competitors are ready to get tossing. As always, proceeds from the tournament go to benefit the great work United Way of Suwannee Valley is doing for our community. As a cooperative family, we are always looking for new ways to support our blossoming students and give back to the community we call home. Until next month, we’ll keep working each day to keep the electricity you count on affordable and reliable. ■

2 | MAY 2025

Suwannee Valley

Currents May 2025

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: Students watch as SVEC’s Build My Future team explains what lineworkers do daily. The Build My Future event educates students on career options in the trades and outside the traditional college track. Read more on Page 4.

Suwannee Valley Currents

SVEC NEWS

JOIN US FOR THE Suwannee Valley Charity Cornhole Tournament Don’t miss out on the fun, food and friendly competition, all benefiting United Way of Suwannee Valley.

When: Saturday, June 7 Where: 11350 100th St., Live Oak Registration/check-in: 9-9:45 a.m. Bags fly at 10 a.m. Medals will be awarded for first-, second- and third-place finishers. Sign up to compete or sponsor the event at suwanneecornhole.com. No professional players, please.

Don’t get left in the dark! REGISTER MEDICAL NECESSITIES WITH SVEC Suwannee Valley Electric Company recognizes that many of our consumer-members have unique needs. In some cases, they may be immobile or reliant on medical equipment or oxygen. It is important for members with electricity-dependent medical needs to register with SVEC, so we can notify you of planned or extended outages. You should always 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 our website, svec-coop.com/member-services. If you have a medical necessity, be sure to take the following steps:

• Keep your doctor updated on your living situation and how you get medical supplies.

• Register your medical needs with local authorities so they can better prepare to respond to calls in your area.

• Network with friends, family and neighbors who can help if you run into problems.

• Consider keeping a cellphone or medical alert device handy in case of emergencies.

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2 Gbps — $105 per month Suwannee Valley Currents

No contracts. No data caps. No installation fees. Sign up or find out if service is available in your zone at rapid-fiber.com. MAY 2025 | 3

The next generation SVEC shows students the lineworker trade at Build My Future event As Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative’s Director of Operations, Mark Mosley knows as well as anyone that the job lineworkers do cannot be taught in a classroom alone. That’s why the cooperative participates in events like Build My Future, where local students can learn about opportunities in the trades while getting hands-on experience with different aspects of the job. “It gives us the chance to show students different avenues in the trades or learning a craft,” he says. “There are a lot of benefits and places you can work that pay extremely well and don’t require a college degree. Build My Future is a way to give them a 40,000-foot view of this type of business.” The Build My Future concept started with the

Builders Association in Springfield, Missouri. The event brings together businesses and vendors in local trades to demonstrate their work so students can get a feel for what a career in those fields could be like. When Columbia County Builders Association President Bryan Zecher heard about it, he knew he wanted to bring it to Florida. “Our masons, electricians and other people in the trades are getting older and we need that younger generation to come in behind them,” Zecher says. “The goal is for students to work with their hands and really get the feel for a particular trade by working and feeling it.” This year’s event included 160 students from three counties and more than 25 vendors. Students split into groups of eight to 12 and rotated between vendors, spending about 15 minutes with each one. SVEC has participated in the Columbia County event for the last three years. This year, the team set up a

Director of Operations Mark Mosley says events like Build My Future open new career paths for students.

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Suwannee Valley Currents

OPPOSITE: SVEC brings bucket trucks and other equipment to demonstrate the work they do on lines across the system.

short piece of line to demonstrate the work electric lineworkers do on a daily basis, complete with a transformer to help students learn how distribution lines work. “Those that are interested have a lot of There are a lot of benefits and questions and they’re places you can work that pay very thankful for the extremely well and don’t require a opportunity,” Mosley college degree. Build My Future is says. “Those kinds a way to give them a 40,000-foot of comments really view of this type of business. make the time worth it. It’s four days of — Mark Mosley, Director of Operations, work setting everything Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative up and doing the demonstrations. But it’s exciting because you get to answer a ton of questions

from these young people that show interest in the lineman business.” Each year, SVEC’s team has taken those comments and tried to improve the next year’s demonstration. Moving forward, Mosley hopes to include a plexiglass display showing the inside of a transformer to better answer students’ questions about how electrical equipment works. “Any time you can help young folks decide on a career path it’s very rewarding,” he says. “We all love what we do. Being a lineman is a great career and anybody who begins it usually sticks with it their whole life. It’s a great path, so why not express that and help somebody else get started in it?” ■

BELOW: SVEC’s team builds a span of line, complete with a transformer so students get hands-on experience with line work.

Suwannee Valley Currents

MAY 2025 | 5

RECIPE and SAFETY

Loaded Baked Potato Salad INGREDIENTS 4 pounds russet potatoes 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 cup mayonnaise ¾ cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt

½ cup cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 ounces bacon, cooked, cooled and chopped 6 green onions, whites and green parts, chopped

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place cleaned potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce four to five times with a fork. Lightly coat with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and cook for 50-60 minutes or until easily pierced with a cake tester or skewer. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks, discarding the potato skins. The potato flesh may crumble and get shaggy, and that’s OK. Transfer it all to a large mixing bowl. While still warm, sprinkle the potatoes with the apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 15-30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooled. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet or in the oven, drain and let cool. Crumble into bite-size pieces. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and sour cream. Season with the kosher salt and pepper. When the potatoes are cool, pour the mayonnaise mix over them with the crumbled bacon, green onion and cheddar cheese. Gently fold the ingredients together. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 3 hours up to overnight before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to four days. ■

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. Electric safety is important at all ages, but it’s especially crucial if you have young children around the house. Keep these measures in mind to ensure your little ones stay clear of electrical hazards: • Plug sockets are designed to keep fingers out, but

socket covers can provide an extra layer of protection. They’re easy for adults to remove but are often enough to deter smaller hands.

• Whenever possible, use furniture

to block wires and sockets so curious minds won’t be tempted to mess with them. Secure wires to doorframes or skirting boards to prevent tripping or chewing.

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• Kids are often most fascinated by

the devices adults use every day. So be vigilant about safely storing devices like hair straighteners or curlers, kitchen appliances and charging cables when you are done using them. 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. /sveccoop

@sveccoop

Suwannee Valley Currents

A baby sea turtle rests on Anna Maria Island.

Kayakers enjoy the shore off Cape San Blas.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRADENTON AREA CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLIN HACKLEY, VISIT FLORIDA

Five old-time Florida beaches BY LAUREN TJADEN, VISIT FLORIDA Yearning for a seaside destination with a retro feel? These laid-back Old Florida beach options lack the crowds and high-rises and are rich in old-time charm.

Anna Maria Island

Nestled at the southern mouth of Tampa Bay, this laid-back, old-time Florida family-friendly destination is home to the tiny towns of Bradenton Beach, Anna Maria and Holmes Beach. The barrier island — a whopping 7 miles long from north to south — features white-sand beaches, clear emerald-tinted waters, awardwinning restaurants and specialty shops galore. Explore via the free trolley service, or rent a bike, canoe, kayak or boat. Parasail, bird-watch, fish, stroll the beach, shell or scuba dive the old sugar barge.

Cape San Blas

If you’re longing for a nature-lover’s paradise that features a secluded, award-winning, white-sand Old Florida beach with clear, emerald-colored water, an abundance of wildlife and

delightful dunes, Cape San Blas has your name on it. This affordable getaway is located on St. Joseph Peninsula in Gulf County in northwest Florida, just a few waves southwest of Port St. Joe. Make sure to feast at Provisions, a hidden gem in Port St. Joe that will make any foodie happy.

Fernandina Beach

Yearning for a stretch of sand to call your own? You can’t do better than Fernandina Beach, a once-bustling seaport nestled on the shores of the Atlantic in Florida’s northeast corner. This quaint, small town — a mere 30-minute drive from Jacksonville International Airport — is famed for its unpretentious, old-time Florida mood, miles of beautiful, pristine beaches and charming, historic downtown. Area adventures include horseback riding on the beach, surfing, fishing and even skydiving. Adults can enjoy a mug-ofsuds at the Palace Saloon, Florida’s oldest continuously operating bar.

Jensen Beach

A trip to Jensen Beach should prove fruitful! Snuggled against the shores of the Atlantic in Martin County, the

Treasure Coast town was dubbed the “Pineapple Capital of the World” in 1895, shipping more than 1 million boxes of pineapples during June and July each year. You’ll spot nary a parking meter or a high-rise there, but you’ll delight in a boatload of beautiful, wide beaches, charming cottages in Caribbean colors, picket fences, art galleries, quirky locally owned shops and quaint sidewalk cafes. Remember to explore the Indian River Lagoon, teeming with dolphins, manatees and other wildlife.

Melbourne Beach

Brevard County’s oldest beach community and a quintessential Old Florida beach is Melbourne Beach, located on a barrier island just a splash south of busier Cocoa Beach. When the first European set foot in Florida in 1513 — Ponce de Leon — he landed near this Space Coast gem. Today, it is the largest sea turtle nesting area in the Western Hemisphere. Visitors can take a turtle walk with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society. It is also a favored getaway for folks who like nature, water sports and outdoor recreation of all kinds, as well as a relaxed atmosphere and an abundance of affordable accommodations, shops and restaurants. Make sure to surf over to nearby Indialantic for more downhome flavor — and don’t miss a visit to historic downtown Melbourne. ■ The sun sets over the dunes at Cape San Blas. PHOTO COURTESY OF COLIN HACKLEY, VISIT FLORIDA

Suwannee Valley Currents

MAY 2025 | 7

SVEC IN THE COMMUNITY

PHOTOS COURTESTY OF CHRISTY TUCKEY/SVEC

Operation Round Up®: Teacher spotlight Lafayette Elementary School teacher Sandy Bass used Operation Round Up® grants to build her classroom book collection. Bass allows students to choose a book to read three times — once with someone at home, a second time with their teacher and again with another school employee. Once done, the student can earn “brag tags” to wear on a necklace showing their accomplishments. Participation has helped improve Standardized Test for Assessment of Reading scores through increased exposure to reading and literature. Bass hopes it will encourage her students to not only become stronger readers but lovers of reading, too.

Hitting the links SVEC’s Tray Boatright, Austin Long and Adam Ford traded in their hard hats for golf clubs as they participated in a charity golf tournament benefitting the Live Oak Rotary’s local scholarship fund.

From left are Tray Boatright, Austin Long and Adam Ford. Sandy Bass teaches first grade at Lafayette Elementary School.

Congratulations to our SVEC scholarship winners! Dante Rodriguez, Branford High School Isaac Pitts, Branford High School Haidyn Markham, Columbia High School Kasey Carter, Hamilton County High School Sidney Wimberley, Lafayette High School Alyssa Jones, Lafayette High School Whitton Musgrove, Suwannee High School Kate Kirby, Suwannee High School

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Suwannee Valley Currents