Currents-September 2022

Suwannee Valley CURRENTS

Working to close the

INSIDE:

CLOSING THE DIVIDE

SVEC powers highspeed internet

GET THE BLUES

Feel the Delta blues vibe at Bradfordville Blues Club

AROUND THE COMMUNITY SVEC helps distribute backpacks to local students

Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

Bridging the divide

Since the very beginning, this cooperative has been about bridging a divide. Back in 1937, when Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative was first incorporated, that divide was one of access to electricity.

While major cities were switching on the bright lights that would become syn onymous with them, rural areas were being left behind. The big power com panies looked at areas where neighbors might be miles apart and decided there was no profit in running miles of line to serve a handful of people.

So with a little help from the Rural Electrification Act, those people took matters into their own hands. SVEC’s founders went door-to-door signing their neighbors up for the cooperative and built an electric system that was for them and owned by them.

Decades later, I think the cooperative has proved to be successful at providing for a vital need of our community. That’s probably why local leaders came to us when they wanted to close another growing gap in our community — like many other parts of rural America, our area finds itself on the wrong side of a “digital divide,” being underserved or unserved by internet providers.

To be honest, when those conversations first started I was all for any solution that didn’t involve SVEC. After all, we’re an electric cooperative. Bringing reliable and affordable power to our consumer-members keeps us plenty busy.

But, as our board of trustees urged us to look into our options for providing high-speed internet service and we found sustainable models for doing so, I couldn’t help but see the parallels with our original mission of 85 years ago. If electricity transformed our community all those decades ago, high-speed internet could be just as important today. But just like in 1937, we would need to make it happen ourselves.

That’s why, in July, I was excited to officially announce our plans for Rapid Fiber Internet, a 100% fiber-tothe-home internet service powered by SVEC. This project will be a longterm investment, starting with a fiber optic loop that will help us improve the electric service you rely on. From that, we will build out a fiber network to our members.

You can learn more about what fiber can do for our community, how it works and what to expect from this project moving forward in this newsletter. If you still have questions, I encourage you to look through the FAQ and other information available at svec-coop. com/rapid-fiber-internet.

This is an exciting time for our cooperative. It isn’t every day that we get to put the principles that we were founded on into practice in a whole new way. I look forward to bringing you more updates as the project goes forward. Until then, we will continue to bring you the reliable and affordable electric service you expect from your cooperative.

CURRENTS

equal opportunity

In spring or summer 2023, SVEC

begin construction

a fiber optic network spanning the cooperative’s

HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE

Making a phone call isn’t always convenient in the middle of a storm. That’s why SVEC makes it easy to report an outage simply by sending a text message.

To sign up, text “svec” to 800-752-0025. Hold on to that number and you’ll be able to report an outage by texting the word “out” to it. You can also check on the status of your reported outage by texting the word “status” to the same number.

This new outage tool is only available to members who have fewer than five accounts with SVEC. Anyone with five or more accounts will still be able to use one of our other convenient methods for reporting an outage.

Don’t wait until it’s too late — update your number now

Keep in mind that the cooperative’s outage management system uses caller ID technology to quickly identify your service location using your phone number. This makes reporting an outage easier for you, and helps us respond and restore power quickly.

It also means that the system works best when your phone number is up to date. Before signing up for out age texting, make sure you have updated your phone number by:

• Going to our website, logging in to your account and clicking on the “My Profile” tab

• Using our SmartHub account management app

• Contacting member services at 800-447-4509

Pay on your schedule

But reporting an outage has never been easier

FAST

FORWARD

Rapid Fiber Internet is coming to SVEC ’s consumer-members

Since its earliest days, the mission of Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative has been to bring crucial electric service to communities that might not otherwise have it. That’s why, in July, we were excited to announce that we are doing the same thing again with high-speed fiber internet.

In spring or summer 2023, SVEC will begin con struction of a fiber optic network spanning the coop erative’s territory. With that network, we will expand our electric system’s smart grid/self-healing capabilities which will lead to shorter power outages as well as increased security, reliability and resiliency for the electric service we offer.

That fiber network will also be used to deliver 100% fiber-to-the-home high-speed internet ser vice to all of our consumer-members who want it. Through the cooperative’s newly formed subsidiary, Rapid Fiber Internet LLC, we will open the door to new opportunities in education, health care, eco nomic development and more.

“Our communities have long suffered from a lack of internet service with speed and capabilities that those in more populated areas have enjoyed,” SVEC CEO Mike McWaters says.

To serve that need, the cooperative is partnering with Conexon, a leader in rural fiber optic network design and construction. While many internet provid ers use copper lines to make the final connection to the home, SVEC is dedicated to building an entirely fiber network to offer the fastest speeds. As a result, Rapid Fiber Internet customers will have access to lightning-fast symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 2 gigabits per second.

“We know that internet is necessary for chil dren to go to school, for people to have access to health care and to do home businesses,” state Sen. Loranne Ausley says. “So the fact that Suwannee Valley is taking this on is such a great announce ment for the people who live in the district and it’s going to really move us forward.”

SVEC expects to start connecting its first Rapid Fiber Internet customers in the summer or fall of 2023. In the meantime, interested consumer-members can visit svec-coop.com/rapid-fiber-internet for more information and to take an internet speed test that can help SVEC obtain funding for this exciting new project.

WHAT IS FIBER?

A fiber connection is the gold standard of commu nications transmission. But what does fiber do that traditional copper wire communications can’t?

• Sends and receives data at ultra-high speeds.

• Capable of carrying an extremely large amount of data over vast distances.

• Connects multiple devices without delays or interruptions.

• More reliable and less susceptible to interfer ence, lightning and weather damage.

Benefits to SVEC’s grid:

• Enhances the flow of data used to detect faults and control electrical devices through out the grid, resulting in shorter power outage response times and greater operational efficiency.

• Increases electric system security, reliability and resiliency.

Benefits for home internet:

• Offers matching download and upload speeds of up to 2 gigabits per second.

• Supports unlimited data and high-definition media, including streaming TV.

• Enables more effective remote learning, tele medicine, work-from-home connectivity and economic development.

SVEC CEO Michael McWaters speaksto community leaders at the Rapid FiberInternet announcement ceremony.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

We know you have questions about how, when and where Rapid Fiber Internet will be coming to your home. Here are answers to a few of the questions we hear most often, but you can also find more informa tion at svec-coop.com/rapid-fiber-internet.

Where will high-speed internet be available?

The goal is to ultimately make high-speed fiber internet available to all SVEC consumer-members throughout Hamilton, Lafayette and Suwannee counties, and northern Columbia County. Service may be offered to non-SVEC members in the future, but our first priority is serving SVEC members.

When will construction on the network start?

How long will it take to complete?

Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2023, with the first customer connections anticipated in the third quarter of 2023.

How can I sign up for service?

Initially, SVEC consumer-members will be able to indicate their interest by submitting an online form. SVEC and Rapid Fiber Internet will be in touch later when the time comes to formally sign up for service.

Will my electric bill increase to pay for the fiber-to-the-home network?

No. This will not increase your electricity costs.

What is a fiber-to-the-home network?

Fiber optic cables are made up of tiny strands of glass that carry data using light waves, resulting in optimum internet speeds and reliability. A fiber optic network can carry an extremely high amount of data and is more reliable than other networks because it’s less susceptible to interference and damage from lightning and other acts of nature.

Fiber is also futureproof — it has the ability to meet today’s needs for bandwidth as well as future demand. 

The Suwannee County Commissioners, Director ofSuwannee County Economic Development JimmyNorris and state senator Loranne Ausley attended theannouncement ceremony for Rapid Fiber internet.

‘Steakhouse’ 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.

2 (8-ounce) filet mignons

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

Set the steaks out on the counter at least 30 minutes before you plan on cooking them to take the chill off.

Heat the oven to 400 F. Pat the steaks dry and then brush each steak with the oil. Mix the salt and pepper on a plate, then roll each steak in the salt-and-pepper mixture, liberally coating all sides.

Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat — as high as your stove will go. Open your window and turn on your fan, this is a smoky process. Once the skillet is very hot, add the steaks to the pan. Sear them evenly on all sides, getting a nice brown crust all over. It should take about 2 minutes per side to get a good sear.

Remove the pan from heat, place a pat of butter on top of each steak, and then transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake the steaks until their internal temperature reaches your preferred doneness — 120 F for rare, 125 F for medium-rare and 135 F for medium.

Remove the steaks from the skillet and cover them tightly with aluminum foil. Allow them to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

When you think of saving money on energy, the thermostat is probably the first device that you reach for in your home. Remember, the smaller the difference between the tempera ture inside your home and outside, the lower your electric bill will be.

During warm months, try to keep your home warmer than usual when you’re away and only lower the temperature when you get home. A programmable thermostat can do this automatically so you can stay

comfortable and efficient without a second thought.

When you do turn the air condition ing back on, remember not to set your thermostat to a cooler setting than normal. It won’t cool your home any faster and you may end up rack ing up extra expenses if the tempera ture gets too cold.

For more ways to save energy, click on the “Energy Efficiency” tab on the SVEC website.

This recipe is adapted from one by Food Network’s Ina Garten.

Bradfordville

Blues Club in Tallahassee

Still casting a spell with music legends and a Delta vibe

By Marina Brown, Visit Florida

On a deeply rutted road in the North Florida woods, the moon shines through a tangled crochet of oaks drip ping with Spanish moss. Tallahassee is only minutes away, but at the Bradfordville Blues Club the sensation of its urban pulse is far behind.

In the days of segregation, African American musicians played the “chitlin’ circuit” — a network of safe ven ues where they could perform. The Bradfordville Blues Club continues to present headliners in the same authen tic setting that emerged in the 1930s, when Black farm families gathered beside a bonfire with guitars, their field hollerin’ calls and the earthy pounding of Southern blues music.

Already the smell of deep-fried catfish and onions is wafting your way. Miss Ernestine, one of the local ladies, may even be serving up some red velvet cake. For 50 years, every night the Blues Club is open, Miss Ernestine has been setting up her kettle to bubble while her

ex-husband starts a roaring bonfire. “It’s tradition,” says the club’s current owner, Gary Anton, an attorney who long ago fell under the spell of the blues. “During a break from the music inside, we sit around the bonfire the way the old folks did, swapping lies and telling tales and eating the best catfish this side of New Orleans.”

But inside is where the tales are born. The walls are black, the floor con crete. The stage is framed by blinking Christmas lights. The room can pack no more than 50 at small round tables, painted with the lacquered portraits of the greats in the business. More paintings of those shades-wearing, homberg-sporting blues legends stare down from the walls circling the room.

And then the band cranks up. At the Bradfordville Blues Club, bikers, architects, laborers and professors all min gle in a hand-clapping melting pot, swaying with the beat. A bass guitar pounds in the low-down 1,2,1,2 rhythm

that has visitors and regulars alike bobbing their heads and pumping their knees. The wail of a singer rises, danc ers pack the floor, and the sound of tra ditional blues carries up and out over the Southern oaks.

The historic Bradfordville Blues Club, which recently received a Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, is one of only 10 venues outside the state of Mississippi to be placed on the historic Blues Trail. Radio station WTTL 106.1 out of Tallahassee broadcasts live from the BBC every Saturday night at 10 p.m.

“What do I like about playing here?” asks James “Pookie” Young, of Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials. He rubs his formidable jowls and puts it plain and simple. “The vibe is amazing, man. It’s unique. It’s rawbone. Way down Delta, man!”

It may be all about the blues, but Bradford Blues Club is a joy.

Save the date for the FREE Touch-A-Truck family event hosted by Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative.

On NOV. 12, children and adults are invited to explore trucks, emergency vehicles and heavy machinery at SVEC’s office: 11340 100th St. in Live Oak. Vehicle drivers and operators will answer questions, too.

• Free admission

• Bounce house, face painting and other free activities for kids

• Food and drink available, with proceeds benefiting the United Way of Suwannee Valley

IS COMING!

Have a unique vehicle and want to participate? Email Christy Tuckey at communications@svec-coop.com.

Register to vote today!

To vote in the upcoming elections, register with the state by Oct. 11. You may register to vote, or update your voter registration information, online at registertovoteflorida.gov.

All packed up

Last month, SVEC proudly helped to distribute backpacks for the Back 2 School Bash at African Missionary Baptist Church in Live Oak and the Suwannee County School District’s Back to School Bash.

The church’s annual event was first held eight years ago when a small group of friends filled around 150 backpacks with school supplies to help students keep up with their studies. This year’s event was in memory of co-founder Bryce Johnson.

The school district’s Back to School Bash saw volunteers fill 1,500 backpacks with supplies in just two hours. Each backpack was given to a student later during meetyour-teacher days.

A sound ride

SVEC employees pitched in to make sure the Suwannee High School band trailer is ready for the new football season. Communications Specialist Christy Tuckey worked with Band Director Clayton McPeak on a new logo for The Sound of Suwannee. Meanwhile, Dispatcher Oliver Pidgeon placed the logo on the band trailer. Mechanics Raymond Poole and Ross Wood worked on repairs and inspections to make sure the trailer is ready to hit the road.