Tri-County Rural Living Newsletter

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Tri-County Rural Living

Thank you, Carl!

Carl Hackle retires after 35 years Also inside:

2014 Annual Meeting Highlights New TCEC Website • Electricity Theft $500 Reward November & December 2014 Vol. 18 • No. 2

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Local before local was cool Message from the Desk of General Manager Julius Hackett

Autonomy and Independence: One of the Seven Cooperative Principles that Give All Co-ops Guidance Whether you travel across the country or prefer to stay close to your hometown, one thing you may be noticing is the emphasis on “Buy Local” campaigns. This is based on one simple fact: It’s important to support businesses that support our community.

The Small Business Administration and the research firm, Civic Economics, estimate that dollars spent at a locally owned business stay in the community more than three times longer than money spent at “big box” stores, headquartered far away from your hometown. This means your community wealth is more likely to grow by shopping locally.

Consumer cooperatives, like Tri-County Electric Cooperative, have known this forever. We were formed in 1940 by people in this community to serve the people that work, worship and live in this community.

The fourth of our Seven Cooperative Principles is Autonomy and Independence. And that is defined as follows: Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If the co-op enters into agreements with other organizations or raises capital from external sources, it is done so based on terms that ensure democratic control by the members and maintains the cooperative’s autonomy.

In other words, for the co-op to stay a co-op, it is vitally important we stay close to you — our members — to ensure we are continuing to respond to your needs. This could be through increasing energy-efficiency programs and continuing our efforts to support other local businesses, schools and civic organizations.

You can be sure that your cooperative will not be moving our operations to Mexico or China, as so many other corporations do. We began right here in the three-county region and we plan on being here for a very long time. You can take that to the bank, or better yet, the credit union — as all credit unions are financial cooperatives. As always, we welcome your participation and suggestions about how we can improve our locally owned and controlled services.

Electricity Theft: A Crime That Affects You and Your Cooperative Every year, electric utilities face the challenge of detecting electricity theft. This crime stretches across the United States, affecting the entire electric utility industry, including your electric cooperative. Over the past few years, five illegal marijuana grow house operations with an estimated revenue loss of over $100,000 have been discovered on our system. As a proactive measure, dedicated employees work diligently to recognize suspicious activity and to try to stop electricity theft by using smart meter technologies and other available tools.

But it is an uphill climb.

There are several different types of electricity theft: • Meter Tampering — slowing or disconnecting a meter; attempts at meter tampering may be visible.

• Meter Bypass — this takes place behind the meter faceplate or connections before the meter, routing electricity around the meter, and redirecting it to a secondary line.

• Dishonesty Fraud — when the meter is intentionally misread, also known as billing fraud.

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Not only is electricity theft illegal, with the possibility of jail time, it is also dangerous. In situations where illegal connections are installed, more electricity is flowing through the lines than anticipated, causing power surges and system failures. According to the Cooperative Research Network, power surging through a compromised meter can cause an electrical catastrophe. A short circuit could produce an arc flash bright enough to cause blindness and powerful enough to launch fragments of red-hot debris. Serious injury or death from electrocution, explosions, or even fires can result from meter tampering. Regardless of the situation, only trained electric cooperative personnel wearing protective clothing should work on or inspect meters.

In addition to safety concerns, electricity theft costs your cooperative time and money. Please help us fight this battle. Tri-County Electric Cooperative offers a $500 reward for information leading to the discovery of an illegal power diversion. If you or someone you know witness suspicious activity near a utility meter, please give us a call at 850‑973‑2285.

November & December 2014

Have a Happy, Energy-Efficient Holiday Season Although holidays are a time for family, friends and celebrations, the hustle and bustle means lots of power gets used.

So don’t let a higher-than-normal January electric bill be the last gift of the season.

With a few simple tricks, you can still celebrate and save money at the same time.

The Brightest House on the Block Start with energy-efficient lighting, namely light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

While a string of traditional incandescent mini-lights uses 36 watts of power, LEDs only consume 5 watts and last up to 10 times longer. LEDs are typically made of plastic and will not break — and many are brighter than traditional mini-lights.

A good rule of thumb: cheaper is not always better. When looking for LEDs, view the lights plugged in at the store, or make sure you can return them if they do not meet your expectations.

All holiday lights, whether LED or incandescent, should be placed on a timer.

Simple timers cost $20 and can be set to turn on at sunset and off after a set number of hours. It’s usually best to have lights on from sunset until bedtime.

Giving Energy Efficiency Many electronic gifts are “energy vampires” — sucking electricity 24 hours a day, even when switched off. Cell phone chargers, computers, video game consoles, and any device that comes with a large

square plug are likely energy vampires.

When possible, unplug electronics that are not being used, or plug them into a smart power strip. A smart power strip controls the flow of electricity to specific devices plugged into it. For example, it may cut the flow of electricity to unused devices such as DVD players, video game consoles, and stereo systems, while allowing TVs and satellite or cable boxes to remain operational. To keep your home entertainment center running lean, look for ENERGY STAR-rated televisions and ask satellite or cable providers for energyefficient boxes.

Prevent post-holiday electric bill shock by thinking creatively and shopping carefully this year.

1970s VS 1980s The two eras were totally different.

VS But, they had ONE thing in common.

The Fuel Use Act Do you see that big red circle in the graph below?

1978-1987

You see, that circle shows us the period during the 70’s and 80’s when the Fuel Use Act – a law banning the use of natural gas to generate electricity - was in effect.

The result – to meet growing demand for electricity, electric co-ops invested billions in coal generation plants. Since then, we’ve invested billions to add advanced technologies to comply with EPA regulations to ensure protection of human health and the environment.

But, now EPA wants to relive the past and ban coal. Which leaves us wondering – where will affordable power come from in the future?

Visit www.action.coop for more information.

Tell the EPA to work with us on a common sense solution. Let’s go forward, not backward.

Visit: www.action.coop

November & December 2014

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce Ingredients 1¾ cups crushed graham crackers (from 14 sheets) ⅓ cup packed light-brown sugar 6 tbsp salted butter, melted 3 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened 1 cup packed light-brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp ground ginger 1½ cups pumpkin puree 1½ tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs 3 large egg yolks Topping Store bought caramel sauce Coarse sea salt Whipped cream (optional) Directions Crust Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together crushed graham crackers and ⅓ cup packed lightbrown sugar. Pour in melted butter and mix until mixture is evenly coated. Firmly press mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan coming within about 1 inch of the top edge. Bake in preheated oven for 8–9 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Filing In a large mixing bowl, mix on low speed, blend cream cheese, 1 cup packed light-brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. Mix in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Add in pumpkin and vanilla and mix on low speed just until combined. Add in whole eggs one at a time, mixing until combined, then add in egg yolks and mix just until combined. Lift and tap mixing bowl against the counter several times to release air bubbles from mixture. Pour mixture into graham cracker crust and bake in preheated oven (325 degrees) for 1 hour, then turn oven off and allow cheesecake to rest in oven 25–30 minutes (without opening oven door). Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill 5 hours.

Slice and drizzle each serving with caramel sauce, sprinkle with a pinch of coarse sea salt then top with whipped cream.

Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

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Tri-County employee Carl Hackle retires after 35 years of service A farewell luncheon was held for retiring employee Carl V. Hackle on Friday, Sept. 26, 2014. Fellow employees congratulated Carl on his 35 years of loyal service to Tri-County Electric and wished him well on his future endeavors.

Carl began working at the Cooperative on Oct. 1, 1979, as a meter reader and served as a lineman before settling into the position of staking technician, a position he held until he retired on Oct. 1, 2014. The Board of Trustees, General Manager and employees thank you, Carl, for all your years of dedication and wish you many happy years of retirement!

Carl Hackle (center) pictured here surrounded by his TCEC family.

Tri-County Electric Welcomes a New Team Member On July 14, 2014, Tri-County Electric welcomed Kaitlynn Passmore to our team. She is the Community Relations Specialist for the Cooperative.

Katilynn has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts in Speech Communication with a Public Relations emphasis from Valdosta State University. She has several years’ experience in organizing public relations campaigns, creating promotional materials, web design, managing content for a regional high school sports magazine, and other related publications.

We are delighted to be working with Kaitlynn.

November & December 2014

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. BOARD MEETING NOTES - Aug. 11, 2014

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all trustees, key Cooperative personnel, guests and the attorney present, the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held on Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, in the Tri-County Electric headquarters office building located in Madison, Fla. Reports to the Board included those of the district meetings for Districts 7, 8 and 9, Florida Electric Cooperatives Directors Conference, Finance Committee, Policy Committee, Building and Land Committee and General Manager. Action taken by the Board included the following: approval of the Aug. 11, 2014, Board agenda; the July 14, 2014, Board meeting minutes; and a resolution adopting the Seminole Electric Cooperative 2014 Load Forecast; Consent Agenda items as written and recommended by the General Manager which included the WPCA for August 2014 as established by resolution; RUS Form 7 for June 2014; the list of new members for July 15–27, 2014; the Work and Accident Report for June 2014; along with the System Outage Report.

Malcolm V. Page Albert Thomas, Jr. President Secretary-Treasurer

BOARD MEETINGS The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri‑County Electric Cooperative will be held the second Monday in each month at 7:00 p.m. in the central office building of the Cooperative located at 2862 West U.S. 90, approximately two (2) miles west of the city of Madison.

This Publication’s Inspirational Moment “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16 (KJV) November & December 2014

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. BOARD MEETING NOTES - SEPT. 8, 2014

With

all trustees, key Cooperative personnel, guests and the attorneys present, the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held on Monday, Sept. 8, 2014, in the Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. headquarters office building located in Madison, Fla. Reports to the Board included those of the Finance Committee, Policy Committee, Building and Land Committee and General Manager.

Action taken by the Board included the following: approval of the Sept. 8, 2014 Board agenda and the Aug. 11, 2014, Board meeting minutes; and authorization for the electric receivable accounts, which appear to be uncollectible, for the appropriate accounting designation; approval of the RUS Form 219s for October 2013–December 2013; Consent Agenda items as written and recommended by the General Manager which included the WPCA for September 2014 as established by resolution; RUS Form 7 for July 2014; the list of new members for July 28–Aug. 24, 2014, and Aug. 24–Sept. 8, 2014; Safety and Accident Report for July 2014; along with the System Outage Report. An annual review of NRECA employee benefits was presented, and a Certificate of Mailing of Annual Meeting Notice was presented for the secretary’s signature. Miscellaneous items discussed were final plans for the 2014 annual meeting, recent discovery of a grow house operation, and presentation of new budget items for consideration.

Malcolm V. Page Albert Thomas, Jr. President Secretary-Treasurer

Find Your Hidden Account Number & Get a $150 Bill Credit!

Hidden somewhere in this issue of Tri-County Rural Living is a member account number. Look carefully — it might be yours. If you find your account number exactly as it appears on your bill for electric service, we’ll credit your bill up to the amount of $150.00*! You have until Dec. 15 to claim your credit by calling Carol Timmons at 850-973-2285, Ext. 203, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. You must contact the TCEC representative before the deadline to collect your prize. * Total credit on bill will not exceed $150.00. This one-time credit valid only on the current balance. Any balance remaining after the $150.00 applied credit is the member’s responsibility.

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2014 ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS Board President Malcolm Page addresses the audience that filled North Florida Community College’s Van H. Preist Auditorium.

TCEC employees Tamara Ashley, Carolyn Smith, Lavonne Browning and Keith Ruff registered members, including W. C. and Mary Ragans.

Shawn and Sidney Braswell and Cindy Hutto (back right) attended the Annual Meeting.

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Donnie and Barbara Johnson happily attended the Annual Meeting.

November & December 2014

2014 Annual Meeting Highlights Board President Malcolm Page addresses the audience that filled North Florida Community College’s Van H. Preist Auditorium.

Prize winner JoAnn Kuhl was glad she attended the Annual Meeting.

Mrs. Matthew Mobley was very excited to win a brand new flat screen TV.

Prize #120 winner Kevin Payne and helper.

TCEC employees Tamara Ashley, Carolyn Smith, Lavonne Browning and Keith Ruff registered members, including W. C. and Mary Ragans.

Shawn and Sidney Braswell and Cindy Hutto (back right) attended the Annual Meeting.

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Donnie and Beverly Johnson happily attended the Annual Meeting.

Mrs. Brenda Bennett was this year’s grand prize winner.

She took home this gently used Chevy pick up truck.

November & December 2014

November & December 2014

This lucky Tri -County member proudly displays the new rod and reel she won.

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Annual Meeting Highlights continued

Mrs. Pauline Strickland and her great-granddaughter enjoyed the 2014 Annual Meeting.

TCEC employee Paul Burnett helped with providing members a lift to the front door.

Seminole Electric employee Jennifer Wagner assisting TCEC members Justin and Karagan Surles and daughter, Leighton.

TCEC employees ready to assist with registration: (back to front) Sharon Boothe, Tina Wells, Amy Straka and Kisha Tolar.

Employee Ronnie Gossett manned the EPA regulations information table, ready to inform the members about issues that affect them.

TCEC employees Clint Nash, David Allen, Tom Rucks, Trey Barrs, Josh Thomas, Jackie Bennett and Kyle Fox assisted with the event.

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November & December 2014

the new look of www.tcec.com Tri-County Electric Cooperative is excited to announce the release of our new website — designed with a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation, updated with the latest information, and focusing on what YOU, the members, are looking for.

Some exciting new features of the site include a kids zone with educational games and coloring pages, the history of Tri-County Electric, and easier to read electronic newsletters; just to name a few.

The website features larger, eye-catching graphics to help visitors find what they need quickly and easily. The new home page (right) is a good example of this. Immediately, visitors are welcomed by a beautiful photograph; a scrolling alert pane which will display important messages; and four large, graphic links to a few of the most visited areas of www.tcec.com.

Beyond the home page, all of the inside pages look very similar: The main menu is available along the top, a larger information panel is located on the left, and a quick view navigation panel is located on the right.

Many important links, such as downloadable forms in PDF format, are highlighted by a blue rectangle. Be sure to keep an eye out for these as what is in them may be important to you.

The new TCEC website isn’t just for adults; the Kids Energy Zone sponsored by Touchstone Energy introduces the world

November & December 2014

of electric co-ops to young, future co-op members through games, coloring pages and activities. Access the Zone by clicking on the logo located in the footer of any www.tcec.com page.

Feel free to access the site from any of your web-ready devices: PCs, tablets and phones. We really hope you enjoy the look and feel of the new website. It was designed with you in mind. If you find any problems with the site or have suggestions, do not hesitate to contact us at 850-973-2285 or 1-800-999-2285.

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ARE YOU ENERGY EFFICIENT?

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WORD KEY WINDOWS REFRIGERATOR VENTS WATER CURTAINS 10 10

ENERGY SHOWERS TELEVISION

ELECTRONICS LIGHTS

November & December 2014

Tri-County Electric cooperative Supports Our Youth At Tri-County, we take great pride in highlighting the value of cooperative membership to children — after all, they’re our members-in-training. We provide a wide variety of programs that benefit our youth, from safety demonstrations to scholarships for

TCEC Lineman Allen Welch (wearing a tan, long-sleeved shirt) and Safety Director Rusty Smith (wearing a navy, short-sleeved shirt) were part of a 4-H career day program to help encourage children to consider a possible future working as a Cooperative employee.

Tri-County Rural Living Vol. XVIII No. II November & December 2014 TRI-COUNTY RURAL LIVING, the voice of your member-owned, taxpaying electric utility, is published bimonthly—more if necessary—through the auspices of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. as a service to its member-owners. Postage is paid at Blountstown, FL.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Junior Smith D-1 Bobby Dodd D-2 Neal Brown D-3 Bobby Harper D-4 Catherine Bethea D-5 Gary Fulford Vice President, D-6 Albert Thomas, Jr. Secretary-Treasurer, D-7 Malcolm V. Page President, D-8 Elmer Coker D-9

EDITORIAL OFFICES 2862 West US Hwy. 90 Madison, FL 850-973-2285 PUBLICATION COMMITTEE Julius Hackett General Manager Eileen Herndon Executive Assistant Michael Curtis, Madison Media Group Writer STAFF Jeff Brewer Manager – Engineering Darrell Tuten Manager – Operations George L. Webb Manager – Administration Wendell M. Williams Manager – Finance

Send CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICES to: Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. 2862 West US Hwy. 90 Madison, FL 32340

November & December 2014

graduating high school seniors.

We offer safety education programs and demonstrations for children of all ages. Recently, Cooperative employees participated in a 4-H career day program to help encourage children to consider future employment with the Cooperative.

During the annual Rural Electric Youth Tour, more than 1,500 high school students — generally juniors — from across the country descend on Washington, D.C., to learn about government, history, and the role of electric cooperatives. This past summer, TCEC sent four students to Washington for a weeklong, all-expense-paid tour of our Capital.

Finally, we’re proud of our annual scholarships. For qualified members and their families, we offer college scholarships through North Florida Community College. These scholarships are made possible through our Energizing Education program, where members choose to round their electric bill up to the next dollar and donate the difference. 10200001 Outreach with you and improving the quality of life in the communities we serve is just one more way the Cooperative is looking out for you.

If you are interested in scheduling a safety demonstration for your organization, please contact our Community Relations Specialist at 850-973-2285, Ext. 206.

PLEASE NOTE OUR HOLIDAY HOURS Tri-County Electric Cooperative will be closed Nov. 11 for Veterans Day, Nov. 27–28 for Thanksgiving, Dec. 25–26 for Christmas and Jan. 1, 2015, for New Year’s. We will have standby crews available if needed. Please see “To Report Electrical Problems or Outages” below.

The TCEC staff and employees appreciate the honor of serving you. From all of us, we wish you a joyous Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

To Report Electrical Problems or Outages Please Call:

850-973-2285 or 1-800-999-2285 24-HOUR SERVICE THANK YOU

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Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. 2862 West US Hwy. 90 Madison, FL 32340

2014 Annual Meeting Highlights Inside