Director's Corner with Nelson Smith

Director’s Corner By Nelson Smith, CCD, BL District 2 Director

Happy New Year! That greeting will most likely mean more to us this year than it ever has before. We look forward to putting COVID-19 behind us, allowing our families, the economy, and our business to get back to a normal routine. I am also optimistic we can put the 2020 election behind us, allowing our country to reunite in a more civil and cooperative manner. Finally, I am hopeful we can see a weather pattern that is less destructive, allowing us to simply get through a new year without the flooding, wildfires and other disasters that have been so devastating around the country. It seems like 2020 left us with a lot of things to be more hopeful for in the new year. Most of the problems of 2020 are not things we can influence, so we need to turn to the things that we can influence. One of those things can be SAFETY. Being in the utility business we are surrounded by hazards relating to electricity and natural gas. There are hazards, both in our homes and on our property. In addition to serving on The Energy Cooperative's Board of Directors, I also have the honor of representing cooperatives from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia on the Federated Insurance Board of Directors, a cooperative that insures about 90% of the electric cooperatives around the country. With that position, I have become even more aware of the safety hazards that are all around us. Please take time to think about safety regarding your utilities. If you are planning on planting a new tree or digging for any reason, please call OHIO811 before you dig. It is a free service that will locate underground gas or electric lines. If you have underground electric service, make sure your children understand that the ground-mounted transformer (that green box in your yard) is an electrical hazard. Last summer two kids in another state were playing on their transformer pad, “defending it like a fort” when they received an electrical shock. There was no fatality, however, both kids did receive burns. Two summers ago, I was driving through Mount Vernon when I saw two kids playing with a Frisbee in their side yard. That is normally not a hazard, but one of the kids was climbing on a metal ladder when throwing to his brother. The problem was that when he was on that ladder, he was within inches of the electric service line going to the house next door. I drove about a block before I could get turned around and went back to the house and pointed out the danger to the kid’s mother. Farming can also be hazardous. “Look up and Live.” Make sure you have plenty on clearance of any equipment when passing under power lines. Inside your home, have outlets replaced if they make a popping noise when you turn them on and have outlets child proofed. Pay attention to the smell of natural gas (usually compared to the smell of rotten eggs) and give us a call if you suspect a gas leak. Let’s try to make 2021 a happy and SAFE new year.

Get to know your director

Nelson was elected to the board in 2003 and is presently Chairman. He serves as a Washington Township Trustee and volunteers on the board responsible for restoring the Historic Licking County Jail. He is the retired publisher of the Utica Herald, The Heath News, the Pataskala Post and On Target. Nelson is also the former part-owner of Chapel Hill Golf Course in Mount Vernon. He is married to Kim, and between them have four children and seven grandchildren.