Florida Currents
From left, Lead Lineman Greg Culbertson, Journeyman Lineman Kaleb Saunders and Lead Lineman Cory Gallimore
KOUKOS
Florida Currents
October 2024 • Volume 13, No. 12
CEO Michael Shepard
VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT Leon Espinoza
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mike Teegarden, CCC
DEPUTY EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Noble Sprayberry
SENIOR EDITOR Jennifer Paton, CCC
FLORIDA CURRENTS EDITORS
Chasity Anderson, CCC; Valeri Pearon
ASSISTANT EDITORS Victoria Hampton, CCC; David Herder, CCC
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Nina Todea
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCTION
SENIOR MANAGER
Elizabeth Beatty
SENIOR PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR
Alyssa McDougle
Members acknowledge that $4.49 a year, plus postage, is the cost to publish 12 issues a year of FLORIDA CURRENTS ISSN 23276304 (USPS 8300). Published by Pioneer Utility Resources Inc., 5625 NE Elam Young Pkwy. Ste. 100, Hillsboro, OR 97124—a not-for-profit Oregon cooperative corporation—the magazine serves the communication needs of consumerowned electric utilities in Florida. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, OR 97123 and at additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to 5625 NE Elam Young Pkwy., Ste. 100, Hillsboro, OR 97124-6422.
HOW TO CONTACT FLORIDA CURRENTS
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BIG
SEASON WITH CRAZY-FAST INTERNET.
Fulfilling
Potential Westonwood Ranch supports people with developmental challenges Spotlight, Page 12
October is National Co-op Month
We’re YOUR Co-op
Glades Electric is a not-for-profit electric cooperative built by neighbors, for neighbors. GEC serves parts of four counties in Florida’s Heartland: Glades, Hendry, Highlands and Okeechobee.
Glades Electric Cooperative was founded in 1945 by neighbors working together to bring electricity to the unserved, rural parts of Florida’s Heartland. GEC still provides at-cost electricity to more sparsely populated areas than neighboring investor-owned utilities, averaging less than seven meters per mile of service line. GEC is one of nine Florida co-ops that buys power from Seminole Electric Cooperative.
Co-op Facts and Figures
14,062 active members
18,266 active meters
2,675 miles of line
6.8 meters per mile
75 employees
As of July 31, 2024 ( )
1power provider 9 elected member-leaders
GEC’s service area labeled by district. Each district is represented by member-elected trustees. Three trustees are elected each year.
Cooperatives Power Communities With Purpose
Communities come in all shapes and sizes. Some are based on geographical proximity, some are based on shared interests or hobbies, and some communities can be found in virtual spaces like social media groups.
Regardless of where they are formed, communities can create a sense of belonging.
Glades Electric Cooperative is committed to our consumer-members, and we’re glad you are part of the electric cooperative community.
This month, more than 30,000 cooperatives across the United States are celebrating National Co-op Month. It’s a time to reflect on the aspects that set cooperatives apart from other types of businesses and celebrate the power of co-op membership.
1. Open and Voluntary Membership: Co-op membership is open to anyone who can use the co-op’s services.
2. Democratic Member Control: Members make decisions that shape the cooperative. Why? Because co-ops are created by members, for members.
Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit utilities built by the communities they serve. For Glades Electric, our mission has always been to provide safe, reliable and affordable power. We care about your quality of life, and because we are locally operated, we’re uniquely suited to meet members’ evolving energy needs.
Beyond the business of electricity, our employees and trustees are equally invested in their local community. Why? Because they live here, too. That’s why we support local economic development projects, youth programs and scholarships, charitable giving initiatives and additional programs that make our community a better place to call home.
3. Members’ Economic Participation: Members contribute money to the co-op to make sure it runs smoothly now and in the future. At Glades Electric, this happens through paying your energy bills.
4. Autonomy and Independence: Co-ops are independent and can operate on their own, which ultimately benefits the members.
5. Education, Training and Information: Co-ops continuously focus on education to ensure employees and trustees have the training and information they need to make the co-op successful.
All co-ops, including Glades Electric, are guided by the Seven Cooperative Principles that embody the values and spirit of the cooperative movement. These seven principles are a framework to help all co-ops navigate challenges and opportunities while remaining true to their purpose:
6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Co-ops share with and learn from other cooperatives. We help each other out because we want other co-ops to thrive.
7. Concern for Community: All cooperatives work for the greater good of the local communities they serve. Co-ops give back to their communities to help them thrive and grow.
As we celebrate National Co-op Month and the power of membership, we hope you know the many aspects that set electric cooperatives apart. Our mission is reliable power. Our purpose is people—the local communities we’re proud to serve.
Third-year Apprentice Lineworker Oren Crawford installs protective rubber coverings to prepare for maintenance.
GLADES ELECTRIC
Co-op Employee Spotlight
ROBERT
HALL Director of Engineering
This spring, Glades Electric Cooperative welcomed Robert Hall as our new director of engineering. Robert brings 20 years of electric utility experience, including four years at Jackson EMC, a large electric cooperative headquartered in Jefferson, Georgia. He was most recently consulting and sought a return to the “small family feel” of a co-op. His expertise is a valuable addition to our operations team.
We’re excited to have Robert on board.
Getting to Know Robert
Q: Tell us about your background.
A: I grew up in a small town: Woodbury, Georgia. My first job was actually growing peaches and selling them on the side of the road. As I grew up, I ran businesses like the peach stand and cutting grass.
After graduating from high school, I earned an associate degree at Truett McConnell College and a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering technology at Southern Polytechnic State University. During the COVID-19 years, I completed an MBA from Brenau University while working full time and helping raise three children. It took a long time, but it was a goal I set for myself when I was young.
Q: How did you go from growing peaches to becoming an engineer?
A: Both of my parents worked for Georgia Power, and my father was an industrial engineer, so the power business was in my blood. I chose industrial engineering for its balance of business and engineering, which fits well with the power industry. I had an opportunity to do an unpaid internship at Georgia Power, then tried other industries afterward, but I was always drawn back to the power business.
Q: What attracted you to Glades Electric Cooperative?
A: After being with a co-op—Jackson EMC—in Georgia then moving into consulting, I wanted to return to the small family feel of a co-op.
Glades Electric’s central location and good reputation appealed to me, as did its motto: “Neighbors Working for Neighbors.” In fact, it’s emblematic of what happened when I moved my wife and three children down from Georgia right before school started. My sons and I were unloading the moving truck, exhausted after the long drive, and 15 neighbors showed up and helped us empty the truck within an hour.
It’s that same neighborly spirit that drew me back to the electric co-op community.
Q: What does your role at Glades Electric entail?
A: My role is system planning, which means I plan for new loads, and I review the existing system including transformers, fusing, and reclosing devices to ensure they’re working as designed to prevent and reduce outages to keep the lights on for members. I also support our substation team for substation development and load management.
One of my other goals is to ensure new businesses with large loads are confident Glades Electric has the experience, qualifications, and equipment to be trusted partners for their large projects and investments.
I look forward to helping Glades Electric grow as our community grows. n
“Neighbors Working for Neighbors sums up what it means to me to serve our members. When a member routinely comes in the office, it’s as if a friend walked in. It’s like one neighbor helping another.”
Exceptional Service
Starting with Our Dedicated Member Services Team
The first week of October is National Customer Service Week. Since we’re a co-op, you’re more than a customer to Glades Electric Cooperative—you’re our member—so we celebrate Member Service Week and shine a spotlight on our member service department team members.
At utilities, lineworkers receive a lot of recognition for their role in power delivery, but member service representatives are often overlooked as the first point of contact for members.
This team of six—soon to be eight—answers your calls, greets you in our offices, and handles your SmartHub and website inquiries. The representatives start or transfer your service; handle payments made in person; initiate your service order for outdoor lights and surge protectors; help you set up SmartHub; talk you through high-use concerns; and more.
We’re grateful for our team’s dedication to serving members exceptionally, responsively and neighborly. It’s the GEC way.
2021 Capital Credit Retirement Claim Deadline
Nov. 30 is the last date to claim capital credits allocated in 1988-90 that were retired in 2021. A list of those who have unclaimed capital credits from the 2021 retirement can be found online. Just scan the QR code to the right for easy access. If you have unclaimed capital credits, call 863-946-6200 or use the online contact form. Be sure to include your account number on the form.
Member Service representatives Jessica Stafford, left, and Kate Hurtado, right, stand with Senior MSR Veronica Brown at the Moore Haven office. TOP: From left, Member Service Manager Brittany Rowan stands with Member Service representatives Darcy Green and Kara Hoffer at the Lake Placid office. PHOTOS BY JENNIFER KOUKOS
BRITTANY ROWAN, MEMBER SERVICE MANAGER
Operation Round Up
What is it?
Operation Round Up is a program that allows members to round up their monthly bills to fund projects benefiting community members in need.
Nine members serve on the board of directors for Glades Electric Charitable Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Directors review applications and approve grants.
6
North Lorida District 7
Lake Josephine District 8
$2,581.38 of Operation Round Up funds helped support individuals in need in August 2024.
How does it work?
$138 55 cents to your neighbor in need. The average yearly contribution is $6 per member.
Byars Okeechobee District 9 raised through Operation Round Up and Round Up Plus in July 2024.
Funds from Operation Round Up go right back into the communities we serve.
45%
How can I help?
$4,386.50
Did you know?
8,190 accounts participate in Operation Round Up or Operation Round Up Plus. Round Up Plus allows members to give even more, adding any set amount, $1 or more, to their bills each month.
Sign up for Operation Round Up in the SmartHub app, stop by the office or call Member Services at 863-946-6200.
How can I get help?
If you or a member you know needs financial assistance, please complete an application at: www.gladeselectric.com/community/operation-round-up. $137.45 Amount due: Power Bill UP ROUND
The participation rate it would take to raise more than $70,000 annually to support our communities. 75%
Ardis Hammock Moore Haven District 1
Beverly Eaves Hendry County District 2 Kelly Brantley Ortona/Palmdale District 3
Dori Evans Lakeport District 4
Carol Roberts Venus/Hicoria District 5
Lee Andrus Highlands Park District
Highlands
Glades
Hendry
Okeechobee
It was a warm summer afternoon and my wife and I were mingling with the best of them. The occasion was a 1920s-themed party, and everyone was dressed to the nines. Parked on the manse’s circular driveway was a beautiful classic convertible. It was here that I got the idea for our new 1920s Retrograde Watch.
Never ones to miss an opportunity, we carefully steadied our glasses of bubbly and climbed into the car’s long front seat. Among the many opulent features on display was a series of dashboard dials that accentuated the car’s lavish aura. One of those dials inspired our 1920s Retrograde Watch, a genuinely unique timepiece that marries timeless style with modern technology. With its remarkable retrograde hour and minute indicators, sunburst guilloche face and precision movement, this design is truly one of a kind. What does retrograde mean? Instead of displaying the hands rotating on an axis like most watches, the hands sweep in a semicircle, then return to their starting point and begin all over again.
1920s Style for a 1920s Price
Retrograde watches by the big brands can set you back thousands; one recent offering from a big French fashion house is selling for more than $150,000! But because we’ve designed the 1920s Retrograde Watch in-house, we can offer it to you for just $99!
This watch is so wildly popular with our customers that we’re actually concerned about running out; we only have 937 729 left for this ad!
Join more than 1 smart people who love stauer watches
Watch Specifications:
• Precision movement
• Stainless steel case, caseback and crown
• Retrograde hour and minute indicators
• Water-resistant to 5 ATM
• Brown genuine leather band
• Fits wrists up to 8"
1920s Retrograde Watch
$399 $99* + S&P Save $300
*Special price only for customers using the offer code.
“An elegant and exciting timepiece that every collector will love.”
— George omas, internationally renowned watch expert
“[A] unique and beautiful timepiece.”
— Carlos C., Los Banos, CA
Wewa Films Bring Stories to
Entrepreneur combines love for documentaries and his hometown
Kevin Elliot is passionate about creating connections. He makes them through storytelling, creativity and heart. After building businesses that paid the bills and a successful teaching career, he has now found an endeavor that feeds his passion and supports people and causes he believes in.
As co-founder of Wewa Films, Kevin makes his living by shedding light on many of the hometown people and causes he holds dear. When he and his business partner, Courtney Gaskin, started the company, he saw it as a way to explore his love of documentary filmmaking.
What followed has gone far beyond that, allowing Kevin to create opportunities for corporations, destinations and small businesses to tell their own stories and connect to audiences, customers and the community.
“We like to show the people at the heart of the business,” Kevin says. “The basis of any business is a collection of people.”
He believes that how those people connect to what they do and the stories behind why they do it are intriguing.
“That’s what really attracts people to your business,” he says. “When we started, we wanted to do documentaries.
We started putting our own stuff out there, and businesses started calling.”
It began with profiles of local artists and craftspeople. The docuseries called “CRAFT” is posted on the company’s website, where it is described as “our love letter to artists and artisans.”
Since then, they have done the same for destinations, including California’s Central Coast, Gulf County and Panama City, as well as for large corporations like McDonald’s and Toyota, showing a side of the client that touches audiences in unexpected ways. Humanizing the brand is the goal, Kevin says.
Story and photos by Colette Boehm
Kevin Elliott, co-founder of Wewa Films and Redfish Film Fest, is on a mission to shine a light on businesseslocal and causes.
Historic downtown Panama City was the location for the inaugural Redfish Film Fest in April of this year.
Heartfelt the Screen
TheDowntownBoxingClubwasoneofthe localvenuesshowingdocumentaries duringtheRedfishFilmFestinApril.
Kevinaddressesanaudiencefollowinga documentaryshowingduringtheinauguralRedfish FilmFestinPanamaCity.
Formula for Success
Wewa reaches that target through a process that balances creative storytelling with the companies’ business goals. Kevin develops the scripts. Courtney’s technical skills and cinematic vision combine for a powerful visual result. The final product is a documentary Kevin and his clients are proud to show.
This year, he took a leap of faith to allow other documentary filmmakers to show their work, as well, during Redfish Film Fest. And he did it in a place that he loves.
“I love the documentary form,” Kevin says. “I always have—since I was a kid. I also love downtown Panama City. I’ve always dreamed of a vibrant downtown.”
Kevin’s family moved to Panama City when he was 13 years old. He now lives with his wife and two daughters between Panama City and Wewahitchka— known locally as Wewa—to the north. Courtney lives with her family in Wewa, her hometown. While locating there and naming the company after Wewa felt right to them, Kevin’s passion for Panama City still runs strong.
Film Festival
He conceived the Redfish Film Fest to support the documentary film industry and his beloved downtown Panama City at the same time. The inaugural festival, held in April, brought more than 75 documentary films and filmmakers from across the country to venues throughout the city.
“I’ve been a part of the arts community in Panama City since 1988,” Kevin says, noting he has been inspired and entertained by the community’s venues, events and performances. “I’ve always gone to them and enjoyed them. This is my thing I’m giving to them. It’s a dream come true.”
The festival was, by all accounts, an enormous success. Filmmakers, audiences and local businesses were thrilled with the excitement the festival brought to Panama City. Its downtown is experiencing a bit of a renaissance and making improvements following Hurricane Michael five years ago.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time to be here,” Kevin says. “We want to show off our town now.”
The festival included five downtown film venues, plus social events at other venues. Kevin wanted attendees to fall in love with downtown as much as they fell in love with the films and the festival itself.
Keeping Promises
Kevin makes three promises to his customers. First, the client and organization will look their best. Second, the customer will be proud of the result. Third, the project will move people.
Whether the project is a Wewa Films destination marketing video, corporate recruiting video, a local artist profile or a Redfish Filmfest opening night party, Kevin ensures those promises are kept. And every project he takes on benefits from his passion for what he does.
Wewa Films’ CRAFT docuseries can be found on the company’s website at wewafilms.com/project/craft-docuseries. The next Redfish Filmfest is April 24-27, 2025, in downtown Panama City. More information can be found at redfishfilmfest.com.
Fulfilling
Westonwood Ranch supports people with developmental challenges
By Colette Boehm
Long before Weston Wood spoke his first word at the age of 7, he made an impression on the world around him, inspiring a supportive community for scores of autistic and developmentally challenged individuals in Northwest Florida.
It’s only fitting that Weston’s first word was mama. For years leading up to that milestone, Weston’s mother, Lindy, devoted her life to finding, expanding and improving access to services
for young people like her son. As he turned 14 in August, Weston began reaping the full benefits of a chain of events that started when he was diagnosed as severely autistic as a 16-month-old.
After moving from her West Alabama home with Weston and a newborn daughter to a metropolitan area with more treatment options for him, Lindy spent two years living apart from her husband and two older children.
Lindy Wood created Westonwood Ranch in Freeport after her son, Weston, was diagnosed as severely autistic. PHOTO BY COLETTE BOEHM
Potential
“The driving force that pulled me out of our hometown was that I needed to find the best therapies for Weston, and I was 100% committed,” says Lindy, a psychiatric nurse practitioner. “I didn’t want to look back and say I didn’t do X, Y or Z.”
While he made progress, she realized there was no fix.
“It took that long for us to really let it sink in that this is a lifelong disability and that this was a marathon,” she says.
A Pathway to Better Lives
Lindy realized that, even in areas where there are supportive services, autistic individuals face a service cliff after high school that threatens to rob them of their potential and their quality of life, and she knew more needed to be done. She believed it was up to her to do it.
I just had to trust that this is what I was supposed to be doing.
— Lindy Wood, owner of Westonwood Ranch
“I believe that this truly was a mission that God put on my heart,” Lindy recalls. “The pathway to make it happen wasn’t my pathway. I just had to trust that this is what I was supposed to be doing.”
That mission led the Wood family to Freeport, Florida, to what is now the 10-acre home of Westonwood Ranch. The goal of the nonprofit organization, which opened its doors six years ago, is to offer young individuals with autism opportunities to learn self-reliance, life skills and employable skills in a nurturing environment.
“We opened in August of 2018 with four very special individuals, and we’ve grown to over 50 full-time participants with an additional 40 clients in our after-school adaptive riding program and our summer programs,” Lindy explains. Ranch staff members meet with participant families to map out
Brew Chews made by Westonwood Ranch’s enterprise programs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTONWOOD RANCH
each individual’s ideals, goals and what they want for their lives. The goal is to expose these young people to multiple avenues they haven’t had the opportunity to experience elsewhere.
“We’re trying to find that one little thing—that spark that makes them light up,” Lindy says. “And then we’re channeling that into something productive, into a skill that can conceivably carry them throughout their lives.”
Building Skills
Entry-level programs are focused on general life skills needed to live more independently, like preparing meals safely, using technology, exploring art and working out in a gym—all aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and life skills.
Next, the ranch helps open doors to those who otherwise might be chronically unemployed. These opportunities come through two enterprises developing life skills and experience. Brew Chews is an entrepreneurial endeavor, based at the ranch, that manufactures dog treats. Through a partnership with Freeport’s Odd Pelican Brewery, the ranch uses spent grains to create the treats. Other local businesses partner to use or resell them. The
second operation is an aquaponic greenhouse where tilapia are raised to provide fertilizer and nutrients used to grow butter lettuce. Several area restaurant partners buy the lettuce.
Ranch participants can choose from a list of jobs in these enterprises that interest them, including baking, growing, harvesting, packaging, marketing, office skills, deliveries and more. These training opportunities help participants learn marketable skills and move into full employment, either by continuing to work at Westonwood or elsewhere. Lindy believes it also provides them with a sense of purpose and a way to contribute.
In addition to its full-time offerings, the ranch offers a therapeutic riding program to participants at least 4 years old and summer programs for even more students.
Future Plans
The next goal for Westonwood Ranch is to add a residential community on the property that could provide housing for up to 36 people and offer varying levels of support. Lindy notes a lack of affordable housing in the area.
Participants in Westonwood Ranch’s enterprise programs make, package, market, sell and deliver Brew Chews. PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTONWOOD RANCH
“If you have a disability and need some kind of special accommodations, your options are really narrowed. Again, we’re just trying to fill a void or a gap because most of our participants are living with aging parents,” she says, pointing out that alternative arrangements will be needed as those parents’ health declines.
Now, as a parent of a full-time Westonwood enrollee, how does Lindy view the journey she and her family have taken to this point?
“I never, ever would have imagined that this is what I would be doing at this point in my life. Not in a million years. But I see it differently now. I’m not the same person I was before I had Weston, and he’s changed my life lens and the way I see people and see experiences. And I cherish things that I ignored before.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” she adds. “There are hard days. But despite how difficult it is, there are some beautiful things that come out of it that I would not have ever known or experienced without him.”
We’re trying to find that one little thing—that spark that makes them light up.
—
A closed loop aquaponic system on the ranch grows butter lettuce. PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTONWOOD RANCH
Lindy Wood, owner of Westonwood Ranch
BELOW: Lindy spends time with program participants as they learn life and employment skills. PHOTO BY COLETTE BOEHM
Creamy Comfort: GET COZY WITH CHOWDER
Recipes by Gertrude Treadaway
WILCOX
Mexican Street Corn Chowder
4 tablespoons butter
1½ cups finely chopped yellow onion
½ cup seeded, stemmed and finely chopped poblano pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
4 cups chicken stock
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
24 ounces frozen corn
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup minced cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon lime juice
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream, for garnish
Lime wedges, for serving
Sliced jalapenos, for serving
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and poblano, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder and oregano. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the corn, cream and sugar. Cook for 5 minutes, until warmed through.
Transfer 11/2 cups of the soup to a blender, and puree until smooth. Stir the pureed soup back into the pot of remaining soup. Add cotija cheese, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with additional cilantro, cotija, chili powder and crema. Serve with lime wedges and jalapenos.
PHOTO BY KATIE
Cajun Shrimp Chowder
1 pound shrimp, deveined and tails removed
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound yellow potatoes, chopped
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 thyme sprigs
2 sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
3 cups sweet corn
3/4 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon paprika
Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 6 minutes. Place bacon pieces on a paper towel–lined plate. Add shrimp to bacon fat. Cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to plate with bacon. Drain bacon fat. Melt butter in the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add onion. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and garlic, and cook 30 seconds more. Add potatoes, broth, thyme and green onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn and cream. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in shrimp. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Garnish each serving with bacon and green onions.
Clam Chowder
4 slices bacon, for garnish
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup water
8 ounces clam juice
1 tablespoon chicken base
2 cups half-and-half, divided 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 6½-ounce cans chopped clams, undrained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Oyster crackers, for serving
In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon from pot. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon, then set aside. Add onion and celery to the bacon fat. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in potatoes, water, clam juice and chicken base. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup half-and-half and flour until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Return to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add clams and their juice and remaining cup of halfand-half. Stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Garnish each serving with bacon and oyster crackers.
Slow Cooker Corn Chowder With Bacon
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 potatoes, chopped
32 ounces corn, drained
32 ounces creamed corn
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 ounces evaporated milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons butter
Place everything except the evaporated milk, cornstarch and butter into the slow cooker. Add just enough chicken stock to cover the ingredients. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours until vegetables are softened.
Combine cornstarch and evaporated milk. With the butter, stir into slow cooker 30 minutes before serving. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
Broccoli Cheddar Potato Chowder
5½ tablespoons butter, divided 11/3 cups chopped carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3½ cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes, cut ½inch to 3/4-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups chopped broccoli florets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 11/2 tablespoons of butter. Add carrots, celery and onion. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, and saute 30 seconds longer.
Stir in chicken broth, potatoes and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli. Cook 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk. Whisk well until no lumps remain.
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat. Add tender vegetables to the milk mixture, and stir. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Serve warm.
Reader Challenge
Today’s word is “comfort.” Show me in a photograph what comfort looks and feels like. Think about what the word means to you, and then challenge yourself to make a photograph that communicates how you see or feel. Just as many find doing word puzzles stretches the mind and keeps the brain awake, you may discover that choosing a word to photograph might be an equally valuable exercise.
Email your best image (just one, please) with caption information, including an explanation of how it affects you, to GPH@pur.coop. We may share submissions on our website and social media channels.
Making Pictures From Words
By Dave LaBelle
Decades ago, magazines like Popular Photography offered monthly photo challenges. Often, abstract word prompts such as “red,” “love” or “happiness” were given. I never took the challenge, but now I wish I had.
As a teacher and photography director, I learned not all students or staff shared the same ability to give shape to abstract ideas or concepts. While most were proficient when asked to photograph an event, a person or an object,
many were unable to grasp nonlinear assignments requiring interpretation. One student even angrily confessed he had to seek mental help because I had asked the class to make two interpretive photographs: one of how they saw themselves and the other of how they felt others saw them. He said he didn’t know what he felt about himself, and it stressed him so severely he sought counseling.
Years ago, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I taught a multiweek photo class for inner-city youth. In one assignment, I asked the young students to
photograph something they loved or thought was beautiful and, in contrast, something they didn’t like or would like to change.
The dozen or so students came back with pictures of pets, family members, friends, parks and trees by the water. But they also shared photos of broken windows, graffiti on walls and trashy front yards. I was so impressed with their willingness to put in pictures what they felt was ugly and distasteful.
Interpretive photography— trying to illustrate an abstract concept or a word—requires
some introspection and a desire to share how you see and feel. Sometimes, it is a matter of setting aside your literal, documentary eyes and awakening your artistic, imaginative vision. Hopefully, those who view our photographs can see what we see and feel what we feel. n
Renowned author, photographer and lecturer Dave LaBelle has captured special moments for more than half a century. For more of his writings, visit davidlabelle.com and bridgesandangels.wordpress.com.
NIKON D810, 31mm lens ISO 1250, f/2.8 at 1/100
If I asked myself what photographs I have made lately that illustrate comfort, this unrehearsed scene of Maggie Kotz, lying near her dying husband, Vince, less than 24 hours before he died, would be at the top of my list. Though this is a spontaneous, documentary image, made as I stepped into the Kotzs’ bedroom to check on Vince, it also illustrates the word, “comfort.” PHOTO BY DAVE LABELLE
Over ten thousand Americans have discovered this life-changing, portable, folding battery-powered chair that offers easy one-hand operation. Isn’t it your turn?
When we first introduced the Zoomer to the public, we thought people would enjoy the handy features and benefits of this unique mobility device. We had no idea the extent to which this innovative way of solving an age-old problem would inspire people to take back their freedom and independence. We’ve received hundreds of positive reviews from people whose lives had been diminished by mobility issues. Now they are getting back in the game, enjoying the things they used to love doing:
-Shopping, visiting friends, going to church and taking leisurely strolls with loved ones.
But that’s only the beginning! Now their Zoomer enables them to navigate many situations more easily… crowded malls, uneven terrain or longer distances. It reduces their reliance on others, giving them back self-reliance and control over where they go and what they do. Studies* have shown that increased social engagement and participation in activities helps combat isolation and promotes overall well-being.
Why wait another minute watching others participate in life while you are stuck on the sidelines? Call now, and let us tell you how you can get a Zoomer of your very own.
Richard’s story
My ability to walk long distances has been a problem. Currently with the Zoomer I no longer have to sit on a bench and wait on others. I would have to miss out on shopping or experiencing different things with my family. This chair is freedom to join in and continue enjoying life’s adventures. Best decision ever!
Swivel Away Footrest
Powerful Battery/ Dual Motors
Crappie
Heaven
Florida offers outstanding crappie fishing everywhere
Florida offers some of the best crappie fishing in the nation, with two species found in the state.
Black crappie thrive in most waters north of the Keys. Although not native to Florida, white crappie occasionally appear in a few Panhandle streams.
Ben Curry Sr. set the Sunshine State record in 1992 with a 3.83-pound crappie he pulled from Lake Talquin. The lake covers about 8,800 acres on the Ochlockonee River in Leon and Gadsden counties, west of Tallahassee.
Anglers can catch great numbers of crappie through various methods. Many people simply hook a live minnow under a float and drop it near a fallen tree, stump, weed bed or other cover.
That old traditional approach still works, but because crappie often prefer deeper waters offshore, many people troll for them. Slow trolling, also called tight lining or spider rigging, involves hanging several long rods in holders off the boat bow. The rods make a fan-shaped pattern that somewhat resembles a huge spider web.
With multiple baits on several lines, anglers can fish numerous temptations at different depths simultaneously. Ease the boat forward with an electric motor to keep the lines as vertical as possible.
Another form of trolling, long-lining involves pulling several baits 10 to 40 yards behind the boat. Put the rods in holders on the stern of the boat. Many anglers troll tube jigs or spinner jigs, sometimes sweetened with live minnows.
In the fall, crappie feed heavily on shad. Shad hatched in the spring reach larger sizes by the fall, so many anglers looking for bigger crappie pull large crankbaits that resemble shad.
“Really large crappie hit large baits, just like bass,” says Jimmy Houston, a professional angler and television show host. “As a crappie gets larger, it eats bigger and bigger things. Big crappie hit spinnerbaits, crankbaits or even large plastic worms. With a bigger bait, anglers might not get as many bites, but they’ll usually catch bigger fish.”
Tasty, widespread and highly prolific, crappie exist throughout Florida. They populate just about every freshwater system.
Besides Lake Talquin, the entire St. Johns River system and associated lakes offer excellent fishing for large crappie and good
numbers. Some better crappie lakes along the river include lakes George, Woodruff, Monroe and Harney.
The largest lake in Florida, Lake Okeechobee also holds some of the biggest crappie north of the Everglades. West of Orlando, the Harris Chain produces excellent catches. Anchored by the 15,500-acre Lake Harris, the nine lakes span about 76,000 acres.
Another large chain, the Kissimmee Chain sprawls across 100,000 acres south of Orlando. Other Florida crappie waters include Lake Marion, east of Haines City; Lake Istokpoga, near Sebring; and Lake Seminole, straddling the Georgia-Florida line near Chattahoochee.
This list barely scratches the surface of great crappie waters in the Sunshine State. Chances are, unless you live in the Florida Keys, you can probably find good crappie fishing just a short distance away from home.
John N. Felsher is a freelance writer, broadcaster, photographer and editor. An avid sportsman, he’s written more than 3,500 articles for more than 170 different magazines on a wide variety of outdoor topics. He also hosts an outdoor tips show for WAVH-FM Talk 106.5 in Mobile, Alabama. Contact him at j.felsher@hotmail.com or through Facebook.
An angler admires a black crappie she caught while fishing at Lake Monroe on the St. Johns River system near Sanford, Florida. The entire St. Johns River system, as well as other waters in the state, can produce great crappie action. PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER
SHE FOUGHT FOR HER COUNTRY. IT’S OUR DUTY TO FIGHT FOR HER.
Wounded Warrior Project ® long-term support programs provide these brave men and women whatever they need to continue their fight for independence. At no cost. For life. Help us help more of these warriors in their new life-long battle. Find out what you can do at fi ndWWP.org.
ANGIE HAHN, WOUNDED VETERAN
FLORIDA CURRENTS
PLANNER
All ages can find something new and exciting around every corner of the state. Filled with rich history, abundant natural beauty and diverse events all year, Florida has something fun for everyone.
LAKE PLACID
Oct. 2
Tastes of Highlands
Join the Lake Placid Farmers Market for Tastes of Highlands, where you can enjoy the incredible flavors the area has to offer. There are plenty of food and drink options, demonstration booths and food competitions. Each week offers a new food adventure starting Oct. 2 and continuing Wednesdays through the end of March. www.lakeplacidfarmersmarket.net; 863-440-7657
KEY WEST
Oct. 3-31
40 Years of Sunsets
40 Years of Sunsets commemorates the 40th anniversary of the iconic Sunset Celebration from 6-8 p.m. at Mallory Square, a cornerstone of Key West culture. This exhibition honors the tradition of celebrating the setting sun—a practice dating back to the 1830s—which has evolved into a nightly festivity uniting people from all walks of life. The event has long supported local artists, providing a platform for them to thrive and share their talents. Half of the proceeds from the show support the Key West Cultural Preservation Society, helping alleviate the challenges posed by rising living costs and the lingering effects of the pandemic. Join us in celebrating this beloved tradition and ensuring its continuity for future generations. https://tskw.org/40-years-of-sunsets; 305-296-0458
ONA
Oct. 10
UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center Field Day
Join us from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a field day to learn about our faculty and student research, mingle with our sponsors, visit pasture experimental sites and enjoy a steak lunch. Morning presentations include “Cattle Market Outlook,” “Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture and Water Management,” “Coyote Ecology in Florida’s Rangelands” and “Benefits of Probiotic Supplementation in CowCalf Herds.” Afternoon pasture site presentations include “Feed Value of Fall Fertilized Forage,” “Smutgrass Management Techniques: Broadcast and Spot-Treatment Applications” and “Pasture Management Strategies to Increase Soil Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation.”
https://rcrec-2024-fd.eventbrite.com; 863-735-1314
PENSACOLA
Oct. 5
Catch the Spirit Arts and Crafts Festival
The Christ Episcopal Church kitchen provides lunch while its ladies group provides drinks and lots of home baked goods made with loving care by church members. Vendors have handmade items—from wreaths to toys to smell-good stuff—on display.
850-477-8596
KEY LARGO
Oct. 5
The ReMARCable Tour de Keys
This 50- or 100-mile bicycle ride is a fundraiser for the Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens (MARC) and AH Monroe. MARC provides wraparound life services for developmentally and intellectually disabled adults in Monroe County. AH Monroe provides health and housing services to underserved communities in Monroe County. This is a signature fundraiser for the agencies. Each participating rider is asked to raise $100 for missions in addition to their registration fee.
https://bit.ly/4dNE9FD; 614-264-2190
ADOBE STOCK IMAGE BY SDBOWER
PHOTO BY TYLER JONES, UF/IFAS
LAKE PLACID
Oct. 5
Barktoberfest Pet Adoption Event
Pawsitive Effects invites you to Highlands County’s largest pet adoption event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Stuart Park. Dogs and cats from nonprofit rescue organizations will be available for adoption, and vendors offer goods and services for pets and their owners. There are photos, a costume contest, pet blessings, nail trims, microchipping, memorial dedications, raffle baskets, music, food trucks, demonstrations and giveaways. Donations help support local participating rescues. For more information, visit the Pawsitive Effects Facebook page or website. www.PawsitiveEffects.org; 863-441-0351
ISLAMORADA
Oct. 17
Morada Way Art Walk
Keys-inspired fine artists, vendors, residents and visitors congregate on Morada Way to celebrate the arts and culture in the Florida Keys. Enjoy perusing art from 6-9 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. www.moradaway.org; 305-664-2471
PENSACOLA
Oct. 17-27
Pensacola Interstate Fair
This fair is the largest event on the Gulf Coast. With more than 60 rides, top-name entertainers, educational exhibits and food galore, there is always something new to see. There are facilities for the agricultural, educational, scientific, livestock, cultural, commercial, and industrial resources of surrounding counties and states. The Pensacola Interstate Fair is a star-spangled parade of exhibits that attracts participants from all over the country. https://pensacolafair.com; 850-944-4500
PENSACOLA
Oct. 18
Beach-O-Ween
Get ready for a spooky good time at the sixth annual Beach-O-Ween from 4-8 p.m. at Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. There are fun activities for children of all ages, including a Halloween bounce house, costume contest, games, face painting and hot dogs. Best of all, all games and activities are free, and there is plenty of candy to go around. Grab your costumes and head to the boardwalk for a night of frightfully good fun you won’t want to miss. www.visitpensacola.com/beach-o-ween; 850-530-3349
TAVERNIER
Oct. 18-20
Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing
LAKE PLACID
Oct. 26
16th Annual Mason G. Smoak Foundation 5K and Family Fun Day
Join us at 8 a.m. in Devane Park to walk or run a 5K through beautiful downtown Lake Placid. Stay to enjoy a family-friendly festival with free games and activities for children of all ages. Additional activities include a rock-climbing wall, bounce houses and cornhole. Barbecue dinners and lots of yummy snacks are available throughout the event.
https://www.masongsmoakfoundation.org; 863-417-5414
SEBRING
Oct. 20
Pumpkin Patch Street Festival and Children’s Business Fair
Enjoy free activities, children’s concerts and games for all ages beginning at noon on North Ridgewood Drive. At the pumpkin patch, find pumpkins for sale with fall backdrops available for photos. The children’s museum is also open for play with half-price admission—$4 per person. Explore the Children’s Business Fair celebrating and providing a platform for young minds’ big ideas. Children develop an idea or brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy and open for customers at this one-day marketplace. An awards ceremony takes place at 3 p.m. www.childrensmuseumhighlands.com; 863-451-5385
Aspiring anglers can learn, practice, go fishing and win prizes at this award-winning tournament. Hosted by the nonprofit Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing Foundation, the No-Yelling School of Fishing offers classroom presentations, two networking events, hands-on skills practice, optional charter boat fishing and the Fishing Fever Tournament. Classes are at the waterfront Elks Lodge in Tavernier. No equipment or experience is necessary. Optional offshore or inshore charter fishing out of Islamorada is offered on Friday and Sunday, with prizes awarded for the tournament. Participants can also fish from their own boats. www.ladiesletsgofishing.com; 954-475-9068
SEBRING
Oct. 25
Fall-O-Ween on the Circle
Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce hosts this free event. Activities include trunk or treat, face painting, games, music, a monster mash, and Lil Pumpkin Princess and Pumpkin Princess pageants. This is the second year the haunted maze is inside Circle Theatre. The haunted maze is a ticketed activity from 5-10 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
www.sebring.org; 863-385-8448
HOW TO INCLUDE UPCOMING EVENTS
Want to share a family-friendly event with the readers of Florida Currents? Head online and enter the details at tinyurl.com/FloridaCurrents. Make sure to submit the item at least 60 days before the event (due to press deadline). If you own rights to a print-quality photo promoting your event, include it with photo credit information.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON G. SMOAK FOUNDATION STAFF
Removing Invasive Plants
For many gardeners, their yard is their sanctuary. It’s a place of peace and quiet in a busy world.
Unfortunately, there may be trouble in paradise. Invasive plants are more than a threat to our ecosystem and economy; they’re a threat to the tranquility of our landscapes.
In the world of horticulture, many invasive species begin as landscape favorites. That fabulous filler shrub may fill your garden inch by inch and then row by row. Suddenly it’s in your neighbor’s yard, too. Worse still, over time it crowds out native species. This deprives native wildlife—such as birds, bees and butterflies—of food and shelter.
In the past century, more than 50,000 plant and animal species have been brought to and established in the United States. About one in seven becomes invasive.
Countless ornamentals listed as invasive are still in production, found wherever garden supplies are sold. They’re attractive, and they don’t come with warning labels or caution signs.
So, what’s a gardener to do?
Take these three steps to remove problem species and restore tranquility to your garden: research, remove and replace.
Step 1: Research
Before you pull out, share or buy a plant, do your research. Check with the University of Florida IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas for a plant’s invasive status. The assessment includes pictures to help identify the plant in question. The information is specific to North, Central and South Florida. What about the anonymous plants in your garden? Sometimes even plant ID experts have trouble identifying a species. Other times, it’s been there so long you’ve forgotten a plant’s name.
In these cases, your best option is to contact your county extension office for help identifying the plant.
Step 2: Remove
Once you’ve identified a problem species, it’s time to remove it. With invasive species, this is often a challenge. They are, by nature, hard to remove.
Generally, mechanical control methods—such as pulling out the plant—should be tried before chemical control is attempted. Be sure to bag all plant debris and dispose of it in the regular, landfill trash. This keeps cuttings and seeds from being established elsewhere. Many tough groundcover species can be difficult to remove by hand. In these cases, save your strength and let the sun kill them instead.
In the hotter months of the year, cover the area with clear plastic. Then, bury the edges to keep it secure and wait. This process is called soil solarization and is simple and inexpensive.
After six weeks, the plants underneath should be dead. However, Prolonged periods of cloudy weather may require extending the treatment period.
In extreme cases, a targeted application of herbicides may be
necessary. Stumps of trees, for example, should always be treated with an appropriate herbicide to prevent regrowth.
Before applying a pesticide, it’s important to educate yourself.
Irreversible damage to your landscape is possible. Some herbicides are also toxic to humans. Reading and following all label instructions is required by law.
Consult the Florida Homeowner Herbicide Guide for more information.
Step 3: Replace
Once an invasive plant is removed, it’s time to fill the hole.
Gardeners can choose from native species, Florida-friendly nonnatives and sterile (non-fruiting) varieties. Many alternatives are bred at the University of Florida.
Lantana, for example, is a popular landscape plant. Unfortunately, it is also listed as invasive in North, Central and South Florida. Native replacement options include beach sunflower, pineland lantana and tropical sage.
There are also several non-native but landscape-safe substitutes: African bush daisy, blue daze, rose, and autumn or scarlet sage.
However, for gardeners reluctant to lose their lantana, there is a third option: a sterile variety.
Recently, the University of Florida released three sterile varieties of lantana: “Bloomify Red,” “Bloomify Rose” and “Luscious Royale Red Zone.” More are in production and coming soon. n
Natasha Atlas graduated from the University of Florida’s Agricultural Education and Communication Program in 2021. She loves writing about unique and new varieties of flowers and plants for the Neighborhood Gardener Newsletter and its 10,000 subscribers. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys tending her own garden on her balcony.
When considering replacing invasive plants in your garden, the convertible rose is one of several non-native but landscape-safe substitutes. PHOTO COURTESY OF UF/IFAS
Power Plant Rule Threatens Electric Reliability
Keeping the lights on at a cost you, the consumer members of Glades Electric Cooperative, can afford is the focal point of everything we do. Transparency is one of our core values, so in addition to sharing co-op successes, we also have a responsibility to tell you about the challenges.
In May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule that impacts energy production from power plants. The power plant rule will undoubtedly threaten access to reliable electricity for our local community and communities across the country.
The rule constrains coal and new natural gas plants by requiring them to install carbon capture and storage—a technology that has potential but has not been proven to be as viable as required.
No power plant in North America currently uses CCS at the scale and levels mandated by EPA. When power plants aren’t able to comply with EPA’s CCS requirements, they will be required to shut down, significantly limit operations or switch fuels. These unrealistic standards will force the unnecessary and early shutdown of many power plants that currently provide reliable electricity 24/7.
Renewable sources—such as solar and wind—are components of the national overall generation mix. However, given the intermittent nature of these energy sources, we cannot depend on them because the wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine. The need for always-available power generating resources is still essential.
The timing of the power plant rule is equally troubling.
At the same time the EPA is leading our nation down the path to fewer power plants, utilities are facing a surge in electricity demand—driven by the onshoring of manufacturing, the growth of
the American economy and the rapid expansion of data centers to support artificial intelligence, e-commerce and cryptocurrency.
Many states have already experienced rolling outages, and if the supply of electricity is further threatened by the EPA’s power plant rule, the problem will only get worse. In fact, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation—the nation’s electric reliability watchdog—recently forecasted that over the next five years, all or parts of 19 states are at high risk of rolling power outages during normal peak electricity demand conditions.
It’s also no secret when demand is high and supply is low, costs go up. We’re concerned about threats to reliability as well as cost increases for our members.
This information isn’t shared to worry you, but we do want to communicate the challenges that lie ahead. Just as we’ve always done, we will look for solutions that serve our members best.
We are joining electric co-ops across the country to fight these regulations, and we are working with our elected officials to help them understand the consequences this would have on Floridians.
Co-ops are no strangers to innovation, and we’re taking proactive steps to address today’s energy challenges and tomorrow’s energy needs.
We’ll continue to explore new technologies and strategies that bolster reliability and our local grid.
Electric cooperatives like GEC power 42 million Americans. At the end of the day, our top priority is to meet our members’ energy needs, and we must have reliable electricity available to do that.
IMPACTS OF THE EPA’S POWER PLANT RULE
IMPACTS OF THE EPA’S POWER PLANT RULE
To learn more about policy impacts to power reliability, or to make your voice heard, visit voicesforcooperativepower.com. n
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power plant rule threatens access to reliable electricity for millions of Americans. The EPA’s power plant rule will:
IMPACTS OF THE EPA’S POWER PLANT RULE
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power plant rule threatens access to reliable electricity for millions of Americans. The EPA’s power plant rule will:
Force the premature closure of many power plants that currently provide electricity 24/7.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power plant rule threatens access to reliable electricity for millions of Americans. The EPA’s power plant rule will: Force the premature closure of many power plants that currently provide electricity 24/7.
Mandate the deployment of unproven carbon capture and storage technology.
Force the premature closure of many power plants that currently provide electricity 24/7.
Mandate the deployment of unproven carbon capture and storage technology.
Jeopardize the reliability of the grid at a time when America is already facing a surge in electricity demand.
Mandate the deployment of unproven carbon capture and storage technology.
Jeopardize the reliability of the grid at a time when America is already facing a surge in electricity demand.
Heighten the risk of rolling power outages to relieve pressure on the electric grid.
Jeopardize the reliability of the grid at a time when America is already facing a surge in electricity demand.
Heighten the risk of rolling power outages to relieve pressure on the electric grid.
Increase costs for consumers as utilities are forced to pay for new power generation to comply with the EPA rule. 1 2 3 4 5
Heighten the risk of rolling power outages to relieve pressure on the electric grid.
Increase costs for consumers as utilities are forced to pay for new power generation to comply with the EPA rule.
Increase costs for consumers as utilities are forced to pay for new power generation to comply with the EPA rule.
• INNOVATION DRIVEN BY YOU—Members help co-ops adapt and innovate to meet changing needs.
• BUILDING CONNECTIONS—When you keep it cooperative by supporting co-ops, you’re building community connections and strengthening our shared potential.
• SUPPORT COMMUNITIES—We invest in the areas we serve to help everyone succeed.
• PROMOTE GROWTH—Our members support us, and we support their communities with jobs, scholarships, sponsorships and more.
October is National Co-op Month!
A Cooperative Difference: Member Led, Member Elected
Did you know each co-op member (that’s you) can vote for members to serve on the Glades Electric Cooperative Board of Directors to lead our not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative?
As part-owner of the co-op, members have the opportunity each spring to vote for three trustees to serve on our nine-member board. Trustees serve three-year terms, and each trustee represents a district serving a portion of GEC’s service area.
Current trustees, districts and areas served are listed on the back page of every issue of Florida Currents.
Election Process Timeline
60-140 days prior
No less than 90 days prior
No less than 45 days prior
Trustee Terms Expiring in
No less than 5 days prior Spring 2025
Nominating committee appointed and trustee nominees selected. The board of trustees must appoint a committee of five to 11 members who prepare and post at headquarters, at least 45 days before the meeting, a list of nominations for trustees to be elected.
Nominations by petition accepted. Any 15 or more members may make additional nominations in writing not less than 90 days prior to the annual meeting.
Nominations must be posted at headquarters.
Names and addresses of nominees will be sent to members.
Elections held in March or April for three districts. Election details to be announced.
Trustee Duties
Becoming a GEC trustee is a commitment to learning about the electric cooperative industry, representing members and the cooperative.
Trustees must learn about power generation, transmission and distribution, cooperative financial decision-making, strategic planning, key issues, trends and challenges in the industry to provide sound oversight for the cooperative, and to serve our members well.
Become a credentialed cooperative director and maintain certification with continuing education.
Prepare for and attend monthly board meetings. Some trustees represent GEC on additional boards.
Be responsive to member concerns and questions. Attend various events to represent GEC.
Trustee Qualifications
By-Laws Article IV, Section 3: Qualifications
For a person to be qualified to become or remain a Trustee of the Cooperative, they must:
A. Be a natural person or individual and be a member of the Cooperative for at least 12 months, maintain their primary residence in the district which the Trustee represents and purchase electric energy from the Cooperative at that residence;
B. Not be employed by or have a material financial interest in a competing enterprise or business that sells electrical energy or a supplier, contractor, consultant or any other entity with which the Cooperative does a substantial amount of business;
C. Not have a relative employed by the Cooperative (the word “relative” shall be a defined word as used in these By-Laws and shall mean children or their spouses, grandchildren or their spouses, husband, wife, sister, brother, parents, stepparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and their children, mother-in-law or father-in-law, sisters-in-law or brothers-in-law);
D. Not be employed by the Cooperative or any entity controlled by the Cooperative or an entity in which the Cooperative owns a majority interest and must not have been employed by the Cooperative for a period of five years before becoming a Trustee, and no Trustee may become an employee of the Cooperative or any entity controlled by the Cooperative or an entity in which the Cooperative owns a majority interest for a minimum of five years after leaving the Board of Trustees;
E. Attend at least three-fourths of the regular monthly Board meetings during any 12-month period beginning with the first month the Trustee takes office unless the failure to attend a meeting is excused by Board action;
F. Not been convicted of a felony or any misdemeanors involving dishonesty;
G. Subjected to a criminal background check administered by the Cooperative;
H. Subjected to and passed the initial drug screenings administered by the Cooperative for its employees;
I. Subjected to a credit check performed by the Cooperative without evidence of a history of financial irresponsibility; and
J. Is a member in good standing of the Cooperative without any disconnections for nonpayment of utility services within the last five (5) years.
All persons desiring eligibility to become or remain a Trustee shall be required to (1) execute a document that affirms compliance with the qualifications as stated in Article IV, Section 3 of these By-Laws, and (2) provide a release for the Cooperative to investigate and acquire reports necessary to affirm such compliance in order to be deemed qualified. Upon establishment of the fact that a Trustee is holding office in violation of any of the foregoing provisions, the Board of Trustees shall remove such Trustee from office. Nothing contained in this section shall affect any manner whatsoever the validity of any action taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees.
Trustee Compensation
By-Laws Article IV, Section 7: Compensation
Trustees shall not receive any salary or other financial benefits for their services except that members of the Board may by resolution authorize a fixed sum for each day or portion thereof spent on Cooperative business. Such as attendance at meetings, conferences and training programs or performing committee assignments when authorized by the Board. If authorized by the Board, Board members may also be reimbursed for expenses actually and necessarily incurred in carrying out such Cooperative business or granted a reasonable per diem allowance by the Board in lieu of detailed accounting for some of these expenses. No Board members shall receive compensation for serving the Cooperative in any other capacity, nor shall any close relative of a Board member receive compensation for serving the Cooperative unless the payment and amount of compensation shall be specifically authorized by a vote of the members or the service by the Board member or his close relative shall have been certified by the Board as an emergency measure. The Board shall terminate such services immediately when the emergency ceases to exist.
For additional election information, see our By-Laws at www.gladeselectric.com/member-services/member-forms-information. If you are interested in serving on the nominating committee or the board of trustees, contact Jennifer Koukos at 863-531-5004 or communications@gladeselectric.com.
Living on a canal off the Caloosahatchee River presents interesting views, from storms to sunsets to Florida wildlife.
Share the Beauty In Your Backyard
Florida’s geography is vast and beautiful, from lakes to oceans and parks to beaches. Some of you have views from your homes that rival the views of national parks.
From time to time, we share some of readers’ photos in this space. If we use
your photo here, we will send your choice of a $25 gift card to REI or Amazon.
To submit your photo, email a JPEG file to photos@floridacurrents.com. Include “Before You Go” in the subject line. Please share a bit about what inspired you to make your photo. n
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation
Required by 39 USC 3685
Filed with the USPS on 9-09-24
FLORIDA CURRENTS, (ISSN 23276304, USPS 8300), is published monthly at 5625 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite 100, Hillsboro, OR 97124. Twelve issues are published annually with a subscription price of $7.52 paid by utility members in their electric bills.
The name and complete mailing address of the publisher is: Pioneer Utility Resources Inc., 5625 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite 100, Hillsboro, OR 97124.
The name and complete mailing address of the editor is Mike Teegarden, 5625 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite 100, Hillsboro, OR 97124. The owner is Pioneer Utility Resources Inc. (PUR). There are no known bondholders or other security holders.
PUR is a nonprofit organization mailing under DMM Section 423.12. Its purpose, function and nonprofit status for federal income tax purposes has not changed in the preceding 12 months.
I certify the statements made by me are correct and complete. Chasity Anderson, Editor
PHOTO BY SUSAN HABERLAND
WForest Through the Trees
What Stauer Clients Are Saying About Our Knives
“Outstanding knife of high quality and a great price. I now have a number of your great cutlery in my growing collection!”
— Robert F., Richardson,
TX
e know you. You’re not interested in everyday, run-of-themill, common cutlery. You want something with a story, a unique feature that you can brag about. We’ve got just the thing for you. Our Mighty Conifer Knife is a unique tool with a Damascus steel blade and a handle crafted from an enhanced and stabilized natural pinecone. While our competitors are charging hundreds for similar knives, we’re offering the Mighty Conifer for JUST $99! at’s what we call our Stauer Impossible Price.
Join more than 389,000 sharp people who collect stauer knives
Each pinecone — and therefore, each knife — has its own unique characteristics. And the back of the handle features hand tooling, a further demonstration of each piece’s individual nature.
e blade is nothing to scoff at either. Constructed of Damascus steel, a modern reworking of the legendary steel forged by ancient swordsmiths, this nearly 5-inch blade features 256 layers of steel that have been folded on top of each other to increase its durability. Our competitors are charging hundreds for boring, run-of-themill knives with no features worth bragging about. We’re asking JUST $99 for a knife unlike any you’ve seen before!
With its full-tang construction and high-quality genuine leather sheath, the Mighty Conifer Knife is the perfect blade for the
person who wants to stand out. CALL NOW! If you’re one of the first 700 587 callers for this ad, we’ll throw in a pair of Stauer 8x21 Compact Binoculars — a $99 value — ABSOLUTELY FREE!
Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!
Knife Speci cations:
• 9 ½" overall length. Full-tang construction
• Damascus steel blade and natural pinecone handle
• Genuine leather sheath
Mighty Conifer Knife
$299 $99* + S&P Save $200
*You must use Insider Offer Code: MCK213-01 to get this price.
Stauer 8x21 Compact Binoculars a $99 value with your purchase
California residents please call regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product.
1-800-333-2045
Your Insider Offer Code: MCK213-01
CONTACT US
863-946-6200 (member services)
844-201-7203 (24-hour phone payments) www.gladeselectric.com
OFFICES
7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday
26733 U.S. Hwy. 27
P.O. Box 519
Moore Haven, FL 33471
214 SR 70 W.
Lake Placid, FL 33852
REPORT AN OUTAGE
Via the SmartHub app ~ 863-946-6200 (24/7 outage reporting)
Please have your account number ready.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Lee Henderson, President, District 6 Highlands Park, 863-633-9281
Barney Goodman, Vice President, District 2 Hendry County, 561-414-8737
Shannon Hall, Secretary/Treasurer, District 4 Lakeport and Brighton, 863-946-3242
Donnie Lundy, Trustee, District 1 Moore Haven, 863-946-0402
Mike Pressley, Trustee, District 3 Ortona and Palmdale, 863-673-9158
Brad Oxer, Trustee, District 5 Venus and Hicoria, 863-441-1866
Fred Tagtmeier, Trustee, District 7 Lorida, 863-214-4994
Vicki Pontius, Trustee, District 8 Lake Josephine, 863-414-2917
Angela Hodges, Trustee, District 9 Okeechobee, 863-801-3140
The Board’s next meeting is at 9 a.m. Oct. 31 at Moore Haven Headquarters Office. Any changes are posted in the lobby of both district offices.
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Jeff Brewington, CEO
Courtney Brown, Chief Personnel Officer
Jennifer Koukos, Chief Communications Officer
Jennifer Manning, Chief Financial Officer
Michael Roberge, Chief Operations Officer
Vicki Pontius Fills Board President Vacancy
October is National Cooperative Month. One of the key distinctions of the cooperative model is governance by a board comprised of its members.
The death of Glades Electric Cooperative Board President Jack Coxe left a vacancy in the District 8 trustee seat to represent members in the Lake Josephine area. Jack left big shoes to fill, but the board believes it found a strong successor to complete Jack’s term, which expires in 2027.
Per Glades Electric bylaws, at the Aug. 29 board meeting the board approved Vicki Pontius to fill the vacancy for the unexpired portion of Jack’s term. She joins the GEC board with an impressive resume.
Vicki worked for Highlands County Board of County Commissioners for more than 35 years, rising from a stock clerk in the road and bridge department to the leisure services director—where she managed the Highlands County Library System—and the tourist development and natural resources departments, alongside a sizable staff and significant budgeting responsibilities.
Vicki retired from the county in 2018 with several licenses and certifications, as well as experience serving in leadership roles on multiple professional boards. She has also been the Glades Electric Charitable Trust District 8 director since October 2023.
Vicki is a graduate of Sebring High School, with degrees from South Florida State College and Hodges University.
We are pleased Vicki has stepped forward to serve Glades Electric members. She is excited to learn about the electric cooperative business model through board certification programs and conferences. We welcome her to the Glades Electric Board of Trustees.
Jeff Brewington