Stories | Recipes | Events | People | Places | Things | Local News May 2019
Wiregrass
Electric Cooperative
Capital adventures WEC sponsors 10 students for 2019 Montgomery Youth Tour
ALABAMA LIVING is delivered to some 420,000 Alabama families and businesses, which are members of 22 not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed and taxpaying electric cooperatives. AREA cooperative member subscriptions are $3 a year; non-member subscriptions, $6. Alabama Living (USPS 029920) is published monthly by the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama, and at additional mailing office.
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VOL. 69 NO. XX MAY 2019
POSTMASTER send forms 3579 to: Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, Alabama 36124-4014. ALABAMA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
AREA President Fred Braswell Editor Lenore Vickrey Managing Editor Allison Griffin Creative Director Mark Stephenson Art Director Michael Cornelison Advertising Director Jacob Johnson Advertising Coordinator, Graphic Designer Brooke Echols Communications Coordinator Laura Stewart
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Printed in America from American materials Alabama Living
Building principles
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Time well spent
WEC celebrates its 80th anniversary by looking back at the cooperative’s principles.
Former trustee Nolan Laird reminisces on his successful 33 years on the board.
D E PA R T M E N T S
ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES:
340 TechnaCenter Drive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-6031 1-800-410-2737 E-mail: advertising@areapower.com www.areapower.coop
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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9 Spotlight 26 Worth the drive 29 Around Alabama 36 Gardens 40 Outdoors 41 Fish & Game Forecast 46 Cook of the month 54 Snapshots ONLINE: alabamaliving.coop ON THE COVER: WEC recently sponsored 10 local high school juniors for an allexpenses-paid trip to visit the state Capitol in Montgomery. Pictured on the cover, front row, from left, are Madison Clay, Emma Houston, Claire Aplin, Addison Reynolds, Victoria Zinn, back row, from left, Gavin Gomez, Ashlyn Simpson, Keely McGriff, Cole Saunders and Braydon Whitaker. See story, Page 6.
MAY 2019 3
Happy 80th anniversary, Wiregrass Electric! Board of Trustees Donna Parrish District 2 President
Tracy Reeder District 5 Vice President Debra E. Baxley District 1 Secretary John Clark Jr. District 3
Danny McNeil District 4
Kip Justice District 6
Donald Ray Wilks District 7
Greg McCullough District 8
David Winstead District 9
4 MAY 2019
Les Moreland, CEO Wiregrass Electric Cooperative Eighty years ago this month, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative formed. The people of this community came together and created an organization that could help bring the life-changing technology known as electricity to the area. Try imagining what 80 years from today will look like. Perhaps you imagine being able to buy a ticket to go see another planet or to take a drive in your flying car. Everything I try to imagine seems like science fiction, but what I do know is that it will be much different in ways that none of us can predict. Now, try to imagine explaining 2019 to someone from our community living in 1930. Much of what you would say would seem just like science fiction. Imagine explaining that you carry a small square in your pocket that has access to all the world’s information and that can teach you how to do anything. Or, that you can press a button and see and talk to someone across the world through a video camera with that same square. Few could have imagined that you would be able to press a few buttons and items from all over the world could be delivered to your doorstep within a day or two. But all these things are real. What I can tell you about the year 2099 is the same thing that the farmer, homemaker or businessman from 1939 would also have told you: It’ll need reliable, affordable electricity to run. In 1939, that man or woman didn’t have access to technology we take for granted every day: refrigeration, a stove that didn’t require
you to chop wood, light bulbs instead of candles and the ability to sharpen your tools without manually grinding them. These were not science fiction in 1939, but they were out of reach for people living outside of the big cities. So, they took it upon themselves to create a cooperative — a place of business that wouldn’t consider the profit of stringing electric lines through woods and tough terrain in order to serve a single farmhouse. Eighty years later, we are so thankful they did! Their sacrifices and hard work laid the foundation for every facet of our modern lives. Our homes, schools, businesses, factories and, for some, even our cars all require electricity. Every day, WEC sees to its mission of providing that life-changing infrastructure at an affordable, reliable rate for all the communities that depend on us. We also look for ways we can ensure that the Wiregrass will be ready for the future, and can take part in the best parts of what’s happening today. For our communities, that means access to reliable, high-speed internet. That’s why we’ve partnered to bring fiber access to as much of our service area as is possible today. It’s also why we are continuing to work to expand those possibilities and get fiber to more of our members. To that end, WEC continues to bring attention to the disparities that exist between rural areas and the big cities. We need real, fast, reliable broadband, and we are fighting to bring it here. I firmly believe that 80 years from now, the people reading this magazine will be so glad we did. n
Contact WEC at 800-239-4602 for more information.
www.alabamaliving.coop
Celebrating
o ur pas t
In 1939, the people of the Wiregrass formed a cooperative to create a better way of life through the power of electricity. For 80 years, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative has fulfilled that mission, from first bringing electricity to farmers and families in the 1940s to providing reliable, affordable service today. While WEC’s mission and values are unchanged, the cooperative has improved technology and facilities while continuing to emphasize a commitment to safety. Three years ago, WEC also launched its charitable foundation, Operation Round Up, which made donations throughout the Wiregrass to create a better quality of life for the people of this community. The cooperative recently embarked on a new journey to help bring broadband to the Wiregrass and to stand in the gap for rural America, just as it did 80 years ago with electricity.
80 YEARS
1939-2019
As it fulfills its mission, WEC embraces seven cooperative principles. In the next seven issues of Alabama Living, stories will focus on each of these principles and explain how WEC works to live up to them daily. n
WEC Service Area
Contact Information Mailing address 509 N. State Hwy 167 P.O. Box 158, Hartford, AL 36344 Phone 1-800-239-4602 Toll Free Outage “Hotline” 1-888-4-MY-OUTAGE 1-888-469-6882 (24 hrs/day) Website www.wiregrass.coop Find us here:
Find Wiregrass Electric Co-op on Twitter (@WEC2), Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Payment Options 1. Open and voluntary membership
Membership in a cooperative is open to all persons who can reasonably use its services and stand willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, regardless of race, religion, gender or economic circumstances.
2. Democratic member control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. Elected representatives (directors/ trustees) are elected from among the membership and are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote); cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
Alabama Living
3. Members’ economic participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital remains the common property of the cooperative. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, setting up reserves, benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative, and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
4. Autonomy and independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control as well as their unique identity.
5. Education, training and information
Education and training for members, elected representatives (directors/ trustees), CEOs and employees help them effectively contribute to the development of their cooperatives. Communication about the nature and benefits of cooperatives, particularly with the general public and opinion leaders, helps boost cooperative understanding.
6. Cooperation among cooperatives
By working together through local, national, regional and international structures, cooperatives improve services, bolster local economies and deal more effectively with social and community needs.
7. Concern for community
Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies supported by the membership.
BY MAIL Wiregrass Electric Cooperative Inc. Department 1340, P.O. Box 2153 Birmingham, AL 35287-1340 WEBSITE Payments may be made 24 hrs/day by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and E-Check on our website at www.wiregrass.coop. PHONE PAYMENTS Payments may be made any time by dialing 1-800-239-4602. NIGHT DEPOSITORY Available at each office location. IN PERSON Mon. – Fri. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Payment kiosks also available 24/7 in all offices. Hartford 509 N. State Hwy. 167 • Hartford, AL 36344 Samson 13148 W. State Hwy. 52 • Samson, AL 36477 Ashford 1066 Ashford Highway • Ashford, AL 36312 Dothan 6167 Fortner St. • Dothan, AL 36305 For questions regarding sanitation service, call Houston County Sanitation Department at 334-677-4781 or Dothan City Sanitation at 334-615-3820. MAY 2019 5
Students from around the state attended the 2019 Montgomery Youth Tour to learn more about Alabama’s history and electric cooperatives’ role in that history.
APPRECIATION 2019 participants learn about cooperatives at Montgomery Youth Tour
Wiregrass Electric Cooperative recently sponsored 10 high school juniors for an all-expenses-paid trip to the state capital for the Montgomery Youth Tour. During the trip, the students visited historic sites like the Alabama State House, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the state archives and more. The goal of the Youth Tour is to educate the students on Alabama’s history and the role electric cooperatives have played in that story. Students also receive a $500 scholarship from WEC, which not all cooperatives provide. WEC honored all 10 participants at a banquet on March 20 at its main office in Hartford. “This program is such a great experience for these students,” says WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro. “It not only teaches them about the importance of electric cooperatives, but it also helps shape them into our future leaders. We look forward to sponsoring students each year.” At the banquet, judges selected two students through an interview process to represent WEC on the Washington, D.C., Youth Tour this summer. This year’s winners are Claire Aplin, who attends Ashford High School, and Victoria Zinn of Samson High School. 6 MAY 2019
The 2019 Montgomery Youth Tour delegates pictured with WEC board president Donna Parrish, board members Danny McNeil and David Winstead and WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro at the Youth Tour Banquet.
Gavin Gomez of Wicksburg High School was the first alternate. “I almost cried,” Zinn says on hearing she had won. “I have never been to Washington before, and I don’t think I would have ever had a chance to go had it not been for this trip and Wiregrass Electric. I am so excited and grateful that they chose me.” WEC board president Donna Parrish has served on the board for 10 years and said the Youth Tour is one of the best programs the cooperative sponsors. “It has been amazing to me to see the matu-
rity that these kids have shown over the years,” Parrish says. “These students are the cream of the crop, and it’s amazing how much this program helps them.” Students gain a better understanding of cooperatives through the program, and they also learn leadership skills and how to branch out and meet new people. “I don’t regret going on this trip one bit,” Gomez says. “I got to meet people like me, people who aren’t like me, and it was a great experience. There was nothing about this trip that I didn’t like.” www.alabamaliving.coop
One of the biggest lessons is how important the cooperative is to the community. “One of my biggest takeaways was that the people who work at the cooperative are here for you,” Gomez says. “It’s not like a normal business that is trying to make money. They just want to help people, and I really like that about cooperatives.” n
2019 Youth Tour Participants Claire Aplin — Ashford High School Addison Reynolds — Houston Academy Ashlyn Simpson — Northside Methodist Academy Braydon Whitaker — Slocomb High School Cole Saunders — Geneva County High School Emma Houston — Providence Christian School Gavin Gomez — Wicksburg High School Keely McGriff — Northview High School Madison Clay — Houston County High School Victoria Zinn — Samson High School
Claire Aplin, Emma Houston, Gavin Gomez and the other delegates visited the Alabama State House to learn more about state government and have a chance to meet their local politicians.
Pictured front row, from left are Emma Houston, Claire Aplin, Addison Reynolds and Victoria Zinn. Pictured on the back row, from left are Madison Clay, Ashlyn Simpson, Keely McGriff, Braydon Whitaker, Cole Saunders and Gavin Gomez.
Alabama Living
Youth Tour students know the importance of Wiregrass Electric Students from around the Wiregrass apply each year to attend the Montgomery Youth Tour for a chance to learn more about state government and the importance of cooperative utilities as well as to visit historic monuments and meet other students from across the state. Wiregrass Electric selects 10 students from the area. This year, two of the participants, Claire Aplin and Keely McGriff, already have an understanding of how important WEC is to the region. When Hurricane Michael struck the Wiregrass in October 2018, it left 18,000 WEC members without power — some for nearly 10 days. Linemen from cooperatives across the state traveled to the Wiregrass to help restore power. Aplin, who attends Watermark Church, stepped up with other members of the church to try to make the linemen’s jobs easier. She and her family took loads of linemen’s clothes home to wash. When they returned the clothes, they placed handwritten notes inside the bags to let the linemen know they appreciated all they were doing to restore power. “They were taking time out of their days and their lives to get the power back on, and it was the least we could do,” she says. McGriff had a similar experience. A day after the storm made landfall, McGriff and her family had not been able to reach her grandmother, who was located in an area with heavy damage. Unsure what to do, they reached out to WEC for information. Not only did they get information that she was OK, but WEC also sent a truck to her house to check on her. The gesture provided much-needed relief to McGriff ’s family. McGriff and Aplin shared those stories during the interviews to select the Washington, D.C., Youth Tour participants. Wanda Woods, support services coordinator at PowerSouth, has been the Youth Tour director there for more than 20 years. She is also a judge to select the Washington Youth Tour participants for WEC. She loves hearing those types of stories from Youth Tour delegates. “We look at the younger generation, and we think they don’t care,” Woods says. “To hear a young girl took time to volunteer and wash clothes for linemen is amazing to hear. It was special to hear a girl say her family was worried about her grandmother, and Wiregrass stepped up and went and checked on her. That’s going above and beyond. I thought that said a lot about Wiregrass Electric and those students. That shows Wiregrass Electric is doing something right.”
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Former WEC trustee Nolan Laird cut the ribbon on the new Samson office when it opened in 2014. Today, the new office helps better serve WEC members and was one of Laird’s proudest accomplishments during his tenure on the board of trustees.
Fruits of his labor
Nolan Laird looks back on his time as a trustee On a recent early-spring day, Nolan Laird drove his tractor alongside backhoe and bulldozer operators, burying pipe to improve drainage on his farm. It’s the 57th year the Florala man has planted crops — mostly corn and peanuts. Laird approaches improvements at his farm much like he did his service as a board member at Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, a position from which he recently retired after three decades. “There’s always something that needs doing. It’s challenging, and I like a challenge,” he says. “There’s a lot of parallels between the electric industry and farming.” Dedication is an example of the similarities. In his 33 years of service to the WEC board, Laird never missed a meeting. Sometimes it wasn’t easy shutting the tractor down and leaving the cotton or peanuts in the fields to attend a board meeting. “I was elected to represent the people, and I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t at the meetings,” he says. For his dedication, Laird was the recipient of the 2019 AREA Chairman’s Award, presented for extraordinary service on behalf of the electric cooperatives of Alabama. It 8 MAY 2019
is given at the discretion of the AREA Board of Directors. WEC CEO Les Moreland says Laird was more than deserving of this honor. “Nolan was always a very instrumental member of the board and was a mentor to me,” Moreland says. “His dedication to our cooperative in his 33 years of service was honorable and we are proud that he has been recognized for that dedication.” Laird always did what was best for the cooperative, and perfect attendance is a good example of his dedication, WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro says. “He never missed a meeting, and that says all you need to know about his dedication,” Kimbro says. “This cooperative is better today because of Nolan Laird. We thank him for his service, and we owe a lot to him.” When Laird was first elected to the board, the cooperative provided service to 8,800 meters. At his retirement, that had grown to about 23,000 meters. Upgraded meters and new buildings in Hartford, Dothan and Samson are among the accomplishments Laird notes from his time on the board. “I saw a lot of changes. I feel like I left the co-op in good shape, but I also left
Nolan Laird served as the District 9 representative on the board of trustees for 33 years before retiring in 2017.
it in good hands,” he says. “They’re very responsive to the customers, and they make sure the service and safety are the best they can be.” Creating a safe working environment for WEC employees was one of Laird’s primary focuses. “It was important to make sure they always have safe, modern equipment so they can provide reliable, prompt service to our members,” he says. Moreland and Kimbro credits Laird’s dedication as a key part in the cooperative’s successful efforts to create a safety culture. “Nolan Laird was extremely dedicated to the safety of Wiregrass Electric members and employees,” Kimbro says. “The cooperative has never been safer, and he helped make that happen,” states Moreland. Laird and his wife, Retha Amelia, are members at Lockhart Baptist Church, where he serves as a trustee and as chairman of the deacons. While he has retired from WEC’s board, he plans to continue farming. “I enjoyed my time at WEC,” Laird says. “But I guess I’ll keep on farming as long as I can.” n
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From left are WTVY anchor Devon Sellers, Silent Hero winner Sgt. Susie Peters, WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro and WTVY President and General Manager Spencer Bienvenue.
Serving and protecting Sgt. Susie Peters named December Silent Hero Sgt. Susie Peters with the Dothan Police Department has always had a passion to serve. After graduating from Geneva County High School in Hartford, she joined the Army and served eight years. Then, she returned to the Wiregrass and became a police officer. Today, she also offers free self-defense classes for females 13 years old and older. The classes are part of a program with the Dothan Police Department called Rape Aggression Defense, or RAD. She leads at least six 12-hour courses annually. For her efforts, Peters was named the December Silent Hero of the Wiregrass, an award presented by Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and WTVY. “It was an extreme honor, and I am so grateful,” Peters says. “It was a big surprise when I got the phone call. This wasn’t something I ever expected, but it makes me feel like I am making a difference, which is what I wanted when we started the program.” The Silent Hero program is an innovative partnership between WEC’s Operation Round Up Charitable Foundation and WTVY. Each month, WTVY gives the winner an opportunity to speak about their cause on the nightly news. In addition, Operation Round Up awards the winner $1,000. Operation Round Up is funded by WEC members who have agreed to have their monthly bill rounded up to the nearest whole dollar. The money is then used for charitable efforts in the Wiregrass. 50 MAY 2019
“Our cooperative would like to thank Sgt. Peters for her service as not only a police officer in Dothan but also for going above and beyond to help our community and to help young women in the Wiregrass,” says WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro. “She doesn’t do it for any reason other than to help people, and we are so grateful for what she does.”
Seeing a need
Peters works in the community division of the Dothan Police Department, and she learned there was an interest in selfdefense classes after talking to local neighborhood watch groups. She then earned her certification to be an instructor. The program is a 12-hour course typically broken up into multiple classes. Part of the course is teaching participants self-defense techniques. However, the class also teaches women techniques to allow them to avoid potentially dangerous situations. “The first half of the first day of the class is just teaching them techniques that can keep them safe, from being observant to avoiding certain risks,” she says. “Then, we get into the physical techniques.” Peters says the program is important because everyone should feel safe and know how to stay safe. “This is something that anybody can do,” Peters says. “You don’t have to have a martial arts background. It’s something everyone can benefit from, and it doesn’t cost you anything.” n
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WHEN THE WATERS RISE Gauges like these measure rising rainfall and water levels. That data is used to forecast flood levels so the National Weather Service can declare flood warnings.
The Wiregrass region is blessed with an abundance of rivers and streams that provide water to many of our homes and irrigation to countless farming operations. But when water levels rise, those assets can quickly become a hazard. Fortunately, the Choctawhatchee, Pea and Yellow Rivers Watershed Management Authority is always monitoring local water levels so local residents have an early warning when there is a risk of flooding. “Our cooperative is proud to serve in this region and we are proud to support the Choctawhatchee, Pea and Yellow Rivers Watershed Management Authority,” says WEC Chief Operating Officer, Brad Kimbro. “Our cooperative supports the work they do in helping farmers and in helping keep people living along these rivers safe. They help make our area a better place to call home.”
How does the WMA measure water levels?
In 1993, after decades of flooding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Water Management Authority installed a basinwide flood warning system throughout southeast Alabama — the first of its kind in the state. The system consists of 22 rain and river gauges at strategic points in eight counties. Each of these 12-foot standpipes is equipped with a “tipping bucket” that measures rainfall and pressure transducers that measure river levels. When one of these gauges records at least 0.04 inches of Alabama Living
rainfall or a 1.5-inch water level rise in a river, it sends a report to base computers in New Brockton, Elba and Geneva. During periods of heavy rainfall or severe weather, this data is transmitted to Emergency Management Agency offices and the National Weather Service to declare official flood warnings.
How can I get flooding updates?
If you live near a river, staying up to date on flooding can save your life and your property. But tracking rainfall levels can also be beneficial to farmers trying to get the most out of their crops. WEC members can access that infor-
mation and more by going to www.cpyrwma.alabama.gov and clicking the “Flood Warning System” tab. The “Flood Warning System” button at the bottom of the screen will then take you to a page where you can view a map of the data collected by every gauge on the Watershed Management Authority’s system. This information can provide a crucial early warning when water levels are rising. To sign up for text or email alerts when a flood warning is issued, contact the Emergency Management Agency in your county or use an app like Alabama SAF-T-Net to receive notifications about threatening weather near you. n MAY 2019 51