W hen you think of October, pumpkins, Halloween and beautiful fall foliage naturally come to mind. But October is notable for another reason: It’s National Co-op Month. is is the time of year when cooperatives across the country, including White River Electric Association, celebrate who we are and, more importantly, the consumer- members we serve. Electric cooperatives are different than other types of businesses — specifically because they are designed not to make a profit to benefit of individual shareholders, but rather to fill a void for the consumer- members they serve. When the market declines to offer a product or service or does so at a high price, co-ops have historically intervened to fill that need. In 1945, WREA consumer-members came together to bring electricity to our community, and for the past 74 years the focus of WREA’s elected cooperative leaders is that of the common good of its consumer- members. Our primary goal is to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy to you, the consumer-members of WREA. Equally important is our mission to enrich the lives of those we serve and those who contribute to the enrichment of our community. As a co-op, we are well-suited to meet the needs of the community because we are locally governed. WREA’s leadership team and employees live right here in Meeker. Our board directors live, ranch and work locally using WREA power. ese board members were elected to the position by neighbors like you who rely on them to make decisions that will benefit the stability and longevity of our system. We know our consumer-members — that’s you! — have a valuable perspective. We welcomed several hundred of our consumer-members and their guests to our Annual Meeting last month, and we were able to visit with many of you prior to the meeting to seek your input. Whether through community events, our social media channels or the Annual Meeting, we welcome your thoughts. Another feature that sets our co-op apart from a traditional utility is one of our core principles: concern for community. We partner with local organizations like HopeWest and the recent Fall Festival to help encourage the success of worthy programs. We participate in the Washington D.C. Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp where we sponsor four young adults during a weeklong immersion to experience democracy in action and encourage the students to find his or her voice and the ability lead others by positive example. Ultimately, this community benefits from these programs because of you and your neighbors. You empower WREA. We hope you will think of WREA as more than your energy provider, but instead as a local business that supports this community and powers economic development and prosperity for the people. We will continue to learn from our members, listen to concerns and focus on WREA priorities so that we can better serve you — because your electric co-op was built by the community, for the community. ALAN MICHALEWICZ BY ALAN MICHALEWICZ GENERAL MANAGER WHITE RIVER ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 958 Meeker, CO 81641-0958 STREET ADDRESS 233 6th Street Meeker, CO 81641 ph 970-878-5041 tf 800-734-9809 fax 970-878-5766 email [email protected]web www.wrea.org facebook.com/wrea.org White River Electric Association, Inc., strives to provide its member- consumers with safe, reliable and responsible electric energy and other services at the most reasonable costs possible while remaining committed to customer and community service. OCTOBER 2019 By the Community, For the Community October is National Co-op Month 7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS COLORADO COUNTRY LIFE OCTOBER 2019
Transcript
When you think of October, pumpkins, Halloween and beautiful fall foliage naturally
come to mind. But October is notable for another reason: It’s National Co-op Month. This is the time of year when cooperatives across the country, including White River Electric Association, celebrate who we are and, more importantly, the consumer-members we serve.
Electric cooperatives are different than other types of businesses — specifically because they are designed not to make a profit to benefit of individual shareholders, but rather to fill a void for the consumer-members they serve. When the market declines to offer a product or service or does so at a high price, co-ops have historically intervened to fill that need.
In 1945, WREA consumer-members came together to bring electricity to our community, and for the past 74 years the focus of WREA’s elected cooperative leaders is that of the common good of its consumer-members. Our primary goal is to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy to you, the consumer-members of WREA. Equally important is our mission to enrich the lives of those we serve and those who contribute to the enrichment of our community.
As a co-op, we are well-suited to meet the needs of the community because we are locally governed. WREA’s leadership team and employees live right here in Meeker. Our board directors live, ranch and work locally using WREA power. These board members were elected to the position by neighbors like you who rely on them to make decisions that will benefit the stability
and longevity of our system. We know our consumer-members —
that’s you! — have a valuable perspective. We welcomed several hundred of our consumer-members and their guests to our Annual Meeting last month, and we were able to visit with many of you prior to the meeting to seek your input. Whether through community events, our social media channels or the Annual Meeting, we welcome your thoughts.
Another feature that sets our co-op apart from a traditional utility is one of our core principles: concern for community. We partner with local organizations like HopeWest and the recent Fall Festival to help encourage the success of worthy programs. We participate in the Washington D.C. Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp where we sponsor four young adults during a weeklong immersion to experience democracy in action and encourage the students to find his or her voice and the ability lead others by positive example.
Ultimately, this community benefits from these programs because of you and your neighbors. You empower WREA. We hope you will think of WREA as more than your energy provider, but instead as a local business that supports this community and powers economic development and prosperity for the people.
We will continue to learn from our members, listen to concerns and focus on WREA priorities so that we can better serve you — because your electric co-op was built by the community, for the community.
White River Electric Association, Inc., strives to provide its member-
consumers with safe, reliable and responsible electric energy and other services at the most reasonable costs possible while
remaining committed to customer and
community service.
OCTOBER 2019
By the Community, For the Community October is National Co-op Month
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YOUR CO-OP NEWS
COLORADO COUNTRY LIFEOCTOBER 2019
T oday, it’s difficult to imagine life without electricity. When the power goes out, we realize how
much of our daily lives are dependent on a steady flow of electricity. But for one small Guatemalan village, life without power was the norm — until recently.
On September 6, 2019, a team of 20 volunteer co-op linemen from Oklahoma and Colorado, including Chris Stanworth from White River Electric, flipped the switch for the remote village of Sillab, Guatemala. In Sillab, locals live in humble homes without running water or refrigeration and where a lack of electricity has stifled continued economic growth.
Despite rugged terrain and frequent torrential downpours, the co-op linemen found success in their two-week mission to electrify the village. The team spent long days in mountainous terrain, using limited tools and equipment to construct 6.5 miles of power lines.
“It was a tricky job,” Stanworth said as he remembered the steep hi l l s and abundance of vegetation. “But the people made it 10 times easier.” In the end, 42 homes, one school and four churches were wired with lightbulbs and electrical outlets. As part of a separate fundraising effort, the project also raised money to provide each home with a water filter, the local school with a computer and a printer, and children with backpacks filled with school supplies.
“We are so proud that Chris represented WREA on this project,” said Alan Michalewicz, general manager of White River Electric. “Chris voluntarily agreed to
leave his young family and the comfort of his own home so that others could benefit from the gift of electricity. He has represented the cooperative spirit well.”
This year marks the second year that the two states joined efforts on a similar international project. “I wish everyone could experience something like this,” Stanworth said.
WREA Lineman Volunteers to Help Electrify Guatemalan VillageBY KARI MATRISCIANO ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
WREA lineman and Energy Trails volunteer Chris Stanworth
Volunteer linemen work in the remote, rugged terrain of Guatemala to bring electricity to a small village.
Chris Stanworth and his new friend are excited about the project to electrify the village.
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YOUR CO-OP NEWS
COLORADO COUNTRY LIFEOCTOBER 2019
TOO HOT TO HANDLEWatch out for overheated outlets. If an electrical outlet becomes so hot you cannot leave your hand on it, there is potential for a fire. Unplug everything from the outlet and contact a licensed electrician immediately.
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YOUR CO-OP NEWS
COLORADO COUNTRY LIFEOCTOBER 2019
D id you know there are special safety concerns for first responders when they are called to a residence or busi-ness with solar panels?
There are two types of current that flow through solar equipment in order to provide a usable source of energy: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).
Although you can de-energize the AC power from a solar system relatively easily if you know where the shut-off mechanism is, that only addresses half the risk. Once the AC is disabled, there is still
DC in the system as long as it is daytime, regardless of whether it is sunny or cloudy outside — the solar panels are still taking in energy from the daylight. The hazards of making contact with DC are similar to those of AC: injury due to shock or exposure to an arc flash (electrical explosion or discharge).
For more information about first responder safety or to have us present a high-voltage demonstration to your organization, contact Trina Zagar-Brown at 970-878-5041.
SOLAR PANELS AND FIRST RESPONDER SAFETY
Although not an exhaustive list and not written by secu-rity experts, Safe Electricity and White River Electric Association recommend these basic tips to make your
smart devices less hackable and more secure:1. Never click a link in an email claiming to be from a secu-
rity — or smart home-related company, even if it looks official. Scammers and hackers get sign-in information and passwords this way, which they can use to hack your smart technology.
2. Although tempting, don’t use the same password for all of your devices.
3. Absolutely change factory-set passwords provided by the manufacturer.
4. Make your passwords complex and challenging.5. If you do receive an email from your smart device manu-
facturer, see if the email address the company used is the same as the one it used to contact you in the past. These
emails should be general in nature and should never ask for personal or login information.
6. Never give out login, password or other personal informa-tion in an email, over the phone or for any other reason unless you are the one contacting the company directly via verified phone number or other trusted method of contact.
7. Regularly update the device’s software so that it is protected by the latest security.
8. Unless hackers make themselves known, it can be hard to detect if a smart device was hacked until the obvious happens.
9. If it was hacked, your gadget might be slower than usual or unresponsive or it might compulsively reboot.
10. If you are tech savvy, keep watch on the IP addresses that access the devices.
Disclaimer: These tips are designed to increase awareness. For expert and in-depth technology advice, contact an information technology professional or device manufacturer.
Keep Cyber Invaders at Bay: Smart Device Technology Tips
