701-338-2855 • Minot - Verendrye Electric Cooperative

NOVEMBER 2014
Verendrye Electric Cooperative Velva, N.D.
NetworkNews
Velva: 701-338-2855 • Minot: 701-852-0406
Website: www.verendrye.com
Threshing
shows
delight fans
NOVEMBER 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
Darwin Quandt, of Makoti, operates a 1914 Minneapolis
Threshing Machine that operates with a boiler fueled by
wood or coal. The machine was fueled by burning wood at
this year’s Makoti Threshing Show.
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•
•
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Separating the wheat from the chaff
Animal shelter receives grant
Heating assistance available
Win a trip of a lifetime
VER EN DR YE EL ECT R IC N EWS , N OVEMBER 2014 C1
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A threshing machine threshes wheat
at the Makoti Threshing Show in
October. Threshing is the process of
loosening the edible kernel from the
inedible chaff that surrounds it.
Separating the
wheat from the chaff
Threshing shows delight fans in Drake and Makoti
W
BY TOM RAFFERTY [email protected]
PHOTO BY MARIA EFFERTZ-HANSON
Sarah Senechal, 15 years old and from
rural Balfour area, has been practicing
and showcasing her blacksmith skills
since she was 6 years old. In Drake,
Sarah crafts a triangle with a steer head.
hen summer fades to fall,
seas of wheat sway in the
winnowing wind as kernels
ripen under a weakening sun. Autumn
air is crisp and cool. Frost annihilates
wicked winged pests.
It’s an anxious transition for
farmers harvesting crops before
winter hardens the earth. It’s also
a time for traditions older than
electric cooperatives.
In Drake and Makoti, the arrival
of fall signals the time for threshing:
a process that loosens the edible
kernel from the inedible chaff that
surrounds it. Threshing has been done
since the beginning of time. The first
threshing was done by beating grain
by hand. After it was beaten, laborers
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winnowed it by tossing it into the
air to allow chaff to blow away in
the wind and the kernels to fall to
the ground.
Threshing machines were invented
in the 1700s to reduce labor involved
in the process. Machines were
eventually adapted for horses to
power, and were later powered with
steam created from burning wood or
coal, and were eventually powered
with diesel. Today, combines are used
instead of threshing machines because
they can cut, thresh and winnow grain
in one process.
Warren Zakopyko, vice president
of the Drake Threshing Association,
said hundreds of people attended the
46th annual Drake Threshing show
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PHOTO BY MARIA EFFERTZ-HANSON
PHOTO BY MARIA EFFERTZ-HANSON
Daniel Mantei, Butte, takes his turn
pitching wheat from a wagon onto the
threshing machine.
In 1969, the Drake Threshing Association purchased a 1912 steam threshing
machine from a family in Karlsruhe. For the first time, the association fueled the
machine with coal this year instead of wood. Dean Lemer, the licensed operator,
kept the machine running smoothly the entire two-day show, but he did say it ran
“hotter,” so he had to keep an eye on the entire machine.
A threshing machine smokes as it
sputters through the Makoti Threshing
Show parade.
A clown rides an old tractor during the Makoti Threshing Show’s parade. The
machines on display at threshing shows are strange, but interesting, relics of
the past.
this year. It is held each year the first
weekend after Labor Day
“It’s important to let the young
people know how it was done to
preserve the history,” he said.
The shows include threshing
machines which are more than 100
years old, as well as many types of
old tractors. Each threshing show is a
little different, but most also include
events like tractor pulls, kiddie tractor
pulls, parades, entertainment and
home-cooked comfort food.
The Makoti Threshing Show, held
in early October, is said to be North
Dakota’s largest. This year it included
more than 300 operating units.
Darwin Quandt, of Makoti, was
operating a 1914 Minneapolis
Threshing Machine that burned wood
to create steam.
“This is a rare machine. There’s not
many of them left,” he said.
The engines that run the threshers
are industrial-age relics that look
like something out of a Dr. Seuss
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book. Some are colorful and some
are rusty. They plod through parades
with gigantic metal wheels as
the engines pop and sputter in a
mechanical rhythm.
“The way some of those machines
run, you don’t think they are going to
make it, but they do,” Zakopyko said.
Old threshing machines are
dinosaurs of the prairie, but for a
few glorious weekends, they provide
a glimpse into one of the most
cherished traditions of the past. n
VER EN DR YE EL ECT R IC N EWS , N OVEMBER 2014 C3
NetworkNews
VEC members give
animal shelter a
$2,500 Operation
Round Up grant
T
here’s always a little bit of chaos when you walk
into the Souris Valley Animal Shelter in Minot. On
the floor, a cute kitten pounces on an unsuspecting
cat and they playfully slap each other in the face.
On the counter, a kitten with kaleidoscopic fur provokes
fisticuffs with Nala, a grumpy-looking cat ironically
nicknamed the “sweet little angel.” Despite her outward
appearance, Nala is a friendly cat who loves to be rewarded
with special treats.
That’s the fun chaos you see in the lobby of the shelter.
Behind the scenes, Director Randy McDonald and his
staff are working hard to find homes for hundreds of animals
a year. Last year alone, they found homes for 630 animals.
That kind of turnover is good, but it is never high enough.
On an average day, the “no kill” shelter houses 30-plus dogs
with a waiting list for 200 more, and 118 cats with 250 more
on a waiting list.
The large influx of people into Minot and the surrounding
areas has increased the need for the shelter. McDonald said a
lot of people are moving here and when their new landlords
don’t allow pets, they are abandoned.
“We get a lot of calls from farmers who have come across
dogs that were dropped off. You can tell they were pets at
one time because you can see the patted-down fur where
there used to be a collar,” he said.
McDonald, who has only been on the job a few months,
has been applying for grants to help make better use of the
space and make needed repairs.
The shelter is served by Verendrye Electric Cooperative
and was recently award a $2,500 grant from the
cooperative’s Operation Round Up Program. The program
works by having members voluntarily round up their bills
to the nearest dollar. The money donated is put into a
fund and granted to needy organizations or to people with
extraordinary medical expenses.
The $2,500 will go toward installing a drain and doing
other remodeling to make another room for the cats. Once
completed, the new room will allow the cats more room to
roam, and will free space in the current small cat room.
“Not only will it be a bigger space for the cats, it will have
better ventilation to help make sure animals that come in sick
won’t spread their sickness,” McDonald said.
The shelter also wants to purchase better cages,
reconfigure the lobby and address security concerns. A tiny,
fluffy kitten named Gerbel was recently stolen from the
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Randy McDonald, director of the Souris Valley Animal
Shelter in Minot, plays with Nala, a grumpy-looking cat
he nicknamed his “sweet little angel.” The shelter recently
received $2,500 from Operation Round Up to improve
its facilities.
This fluffy kitten was stolen from the Souris Valley Animal
Shelter, but was later recovered. The Operation Round Up
grant will help the shelter renovate a room for cats. The
shelter is also looking at doing more improvements in the
future, including improving building security.
shelter but was later recovered. The shelter also takes in dogs
seized in drug busts, and someone once pried the back door
open and took their dog back.
McDonald has only been on the job a few months, but he
said it is the best he has ever had. Before taking the job as
director, he built bombs in the U.S. Air Force.
“There is no better job than this,” he said.
For more information about Operation Round Up, go to
www.verendrye.com and click on the Operation Round Up
banner on the homepage. To see animals up for adoption at
the shelter, go to www.petfinder.com and type in the 58701
area code. n
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U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/SENIOR AIRMAN STEPHANIE MORRIS
Col. Jason Armagost, 5th Bomb Wing commander, cuts a ribbon during a ceremony to commemorate the completion of the
new runway on Minot Air Force Base Sept. 29. The project began in early April and cost approximately $57 million to complete.
The original runway, built in 1957, was supposed to last only 30 years, but was used for 57 years. During construction of the
runway, the majority of Minot’s B-52H Stratofortress aircraft was temporarily relocated to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, and
Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Verendrye Electric Co-op congratulates its largest member on a job well-done!
IRET
apartments will
house 233 new
VEC members
M
ost North Dakotans are not
used to seeing apartment
amenities such as an
outdoor pool or a dog wash, but the
newest apartment built by Investors
Real Estate Trust (IRET) has those
and more.
Its newest apartments, named
“The Commons at Southgate,” are
located in southwest Minot behind
the new Cashwise grocery store and
other businesses. The new buildings
are served by Verendrye Electric
Cooperative and have 233 units.
Justin Hammer, director of
residential property management for
IRET’s western division, said a lot
of brainstorming went into deciding
what amenities would give the
apartments a sense of community.
Pets are allowed in the apartments and
there is a pet wash in the basement
and an on-site dog park.
“Well over half of the people
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A ribbon was cut to celebrate the opening of The Commons, a 233-unit apartment
building in southwest Minot served by Verendrye Electric.
calling about the apartments are
asking about pets,” Hammer said.
The apartments also feature a
community room with a kitchen
that is free for residents to use, a
gym, indoor and outdoor pools
and underground heated parking.
Units range from one to three
bedrooms. For more information
about the apartments, go to
www.iretapartments.com. n
VER EN DR YE EL ECT R IC N EWS , N OVEMBER 2014 C5
NetworkNews
Remembering Harry Sanda
H
arry Sanda, 89, a Verendrye
Electric Cooperative
lineworker from 1960 to
1986, died Sept. 20 in Moorhead,
Minn.
Sanda was born Dec. 2, 1924, in
Grey Eagle, Minn., and lived in New
York Mills, Minn., until moving
to Velva in 1960 when he started
working for Verendrye Electric.
He married Doris Velma Eldora
Hendrickson in 1952 and they had
six children. She died in 1971. He
met Therese Feuerhelm in 1978
and they were companions until she
died in 2007. After retiring in 1986,
Sanda spent winters in Arizona and
summers in North Dakota and later in
Minnesota.
Verendrye Electric was blessed
to have Sanda attend the special
75th anniversary that took place
this year in June. An interview of
Sanda was also included in VEC’s
commemorative history book.
“I have outlived a lot of guys. My
schoolmates are all gone. I suppose
it’s because I climbed all those poles.
I think I climbed more poles than
anyone alive today,” Sanda said in a
January 2012 interview.
The employees and board of
directors of Verendrye Electric
express our condolences to Harry’s
family and friends. We were proud
to have had Sanda as part of the
cooperative team for so many years.
Harry’s funeral was Oct. 4 in
New York Mills. Arrangements
were handled by Karvonen
Funeral Home. n
Secret Santas
pay electric
bills
S
taff at Verendrye Electric
Cooperative (VEC) call the
donors who anonymously pay
others’ electric bills “Secret Santas.”
VEC Credit Manager Cindy Shattuck
says Secret Santas – a term coined
originally because donations often fall
within the holiday season – make partial
or full payments throughout the year on
bills for families having trouble making
their monthly electric payments.
Many grateful families have
contacted Shattuck to express their
appreciation for the generosity of their
unknown benefactors.
If you would like to make a donation,
note that it is a Secret Santa gift and let
Shattuck know if you want the recipient
to know the gift is from you or if you
would like to remain anonymous. Send
donations to Cindy Shattuck, Verendrye
Electric Cooperative, 615 Hwy. 52 W.,
Velva, ND 58790. n
Harry Sanda, left, poses for a photo
with his former coworker Marvin
Pedersen at Verendrye Electric
Cooperative’s 2014 annual meeting.
Sanda worked for VEC from 1960 to
1986.
Heating assistance
available to
low-income families
T
he Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
helps eligible low-income families with home heating costs.
The program partially pays the cost of natural gas, electricity,
propane, fuel oil, coal, wood or other fuel sources.
Eligibility is based on a household’s income and assets to ensure help
goes to those most in need. To find out the income limits and how to
apply, contact your local social service office at the numbers listed below.
McHenry County ..................................................................537-5944
McLean County.....................................................................462-3581
Pierce County ........................................................................776-2516
Renville County .....................................................................756-6374
Sheridan County ...................................................................363-2281
Ward County .........................................................................852-3552
Wells County .........................................................................547-3694
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ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
YOUTH TOUR
June
,
13 to 19
2015
• To enter the essay-writing contest, you must be a
junior or senior in high school in the fall of 2014.
• You and your parents or guardian must be served by
Verendrye Electric Cooperative.
ING
WRITE A WINN IP
A TR
ESSAY AND WIN
E!
M
TI
FE
LI
OF A
• Essay is not to exceed two standard 8½- by 11-inch
typewritten, double-spaced pages on this topic:
id
-pa
An all-expense
trip to
HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES & JUNIORS
.
.C
WASHINGTON, D
Many North Dakota electric cooperatives are or
will soon be celebrating their 75th anniversaries.
Describe how rural electrification and rural
electric cooperatives have contributed to the
quality of life in North Dakota and your local
community.
• Submit your essay in hard copy or electronic format
to Verendrye
Electric.
submissions
• To enter
the Electronic
essay contest,
you mustshould
conform tocurrently
the two-page,
double-spaced
guideline
be a sophomore
or junior
in
described high
above.
Include a cover page with your
school.
name, date of birth, school and grade in 2014,
parent or• guardian’s
name,
address
and telephone
You and your
parents
or guardian
must be
number. served by Verendrye Electric Cooperative.
• Essay
is not31,to2014.
exceedEmailed
two standard
• The deadline
is Jan.
entries8½11-inchtotypewritten,
double-spaced
should be by
directed
[email protected],
and
this topic:
hard-copypages
entriesonmailed
to: Youth Tour Essay
Contest, Verendrye Electric Cooperative, 1225 Hwy.
If you
were
to influence other
2 Bypass E.,
Minot,
NDasked
58701-7927.
students your age to become more
involved
in their
• If you haveactively
a question,
contact
Tom electric
Rafferty,
attendance
Verendrye cooperative—including
Electric, at the address listed
above, or
at the electric
annualhours.
call 701-338-2855
duringcooperative
regular business
meeting—what would you tell them
and why?
3
TOP
REASONS TO ENTER
THE ESSAY-WRITING CONTEST
1. All-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., compliments of
Verendrye Electric Cooperative.
2. A whole week to visit unforgettable historic monuments, museums
and the U.S. Capitol.
3. A learning experience you’ll never forget.
CHECK IT OUT AT
www.ndyouthtour.com and www.youthtour.coop
www.verendrye.com
• Submit your essay in hard copy or
electronic format to Verendrye Electric.
Electronic submissions should conform
to the two-page, double-spaced guideline
described above. Include a cover page
with your name, date of birth, school and
current grade, parent or guardian’s name,
address and telephone number.
• The deadline is Jan. 30, 2015. Emailed
entries should be directed to tomdr@
verendrye.com, and hard-copy entries
mailed to: Youth Tour Essay Contest,
Verendrye Electric Cooperative, 1225 Hwy.
2 Bypass E., Minot, ND 58701-7927.
• If you have a question, contact
Tom Rafferty, Verendrye Electric,
at the address listed above, or call
701-338-2855 during regular business
hours. Please go to our website for more
information at www.verendrye.com
VER EN DR YE EL ECT R IC N EWS , N OVEMBER 2 014 C7
Use your space
heater safely
M
any people turn to space
heaters as a convenient
source of warmth in winter
months. However, space heaters can be
dangerous if not used properly.
Verendrye Electric Cooperative
offers these tips for using your electric
space heater safely:
• Keep the heater at least three feet
from flammable items such as
curtains, furniture or bedspreads.
• Select a space heater with a guard
around the heating element.
• When buying a heater, choose one
that has been tested and certified
by a nationally recognized testing
institution such as Underwriters
Laboratories (UL).
• Read and follow the
manufacturer’s operating
instructions.
• Keep children and pets away from
space heaters.
• Never leave a space heater
unattended. Always unplug the
heater when it is not in use.
• Never go to sleep with a space
heater still operating.
• Never use or store flammable
liquids near a space heater.
• Do not use a heater in a bathroom.
Parts of the heater could be
damaged by a high-moisture area.
• Keep heaters away from water to
prevent electrocution.
• Do not use an extension cord or
power strip with a space heater.
• Do not use the heater to
dry clothes.
• Place the heater on a flat,
level surface.
• Be sure the heater’s plug fits
snugly in an outlet. The cord
and plug may feel warm when
operating since the unit draws so
much power, but they should not
feel hot. If they do, unplug the
heater and have a qualified repair
person check for problems.
• Unplug the heater by pulling the
plug straight out from the outlet.
Inspect the cord periodically.
Do not use a heater with a
damaged cord.
• Do not attempt to repair a broken
heater yourself. It should be
checked and repaired by a qualified
appliance service center. n
VERENDRYE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
BOARD PRESIDENT
Blaine Bruner
Velva, ND 58790
MANAGER
Bruce Carlson
EDITOR
Tom Rafferty
Velva: 701-338-2855 Minot: 701- 852-0406
Toll-Free: 800-472-2141 Website: www.verendrye.com Email: [email protected]
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