Franklinton`s Katherine Haik takes Miss Teen USA title

RESIDENTIAL RATE COMPARISON PER 1000 KWH
Dr. Francis Cefalu President
Charles Hill General Manager
Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative
P.O. Box 697 Franklinton LA 70438 (839-3562)
[email protected] • www.wste.coop
2015 Rate Comparison 1000KWH
$140.00
$120.00
$117.33
$116.56
$96.76
$93.00
$100.00
$119.65
$113.69
$98.45
$93.75
$114.32
$112.05
$96.39
$92.26
$96.56
$92.77
$100.22
$91.54
$115.51
$100.39
$88.68
$120.03
$106.08
$104.76
$91.95
$92.86
$80.00
CLECO
ENTERGY
WST
$60.00
$40.00
$20.00
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WSTE manager calls for
fairness in service choice
WSTE General Manager Charles Hill recently sent a letter to the Louisiana Community & Technical College System Board of Supervisors questioning why the locallyowned cooperative was not selected as the electric service provider for the Northshore
Technical Community College Campus in Lacombe.
In the letter, Hill indicated he was puzzled by the institution’s decision to enter into
a power service agreement with a corporate-owned competing utility whose rates have
been consistently higher for more than a decade, and in this case would be 17% higher.
Hill wrote that WSTE plans to initiate a public records request to determine the justification as to why and how the choice was made.
He wrote that the decision could end up costing taxpayers and ratepayers millions.
The letter reads in part:
“It is my position that the decisions being made...are not in the school’s best interest” and involve “several million taxpayer dollars differential in electrical rates. Given
a choice, why would a steward of the public trust select the highest cost provider in the
state to serve a publicly funded facility? WSTE believes that, as a taxpayer/ratepayer
funded public school, the NTCC STEM Campus should show the public a valid reason
to justify the selection of the highest electric rates in the state. Over the useful life of
these three 39,000 sq. ft. facilities, the rate disparity will reach millions of dollars, and
the taxpayer/ratepayer deserves to know why their dollars are not spent in the most
prudent manner.”
Hill challenged the decision-making process of the outside consultant who worked
on this project.
“It is my opinion that (the consultant) is not familiar with the rules of the LPSC,
which will apply to the structures being built. (He) should have a grasp of, and be able
to, interpret what the responses CSRS requested and received actually entail. He should
understand the reliability indices which were requested. It appears the consultant’s
recommendation was based solely on two criteria (Reliability and Energy Efficiency)
without regard to long-term monthly operating costs. A benefit cost analysis should be
performed to more completely assess the value of the reliability and energy efficiency
versus savings in costs of electricity.”
Hill also called into question the reliability of the competing investor-owned utility.
“I strongly question how the Cleco circuit proposed to serve this facility can be over
20 times more reliable than Cleco’s system in general as reported to the LPSC. This is
the same circuit which led to the complaint and inquiries to (the Public Service Commission) by the Heart Hospital with an additional mile and one half of exposed power
line, built with minimal right-of-way clearing to the Coroner’s office, added. I question why energy efficiency programs primarily for retrofit, are of such weight in new
building decisions. I would also strongly question the explanation given for the rate that
was presented and how it was represented to (the consultant) and in what context it was
received by (the consultant). Is it CSRS’s perception that the rate presented by Cleco
was a temporary rate with contractual constraints which the College would be required
to monitor, report, and meet?”
“(WSTE) will continue to pursue the opportunity to serve this campus, not only to
the benefit of the members of WSTE, but also the taxpayers of St. Tammany Parish and
the State of Louisiana.”
Look for TWO lucky account numbers!
Washington-St. Tammany Electric is offering its members two opportunities to win the Co-op’s monthly Lucky Account Number contest by publishing two account numbers somewhere on pages 6-7 of Louisiana Country. Look for your account number hidden somewhere on these pages. To
win you must locate your account number (listed on your electric bill) on
these pages and then contact the Co-op within seven working days of that
issue. To claim your prize call 985-839-3562.
Page 6 • Louisiana Country • September 2015
Manager’s Message
Franklinton’s Katherine Haik takes Miss Teen USA title
National network talk shows.
Celebrity TV news programs.
Jet-setting across the country.
A New York City “crash pad.”
International attention and adoration.
All pretty heady stuff for a 15-year-old
high school sophomore.
Life has been zipping along at warp
speed since the Franklinton High School
student was crowned Miss Teen USA at
the exotic Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas
last month.
She was recently featured on an episode of Inside Edition showing viewers
her “crash pad” in New York City where
she was making the media rounds celebrating her new title, promoting the Miss
Teen USA Pageant program, advocating
her “Best Buddies” service project, and
plugging her hometown of Franklinton at
every opportunity.
“I have so much support from friends
and family back home,” Haik said, noting
that she has received hundreds of texts
from her friends and family. Her uncle,
Russ Haik, is a WSTE lineman.
“It means a lot to have the love and
support from my hometown, and all of
Louisiana. Everyone was so supportive
and happy for me,” she said.
Haik grew up participating in pageants, following the footsteps of her
WOTUS rule will impact
nation’s electric co-ops
It was just a surreal
moment. I dreamed
about it happening,
but it actually did
happen.
mother, Jennifer, a former Southeastern
Louisiana University homecoming
queen, and her aunt Rebecca, a former
Washington Parish Fair Queen.
Last October she claimed the Miss
Louisiana Teen USA title and was surprised to become the youngest contestant
ever to win the national competition,
finishing ahead of older state representatives from California, North Carolina,
Tennessee and Massachusetts. Some contestants were already enrolled in college.
“It was just a surreal moment,” Haik
said about winning the crown. “I dreamed
about it happening, but it actually did happen. When they called my name, my heart
kind of dropped I was just so surprised. I
don’t think it has actually hit me yet that
I’m actually Miss Teen USA, but it will
soon.”
While several members of the family accompanied her to the pageant in the
Bahamas, other friends, family and supporters were watching the competition
by Charles Hill
General Manager
unfold live from an internet stream at the
Caddy Shack on the Bogue Chitto River
in Franklinton.
While in New York, Haik also
attended a Yankees game, enjoyed a boat
cruise on the Hudson River and posed for
a fashion shoot before returning home to
Franklinton. (Acct. No. 530819503)
Haik’s grandmother, Terry Seal, said
she is immensely proud of her granddaughter and believes there is little chance
that the teenager will lose her perspective.
Seal said her family will make sure Haik’s
feet remain planted firmly on the ground.
“She’s having a lot of fun, but she’s a
natural, well-rounded, down-to-earth person of character who is sweet, affectionate
and kind,” Seal said, adding that the teen
is a straight A student at Franklinton High.
“This will be a good experience for her.
She has so much support from her family,
her teachers, the school administration,
her church and her friends.”
At Franklinton High, the 5-foot-10
sophomore plays softball and basketball and is on the dance team as well as
a competition squad outside of school.
She is a talented-and-gifted art student,
a member of the Beta Club and Student
Council, and was inspired by her grandmother to play the piano. Active in the
youth group at First Baptist Church, she
also favors the outdoors and often hunts
with her father, Tim.
At the national pageant, contestants
competed in swimsuit, evening gown and
interview categories. Haik impressed the
crowd by naming all the U.S. presidents
in chronological order to a melodic tune.
It’s a song she learned from her junior
high history teacher, Frank Martin, and
has been asked to sing by television and
radio hosts.
As Haik begins her year-long reign
while trying to juggle her school and family and social life, she is excited about the
months ahead.
“I have the opportunity to be a positive role model for so many young girls
and work with so many charities. That’s
what I’m passionate about,” Haik said.
“I’m super excited about working with
special needs children and doing whatever
I can to be a positive influence.”
In May, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) finalized
a new water regulation that removes
power and responsibility from local
officials and relocates it to Washington.
It’s called “WOTUS,” which
stands for “waters of the U.S.,” and
defines what is subject to federal regulation under the federal Clean Water
Act.
These “waters” include the “60
percent of streams in the United
States [that] flow only seasonally or
when it rains” as Ken Kopocis, the
EPA acting assistant administrator for
water, explained recently.
Currently, most of these streams
are subject to state control. (Acct. No.
532004701)
In this new federal regulation, the
EPA and the Corps maximized their
regulatory reach by suggesting only
federal employees can adequately protect our water. And they did this without consulting with state and local
regulators.
Federal regulators continued down
the path of more Washington-based
decision making, meaning that these
federal agencies will be regulating
everything from the mighty Mississippi River to lakes, bayous and dry
ditch beds that only temporarily have
water after rainfall.
More regulated streams (with or
without water in them) mean more
federal permits to maintain and
expand our electric distribution network here in south Louisiana where
water is such a big part of our environment, our lives and even in many
cases our livelihoods.
And past experience with Washington does not suggest a quick and
timely response.
The reliable electricity you pay
for every month depends on a wellmaintained system—and our ability to
quickly make necessary adjustments
to keep your lights on. That’s why
we’ve been advocating for a new rule.
We take our responsibility to
The reliable electricity
you pay for every month
depends on a robust and
well-maintained system.
protect our land and water very seriously – after all, we live here, too.
But we believe this task belongs close
to home, where folks understand the
opportunities and challenges.
We believe Congress knew what it
was doing when it gave the EPA, the
Corps and the states shared responsibility for protecting our water – federal jurisdiction over waters that support
commerce, interstate waters and U.S.
territorial waters; state jurisdiction
over everything else. This arrangement made good sense.
Electric cooperatives across the
country are working together in a
collaborative effort with other interested groups in supporting Congressional action directing the EPA and
the Corps to withdraw the new rule,
return to the drawing board and consult with affected parties – especially
state and local governments – before
re-proposing anything.
WSTE lineman receives training
In the photo at right, Richard Bickham is
shown after completing Module 2, Levels
6-10 of the Louisiana Lineman Training
Program administered by the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives in
Baton Rouge.
September 2015 • Louisiana Country • Page 7
WSTE News
Pages 6-7 • Sept. 2015 • Vol. 32, No. 6
Franklinton’s Katherine Haik claims
Miss Teen USA crown