August - Nebraska Rural Electric Association

August 2015
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Volume 69, Number 8, August 2015
“The Rural Voice of Nebraska”
Staff
Editor
Wayne Price
Editorial Assistant
Kathy Barkmeier
Published by the
Contents
Features
A cute and cuddly collection
6
Lori Kallweit of Humphrey, Neb., has been collecting dolls and
stuffed animals since 1977 when her grandparents gave her a
Raggedy Ann doll, plus Ann’s brother Raggedy Andy. She has been
an avid devotee of the Raggedy Ann collection of dolls ever since.
Visit us at www.nrea.org
General Manager
Troy Bredenkamp
President
Randy Papenhausen,
Cedar-Knox Public Power District
Vice President/Secretary
Ron Jensen,
Loup Valleys Rural
Public Power District
Celebrating Nebraska’s Czech Heritage
For three days this summer the streets of Wilber, Nebraska will
be transformed into a celebration of Czech heritage and culture.
The Wilber Chapter of the Nebraska Czechs Inc. will host its 54th
annual Czech Festival on July 31, Aug. 1 and 2.
Treasurer
David Keener,
Niobrara Electric Association, Inc.
Published monthly by the Nebraska Rural Electric
Association, 1244 K Street, Box 82048, Lincoln,
Nebraska 68501, (402) 475-4988.
Advertising in the Rural Electric Nebraskan does
not imply endorsement for products by the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. Correspondence should be sent to Wayne Price, Editor, Rural
Electric Nebraskan, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE
68501.
The Rural Electric Nebraskan is printed by Quad
Graphics, 2300 Brown Ave., Waseca, MN 56093.
Form 3579 should be sent to the Rural Electric
Nebraskan, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.
12
Departments
EDITOR’S PAGE
4
SAFETY BRIEFS — Murphy
16
CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS by James Dulley
18
RECIPES
20
MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS
22
Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, Neb. POSTMASTER: send address changes to the Rural
Electric Nebraskan, 1244 K Street, Box 82048,
Lincoln, NE 68501.
On the cover
Publication numbers are USPS 071-630 and ISSN
0193-4937.
The 54th annual Czech Festival will be held in Wilber, Nebraska the first
weekend in August. See the related story on Page 12. Photograph by Wayne
Price.
Rates: $10 for one year; $15 for two years; $20
for three years, plus local and state tax.
August 2015
3
EDITOR’S PAGE
Talk to your kids about school bus safety
he greater part of my adolescent youth
was spent on a school bus, riding the
dusty gravel roads of Richardson
County, going to and from school. The farm
where I grew up was about a mile away from
the house of the farm couple that drove the
school bus. My house was the first stop on the
way to school and the last stop on the way
home. His two daughters were the only kids to
ride the bus longer than me.
Looking back I don’t remember it being a
bother. I remember spending most of that time
hunkered down in my seat reading. Luckily I
never had to worry about motion sickness from
reading in a moving vehicle, something that
has apparently changed over the years.
I was lucky to never have been in an accident
on the bus either. I remember once the bus got
stuck in a muddy driveway and we had to have
the farmer pull us out with his tractor.
My children now ride the bus to school. I’ve
talked to them about being safe and careful on
the bus during their trips, using a list of tips
from the National Safety Council.
• When waiting for the bus, stay away from
traffic and avoid roughhousing or other
behavior that can lead to carelessness. Do not
stray onto streets, alleys or private property.
• Line up away from the street or road as the
school bus approaches. Wait until the bus has
stopped and the door opens before stepping
onto the roadway.
• Use the hand rail when stepping onto the
bus.
• When on the bus, find a seat and sit down.
Loud talking or other noise can distract the
bus driver and is not allowed. Be sure to keep
all parts of your body inside the bus at all
times. You shouldn't be waving or sticking your
head outside the window.
• Keep aisles clear — books or bags are
tripping hazards and can block the way in an
emergency.
• Before you reach your stop, get ready to
leave by getting your books and belongings
together.
• At your stop, wait for the bus to stop
completely before getting up from your seat.
Then, walk to the front door and exit, using the
hand rail.
• If you have to cross the street in front of
T
by Wayne Price
4
the bus, walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus
along the side of the road, until you can turn
around and see the driver. Make sure that the
driver can see you. Wait for a signal from the
driver before beginning to cross. When the
driver signals, walk across the road, keeping
an eye out for sudden traffic changes.
• Do not cross the center line of the road
until the driver has signaled that it is safe for
you to begin walking.
• Stay away from the bus' rear wheels at all
times.
The Council also suggests that parents
review with their children the correct way to
cross the street.
• Youngsters should always stop at the curb
or the edge of the road and look left, then right,
and then left again before crossing.
• They should continue looking in this
manner until they are safely across.
• If students' vision is blocked by a parked
car or other obstacle, they should move out to
where drivers can see them and they can see
other vehicles — then stop, and look left-rightleft again.
Approximately
22
million
students
nationwide begin and end the school day with
a trip on a school bus. Unfortunately, many
youngsters are injured and several are killed
in school bus incidents each year.
Over the past six years, about 70 percent of
the deaths in fatal school bus related crashes
were occupants of vehicles other than the
school bus and 20 pecent were pedestrians.
About 4 percent were school bus passengers
and 2 percent were school bus drivers.
Of the pedestrians killed in school bus
related crashes over this period, approximately
77 percent were struck by the school bus.
Motorists also have a responsibility to follow
safe traffic practices. Nebraska law requires
that all drivers must stop for a school bus
which has stopped to load or unload
passengers. Red flashing lights and an
extended stop arm reminds motorists that a
bus is stopping to load or unload passengers.
Although drivers of all vehicles are required
to stop for a school bus when it is stopped to
load or discharge passengers, children should
not rely on them to do so.
Watch out for kids going back to school.
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Smart thermostats save money and energy
ntil recently, few people paid
attention to the thermostat.
It hung on the wall, waiting
for
someone
to
adjust
the
temperature either up or down. And
while the thermostat has been
known to be the cause of a few
arguments between couples, “cool”
would never be a word to describe
them. Today, a new breed of
thermostat is on the market and
promises to turn what was once an
afterthought into a powerful tool
that can save energy and make your
home more comfortable.
One of the major energy savings
advances in thermostat design was
the programmable thermostat. It
was a simple concept. You told the
device what temperature your home
should be during specific spans of
time on specific days, and it would
handle the rest. Problems arose
when reports began to surface that
these thermostats did not save
energy because people were either
too confused by the user interface to
actually program them, or people
constantly adjusted them and
defeated
the
programming
capabilities.
Programmable
thermostats are still around, and
they can still save energy – but only
if they are actually programmed.
Now, a new type of thermostat is
capturing people’s attention – the
smart thermostat, also known as the
learning
thermostat.
These
thermostats attempt to take the pain
out of programming, and they do this
by learning your behavior. The key to
the smart thermostat is the ability to
connect to the Internet. It should be
noted that you can use a smart
thermostat that doesn’t connect to
the Internet, but its functionality
will be limited.
The most well-known of the smart
thermostats is the Nest Learning
Thermostat. Developed by former
Apple employees, the Nest asks that
you use the thermostat as a regular
manual thermostat. After a week or
so of use, the device remembers
U
August 2015
preferences and settings. It then
begins to automatically adjust
heating and air conditioning with a
goal to save energy.
Nest may be the most well-known
of the smart thermostat brands, but
there are other options available.
The
Lyric
thermostat
by
Honeywell is designed to put you
back in control. Using the location of
your smartphone, the geofencing
feature automatically turns the Lyric
thermostat into energy saving mode
when a home is empty, and then
senses when you are coming home
and heats or cools the house to your
preferred temperature.
Beyond a smartphone, the
temperature can be managed using
Honeywell’s familiar round dial
control on the thermostat itself. With
the Lyric app (available via the App
Store on iTunes and Google Play),
homeowners can adjust their home’s
temperature to life as it happens,
wherever they are. When a
homeowner walks up to the Lyric
thermostat, a built-in proximity
sensor signals the display to turn on
and show current temperature and
the home’s heating or cooling status.
A soft halo of light in orange
(heating), blue (cooling), or green
(away/energy savings)
momentarily illuminates
around the thermostat to
indicate it is making
temperature
adjustments.
Additionally,
touchsensitive buttons flank
the center display – one
for accessing current and
upcoming
weather
information, and one for
setting
back
your
temperature while you’re
away.
The
Lyric
thermostat
provides
easy-to-understand
alerts on when to change
a filter, if and when your
furnace needs servicing,
and even help find a
trusted service professional.
The gloss white finish and silver
accents of the Lyric thermostat,
along with its shallow depth and
flush
wall
mount,
add
a
contemporary appearance to any
room. Beyond contemporary design
and innovative functionality, it
delivers the same reliable control
and accuracy for which Honeywell is
known since it introduced the iconic
‘Round’ in 1953.
Since the smart thermostat
connects to the Internet, you can
control it from your phone via an app
– a convenient feature that many
consumers enjoy. But the best part
about using smart thermostats? You
can come home to a temperature
that’s just right for you and control
the system while you’re away for
extended periods of time.
A smart thermostat can cost
between $200 and $400. The amount
of energy saved will still depend on
how long you are away from home
and how much you override the
system. In addition to smart
thermostats, other home appliances
are connecting to the Internet, which
may become a critical component of
a home for the future. For
thermostats, that future is now.
5
Humphrey W
woman loves
stuffed animals
plus dolls, dolls
and more dolls
by LaRayne Topp
6
hen
Cabbage
Patch dolls were
on the scene,
they arrived with their
own birth certificates.
Betsy Wetsy had a baby
bottle, and Barbie has
Ken. But Raggedy Ann
has
birthdays.
One
hundred of them.
Just ask Lori Kallweit of
Humphrey, Nebraska. Her
collection of Raggedy Ann
dolls contains a doll for
every
one
of
those
birthdays. And more.
Kallweit’s first doll was
a handmade rag doll made
by her mother, Shirley
Boning. Kallweit named
her Polly. She also had a
special doll named Velvet
with hair that grew longer
or shorter, depending on
Kallweit’s whim that day.
She had the usual
collection of Barbies, and
at the Creston, Nebraska,
Centennial
in
1986,
Kallweit’s
well-worn
Teddy Bear, Andy, was
named the most loved
bear.
“I have always loved
dolls and stuff animals,”
Kallweit said. “As a little
girl, my memory shows me
with a doll or my stuffed
bear all the time.”
But the day after
Kallweit graduated from
Leigh High School in 1977,
her
grandparents—the
late Louie and Hulda
Boning—gave
her
a
Raggedy Ann doll, plus
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Ann’s brother Raggedy Andy. Since
that day, Kallwait has become an
avid devotee of the Raggedy Ann
collection of dolls.
Raggedy Ann was originally
invented in 1908 when Johnny
Gruelle, an illustrator and cartoonist
for an Indianapolis newspaper,
discovered a rag doll his mother had
made years before. He added a new
face to the doll, plus a head full of
yarn hair, and gave it to his small
daughter, Marcella.
Around 1915, the Gruelle family
trademarked the doll and began
creating the handmade rag dolls for
sale. Originally, the dolls were made
with candy hearts stitched into their
chests. The dolls were sewn of
muslin, with red and white striped
legs and black shoes. Each doll
featured orange yarn hair, with tin or
wooden shoe-button eyes sewn on a
white circle. Eyelashes were painted
beneath, with a red triangular nose
in the center, and curved mouth with
a red center.
That same year, Gruelle’s 13-yearold daughter Marcella became ill and
died of an infection. To help him work
through his grief, Gruelle submitted
stories he’d written about the
Raggedy Ann doll to a publisher, P.F.
Volland.
“His stories are about a
mischievous rag doll and her
delightful toy friends,” Kallweit said.
The Volland company also gained
the rights to manufacture the dolls.
Through the years, however, the doll
has
gone
through
various
transformations along with a variety
of manufacturers, but all are
inspired by the original Gruelle doll.
In 1920, Raggedy Ann’s brother
Andy came on the scene. His look
was similar to his sister, except he
wore a white-brimmed blue cap, a
one-piece outfit and a plaid shirt. By
1994, the Applause company, which
held the manufacturing rights at
that time, had introduced a little
baby Raggedy along with an AfricanAmerican Raggedy Ann doll, Beloved
Belindy.
“All have ‘I love you’ hearts on the
chest,” Kallweit said. “All have red
August 2015
Opposite: Lori Kallweit and two of the larger Raggedy dolls.
Top left: One of the oldest dolls in Kallweit's collection is fashioned of painted
wood and twine.
Top right: Lori shows a trio of stuffed dolls.
Above: No matter how new or old the Raggedy Ann and Andy pairs of dolls
are, they feature a red, triangle-shaped nose. Photographs by LaRayne Topp
triangle noses; some are outlined in
black. Some have eyelashes above
and below the eyes, and their smiles
have changed through the years.”
Kallweit’s figurines of Santas
holding a Raggedy Ann doll are the
most valuable in her collection.
However, she said each doll’s value
remains in the eye of the beholder.
“Many have no value except to me. I
just go with what I like.”
Raggedy Ann and Andy are
portrayed in a variety of shapes and
Please turn to page 8
sizes, and Kallweit is always on the
7
Dolls and more dolls
From page 6
lookout to see what manufacturers
and individuals will come up with
next. Some of the merchandise she’s
run across includes puzzles, blocks,
clocks and cookie jars. Raggedy Ann
and Andy can be found painted on
rocking chairs, on ceramic dishes and
woven into baskets. Sometimes
they’re stitched into afghans, sewn
into quilts, and embroidered onto tea
towels,
and
fashioned
into
storybooks, activity books, coloring
books, cloth books and felt books.
They’re also found stamped onto
playing cards and made into paper
dolls, magnetic wall hanging,
candles, tea set, hat box, puppet,
calendars, music box, sand bucket
and
even
postage
stamps.
Ornaments are crafted from ceramic,
plastic, wood, cut glass and blown
glass. Many of these variations of
Raggedy Ann and Andy are found
among Kallweit’s collection.
Her favorites ornaments are from
designer Kurt Adler. They are glass
ornaments, very fragile, but pretty.
Enesco and Danbury Mint, among
other
companies,
manufacture
figurines of Raggedy Ann and
Raggedy Andy; Kallweit has been
able to find quite a few of those.
“The figurines are no longer in the
stores, but if you are lucky and
search sometimes, there they are
Top: A trio of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls.
Above: Lori Kallweit arranges Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy items for a
display at the Madison County Museum in Madison, Nebraska.
8
behind something on a shelf in
consignment shops.”
She has collected so many Raggedy
Ann and Andy memorabilia, they fill
the china hutch in the Kallweits’
dining room, and many of them have
threatened to take over the living
room, as well. The overflow is stored
at the home of her parents, Shirley
and the late Thomas “Toby” Boning.
Kallweit’s husband Carroll has
learned to tolerate the dolls as they
take up his living space, often
musing that living with his wife is
like living with a three-year-old.
Kallweit often teases her husband
that she only purchases dolls when
she’s irritated with him. When they
moved from the family farm into
Humphrey in 2000, among the items
they loaded were boxes and boxes of
dolls.
“I didn’t realize you were irritated
with me that often,” Carroll told his
wife.
Some of the dolls have been given
to Kallweit as gifts; others she has
run across in antique stores and
other places—in antique shops and
stores in Central City and Fremont,
for example, or on the back shelf in a
store in Seward.
“It’s kinda fun, the hunt,” she said.
When the Kallweits were on vacation
in Sedona, Arizona, she noticed a
display bucket in a store window,
filled with a variety of magazines.
Although it barely peeked out from
beneath the others, one of the books
had an NN printed on it. The
Kallweits went inside and the NN
was part of the title of an original
1941 copy of a Raggedy ANN
storybook.
“Of course, I had to buy it and it
followed me out of the store,”
Kallweit said.
On another vacation, this one to a
farm show in Louisville, Kentucky,
friends arranged a side trip to
Arcola,
Illinois—birthplace
of
Raggedy Ann. Although the roads
were icy, they arrived safely and
were given a private showing of the
Arcola museum by Joni Gruelle
Wannamaker and her husband Tom.
Joni is the granddaughter of Johnny
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Gruelle. Since that time, the museum
has closed and the items were moved
to and are on display at the
Smithsonian in New York.
Kallweit also browses websites
such as Raggedyland, a company
based in Macon, Georgia. She enjoys
the carved wooden collectibles
designed by John R. Wright. Many of
his pieces fetch as much as $1,250
apiece, however. Kallweit had
pictures of those pieces which she
says are as close as she gets to the
originals.
She also has some odd pieces. A
wooden doll tied with twine is the
most unusual in her collection.
Precious Moments and Snowden
figurines are among the most
valuable. She also has a few Dick and
Jane books in her collection. How do
those fit in? Illustrations show Dick
and Jane’s little sister Sally carrying
a Raggedy Ann doll.
When Kallweit’s not scouting
around for dolls to add for her
August 2015
A wide variety of items are made
with the Raggedy Ann and Andy
theme, from books and puzzles to
mugs and cookie jars.
collection, she works in the
accounting department of Behlen
Manufacturing in nearby, Columbus,
where she’s been employed for the
past 38 years. The Kallweits live in
Humphrey, served by Loup Power
District which provides electric
service to the town. Cornhusker
Public Power District serves the
rural area, including Kallweit farm
ground.
Both
offices
are
headquartered in Columbus.
Currently, Kallweit’s collection is
on display at the Madison County
Museum in Madison, Nebraska.
Someone who sees the collection will
be sure to ask just how many
Raggedy Ann and Andy and Beloved
Belindy dolls Kallweit owns. She
says she has not as many as some,
but more than others. If you ask her
husband, she said, he will say, “Way
too many.”
Recently, Kallweit visited eBay for
the first time. She entered Raggedy
Ann as the search code and up
popped over 5,000 items.
“See, Carroll,” she warned her
husband, “I do not have everything.
Yet.”
9
Is solar power right for you?
by Tom Tate
F
or many folks, the use of solar
panels to generate electricity is
a
recent
technological
development. When I think of
photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, images
of early NASA vehicles in outer space
immediately come to mind. Indeed,
America’s first permanent satellite,
Explorer I, was powered by PV panels
in 1958.
However, the use of solar energy
dates back to 1767 when a Swiss
scientist named Horace-Benedict de
Saussure built an insulated, glassfaced box, generating temperatures of
up to 230 degrees from sunlight. His
invention was dubbed the “solar oven.”
Fast-forward to today, and nearly
everyone is aware of solar. Yet, PV has
remained one of the most expensive
forms of electricity. People always ask
why this is the case when the fuel is
“free.” It’s because the equipment is
expensive, and the sun doesn’t always
shine. While equipment prices have
dropped dramatically, the output of
commercially available panels ranges
from 5 to 19 percent (15 percent is
10
common) of the theoretical limit,
assuming there were never clouds and
the sun was at high noon 24 hours a
day.
So, is solar electricity right for you?
The short answer is, “It depends.”
How’s that for an ambiguous answer?
But it truly does depend on a number
of factors. The first thing you should
consider is why you want to go solar.
If it is for backup power in an
emergency, stop here. PV systems are
tied to the grid for safety reasons.
When the power goes out, the PV
array shuts down. If it is for
environmental reasons, read on.
Your next step is to contact your
local public power district or electric
cooperative to discuss your plan. Talk
to our energy experts, and let us help
you decide what makes the most sense
for your home. A south-facing roof is
typically the preferred direction for
the placement of solar panels. Do trees
shade the roof at any time? Next to
darkness, shade is the natural enemy
of solar panels. Is your roof structure
capable of accepting the weight of the
panels and any other load, say wind
and
snow?
Are
there
any
neighborhood or local regulations
prohibiting solar panels?
Now to the nitty gritty. Grab your
electric bills from the past year and
see how many kilowatt hours (kWh)
your home has used. Your local public
power district or electric cooperative
can assist with this task. The typical
American home PV system produces
5 kWh per hour. How much of your
home’s annual use can be covered?
Then comes the cost. The 5 kWh
system has an average cost of $24,650
before any incentives. The most
common incentive is a 30 percent tax
credit from the Federal Government.
Then there are savings in reduced
energy use costs and the potential
benefit of any electricity sold back to
your local public power district or
electric cooperative. Calculations
have shown paybacks between seven
and 15 years.
If the cost of the system is too steep,
you might be able to sign a contract
with a solar company who will install
the system at no cost but take all the
incentives and charge a monthly fee.
If you want more information,
reach out to your local public power
district or electric cooperative. If you
decide to talk to a contractor, be sure
to check references. Increased
interest in solar has spawned a large
number of sellers who have little
knowledge in PV installations.
Caveat emptor is the rule to obey
here.
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Motor Myths
lectric motors account for 23
percent of all electricity
consumed in the U.S. and
almost 70 percent of manufacturing
sector’s electrical consumption. In
rural Nebraska during summer, the
most common motor loads include air
conditioning and irrigation systems.
Consequently, you would think many
of us would know how to optimize
electric motor use. However, the
following are a handful of “motor
mistakes” many of us make:
E
MYTH: Temperature elevation has
little influence on an electric motor.
FACT: Motors are designed with a
specific insulation classification,
which specifies the motor’s maximum
operating ambient temperature.
When fully loaded, a motor’s
temperature increases. The ambient
temperature rating accounts for the
maximum amount of heat the motor
can reasonably operate under. For
each 10°C this threshold is exceeded,
the motor’s life is cut in half. This can
become a critical consideration when
summer temperatures approach their
peaks.
MYTH: Frequent startups do not
impact a motor.
FACT: If not specifically designed for
them, frequent starts will shorten a
motor’s life. The brief inrush of
starting current causes extra heat to
buildup, which is usually dissipated
while the motor is running. If the
motor does not run long enough
between starts to dissipate the extra
heat, it can exceed the motor’s
maximum operating temperature.
MYTH: High-efficiency motors always
provide energy savings when
compared to standard efficiency
motors.
FACT: The actual operating speed of
an induction motor is somewhat less
August 2015
than
its
synchronous
speed.
Synchronous speed would be produced
if rotation of the motor’s shaft is at the
same frequency of the supplied
electrical alternating current. This
difference between synchronous and
actual speed is referred to as slip.
Many energy-efficient motors tend to
operate with less full- load slip or at a
slightly higher speed than their
standard efficiency counterparts.
For centrifugal fans and pumps,
even a minor change in the motor’s
operating speed translates into a
significant change in the imposed load
and annual energy consumption. Fan
and pump “affinity” laws indicate that
the horsepower loading placed on a
motor by centrifugal loads varies as
the third power or cube of its
rotational speed. A seemingly minor
20 rotations-per-minute increase in a
motor’s speed can result in a 3.5
percent increase in electrical load.
MYTH: Using soft-start equipment on
big electrical motors can cut utility
demand charges.
FACT: The use of soft-start
equipment can lead to savings, but it
will not significantly reduce the
demand charge on your electric bill.
When a motor starts, it draws an
“inrush” of electrical current often five
to six times the motor's full-load
running current. This creates a lot of
heat, and heat is what kills motors
over time. Soft-starters ramp up
voltage applied to motor terminals
over time, thereby limiting inrush,
which significantly reduces heat
buildup. By doing so, soft- starters can
extend motor lifetimes, in particular,
for motors that are stopped and
started frequently.
But why are demand charges from
the utility not affected? If electrical
kilo-watt (kW) demand is measured
and billed on your electric utility
account, the electric meter measures
the average kW you consume over
each 15 or 30-minute period. In
contrast, a soft-starter affects a
motor's power draw over the course of
just a few seconds. The reduction of
the motor's power draw over that
short period is fairly insignificant
when compared to the time over
which the demand charge is
calculated.
MYTH: Power-factor correction saves
significant amounts of energy.
FACT: Power-factor correction can
reduce energy use by only a small
amount. But unless your utility
requires power factor correction or
charges a penalty for low power factor,
improving it will not have a big impact
on your electricity bill. The amount of
energy saved is dependent on a
number of site-specific factors,
including the mix of electrical loads
connected to your meter, the type and
length of conductors, and where any
power-factor-correction equipment
may be placed (i.e. – closer to the
meter versus closer to the motor
loads). However, even in the most
extreme cases, it is unusual for
electrical consumption savings to
exceed 2 percent.
Source: Nebraska Public Power
District
11
Celebrating Nebraska’s Czech Heritage
or three days this summer the
streets of Wilber, Nebraska
will be transformed into a
celebration of Czech heritage and
culture. The Wilber Chapter of the
Nebraska Czechs Inc. will host its
54th annual Czech Festival on July
31, Aug. 1 and 2. The festival takes
place on the streets in the downtown
area, covering several blocks in each
direction.
The Wilber Czech Festival is one of
the largest ethnic celebrations in
America and hosts over 50,000
people each year. Many come to take
part in the Czech heritage and
culture celebration that includes
authentic meals of roasted duck and
pork, sauerkraut and dumplings and
the famous sweet pastry, the fruit
filled “kolace.” There’s even a kolace
eating contest.
The three-day festival includes
three parades with the first on
F
Vitame
´
´ Vas
12
Friday evening at 7 p.m., where the
parents and children strut their
costumes, pets and floats that
display the theme. This year’s theme
is “A Czech-American Adventure.”
The Saturday and Sunday parades
begin at 2 p.m. and often last more
than two hours.
In addition to the parades the
festival will offer a wide variety of
attractions, including the Miss
Czech-Slovak U.S. pageant, an art
show, car show, costume exhibits, and
various music groups performances.
Street
vendors
and
store
merchants will offer food, drinks,
costumes, clothing, many various
items and souvenirs. Rides and
games are available for kids while
adults can participate in the Legion
Bingo game.
Visitors are encouraged to stop by
the historical exhibits at the Wilber
Czech Museum also.
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Wilber launched its First Annual
Czech Festival in August 1962,
attracting 20,000 people to the event.
Four citizens of Wilber, Senator Joe
T. Vosoba, Judge Eugene Zajicek,
Pastor William Temps, and Walter A.
Baer conceived the idea of forming a
Wilber Czech organization for the
purpose of perpetuating Czech
culture and tradition, making Wilber
the Czech Capital of Nebraska,
providing a tourist attraction by
holding an annual Czech Festival,
and building a museum for the
preservation of Czech literature,
culture, and artifacts. The Fifth
Annual Wilber Czech Festival, held
in 1966, achieved a new high in
attendance, 60,000 people in two
days.
The Nebraska Czech costume,
locally made and designed, is worn
by many Czechs and non-Czechs,
adding to the color of the Festival.
August 2015
13
The electric grid connects us all
by Justin LaBerge
he energy industry is in the
midst of an unprecedented
period of transition. As this
energy revolution unfolds, a modern,
interconnected and reliable electric
grid has never been more important.
In April, Elon Musk, the
charismatic billionaire CEO of Tesla,
introduced a new lithium ion battery
called the PowerWall. In typical
fashion for this brash tech
entrepreneur, Musk paints a rosy
picture
of
a
future
where
homeowners disconnect from the
power grid and meet all their power
needs through a combination of
rooftop solar and battery storage.
It’s exciting to imagine a future
T
14
where renewable energy systems will
allow us to generate and store
electricity in a reliable and costeffective way. Though there are many
working hard to realize that goal –
including public power districts and
electric cooperatives – it is still a long
way from reality.
Unlike gasoline or propane,
electricity is a form of energy that is
difficult to store in large quantities.
Batteries can hold enough energy to
power small devices for moderate
amounts of time, but current battery
technology cannot practically and
economically store enough energy to
power larger items like appliances
and TVs for longer durations.
We don’t know when the cost, size,
quality and reliability of battery
storage will improve to the point that
it becomes a viable option to help
meet our energy needs. If/when that
happens, it has the potential to
transform countless aspects of our
lives, from our smartphones to our
cars to our electric system.
The lack of a viable option for
large-scale energy storage creates
another
challenge
for
power
companies. Electricity supply and
demand must always be perfectly
matched.
If you’re a farmer, imagine what
your job would be like if you couldn’t
store your product – not even for a
short period of time until a truck
could come to pick it up. Imagine if
the grain you grow or the milk your
cows produce had to instantly go
from harvest to consumption. Lastly,
imagine that the demand for your
product never stops and varies wildly
throughout the day, but you always
had to produce the exact right
amount with no shortages or
overages. That’s what public power
Rural Electric Nebraskan
districts and electric cooperatives do
every day to keep the lights on.
To meet this challenge, power
companies rely on a complex and
interconnected electric grid to deliver
power to homes and businesses
across America the instant that it’s
needed. The electricity powering the
lamp that you’re using to read this
article was generated a fraction of a
second before it was delivered to your
home – most likely at a power plant
far away from where you live.
These same challenges are true for
people who want to generate
electricity at their homes or
businesses through technologies
such as solar panels, small wind
turbines and manure digesters that
produce methane.
It’s unlikely that the amount of
available sunshine, wind or manure
is always perfectly matched to your
immediate energy needs. Sometimes
the sun is shining brightly when
nobody is home, but most people still
want electricity after the sun goes
down. That’s where the electric grid
comes into play.
By staying connected to the electric
grid, your home is part of a larger
system. You can usually feed extra
energy back into it when you don’t
need it, but more importantly, the
grid is there to make sure you always
have enough power when you need it.
In addition, the interconnected
nature of the grid means that when
there’s a problem with a generator on
the system – whether that’s a
homeowner’s rooftop solar array or a
large power plant supplying energy
to hundreds of thousands – there are
plenty of other generation resources
available to step in and quickly meet
the need.
In some ways, the electric grid is
the ultimate example of a
cooperative. Every power company,
from electric co-ops to investor-owned
utilities to government-run systems,
must work together across state lines
to ensure there is always enough
energy to power our lives.
Public power districts and electric
cooperatives are leaders in the
renewable energy revolution. Three
August 2015
of the top four solar utilities in
America are electric cooperatives.
The vast majority of wind turbines in
this country are built in rural areas
served by cooperatives. In fact,
America’s public power districts and
electric cooperatives support an
entire team of researchers who work
on issues related to renewable
energy, power reliability and future
technology.
Great leaders always look to the
future but remain grounded in
practical reality. Great leaders look
out for everybody they serve and
strive to ensure their actions will
serve the greater good. These are the
same qualities that make rural
electric utilities special. Though our
nation’s energy future is uncertain,
there’s no doubt that America’s public
power
districts
and
electric
cooperatives are helping to write it –
and doing so with our members’ best
interests driving every action we
take.
15
SAFETY BRIEFS
Prevent Deadly Shocks—Check Your Boats and Docks
f you have a boat or dock, help
prevent electrical accidents by
inspecting and maintaining all
electrical systems on or near the
water. Exposure to the elements and
the motion of water can degrade the
condition of electrical components
allowing electricity to leak into the
water or energize surrounding metal.
Each year, people are killed by
electrical shock while in the water
near docks or boats plugged into
shore power. Proper maintenance
and safety equipment are vital in
helping to prevent these tragedies.
Safe Electricity in conjunction with
the American Boat and Yacht
Council
(ABYC)
and
the
International
Brotherhood
of
Electrical
Workers/National
Electrical Contractors Association
recommend:
• Docks should have ground fault
circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers
on the circuits feeding electricity to
the dock.
• The metal frame of docks should
be bonded to connect all metal parts
to the alternating current (AC) safety
ground at the power source. That will
ensure any part of the metal dock
I
16
that becomes energized because of
electrical malfunction will trip the
circuit breaker.
• Neighboring docks can also
present a shock hazard. Ensure your
neighbor’s dockside electrical system
complies with the National Electrical
Code and has been inspected.
• All electrical installations should
be performed by a professional
electrical contractor familiar with
marine codes and standards.
When it comes to your boat’s
electrical system, particularly those
with AC systems, keep in mind:
• Boats with AC systems should
have isolation transformers or
equipment
leakage
circuit
(ELCI)
protection,
interrupter
comply with ABYC standards, and
should be serviced by an ABYC
Certified Technician.
• There are some big differences
between your house and your boat.
Household wire is not suitable for
use on boats as houses are
motionless and generally dry. Even
marine-rated wire that is not
supported along its length will break
with constant motion stress.
• Do NOT use wire nuts or splice
connectors! Wire nuts are for solid
conductor wire, which should never
be on a boat, and splice connectors
cut wire strands.
• Fuses are rated to protect the
wire, not the appliance. If a fuse
blows continuously, it should NOT be
replaced with a larger one just to
keep it from blowing again—
something else is wrong.
• Have your boat’s electrical
system checked at least once a year.
Boats should also be checked when
something is added to or removed
from their systems.
Learn more at SafeElectricity.org
and www.abycinc.org.
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Common questions about the electric vehicle
by Thomas Kirk
here’s no denying it – the
electric vehicle market is
evolving
and
maturing.
Although the concept of electrically
powered vehicles was pioneered over
a century ago, only recently have they
become a viable vehicle choice for
many Americans.
In 2014, more than 120,000 electric
vehicles (EVs) were bought in the
U.S., breaking the previous record of
fewer than 100,000 in 2013. People
are buying EVs in greater numbers,
but many still have questions about
range, charging time and fuel-savings.
One of the greatest fears of EV
ownership is running out of power on
the road with no charging station in
sight.
EVs
are
particularly
susceptible to this because most EVs
have less range than a comparable
gasoline-powered vehicle, and
there are fewer
public charging
stations than
gas stations.
However, the
numbers
suggest that
this
shouldn’t be a
problem for
most
trips.
The
average
single
trip
distance is six
miles, and even
for rural areas
with
longer
drives, 95 percent
of all trips are less
than 50 miles. New
EVs have ranges
typically between 70
and 120 miles, and
some even have ranges up to
300 miles.
Some consumers fear that the time
to recharge an EV is excessive. Filling
T
August 2015
up a car with gas only takes a few
minutes, but filling up an EV battery
can take 10 hours or longer,
depending on the car and the
charging method. All passenger EVs
can be charged at home using a
standard outlet. Simply park the car
at the end of the day, and when you
awake to go to work, school or church,
your car will be fueled up and ready
to go.
If 10 hours is too long of a wait,
there are special charging stations
that can be installed at your home
that will let you charge the EV in just
a couple of hours. Consumers opting
for this method should try to set their
timer to charge the car late at night.
Some electric co-ops offer incentives
for this “off-peak” charging.
Electric motors are more efficient
than traditional internal combustion
engines, making them cheaper on a
fuel per mile cost basis. How much
you will save on fuel with an EV
depends on just how
efficient your EV is and
the cost of electricity
compared to the
cost of gas. EVs
typically get
between
two to four miles per kWh, and the
average retail electricity rate is 12
cents per kWh, which comes to a per
mile rate of 3 to 6 cents (Remember,
some utilities offer special rates for
customers who charge their EVs at
night, bringing this rate lower).
Comparatively, an average gaspowered car can expect a per mile
fuel rate of 9 to 11 cents, but this
number will vary dramatically based
on the price of gas and the car’s gas
mileage. What does this mean for
annual fuel savings? Right now, a
Nissan Leaf (EV) will cost around
$350 a year for fuel, while a Nissan
Versa (gasoline) will cost $771.
Buying an EV is a decision that
requires careful consideration. EVs
are often more expensive up front,
and the potential savings of an EV
are largely dependent on the cost of
gasoline (currently at a six-year low)
and state and federal tax credits. Be
sure to consult your local utility
provider to see if special EV charging
rates or other incentives are offered.
Most EV owners report high
satisfaction, and the high torque
means you will have no problem
beating that Mustang off the line.
Thomas Kirk is a technical
research analyst specializing in
energy efficiency and renewable
energy for the Cooperative Research
Network (CRN), a service of the
Arlington, Va.-based National Rural
Electric Cooperative Association
17
CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS
Roofing materials impact air conditioning costs
by James Dulley
My black asphalt shingle roof
Q :needs
to be replaced. I want to
install a new roof that will last longer
and help keep my home cooler during
hot summer afternoons. What type of
roof do you recommend?
: From the standpoint of a long
and keeping your home
cooler, a black asphalt shingle roof is
probably the worst option. The dark
color absorbs much of the sun's heat,
which not only makes your home
hotter and drives up your airconditioning costs, but hastens the
degradation of the shingle material
itself.
A black shingle can easily reach 150
degrees Fahrenheit in the hot
afternoon sun. If you have ever tried
to lift a square (100 sq. ft.) of shingles,
you know how heavy they are. When
this thermal mass gets hot, it stores
the heat and radiates it down into
your home well into the evening.
Even if you have adequate
insulation on the attic floor, the
radiant heat from the hot roof easily
passes through to room ceilings.
Standard thermal insulation, such as
batts and blown-in fiberglass or rock
wool and cellulose, are most effective
for blocking conductive heat transfer,
but less so for radiant heat from a hot
roof.
The two most common roofing
materials for homes are shingles and
metal. White shingles can be fairly
energy efficient and effective for
reflecting much of the sun's heat.
Some white shingles even qualified
for the former Federal energy tax
credit. Keep in mind, it takes very
little color tint before shingles start to
absorb heat, so white is the most
efficient option.
Metal roofing can cost twice as
A life
18
much as shingles, but many types
have lifetime warranties, and they
can reflect the majority of the sun's
heat. Aluminum and steel are the two
most common and reasonably priced
materials. Copper is attractive and
durable. It is quite expensive, but the
natural aged patina color is beautiful
and it absorbs heat well.
I installed an aluminum simulated
shake roof on my own home five years
ago while the energy tax credit was in
effect. My roof consists of 1x2-ft.
interlocking panels with a special
A completed metal roofing with
new flashing and decorative hip trim
over the seam. Photograph by James
Dulley
heat-reflecting paint coating. The
panels are made of recycled
aluminum from soda pop cans and
are formed to look like cedar shakes.
Aluminum is a particularly efficient
roofing material because the
underside surface of the roofing
panels is bare. With a low emissivity
rating, it does not allow the heat from
the hot metal to pass through to the
roofing lumber and insulation below.
When selecting an aluminum roof, it
is important that its contour provides
an air gap over the sheathing for its
low-emissivity properties to be
effective. A simulated clay tile
aluminum roof is also very effective
with the many air gaps under it.
After my aluminum roof was
installed, the second floor bedrooms
stayed much cooler during summer
afternoons. The only drawback to an
aluminum metal roof is you must be
careful walking on it and stepping on
the high shake’s edges so it is not
damaged. During winter, snow
sometimes slides off in large sheets
and crushes shrubs and blocks the
garage door. Snow stops can be glued
to the roof to stop this, but they may
also catch leaves and debris from
nearby trees.
Painted steel roofs are also
available in many colors and
simulated contours. The steel is
treated with many layers of corrosionresistant coatings so rust is not a
problem. Steel roofs with an
aluminum-alloy
coating
are
particularly durable. Steel is very
strong, so there are fewer problems
with walking on it.
Since your old shingles are likely
cracked with curled edges, they would
have to be torn off before new shingles
are installed. Most metal roofs,
because of their rigidity, can be
installed over existing shingles no
matter what their condition. This
saves the cost (often about $1,000) of
tearing off the old shingles.
Whether you choose white shingles
or a metal roof with heat-reflecting
paint, also consider installing an attic
ridge vent. When replacing a roof,
adding a ridge vent is a minor
additional expense. If you install,
make sure the soffit vents are not
blocked by attic insulation. Even with
the metal roof, adequate attic
ventilation is needed for both summer
and winter energy efficiency.
Send inquiries to James Dulley, Rural
Electric Nebraskan, 6906 Royalgreen
Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit
www.dulley.com.
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Winning means using less
merica is a competitive
country. Fast cars, backboard
shattering dunks and upper
deck home runs get our adrenaline
pumping. We even turn eating into a
competition. So why not turn energy
efficiency into a competitive effort?
Most people agree that using energy
wisely is a smart decision. It’s good for
your wallet, and it’s good for the
planet. But let’s be honest – it can be
pretty boring. Dancing with the Stars
turned ballroom dancing into
something exciting, so the same can be
done with energy efficiency.
Several electric utilities have used
the concept of energy challenges to
turn energy efficiency into something
that gets people excited, and it’s easy
to recreate this friendly form of
competition. All you need are two
groups or even just one family to turn
finding energy hogs into a fun activity
that saves money.
So, how can you get in on the fun?
You will want to compare your energy
use this month to the same month last
year. This will give a more accurate
account of your use. If you don’t want
to compare to the same month as last
year, you can also do a month-tomonth. Just use data that you can
easily access – and remember, this is
meant to be fun.
Let’s use an energy competition
between two neighbors as an example.
Both neighbors will need to know
what their baseline energy use is
(contact your utility provider if you do
not have this information handy).
Ideally, use the month from the prior
year. This is the number that you will
be competing against. The goal of the
competition is to have the greatest
percentage reduction for the month
against that baseline. Now the fun
starts. Simply figure out ways to
reduce your energy use by the largest
amount without spending more than
$50. The goal is fun and easy. You
shouldn’t have to spend hundreds or
thousands of dollars on improvements
to make a positive impact.
A
August 2015
The secret weapon to winning will
be to use your kids, since they are
amazingly creative and have a unique
way of looking at things. Here are
some of their suggestions for winning
strategies:
• Cook meals on a grill instead of
the kitchen
• Watch less TV, disconnect the
video game system or turn off the
computer (Please be aware that these
tips may lead to family bonding time.)
• Unscrew some light bulbs
• Unplug battery and cell phone
chargers
• Cut down on washing by using
washing machines and dishwashers
only when they are truly full
• “Fine” family members (usually
the husband or kids) for leaving the
lights on in an empty room or a door
to the outside open
Once the competition starts, engage
everyone in your home to brainstorm
ideas to reduce energy use. Challenge
everyone in your home to develop a
list of things to do. The person with
the longest list could win a candy bar.
Then do them. Equip the kids with
caulk guns to shoot the energy leaks
or weather stripping to reinforce the
windows. Try to turn everything into
a game or a race.
What does the winner of the
competition get? In this sort of
competition, everyone wins because
they are saving energy and saving
money. But the prize can be as simple
as a pizza party for the winner.
Several colleges have tried energy
competitions among their dorms. It is
amazing what college students will do
to earn a free pizza party.
How much energy can you save
doing a competition like this? Electric
utilities that have engaged their
consumers in these sorts of
competitions have reported energy
savings ranging from 9 to 58 percent.
Those that saved the most made more
drastic changes, such as grilling or
camping. The energy savings do go
down once the competition ends. But
utilities have found that even when
the competition is over, those who
played the game are still using less
energy than before the competition,
and some of the easier behaviors like
only running a full dishwasher or
unscrewing light bulbs stick.
These ideas can be fun for all who
compete, but making a long-lasting
impact on home energy savings is the
best prize of all!
19
Down Home Recipes
Travel with your taste buds
rilling season is already in
full swing, but there are
plenty of options to take
your grilling menus to another
flavorful level.
The barbecue and sausage experts
at
Johnsonville
recommend
incorporating your favorite flavors
from various world cuisines into
your outdoor entertaining menu.
One example is the unique
combination of flavors found in the
Vietnamese banh mi – a sandwich
layered with savory grilled meat,
crisp vegetables and a touch of spice
atop a crusty baguette.
The options for international
variations of grilled grub are
limitless; here are a few other ideas:
• Mexican: Top your bratwurst
with pico de gallo, guacamole or
refried beans. Enjoy on a lightly
toasted tortilla with melted cheese
instead of a bun.
• Greek: Give the gyro a twist by
substituting brats for the lamb, and
serve in a pita with shredded
lettuce, tomato and tzatziki.
• Italian: Enjoy sausage with
roasted peppers or with marinara
sauce instead of your favorite
condiment. Or serve up this flavorful
sandwich,
which
incorporates
crunchy red and bell peppers, with
juicy Johnsonville mild Italian
sausage links. It’s sure to be a hit
around your backyard grill.
For
additional
entertaining
recipes
and
ideas,
visit
www.johnsonville.com and tag your
photos @jvillesausage on Instagram
to share a picture of your summer
grilling gathering.
G
Brat Banh Mi
1/2 cup thinly sliced baby carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup (or to taste) thinly sliced
fresh jalapenos
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) salt
3 ounces Braunschweiger
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
5 tablespoons Thai-style sweet
red chili sauce
1 tablespoon finely minced
onion
6 Johnsonville Bratwurst Grillers
2 crusty French baguettes (8-12
ounces, 22-24 inches long)
1 cup thinly sliced Persian or
English cucumbers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
mint
1/2 cup cilantro, stems removed
In small sauce pan, mix carrots,
20
radishes, jalapenos, ginger, rice
vinegar, sugar and salt, and bring to
a simmer. Remove from heat and
allow to steep.
Mix Braunschweiger, mayonnaise,
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce and
onion.
Grill frozen Johnsonville bratwurst
burgers according to directions.
A few minutes before burgers are
done, slice baguettes lengthwise, but
not all the way through.
Brush bottom half on cut side of
bread lightly with remaining sweet
chili sauce and place opened
baguettes cut side down over grilling
burgers until bread is warmed and
slightly toasted around edges.
Spread Braunschweiger mixture
on bottom half of bread. Cut each
brat burger in half and tuck into
sandwich, rounded side out.
Using slotted spoon, top burgers
with marinated vegetables and
cucumbers, mint and cilantro.
Cut between patty halves for
individual sandwiches.
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Reader Submitted Recipes
Chicken Paella
with French
Green Beans
2 tablespoons olive oil,
divided
1 pound boneless skinless
chicken thighs, cut into
1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 cups parboiled white longgrain rice, uncooked
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) Hunt’s
Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 package (11 ounces) Alexia
French Herb Green Beans
1/3 cup sliced ripe olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Lemon wedges
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large deep
skillet or Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper. Cook 7–9 minutes or until golden
brown on all sides. Transfer to plate.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to
skillet and heat. Add onion, garlic
and paprika. Cook 3–5 minutes or
until onion is tender, stirring often.
Stir in rice; cook 1–2 minutes or until
coated well.
Stir in broth, tomatoes and chicken;
bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 12 minutes.
Stir in frozen green beans; cook covered 8–10 minutes more or until rice
is tender and chicken is cooked
through. Remove from heat; let stand
covered 5 minutes.
Stir in olives. Sprinkle with parsley
and serve with lemon wedges.
Source: Alexia Foods
August 2015
Sunny Vegetable Salad
5
5
2
2/3
1/2
1
1/2
2
6
1/4
cups broccoli, chopped
cups cauliflower, chopped
cups shredded cheddar cheese
cup chopped onion
cup raisins
cup mayonnaise
cup sugar
tablespoons cider vinegar
bacon strips cooked & crumbled
cup sunflower seeds
Toss broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, onion and raisins in large bowl.
Combine mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Pour over salad. (Do not do until
shortly before serving.) Sprinkle bacon & sunflower seeds on top.
Barbara Baca, Wilsonville, Nebraska
Chocolate Chip Peanut Pinwheels
1/2
1
1/2
1
2
1 1/4
1/2
6
cup margarine
cup sugar
cup chunky peanut butter
egg
tablespoons milk
cup flour
teaspoon baking soda
oz. pkg chocolate chips
Mix together margarine, sugar, peanut butter, egg, milk, flour and baking
soda. Pat dough flat onto floured wax paper. Melt chocolate chips and
spread over dough. Roll up and chill. Cut and bake for 10 minutes at 375
degrees. May keep in fridge until later date.
Dolores Florian, Ord, Nebraska
Crab and Pea Salad
1
1
6
1/2
(10 oz) frozen peas
(12 oz) imitation crab meat
bacon strips
cup mayonnaise
Chopped onions (optional)
Salt & pepper
Thaw peas. Cook bacon and crumble it. Add peas, crab meat, bacon,
mayonnaise, onions, salt and pepper.
Mildred Marcum, Spencer, Nebraska
21
MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS
See what a difference it makes...
Advertise in Rural Electric
Nebraskan Classifieds
22
Rural Electric Nebraskan
Before you switch on the lights, we’ve already put up the
poles, connected miles of wire and flipped more than a few
switches of our own. All to make sure your life is always
“on.” Learn more about the power of your co-op membership
at TogetherWeSave.com.
YOUR
ELECTRICITY
ISN’T
SOMETHING
WE TAKE
LIGHTLY.