View Newsletter - Talquin Electric Cooperative

AUGUST 2015
You can rely on us!
Happy 75th
Anniversary Talquin!
Talquin Assistance Program
(TAP)…Members Helping
Members. See page 7
T
A L Q U I N
ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
“The Current”
August 2015
Vol. MMXV No. 8
USPS #356-710
“The Current” is the official newsletter of Talquin
Electric Cooperative, Inc., published monthly as
an informational and educational service to the
members of the Cooperative. Periodical postage
paid at Tallahassee, Florida.
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
Cooperative Member $1.50 per year.
Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an equal
opportunity provider and employer.
EDITORIAL OFFICES
P.O. Box 1679
1640 West Jefferson Street
Quincy, Florida 32353-1679
Tracy Bensley, General Manager
Ken A. Cowen, Director of Administrative
Services/Editor
PRINTED BY:
Graphic Press Corporation, Tallahassee, Florida
POSTMASTER
In using Form 3579 please give key
letter and mail to “The Current,”
P.O.Box 1679, Quincy, Florida 32353-1679
OFFICERS
Carrie L. Durden
President
P.O. Box 541
Havana, Florida 32333
William R. VanLandingham
Vice-President
519 Telogia Creek Road
Quincy, Florida 32351
Joseph Alexander
Secretary/Treasurer
507 Deerwood Circle
Quincy, Florida 32352
TRUSTEES
Dr. Clifford S. Bristol
15333 N.W. CR 12
Bristol, Florida 32321
Doug Bruce
P.O. Box 10855
Tallahassee, Florida 32302
Sam Fenn
3539 Lakeview Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32310
Mal Green
7882 Bandits Run
Tallahassee, Florida 32309
Reliability… The Co-op Way
According to Webster, reliability is “the extent to which an experiment, test, or measuring
procedure yields the same results on repeated trials.” At Talquin, we have many procedures
and measures in place to ensure that we provide safe and reliable energy to you, our Members,
all of the time. Here are a few examples of the processes that we focus on for the continual
improvement of our electric service.
One of our processes is system maintenance. Just like you get your car serviced to make sure
it runs and you extend the life of the vehicle, we also perform maintenance on the equipment
that keeps Talquin running. With our facility assessment program, we check every piece of
equipment and foot of line on our system from the substation all the way to the meter. Talquin
continually inspects and maintains 4,000 miles of power lines on our system.
Our substation technicians do the same thing with each of our 25 substations. They clean
every inch of the equipment and keep weeds off the rocks that cover the protective grid. As
they do this, all the equipment is thoroughly inspected to make sure that everything is running
as it should. A lot of work goes in to keeping our substations operating at peak performance
all of the time.
Another one of our practices is holding reliability meetings each month. We have a cross-departmental team that meets to discuss key issues that let us know where we may be able to
improve our performance. This group reviews information such as outages that are over four
hours in duration; outages that affect more than 50 Members; and all locations that have more
than three outages in a three month span. By reviewing these and other scenarios, we are able
to create solutions that continually improve the performance of our service.
One final example, but maybe the most significant for improving service reliability, is rightof-way (ROW) maintenance. Many of our Members do not realize this, but more than half
of our outages have traditionally been caused by ROW issues. Recognizing this, we have increased our ROW budget by 50% and implemented a process that uses planners to go out in
advance of ROW crews to get permission from property owners before trimming and cutting
along the ROW. This process expedites our trimming schedule. Now, when our trimmers get
out on the line, property owners already know what to expect, and our crews can spend more
time trimming.
Our biggest focus for upcoming years is tree removal. So far this year, we have already removed
over 3,400 trees that could affect our reliability. But do not think we have not considered the
environment! We now have a tree replacement program that provides vouchers to property
owners for more suitable trees to replace those that we have removed.
All of these processes, and many more, are performed continually, and our Board members
keep us focused on our performance all of the time. We are proud to report that the duration
of our outages has improved by 42% in just the past year, which means that we are definitely
moving in the right direction.
We are your cooperative – a dedicated, dependable group of Board members and employees
providing you with safe, reliable service!
Bobby J. Strickland
108 Coleman Road
Crawfordville, Florida 32327
Dr. David L. Wright
1194 Solomon Dairy Road
Quincy, FL 32352
The Talquin Electric and TWWI Board regularly
schedule their workshops on the 1st Monday of each
month and meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of each
month at the Headquarters’ Office in Quincy, FL at
7:00 p.m. For specific dates, times and locations,
please refer to our website at www.talquinelectric.com.
Notice of any changes will be listed on the website.
2
Carrie Durden, Board President
Powering Communities/Empowering Members
Tracy Bensley, General Manager
THE CURRENT | AUGUST 2015
Back to
School
Supply
Drive
Talquin Cost
Saving Measures
Our goal is to collect school
supplies in our Member
Service Offices for local area
schools in the month of August.
There are many who cannot
afford the basic
school supplies
for their children’s
education – maybe we
can help.
Department Highlight
One of the areas covered by Talquin’s
Administrative Services is maintenance
of all Talquin facilities. We recently
implemented several energy efficient
improvements at two of our older
Member Service Offices, based on
recommendations from our Energy
Services Manager, Dan Ard. These improvements included replacing old lighting fixtures with more
energy efficient ballasts and lamps;
adding insulation and adding “dead
air space” to the entrance of one of our
buildings to help reduce conditioned
air loss. The overall payback for these
improvements is approximately three
years and the quality of the work space
is an added bonus. As a cooperative, we
know that every dollar counts and we
strive to operate in the most efficient
manner for our membership. Come
by or call any Member Service Office
and ask about how you can schedule
your own energy analysis or go to our
website at www.talquinelectric.com to
learn more about ways to reduce your
energy consumption.
Left to right: Back row - Steve Timmons, Mike Greene, Chris Ward (Chairman) and Andrew Clark. Front row - Natalie Barrett, Michael Harper, Randy Peevy, Anthony Granger, and Scott Hartsfield
Safety First!! Talquin Electric’s Safety
Committee is composed of a cross section
of employees who address potential safety
concerns throughout the Cooperative. The
members of this committee meet each
quarter. They help make Talquin safer for
employees and the public by:
1. Developing and making recommendations for safe work rules aligned
with the standards established by
OSHA.
2. Reviewing incidents – they make
recommendations, classify what safety
rules were violated, if any, and determine if the incident was avoidable or
unavoidable.
3. Conducting site inspections of all
Talquin facilities and recommending
any necessary corrective action to
make sure the cooperative is as safe
as possible.
The SAFE way is always the BEST way!
Powering Communities/Empowering Members
AUGUST 2015 | THE CURRENT3
trading post
Miscellaneous
Old-fashioned jams, jellies and preserves,
made from locally-grown produce. Scuppernong, mayhaw, strawberry, blackberry,
Vidalia onion and hot pepper. Great for gifts!
562-5038
Oak Entertainment Center, TV opening
39x28, $400.00. Solid Wood Computer
Hutch, $250.00. Oak Dining Table with six
chairs and small hutch, $400.00. 251-6482
4x8 Pool table w/accessories, sago palms and
more. 875-1547
Armadillo traps. Humane, 2 - door. Pressure
treated wood construction. Pre-scented. No
bait or funneling required. $70.00 383-6380
One Cemetery Plot, Culley’s MeadowWood,
with vault, $2,000, will consider other offers,
544-3758
Navy blue damask Thomasville couch. 8
years old. Rarely used. Can send photos. One
beam was repaired. $70. Boys “Harley Davidson” bicycle - Good shape $40. 567-5103
Under the cabinet Microwave & dishwasher. White , in great shape. Ready to be installed
and used. $110 each or both for $200. 5398383
Camcorder - Sony HDR-CX440 HandyCam, new in box. $250. 539-7775 after noon
Pool Table, regulation 1972 Gandy. Bumpers,
slate, felt in excellent condition. Q-sticks &
rack, balls, table light, extras. $500.00 (serious
only) 510-0854
Wood Exterior Entry Door w/window on
top 36”x80”, new-unused, purch @Lowes
for $324-Now $225. Toshiba 32” TV w/
remote-EX+, $30 call/text 459-9594
Storage Shed – 24’ by 12’, wood. Painted,
sealed, pitched roof. Window in unit with
ability for AC hookup. Neutral color; $6,000;
open to an offer. 309-0488
Non fiction military books and VCR tapes.
Make offer. 510-6845
Antique trunk 32”L x 19”W x 22”H $125
OBO. Small antique rounded top trunk
27”L x 13”H x 16”W $100 OBO. 442-4449
2 dog feeders $15 each, game cart (used one
time) $50. 926-8167
Christian caregiver 25+ yrs experience, personal care, meds, meals, light housekeeping,
errands, etc. Reliable. Excellent references.
575-8906
Records 33 1/3 – around 100 ct $10 each.
Sofa bed – queen sized, excellent condition,
flower w/ cream background, $185. Computer desk – cherry $175. Other items. 576-0698
Loving, experienced female caregiver seeking
full or part time position; reliable transporta-
4
Trading Post Guidelines
In order to continue to provide The Trading Post in every issue of The Current, we are asking
Members to adhere to the guidelines listed below when submitting an ad. If an ad does not meet
the new criteria, it will not be published. There is no cost to place an ad in The Trading Post.
• Members may submit one ad every three
months (four times a year)
• Ads must be twenty-five words or less
• Must be typed or printed legibly in ink
• No registered businesses may run an ad
• No changes after ad submission
• Deadlines are the first day of the month
preceding the month of publication (For
example, December 1st is the deadline for
the January edition.)
• Members must provide name, phone
number, and account number. No email
addresses will be published.
Mail ads to: “The Current”, Talquin Electric Cooperative P.O. Box 1679, Quincy,
FL 32353-1679 or e-mail to: [email protected]
tion; dependable w/ glowing references; also
great w/ pets. 878-2870
Dining room cabinets – antique etc. make an
offer. 509-930-8212
Gowns for sale size 20-24 black, dark blue
and light blue – best offer. Old chest soda or
ice machine, Kimball piano $200. 322-9578
Bedroom Set: Twin bed headboard, mattress
and boxspring, chest, dresser & mirror, night
stand. In very good condition. $350. 556-8164
Real Estate
Log Cabin, 3 miles from Keaton Beach Marina. 2 bedrooms, loft,2 bathrooms, woodwork handmade. Carport for boats,vehicles. Must see to believe. $200,000. 309-0320
Lake Talquin 3.6 ac. water front on Ben
Stoutamire road in Leon County. 906-9461
2006 DWMH, 3BR/2BA with bonus room,
1800 sf, asking $46,000. Must be moved at
buyer expense. call or text 509-4854
Havana DWMH 2.16 acres, newer roof, flooring, paint 10x19 sunroom, fireplace, large metal
shed, water & elec, 3 stall lean-to’s off shed - for
sale only. $89,000. 294-4528
87.7 acres of land located at Old Federal Rd.
Make an offer. 509-930-8212
Automotive
2013 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition. Navigation, sunroof, heated seats, all options, remote
start, adoptive suspension and is 4-wheel drive.
36,000 miles. $30,000 or OBO. 406-209-1009
Vintage Hubcaps (4), fit 14” wheel, 60’s Era,
Very Nice Condition $100.459-9594
1981 Honda Goldwing Motorcycle 1100cc,
recent timing belt and starter, 40k, very nice.
$2,000. 421-9783
Small truck camper shell (silver). Will negotiate for truck tool box. 510-6845
Powering Communities/Empowering Members
2008 Toyota Highlander. V-6 black w/ tan
leather interior. Extremely clean. Michelin
tires, serviced regularly. 155,000 miles. No
accidents. Great vehicle priced at $11,900.
445-3623/229-997-2080
One old RV –make an offer. Plenty of brand
new brakes – make an offer. 509-930-8212
Farm/Garden
2001 John Deere 120 excavator, good condition, ready to work - $22K. 6 ft finishing
mower, good condition- $500. 933-5118
Help wanted: need someone to work around
house part time. Reasonable pay also ½ acre
garden space free to person who wants to work.
875-3183
FREE
4 tires and rims for Yamaha ATV. First come! 539-9376
Chesapeake Bay Labrador dog. 3 yrs old,
neutered, has chip in ear. Needs fenced yard
w/ room to run. Free dog and leash. 339-4381
Cedar Tree – you cut and take. 576-0698
Marine
2 old boats w/ trailer. Make an offer. 509930-8212
Wanted
Old hit and miss engine Preferably a smaller
engine. 379-8539 or 933-4983
Passenger or Cargo van: ton, 350-360 series,
in good condition, reasonably priced. Used
Refrigerator in good condition. 879-5509
Need any old gravely 2 wheel walk behind
tractor (Model I-8). Any condition ok. Also
attachments. 508-1641
THE CURRENT | AUGUST 2015
Your Account Number =
a Gift Card for You!
Energy Tip
Keep yourself cool: this one
is kind of a no-brainer, but
it bears mentioning. The
most cost efficient way to
keep cool is to wear light
clothing and drink lots of
water! It won’t cost you
anything and the effects
will be immediate!
Water Tip
www.sccleanenergy.com
When the kids want to cool
off, use the sprinkler in an area
where your lawn needs it the
most. Beat the heat and water
your lawn!
Located somewhere in this issue of The
Current is a Member account number.
Look carefully; it might be yours! If you
do find your account number exactly as it
appears on your bill for electric or water
service, you win a $50 gift card! You have
until September 30, 2015 to claim your
gift card by calling Alisia Hounshell at
850-627-7651, from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm,
Monday –Friday. You must contact the
TEC representative before the deadline
to collect the prize!
Watts Happening
Flea Across Florida
August
Grape Harvest Festival
September 11th -12th ; from Jacksonville
to Pensacola
18th
Fort Braden - Fort Braden
Community Center
See small town USA while driving across
Florida via Hwy 90 as you visit flea markets, antique shops and yard sales. Visit
their website at www.thefleaacrossflorida.
com to view their map – and those are just
the ones they know about!
20th Lake Jackson - Lake Jackson
Community Center
25th Chaires/Capitola - Dorothy C.
Spence Community Center
August 29th – 8 am to 4 pm
FAMU 6505 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee
Channel your inner Lucille Ball. Kick
off your shoes. Let down your hair. And
squish some grapes. The grape stomp,
is just one part of the wine festival,
which opens up 45 acres of muscadine
grapes to visitors and festival goers.
Other activities include a 5K vineyard
run, grape and wine sampling, pick
your own grapes, grape throwing or
and hula hoop competition and kids’
petting zoo.
September
3rd Leon County Senior Outreach: Explore
Lunch and Learn to stay connected
Miccosukee - Miccosukee
Community Center
9th No reservations needed to join the fun.
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Featuring a delicious catered lunch for $6 per plate. Call
891-4065 for more information.
Bradfordville - Wildwood Presbyterian Church Fellowship
Hall
10th Woodville - Woodville Community Center
Powering Communities/Empowering Members
AUGUST 2015 | THE CURRENT5
Member of
Girl Scouts
the Month
Council of
the Florida
Panhandle
From its beginning in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA has been dedicated to helping all girls build character and skills for success
in the real world. In our own backyard we have the Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle that serves around 5,000
girls between ages 5-17 in 19 counties. One of the ways they help is by providing Girl Scout Camp. The council has three
camps and one is a Talquin Electric Member– Camp for all Seasons. Besides giving the girls an appreciation for the outdoors,
it also teaches them leadership skills, increases their confidence and helps them realize new talents. If you are interested in
giving back to a council that has given so much to our community, go to www.gscfp.org/camps.html or call them at (850)
386-2131/1-888-271-8778 (Toll Free) for more details.
Upgraded Water
System
In June, Talquin completed
construction of a new 250,000
gallon elevated water storage
tank off Chaires Cross Road
in eastern Leon County. This
tank will serve the Members
in the Leon East Regional
water system providing much
needed storage for fire protection and helping to maintain
adequate pressure throughout
the system. Other ongoing
work includes site restoration,
installation of system controls
for automation, landscaping
and fencing which should be
completed within the next
few weeks.
6
Powering Communities/Empowering Members
Sign up for TAP
(Talquin Assistance Program to
help Members in crisis who cannot pay their utility bill) at any
Member Service Office or online
at www.talquinelectric.com
THE CURRENT | AUGUST 2015
Always Notify Us When Your Power Is Out:
In order to ensure that we know when your power is out, ALWAYS contact us in one of the following ways if you experience an outage:
Repor t your electric or water outage on our website at
www.talquinelectric.com
Report via Phone:
Automated System: 1-866-899-4832
Live Operator: 1-888-802-1832
Or the fastest way to let us know if your power is out is via text.
Register to report your outage via text on our website.
Text #OUTAGE to 85700 to report electric outages once you are registered and receive text updates when power is restored.
Apple Spinach Salad
1 – 10 oz. package spinach – torn
2 – Grannysmith apples – diced
(1/2 cup cashews) – put on top
½ cup Golden raisins – mix
Dressing: ¼ c sugar
¼ c apple cider vinegar
¼ coil
¼ t garlic salt
¼ t celery salt
7
594
92
372
2
Mix and pour over spinach. Sprinkle nuts
on top
Olga L. Martin, Talquin Member
Powering Communities/Empowering Members
AUGUST 2015 | THE CURRENT7
TRIC COOPER
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EL
75
, INC.
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TALQU
IN
“THE CURRENT”
TALQUIN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
P.O. BOX 1679
QUINCY, FL 32353-1679
years
TALQUIN ELECTRIC
COOPERATIVE, INC.
Office Locations
Headquarters
1640 W. Jefferson Street
Quincy, Florida 32351
(850) 627-7651 or
Quincy Member Services Office
1607 W. Jefferson Street
Quincy, Florida 32351
(850) 627-9666
Wakulla Member Services Office
681 Wakulla Arran Rd.
Crawfordville, Florida 32327
(850) 926-7422
Hosford Member Services Office
20557 NE Cooperative Way
Hosford, Florida 32334
(850) 379-8679
Lake Jackson Member Services Office
4808 Portal Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32303
(850) 562-0125
Bradfordville
Member Services Office
6724 Thomasville Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32312
(850) 893-6853
Service Interruptions (Outages)
Should Be Reported To
1-888-802-1832
(live operator)
1-866-899-4832
(automated systems)
Visit us and report and view
outages on the Web at
www.talquinelectric.com
Sign up for text outage notification
at www.talquinelectric.com to report
your outage quickly and to receive
outage information.
Happy 75th
Anniversary Talquin!