January 2016 into 4 pages.indd - Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative
Transcription
January 2016 into 4 pages.indd - Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative
the Outlet Monthly Publication of Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative (USPS 711-080) Happy New Year! Volume 47, Number 1 - January 2016 This is your MLEC Operation Round Up new and improved The Mille Lacs Community Trust Board met in December and awarded $14,000 in grants to the following area projects: monthly news New Look - All Color • • • • • • • • • • • • • Aitkin County CARE, Inc. - $2,000 for respite care services Aitkiin County TRIAD - $500 towards expenses for education & communications mtgs Aitkin High School Grad Blast 2016 - $500 for chemical free lock-in event for graduating Aitkin seniors Confidence Learning Center - $1,000 to help offset camper fees Crosby-Ironton 2016 Grad Blast - $500 for chemical free lock-in event for graduating CI seniors Jessie Hallett Memorial Library - $500 to help cover expenses for the Story Time 2016 program Just Because Quilting, A Chapter of Quilts for Kids, Inc. - $200 to purchase materials and supplies, provide quilts to children Kinship Partners, Crow Wing County - $1,000 to recruit, screen, train, match and provide ongoing support for mentors KIP (Kids in Park) - $2,000 to improve and make park safer Mille Lacs Academy - $1,500 for special holiday gifts for five group homes and holiday meal Mounted Eagles - $2,000 for scholarships to participants who need help funding their lesson fee Onamia Area Friends of the Library - $500 to expand their DVD library to include DVD’s for adults and children Rippleside Elementary School, Farm2School Program - $1,800 to purchase farm fresh local food for the Farm2School lunch program This quarter $14,000 of donated funds were distributed. Since the program began, a total of $916,800 has been put back into the community. This is all thanks to MLEC members that choose to round up their electric bill to the nearest dollar. Operation Round Up dollars go into the Mille Lacs Community Trust where a board (separate from the MLEC board) manages the funds. Members of the volunteer board are: Pat Scollard, President, McGregor; Fred Tessmer, Vice-President, Deerwood; Muriel Kingsley, Secretary, Palisade; Ed Anderson, Treasurer, Aitkin; Shirley Adolphson, Garrison; Loren Larson, Garrison; Allen E. Pearson and Diane Landstad, Aitkin. The Trust Board meets quarterly to review grant requests. Next quarterly application due date is March 1, 2016. If your organization would like to be considered, please contact Deb Chute at 927-8221 or 800-450-2191 for an application, or they can be found on our website, www.mlecmn.net. Photo: Sitting on floor L-R: Peggi Beseres – Hallett Library and Muriel Kingsley -MLEC Trust Board. Sitting in chairs L-R : Aggie Stroot – Mounted Eagles, Leona Mostowski - Confidence Learning Center, Tammy Larson – CI Grad Blast, Callie Taylor – Aitkin County Care, Jesse Peterson, and Wanda Blakesley – Rippleside. Standing L-R : Bill Stroot - Mounted Eagles, Shirley Scollard - MLEC Trust Board, Ginny & Myron Ekstrand -Aitkin County Triad, Jason Donahue – Mille Lacs Academy, John Cyrus – Kids in the Park, Amy Wyant -Farm2School, and David Downing – Kinship Partners. Enjoy! Candidate filing for MLEC director positions from Districts 1 & 2 is now 1 District electric account numbers start with 60,61,63,64,67,68 or 69. The present director is Barbara Welty of Garrison 2 District electric account numbers start with 35, 38, 49 or 50. The present director is William (Bill) Bernard of Aitkin Both directors are filing for re-election. If you are an MLEC member receiving electricity in any of the districts listed and are interested in filing for a director position, call Chris Perrine, Member Service Manager at 927-8242 or 888-724-9640 or email [email protected] for director election filing forms and complete information packet. All filings must be received at the Cooperative by February 18, 2016. Thanks to the employees who represented MLEC to staff a full day of bell ringers for the Salvation Army at Paulbeck’s County Market. Donna Monse Erin Beck Shelly Defoe Bill Fillion Mike Chalich Tim Shereck Chris Perrine And thanks to all of you for your generosity! ALWAYS CALL BEFORE YOU Be careful out there! We all caught a break with the mild weather until mid-December. Now, it appears winter is here to stay. In addition to the basic safe driving habits we practice all year long - buckling up, driving alert and sober, and driving at a safe and legal speed - The Minnesota Department of Safety reminds us to be aware of the extra steps you can take during the winter months. DIG Questions or concerns? MLEC’s Board of Directors represent you! Barbara Welty - District 1 320/692-4800 [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer Bill Bernard - District 2 218/678-3911 Make sure your car is ready for the season and that the brakes, battery, exhaust and cooling systems, headlights, fluids, windshield wipers and washers are all in proper working order. Throughout the winter, keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze. Jay Porter General Manager [email protected] Harold Harms - District 3 320/684-9955 hharms@ mlecmn.com President Aileen DeMenge - District 4 218/768-4900 Keep a close eye on the weather. Avoid traveling, especially alone, if severe weather is forecasted. Before taking a trip, inform someone at your destination of your route and expected arrival time. [email protected] Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Keep an emergency survival kit in the car: - a working flashlight and road flares -an ice scraper, snow brush and shovel - jumper cables, tow chain and a toolkit - a blanket, warm clothes, boots, hat and gloves - a metal bucket/coffee can, small candle and matches/lighter - a brightly colored square of cloth such as a bandanna - a basic first aid kit - a large plastic garbage bag (to insulate feet, legs and torso) - a bag of sand, salt or cat litter to use for traction under tires - high energy, non-perishable foods (granola bars, unsalted nuts, dried fruits) Don Appel - District 5 218/927-4134 [email protected] Vice President Bruce Robinson - District 6 218/845-2736 [email protected] Michael Reem - District 7 218/678-2961 [email protected] Jay Porter 218/927-8224 Check that your cell phone is fully charged for use during emergencies. Driving requires your full attention, be sure to find a safe place to pull over when you need to make a call. If your car has been outside during a snowfall, brush all the snow off before setting out. Pay particular attention to cleaning off headlights and taillights so that other motorists can see you. Adjust your speed to the conditions and increase following distances. If you begin to skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas and gently turn the wheel in the direction you want the car to go. If you have an anti-lock braking system (ABS) apply a steady firm pressure to the brake pedal. Never pump ABS brakes. 2 [email protected] General Manager Find Board Meeting minutes at: http://www.mlecmn.net/ content/mlec-board-directors Regular office hours are Mon-Fri 8:00 to 4:30 927-2191 or 800-450-2191 (toll free) 48 hours before you dig Dial 811 - Gopher State One Call.or log on to: www.gopherstateonecall.org If your vehicle hits a power pole or brings down a power line, stay in your vehicle and wait for help. Call 911 for help or honk your horn to alert bystanders. Warn them to keep away from the vehicle. If you must get out of the car because of fire or other danger, tuck your arms and jump clear of the vehicle so no part of your body touches the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then hop or shuffle away, keeping feet together and in contact with the ground. Electricity spreads through the ground in ripples, like a stone dropped in water. The voltage is highest closest to the vehicle and decreases with distance. Then contact a licensed electrician to locate your secondary wires. The same rules apply to situations involving farm and construction equipment. If it comes in contact with overhead power lines, stay in the cab and warn others to stay away until the power line is de-energized. We care about you and your safety. Off-peak and dual fuel system consumers should call their electrician for service or repairs. Find load control times at www.mlecmn.net, choose Energy and then Load Control. MN Electrical Inspectors Aitkin County & South East Crow Wing County Scott Nutting 218/927-6922 Northern Crow Wing County Brian Knox 218/543-5282 Mille Lacs County Tim Emery 320-692-4104 Visit our website www.mlecmn.net E-mail us [email protected] Let’s Dish Send us your recipes! We’ll credit your account $5.00 if it’s printed in THE OUTLET, Mail to: Deb Chute Mille Lacs Energy, P.O. Box 230, Aitkin MN 56431 or e-mail to: [email protected] Thank you to Karen Stoltz of Garrison for sending us this month’s recipe. Taco Tartlets Shell 1 lb. ground beef (85-90% lean) 2 Tbsps. taco seasoning 2 Tbsps. ice water Mix hamburger, taco seasoning and water with hands. Using a mini muffin pan, press in bottom and up the sides. Filling 1 cup sour cream 2 Tbsps. Taco sauce 2 oz. black olives, chopped ¾ cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips Topping 1 cup shredded cheese Preheat oven to 425°. Mix filling ingredients in medium bowl. Spoon into each hamburger shell making a slight mound, cover with cheese and bake 7 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately, or freeze. Makes 30-36. Knowing your Dual Fuel & Freedom Heating Controls A Dual Fuel system is used in a home that has electricity as their main heating source with a fuel oil, propane, or natural gas back up. The electric heating is controlled during “high demand” periods when the call for heating is at its highest and the cost of power is at its highest. These are usually the coldest days of the winter. During times of high consumption and higher electric prices, Great River Energy will interrupt the home’s electric heat and switch the home over to the non-electric heat source. The most that can be controlled is 400 hours during one heating season, which runs from September to May. Typical control times are much lower than the 400 hours maximum. The control hours would usually occur between 4-10pm and last approximately 4 hours or longer. The benefit to this program is that in exchange for allowing us to control your electric heat you will have a kilowatthour rate at 5.9¢, much lower than the main meter rate of 11.16¢ per kilowatthour. Another option for heating is Freedom Heat and it is comparable to Dual Fuel but is controlled for a shorter time period as no back up is required. The kilowatthour rate for Freedom Heat (7.4¢ per kilowatt) is slightly higher than Dual Fuel. Both are cost saving alternatives that help decrease your monthly electric bill. You can check when we will be controlling at our website: www.mlecmn.net Once there, choose the Energy tab and select the Load Control Schedule - you’ll see what is going to be controlled that day. Contact your Energy Services Team at 218-429-0432 or 888-433-4279 for more details. Prize Winning Float MLEC participated in the World Famous Fishhouse parade in downtown Aitkin held on the Friday after Thanksgiving. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the MLEC employees who contributed. Pictured Left to right – front: Bill Bernard, Lori Packer, Warren Burman, Erin Fitzsimmons, Alana & Derek Bendson, Quintin Christy, Paige & Maddi Packer. Back: Darshan Christy, Sebastion Packer and Aidan Bendson. Construction crew: Derek Bendson, Elmo Swedberg, Matt Finlayson and Darshan Christy. Props: Mike Chalich, Jay Eide, Ann Espeseth and Jan Moriarty. Snowmobiles: Tony Klee. Our entry was awarded a “trophy”. 3 This newsletter is the voice of your tax and interest paying RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, an organization which was formed to supply you with low-cost, dependable electricity when other sources failed to do so. Chris Perrine - Editor Jan Moriarty - Assistant Editor Operation Christmas NOTICE TO POSTMASTER Address All subscription correspondence and form 3579 to: THE MILLE LACS ENERGY OUTLET (USPS 711-080) P.O. Box 230 Aitkin, Minnesota 56431 Published monthly by Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative P.O. Box 230 Aitkin, Minnesota 56431 Office of Publication Aitkin, Minnesota 56431 Periodicals Postage Paid at Aitkin, Minnesota 56431 Additional Entry at Isle, Minnesota 56342 Subscription Rates Members-50 cents per year Thanks for all that donated toys and/or cash to Operation Christmas! Employee contributions from Denim Days came to $300, along with a matching donation from MLEC, for a total of $600. We are grateful to Ann Espeseth for her hard work and commitment to this cause. A special thanks to the “Knit-Witters” group that has donated handmade hats and mittens for many years. Operation Christmas is a county wide program that serves around 250 families and approximately 530 local children. Total donations of funds this year to the program was around $18,000. Pictured left to right are Tom Bruss from Operation Christmas picking up the toys and a check from Chris Perinne of MLEC. Next year, MLEC will be a public drop-off point. Access your MLEC account to: •Pay Your Bill •Find Detailed Account Info •Check Your Usage •Report An Outage Plowing near power equipment can create electric shock hazards and a cause power outage. Before the snow gets too deep, note the locations of any electrical cabinets, poles, and guy wires where you plow. It’s cold outside - Spend your Christmas gift money on yourself - Get high speed Internet Christmas Tree Recycling Until January 15, 2016 FREE INSTALLATION $50 GIFT CARD Data Packages up to 150 GB Up to 12 MB Download Speed Standard installation before January 31, 2016 Call today! 429-0433 or 800-497-5310 4 Drop off for chipping at one of these sites: AITKIN - MLEC Headquarters west of the yellow metal building GARRISON - Behind the Fire Hall McGREGOR - Second Avenue east & south of the bus garage PALISADE - Fire hall parking lot ONAMIA - NE Corner of the skate park on Main St. in Onamia Go to My Account at www.mlecmn.net. To get the Smart Hub Mobile App on your phone or tablet, search the Apple® Store or the Android® Market for SmartHub (All one word.) If duplicates appear, the correct App is provided by National Information Solutions Cooperative. You must have the app to pay your bill through your cell phone or other mobile device.
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