18 | Cooperative Living | March-April 2018 Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative

A Time to Reflect

CURRENT STATISTICS FOR MEC *• 98 Employees in Three Districts • 34,096 Electric Services in Place• 4,474 Miles of Energized Lines • 77,000 Citizens in MEC Service Area *AS OF 12-31-17

When you are climbing a hill, you don’t realizehow high you have come until you get to the top and look back. That describes

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative’s (MEC) journey over the past 80 years.

Let’s look back. Just 80 years ago the landscape in nine counties in Southside Virginia and in five NorthCarolina counties was dotted with small farms that had no electricity in the homes or barns and noopportunity for rural business — with no relief in sight!Electric power simply was not available to people in therural areas.

Then innovative citizens themselves banded togetherand pioneered your electric cooperative; and as we lookback to 1938, we see that MEC’s first substation served

436 members over 136 miles of line. Refer to thestatistics below to see how much MEC has grownduring a span of years equal to just one lifetime.

MEC is still “climbing that hill” with technologicaladvances in equipment and state-of-the-art methods ofproviding service that equal or surpass other electricutilities without question; and we pride ourselves onour customer service that exceeds them all.

Electricity is no longer a luxury ... it is a necessity in theworld in which we live, and MEC members can beassured that they will continue to receive reliable,affordable and environmentally friendly electric servicefrom employees who truly care about them. That’s a lotto celebrate!

March 18, 1938The State Corporation Commission approved a charter that established Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative

as a nonprofit, member-owned utility.

www.meckelec.org March-April 2018 | Cooperative Living | 19

Student Scholarship Criteria

1. Student’s parent or legal guardian must be a member of Mecklenburg ElectricCooperative.

2. Student has maintained at least a 3.0grade-point average (based on 4.0 beingan “A”) throughout his or her high school career.

3. Student has demonstrated goodcitizenship qualities by having exhibitedcommendable leadership abilities andexemplary school spirit.

4. A combination of weighted criteria will beused in the selection process based on-nancial need, academic achievement,school and community activities, andstudent’s personal statement.

Application Deadline: Friday, March 30, 2018Applications available at www.meckelec.org

Open to High/Home School Seniors

Meck lenburg E lec tr ic Cooperat iveto Award Five $1,000 Scholarships

FCC chairman urges Cooperative leadersto deploy broadband

In many rural communities, broadbandinternet service lags behind in bothspeed and available connections, and

rural Americans are pleading for betteraccess. According to the Wall Street Journal,about 39 percent of the U.S. rural population,or 23 million people, lack access tobroadband internet service — defined as“fast” by the Federal CommunicationsCommission (FCC) — compared with 4 percent of the urban residents.

At a recent CEO Close-up conferenceheld in Palm Desert, California, for electriccooperative officials, FCC Chairman AjitPai said he considers expanding ruralbroadband access to be the FCC’s topmission. Speaking to CEOs and generalmanagers of electric cooperatives at theconference, he said, “Your mission is notover. To the contrary, I think it’s justbeginning, and I think we’re going to makea big dent in the digital divide and manyother technology issues in the years tocome.” Pai told electric cooperative leadersthey have an important role to play inmaking that happen. “What you’re able todo — given your infrastructure, yourfootprint, your dedication to yourcommunities — is make sure the nextgeneration of Americans has access to the21st-century version of electricity, which is broadband.”CEO Close-Up is an exclusive, annual

event for electric cooperative CEOs andgeneral managers that delivers innovativethinking and unparalleled opportunities tolearn new strategies and tools to improveleadership skills and equip them for thechallenges ahead.At the conference Jay Schwarz, the FCC

chairman’s wireline advisor, told CEOsthey are well-positioned to help close thedigital divide. He stated, “Under Pai’sleadership, rural America is going to be a first thought, not an afterthought; andelectric cooperatives are going to have an important role.” He stated that,“Cooperatives are suited for supplying

the service because it’s more than justowning the poles and having right-of-way

access. Electric cooperatives’ greatest asset is their membership and the trust that has been built for decades with their communities.”He continued, “Our goal should be

making sure that these rural communitiesare able to get online and have the type ofbandwidth they need to access the sameservices and applications that I can use in a metropolitan area.”

‘Under Pai’s leadership, rural America isgoing to be a first thought, not an

afterthought; and electric cooperativesare going to have an important role.’— Jay Schwarz, Federal Communications

Commission wireline advisor

20 | Cooperative Living | March-April 2018 Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative

Join Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative incelebrating National Lineman Appreciation Day

Monday, April 9

America’s electric cooperatives havedesignated the second Monday ofApril as National Lineman

Appreciation Day, and on that dayMecklenburg Electric Cooperative willproudly recognize and honor all electriclinemen for the services they performaround the clock, in dangerous conditions,to keep power flowing and protect thepublic’s safety. “Electric linemen do not often receive

the recognition they deserve,” says John C.Lee, Jr., president & CEO. “They work allhours of the day and night, in hazardousconditions, away from their families, goingabove and beyond the call of duty torestore power to their communities. Ourlineworkers, as well as linemen fromacross the nation, truly deserve this specialday of recognition.”We invite you to take a moment to

thank linemen for the work they do. Use#ThankALineman to show your supportfor the men and women who light our lives.

ResolutionWhereas linemen leave their families and put their lives on the lineevery day to keep the power on; Whereas linemen work 365 days a year under dangerous conditions tobuild, maintain and repair the electric infrastructure; Whereas linemen are the first responders of the electric cooperativefamily, getting power back on and making things safe for all afterstorms and accidents; and Whereas there would be no electric cooperatives without the bravemen and women who comprise our corps of linemen;Therefore be it resolved that NRECA recognizes the Second Mondayof April of each year as National Lineman Appreciation Day ... torecognize the contributions of these valuable men and women toAmerica’s Electric Cooperatives.

#ThankALineman

This resolution has been adopted by the board of directors of the National Rural ElectricCooperative Association (NRECA) in recognition of National Lineman Appreciation Day.

www.meckelec.org March-April 2018 | Cooperative Living | 21

We thank Chrystal Winn of Boydton forsubmitting the following recipe:

Indian Rice¼ cup thin onion slices

3 tablespoons slivered almonds

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

¼ cup seedless raisins

2 cups hot, cooked long-grain rice

Cook onion and almonds in butter untilgolden. Add raisins and heat through untilthey puff. Add mixture to rice; mix lightly.Serve with curry. Serves 5.

You can be MEC’s “Super Chef”!

Send your favorite recipe to:Super Chef, P.O. Box 2451,

Chase City, VA 23924Or email: dblue@meckelec.org

If your recipe is published, you will receiveMEC’s cookbook containing over 70 pagesof recipes submitted by other members ofMecklenburg Electric Cooperative.

Chrystal Winn

Janet HoganDistrict Services Representative

Gretna District5 Years of Service

Janet Hogan is a “people person“— she has just the right personalityfor her position of district services

representative at MecklenburgElectric Cooperative (MEC). Each dayshe works in our Gretna office greetingincoming members, receivingpayments for electric bills and providinginformation about installations,removals, security lights, billing andother electric account matters.

Her accommodating attitude showsthat she relishes these opportunities.“This job is a good fit for me,” shestates. “Each time a member comes tome for assistance, I deal with thatperson’s situation as a unique one.Every person is an individual and hasvarying circumstances in life. I try to gothe ‘extra mile’ for folks. I consider a jobhalf done ... is still undone.”

She continues, “When someone is ina less fortunate situation, it very wellcould be me, so I try to be a blessing toothers. Having compassion for peopleand helping them is very rewarding. Myco-workers also genuinely care aboutour members’ concerns, and it’s our jobto help in any way we can.”

Janet is conscientious in implementingMEC’s terms and conditions and isproficient in data entry, balancing cashreceipts, operation of the outage systemand assisting service technicians andlinemen. “I love learning new things andovercoming challenges,” she remarks.

Janet says coming to MEC in 2012was “right up her alley” because shehad worked with another utility for over10 years as office manager. She alsogained skills in customer service whileworking in the real estate business. Shehas been a licensed Virginia agent since2003. “I love showing properties in myfree time, meeting new people andhelping them with such a majorpurchase,” she mentions.

Janet and her husband, Ricky, havebeen married 33 years and live inGretna. He hauls heavy equipment for

Haymes Brothers, Inc. He also serves aspastor at Round Pond Baptist Church inSandy Level where Janet serves inseveral roles, including Sunday schoolteacher of the children in grades 6-12and youth group leader.

It has become a Hogan tradition onSundays for Janet to prepare a bigmeal for her family to enjoy after theworship service. They all live in theGretna area, and it’s a full table whenthe entire family gathers around.There’s their son and daughter-in-law,Steven and Stacy, with 4-year-oldNathan; their daughter and son-in-law,Jenna and Jason Hall with 4-year-oldHailey and 10-month-old Cayden; andtheir youngest daughter and son-in-law,Katie and Justin Millner. “I love cookingfor my family!” she shares.

In her spare time she likes to makecraft items, and she is learning tooperate a new “toy” -– a Cricut®, whichis a computerized cutting machine forcreating decorative projects.

Janet’s top priorities are faith, familyand a focus on serving the members ofMecklenburg Electric Cooperative, and we appreciate having her on theMEC team.

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22 | Cooperative Living | March-April 2018 Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative

MEC members forego ‘the American Dream’by Deborah Blue Winn

How does a young boy growing up inBaskerville, Virginia, end up beingthe provider of essential water

resources to thousands of villagers inAfrica? Destiny.Events leading to the fate of C.W. Bing,

Jr., began at the age of 14 when he washelping his stepfather in the well-drillingbusiness. At the advice of his grandmother,Bing chose well-drilling as his professionwhen he became an adult, and in 1994 heestablished his own company, Bing’s WellDrilling, Inc., in Kittrell, North Carolina.After only 10 years, the business had

grown substantially and was quite aprofitable operation. The firm had drilled2,500 wells (commercial and residential)and installed 2,000 submersible pumps,numerous water-filtration units andhundreds of geothermal projects. When he was 38 years old, Bing felt that

he “had arrived.” He and his wife, Leslie,had a 16-year-old son, Claude WilliamBing, III (nicknamed “C3”), who wasparticipating in the Park View Senior High School ROTC program as a flightcommander, the well-drilling business wasbooming, and their 2,100-square-foothome in Ebony, Virginia, was paid foralong with vehicles and everything elsedeemed as part of being successful. “Wewere living the American Dream,” he recalls.Little did he know that the following

year he would be closing Bing’s WellDrilling to start a new venture ... one thatwould take him and his wife over 7,500miles from home. Bing relates the experience that

transformed his purpose in life. “Becauseof my well-drilling experience, in 2004 I went on a mission trip to Sudan, Africa,to help provide clean water to theinhabitants. I intended that trip to changeother people’s lives ... but it turned out tobe a life-changer for me! While in Sudan Isaw the dire conditions where people live,and I saw them collecting drinking waterfrom a muddy stream. During the 25-hourflight to return home, I couldn’t get thatpicture out of my mind. I sensed anurgency I had never experienced before,and I felt the Lord was calling me to moveto Africa.” When he returned home, he shared his

experience with his wife. After praying

Above: C.W. Bing, Jr., and his wife, Leslie,had been members of MecklenburgElectric Cooperative for 20 years whenthey sold their home in BrunswickCounty in 2007 and moved to Zambia,Africa. They serve as missionaries toprovide clean water sources for villagersthere. The Bings are founders of the

relief organization, Water For TheOppressed (WFTO). Left: In many Africancountries it is a struggle every day to findclean drinking water. Unfortunately, thewater source pictured is very common inthe rural villages of Zambia. Contaminateddrinking water is the cause of many illnessesas well as deaths. WFTO drills new wellsand repairs broken hand pumps to provideclean, safe water to the people.

about it, they made the decision todissolve the business and work in themission fields of Africa. In 2006 theyestablished Water For The Oppressed(WFTO), a charitable institution to

provide clean water to the impoverishedpeople of Zambia. The following year theysold their house and possessions and haveliterally been homeless for 11 years.WFTO is incorporated as a 501(c)(3)

nonprofit organization that drills newwater wells, teaches the drilling operationto the people in Zambia, and repairsbroken hand pumps. Repairs range frompouring new concrete aprons around thebore hole, replacing parts of the handpump or, in many cases, replacing theentire pump assembly. “We find that someof the pumps have been broken from sixmonths to five years,” says Bing. Lack of clean water makes life difficult

for Zambian villagers, especially womenwho are primarily the ones who collectwater for their families. It is not unusualfor a woman with a baby on her back towalk one or two miles to draw water froma hand pump and then carry two five-

16.2 MillionPopulation

43 YearsRural Life

Expectancy

$450Average RuralYearly Income

36%People withno access toclean water

290,587Square Miles

(About the size of Texas)

Zambia,Africa

‘During the 25-hour flightto return home, I couldn’t

get that picture outof my mind.’

www.meckelec.org March-April 2018 | Cooperative Living | 23

gallon jerry cans of water back home.When there is no hand pump in the area,going to a natural watering hole to drawtheir water can be dangerous as there havebeen instances of children being trampledby elephants or killed by crocodiles. Water For The Oppressed has drilled

approximately 75 wells and repaired 200 hand pumps. Each drilled well orrepaired hand pump provides a village of approximately 500 peoplewith clean water. Theorganization alsooccasionally assistsorphaned children andyoung adults in need of assistance with school fees.WFTO operates on

donations from churchesand caring individuals, and itswork would be impossible withoutthe financial support it receives. Fundsprovide four key items: water wells, handpump repairs, Bibles and jerry cans forimproved hygiene. The Bings say the work they are doing is

most gratifying, but they admit there havebeen some tough times. “It hasn’t beeneasy,” Mrs. Bing states. “The house where

Above: C.W. Bing checks on the progress of a well installation in Zambia.One well provides clean water for 500 or more people. Top, left: Leslie Bingdirects health and hygiene training for groups of 20 to as many as 1,000people. Participants are eager to learn about disease control and what theycan do to prevent water-related sicknesses; and they are overjoyed to beable to teach others in their villages. Left: Before WFTO repaired this handpump, Zambian families sometimes had to walk as far as seven miles duringthe dry season to collect water. Below: Can providing a yellow plastic five-gallon jerry can bring joy? You bet! Some of these residents were previouslyusing old motor oil or antifreeze containers to carry water to their homes.

we stay didn’t have electricity forthe first three years, and I mustconfess I missed Mecklenburg

Electric Cooperative! When wefinally got electricity, I could use my

hairdryer again, and we bought an iron,ironing board and a toaster. We were soexcited to have these luxury items in our home!”Concerning the hardships of living in

Zambia, Bing adds, “I have been robbedseveral times and our house ransacked ...the relief organization itself has hadproblems with obtaining permits, receiving

shipments of trucks and customs clearance... I’ve been diagnosed with malaria twiceand even more seriously, when I hadnecrotizing pancreatitis, I was told I onlyhad two hours to live. Leslie has sufferedsevere illnesses too, but we have overcomeall obstacles with the help of the Lord.”The Bings are currently in South Hill,

Virginia, and hope to receive updatedpermitting soon so they can return to theirmission in Zambia. They humbly remark,“We are so grateful to everyone who hasdonated to the organization to supply thepeople of Zambia with water and the Word.”

Go to www.wfto.cc

for more information

about Water For

The Oppressed.

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24 | Cooperative Living | March-April 2018 Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative

Ray DeJarnette, MEC arborist & managerof vegetation services

SMART LANDSCAPINGADDS COMFORT AND SAVES ENERGY $$$

MEC encourages having a well-designed landscape to help protect your home from

winter wind and summer sun and effectively reduce your energy costs year-round.

Before you start landscaping, consider your climate, your home’s micro-climate, as

well as the wind directions and shading around your home to help you devise a plan.

WINDBREAKA windbreak reduces heating costs

by lowering the wind chill around yourhome. It also creates dead air space thatinsulates your home in the summer and winter.

• Plant coniferous trees and shrubsto the north and northwest ofyour home to stop wind.

• Make the distance between your home and the windbreakabout two to five times the height of the mature tree formaximum protection.

• Build a fence or wall, in additionto planting coniferous trees, todeflect the wind over your home.

• Plant low shrubs on thewindward side of the windbreakto trap snow before it blows nextto your home.

SHADEPlanting trees, bushes or shrubs

to shade windows, roofs and airconditioners on the south and west sidesof your home helps reduce solar heatgain in your home, surrounding airtemperatures and overall energy costs.

• Plant a 6- to 8-foot deciduous treenear your home and it will startshading your windows in the first year.

• Plant trees with crowns lower to the ground on the west side ifyou want to shade from lower,afternoon-sun angles.

• Plant deciduous trees to the southof your home; they can screen 70-90 percent of the heat.

• Plant bushes, shrubs or climbingvines with a trellis to shade yourpatio area.

• To cool the air before it reachesyour home, plant shrubs andgroundcover plants.

LANDSCAPE YOUR WAY TO ENERGY SAVINGS

Heating and cooling create the largest energy expenses for most homes. In fact, heating accounts for 33 percent

of energy use, and air conditioning constitutes 12 percent. A well-designed landscape creates enough energy

savings to pay for itself in less than eight years. Strategically positioned trees can save up to 25 percent of a

household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling. Shading an air-conditioning unit can increase its

efficiency by up to 10 percent. Smart landscaping is an easy, cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing way to lower

your home energy costs. For more energy-efficient ideas, go to www.meckelec.org.

Deciduous trees block solar heat in the summerand seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn.

Coniferous trees include spruces, hemlocks,pines and firs and provide a windbreak.

www.meckelec.org March-April 2018 | Cooperative Living | 25

MECKLENBURG ELECTRICCOOPERATIVE

P.O. Box 2451Chase City, VA 23924-2451

Chase City District(434) 372-6200

Emporia District(434) 634-6168

Gretna District(434) 656-1288

Power Failure & Emergencies(877) 632-5688

Office Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Website: www.meckelec.org

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative is anequal opportunity provider and employer.

If you are in an auto accident, your first instinct may be to get out of the car. But in awreck involving a power line, that could be a fatal mistake. By getting out, you couldbecome the path to ground for electricity and are risking electrocution.

1. If you aren’t in immediate danger,remain in the vehicle until help arrives.Unless there is a threat of greater danger — for example, the vehicle is on fire or thevehicle comes to a stop in the middle of the highway — you are safer in than out.

2. If there is pressing danger and you must exit the vehicle,you should follow very specific steps.With the door open, prepare to JUMP out of the vehicle. During the jump you mustmake sure that no part of your body or clothing is touching the vehicle and theground at the same time. You may need to remove long or loose-fitting clothing.

Make sure that you land with yourfeet together. Once you land, youshould SHUFFLE your feet awayfrom the car. Get at least 33 FEETaway before you begin to walknormally. This sounds silly, but it is your best chance at avoiding electrocution.

3. If you come upon a vehicleaccident involving a powerline, stay clear and call 911. Do not approach the vehicle, even if the person is unable to exit and is in imminent danger. If you doapproach the vehicle to help theindividual, you stand a chance ofbeing electrocuted and making analready bad situation even worse.Keep other individuals away fromthe car also.

Whether it is an auto accident or anyother situation, if a power line has beenknocked down, always assume that it haselectricity running through it. Neverapproach a downed power line or attemptto move it.The electricity that Mecklenburg

Electric Cooperative provides day-in andday-out is a phenomenal resource,powering our modern lifestyles in a safe,reliable and affordable way. But electricitymust be respected. Safety MUST be yourtop priority.

Electric Lines Down ...Know How to Survive

Jump and Shuffle

MEC Offices will be closed on Monday, April 2,for Easter Monday.

For 24-hour emergency service,call 1-877-MECK-OUT (1-877-632-5688).