Co-op Hotline - April 2018

Co-op HotlineApril2018|Vol.13,Issue2

April is National Lineman
Appreciation Month

Watts Inside

Annual Meeting Highlights ............... pg. 2
Annual Meeting Prize Winners ......... pg. 3
Lineman Appreciation Month ........... pg. 4
Work Zone Safety Awareness ............. pg. 5
Rebates & Incentives ........................... pg. 7
Generac/Free Inverter Special............ pg. 8

79th Annual Meeting

Highlights

The 79th annual meeting of the membership of Southeastern Indiana Rural
Electric Membership Corporation was held at South Ripley High School
located in Versailles, Ripley County, Indiana, beginning at 1:00 P.M., EDT,
on the 24th day of March 2018. Proper notice of the meeting had been
mailed to each member postmarked on the 10th day of March 2018.

President Darrell Smith called the meeting to order. Those directors General Manager Keith Mathews, Grand Prize
present were: Carolyn Armstrong, Brad Bentle, Bonnie Boggs, Melissa Winner Frank LaGreca, and Board President
Menchhofer, Vince Moster, Chris Schmaltz, Darrell Smith, David Smith, Darrell Smith pose for a picture in front of the
and Mike Thieman. Simplicity Lawn Tractor.
Following the call to order, members of the South Ripley Music
Department sang the National Anthem. The colors were presented by the
Versailles American Legion Post 173. Josh Yonts, Minister of the Versailles
Church of Christ, gave the invocation.

General Manager Bryan K. Mathews introduced the current board of
directors and employees and recognized the special guests in attendance.

The official notice of the annual meeting and the certification of the mailing
of said notice were read by Secretary Mike Thieman. Secretary Thieman
announced a quorum was present. The minutes of the 2017 annual
meeting were approved.

Members heard reports from President Darrell Smith, Treasurer Vince
Moster, General Manager Bryan K. Mathews, Director of Office Services
Bryan Miller, Director of Operations Brandon Linville, President of
the Board of Trustees of the Southeastern Indiana Community Fund
Owen Menchhofer, IEC Director Melissa Menchhofer, Hoosier Energy
Director David Smith, and Director of Marketing-Key Accounts-Business
Development Barry Lauber, regarding the state of the cooperative.

Attorney Robert Wickens conducted the business of director elections. Colorguard members Roger Truitt, Keith
Brad Bentle, District 2; David Smith, District 3; and Mike Thieman, District Copeland, Ray Ruble, Chalmers Castner, and
6 were elected by the membership. Marvin Myers represented the Versailles American
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by the Legion Post 173.
President. There were 628 members registered for the 79th annual meeting.

Thank you for attending

Page 2 - Co-op Hotline, April 2018

CO-OP HOTLINE Annual Meeting
Prize Winners
Co-op Hotline is published bimonthly
by Southeastern Indiana REMC's
Communication Department for members,
employees and retirees of Southeastern
Indiana REMC.

ON THE COVER AIR FRYER – PENNY BRIM
DIRT DEVIL VACUUM – TONY WALKER
April is National Lineman
Appreciation Month. FOOD PROCESSOR – JAMES COMER
REMC Journeyman CROCK POT – JAMES ZINSER
Lineman Mike Wagner is
featured on the cover. This WIRELESS UNDER CABINET MUSIC SYSTEM – DENNIS BOYD
photo was taken in March KEURIG K200 PLUS COFFEE MAKER – STELLA MENCHHOFER
2017 when Mike joined a
crew of 15 other Linemen TWO-SLICE TOASTER – WALTER D. BENNING
from Indiana on a trip to SHARP LED TV – JAMES D. WATTS
Guatemala as part of an SPICES – RICHARD HEIL
international initiative
to bring electricity to the SHARP LED TV – CHARLES W. HOFFMAN
region. $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD – ERNIE KEITH
$50 VISA GIFT CARD – JAMES WESTERMAN
CO-OP HOTLINE EDITORIAL STAFF
$50 VISA GIFT CARD – JUANITA ORR
B.J. Myers SEND COMMENTS TO $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD – PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Communications Specialist
e-mail: [email protected] Co-op Hotline Editor $75 BILL CREDIT – RICHARD SCHNEIDER
Southeastern IN REMC $50 WALMART GIFT CARD – STEVE WELLING
Jarred Meinders P.O. Box 196
CSR/Marketing Osgood, IN 47037 $50 WALMART GIFT CARD – JOHN BRALEY
e-mail: [email protected] $50 WALMART GIFT CARD – ROBERT RUSSELL
BACK ISSUES $50 WALMART GIFT CARD – ROBERT HUDSON
Barry Lauber
Director of Marketing, To read back issues, log on to $100 KROGER GIFT CARD – JAMES HODGE
Key Accounts & Business Southeastern IN REMC's website $50 JAY C FOODS GIFT CARD – TAMMY HALSTENBERG
Development at https://seiremc.com/content/
e-mail: [email protected] newsletters. $50 JAY C FOODS GIFT CARD – FRANK LAGRECA
$50 JAY C FOODS GIFT CARD – ARNOLD TAYLOR
Keith Mathews $50 JAY C FOODS GIFT CARD – CLINTON MILLER
General Manager $50 AMERICAN EXPRESS GIFT CARD – RONALD ROWLAND
e-mail: [email protected] $100 AMERICAN EXPRESS GIFT CARD – CLIFTON HARTLEY

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. TOTE BAG – MICHAEL MOORMAN
SIMPLICITY 48” LAWN MOWER – FRANK LAGRECA
Statement of Nondiscrimination GENERAC 3250 W PORTABLE GENERATOR – CLIFTON HARTLEY

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. If you wish to file a Civil Rights Co-op Hotline, April 2018 - Page 3
program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint
Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA
office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of
the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter by mail
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence
Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or e-mail at program.
[email protected].

© Copyright 2017 Southeastern IN REMC

The power behind your power

As April arrives, it brings with it the them safe, lineworkers wear specialized working, in order to bring power to your
showers that produce spring flowers. It protective clothing and equipment at home and our local community 24/7,
also heralds the beginning of a potentially all times when on the job. This includes regardless of the weather, holidays or
stormy season that can inherently include special fire-resistant clothing that will personal considerations.
power outages. While Southeastern self-extinguish, limiting potential injuries While some of the tools that lineworkers
Indiana REMC strives to provide reliable from burns and sparks. Insulated and use have changed over the years, namely
electricity to our members, there are rubber gloves are worn in tandem to the use of technology, the dedication to
times when Mother Nature has other protect them from electrical shock. While the job has not. Being a lineworker is not
plans. Most of us can ride out a storm the gear performs a critical function, it a glamourous profession. At its essence, it
from the comfort and convenience of also adds additional weight and bulk, is inherently dangerous, requiring them
our homes. However, there is a group of making the job more complex. to work near high voltage lines in the
professionals that spring into action when In addition to the highly visible tasks worst of conditions, at any time of the
the weather takes a turn for the worst – lineworkers perform, their job today day or night. During hurricanes, wildfires
co-op lineworkers. goes far beyond climbing to the top of or storms, crews often work around the
a pole to repair a wire. They are also clock to restore power. While April is
One of the most dangerous jobs information experts that can pinpoint known for spring showers, there is also a
Braving stormy weather and other an outage from miles away and restore day set aside to “thank a lineworker.”
challenging conditions, lineworkers power remotely. Line crews use their Lineworker Appreciation Day is April 18.
often must climb 40 or more feet in the laptops and cell phones to map outages, So during the month of April, if you see
air, carrying heavy equipment to restore take pictures of the work they have a lineworker, please pause to say thank
power. Listed as one of the 10 most done and troubleshoot problems. In our you to the power behind your power. Let
dangerous jobs in the U.S., lineworkers community, Southeastern Indiana REMC them know you appreciate the hard work
must perform detailed tasks next to lineworkers are responsible for keeping they do to keep the lights on, regardless
high voltage power lines. To help keep 3,220 miles of lines across seven counties of the conditions.

Page 4 - Co-op Hotline, April 2018

WORK ZONE

SAFETY AWARENESS

APRIL 9–13 IS NATIONAL WORK ZONE AWARENESS WEEK. As lineworkers and road
crews do their jobs to help the community, your electric co-op asks drivers to do their part
to keep workers, themselves and their passengers safe when driving through work zones.

When driving through a work zone or past a line crew, remember workers are doing their job. What
they’re doing is simply to help you. We can help keep workers, other drivers, passengers and ourselves
safe by following these tips:
• Increase your alertness when you approach and enter a work zone.
• Pay attention to warning signs and flaggers. Watch for speed limit reductions, narrowing lanes,

changing traffic patterns, and – most importantly – highway workers.
• Don’t speed or tailgate in and around work zones. Respect the posted speed limits and safely merge

as soon and as safely possible. This will allow traffic to flow smoothly.
• Avoid distractions such as talking or texting on the phone, changing your radio station, eating, or

drinking when approaching or in work zones. Don’t take your hands off the wheel!
• Keep your attention on the road, not on what the workers are doing.
• Turn your headlights on to make your vehicle more visible to workers and

other drivers.
• Watch for brake lights or slow moving vehicles.
• Keep in mind: Driving 45 mph, instead of 55 mph, through

a 5 mile work zone will only add 1.2 minutes to your trip.
Speeding and aggressive driving are major causes of
work zone crashes.
• Respect the flaggers and obey their guidance.
Be patient when driving through work sites
with flagger control.
• Expect delays and allow extra travel time to travel
through work zones.
• Select alternate routes if possible to avoid the work zone
completely.
• Be patient and stay calm. Remember the crews are working
to make the road better for you!

Co-op Hotline, April 2018 - Page 5

Don’t Waste.
Insulate!

Properly insulating your home
reduces heating and cooling costs,
and improves comfort.
R-values measure a material’s
resistance to conductive heat flow.
The higher the R-value rating, the
greater the effectiveness of the
insulation. Below are recommended
R-values for areas of the
home that should be insulated.

*Recommendations on R-values
are subject to regional
climate conditions.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy

TYPES OF INSULATION

Batt Foam

Blow-in Slab Crawlspace

DUCTWORK EXTERIOR WALLS

Whether it’s made of metal or plastic There are multiple options for
(PVC), insulated ductwork protects insulating exterior walls.
your investment in conditioned air Rock wool or fiberglass batts of R-13
year-round. Minimal R-values of 4.3 to R-20 value are preferred behind
are recommended for blanket-style drywall, but each inch of blown-in
wraps secured with tape. Insulated polyurethane foam insulation
ductwork rated at R-6 is also available. provides an R-value of 3.9.

BENEATH LIVING SPACE SLAB FOUNDATION

Whether your home has a full Properly installed foam boards
basement, a crawl space or an attached around the exterior edge of the slab of
garage, having an insulation value of an existing home can reduce heating
R-19 under the living space floor will bills by 10 percent or more.
help increase comfort year-round.

Page 6 - Co-op Hotline, April 2018

Co-op Hotline, April 2018 - Page 7

PRST STD
U.S. POSTAGE

PAID
SEYMOUR, IN
PERMIT NO. 198

PO Box 196
712 South Buckeye Street
Osgood, IN 47037

Office Hours Our Mission ... Board of Directors

7:30 AM to 4:30 PM (EST) Provide safe, reliable electricity and quality services Vince Moster - District 1
Monday through Friday to the communities we serve by enhancing their Brad Bentle - District 2
quality of life through innovation and sustainable David Smith - District 3
Contact Information economic development. Carolyn Armstrong - District 4
Melissa Menchhofer - District 5
Local calls: 812-689-4111 Mike Thieman - District 6
Toll free: 800-737-4111 Darrell Smith - District 7
FAX only: 812-689-6987 Bonnie Boggs - District 8
To make a payment: 1-888-999-0762 Chris Schmaltz - District 9
Call Before You Dig: 800-382-5544
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.seiremc.com