United Electric

Brad “Coop” Cooper led the Minico High School team to a state title in 2017, the team’s first since 2006. Coop’s Unbeatable Legacy Minico’s renowned coach leaves wrestling program in Boe Rushton’s capable hands By Dianna Troyer earned a spot in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum in Oklahoma. It was never about the trophies, Brad “Coop” Cooper insists “It was a pleasant surprise for me,” says Coop, who has a as he packs up his Minico High School classroom for the reputation for shunning the spotlight and instead allowing his 30th and final time before starting summer vacation and record to speak for itself. retirement. Two of his teams won the 4A State Wrestling Whatever door the teacher and legendary wrestling coach Championships, most recently in February and also in 2006. exits through, he likely walks past a display case filled with His wrestlers have won nearly 20 district titles and more than trophies won by his wrestlers. two dozen individual state titles. “It was about the kids, watching them grow up and seeing Coop hopes his lessons about self-discipline, motivation them light up from their accomplishments, whether on the and never giving up carry over to his wrestlers’ lives off the mat or in the classroom,” says Coop, 57, who worked at his mat. alma mater for 30 years. “I always told them if there’s time on the clock, there’s time Along with coaching, he taught a variety of subjects, most to win,” he says. recently U.S. history and physical education. Each season, Coop usually had about 40 wrestlers and “I’ve taught and coached the grandkids of my first stu- taught them to compete as a team. dents,” Coop says. “I’ve enjoyed watching the generations “That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from Coop,” come through.” says his replacement, Boe Rushton, assistant coach for the past Due to his coaching success, Coop was inducted into the two years. “We won state this past year because every one of Idaho Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016 our wrestlers got at least one point. Even though it’s an indi- and received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. He also vidual sport, they did their best for the team as a whole.”

4 JUNE 2017 Above, Coop, who also coached track, gives Juan Ruiz Jr. pointers about his shot put form. Right, Boe Rushton will take over Minico High School’s wrestling program when Coop retires.

Boe was a heavyweight wrestler at Wood River High School Season after season, he relied on his wife, Janet, who helped in Hailey and Boise State University, and an NCAA All- him after her workday as a teacher at East Minico Middle School. American wrestler. He heard through friends and a job web- “I don’t know what I would have done without her,” he says. site that Coop needed an assistant. “She paired up the bouts and matches, ran the concessions “I’m excited to be here and to have been able to work with and did whatever needed to be done.” him,” he says. When wrestling season ended, Coop and Boe carried their Coop already retired once, in 2010, but returned five years “all-for-one-and-one-for-all” philosophy to track and field, later when the Spartans needed a coach. coaching the Spartans in shot put and discus. “I agreed to come back for two years on the condition that I Several wrestlers were also track team members. could mentor my replacement,” says Coop. “The program is in Juan Ruiz Jr., a heavyweight wrestler who will be a senior good hands with Boe.” this fall, threw shot put. Coop promises to return as a fan. “During wrestling season, Coach worked us hard with “I’ll come back to watch meets and cheer,” he says, noting morning runs and workouts on the mats and in the weight he has spent more than half his life at the school—as a stu- room,” Juan says. “It was his way of helping us to do our best dent, teacher and, starting in 1983, a coach. at the meets.” A 1978 Minico graduate, Coop was known for his aggres- As a retiree this summer, Coop says he might actually relax sive wrestling style in the 167-pound weight class. H earned a a little. During his years at the school, he worked part-time wrestling scholarship to Idaho State University. in summer as a seasonal employee for the U.S. Forest Service, As a coach, he taught wrestlers to take the offense. He often working on trails or doing range management while also tak- got on the mat to demonstrate techniques. ing wrestlers to camps and competitions. “I felt I needed to show the moves, but it took a toll on my “During summer, I’d put 9,000 miles on a vehicle,” Coop knees and neck,” says Coop, who has had several knee surgeries. says. “We drove to Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota and As wrestlers refined their techniques, Coop scheduled Colorado. For the past two summers, Boe has done a great job workouts to help them peak at state. organizing the camps.” “There’s a fine line between pushing them enough and not Without wrestling commitments this summer, Coop says he pushing them too hard,” he says. “We never encouraged them to plans to fish along the Oregon Coast and throughout Idaho. lose weight, just to not drink unhealthy carbonated beverages.” In the future, he says he hopes Boe’s wrestlers will continue One of his favorite sayings was, “A hungry tiger is a lot to win individual titles and team championships and keep tougher than one that just ate.” filling the school’s trophy cases. n

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United Electric Announcements Call 811 Before You Dig Nontraditional Scholarship Available Summer is a great time to start those outdoor projects Applications for the $500 nontraditional scholarship you have been thinking about. Whether it is building will be accepted until Friday, June 9, at 5 p.m. The your dream deck, installing a fence or sprucing up application is available in the office or online at your landscaping, calling 811 is a must. www.uec.coop. Although it is easy to see where power lines are The scholarship is given to an adult or located above ground, there are buried gas, water and nontraditional student whose life circumstances electrical lines underground you cannot see. By call- differ from traditional students. Applicants do not ing 811 at least two business days before your project, need to be members of United Electric. local utilities can mark nearby lines. Go to www.uec.coop for more information. Do not guess where lines are located. It is free to call 811. If a utility line is damaged while digging, $5 Credit for Going Paperless it could disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, Sign up for paperless billing before June 30 to cause serious injuries or death, and cost you. receive a one-time $5 credit on your United You also can visit the Dig Line website at www.dig- Electric account and be entered in a prize line.com, and submit an online locate request. drawing. Memberships that have been signed up for elec- Office Closure tronic billing any time during the previous six United Electric will be closed Tuesday, July 4. There months are ineligible for the prize drawing of $5 will be a crew on call in case of emergencies. The credit. emergency crew can be reached at (208) 679-4444. See page 25 for more details. n

Trade-A-Tree The Trade-A-Tree program helps mem- bers remove trees from areas where they could pose a hazard to primary high- voltage overhead power lines. The aim is to replace taller trees with shorter trees that will not grow up into the lines. For each tree removed, United Electric will reimburse up to $50 of the cost of the replacement tree as long as it fits within the guidelines. To find out how you can participate in the Trade-A-Tree program o to www.uec. coop or call the office, (208) 679-2222. Be sure to check out the back page in this issue of Ruralite to find out more about the Trade-A-Tree program. n

8 JUNE 2017 United Electric

Save Time and Money With Paperless Billing Do you want to reduce your at-home clutter? Receive your bill quicker? Get a one-time $5 credit on your account? Sign up for paperless billing to achieve all that and have access to all the benefits SmartHub has to offer. Members who sign up for paperless billing by June 30 will receive a one-time $5 credit on their account and be entered for a chance to win a $50 gas card or an iPad mini. Memberships that have been signed up for electronic billing anytime during the previous six months are ineligible for the drawing or $5 credit. Signing up is easy. • Go to United Electric’s website, www.uec.coop, and click on the SmartHub icon at the top left side of the screen. • Log in with your email address and password, or create a new account by clicking “New User” at the bottom of the screen. • After accessing your SmartHub account, click on the “My Profile” tab and choose “Update My Printed Bill Settings.” • Click “Off” under Printed Bill Status and choose “Yes” to confirm going paperless. n

Energy Savings Made Easy Saving energy does not have to mean pans and use as little liquid as possible to Six hours later, hold a meat or candy being uncomfortable or investing a cook food faster. For best heat transfer, thermometer under running hot water lot of money. It is as simple as making use pans that fully cover the burner. to check the temperature. Adjust, if improvements in how you use electricity. Avoid warped pans on electric burners. necessary. Heating and cooling tends to use the Try to run full loads in the dishwasher, Run full loads in the clothes washer most energy, but hot water runs a close using the shortest wash cycle possible. and dryer, or use lower water level second. Because water and appliances Avoid the rinse-and-hold cycle. It uses settings for smaller loads. Instead of are used year-round, small changes can about 8 gallons of water just to pre-rinse using hot water, wash with warm or cold add up to big savings. dishes. Pre-rinse only if food particles are water, following the garment care label. To maximize heating and cooling dried on. Washing with cold water can reduce systems, arrange furniture to allow air Set the refrigerator to between 38 and energy costs to 5 cents or less per load. to flow freely. Regularly clean filters in 40 degrees. Place a thermometer near Rinse all loads with cold water. your furnace and have your heating/air- the thermostat to check the setting. Set Make sure your windows are double- conditioning system tuned up annually stand-alone freezers to 0 degrees. Cool paned. When replacing them, choose so it runs efficiently. food before putting it in the refrigerator, the most efficient available. During the When using the oven, prepare several and cover all liquids to stop evaporation. winter, consider using inexpensive storm items at the same time, if possible. Cover Set your water heater to 120 degrees. windows made of clear vinyl or plastic. n

JUNE 2017 25 United Electric

Co-op Connections Card Please support these businesses that participate in the Co-op Connections Card program

A&T Construction Columbia Electric Supply Co. Lee’s Furniture Clearance Outlet Pro Paint Inc. 194 E 200 S, Rupert 1027 Normal Ave., Burley 459 Overland Ave., Burley 1116 Overland Ave., Burley 436-0738 878-9035 878-4433 878-0856 5 percent off labor. [email protected] Receive up to a 5 percent $5 off a $50 purchase. Wholesale pricing on cash sales. discount on purchase. Animal Medical Clinic Quality Tire Factory 284 S 600 W, Heyburn Connections Credit Union Marble-N-Counters 822 S Onieda, Rupert 679-4550 510 21st St., Heyburn 1321 E Main, Burley 436-3900 5 percent off all cash services. 233-5544 878-6042 6 percent off regularly priced New members receive a free 5 percent off marble jobs. items. Arby’s welcome gift and $5 deposit. 594 N Overland Ave., Burley Mind & Body Wellness Center Sears Burley 678-8426 D.L. Evans Bank 2207 Overland Ave., Burley 2338 Overland Ave., Burley 10 percent off purchase. North Burley Branch 878-9418 878-8004 South Burley Branch 20 percent off any services, Owned and operated by Barclay Mechanical Services Inc. Rupert Branch 15 percent off nutrition. Free Ron and Judy Fowler 100 S 490 W, Paul • Free small business checking. consultation for Ideal Protein 10 percent off any regularly 438-8108 • Complimentary Visa check Weight Loss program. priced merchandise. 5 percent off metal purchase. debit/ATM card. • No annual fee Visa with a Mini-Cassia Chamber Skaggs Furniture Barry Equipment & Rental business checking account of Commerce Overland Shopping Center, 159 W Hwy 30, Burley (upon approved credit). 1177 7th St., Heyburn Burley 678-7368 • Free introductory checks. 679-4793 878-5100 10 percent off daily rates; Member FDIC www.minicassiachamber.com Discount of up to 50 percent on 15 percent off select Walker and 25 percent discount on all Idaho regularly priced items. Farmers Corner Bobcat parts. gifts and jewelry items, excluding 202 S Highway 27, Burley consignment and sale items. Snake River Bowl 678-5130 Clayville Insulation 725 Minidoka Ave., Burley Free pop with gas purchase. 250 E 100 S, Burley NAPA Auto Parts 679-2695 678-9791 501 Overland Ave., Burley 10 percent off regularly priced Greener Valley Computer 5 percent off existing residential 678-8311 , food or merchandise 2853 Overland Ave., Burley insulation. 7 percent discount on regularly (league and tournament bowling 678-0964 priced items. excluded). 5 percent off in-store software. Clegg’s Service ’n Repair Brad Clegg, owner Ponderosa Stars Ferry Building Supplies Larry’s Electric & Heating 703 W Main, Burley 320 Minidoka Ave., Burley 20 S 300 W, Burley 1133 Albion Ave., Burley 678-7697, Cell (208) 670-7624 679-5730 678-5562 678-4071 $10 off full lube and service. $1 off green fees, Monday Free hat with $100 cash purchase. www.larryselectric through Friday before 4 p.m. andheating.com 10 percent discount on filters and light bulbs bought in the store.

28 JUNE 2017 Sweetheart Manor Overland & 42nd St., Burley 678-8692 10 percent off invitations or 30 percent off if Sweetheart Manor is used for receptions and tuxedo rental.

Ted’s Diesel Electric 1141 South Hwy 30, Heyburn 878-4991 10 percent discount once a month on any rebuilt starter, alternator or generator.

The Gathering Place 524 6th St., Rupert 436-0455 10 percent off purchases, excluding kits, batting and quilting machines.

Tony’s Barbershop everyday savings 1607 J St., Heyburn (208) 219-0666 Special price for seniors and children.

Ward’s Cleaning & Detail 1131 E 18th Lane, Burley 878-5105 10 percent off carpet and upholstery cleaning; 5 percent off auto detailing. THAT'S THE POWER OF CO-OP MEMBERSHIP Wilson Bates Appliance & Furniture Savings on everyday items. Like up to 85% off prescription drugs at 2560 Overland Ave., Burley participating pharmacies nationwide. 678-1133 Find all the ways to save at Additional 5 percent off the best sale price of any furniture, Burley Connections.coop location only.

JUNE 2017 29 United Electric

Co-op Inc. ID-29 Directors President Bruce Beck Vice President David Phillips On the Wire at United Electric Sec./Treas. Cordell Searle Clean, drain, dry Brent Bowen Dean Nielsen Summer boating season is finally here! It is time to Ronald Osterhout get out and water ski, fish or just enjoy a nice lei- George Toner surely boat ride in the afternoon sun. John R. West Perhaps you are planning a family boating vaca- tion at Lake Havasu. If you take your boat there, you General Manager will want to be careful before returning to Idaho Quagga mussels can quickly damage Jo Elg waters. The invasive quagga mussel has been found local ecosystems. Engineering and Operations in Lake Havasu. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Trevor Parke The zebra and quagga mussels wreak havoc wherever they call home. These pests deplete nutrients in water where they exist, Line Superintendent upsetting the local ecosystem. They can colonize on hulls of boats, recreational equip- Dan Kidd ment and water intake infrastructure, affecting irrigation and hydroelectric power plant operation. And they reproduce like wildfire. Executive Assistant Zebra and quagga mussels have not been found in Idaho waters yet. In an effort to Penny West protect Idaho waterways, the Idaho Department of Agriculture has set up a watercraft inspection station program focused on inspecting boats as they cross the state line. Manager of Finance and Admin. Since the beginning of the 2017 boating season, there have been nine occurrences of Curtiss Peterson mussel-infested watercraft identified through the inspection program. In eight of the Community Relations Manager nine incidents, the watercraft had been in Lake Havasu prior to arriving in Idaho. Watercraft inspection stations are the first line of defense against the introduc- Chris Seibold tion and spread of aquatic invasive species, according to the Idaho Department of Mailing address: Agriculture, which manages the invasive species program in Idaho. More than 400,000 1330 21st St. inspections have been conducted in Idaho since 2009, finding more than 165 mussel- Heyburn, ID 83336 infected watercraft. Phone: (208) 679-2222 To pay for the cost of the invasive species program, a law enacted in 2009 requires Fax: (208) 679-3333 an Idaho Invasive Species Fund sticker to be displayed on all watercraft to legally Email: [email protected] launch in Idaho. The law includes motorized boats and all non-motorized watercraft Website: www.uec.coop such as canoes, kayaks, rafts and drift boats. The sticker for a motorized boat is $10 annually—a small price to pay to fight an infestation in Idaho waterways. Office hours: Monday-Thursday, What else can you do to keep these pesky creatures from moving in? Clean. Drain. 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dry. Clean any visible mud, plants or animals from your boat. Drain all water, includ- Friday, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. ing from the lower outboard unit, ballast and livewell. Dry all areas of your boat, your After Hours: (208) 679-4444 equipment and your gear. Summer boating season is here. Go ahead and enjoy the water—just don’t move a mussel. Clean. Drain. Dry.

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