MEMBER CONNECTIONS 1399 Business Park Drive South, P

we Your thoughts and opinions about the want cooperative help us to serve you better. Would you like tohear Help us become Annual Meeting fromyou!

In March, April and May, the cooperative will be working with NRECA Market Research Services to complete a member satisfaction survey. The surveys will be both by phone and e-mail, but not everyone will be contacted. If you are contacted, we would greatly energy savings appreciate a few minutes of your time to share your opinions of the the best-rated to feature food, fun cooperative. We strive to provide all members with safe, affordable and reliable electric service. By participating in the survey, you will help us make decisions that benefit you, your family and your neighbors.

Thank you! and important info. and $100? All information is confidential. co-op in the state! IN THIS ISSUE

HANCOCK-WOOD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE MEMBER CONNECTIONS 1399 Business Park Drive South, P. O. Box 190, North Baltimore, OH 45872 • www.hwe.coop • [email protected] • 800-445-4840

PJM WEIGHS IN ON EPA’S WAR ON COAL DEMLER INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

HWE - a powerful A March 6, 2015 analysis by Jim Demler, a Hancock- value for 77 years. PJM Interconnection, the Wood trustee, has been George Walton, country’s largest regional inducted into the Hancock Hancock-Wood grid operator, estimates County Agricultural Hall of Electric Cooperative that EPA’s unprecedented Fame. A 40-year resident President and CEO plan to regulate carbon of the county, Demler and dioxide emissions from power plants could trigger a partner opened D-H the retirement of up to 49 GW of its generating Supply Company in 1976. capacity as a worst-case scenario. Amy Fovargue nominated her father and said Demler Walton congratulates Demler That is the equivalent of the electricity needed to was passionate about the following the induction ceremony. power 50 million homes. By forcing out affordable people who feed the world and all things agricultural. power, EPA’s plan will threaten reliability while Demler joined the Hancock-Wood Board in 2005 and increasing costs. According to PJM, “Electricity serves as chair of the Prism Propane Solutions board. production costs are likely to increase with compliance He was congratulated on his induction by Hancock- because larger amounts of higher-cost, cleaner Wood President and CEO George Walton at the event. generation will be used to meet emissions targets.”

“PJM’s analysis should serve as a wake up call,” YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR ANNUAL MEETING said Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Check the back cover wrap on this issue of Country Ed Whitfield (R-KY). “You cannot just shut down Living for your meal reservation to our June 13 the nation’s coal plants and still expect the lights Annual Business Meeting, from 10 a.m. to 2p.m., at to come on.” Last March, the Hancock County Fairgrounds. Call, write or email Whitfield’s subcommittee [email protected] with all the pertinent information held a hearing to so you can receive a meal ticket at the event for examine some of your chance to win grand prizes. Nashville Crush the costs and will perform and there will be putt-putt, bingo and consequences cornhole games, a bungee jump, rides, attractions of EPA’s rule. and giveaways for each Member. For more information, The brief business meeting will cover co-op business please visit and election results. See hwe.coop/about-hwec or see Action.coop. page 21 of this issue for more info on these elections.

NOTICE: Our offices will be closed Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. Please continue to use our online services at hwe.coop

The June 13 Annual Meeting to meld business with pleasure for our Member families with rides, games, inflatables, bingo, puttputt and more!

NOVEMBERMAY 2015 2013 • COUNTRY • COUNTRY LIVING LIVING 19 1 MEMBER CONNECTIONS

SPONSORS ALLOW US A BIGGER EVENT POWER OF YOUNGER MEMBERS WINS Sponsors of our Annual Business Meeting allow us to offer better food, prizes, activities and performances each year. We ask you to patronize these businesses who help us to make all this possible.

They are: Gigawatt sponsor – Quality Lines, Inc.; Megawatt sponsors – Clouse Construction Corporation and Power Line Supply Company; Kilowatt sponsors – First Federal Bank and Utility Systems Engineering, Inc., and Watt sponsors – Legacy Farmers Cooperative and Perry Protech.

ONE SWITCH EARNS YOU $100 AND MORE You can save $100 and more off your bill This photo of Olivia Velasquez won a national gold award for excellence. just to let us install a radio-controlled switch Olivia was selected the Youth Tour Leadership Council winner in 2014. (RCS) on your air conditioning unit. A Hancock-Wood Electric Co-op photograph recently earned a gold award for best photo There also is money to be made on other RCS switches, in the National Rural Electric Cooperatives which turn off power for brief periods to certain cooling, Association (NRECA) national Spotlight heating and water heater systems. This is part of a on Excellence Awards. The image of Olivia Velasquez statewide electric cooperative effort to keep rates stable of Ottawa speaking at the 2014 NRECA conference in by reducing peak demand. Switches must remain Nashville is entitled, “The Power of Younger Members” installed for the life of your unit and can be installed for and was intended to capture the spirit of her thought- free in three different ways: provoking “Are We There Yet?” speech.

AC systems – call for Hancock-Wood The same photo also won an Ohio Rural Electric to install an RCS to manage your air Cooperatives Communications Program Award of conditioning, and receive $100 plus a Excellence. Hancock-Wood also received an award four-month (June - Sept.) $5.50 credit for excellence for Best Annual Report and three awards per month, whether or not the RCS of merit for Best CEO/General Manager’s Column, switch is activated. Best Feature Story and Best Use of Electronic Media. Water heaters – call us to schedule a technician to install the switch for free. You will begin to see a $.50 credit on HWEC REBUILD PROGRAM UPDATE your bill every month whether or not we activate it. In May, as part of our project completion of the $2.75 million Rebuild Program, Hancock- Geothermal systems – you can receive $100 plus a four- Wood crews plan to begin a three-phase month (June-Sept.) $5.50 credit on your energy bill, rebuild project along Township Road 194 whether the switch is activated or not. This switch may in Amanda Township in Hancock County. This project not work on all geothermal systems. Our technician will continues into Richland Township along township roads help identify whether or not your system qualifies. 80 and 42 in Wyandot County. Later in May, a contract crew will start work along County Road 5-F in Putnam Visit hwe.coop and click on Save Energy for more info. County, south of Leipsic.

220 COUNTRYCOUNTRY LIVING LIVING • •MAY NOVEMBER 2015 2013

LINEMEN RECEIVES STATE PRO HANCOCK-WOOD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Ed Crawford, Vice Chair Tom Kagy, Secretary/Treasurer Tom Dierksheide, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Marlene Barker, and trustees David Corbin, James Demler, John Edie, Steve Gerten, William Kale and Knut Lahrs.

POWER OF YOUNGER MEMBERS WINS NOTICE OF ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING The Annual Meeting of Hancock-Wood 2015 VOTING SCHEDULE Electric Cooperative will take place Sat., June 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., An earlier-in-the-year Annual Business Meeting at the Hancock County Fairgrounds, means an earlier-in-the-year voting schedule 1017 E. Sandusky Street, Findlay, OH. Items of for trustees. The remaining schedule for 2015 follows: business to be considered include: a report on the election of trustees; new trustees’ oaths of May 12 Director Election Ballots mailed office; officers and auditors’ reports and any May 26 Return Deadline for Election Ballots other pertinent matters that may arise prior to June 13 Annual Meeting results announced meeting adjournment. Visit hwe.coop/about-hwec/trustees-elections -Tom Dierksheide Secretary Treasurer Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, Inc. HELP US TO BECOME THE BEST IN THE STATE May 1, 2015 We are working with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) on our May annual Member satisfaction phone or e-mail survey. Your opinions about Hancock- Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative Wood help us to better serve you because we develop is an equal opportunity employer. If or discontinue programs and/or events based on that you wish to file a civil rights program feedback. Our goal is 100 percent satisfaction. Last year, complaint of discrimination, we received an above-average score of 83 on a zero-to-100 complete the USDA Program Discrimination scale, placing us seven points above the national average Complaint Form found online at http://www. for investor-owned utilities and six points above the ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at national average for municipal energy utilities. Be assured, any USDA office, or call 866-632-9992 to request all information is confidential. Please contact us at the form. You may also write a letter containing 800-445-4840 if you have any questions. all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter by mail to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Your thoughts and opinions about the Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, want cooperative help us to serve you better. D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or by to e-mail at [email protected]. hear fromyou! WIN $300 OFF YOUR ENERGY BILL! In March, April and May, the cooperative will be working with Hancock-WoodNRECA Market Res eisar cworkingh Services to cwithomplet eNRECA a member satisfac- Markettion s uResearchrvey. The surve Servicesys will be both to by pcompletehone and e-ma i l, but not Visit Hancock-Wood’s website to sign up everyone will be contacted. If you are contacted, we would greatly our aannualppreciate a Memberfew minutes o Satisfactionf your time to share Surveyyour opinion s of the for e-mail alerts, news and online bill pay by phonecooperati vande. e-mail. We strive to provide to enter to win a quarterly drawing for $300 safe, affordable and reliable electric We strive to provide all members with safe, affordable and reliable off your next electric bill. Click on Members service.electri cIf se yourvice. Barey par tcontacted,icipating in the su rpleasevey, you w i llshare help us make decisions that benefit you, your family and your neighbors. Connect to complete the form. your opinions of how well we do this for you.T h Byank yparticipatingou! in the survey, you will help us make decisions that benefit you as www.HWE.coop a Member.All informat iThankon is confi dyouential .for making us better!

NOVEMBERMAY 2015 2013 • •COUNTRY COUNTRY LIVING LIVING 21 3 HANCOCK-WOOD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE KID CONNECTIONS

HANCOCK-WOOD GRANTS THOUSANDS IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO AREA STUDENTS The Board of Trustees of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative congratulates nine local high school seniors who were awarded one of our 2015 scholarships. Again this year, there was a record- breaking number of applicants. A total of $12,450 was awarded in Hancock-Wood scholarships and another $4,200 was awarded to two children of employees who earned top honors in statewide scholarships – the Louise Freeland and the Ohio Line Supervisors Association scholarships.

Hancock-Wood is proud to award scholarships to the following young Members: First-place winners of $2,500 each - Olivia Velasquez of Ottawa and Pandora-Gilboa High School, and Rasheed Ajala of Findlay and Findlay High School. Both will compete at the Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives scholarship finals. Second-place winner of $2,000 - Ryan Aufdencamp of Bloomdale and Elmwood High School. Third-place winner of $1,700 - Emily Kreinbrink of Leipsic and Leipsic High School. Fourth-place winner of $1,500 - Abbigail Dauterman of Fostoria and Arcadia High School. Fifth-place winner of $1,250 - Michael Roche of Findlay and Findlay High School. Sixth-place winner of $1,000 - Allison Fink of Arcadia and Ohio Virtual Academy. Louise Freeland winner of $2,700 - Jacob Pelton of North Baltimore and North Baltimore High School. OLSA winner of $1,500 - Breana Hovest of Ottawa and Pandora-Gilboa High School Youth Tour winners (value $3,000 each) - Kelleigh Beatty of Gibsonburg and Gibsonburg High School and Taylor Werner of Alvada and Vanlue High School.

Each of these students excelled in academics, extracurricular activities, community involvement and electric co-op knowledge. Hancock-Wood also offers two Washington, D.C. Youth Tour scholarships and will award $1,000 scholarships each to two Members attending either Findlay University or Owens Community College.

From left, top row, Scholarship and Youth Tour Committee Chair Robyn Mercer, Hancock-Wood Electric Board of Trustees members Marlene Barker, Knut Lahrs, William Kale, David Corbin, John Edie, Ed Crawford, James Demler, Tom Dierksheide and President and CEO George Walton; front row, Scholarship and Youth Tour winners Ryan Aufdencamp, Jacob Pelton, Michael Roche, Rasheed Ajala, Breana Hovest, Olivia Velasquez, Emily Kreinbrink, Allison Fink and Kelleigh Beatty. Not pictured are: Board members Tom Kagy and Steve Gerten, and scholarship winner Abbigail Dauterman and Youth Tour winner Taylor Werner.

22 COUNTRY LIVING • MAY 2015 NOVEMBER 2013 • COUNTRY LIVING 3