VOL. VI, NO. 2 MARCH/APRIL 2007 K Fairhope’s Town Square Reopens K A Tale of a Small Southern County K National Red Hat Celebration Some electric power companies come and go... hirty-six Alabama cities Like community police, fire business. Strong, stable have public power departments, water and sewer employers mean strong, stable T utilities that provide departments, parks, schools, jobs for local citizens. electricity to their citizens. and hospitals, public power They range in size from cities systems are rooted in the like Huntsville to cities that American tradition of local serve fewer than 2,000 meters. people providing for their basic community needs. Public power Like citizens in more than systems provide service — 2,000 communities across the electricity at not-for-profit United States, these Alabama prices. citizens choose to provide electric service through public Public power’s low electric rates power systems. Not-for-profit are magnets for community electric utilities accountable to economic development. So is its the customers they serve. ability to provide stream lined “one-stop shopping” customer Nationwide, public power services that encourage provides the electric power existing business customers to needs for more than 35 million maintain and expand their Americans. operations and attracts new ...but not Public Power. City of Fairhope Electrical Department From left to right Front Row: Aaron Norris - Electric Superintendent, Ron Wells - Bore Crew, Jason Thrash - Electrical Technician, Joe Ramos - Locate/Underground Technician, Joe Wolchina - Lineman, Jeremy Morgan - Meter Substation Technician Back Row: Jimmy Cluster - Assisted Electric Superintendent, Bryan Rutherford - Field Foreman, Kevin Wadsworth - Lineman, Danny Coleman - Underground Technician, Greg McCoy - Groundman, Jonnie Bozeman - Groundman VOL. VI, NO. 2 MARCH/APRIL 2007 A publication of Alabama Municipal Electric Authority P.O. Box 5220 Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5220 7 6 BC 804 South Perry Street Montgomery, Alabama 36104 INSIDE·THIS·ISSUE www.amea.com 334.262.1126 FEATURES Robert W. Claussen Fairhope’s Town Square Reopens . .3 President & Chief Executive Officer A Tale of a Small Southern County . .6 Fred D. Clark, Jr. Chief Operating Officer National Red Hat Celebration . .BC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman Wayne Duke COMMUNITY CONDUIT V-Chairman Don McClellan Secretary/Treasurer Gary Fuller Watts Happenin’ — News from AMEA Members Don Boone Timothy Kant Henry Osborne Bill Fann Alexander City . .3 Paul Lee Morris Tate Fairhope . .3 ALABAMA CURRENTS VOLUME VI, NO. 2 Foley . .4 Sylacauga . .4 Assistant Editor Opelika . Sandjanetta Tellis 5 Designed by Piedmont . .5 Walker Printing Company Tuskegee . Printed by 6 Walker Printing Company 334.832.4975 DEPARTMENTS Comments may be mailed, phoned or e-mailed to [email protected] In My Opinion . .2 Alabama Currents is published six times each year in Montgomery, AL and mailed to the retail Refrigerator Philosophy . .2 electric customers of AMEA member cities. Information in this magazine has been obtained Cooking With Sandjanetta . .2 from sources considered reliable but accuracy is not guaranteed. Competent legal and/or accounting advice should be sought before acting Word Search Solution . .7 on information in this magazine. Dollars & Cents . .7 MISSION STATEMENT Out In The Yard . .8 AMEA’s mission is to provide for Energy Briefs . our Member communities a 9 reliable and economical source of Places To Go – Things To Do . .11 electric power, enabling them to preserve and enhance the benefits Sports Trivia . .12 of municipal utility ownership for their citizens and the electric Speed Bump . .12 customers they serve. We strive to Word Search . .IBC offer services that our Members need and can adapt to provide the best value for their communities On the Cover: Riviera Utilities new office facility located at 413 East Laurel Avenue, and customers. Foley, AlabamaSUPERINTENDENT LARRY RAY. 2 7 0 In My Opinion 0 2 l i want to take this opportunity to thank the Board enhance the benefits of municipal utility ownership for r p their citizens and the electric customers they serve. A of Directors of the Alabama Municipal Electric / Authority (AMEA) for their support in selecting We strive to offer services that our members need and h c I me as the next President and Chief Executive Officer. r can adapt to provide the best value for their a M I am excited to have the opportunity to work for an communities and customers. · organization like AMEA which exists to serve our S I have worked for these same goals and for the T N member cities and the citizens they serve. E betterment of Alabama Electric customers for over 15 R AMEA has had a history of working to provide R years. I look forward to working with your city for U C reliable electricity at the lowest possible costs to our many more years of success. A member cities. This has been AMEA’s goal and mission M Thank you for trusting your energy needs to A B for over 25 years and has been achieved by our cities AMEA. A K L working together for this common goal. A AMEA’s very mission statement is to provide for our member communities a reliable and economical Fred D. Clark, Jr. source of electric power, enabling them to preserve and Fred D. Clark, Jr., Chief Operating Officer Refrigerator Chicken Turnover Surprise your family with a PhilosophPhilosophyy homemade pot pie! 1/2 lb. cooked, cubed chicken KThink before you speak, research before you present, 16 oz. bag of defrosted and understand the consequences of your decisions and actions. vegetables 1 can low-fat cream of — Rolf Mueller chicken soup KThose who play the game do not see it as clearly as 2 ready made pie crusts those who watch. In a large pot, heat — Chinese Proverb vegetables, soup and KNot all who wander are lost. chicken; place one crust — J. R. R. Tolkien onto a pizza pan; pour KAny fact facing us is not as important as our attitude chicken mixture on top of toward it, for that determines our success or failure. crust; place other crust on top of mixture; seal edges — Norman Vincent Peale all the way around; cut a few small slits in top crust. KPeople acting together as a group can accomplish Bake on 350˚ about 25 minutes or until golden brown. things which no individual acting alone could ever hope to bring about. Enjoy — Franklin D. Roosevelt KIf you want the rainbow, you have to put up with COOKING WITH the rain. — Anonymous SANDJANETTA 3 A MainStreet Alexander City L A By JoAnn Mathis B A M A ainStreet Alexander City is a 501C-3 holiday season. The most exciting event sponsored by M organization whose purpose is to recruit MainStreet is the arrival of Santa in late November. U N business to the downtown area, assist in Area children flock to the downtown Broad Street Plaza I C I M P restoring and revitalizing downtown and to work with to sit on Santa’s knee and whisper their Christmas A existing merchantsWATTSNEW in promoting the area. MainStreet wishes in his ear. IN… L Alexander City has two major fundraisers: membership E MainStreet is a busy organization that invites L and the annual auction. The auction, held in August, E anyone to become a member and help make Alexander C T has become the social event that everyone looks R City the best place to live, work, shop and play. Call I y C forward to each year. t 256-329-9227 today or visit their website at i A MainStreet also sponsors the Downtown Market that www.mainstreetac.org. U C K T is part of the Alabama Market Trail. The market H x O highlights local growers and artisans who bring R e I wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables, as well las art, to T Y downtown each Saturday morning beginningA in mid TO REPORT POWER OUTAGE June. An Art Walk is held in October that features the Day Time 409-2080 works of the many talented local artists in the area. After Hours/Holidays – Call Police Dept. 234-3421 DO NOT CALL 911 MainStreet also works with the city light department in decorating the town for the Christmas Fairhope’s ‘Town Square’ is Reopened By D. Fran Morley esidents and visitors to Fairhope are happy to have the Fairhope Pier open once again. After more than a year of work and $3.5 million in upgrades and hurricane-damage repairs, the pier reopened again in late R NoWATTSNEWvember. IN… “The day after it reopened, it was almost like it had never been closed,” said Mayor Tim Kant. “Just as before, people were strolling, gathering to watch the sunset, and fishing from the pier. I know everyone is pleased to have it open again. The pier truly is Fairhope’s ‘town square’.” pe Fairhope’s pier dates from the town’s founding in 1894;o the first concrete pier was built in 1968 and remained in use until being damaged by Hurricane Ivanr inh 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Repairs continue to the i Marina and the Yardarm a Restaurant on the pier,F both are expected to reopen this spring. “Out-of-towners can follow the progress or just enjoy the view on the city’s web site at www.co.fairhope.com,” said Aaron Norris, Electric Superintendent. “Our web cam keeps a watch on the pier (and is monitored by the police as well) 24 hours a day.”K 4 7 Chris “Rock” Glenn Named Riviera Utilities 2006 0 0 2 “Employee of the Year” l i r By David Horton p A ike Dugger, General Employee of the Year.” Dugger continued. / Manager announced Chris Glenn is the son of Roy and Debbie Glenn of h c Fairhope.