June 2011 Vol. 31, No. 7 Editor Gail Knudtson Associate Editor Doug Snitgen Photo – Neil Moran Photo Photo – Basin ElectricPhoto Design Editor Cindy Zuker Publisher Craig Borr Landscape Architecture – Greenscapes Photo Editor Emeritus Mike Buda 12 14 20 DEPARTMENTS COLUMNS FEATURES Michigan Country Lines, USPS- 591-710, is published monthly, except August and December, 6 Readers’ Pages 9 Policy Perspectives 10 Jewel of West with periodicals postage paid Co-op Teen Days, Regulatory cause-and- Michigan at Okemos, MI, and additional letters, finances, saving effect Shelby Gem Factory offices. It is the official publication of the Michigan Electric Coopera- energy, prices Jennifer Taylor Jan Tableman tive Association, 2859 W. Jolly Rd., Okemos, MI 48864. 18 Home Cooking 14 Gardening 12 Our Energy Subscriptions are authorized for members of Alger Delta, Cher- Casseroles and pot pies Hanging baskets Managing costs ryland, Cloverland, Great Lakes, Neil Moran Magen Howard & HomeWorks Tri-County, Midwest 24 Wolverine Power* Megan McKoy-Noe Energy, Ontonagon, Presque Isle, and Thumb electric cooperatives Partners with DNR on 15 Michigan-Made by their boards of directors. Sub- wildlife habitat project Vernors pop 13 Battling Copper scriptions are $6 per year. Nancy Tanner Marjory Priest Crime Postmaster: send address changes to Country Lines, 2859 Help your co-op catch W. Jolly Rd., Okemos, MI 48864. 26 Marketplace 16 Family thieves that cost lives Letters to the editor should be Classifieds from readers Strong dads make and dollars sent to the same address. Phone 517-351-6322. Email: knudtson@ strong families countrylines.com. Lisa Doublestein Association officers are Brian Burns, PIE&G, chairman; Ken Swope, Midwest Energy, 1st vice YOUR CO-OP 20 House & Home chairman; Tony Anderson, Cher- How to pave a patio ryland, 2nd vice chairman; Eric Pages specific to your John Bruce & Carol Rich Baker, Wolverine Power, secretary- treasurer; and Steve Boeckman, electric cooperative: Great Lakes Energy, past chairman. 1, 4-5, 8, 25, 28-29, 32 22 Comfort: Even your Craig Borr is president and CEO. room temperatures Unsolicited letters, photos and James Dulley manuscripts are welcome. Country *Not in all editions Lines, however, will not be respon- sible for their safe keeping or return. 30 Ramblings The appearance of advertising does not constitute an endorse- Lifetime guarantee ment of the products or services Mike Buda advertised. Display ad representatives: Michigan–Kissman Consulting 517-244-1844 National Country Market On the Cover 512-441-5200 Michigan’s Electric Larry and Jo Kelley own the Shelby Gem Cooperatives Change of Address: Please notify Factory, where they make jewelry and your electric cooperative. See countrylines.com page 4 for contact information. manufacture synthetic gemstones that are physically and chemically identical to real gemstones, right here in Michigan. Photo – June Kuiper/junekuiperphotography.com June 2011 | 3 MANAGER’S MESSAGE LEELANAU KALKASKA BENZIE GRAND TRAVERSE MANISTEE WEXFORD Controlling Costs BOARD OF DIRECTORS or several months, I have talked $153,000, we ended up achieving annual TOM VAN PELT about cost increases and the various savings of more than $230,000. When the President reasons behind them. union contract expires in September 2011, 386-5234 • [email protected] Our last general rate we will attempt to bring the rest Fincrease was two years ago. of the employee group under a TERRY LaUTNER Senior Vice President Now, we are faced with another similar plan for even more sav- 946-4623 • [email protected] small general increase, but the ings to the membership. timing is such that it will be With a state mandate for MELINda LaUTNER in combination with a large renewable energy, Wolverine Secretary wholesale power increase. Power Cooperative (our 947-2509 • [email protected] At the annual meeting on supplier) has slowly been adding June 16, I will once again wind and hydro resources RICK DENEWETH review all the reasons behind to its portfolio at affordable Treasurer these increases and lay out Tony Anderson rates. While one major utility 929-4526 • [email protected] General Manager specific numbers. Today, while is charging its customers BettY MacieJewski we continue to hone the final numbers, I $2.50 per month to meet the mandate, Director would like to answer the question: “What Cherryland’s power supplier has thus far 947-0463 • [email protected] the heck has Cherryland been doing to been able to move towards its 10 percent control costs?” goal without asking for any additional JOHN OLSON An obvious place to look is the work contributions from our members. This has Director force. Labor and overhead is a huge saved the entire membership almost $1 938-1228 • [email protected] expense at a utility like ours. In 2006, we million per year over the last two years. JON ZICKERT had 62 employees (full- and part-time). All the utilities in Michigan also have Director Today, we are serving almost 34,000 a mandate to conserve energy. As I have 631-1337 • [email protected] meters with only 50 employees. When reported previously, Cherryland has met we look at national co-op rankings for meters served per employee, Cherry- Last year, Cherryland returned GENeraL MaNager land has finished either #1 or #2 in this $1.5 million to its members. Tony Anderson industry measure of efficiency. Every CO-OP Editor employee has a little more on his/her plate its requirements without using down- Nick Edson and I am proud to say they are handling state contractors and without charging the it well. I estimate the savings in employee maximum allowed by the state. OFFICE HOURS reductions to be well over $500,000 per While other utilities have an average Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m. year. monthly charge over $1.50, we have been What about employee medical insurance averaging only 50 cents per member, TELEPHONE NUMBERS that has been such a hot topic in the news per month. This is saving our members 231-486-9200 or 1-800-442-8616 (MI) across the country recently? Well, your another $400,000 per year. board addressed the issue of retiree medical Finally, there is the fundamental basis ADDRESS coverage more than five years ago when for being a cooperative: capital credits. Last P.O. Box 298, Grawn, MI 49637 it wasn’t so “cool” or “trendy” to do so. It year, Cherryland returned $1.5 million to WEBSITE made simple financial sense to begin to its members. This means the average resi- cherrylandelectric.com eliminate a benefit that is costly and not dential member received a check or bill available to the average member. credit for approximately $27 to help offset PAY STATION In 2010, we began to address medical their energy costs. Cherryland Electric office insurance coverage to current employees. Yes, rates are still going up. Do I like it? 5930 U.S. 31 South, Grawn Non-union employees were moved to a NO. Do I believe the board, management high deductible health savings account, and employees are doing all that we can? making Cherryland one of the first coop- YES, the savings I listed above comes to eratives in Michigan to do so. $2.1 million. Can we do more? We will Faced with a pending increase of certainly try. 4 | Michigan Country Lines YOUR Co-op Cherryland Annual Meeting is June 16 Batter up! t’s time for Cherryland Electric Cooperative’s and soft drink—while watching batting practice 73rd annual meeting. and enjoying the atmosphere around the park. The popular event at Wuerfel Park, home of Beach Bums general manager, Jeremy Crum, notes the Traverse City Beach Bums minor league there are several new family entertainment offer- Ibaseball team, attracts nearly 2,000 Cherryland ings at the park this summer—including a pitching members every year. This year’s meeting is Thurs- machine that measures how hard a ball is thrown. day, June 16. The gates to the ballpark will open at 3 p.m. for “Since Wuerfel Park is a Cherryland member, Cherryland members. If the past three years are an it’s a win-win situation for everyone,” says Cherry- indication, most members will have voted for the land general manager, Tony Anderson. “Ever since board of directors by mail. If they haven’t, they can we moved our annual meeting to Wuerfel Park in when they enter the park. As they pass through the 2008, our crowds have shot up from 350 to nearly line to the park, members will receive up to four 2,000. That tells us our members really enjoy com- tickets to the game and for the ballpark dinner. ing to this venue to combine learning more about Two members of the Cherryland board are run- Cherryland and attending a baseball game.” ning unopposed this year—Leelanau County The gates will open at 3 p.m. and the business director Tom Van Pelt and at-large director Rick meeting will start at 4 p.m. The Traverse City Beach Deneweth. Bums will host Joliet at 7:05 p.m. in a Frontier The business meeting will feature updates by League game. In the time between the business general manager Tony Anderson, board president meeting ending and the game starting, fans can Tom Van Pelt, and Wolverine Power Cooperative enjoy their free ballpark dinner—a hot dog, chips CEO Eric Baker. June 2011 | 5 READERS’ PAGES Refinancing Your Home f you own your home and are paying on a mortgage, you may be able to save money by refinancing—particularly if you closed on Iyour home many years ago. Only you can decide if refinancing is a smart move, but here are some things to consider: • Refinancing will cost you money.