NORtheRN - Beltrami Electric Cooperative, Inc.

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Northern Lights • July 2006 Manager’s Desk
Across the
Lynette Nieuwsma, General Manager
I
t has been one month on the job and
in describing what goes on at Beltrami Electric, all I can say is this is
one busy place. There is no time to
take it slow and learn the ropes, but that’s
the way I prefer it – jump right in and
hope I don’t drown.
The activity out in the field was
expected, as I knew that
Beltrami Electric builds
around 600 new services
every year. New service
activity continues to be
strong, with crews having
installed nearly 150 new
services to date. Several
construction projects are
taking place as well and
they are highlighted on
Page 5.
The activity that surprised me was in the office
with the number of phone
calls and office visits that
are made. That’s good. We
want to see and hear from our members
and if you have questions, we always
invite you to call or come in.
On a typical day (if there is such a
thing) approximately 330 calls come into
the office. I want to compliment our customer service department on how they,
call after call, treat it as if it’s the most
important call they have to take that day.
If you have ever wondered why Beltrami
Electric has 68 employees, I can assure
you that no one is idle. To service 19,000
meters and to accommodate the growth
that continues, I’m impressed with the
efficiency of our employees.
Being new on the block, I’m encouraging the staff to examine things that
have become second hand to them. They
are a sharp group and are focused on
continued advancement to bring you the
best possible service.
I had my first board
meeting here and on the
facing page you’ll read of
the officer elections that
took place. Cooperatives,
of course, are democratic
organizations controlled
by their members elected
to the board. These board
members participate in setting policies and making
decisions. They are elected
at large and represent you
at large as well. They are
all committed to you.
Congratulations to all
the scholarship winners
announced on Page 4. Investment in our
young people through this program is a
very important commitment that Beltrami
Electric makes. Donation funds supplement unclaimed capital credits to ensure
that each school in our service area can
award a scholarship. We believe in the
Touchstone Energy value of commitment
to community and consider these young
people a great asset to our community. As
a parent of two sons in college, I know
how much scholarships are needed and
appreciated.
I am getting settled, both at the office
and at home. The e-mail telling me that
it’s time to write another column reminds
me how fast time is flying by. Yes, time
flies when you are having fun. I hope you
are having a safe and fun summer. Catch
you next month.
“I want to compliment
our customer service
department on how
they, call after call,
treat it as if it’s the
most important call
they have to take that
day.”
On the cover:
Beltrami Electric line crew foreman
Scott Pemberton and apprentice lineworker Taylor Schmidt use a cable
plow to install a new single-phase
underground line in a development
east of Bemidji near Big Bass Road.
Northern Lights • July 2006
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Northern Lights (USPS 016488), Vol. 53, No. 7 is
published monthly by Beltrami Electric Cooperative
Inc., 4111 Technology Drive N.W., Bemidji, Minnesota 56619-0488. Subscription rate $5. Periodicals
postage paid at Bemidji, MN 56601.
Postmaster: Please send address corrections to
Beltrami Electric Cooperative Inc., P.O. Box 488,
Bemidji, Minnesota 56619-0488.
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Customer Service: 218-444-2540 or 1-800-955-6083 www.beltramielectric.com
Board of Directors
President
Lyle Robinson, District 9
(Minnkota Director)
Vice President
Frank Zentek, District 5
Secretary
Arnold Christianson, District 7
Treasurer
Terry Diffley, District 8
Directors: Emmet Weidenborner, District 1, (Square
Butte Director); Lea Perkins, District 2; Adrian De- Vries, District 3; Jack Swenson, District 4; Randy
C. Johnson, District 6
General Manager
Lynette Nieuwsma
Editor
Jared Echternach
Minnesota State Electrical Inspectors
Beltrami and Clearwater Counties
Mark Smythe
218-751-0487 or fax 218-751-3900
e-mail: masmythe@paulbunyan.net
smytheelectricinspections.com
Cass and Hubbard Counties
Bob Orgon
218-556-3829 or fax 218-333-0451
These are the inspectors covering the area served
by Beltrami Electric. They can be reached by
phone Monday through Friday between 7 and 9
a.m. or by fax or e-mail as indicated.
Gopher State One Call
1-800-252-1166
Anyone who is planning to dig is required
by law to notify the state of their intentions
at least 48 hours in advance.
All digging requires the 48-hour notification
so that buried telephone line, television
cable, pipelines, electrical lines, water lines
and sewer lines can be located to ensure
that none will be severed or damaged.
Beltrami
Electric
board
reorganizes
Lyle Robinson
President
Frank Zentek
Vice President
Beltrami Electric’s board of directors
conducted its annual reorganization meeting Wednesday, May 31,
at the cooperative’s headquarters in
Bemidji.
District 9 representative Lyle
Robinson, of Benedict, was elected
Arnold Christianson
Terry DiffLEY
president of the board. Robinson
Secretary
Treasurer
has served two stints as a Beltrami
Electric director, from 1982-88 and 1997
to the present. He served as president
board secretary. Christianson has served
from 1984-88 and as vice president since
as director from 1982-88 and 2000 to
1998.
the present. He served as treasurer from
District 5 representative Frank
1982-85 and as secretary from 1985-88
Zentek, of Cass Lake, was elected vice
and 2001 to the present.
president of the board. Zentek has served
District 8 representative Terry Diffley,
on the Beltrami Electric board since
of Bemidji, was re-elected board trea2004. surer. Diffley has served on the cooperaDistrict 7 representative Arnold
tive board since 2004 and was elected
Christianson, of Laporte, was re-elected
treasurer the same year.
Friday, August 25
Turtle River Golf &
Entertainment Center
For more information or to
register call 218-444-2540 or
800-955-6083 or visit
www.beltramielectric.com
Be part of the 2nd annual event designed to raise funds for the United
Way of Bemidji Area.
The tournament format is a fiveperson team scramble with a 12:30
p.m. shotgun start. The Early Bird entry fee is $60 per person on or before
Aug. 18. After Aug. 18 the entry fee
is $70 per person. Includes golf, dinner, door prizes and a fantastic time!
(Carts are available for a fee on a
first-come, first-served basis.)
All proceeds will go to the
United Way of Bemidji Area.
$50 Referral Certificate
Refer a friend to Northern Safety & Security and if they purchase a
monitored alarm system from us, we will send you a check for $50.
Your Name: _______________________________________________
Your Address: _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Your Phone: _______________________________________________
Your Signature:_______________________________________________
Friend’s Name:_______________________________________________
Only one referral will be paid per
new customer. In the event that
multiple certificates are received
for the same new customer, the
first one received will be the only
one paid.
Please mail referral certificate to Northern Safety & Security. Payable on completion of the installation.
Northern Safety & Security 4111 Technology Dr NW Bemidji, MN 56601 (877) 751-3902
Northern Lights • July 2006 Beltrami Electric awards scholarships
annually to students attending the seven
high schools within BEC’s service
territory and to St. Mary’s Mission in Red
Lake. The scholarships vary in size each
year and are awarded from unclaimed
capital credits allocated to members.
This year, the cooperative awarded
$1,000 to each school and to St. Mary’s
Mission. Some schools divide the amount,
while others award the entire scholarship
to one student. To be eligible, students’
parent(s) or guardian must be a Beltrami
Electric member, and the students must
show proof of enrollment in a post
secondary education institution the
following year.
Brent Dellapaolera
Allison Barsness
Blaine Reich
Elizabeth Rudd
Stefanie Smith
Krysta Sanders
Blair Winter
© Caulfields
Krista Basgaard
© Reflections
Beltrami
Electric
scholarship
recipients
Nicole Delaney
Aaron Jorgenson
Krista Basgaard and Brent Dellapaolera
Bemidji High School
Nicole Delaney
Blackduck High School
Allison Barsness and Blaine Reich
Cass Lake-Bena High School
© Swenson’s
Congratulations to this
year’s recipients:
Aaron Jorgenson and Elizabeth Rudd
Kelliher High School
Aaron Reimer (picture unavailable) and
Stefanie Smith Laporte High School
Krysta Sanders and Blair Winter
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School
St. Mary’s Mission General Fund
Northern Lights • July 2006
© Swenson’s
Sylvester Grant
Red Lake High School
Sylvester Grant
Crews from InfraSource, an independent utility contractor, install a single-phase line
along Beltrami Line Road. The new line will improve service reliability to members in
that area and allow two-way feed capabilities from the Becida feeder to Fern Lake.
Lineworkers Derick Kubitz, left, and Ryan
Rogers install a pad-mount transformer as
part of a new service construction project
east of Bemidji near Big Bass Road.
Construction Update
Construction season is in full
swing and Beltrami Electric’s
line crews have completed several
projects to date, with many more
scheduled this construction season.
Turtle River substation
Crews have completed the tie-in of the
new Turtle River substation constructed
last year by Minnkota Power Cooperative. This substation has improved service
to members in the immediate area and
throughout our system by alleviating the
load on the Northern substation and allowing three-way feed capabilities in the
Northern Township, Turtle River, Blackduck, Puposky and Long Lake areas.
Midge Lake Estates
Approximately one mile of new singlephase conductor was installed in the
Midge Lake Estates area east of Bemidji.
The new line replaces a 1970s vintage
and will improve service reliability to
members in that area.
Grange Road
Line crew foreman Wayne Petersen
operates a backhoe while lineworkers
Jeff Marden and Ryan Omang set
a transformer as part of a service
improvement in Midge Lake Estates.
Your co-op uses utility contractors for
some of the larger construction jobs.
InfraSource, an underground utility
construction company, has been working on the Grange Road construction
project west of Bemidji. Contractors
have installed approximately four miles
of three-phase underground line and one
mile of single-phase underground line in
conjunction with the project.
Beltrami Line Road
InfraSource also installed approximately
one-half mile of single-phase line along
Beltrami Line Road that will improve
system reliability in that area and relieve
load on the Fern Lake line. This also will
allow two-way feed capabilities from the
Becida feeder to Fern Lake.
Upcoming projects
A total of two miles of single-phase
underground line will be installed along
Big Bass Road and Tall Pines Road, east
of Bemidji. Both projects are in conjunction with road construction in that area.
Minnkota Power Cooperative will
be updating equipment at the Northern
substation. The installation of an additional substation breaker is designed to
protect the main transformer from faults
on the distribution line. Also this month,
Beltrami Electric line crews will perform
a system improvement in the Pony Lake
area near Beltrami County Road 22 and
State Highway 89.
It appears new service activity will
continue and line crews have installed
more than 150 new services to date, with
more scheduled throughout the construction season. Your co-op has installed an
average of nearly 600 new services for
the past several years. Northern Lights • July 2006 Classifieds
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For Sale:
14’ Starcraft boat & trlr. $300 751-6923
Pfaltzgraff Naturewood Stoneware, 12 place
settings & serving pcs., exc. cond. $150; Meade
Telestar computerized 2.4” telescope, Mod. NGC60, like new $50 651-245-4573
Yamaha alto sax; Bundy clarinet 835-4773 or
586-2509
10’ single disc, non-hydraulic $125; 6x12 fish
house on wheels $1,495; 5x5 fish house very
nice 586-3747
Graco highchair $15; Graco easy-fold bassinet,
portable play yard $35 759-1216
’02 Cedar Creek 29’ 5th wheel, 2 slides, w/wo Marclay Point Resort site 333-0850 or 368-5477
D4 Cat, cable, unbelievably good cond. 586-2285
Sheets of upholstery foam, good quality 24”x81”,
1”-4” thick 586-3424
Sewing machines, case, cab.; rd. & sq. oak tables;
bi-fold door; sewing rocker; school desk; exercise
bike; walker; steel mesh end gate; homemade
quilts; 2 oak desk chairs 243-2702
’82 Honda 2-sp. motorbike, 1,600 actual mi., stored
for years, exc. cond., will need minor tune-up
and new license tabs, first $250 obo 751-6773
wknd./lv. msg.
Swimming raft, like new 8x8, blue carpeting, ladder,
anchor, 4 blue plastic drums, 2x8 treated wood
framing $400 759-2796
’81 F150, V8, new brakes, battery, starter, alternator, carb. adjusted $300 760-0244
’96 doublewide to be moved, huge home, exc. floor
plan, new appl. $42,500 835-6753
Tearing down lake home, all fixtures, carpeting,
doors, tub, toilets, sinks, etc., GE elec. range,
JennAir elec. range, full-size propane home heater,
window blinds, curtains 243-3314 week of July 1-8
for appt. to view, after July 8 701-235-9685
’98 Dodge 4x4 2500 Quad Cab 4 dr., 8’ box, 360,
AT, all power, 141K $6,000 obo; ’98 Suzuki Quad
Runner 250 4x4, ’01 Honda Rancher 350 4x4
$2,500 ea. 243-2197
Sailboat. 20’ w/trlr., asking $395 224-2836 or
800-450-6260
Outfitter’s wall tent 835-4773 or 586-2509
Very nice PU camper, 11 ½’ ’85 Realite, 3-way
fridge, qn. bed, furnace, shower, stove, oven, very
clean, ready to use 751-3235
Riding mowers, tillers, outboards that don’t run
224-2486
Nice dining room table sets, qn. bedroom set, king
bed, washer & dryer sets 760-6409
’78 Yamaha 400XL motorcycle, good cond. $650
751-9695
12’ JD self-propelled swather w/hay conditioner
attachment, stored inside, great cond. 751-5672
’50 Dodge Wayfarer, 40K, exc. cond, reasonable;
’69 Plym. Fury III, 32K, exc. cond. reasonable
547-3276
Set of Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose pattern dishes, many
place settings and access. pcs. avail., exc. cond.
make offer 586-2002
’93 Toyota 4-Runner, good cond, new tires 110K,
$4,200; ’85 Ford PU, ext. cab, runs good $550;
portable sawmill, PTO drive insert tooth blade
$1,600 854-7387
Siamese kittens, seal point M&F $25-$35 5862839
Twin captain bunk bed, 1 end is desk w/chair, other
end is dresser w/bookshelf $300; sq. dining table
w/corner bench seating & storage inside benches
$300; both in exc. cond. 835-8555 after 5 p.m.
Older garden tiller; new & used doors; lumber;
shelving; new Marvin window 36x42; building
stuff 224-3359
Craftsman 4200 generator, very low hrs.; Innerspace foam mattress 42”x80”, very firm, brand
new, very reasonable price 243-2032
’00 Honda Valkyrie, red & black, 6,600 mi., new
Avon tires, lots of extras, exc. cond. $9,250
333-3608
Outboard motor 248-231-4020
Used bricks 335-3994
Black dirt, well-rotted manure, I load, you haul
$30/PU load 467-3253
Angle iron, rusted or welded OK, for building
shelves; 4-legged storage shelving 243-2145
Howse 3-pt. box blades, landscape leveler; Grand
Cherokee, driver’s side mirror 335-8945
Firewood, cut & split, will haul 751-9695
’92 Terry 26’ travel trlr. $5,000 obo; ’89 GMC, loaded
$3,000 obo ready to go 224-2408
5’ brush hog, 3-pt. hitch, good running cond. 7514477 days, 586-3243 eve.
6 hp. Ranch King swasher weed cutter, Marquette welder, 180A arc, garden cart trlr. $50
ea. 854-7363
Huffy basketball hoop $30; Weider 148 youth
weight machine $35; Lawn Chief 540 w/o deck
$75; 14 – 3 ½ 8 pine boards $20; free trampoline
w/o pad 751-7753
Baby Guineas coming soon $3 ea. 586-2860
P-fowl chicks, gray call duck wings, bandy chicks
586-2839
’04 Yamaha 125YZ dirt bike, elec. start, bought in
’05, less than 30 mi. $2,000 obo 547-2599
10’ PU camper, 2 beds, table, bathroom, older
model but in good cond. $175 obo 751-9031
Jayco pop-up camper $475 224-2633
Older 32’ trlr., appl., 2 beds, sofa, end table, 2 AC
units, newer carpet 556-2243
’84 Mariner outboard motor tiller $695 444-7189
’69 Olds Cutlass convertible, #s matching Rocket
350 auto, very complete and solid, needs restoration $3,950 obo; fiberglass bed cover Silverado &
Sierra trucks $200; ’96 & up Chevy/GMC PU rims,
perfect cond. $150; ’99 & up GMC & Silverado
hoods $100 ea. 209-1681
Rascal scooter, good cond. $250; blue recliner
chair $75; Sears table saw $250; brown sofa bed
$100 243-2272
Whirlpool fridge, 33”Wx27”Dx66.5”H, French
doors, bottom freezer, almond, works good
444-8304
Newmac wood furnace, 100,000 Btu, thermostat
control $300 243-2466
Hay, 125 sq. bales, suitable for cattle, stored inside
$1.50 759-7730
’93 Friendship Fairmount 16x80 MH, carpets 3 yrs.
old, Kenmore front load fridge 2 yrs. old, 10x12
deck $20,000 751-2929
Incomplete Emperor clock kit w/Hermle movement
$50 835-7484
’50 Vac Case tractor, older restoration $1,200
335-6882
Upright freezer; Ecowater softener system; dining
room chairs; granny’s sm. rocker; Formica top drop
leaf table w/3 chairs; 4-drawer chest; mixed qt. &
pint jars; Skil saw 444-0588
Firewood $40/cord, you haul 751-7743
5 hp. shredder chopper; Vaculator antique 2-part
tempered glass coffee pot w/orig. label $45
243-2145
’91 Buick Park Ave., runs, drives, front end damage
$450 obo 224-3405
Gun, .270 caliber, left hand bolt action, shells,
scope rings, exc. cond. $450 243-2200
Guitar, mint, ’81 Ovation Custom Balladeer $475
586-2518
’00 Yamaha YZF 426 perfect cond. $2,900 obo
766-8391
Firewood; several saw logs 8’-16’ oak, maple,
basswood 333-0938 eve.
Ranch King ATV front-mount mower, 4’ deck,
Honda engine, runs great, recently fully serviced,
new blades, etc. $350 759-1298
Chain saw, Poulan, 14” elec. $50 obo 224-2141
a.m.
Northern Lights • July 2006
Chain length dog kennels, good cond., reasonable 547-4990
3 boxes of .270 rifle shells $40 243-2200
12 hp. 38” cut Ranch King lawn tractor $295; fronttine tiller 586-3465
Weslo weight machine $125 obo 751-0126
eve./lv. msg.
Cabin, A-frame or small house to be moved
835-6753
’91 GMC Sonoma PU $1,000 obo 224-2404
’87 Dodge Aries 2 dr. 854-7328 after 6 p.m.
Ford 8N, exc. restored, professional paint, good
rubber, loader & bucket, can deliver 507-289-2904
or 507-259-5117
Used brush hog mower, PTO 333-3651
Lawn tractors, ATVs, tillers, snow blowers, etc. that
need repair 586-3465
’99 Yamaha Beartracker, 2WD, 230cc $1,500
751-0527
Swimming pool equip., elec. water heater, circulating pump, filter, pool sweep 444-7400
Yard sweeper or yard vac; good used riding mower;
smaller camper 586-3747
New Minnkota elec. 24V Vantage, 75 lb. thrust trolling motor, in box, never used $650 243-2243
Wireless Sony stereo w/headphone system for TV,
used once $75 224-3438
Jetski, Yamaha 650, older but in good shape, runs
very well, economical fun on the water, newer trlr.
$960 751-1520
Wanted:
’92 Jeep Cherokee Laredo, 4WD, 4L, new tires,
brakes, 150K, runs great, nice shape, clean, ready
to go $2,750 333-3661
PU camper 8’ $700; top RV AC $150 835-4486
Sears 10” table saw $149; 6” jointer $85; 8 hp.
Evinrude outboard motor $950 751-3999
’98 Honda 300 4x4 4-whlr.; go cart, best offer
751-0965
’96 Dodge Caravan, good cond. $1,500 obo
467-3553
’01 heavy-duty custom 48’ enclosed 5th wheel car
hauler $12,300; ’96 customer chopper, Harley drive
train, nice bike $12,900 751-8357
’94 Dodge Grand Caravan, 3.3, 161K, all service
records $1,750 obo 444-9422
AKC Lab pups born 4/30/06, both parents on site
$400 751-8959
Seasonal resort cabin to be moved, 20x22,
solid construction, great hunting cabin $1,000
751-8556
Genz Voyager portable fish house w/cover $475
obo 586-3217 or 368-7663
66’ sectional 2x4 redwood dock, 19 galvanized
steel posts w/dock hardware, Kabekona Lake
$500 547-2600
’71 Crestliner boat w/85 hp. Johnson, trlr. $1,950
obo 556-2145
Honda 7500 Series heavy-duty generator $1,500
or reasonable offer 335-6315
Beginners horse, well broke, bomb proof, prefer
14-14.2h, sound, healthy, will trade for log furniture
224-2573
Old coins, collections, silver & gold 586-3200
Sm. pontoon boat, ‘80s, $1,500 range 243-3131
Addresses Needed:
Golden Mann
Classified ads rules
For sale and wanted items only.
No rental, business, service,
real estate or personal ads.
Please limit your ad to 10
words. Limited to one for sale
ad and one wanted ad per
issue. Ads are published on a
first-come, first-served basis
and are free to Beltrami Electric members. The ad deadline
is the first of the month to be
included in the next issue. For
example, an ad received June
1 would be included in the July
issue due out the end of June.
An ad received June 2 would
be included in the August issue
due out the end of July. Ads are
preferred via e-mail at info@
beltramielectric.com, but may
be submitted by mail, phone or
in person at the cooperative.
All telephone numbers are presumed to have a 218 area code
unless otherwise noted.
Corner Cupboard: Monkey Bread Board
Meeting
Highlights
Ingredients:
4 tubes refrigerator biscuits
½ cup white sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup margarine or butter
Submitted by
Sheryl Cummings –
Beltrami Electric consumer
accounts supervisor
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and
cinnamon in a large bag. Cut biscuits in quarters
and shake in cinnamon sugar mixture. Do one tube
at a time so dough doesn’t stick together in bag.
Place in a greased Bundt pan or 9x13 cake pan.
Melt margarine in saucepan on stovetop. Add brown
sugar and heat until bubbly. Pour over biscuits in
pan. Place in oven and bake 35 to 45 minutes until
browned and firm when pan is shaken.
Have a Safe and
Happy Fourth!
Beltrami Electric will be
closed Tuesday, July 4,
for Independence Day
Action Electric, Bemidji, 751-3712
Contractors
Benedict Electric, Benedict, 547-1589
Bessler Bros. Electric, Lake George/Walker, 224-2472/266-3901
Larson Electric, Bemidji, 759-1066
LeClaire Electric, Bemidji, 766-5198/751-9737
Lee Davis Electric Inc., Walker, 547-4175
Clearbrook Electric, Clearbrook, 776-3995
Lynn’s Electric, Hackensack, 682-2738
Crunden Electric, Blackduck, 835-4127
Mort’s Electric Inc., Kelliher, 647-8128
D-L Electric & Son, Bemidji, 751-0370
Myers Electric, Bemidji, 586-3406/556-9894
DOE Electric, Bemidji, 766-6835
Naylors, Bemidji, 751-2620
Frontier Electric of Bemidji Inc.,
766-7788
North Central Electric Inc., Blackduck, 835-7790
Grace Electric, Bemidji, 760-3788
North Country Electrical Services,
Laporte, 224-2704
Hand Electric, Bemidji, 586-3573
Haubrich Electric, Bemidji, 759-1048
Headwaters Electric Inc., Bemidji,
444-2613
Kemmer Electric, Bemidji, 333-8784
L & A Electric, Park Rapids, 732-3692
Lake Country Electric Inc., Bemidji, 751-9773
North Star Electric, Blackduck, 835-6315
Pete’s Electric, Bagley, 694-2371
Beltrami Electric’s board of directors conducted its monthly meeting May 31, 2006. All
directors were present. Also present were general manager Lynette Nieuwsma, Sid Sletten
and Kay Olson.
The following reports were given:
• The manager made her monthly report,
including a review of BEC’s diversification
projects and the Ainsworth cogeneration
agreement with Minnkota Power Cooperative. She also reviewed telephone call activity and the increased member enrollment in
the Budget Billing and Auto Pay programs.
• Sid Sletten reviewed the April financial and
statistical report and work order inventories.
He also reviewed BEC’s loan portfolio.
• Sam Mason reported on BEC’s Conservation
Improvement Program, the annual meeting
and Northern Safety & Security.
• Jared Echternach reported on the recent
Project GreenTouch at Lake Bemidji State
Park.
• Rich Riewer reviewed the 2006-07 two-year
work plan projects scheduled for this construction season, including new substations
to be built.
• Arnold Christianson, Adrian DeVries and
Lyle Robinson reported on the legislative
conference in Washington, D.C.
• Terry Diffley and the manager reported on
Cooperative Development.
• The manager reported on the Minnkota
manager’s meeting, including capital credits,
the wind energy program, load forecast discussion and three-year demand averaging.
• Lyle Robinson reported on the last two
Minnkota board meetings.
The following actions were taken:
• The board held its annual reorganization
meeting with the following directors elected
as officers:
 Lyle Robinson – President
 Frank Zentek – Vice President
 Arnold Christianson – Secretary
 Terry Diffley – Treasurer
• Terry Diffley and Lynette Nieuwsma were
elected to the Cooperative Development
board of governors.
• The Ainsworth cogeneration agreement
between Minnkota Power Cooperative and
Beltrami Electric was approved.
• Beltrami Electric policy #103 was revised.
The July board meeting will be held Wednesday, July 26, 2006.
Perkins Electric, Bemidji, 444-1422
Taray Electric, Bemidji, 751-8237
Todavich Electric, Bemidji, 751-1699
T.R. Electric Inc., Bemidji, 751-0286
Trosen Electric, Walker, 675-5757
Wiebolt Electric, Bemidji, 444-8661
Northern Lights • July 2006 Line crews participate
in safety training
Pole top rescue training is conducted annually at your cooperative as
part of the line safety program. Beltrami Electric journeylevel lineworker
Larry Schmidt, above left, performs a rescue simulation while apprentice
lineworker Nick Zimmel looks on.
4111 Technology DR NW PO Box 488 Bemidji, MN 56619-0488 218-444-2540 • 800-955-6083 www.beltramielectric.com
Northern Lights • July 2006
Journeylevel lineworker Lee Pemberton begins his rescue
ascent as Minnesota Rural Electric Association loss
control specialist Carl Henning observes.