$tart $mart - Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative

May 2008
For Our Members
$tart $mart
Building a new home in the next 2 years?
Planning a remodeling project?
You NEED this workshop!
Ask your contractor the right questions!
A GLASS ACT
“I love what I do.
It’s not work.”
PAGE 4
Sharon Burrows, Anamosa
Save Energy - Save Money
Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative is offering a free
workshop on key energy efficiency information you need to
know to make your home as efficient as possible. Mark
your calendar, Saturday, May 10th, 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. at the
Lawrence Community Center, 600 East Main Street in
Anamosa. To register, call MVEC at 800-927-6068 or
online at www.mvec.coop. This workshop is limited to the
first 50 registrations. There will be prize drawings for
registrations received by May 1st.
Understand geothermal and learn about a retrofitted system
for your existing home. Hear about ways you can make
your basement more efficient and find out how important
caulking really is and much more. Only four hours of your
time can help you save energy and money!
SCAM ALERT!
IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT UNKNOWN INDIVIDUALS
HAVE CALLED MAQUOKETA VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
MEMBERS TELLING THEM THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR UTILITY BILL
OVER THE PHONE WITH A CREDIT CARD OR FACE DISCONNECTION.
MVEC DOES NOT ASK FOR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION OVER
THE PHONE AND YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE YOUR CREDIT CARD
NUMBER TO ANYONE UNLESS YOU HAVE INITIATED THE CALL.
WE ONLY ACCEPT CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS OVER THE PHONE WHEN
YOU CALL OUR OFFICE AND INITIATE THE TRANSACTION.
IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED SUCH A CALL, YOU SHOULD REPORT IT TO
YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
May is
National
Electrical
Safety
Month
Watts Inside:
2008 Youth Tour Winners
Page 2
Preventing Home Fires
Page 3
Member Nights - Fun For All
Page 3
A GLASS ACT
Page 4
Board Allocates 2007 Operating Margin
Page 5
FIGHT BAC-Bacteria that is!
Page 6
Keeping It Clean For The Kids
Page 7
2008 Youth Tour Winners
Participants in this year’s contest were asked to
write an essay on the topic, “The Value of Green.”
Five finalists and their families were then invited to
attend final judging on April 3rd in Anamosa. After
the delicious meal catered by Marilyn’s Catering of
Cascade, the finalists had their individual interviews
with the judges. Everyone in attendance was treated
to a presentation by the 2007 Youth Tour Trip winners
of the highlights of their trip to our nation’s capitol.
Judging this contest is tough! Every contestant
did an outstanding job writing on “The Value of
Green.” The following excerpts from a few essays
demonstrate today’s students do understand the
environmental issues they will be faced with.
“We appreciate the cooperatives and companies
energy efficiency [efforts], but now it is our turn to
be energy conscious in our daily lives.”
(Robin Brehm, Epworth)
This year’s winners, Laura Driscoll, daughter of
Gerald & Patricia Driscoll of Cascade, Melissa Prier,
daughter of Lial & Donna Prier of Ryan and Rachel
Scott, daughter of Bruce & Ann Scott of Dubuque,
were awarded all expense paid trips to Washington,
D.C. in June with thousands of other high school
youth tour winners across the nation. Troy Mensen,
son of Steven & Cindy Mensen of Manchester and
Samantha Veach, daughter of Pat & Cindy Veach,
of Zwingle, were awarded cash honorariums for
their participation in this year’s contest. And many
other contestants received token Cooperative gifts
in appreciation of their efforts to enter this year’s
contest.
“Some facts say: If every U.S. household replaced
just one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star
qualified compact fluorescent bulb, it would save
enough energy to light about three million homes
for a year and save more than $650 million in
annual energy costs. Wow!”
(Katie Reth, Manchester)
“Americans often ask why we should be
eco-friendly and use clean energy? The answer
is simple, by being eco-friendly and using clean
energy we preserve our own health and food and the
health and visual appeal of the biosphere in which
we live.”
(Ray Kruse, Dyersville)
“The state of tomorrow is decided today. It is up
to today’s generation to preserve the Earth and
its natural resources for our future descendants.”
(Laura Driscoll, Bernard)
Samantha Veach, Laura Driscoll, Melissa Prier, and Rachel Scott. Absent from the photo is Troy Mensen.
Preventing Home Fires
Every day in the United States, 150 homes will start on fire because of electrical issues.
Homeowners can take steps to prevent thousands of these fires each year, says the Electrical
Safety Foundation International. One safety device that is being touted as the biggest innovation
in decades for preventing electrical fire is known as Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI’s).
AFCI’s are advanced electronic circuit breakers that detect dangerous
conditions in a home’s wiring. When a problem is detected, these
devices immediately cut the power to the circuit before a fire can start.
ACFI’s are the next generation product in electrical circuit protection.
Arcing faults often occur in damaged or deteriorated wires and cords.
Some causes of damaged and deteriorated wiring include puncturing of
wire insulation from picture hanging or cable staples, poorly installed
outlets or switches, cords caught in doors or under furniture, furniture
pushed against plugs in an outlet, natural aging, and cord exposure to a
heat vent and sunlight.
Editor’s Note: Please refer to the 2008 National Electrical Code, Section
210.12, Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter Protection
Member Nights - Fun For All
Members from across the service area joined us in Dyersville
on April 8th and in Maquoketa on April 10th for pizza, pop,
conversations and door prizes. Attendance was great.
Children enjoyed the games and members learned about energy
issues facing Iowa and the country today. They also received
an update on the AMI project. Prize winners are as follows:
Electric Grill - Henry & Eileen Bildstein, Earlville
Electric Grill - Everett Mattox, Maquoketa
Golf Bag with Grill Tools - Robert Meyers, Guttenberg
Golf Bag with Grill Tools – Lester Moeller, Preston
LED Lantern – Phillip Hogan, New Vienna
LED Lantern – Lee & Susan Keil, Baldwin
A GLASS ACT
Grace Zimmerman, Anamosa, Iowa
As I entered the secluded home of Sharon Burrows, to
say that I was overwhelmed is an understatement, not
only by the interior design of the home nestled off the
beaten path but also overwhelmed by the charisma of the
owner, Sharon, and the artistic and conventional talents
of this amazing gal.
“I have more plans in mind.” Oh yes, I must include
mention of her happy-go-lucky dogs, Echo and Sundae.
Then, I recall that I came to interview Sharon about
her “Glass Act.” So on to her studio located in the
northwestern side of her abode. There again, I’m
overwhelmed by the immense proportions of her stained
glass work in progress and articles all around. One of
her works, in particular, will be in the front windows of
Tyler & Downing’s Eatery in downtown Anamosa. All
around the studio there’s evidence of her originality. She
sits at her desk in the far northwestern corner to show me
the place of her inspiration.
While I had that “WOW” look on my face, she
matter-of-factly told me, “The home was built in 1995,
which I designed, laid the lines for the under floor
heating, did 95% of the wiring and did the scratch coat
on the exterior for the stucco. I was so thankful to get
the two acres on this 33 acre site in this fantastic Stone
City location.”
We continued the tour of the home, the fireplace, which
displayed her handiwork in the stonework as does the 90
hours which it took to do the stonework in the bathroom.
An added accent was the lighting and the special feature
of the mosaic done around the side of the tub which
made it appear as if the tub was overflowing. This
provides proof of Sharon’s sense of humor. “I used Red
Devil light weight spackling compound for sculpture
on the bathroom walls.” Then onto the wide open airy
spacious master bedroom which provided a picturesque
view of the timber and trails just outside the windows
and yielded a confession from Sharon as to being
claustrophobic. All throughout the house was evidence
of her unusual touch. She described it by saying “my
fantasy home, I can do everything I want.” I easily
came to the conclusion that one need not have even one
iota of an art lover instinct in one’s genes to be utterly
enthralled at this sight to behold. And, she admits
Sharon at her work desk in the studio. The windows look
out into a timber with an abundance of nature.
She can easily commune with nature as she looks out
upon the forested scene. This helps explain another
feature of Sharon’s interest. “I also take color photos
which I sell and frame some of them.” A large portfolio
displays many of the colorful photos of plants, birds and
animals. She uses a Canon Rebel XL for the photos.
Then she further astounds me with a large booklet of
drawings of all parts of the body, muscles, bones, etc.
The CCMT is the book used to teach anatomy at Carlson
College of Massage Therapy. To top it off, she adds
similar book drawings about dogs’ structure.
Back to the main subject, “Glass Act.” Sharon has
worked with several mediums in art since 1960 with
special emphasis in glass. She studied under Gary Vigen
in Colorado and Narcisslis Quggliata in Mexico. Her
intentions are to study with other masters.
Sharon’s studio is filled with a vast amount of stained
glass materials. The framed art in this picture is an
etching of a dragon with neon lights.
“Three times a year, I go to Chicago to get hand-blown
European glass to view it and bring it home, rather than
having it shipped to me. There was a piece of glass that
cost me over a hundred dollars, which I brought home
from Boulder, Colorado. I drove it back through an ice
storm on treacherous roads. But it made it home safely.
When I sand blasted it, I had the misfortune of a
blow-through. So, I said to myself, the stained glass
butterfly goes right there where the hole was.”
Sharon Burrows has found the perfect environment in
which to give full rein to her imaginative creativity.
Make it a resolution to see some samples of her
handiwork, such as the glass stained art on the second
floor of Tyler & Downing’s Eatery, which by the way are
for sale, and watch for her stained glass creation which
will soon be on display on the front windows of Tyler &
Downing’s Eatery on Main Street in Anamosa.
If you want to be amazed
and astounded at her unique
designs and varied skillful
artistic abilities, give her a
call at 319-462-5881. Dress
up your surroundings with a
special glow showcasing her
creations, custom made for
you. I just have to add, there
is no way that I can present
an adequate description of
her abilities, enthusiasm and
joy of life.
Sharon has a magnificent supply of glass art and
materials in her studio, which adds to the premise that
the studio exudes Sharon’s joy in her art. A special
delight is her etching in glass display with neon lights,
another example of her unparalleled creativity. She
explains, as she shows me how she develops her
concept, “I draw out the conceptual sketch and present
it to my customer. Once it’s what the customer desires,
my window is built. Every piece of glass gets a
special touch. Then I cut the pieces of glass, usually
by hand (she holds one up to the light enabling me to
see the varying hues). Then I wrap them in copper
foil, assemble them into the design, finally soldering
it together with the frame.” As I hear soothing music
in the background, I ask her about this. Sharon says,
“I always have the relaxing soft music and patchouli
incense to add to the mood. I love what I do. It’s not
work.”
Sharon designed this
entry way of a home near
Anamosa. This is called
glass paneling.
Board Allocates 2007 Operating Margin
At the March 14, 2008 Board of Directors meeting,
board members unanimously approved allocating over
$1,468,000 of the 2007 operating margin to cooperative
members who purchased electric service from
Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative during 2007.
Payment of retired patronage dividends will be made
to you at a future time as determined by the Board of
Directors. For this reason, continue to inform us of
your address changes if you discontinue your electric
service with the cooperative at any time in the future.
We want to make sure you receive your future patronage
dividends checks.
Your share of the allocated margin called, deferred
patronage dividends or capital credit allocation, is
based on the total dollar amount of your patronage with
Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative. We calculated
your patronage from the amounts billed to you for
electric service in 2007.
Your cooperative operates as a not-for-profit
organization to provide you electric service. Revenue
collected that is not needed to cover the cost of
providing service is divided among the members and
returned as future dividend payments.
Look for a message on your May energy bill that will
identify our 2007 allocation. (This information is only a
notice for you and cannot be treated as cash or deducted
from your bill.)
If you have any questions about your patronage
dividends, please call Cleo at 319-462-3541 or
800-927-6068 or email her at crogers@mvec.com.
FIGHT BAC-Bacteria that is!
Susan Uthoff, ISU Extension Nutrition & Health Specialist
Food safety is important every day of the year and it’s especially
critical during warm weather. Keeping food safe means that
you won’t have to worry about your family or friends getting
a food borne illness. The good news is that it’s easy to FIGHT
BAC – fight bacteria at home. Wash hands and cooking surfaces
carefully. This is one of the best and easiest ways to get kids
involved in food safety. Be a role model by washing your hands
thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
Wash produce under clean, running water. Rub fruits and
vegetables briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface
microorganisms. DO NOT wash produce with detergent or
bleach solutions. Fruits and vegetables are porous and can
absorb the detergent or bleach, which is not intended for use
on foods and consuming them on fruits and vegetables have
the potential to make you sick. Keep raw meat, poultry and
seafood away from other food in your grocery shopping cart
and then once you are home, store these items on the bottom
shelf of the refrigerator. Wash any item that touches raw meats
before using it with other foods. Always cook all food to
proper temperatures. Cooking food thoroughly is necessary to
kill bacteria that can cause illness. Use a meat thermometer to
measure the internal temperatures of all meat and poultry. Cook
ground meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.
Refrigerate food promptly after cooking. Cold temperatures
keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying.
Keep refrigerator at 40 degrees and freezer at 0 degrees.
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers and other foods within 2 hours of
cooking. Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator or microwave
but never on the counter.
If you have any questions regarding food safety, call your local
county extension office or ISU Answerline at 800-262-3804.
Carefully positioned trees
can save up to 25% of a
typical household’s
energy used for heating
and cooling.
Quick Black Bean Salad
1-15 ounce can black beans, drained
1-15 ounce can corn, drained
1-16 ounce jar salsa
Tortilla chips or flour tortillas
Stir to mix first three ingredients in a
medium mixing bowl. Serve as a dip for
backed tortilla chips or roll up into a flour
tortilla.
Tips:
Try other canned beans such as garbanzo,
red or pinto.
Use 1 ½ cups frozen corn instead of
canned corn.
Keeping It Clean
For The Kids
We’re looking out for you! That’s what Cooperative’s do best. We
know you want a cleaner world for your children and
grandchildren. And we know those children will be using energy
like never before with their constant need for greater technology.
So we are responding by taking a balanced approach to meeting
both needs.
Iowa’s electric cooperatives have partnered in 12 wind farms
throughout Iowa and surrounding states. These wind farms have
the ability to produce over 296 MW of electricity. That’s enough to
power more than 52,000 homes. And there are more cooperative
partnered wind projects on the immediate horizon. In fact, Iowa
remains fourth in the nation in wind capacity and we now top
neighboring Minnesota by generating 5.5 percent of all our energy
needs with wind.
We also know that coal plants are still needed for baseload power.
Coal plants operate when the wind isn’t blowing and they operate
affordably. We have learned a lot since the coal plants were built
50 years ago. The coal plant proposed for Marshalltown will use
the best proven emissions control technology available and it will
use both coal and ag products in a high-efficiency, hybrid plant.
So how are you responding to a cleaner environment for our kids?
Are you using the most energy efficient products available? Is your
home as energy efficient as it can be? Are you buying green
power? Visit www.mvec.coop and learn how you can help us
create a cleaner environment for our kids.
Watts The
Answer?
1. The Start Smart workshop will
take place on May 10th in
___________.
2. ________ are advanced
electronic circuit breakers that
detect dangerous conditions in a
home’s wiring.
3. Iowa’s electric cooperatives
have partnered in _____ wind
farms throughout Iowa and
surrounding states.
Mail your answers in with your
energy bill or email them to
erobertson@mvec.com.
Two winners will each receive
a $10.00 credit on their energy
bills.
Name:
__________________________
Address:
__________________________
__________________________
March winners:
Rosemary Kremer, LaMotte
John Secrist, Monticello
Maquoketa Valley
Electric Cooperative
will be closed
Monday, May 26th for
Memorial Day