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Benton REA
M AY 2016
Students and administrators at
Paterson Elementary are making
strides in science, technology,
engineering and math using new,
efficient gymnasium lighting.
PHOTO BY RON MITCHELL
Paterson Upgrades Enhance STEM PAGE 4 Tree Line USA Award PAGE 25
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Ms. Wheeler’s sixth grade students work together to dissect an elk leg, which was provided by Mike Stearns, retired maintenance and busing supervisor and
father of Benton REA senior staking engineer, Scott Sterns. Photo by John Seaton.
PATERSON SCHOOL:
QUALITY PROGRAMS ENHANCED WITH EFFICIENT LIGHTING
New lighting at Paterson school may have been more a matter
of efficiency and ease than a teaching enrichment, but looking
back, administrators realize what a valuable lesson it can be.
When Paterson School
District Superintendent John
Seaton was asked, If at all,
how has the new lighting
benefitted the STEM program
here at Paterson?, he chuckled
and said, “It definitely wasn’t
purposefully put in place for
a STEM discussion, but it’s
nice that the lights are a lot
brighter and come on quicker
than before.”
concisely implemented the
STEM program two years ago
to allow students to have a
more open range of project
topics. Seaton explained, “We
wanted to broaden the focus.
So often you have parents giving their kids ideas of projects
that they know as ‘science
projects’ and we wanted it to
be more open than the traditional science fair.”
STEM is an acronym
that stands for Science,
Technology, Engineering
and Math. Paterson school
“We suggested to many
kids to even take a complex
math problem and solve it
as their project. Only one
4
[student]took us up on that
offer.” Vice Principal, Monica
Burnett added.
Job availability is changing. Rather than becoming a
doctor or lawyer as the traditional job path has been; millennials are being pushed into
the STEM field, as the jobs
are continually increasing.
According to the United
States Department of
Commerce, jobs in the STEM
field grew 5.3 percent more
than non-STEM jobs from
By Taylor Beightol
2000 to 2010. This same
report predicts that by 2018,
that percentage difference will
increase by 1.9 percent.
Paterson’s middle school
science teacher and STEM
fair coordinator, Jessica
Wheeler, knows these statistics and has sought to challenge her students in her first
year with the district. Seaton
commented, “The way that
[Wheeler] conducts class is
intentionally hands on rather
than text-based.”
M AY 2 0 1 6 Benton REA
Benton REA
In the spirit of STEM,
Paterson dedicated an entire
school week to their agriculture-themed STEM fair.
They started the week with a
kick-off assembly. One of the
highlights of the week was a
visit from a former student–
now a specialist in agricultural irrigation–who spoke to
students about his work.
The students were able to
end their week by presenting their projects to judges
and creating contraptions to
protect an egg from cracking
when dropped. “That was the
engineering part of the week.”
Burnett said.
This STEM fair was held in
the Paterson gym, which was
just recently renovated in the
way of lighting.
Before switching over
to the new Light Emitting
Diodes (LED), the school
was using High-Intensity
Discharge lamps (HID). Ron
Mitchell, electrical advisor
at Benton REA, explained,
“LEDs cause our eyes to perceive more light from a lower
wattage. They also render the
color better, allowing us to
see three-dimensions more
easily.”
The original HID lighting was causing more issues
for Paterson than they were
worth. Superintendent Seaton
explained, “The lights were
going out on a routine basisto the point where we could
budget some of the lights that
were going to need replaced
during the year.” Other than
cost-efficiency, this wouldn’t
have been a huge problem,
except these lights were on
the 26-foot ceiling of the
www.BentonREA.org
Paterson gym.
Along with ease of not
having to replace the lights
as often, the new lights
save Paterson a total of
28,000-kilowatt hours of energy per year. The lights inside
of the gym decreased by 185
watts just by switching over to
LED, and the outdoor lighting
decreased by 265 watts.
Ron Mitchell explained
Benton REA’s role in the project. “We do the calculating
to see how much energy the
proposed lighting will save
the member, and we do a preinspection. Then, after the
electrical company puts the
lighting in, we come in and
verify that the new lighting
matches up with the proposed
lighting.”
Seventh grader Kate Munn, with some help from her mother, Emily
Munn, fixes her water-pressured pivot. Kate Munn took all viewers of her
presentation outside to see her project in action. Photo by Taylor Beightol.
“The beauty of the co-op is
that our members aren’t just
business partners.” Mitchell
stated at the end of our interview. His relationship with
the Paterson School District
has grown through both this
project, and previous STEM
events, and he looks forward
to coordinating more projects
in the future.
The Paterson administrators commented that in retrospect, the lighting was a great
example of cross benefit analysis, which two students had
done their STEM fair project
on the year before. “You don’t
hear of many sixth graders
explaining cross benefit analysis, but that’s what this fair
does for our students.” Seaton
praised the science program.
New and energy efficient LED lighting brightens the Paterson elementary
gymnasium where many activities are held throughout the school year,
including the STEM fair. Photo by Ron Mitchell.
Paterson school is working
to prepare their students for
the futures in front of them,
and the new lighting may
have just helped that path
become a little bit brighter. ■
M AY 2 0 1 6 5
Benton REA
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M AY 2 0 1 6 Benton REA
Benton REA
Benton REA Receives Fourth Consecutive
Tree Line USA Award
The Arbor Day Foundation has
named Benton REA a Tree Line USA
utility for the fourth year in a row.
“Tree Line USA is a national program recognizing public and private
utilities for practices that protect and
enhance America’s urban forests. A collaboration of the Foundation and the
National Association of State Foresters,
Tree Line USA promotes the dual goals
of delivering safe and reliable electricity
while maintaining healthy community
trees,” stated Dan Lambe, president of
the Arbor Day Foundation, in a letter to
Benton REA on March 25, 2016.
Tree trimming is an important piece
of Benton REA’s reliability plan. Trees
bring great value to communities, but if
not cared for, can cause power outages.
Trimming and maintaining trees on a
regular basis not only prevents power
www.BentonREA.org
outages, but preserves electric equipment, thus saving the cooperative time
and money repairing potential tree-related damage.
With proper tree care, Benton REA
is able to improve right-of-ways and
increase reliability of electrical service to
its members.
Brian Cramer is employed by Benton
PUD and is also contracted as a utility
tree coordinator for the City of Richland,
Franklin PUD and, Benton REA.
“Sharing Brian allows Benton REA to
keep the cost down for our members,”
says Jeff Ekrut, operations manager.
Brian’s role is to oversee vegetation
management operations. He also makes
sure Benton REA follows the standards required to receive the Arbor Day
Foundation’s Tree Line USA award.
Benton REA achieved the award by
meeting five program standards in 2015.
Utilities must follow industry standards
for quality tree care, provide annual
worker training, sponsor a tree-planting
and public education program, maintain
a tree-based energy conservation program, and participate in an Arbor Day
celebration. To learn more about the
award requirements, visit www.arborday.
org/TreeLineUSA.
If you have questions about the trees
on your property, please contact Brian
Cramer at 509-585-5399 or cramerb@
bentonpud.org. ■
M AY 2 0 1 6 25
Benton REA
Make the
Most of
Ceiling Fans
By turning on the fan, you can turn up
the savings!
If you are like most Americans, you
have at least one ceiling fan in your
home. Ceiling fans help our indoor life
feel more comfortable. They are a decorative addition to our homes and, if used
properly, can help lower energy costs.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF
YOUR CEILING FANS:
1. FLIP THE SWITCH
Most ceiling fans have a switch near
the blades. In warm months, flip the
switch so the blades blow air downward.
There is a genuine cooling effect when
moving air comes into contact with even
the smallest amount of perspiration.
In winter, move the switch so the fan
blades create a gentle updraft. This action
pushes the air towards the ceiling, then
moves warmer air down the walls and
across the floor toward those occupying
the room.
2. SPEEDS MATTERS
Velocity is an important factor. Air
moving faster will feel better in the
warmer months as it aids with evaporation. During the colder months, turn
the speed down to gently circulate air
throughout the room.
3. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT
In the summer, when using a fan in
conjunction with an air conditioner, or
instead of it, you can turn your thermostat up three to five degrees without any
reduction in comfort. This saves money
since a fan is less costly to run than an
air conditioner.
In the winter, lower your thermostat’s
set point by the same amount. Ceiling
fans push the warm air from the ceiling back down toward the living space,
which means the furnace won’t turn on
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M AY 2 0 1 6 as frequently. This is especially true in
older homes where air temperature does
not remain consistent throughout the
home--this is called stratifying.
4. CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIZE
Make sure your ceiling fan is the right
size for the room. A fan that is 36-44
inches in diameter will cool rooms up to
225 square feet. A fan that is 52 inches
or more should be used to cool a larger
space.
5. TURN IT OFF
When the room is unoccupied, turn
the fan off. Fans are intended to cool
people - not rooms. ■
Benton REA
Electrical Safety Tips for Kids
At Benton REA, we understand your
child’s health and well-being are your top
priority. With more than 140,000 electrical fires occurring each year, knowledge
of electrical safety is necessary to ensuring your loved ones stay safe. Here are
a few tips you can share with your little
ones:
Electrical fires are caused when a wire
or electrical device overheats. It is important to make sure your children understand that water cannot extinguish this
type of fire. Only fire extinguishers can
be used to remedy this situation.
In addition to the previous tip, it is
never a good idea to mix water with
electricity. Keep blow dryers, radios and
any other electrical devices away from
all water, especially those used in a bathroom.
Keep metal objects out of appliances
and plugs. If a piece of toast gets stuck
in the toaster, never use a metal knife to
retrieve it. Unplug the toaster, and use
a different tool or utensil to remove the
HAPPY
MEMORIAL DAY!
Benton REA offices will be
closed Monday, May 30
www.BentonREA.org
toast. Remember, only plugs should go in
outlets. Sticking fingers or other objects
in outlets may result in an electrical
shock.
It’s always a good idea to turn lights off
when they are not in use. This will save
your family money on your electric bill
and prevent electrical fires from overheated bulbs.
Kids will be kids, and they love the
great outdoors. Remind them to avoid
overhead power lines. Whether they are
climbing trees or flying kites or remotecontrolled toys, they should always be
mindful of what is above.
Talk to your children about the
importance of electrical safety, and more
importantly, lead by example – because
you never know who’s watching. For
more information about electrical safety,
visit www.BentonREA.org/safety. ■
Kaley Lockwood writes on consumer
and cooperative affairs for the National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the
Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the
nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, notfor-profit electric cooperatives.
Don’t
Toy
With Safety!
When your kids are playing outdoors,
make certain they keep a safe distance
from power lines, substations and other
equipment your electric co-op uses to
send electricity to your home.
Flying remote controlled toys are a
great way to have fun, but accidentally
making contact with a power line or
other electrical equipment can be dangerous and in some cases, even deadly.
Never fly kites, or remote controlled
toys near power lines!
Stay away from power lines, meters,
transformers and electrical boxes!
Never climb trees near power lines!
If you get something stuck in a power
line, call your electric co-op!
Never touch or go near a downed
power line! ■
M AY 2 0 1 6 29
WA-7
Benton REA
Manager’s Message
The Board meets the last Wednesday
of each month at 6:00 p.m.
Trustees:
President................................ Michael Freepons
Vice-president................. ................ Virgil Boyle
Secretary/Treasurer............................ Mark Platt
Trustee, District #1.................. Buddy Treadway
Trustee, District #3 ............................ Bob Evans
Trustee, District #5.............................Tim Grow
Trustee, District #6 .......................... Kyle Shinn
Trustee, District #7........................Connie Krull
Trustee, District #8 ............... Catherine Russell
Staff:
Interim General Manager..........Mike Bradshaw
Engineering Manager.....................Derek Miller
Special Services Manager..........Mike Bradshaw
Manager of Finance & Admin..........John Porter
Operations Manager...........................Jeff Ekrut
I.T. Manager...................................Jeff Bastow
Member Services Manager..........Troy Berglund
Attorney......................................Terry Mundorf
Consulting Engineer...................................HDR
Auditor............Blodgett, Mickelsen & Adamson
Main Office
402 7th Street
P.O. Box 1150
Prosser, WA 99350
www.BentonREA.org
Phone: (509) 786-2913
Toll Free: (800) 221-6987
Fax: (509) 786-0291
Toppenish Office
410 South G Street
P.O. Box 744
Toppenish, WA 98948
Phone: (509) 865-2600
West Richland Office
6095 W. Van Giesen
West Richland, WA 99353
Phone: (509) 967-2921
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M AY 2 0 1 6 Dear Members,
It’s May – and Benton REA is celebrating National Electrical Safety Month. While
safety for our members is a top priority year-round, Electrical Safety Month is a time
to acknowledge the importance of safety excellence.
Electricity is essential to our way of life, but it must be respected. Electricity is
the cause of over 140,000 fires in the United States each year, resulting in more than
500 deaths, 4,000 injuries and 1.6 billion in property damage, according to Electrical
Safety Foundation International.
7,200 volts of electricity flow at the speed of light along power lines in your neighborhood. You cannot hear, see or smell electricity, you can only feel it, and then it’s
too late. Being aware of the location of power lines is the first step to adopting an attitude of safety excellence for you and your family.
Benton REA works hard to educate the public about electrical safety. Recently we
attended the Farm Fair at the Benton Franklin County Fairgrounds where more than
1,300 students learned to stay away from power lines and electrical equipment.
If your community group or classroom would like to see a free, live electrical
safety demonstration, please contact Benton REA’s member services department at
509-786-8265.
We say this a lot, but always remember to call 811 before you dig. It’s free and it’s
the law in Washington State. Digging around buried power lines can, at minimum,
cause a power outage to your home or neighborhood. If an electric power line is accidently cut there is a very real risk that you or others could experience serious injury
or loss of life from exposed electrical power lines or equipment. Please also stay away
from any overhead electrical power lines that are down, and report the problem to
Benton REA right away.
Electrical safety awareness and education can save lives. Please remember to look
up and live, and always call before you dig!
Sincerely,
Michael J. Bradshaw, Interim General Manager
mikeb@bentonrea.org