"The Way We Worked" exhibit showing at Roseau County Museum
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
VOLTS VIEWS
“The Way We Worked” exhibit
& JANUARY 2021
showing at Roseau County Museum
The Roseau County Museum
will be open starting Tuesday,
Jan. 19. Regular hours are 9:30
a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday. All visitors are asked to light the who, what, where, why Whole communities may become
follow COVID-19 procedures and how of Americans at work. known by the work that happens
and regulations to keep It explores the places Americans there, like Idaho’s Silver Valley with
everyone safe. worked, from farms to factories its strong mining heritage.
and mines to restaurants, as well as The Roseau County Historical
R
oseau County Museum is fea- in homes. It examines not only the Society & Museum is pleased to be
turing “The Way We Worked,” effects of technology and automa- able to bring “The Way We Worked”
a traveling exhibition from the tion, but also how workers striving to our area. The staff has also incor-
Smithsonian’s Museum on Main for better working conditions, wages porated several new exhibits show-
Street (MoMS) program. The exhibit and hours, and an end to racial and ing how Roseau County worked
will be on display in Roseau Jan. 19 gender discrimination, changed through the years to build the land,
through March 13, 2021. America’s work history. homes, schools, industries and more.
Work and the workplace have The exhibition illustrates how Admission to the museum is
gone through enormous changes America’s workforce is as diverse free. The museum will have special
between the mid-19th century, when as the nation itself. Dreams of new Saturday hours while the exhibit is
60% of Americans made their living jobs and opportunities led millions on display, starting Feb. 6, from
as farmers, and the early 21st centu- to America’s shores. “The Way We 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ry. “The Way We Worked” celebrates Worked” provides some answers For more information, visit the
the history of work in America. It to why people work – from simply Roseau County Museum website
tells the stories of how hardworking paying the bills to pursuing a calling, at roseaucohistoricalsociety.org,
Americans of every ethnicity, class, serving the country and giving back Facebook at https://www.facebook.
gender and age power the nation. to the community. It explores what com/roseaucomuseum/, or call
“The Way We Worked” brings to work tells people about each other. 218-463-1918.
VOLTS VIEWS &
JANUARY 2021 – Vol. 66, No. 1 Admitting you’re wrong
Official Publication of
Roseau Electric Cooperative, Inc. Tracey Stoll, General Manager
1107 3rd Street N.E.
The Volts & Views (USPS-663420) is pub-
lished monthly by Roseau Electric Coopera-
tive, Inc., P.O. Box 100, Roseau, MN 56751.
Y
Periodicals postage paid at Roseau, MN.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to our board of directors met in late it last month, BUT, with the De-
ROSEAU ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC., December and approved the 2021 cember we had, I’m going to have a
P.O. Box 100, Roseau, MN 56751.
operating budget at $18.5 million harder time convincing the board.
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS – one-third of one percent higher My parents taught me early
Chairman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Sax than our 2020 operating budget of
Vice Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Hallan
in life to not be afraid of admit-
Secretary-Treasurer . . . . . . . . . .Wes McFarlane $18.4 million. This budget reflects ting you’re wrong. I’ve had teachers
Directors . .Roger Amundson, Brian Grafstrom some of the upward pressures we’ll throughout life, in school and out,
Shawn Gust, Dale Moser,
Mike Wahl, Ed Walsh feel on the wholesale rate structure who’ve said, “If you’re never wrong,
Tracey Stoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .General Manager beginning in April. At our next you’re not trying hard enough.”
Ryan Severson . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Manager
Mike Millner. . . . . . . . . . . . .Line Superintendent
board meeting scheduled for Jan. 27, Some wrongs are small miscalcula-
Jeremy Lindemann . . . . . . . . . . .Member Services we will look back on 2020 full-year tions, while others skew to the pre-
Alex McMillin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Office Manager results, while focusing on any retail meditated, emotionally driven, “I’m
Regular Business Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone (218) 463-1543
rate structure changes needed for right, you’re wrong,” line-in-the-
OUTAGE CALLS: 2021. sand attitudes we continue to see in
Toll-Free 1-888-847-8840 December energy sales were not our personally offended, pandemic-
as strong as I had hoped. Your co- panicked, political culture.
MINNESOTA STATE ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS operative counts on a good January, Wherever you fall on the recent
7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. (Mon. thru Fri.) February and December to gener- civics lesson we’ve been watching
Northwest Angle, Kittson, Marshall, ate over 30% of the year’s revenue. play out in front of us, remember
Pennington and Roseau Counties Decreased usage due to warmer that your friends, neighbors, kids
and parts of Beltrami County:
Ronald Ditsch – 218-779-6758 weather, paired with decreased usage and grandkids are watching. Never
Lake of the Woods County:
due to better efficiency of heating be afraid to admit you’re wrong.
Curt Collier – 218-966-5070 systems, resulted in a new 20-year- There are few things so defusing and
Inspector list is subject to change at any time. record low of 35.5 million annual peacemaking is taking that path, and
The State of Minnesota has high wiring standards, which are in the off-peak kWh sold. Our previous it really costs you nothing in the end.
best interest of you and your family or business. Improper wiring
can damage your home, your property and equipment, and injure or low was 37.2 million annual off-peak
kill the people you love. Currently, the state does allow homeowners
to do their own residential wiring; however, it is critical that the kWh sold in 2016.
current electrical code is followed. Any time you or an electrician
does wiring or other electrical work at your home or farm,
We continue to believe we are
Minnesota state law requires a state wiring inspector to conduct a
proper inspection of the work. A rough-in inspection must be made
offering a good – and necessary –
before any wiring is covered. A final inspection is also required. For
more information visit dli.mn.gov and go to the electrical page.
product at a reasonable price, and
we back that up with appropriate
rebates for upgrading your existing
Gopher State One Call heating system. Call and talk to Lori
1-800-252-1166 or 811 or see our website for more informa-
www.gopherstateonecall.org
tion on what qualifies for rebates.
Grant Application
Anyone who plans to dig is required by law to
notify the state of their intentions at least 48 Finally, I’ll submit that it takes Deadline Feb. 28, 2021
hours in advance. All digging requires the 48-
a little fortitude, especially these
hour notification so that buried telephone line, To be considered
television cable, pipelines, utility electrical lines, days, to commit thoughts to paper.
municipal water and sewer lines can be located to As I write this month’s column, I’m at the March 2021 meeting,
ensure that none will be severed or damaged.
reminded how easy it is to be sure of grant applications must be received
Our Mission Statement something one day, and not so con- by Feb. 28, 2021.
Roseau Electric Cooperative is committed fident just days later. Case in point
to providing its member-owners low-cost,
– my confidence in last month’s Grant applications are available
high-quality, safe and reliable electricity with
friendly, efficient and knowledgeable service. article on holding the line on 2021 at the REC office or by visiting our website
This institution is an equal opportunity retail rates is just as (okay, almost as) at www.roseauelectric.com.
provider and employer.
strong today as when I wrote about
2 Volts & Views • January 2021
2021 director elections So, you want
PETITION DEADLINE MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2021
to be a director
Roseau Electric Cooperative, Inc., is Petition deadline Objectives:
organized as a cooperative and is owned The cooperative must receive the ▶ To establish relationships
by its members. The membership elects completed petition no later than the between the board, the
a board of directors to represent them in close of business at 4:30 p.m. on membership and the manager
the operation of the cooperative. Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. ▶ Define principles and practices
Four directors will be elected at the ▶ Delegate authority
2021 Annual Meeting scheduled for Petition for Nomination ▶ Analyze operations
April 10 at the Roseau School Theater in The following members wish to nominate [insert name] _____________________________________________ ,
Meeting attendance requirements:
for the three-year term in Districts 1, 3, 6 or 9 [insert “District 1, 3, 6 or 9”] _________ director position, and to place
Roseau. The directors whose terms ex- such name on the ballot for the April 10, 2021, election at the annual meeting of the Cooperative, in accordance with
Article III, Section 5, of the bylaws.
pire in 2021 are: James Hallan, District ▶ Monthly board meetings:
PRINTED NAME SIGNATURE CUSTOMER NO.
1. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
1 (3-year term); Dale Moser, District 3
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
______________________
______________________ Board meetings are held 12
times per year, usually the fourth
(to fulfill remaining two years of a 3-year
E
4. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
5. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
term); Ed Walsh, District 6 (3-year
term); and Mark Sax, District 9 (3-year
6. ____________________________
7. ____________________________
8. ____________________________
9. ____________________________ L
____________________________________
P
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
Wednesday of the month, 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
AM
term). ▶ Other meetings:
10. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
11. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
Roseau Electric annual meeting;
12. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
Nomination by petition
S
13. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
14. ____________________________
15. ____________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
______________________
______________________ Minnkota annual meeting; MREA
No nominating committee will be 16. ____________________________
17. ____________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
______________________
______________________ district meetings; other meetings
used. All nominations will be done by 18. ____________________________
19. ____________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
______________________
______________________
to learn policies and procedures
petition, including the incumbents. 20. ____________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________
of the electric industry. Expect
Any 10 or more members who re-
The Cooperative must receive the completed petition no later than the close of business Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. At
the annual meeting scheduled for April 10, 2021, elections will be held for Districts 1, 3, 6 and 9.
The directors whose terms expire in 2021 are as follows:
five to 12 extra days per year.
side in Districts 1, 3, 6 or 9 may nomi- DISTRICT 1
3-year term
James Hallan
DISTRICT 3
2 years of a 3-year term
Dale Moser
DISTRICT 6
3-year term
Ed Walsh
DISTRICT 9
3-year term
Mark Sax
nate an eligible member for a director Any 10 or more members who reside in Districts 1, 3, 6 or 9 may nominate an eligible member for a director position
Duties and Responsibilities
in that district. No member may be elected to a director position unless nominated in this manner. In the event of joint
position in that district. No member
membership, only the signature of one joint member shall be acceptable.
may be elected to a director position • Report to the membership.
unless nominated in this manner. No • Hire and delegate authority to the manager.
923
write-in ballots shall be accepted. 924 • Maintain legal entity and practices.
• Review and update bylaws.
Petition forms are available 922 921
• Require a continuous member and public
Director candidates must pick up a relations program.
904 903 902 901
4
petition and a director packet at Roseau • Keep informed and grow in skills of the
Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Roseau. 905 906
program.
907 908
The packet contains additional forms • See that members are informed of
that must be signed and turned in before 912 911
operations.
910 909
the deadline. • See that accurate minutes are prepared and
maintained.
• Consider and adopt plans for objectives and
Lake of the Woods
goals.
500 400 300 200 100 800 • Review and update policies.
4
8
7 6 5 1
Blooming 4 3 2 0 • Examine and approve annual budget and
21
Valley Pohlitz Spruce
Dieter Lake Lake
cash flow.
Valley Norland Warroad
9 10 11 12
7
13Roseau 14
6
June
Berry Soler Moose
Ross
Jadis
15 16 17 • Review and approve a sound financial plan.
Spruce
26
Enstrom Cedarbend Moranville
• Establish policies and programs for good
25 24
Badger
23 22 21 employee relationships.
5
Polonia Barto Skagen Stokes
20 19 18
Stafford Malung
• Assist in planning meetings.
3
Falun America Clear River
Greenbush
27 28 29 30 31 32
Dewey Hereim Barnett Nereson Grimstad
33 34 35 • Establish special or standing committees.
Mickinock
• Review responsibilities of board and man-
Beaver
44 43
42 41 40
Lind
Deer 39 38 37 36 ager.
8
Strathcona Huss Poplar Grove Palmville Golden
• Approve the selection of consultants and
Valley Reine Elkwood
45 46 47 48 49 50 51 attorney.
East Park Huntley Como Thief Lake Moose River
52 53
Linsell
• Establish measures and controls to deter-
Big Grass
60 59 58 57 56 55 mine effectiveness of management.
9
Cedar Whitford Rollis Veldt
54
Northwood
• Authorize and review annual financial audit.
Roseau Electric Cooperative 61 62 63 64 65 • Implementation and enforcement of this
Director Districts
Eckvoll ValleyGrygla Benville Spruce Grove Minnie
position description is the responsibility of
70 69
Moylan Espelie
68 67 66 the board of directors.
Lee Hamre Steenerson
71 72 73 74
January 2021 • Volts & Views 3
Syncing the sound
Minnkota, your cooperative’s wholesale
power supplier, works to enhance and improve
demand response system
T
here are soundwaves hidden beneath ferent distances, that is exactly what we’re
the gentle hum of Minnkota’s power doing.”
delivery system that engineers and Ripple injectors send tens of thou-
technicians work tirelessly to perfect. sands of electronic signals throughout the
They turn dials, tweak settings and moni- entire transmission system and into the
tor signals pulsing through the coopera- distribution system. Receivers plugged
tive’s ripple injectors in hopes of finding a into standard electrical current at homes
perfect harmony. and businesses can read the signals, and
There was a lot of buzz in 2020 when the appropriate message is sent,
around Minnkota’s ripple injection system the receivers interrupt the electric power
– the unique set of equipment that drives flowing to an electric heating system,
the cooperative’s demand response pro- water heater or other controllable load.
gram. Two ripple injectors were replaced When control is no longer needed, a
with new equipment, custom communi- signal is sent to turn the electric system
cation technologies were deployed and a back on.
full-system sync was performed for the All injectors need to work together the injectors together is like coordinating
first time in nearly 50 years of operation. and fire at approximately the same time to an orchestra and making sure that your
This work will inform one of the most ensure the signal reaches across the entire violins, drums and other instruments are
thorough review and modeling efforts on 35,000-square-mile system served by all playing at the same time.”
all 17 ripple injectors in the Minnkota Minnkota and the membership. The pro-
system. cess of tuning and syncing the injectors is Two-way communication
“This is our first time really looking a combination of art and science. Minnkota became a pioneer of de-
at the entire system, not just making fixes “Tuning an injector is like tightening mand response in the early 1970s when
at one or two sites,” said Kasey Borboa, the strings of a musical instrument to the ripple injection system was built.
electrical engineering supervisor. “If you make sure it vibrates at a certain fre- Since then, the program has become one
can imagine throwing 17 soundwaves all quency,” said Nick Gellerman, Minnkota’s of the most successful and unique in the
together and trying to line them up at dif- lead engineer on the project. “Syncing all country with more than 55,000 consum-
ers participating. By reducing the demand
for electricity during peak usage times,
Minnkota is able to avoid purchasing
costly excess power from the wholesale
market, which saves money for the mem-
bership.
While many utilities use radio or Wi-
Fi to send their demand response signals,
Minnkota has committed to the ripple
injection system because the infrastruc-
ture is in place and it has proven to be
highly reliable through harsh winters and
sweltering summers. Historically, the
challenge has been that the system was
only designed to provide one-way com-
munication.
Borboa said that countless vendors
were asked to develop a device that would
provide additional data and two-way
(Left to right) Joe Hensel, Patrick Rickenbacher, Nick Gellerman, Jared Thompson and Jason Bjerke work together to tune the new communication. There were few takers,
ripple injection system at the Wilton substation from the adjacent control house. and those who were interested required
4 Volts & Views • January 2021
Surrounded by the northern Minnesota woods, Jason Bjerke, Minnkota senior technical maintenance technician, adjusts ripple injection equipment at the Wilton substation.
a substantial research and development over the next few years, plans are to have Rickenbacher said the uniqueness of
investment from Minnkota with no guar- the devices at nearly all 255 substations. Minnkota’s system provides a learning
antees of success. Instead, Borboa decided Having consistent data from the field experience for him as well.
to ask Gellerman if he could design a will help ensure the system is performing “I’m impressed with the size of this
solution. reliably. system,” Rickenbacher said. “In Europe,
Although there was no instruction “The ripple monitors help us tremen- you have a city that has its own ripple con-
manual or template to follow, Geller- dously,” said Jason Bjerke, senior technical trol system. The radius is about 10 miles
man delivered the ripple monitor device, maintenance technician, who has worked at most. This system is much different and
which is fondly referred to as the “Geller- on building and installing the devices. the injection level is much higher, but that
meter” in some circles at the cooperative. “Now we know what is happening across makes it more interesting to work on.”
The equipment measures the system’s sig- the system. If the co-ops are seeing issues, – Reprinted from Minnkota Messenger
nal strength and communicates that data we can call that ripple monitor and find
back to the cooperative’s control center. out what’s going on.”
Information gathered from the ripple
monitors is being used to develop a Legacy system
demand response system model that will Over the last five years, Minnkota
help identify signal issues and determine has replaced 10 of the 17 injectors with
the potential effects of a transmission line new equipment, including the West Fargo
failure or ripple injector malfunction. It 69-kV injector and the Wilton (Minn.)
will also determine if ripple injectors need 115-kV injector in 2020. Plans are to have
to be moved to different substations or if all injectors replaced by the end of 2024.
new equipment should be purchased. With little access to vendors or
“Now we know what the signal is experts in the United States, Minnkota
doing at the end of the line and what the purchased the injectors from a Swiss
consumers are likely seeing,” Borboa said. company and works with Solutec’s Patrick
“We have a much better sense of how dif- Rickenbacher. Even in a pandemic, Rick-
ferent outages effect certain signal levels enbacher’s critical infrastructure worker
and when system changes are occurring.” designation allowed him to travel from
“It’s been a pretty fun project,” Geller- Switzerland to the United States and, after
man said. “It’s unlike any of the other following proper quarantine and self-
projects we do around here.” monitoring requirements, help with the Gellerman (left) and Kasey Borboa inspect the inner workings
Minnkota technicians have installed new injector installation at Wilton substa- of the ripple monitor device that Minnkota custom developed
ripple monitors at 50 substation sites and, tion this fall. and builds in-house.
January 2021 • Volts & Views 5
Winter storm preparation
Snow and ice are inevitable when dealing with winter storms, but being prepared can make a world of difference.
Winterize your home Prepare a winter survival kit
Winter storms wreak havoc on your home. By winteriz- Severe winter storms often bring heavy accumulation
ing your living space, you’ll be prepared for extreme cold and of ice and snow, which can lead to downed power lines and
hazardous conditions. extended outages. Roseau Electric Cooperative crews will work
• Remember to maintain and inspect heating equipment and hard to restore power, but having a winter survival kit on hand
chimneys every year to ensure they’re working safely and is a smart idea.
properly. • Food: Store food that does not require cooking, such as
• Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows to make the canned goods, crackers, dehydrated meats and dried
most of your heating system. fruit. Keep a large supply of water on hand. Ready.gov
• Freezing temperatures often cause water pipes to burst. Re- recommends five gallons per person.
member to insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and • Medication: Be sure to refill all prescriptions in the event of a
plastic. Allow faucets to drip during extreme cold to avoid major power outage.
frozen pipes.
• Identification: Keep all forms of identification handy, such as
• Consider installing storm windows for better insulation. You driver’s licenses, photo IDs and social security cards. Bank
can also cover windows with plastic (from the inside) to keep account information and insurance policies are also good to
the cold out. have on hand.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows where the home’s
• Other items: First-aid kit, blankets, flashlight, battery-
fire extinguisher is located and how to use it properly. House
powered radio and extra batteries.
fires occur more frequently during winter months, as people
tend to use alternative heating methods that may not be safe.
6 Volts & Views • January 2021
Problems paying your electric bill? member
Energy assistance may be available!
connect on
Northwest Community Action ENERGY TIP
PO Box 67 Do away with drafts. If you’re not
Badger, MN 56714-0067 careful, the winter chill can seep
in under doors, around windows
(218) 528-3258 or 800-568-5329 and even through electrical outlets.
northwestcap.org Drafts not only make it harder to
properly warm your home, they
If you are receiving a low income or suffering Bi-County Cap, Inc. also can eat away at your heating
from a temporary financial shortfall, the 6603 Bemidji Ave. N budget; install weatherstripping
following agencies may be able to assist you and proper insulation to help keep
Bemidji, MN 56601-8669 the cold at bay.
with your electric bill. We urge you to contact (218) 751-4631
them immediately to avoid disconnection if SAFETY TIP
you feel you are eligible for aid. Keep all electrical and extension
cords out of reach of children and
pets.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
RIDE WITH
“Character is what we do
when we think no one is
looking.”
CAUTION
– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
BEWARE OF DATES TO REMEMBER
Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King Jr.
GUY WIRES Day
Watch for guy wires – the cables that Jan. 21 – Electric bill is due
anchor power poles. Electrical transformer LOOKING AHEAD:
boxes can also be hidden by snow. Driving Annual Meeting
at a safe speed will help you identify and Saturday, April 10, 2021
avoid them before it’s too late. If you see Districts 1, 3, 6 & 9 are up for director elections:
damaged electrical equipment, stay away James Hallan, Dale Moser, Ed Walsh and Mark Sax.
and call us immediately.
OFFICE HOURS
OPERATING STATISTICS Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Phone 218-463-1543
Monthly Yearly AFTER HOURS/OUTAGE NUMBER
Toll-free 1-888-847-8840
Nov. 2019 Nov. 2020 Nov. 2019 Nov. 2020 (main outage call center)
Members 6,541 6,563 6,541 6,563 CALL BEFORE YOU DIG
1-800-252-1166 or 811
kWh purchased 16,294,401 14,292,535 143,617,750 140,613,899
% change -12.29% -2.09% PAY BY PHONE – 1-877-999-3412
Revenue 1,880,021 1,672,286 17,453,559 17,259,857 SMARTHUB
https://roseauelectric.smarthub.coop/
Cost of power 1,113,269 1,005,568 10,604,469 10,340,254
Other expenses 472,852 611,709 6,052,370 5,602,789 WEBSITE
www.roseauelectric.com
Operating margins 293,900 55,009 796,720 1,316,814
Nonoperating margins 14,736 (3,714 ) 66,243 135,391
Patronage dividends - - 223,431 25,260 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
Total margins 308,636 51,295 1,086,394 1,477,465 TO STAY UP TO DATE!
January 2021 • Volts & Views 7
May the New Year
bring peace,
health and happiness
to you and your family.
A fresh, light snow was falling as this picture was taken last month at the Diedrich and Tera Heppner
residence. Their granary and vintage truck are decorated throughout the year as the seasons
change. Their fall décor includes seasonal harvest items making for wonderful photo opportunities.
The Christmas lights are a beautiful display, just on the outskirts of east Roseau along State Hwy 11.
You can also read
