Roulet Report

March 15, 2013

Unplugged

How many of you are aware that WFEC joined the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperative (OAEC) safety program this year? Joining this program is certainly not a criticism of our current safety programs as WFEC has and continues to do a good job in providing a safe work environment for all employees. WFEC has a number of training programs in place in all areas of the company to educate and train employees in many aspects of our work environment.

Each employee at WFEC always needs to pay attention and be aware of what they are doing at all times. Our hope is, joining the OAEC program will enhance our own internal that program and make it even better. I know there are many aspects of power plant and T&D work that is unique to a utility environment, and our own staff will continue to concentrate in those areas. There are, however, many things common to daily cooperative program safety that are

not unique and OAEC staff can help with those.

While we talk about many things important to WFEC’s future, “safety” has to be a first in things we consider. All other performance, such as financial and other goals, are easier to attain if we begin with a safe work environment.

Restoring service, fixing power plants, and keeping WFEC moving forward are important, but they really mean very little in comparison to working safely and sending everyone home to their families every day.

Brown Bag Lunch Schedule - Lunch will be Provided at all Locations

Thursday, March 21 – 11:30 a.m. Anadarko Plant Break Room

Monday, March 25 –11:30 a.m. T&D Building

Wednesday, March 27 – 11:30 a.m. Mooreland Plant Break Room

RESCHEDULED: Thursday April 4 – 11:30 a.m. Hugo Break Room

RESCHEDULED: Thursday, April 18 – 11:30 a.m. Anadarko HQ Employee Meeting Rooms

Physical

Replace your soda, juice, or coffee with a glass of

water, and you've taken one small but important step

toward well-being. Lean muscle burns 10 – 15 times

more calories per pound than fat.

Behavioral

Before you can stop procrastinating, you need

to figure out why you’re doing it. Most people

procrastinate for one of three reasons: perfectionism,

emotional avoidance, or fear. Putting off that big

project? Do something small toward your goal each

day. Schedule just 20 minutes on a project.

Emotional

Set aside some quiet time to write your thoughts about

your goals, values, or concerns. If something negative

comes to mind, flip the page, write it there, and clear it

from your head. Once you’re done, take time to read

over your positive thoughts.

Make a regular habit of mind/body practices such as

yoga, tai chi, and meditation to reduce your emotional

reactivity and stress levels.

Wellness Tips

If your garage doubles as a catch-all room for junk you haven’t gotten around to getting rid of, your house has its own den of hazards waiting to happen.

If you want your garage to be safe for your family to park cars, retrieve sports equipment or even root around for lost stuff, clean it up.

Here are eight ways to make your garage safer: 1. Keep power tools, extension cords and adapters unplugged and stored out of the reach of children.

2. Ventilate your garage with fans or ceiling vents.

3. Keep raccoons, chipmunks, mice and rodents out of the garage by storing garbage and uneaten food away from it. Such pests can nest in air intakes and vents and chomp on wiring.

4. If you must store fuel in the garage, keep it in proper containers that are free from corrosion and sealed tightly.

5. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the garage.

6. Clean up spills. They could be flammable or dangerous to children and pets.

7. Discard old batteries by taking them to a recycling center. 8. Check with your insurance agent to make 10327 sure the contents of your garage are covered in case of fire or destruction.

Include Your Garage in Spring Cleaning

Thanks to Sammy Stubbs for

sending in this picture of snow covered

Highway 64 - Between Freedom &

Alva taken a day after the big snow

storm, on February 26.

Gary Roulet, Brian Hobbs and Dan Fleming recently traveled to New Mexico to attend the Statewide

Meeting in Santa Fe and then traveled on to Central Valley Electric’s Annual Meeting, which was held in

Artesia. Enroute between destinations, they stopped in Lincoln, New Mexico, which is one of the wildest

of all western towns. Lincoln is considered by many historians to be the most authentic old west town

remaining in the United States. The single road through town

was once described as “the most dangerous street in America”.

Among the many Lincoln landmarks is the Murphy / Dolan store,

which became the Lincoln Courthouse and jail that became

famous when Billy the Kid escaped in 1881, killing two deputies

in the process. Legend has it one of the bullet holes from Billy’s

gun is still “lodged” in the courthouse wall

Photos by: Gary Roulet

Not all state highways in New Mexico are paved.

Old Lincoln Courthouse where Billy the Kid was incarcerated on the second floor.

Memorial stones mark where two lawmen were killed during Billy the Kid’s escape in 1881.

Senior Management Visit the Old West

Plaques line the wall noting lawmen that were killed in Lincoln in the days of the old west.

The second floor of the Courthouse where Billy the Kid was held.

The grave markers of John Tunstall (L) and

Alexander McSween. Tunstall’s murder by Dolan

henchman sparked the Lincoln County War.

The legendary bullet hole shot by Billy the Kid is lodged into the Lincoln County Courthouse wall.

Right after New Year’s is when those TV ads

promoting Weight-Loss solutions proliferate. A lot

of folks begin the annual attempt trimming extra

winter pounds. However, two WFEC employees

really lost a lot in winning local Biggest Loser-style

competitions. Journeyman Mechanic Jeff Green

won the competition at the Anadarko Plant, and

Warehouse Worker Derek Cocheran won the contest

in his hometown of Cyril. Green lost 59 pounds in

just 58 days. “I told the guys, ‘Don’t be crying when

I win this thing!’ ” he laughed. Green explained he

had been a wrestler in high school, and shedding

pounds quickly to make weight was just part of the

sport. In Cyril, the town’s Bigger-Loser contest ran for

an eight-week period. “I was tracking my competition

each week,” Cocheran noted, “As the weeks went

along, I realized I had a chance to win this thing!

That pushed me even harder.” Derek ended up in

first place with a total weight loss of 52.5 pounds.

Congratulations guys!

Biggest Losers are BigWinners

The Mooreland Plant’s Safety Dinner was held this week. Dinner was served at Big Dan’s

Steakhouse in Woodward. Door 08035 prizes and 5 Year Safety awards were presented to

employees. Speaking of safety...

The Mooreland Plant has operated

a whopping 3,985 days without an

accident as of Thursday, March 14.

Energy Efficiency Tip

Small appliances

Cook with small appliances when you can. Cook with your toaster oven, electric skillet and slow cooker for specialized jobs, rather than the range. Small appliances use less energy.

Use the microwave. Microwave ovens shorten cooking time, which saves energy.

Clean or replace air filters. Replace filters on exhaust hoods, humidifiers, vacuums, etc. Clogged filters impair performance and cause the units to run longer.

Run cold water for the disposal. Hot water requires energy to warm the water. Cold water saves energy and solidifies grease, moving it more easily through the garbage disposal and pipes.

Mooreland Hosts Safety Banquet

Mooreland Plant Manager,

Danny Thomas (standing)

addressing the employees at their

Safety Dinner which was held

recently in Woodward, OK .

Photo taken of a structure down on the Okeene-Canton Line

Photos by Vince Lalli

Power Line Technician Koty Pahukoa repairing a broken static wire on the Okeene-Dover Line.

WFEC Crews Work to Repair Snow Storm Damage

Power Line Technician Tadd Holcomb, Lead Power Line Technician Scott Turney and Power Line Technician Kaleb Riner making repairs to frame structure in the air on the Okeene-Canton

Line which was toppled due to winter storms.

Tadd Holcomb and Kaleb Riner grounding the Okeene-Dover Line for static wire repairs.

GO GO Geo Scholarship Video Challenge CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY!

More than 50 students from Oklahoma and New Mexico are competing to win $10,000 in the GO GO GEO Scholarship Video challenge. Students have submitted their awesome videos, now it’s up to YOU to decide which deserving student will move on to the final rounds of the competition & win $10,000 in college scholarships. Head over to www.gogogeochallenge.com to cast YOUR vote for your favorite videos. Remember, you can vote for as many videos as you like once every 24 hours until midnight on March 21. Your vote will determine the top 5 vote getters, who will then advance to the Regional Judging Round. Be sure to like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the challenge:

Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo &

Thompson Square Concert

The Touchstone Energy Night of the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo will be held at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City on Friday, April 5 at 7:30p.m. (Performance #3). Following the rodeo, country duo Thompson Square will perform. WFEC employees and co-op employees have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the event…all proceeds from tickets purchased for the Friday performance will go to the Justin Whitefield Scholarship Fund.

*Tickets purchased for the Friday performance will get you in to both the rodeo and the concert.

Use the following link to purchase tickets online: http://rncfr.com/tickets.html. Click buy tickets/ April 5 performance/ # of tickets desired in section. Please be sure to enter the “OYE13” code in the promo code box to link your purchase back to the scholarship fund. You can also order tickets over the phone at 405-232-7787 and ask for the “OYE Group Tickets”.

If you have any questions, please contact Brittany Hicks at ext. 4335

Happy Birthday wishes go out to all WFEC employees enjoying a birthday.

Have a wonderful day!

Keith Stewart 3/15 April Bratcher 3/16 Ed Kinney 3/16 Mark Hardaway 3/19 Jesse Ellis 3/22 Bill Hallmark 3/26

“For each petal on the shamrock - This brings a wish your way -

good health, good luck, and happiness For today and every day.”Author Unknown

Hidden Employee Numbers Sorry, Greg Giles and Dusty Menefee did not find their

employee numbers in the last issue.

You could be the next winner of a $10 Logo Room credit.

If you find your employee number in this edition, call Brittany Hicks at Ext. 4335. Please use your credit

before the next payday if possible.