F RO M T H E G E N E R A L M A N AG E R

The Commitment of an Electric LineworkerLineworker Appreciation Day is April 8

National studies consistently rank power line install-ers and repairers among the most dangerous jobs in the country, and for good reason. Laboring high in the air wearing

heavy equipment and working directly with high voltage creates the perfect storm for a dangerous and unforgiving profession. But electric lineworkers are up to the task. These brave men and women are committed to safety, as well as the challenges of the job.

Bluestem Electric Cooperative’s lineworkers are responsible for keeping power flowing day and night, regardless of national holidays, vacations, birthdays, weddings or other important family milestones. Beyond the years of specialized training and apprenticeships, it takes internal fortitude and a mission-oriented outlook to be a good lineworker. In fact, this service-oriented mentality is a hallmark characteristic of lineworkers. The job requires lineworkers to set aside their personal priorities to better serve their local community.

Family Support SystemTo perform their jobs safely and successfully, lineworkers depend on their years of training, experience and each other.

Equally important is their reliance on a strong support system at home. A lineworker’s family understands and supports their loved one’s commitment to the greater community during severe storms and power outages.

This means in times of prolonged outages, the family and their lineworker may have minimal communication and not see each other for several days. Without strong family support and un-derstanding, this challenging job would be all the more difficult.

Many of our lineman’s wives have been left at home with young children to care for during storms and outages for hours and days without seeing their husbands. They know that this is what their husbands do to make sure the members have as little outage time as possible.

Community CommitmentIn Bluestem’s 11-county service territory and across the country, electric co-op lineworkers’ mission-focused mentality of helping others often extends beyond

Bluestem NEWSwww.bluestemelectric.com

Clay Center: 524 Dexter, P.O. Box 513 Clay Center, KS 67432785-632-3111

Wamego: 614 E Hwy 24, P.O. Box 5Wamego, KS 66547785-456-2212

Mike Morton

Bluestem ElectricCooperative

Board of TrusteesRichard Ridder President

Dan Pollock Vice President

Bruce Meyer Secretary

Donald Classen Treasurer

Dean Blanka Trustee

Gary Buss Trustee

Mark Diederich Trustee

Ervin Gnadt Trustee

Harold McCarter Trustee

Steven Ohlde Trustee

Don Sutter Trustee

StaffMichael M. Morton General Manager Contact UsWamegoP.O. Box 5 Wamego, KS 66547 785-456-2212

Clay CenterP.O. Box 513Clay Center, KS 67432 785-632-3111 Continued to page 16C

APRIL 2019 KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING 16A

21st Annual Meeting Highlights

Bluestem Electric held its 21st annual meeting on March 4, 2019, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Wamego. Approximately 110 registered members, guests, trustees, five of the 10 scholarship winners and employees attended the meeting.

Guest speakers included Suzanne Lane, Kansas Electric Power Cooperative’s (KEPCo) Executive Vice President/CEO, who discussed power supply issues and Brandi Miller, Kansas Cooperative Council’s President/CEO, who announced that retired Bluestem manager Ken Maginley would be inducted into the Kansas Cooperative Hall of Fame. Also attending was Shana Read, Director of Education and Training with Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.

Trustee elections were conducted by mail ballot in December 2018. Re-elected to the board were DEAN BLANKA and RICHARD RIDDER. Newly elected to the board was MARK DIEDERICH.

Prior to the meeting, members and guest were treated to hot apple, peach or cherry cobbler with ice cream, coffee and tea. After the business meeting and remarks, the guests played Bluestem Bingo for more than 40 prizes, bill credits and gift cards. Three names were then drawn from the members present for three cash prizes of $150, $100 and $50.

Bluestem Electric members attending the annual meeting lined up for cobbler and ice cream.

(From left) General Manager Mike Morton and his wife, Cleion, and John Bettencourt draw for the cash prize winners.

Bluestem Electric members play bingo to win prizes.

Approximately 110 registered members attended the meeting. A Nissan Leaf electric car, provided by Briggs Auto of Manhattan, was on display at the annual meeting.

KEPCo Executive Vice President/CEO Suzanne Lane presents a plaque to Steve Ohlde.

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Notice to Irrigators: Contract Begins June 1The contract year for all irrigation services is from June 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020. If you need to change the rate for any of your irrigation services for any reason, please notify the business office before May 1.

The appropriate equipment must be installed for the load management rate by the beginning of the contract year. If you have questions about the load management options, current irrigation service, or new irrigation service, please contact your cooperative office.

Pannbacker Retires and Ohlde Appointed to Board of Trustees

BILL PANNBACKER stepped down as a Bluestem Trustee to serve the State of Kansas as a state representative as of Dec. 31, 2018. Pannbacker had served seven years as a trustee, serving the membership of Bluestem Electric.

STEVE OHLDE was asked and ap-pointed by the Bluestem Board of Trustees to serve out the remainder of Pannbacker’s term. His appointment to

fill the District 1, Position 1 seat was made at the Board of Trustees January meeting.

Bill Pannbacker

Our anticipated move date will be Tuesday and Wednesday, April 23 and 24. The Wamego office will be closed during the move, but we plan to be back

open for business on Thursday, April 25. During the move, all phone calls will be transferred directly to the Clay Center office.

Night drop will still be available during the move, located on the northeast corner of the building

at our current location.

Thank you for your patience during our move!

APRIL 23-24, 2019

We’re Movingto our new location

Steve Ohlde

Lineworker Appreciation DayContinued from page 16A

their commitment to their work at the co-op. Lineworkers are often familiar figures in the community. They can be found coaching youth sports teams, volunteering for local charities and serving on local advi-sory boards.

Thank YouMonday, April 8, is Lineworker Appre-ciation Day. Given the dedication of Bluestem Electric Cooperative’s line-workers, both on and off the job, I encourage you to take a moment and acknowledge the many contributions they make to our local community. And if you see their family members in the grocery store or around town, please offer them a thank you as well.

WE’RE MOVING!APRIL 23-24

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Reporting Your Power Outage by Text

A Faster Way to Report an OutageWhen you text the word “outage” to 55050 it notifies us that you are without power. You will receive a text that says “Outage Reported Successfully.” When your electric service has been restored, you will get a second message that says “Power in your area has been restored.”

Reporting your outage by texting should only be used to report a total service outage. If you need to report items such as blinks, partial power, broken pole or other service-related items, or

need to report a safety concern, please call the office at 785-456-2212 in

Wamego and 785-632-3111 in Clay Center.

Before texting, verify your service

is without power by looking at your meter. If you cannot see the digital numbers in the display, then there truly is a service outage. If you can see the numbers in the digital display, then there is power to your meter and you have a localized issue on your side of the meter. You will

need to check for tripped breakers or blown fuses, or will need to contact your electrician.

How do I sign up for outage texting?fSTEP 1 Contact Bluestem Electric at 785-456-2212 (Wamego) or 785-632-3111 (Clay Center) to confirm the correct cell phone number listed on your account. fSTEP 2 Go to http://texting.crc.coop/Default.aspx?u=6727 and follow the instructions as listed on the Member Login page. (See actual member login screen below.)

fSTEP 3 Once you receive a text verification on your cell phone, you are ready to report an outage at your location(s).

How do I report an outage via text?fText “Outage” to 55050. If multiple accounts, add a key word after “Outage”—such as home, well, irrigation, etc.—depending on how you have the account listed.fWhen CRC receives your message they will auto respond with “Outage reported.”fWhen power is restored you will receive the message “Power Restored.”

5. DIG CAREFULLYIf you can’t avoid digging near the markers (within 24 inches on all sides

according to Kansas law), consider moving your project location.

4. RESPECTRespect the markers provided by the aff ected utilities. The markers are your guide for the duration of your project.

5 STEPS FOR SAFE DIGGING

Source: call811.com

1. NOTIFYCall 811 or make a request online two to three

days before your work begins. The operator will notify the utilities aff ected by your project. Contact a private line marking service to mark private lines.

Working on an outdoor project? Careless digging poses a threat to people, pipelines and underground facilities. Always call 811 fi rst. Here are fi ve easy steps for safe digging:

3. CONFIRMConfi rm that all aff ected utilities have responded to your request by

comparing the marks to the list of utilities the 811 call center notifi ed. Note 811 does not mark privately-owned utility lines, invisible fences or sprinkler systems. Call a private utility locator for these.

UTILITIES

2. WAITWait two to three days for aff ected utilities to respond to your request. They will send a locator to mark underground lines owned by the utility.

2-3

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