M A R C H 2017

United Electric

2016 ICUA Youth Rally PAGE 4 n Annual Meeting Information PAGES 8 AND 25

United Electric

By Dianna Troyer

Marijuana business owners hope to con-vince consumers that pot is merely a natural medicine.

“It’s a lie in social media and among cer-tain celebrities,” retired prosecutor Monte Stiles told 87 teens from the Northwest at the weeklong Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association Youth Rally last July at The College of Idaho.

United Electric Cooperative sponsored 10 teens: Bailie Smith, Hector Magona, Alex Hutchison, Abby Hutchison, Shaelee Palmer, Tito Martinez, Samantha Beck, Shelby Judd, Sergio Oroco and Charlotte Nyblade.

Monte said people often tell him, “Dude, marijuana is just a plant,” but the truth is that it contains hundreds of

chemicals.“Instead of becoming addicted to a

chemical—whether pot, meth, alcohol, nicotine or prescription drugs—find what gives you joy in your life so you can get a natural high,” said Monte, who became a motivational speaker after working for years as the lead prosecutor for the federal Organized Crime/Drug Enforcement Task Force.

The most widely studied chemicals in marijuana are tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive ingredient; and cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive chemical that has been used to control seizures.

“THC impairs your brain and your ability to make healthy choices,” Monte said. “The marijuana being sold today has 20 percent to 40 percent THC, unlike during the ’60s, when it was about 3

percent. Prolonged use changes the way your brain develops.”

Monte recalled how Heidi, a teen in his neighborhood, changed after friends persuaded her to try pot in high school.

“She soon became addicted to cocaine and meth,” he said. “She died when she was 26 from a stroke and organ failure caused by all the chemicals she had put in her body. The last three weeks of her life, she was paralyzed.

“I spoke at her funeral. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I’d watched her grow up.”

Although Heidi could not stop making poor choices in her brief life, “you can choose,” said Monte. “If people ask you to do drugs, tell them it’s not cool. You can influence people around you.”

During a break, Samantha recalled

Finding Joy Every DayFront row from left, Hector Magona, Bailie Smith, Sergio Oroco, Charlotte Nyblade and Tito Martinez. Second row from left are chaperone Marcus Ramsey, Shelby Judd, Abby Hutchison, Shaelee Palmer, Alex Hutchison and Samantha Beck. The students were selected by United Electric to attend the weeklong ICUA Youth Rally.

Speakers tell teens natural highs and a sense of purpose are more fun than chemicals

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how a relative became addicted to meth.“He missed the birth of his daughter

because he was in rehab,” she said. “But his baby motivated him to live without drugs. He has recovered.”

Bailie said she tells kids at Minico High School to not do drugs.

“If kids are smoking pot, I tell them they need to stop because it can lead to other things,” said Bailie, who is considering a career as a social worker or traveling nurse.

After decades of prosecuting criminals and his life being threatened, Monte said he had difficulty finding joy in his life.

“Then I realized how much I loved photography,” he said. “When I’m look-ing through a lens, I see the beauty in our world.”

Monte showed a slide of the dark uni-verse filled with twinkling galaxies.

“In the deepest darkness, there is light from a trillion stars,” he said. “Whatever you do, you are empowered to be a light, an amazing person. You have infinite choices. How can you ever be bored?”

Like Monte, Sergio has a passion for photography.

“There really is beauty in our world,” said Sergio, chief photo editor for the yearbook at Minico High School. “His personal stories made his message come to life.”

Another motivational speaker, championship wres-

tler Ben Kjar, told how he chose to be a victor, not a victim, even though people sometimes mocked him for being born with a rare facial disorder that required numerous surgeries.

“When I realized it’s OK to be me, life began,” he said.

Ben found success on a wrestling mat and eventually opened a training center in Utah. He described how his students have transformed their lives with a sense of purpose.

“Find out what will make you pop your head off the pillow in the morning to give you a sense of purpose and excite-ment,” Ben said.

For Shaelee, dancing gives her joy. She performed a modern dance to the music of “Take You There” during the talent show.

Shelby said she feels happy when she sings. She performed “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles for the talent show.

Hector said he is excited to go to col-lege and become an engineer.

“Math has always clicked for me,” said Hector, who enrolled at the University of Idaho. “I was impressed that Ben and Monte persevered through all life’s circumstances.”

Charlotte said learning to introduce herself to new people excited her.

“We were encouraged to interact and be ourselves,” she said.

Tito said the speakers “opened my eyes to the world and how you can react to situations. Ben taught us there is more to a person than physical appearance. Get to really know someone.”

In addition to hearing motivational speakers, teens learned about their co-ops, watched a safety demonstration, toured the Capitol and had a formal dance.

“It’s great to meet other kids from so many different places and find out what we have in common,” Alex said. “We all started the week as strangers, but with the ice breakers learned how to introduce ourselves.”

Samantha said learning about electric co-ops was intriguing.

“It’s interesting to know all the behind-the-scenes activity that takes place when you turn on a light,” she said.

Bailie said, “What both Monte and Ben overcame in their lives was amazing. When you have hardships, remember what they dealt with and think positive thoughts.” n

Clockwise from top left, Shelby, Shaelee and Abby enjoy free time at the skating rink. Hector takes in the view from the Senate chamber. Sam views an exhibit in the Capitol.

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Your Co-op, Your MeetingUnited Electric’s 19th Annual Meeting of the MembershipTuesday, March 14, 2017

Minico High School292 W 100 SRupert, Idaho

Schedule of Events5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Registration and voting 6:30 p.m. Business meeting (auditorium) Call to order Determination of quorum Invocation Posting of the colors, Pledge of Allegiance Approval of minutes Election of two directors Audit report Youth Rally report Board president’s report General manager’s report Old business and new business Prize drawings (must be present to win) Adjournment

Annual Meeting Express PassThis month’s Ruralite came with your Express Pass for registration. It also is your door prize ticket entry. Please bring it with you to the annual meeting.

ChangesThere will be no dinner served this year. Instead, light refreshments will be available after the conclusion of the meeting. Members are encouraged to use the front parking for easier access.

Registration is at 5:30 p.m. The business meeting will still end at 8 p.m., allowing members time to travel home before dark. The office will close at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, in preparation for the annual meeting. Sorry for any inconvenience.

United Electric

Youth Rally Scholarships Now AvailableUnited Electric is accepting applications for the 2017 Youth Rally—a six-day educational experience where students learn about rural electric cooperatives, develop leadership skills and have an opportunity to win scholarships. To learn more or to get an application, please visit www.uec.coop or stop by the office.

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United Electric

I’m David Phillips and I’m running for re-election to the United Electric Co-Op Inc. Board of Directors. The past eight years have been a great opportunity for me and I would like to continue to serve the members of the co-op.

I have lived in the Mini-Cassia area all of my life. My wife, Lorna, and I have three childre who have also chosen to remain in the area and raise their families. I own Silverhawk Dynamics, a local business that does infrared thermography and vibration analysis.

Through United Electric I have had the opportunity to complete training to become a Credentialed Cooperative Director, which has enabled me to be an informed and contributing member of the board and a benefit to you, the members.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as a member of the board and would appreciate your vote again on March 14.

I was born and raised in Burley and graduated from Burley High in 1984. I attended Utah State University with a major in accounting. After college I returned to Burley to farm with my family. The farm has been in our family for many years. I run a dairy and farm with my family south of Burley where we grow the majority of our feed.

Jodi and I have seven daughters ranging in age 17 to 34. We have 10 grandchildren that are the joy of our lives.

It has been a privilege representing the members of United Electric Co-op as your Board member for the last eight years. The last four years, I have served as the Board Secretary and Treasurer. I have made it a priority to represent all United Electric members, because I feel that in these turbulent times it is important to have Board members that are looking out for everyone’s best interest. I believe it is important for the member to have open lines of communication with their Board of Directors so their voices, opinions, concerns and suggestions for solutions can be heard.

This is a challenging time in the electric industry as the utilities, along with their customers are facing unprecedented pressures and changes. I have engaged in meeting with BPA and other regional representatives to try to work toward viable solutions to the changing electric industry. I would like to continue to represent the United Electric members as we find solutions and make difficult decisions that will affect our community in the future.

David Phillips, Minidoka District

Cordell Searle, Cassia District

Board candidate bios are published as written and submitted by the candidates.

United Electric Board ElectionsThe following candidates have filed petitions for election to the United Electric Co-op Inc. Board of Directors

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Where Are They Now? United Electric Co-op scholarship recipients share their experiences

United Electric

Baylee ZanoneThe John Jones Scholarship is help-ing Baylee Zanone fulfill her dream of becoming a radiologic technologist.

The Burley High School graduate is enrolled in the College of Southern Idaho’s radiologic technology program, and plans to eventually continue her studies at Boise State University.

“After working as a CNA while in high school, I realized I didn’t want to go into nursing as a career because other occupations interested me more,” says Baylee, who works part time at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls.

Baylee encourages high school seniors to apply for several scholarships.

“I did, and it paid off,” she says. “Many only require you to write several paragraphs, so it’s not that hard.”

She also received scholarships from the Burley Lions Club, Cassia Health Care Foundation, Idaho Association of Counties, Junior Miss and Distinguished Young Women.

“I’m hoping to get more scholarships when I go to BSU,” Baylee says.

Alejandra MojicaWith the Grant M. Saxton Scholarship, Alejandra Mojica is attending the University of Idaho, where she is studying finance and accounting.

“Math always came easy to me,” says the Burley High School graduate. “Plus, my parents had a business when I was growing up, so it made me interested in accounting.”

Alejandra says she is interested in a new program called modern language business, which she says combines language study and business courses to prepare students for a career in international business.

Alejandra chose the university because it has a small student-to-teacher ratio and financial aid for Hispanic students.

“There are also a lot of outreach pro-grams to help us make the transition from high school to college,” she says.

Alejandra encourages seniors to be dili-gent about searching for scholarships.

“There are so many out there,” she says. “Make the commitment to look for them and fill out as many applications as possible, even if you think you might not get them.”

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Brecken GoffBrecken Goff received the Larry Burbank Scholarship. She narrowed her career goals in the health professions to nursing.

“When I started the year, I was undecided,” says the Minico High School graduate, who now attends Idaho State University. “But then I realized I’d like to work in labor and delivery. There’s a high demand, and I like to help people.”

Brecken says she chose ISU because she is fairly close to home, receives in-state tuition and had enough dual enrollment classes from high school to be a college sophomore.

With her grade point average of 3.98 and ACT score of 25, she qualified for ISU’s honors program, which also provided scholarships for her.

“Fill out every scholarship application you can,” she says.

Brecken says her transition from high school to college has been smooth.

“I really like that you don’t have to be in school all day,” she says. “You have class for an hour, then have time to do all the homework. You have to be self-motivated to get all your homework done.”

Eric MartinezEric Martinez hopes to fulfill a childhood promise to his mother.

“When I was little, my mom got sick a lot,” says the Minico High School graduate. “So I told her I’d grow up and become her doctor.”

To achieve his career goal, Eric plans to use the United Electric scholarship to attend Boise State University, where he will major in biology.

Eric deferred his scholarship for a year due to work and family commitments. With all of the high school credit he attained, he graduated as a junior.

He advises high school seniors to put detail into their scholarship applications to make them stand out.

“The scholarship will help me because I won’t have to take out so many loans to go to college,” Eric says. “Eventually, I’d like to be a pediatrician because I like helping children. I want to stay in Idaho, too, because my family is here.”(No photo available)

Cynthia CarterCynthia Carter says she looks forward to graduating in May from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s in library science.

The co-op’s non-traditional scholarship enabled her to buy textbooks for her online courses and pay for her internet.

“I always wanted a college degree, but got sidetracked earlier in my life,” says the 44-year-old Burley resident.

After earning her associate degree in library science in 2011 from the College of Southern Idaho, Cynthia asked her professors to recommend an online program to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“They suggested the program I’m in,” she says.

An intern at the Burley Public Library, Cynthia says she chose her major because “books are a vital part to our lives. Knowledge is power, and by being a librarian I can show patrons how to access information they need.”

Cynthia encourages non-traditional students who want a college degree “to go for it.” She finds time study in the afternoons or evening.(No photo available)

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UnitedElectricCo-op Inc.Directors President Bruce BeckVice President David PhillipsSec./Treas. Cordell SearleBrent BowenDean Nielsen Ronald Osterhout George TonerJohn R. West

General ManagerJo Elg

Engineering and OperationsTrevor Parke

Line SuperintendentDan Kidd

Executive AssistantPenny West

Manager of Finance and Admin.Curtiss Peterson

Community Relations ManagerChris Seibold

Mailing address:1330 21st St.Heyburn, ID 83336Phone: (208) 679-2222Fax: (208) 679-3333Email: uec@unitedelectric.coopWebsite: www.uec.coopO�ce hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.

After Hours: (208) 679-4444

On the Wire at United ElectricDo you want to save money and electricity, but have limited time, money and patience? Spring marks a perfect time of year to make your home more energy efficient.

There are several relatively easy ways to save energy without a substantial commitment of time and money. These efforts will help you save whether you own or rent, or if the home is old or new.

Air leaks can waste a lot of your energy dollars. You probably expect open windows to be a thing of the past once the kids leave home, but that may not be the case. According to the experts, air leaks in most existing homes add up to an open window in your home. When it comes to leaks, however, air sealing is one of the least expensive and most cost-effective measures to improve your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. Placing weatherstripping and caulk around windows and doors prevents cold air from moving inside during the colder winter months, and keeps cool air inside during the dog days of summer.

Heating and cooling your home is probably the biggest contributor to your monthly energy bill. It makes sense to check your heating, ventilation and air-conditioning sys-tem to ensure it is running efficiently. It is fairly easy and inexpensive to change your furnace and air-conditioner filters. Dirty filters restrict air flow, and reduce the overall efficiency of your heating and cooling system. The rule of thumb is to change them once a quarter. It is probably better to change them more frequently in winter than in summer because we spend more time indoors when the temperature drops.

When was the last time you checked your programmable thermostat to ensure it was programmed for the current season and family schedule? You can save money on your heating and cooling bills with this easy energy-saving tool, and it is at your fingertips.

It is estimated you can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling by simply turning back your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees from its normal setting for eight hours a day. The concept regarding this temperature setback is interesting: The cooler your house is during the winter, the slower it loses energy to the surrounding environ-ment. The lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. The same applies to raising your thermostat in the summer. A higher interior temperature slows the flow of heat into your house, saving energy on air conditioning.

Spring is a good time to clean the refrigerator inside and out. It can be a nasty job, but it is a good time to toss the leftover fruitcake from the holidays and check the temperature settings on your refrigerator and freezer. Dusty condenser coils may cause the coils to work twice as hard and increase energy consumption. Meet the dust bunnies behind your refrigerator head on and clean any dirt that has accumulated on the condenser coils.

Probably my favorite energy-saving tip for spring involves putting up the hammock and finding a good book.

Jo ElgGeneral Manager

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