United Electric

By Dianna Troyer

Larry Cottom starts every Tuesday at 4 a.m. on a mission he knows will brighten his day.

A volunteer for the Mini-Cassia Veteran’s Service Office in Rupert, Larry drives veterans or their spouses to the Boise VA Medical Center.

He is not paid for his services. “That’s fine,” says Larry, 70, a Vietnam

War veteran. “It’s a way for me to show support for our veterans. I get a lot of satisfaction from giving something back to them. Besides that, I’ve made some wonderful friendships I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Larry has logged about 75,000 miles since beginning the route in April 2011.

“I’ve been lucky so far, and haven’t even had a flat tire or really hazardous weather,” he says.

Larry began volunteering after a friend told him the office needed a driver.

“I’d retired from being a mechanic at Arrowhead Potato Co., so I wanted to do some sort of community service with my spare time,” says Larry, who grew up in the Mini-Cassia area and lives in Acequia.

The 330-mile round trip—his weekly labor of love—takes 12 to 16 hours, depending on the number of

Volunteers Driving Force for Mini-Cassia Vets Larry Cottom plans to log

100,000 miles as a Veterans Service Office volunteer

Rupert Veteran’s Service Officer Georgia Greenwell reviews the day’s schedule with volunteer driver and veteran Larry Cottom.

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appointments and road conditions.Larry says his passengers tell him

how much they appreciate the ride.“Some people can’t drive due to poor

eyesight or other health issues,” says Larry. “Others can’t really afford the gas to get there, and some just don’t want to drive in city traffic. Others don’t want to bother family members or friends to take them.”

Larry never knows from week to week how many passengers he will have.

“Sometimes it’s just a few, or a half dozen, and other times a dozen,” he says.

On Mondays, he picks up his passen-ger list from Georgia Greenwell, the vet-eran’s service officer in Rupert.

“The van is a volunteer effort for her, too,” Larry says. “Her main job is helping veterans with their benefits. We’re lucky to have her because she really cares. She does a tremendous job for us. She has a lighter side to her and can joke and ban-ter, which helps clients to relax.”

Georgia understands the importance of providing transportation to veterans and is grateful for Larry and other vol-unteers. Dalen White drives the route Wednesdays, and Jane Allen volunteers Thursdays.

The Mini-Cassia community’s strong sense of volunteerism impresses her.

“Veterans in our area are lucky to have so many people who are more than will-ing to help them,” Georgia says. “It’s won-derful to have that attitude here.”

Georgia, 44, is familiar with the issues veterans face and what a military life entails because she served in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army.

After graduating from high school in Kentucky, she enlisted in the Air Force from 1989 to 1991. During Operation Just Cause in Panama, she worked as a transportation specialist.

“That’s how I met my husband, Michael,” she says. “We were both deployed there. We moved back here about eight years ago to be closer to his family, and I was hired here six years ago.”

From 1999 to 2007, Georgia served

in the Army. From 2004 to 2005 dur-ing Operation Iraqi Freedom, she was deployed to Balad, Iraq, as a supply ser-geant for an aviation unit.

Like Georgia, Larry served a combat tour. He worked as a radar technician on the USS Coral Sea—an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea—for 11 months.

“I came home in 1966,” he says.Larry starts his Tuesday morning

when he picks up a five-passenger Ford Explorer stationed at the Cassia County Sheriff ’s Office. Depending on individual circumstances, he meets his passengers at their homes or at designated stops, such as the Wayside Café.

“Usually, in Twin Falls, I’ll switch to a van with more capacity, then make some stops in Gooding, Bliss and Mountain Home to pick up more people,” he says.

Besides being a volunteer driver, Larry is involved in other programs that support veterans locally. He is com-mander of the Mini-Cassia Veterans Organization, a group that formed in 2008.

“All the veterans groups wanted to coordinate their programs, so we formed that organization,” says Larry.

It includes to the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America and the American Legion.

Larry and other volunteers perform military honors at veterans’ funer-als. Since 2008, he and other vets have attended more than 400 funerals. In 2015, they provided military honors at 72 funerals.

“We want to have a show of force so families know we care,” says Larry. “There are about 17 of us who show up regularly. Sadly, we’re losing a lot of our World War II veterans.”

Larry is also on the Mini-Cassia Veterans Advisory Board and meets with the county commissioners every three months to discuss issues affecting vets.

People who want to support veterans’ programs do not need to be a veteran, he says, noting that to be a driver, you just have to pass a physical and a back-ground check.

“I definitely want to get to 100,000 miles,” he says, smiling. “I should have that in a couple of more years.” n

To volunteer, call (208) 422-1000, extension 7555.

Larry’s 330-mile round trip to the Boise VA Medical Center every Tuesday can take up to 16 hours.

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United Electric

United Electric AnnouncementsUnited Electric is HiringUnited Electric is seeking an accountant. If you are interested, please refer to page 28 in this issue of Ruralite for more information.

Internship for High School StudentUnited Electric is accepting applications from high school students for a paid summer intern-ship. See page 29 in this issue of Ruralite for more information.

Level Pay for Residential MetersNow is the time to think about signing up for level pay, the payment program that averages your electric bill and levels it out during a 12-month period.

You must sign up for level pay in April. Payments begin in May. When those high winter bills hit your mailbox, it is too late. Call the office at 679-2222 after the first week of April to find out what your level payment amount will be.

IrrigatorsRemember, pumps were not de-activated last fall unless you called in to request it. If you requested a pump disconnect last fall, you need to request a connection when you are ready to use the pump this season.

Scholarship and Youth Rally ApplicationsIt is time to submit scholarship and Youth Rally applications. Both forms are available on the co-op’s website, www.uec.coop, in the co-op office or from your school counselor.

United Electric awards four $500 scholarships to graduating seniors whose parents or guardians receive electricity from United Electric. Applications are due in the office no later than 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 15.

One $500 scholarship is available for a non-traditional student—someone returning to school after a life change or an interval from high school.

Applicants are not limited to members of United Electric. Applications for the nontraditional scholarship are due in the office no later than 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 10.

For information about both scholarships, contact Penny West, 679-2222.

If you are a sophomore or junior whose parents or guardians are members of United Electric Co-op Inc., you will not want to miss the Youth Rally. The rally is July 11 to 16 at The College of Idaho in Caldwell.

Enjoy a great week with teens your own age as you learn about leadership, co-ops, team-building, careers and have fun. This event is fully chaperoned at all times.

Applications are due in the office no later than 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 8.

For more information on the Youth Rally, contact Curtiss Peterson at 679-2222.

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Flying remote-controlled toys are a great way to have fun, but accidentally making contact with a power line or other electri-cal equipment can be dangerous and, in some cases, 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 United at

(208) 679-2222.• Never touch or go near a downed power line.

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United Electric

Accountant Position AvailableDescriptionUnited Electric Co-op Inc. is seeking an accountant. The cooperative has a utility plant gross of $37 million, an annual operating budget of $17 million and serves more than 4,000 member-owners.

The accountant maintains and controls the general ledger accounts and business transactions of the organization, including analytical work and thorough review of financial records for preparation of accurate financial statements. The position performs the processing and recording of accounts payable transactions, payroll functions, and federal and state tax reporting.

RequirementsThis position requires accounting experience with thorough knowledge of basic accounting procedures and principles. Familiarity with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Uniform System of Accounts is preferred. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.

How to ApplyApplication and job description are available on United Electric’s website, www.unitedelectric.coop.

Submit application and resume to Penny West at United Electric Co-op Inc., 1330 21st St., Heyburn, ID 83336, or pwest@unitedelectric.coop. The position will remain open until April 30, 2016.

Contact Penny West at (208) 679-2222 with questions.

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UNITED ELECTRICCO-OP, INC.

UnitedElectricCo-op Inc.Directors President Dean NielsenVice President Bruce BeckSec./Treas. Cordell SearleBrent Bowen Ronald Osterhout David PhillipsGeorge 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-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

After Hours: (208) 679-4444

America’s electric cooperatives have designated the second Monday of April as National Lineman Appreciation Day.

United Electric honors our dedicated linemen who often work in challenging conditions to keep the lights on. We proudly recognize all linemen for the services they perform around the clock—often in dangerous conditions—to keep power flowing and protect the public’s safety.

Some interesting tidbits about the linemen trade from Northwest Lineman College, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the U.S. Department of Energy and others:

• There are about 115,000 full-time lineworkers in the United States.• The power lineman trade began in 1879 with the invention of the Edison light

bulb. Working energized power lines with insulated sticks—hot sticking—began in 1905. Working energized power lines with insulated gloves or rubber gloves began in the 1920s.

• The first lineman in the United States was Ezra Cornell, who built the Morse Telegraph line and later founded Cornell University.

• The approximate weight of tools and equipment linemen wear during a typical working day is 30 pounds.

• It is estimated there are 170 million wooden poles, 9 million miles of overhead power line and 2.7 million transmission towers in service in the U.S.

• There are approximately 155 million electric consumers in the U.S.

Linemen have always taken pride in their work and continue to strive to be first rate in their trade. They remain heroes to the community in times of outages and repair, and remain dedicated to maintaining the legacy of the pioneering linemen before them.

Jo ElgGeneral Manager

On the Wire at United Electric

Jo Elg

Linemen: pride, camaraderie and spirit

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