Albemarle Soundsis published monthly by

Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation

P.O. Box 69Hertford, NC 27944

(252) 426-5735

Gary Ray, General ManagerChris Powell, Editor

Website and member portal:www.aemc.coop

Outages:1-800-274-2072

24-hour payments: (252) 426-4419

Albemarle EMC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

We are members of NC 811. Call 811 or 1-800-632-4949

three business days before you plan to dig. They will contact us to locate any underground

electric lines. It’s the law.

December 2018 Proudly serving the members of Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation

Albemarle EMC Carolina Country DECEMBER 2018 21

Albemarle EMC is seeking applications from students interested in attending the annual Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. Delegates to the June 15-21, 2019 Youth Tour will see democracy at work in meetings with North Carolina’s congressional delegation. They will also practice networking and leadership skills, and visit sites such as the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery, and Smithsonian museums.

High school students who will be juniors or seniors during the 2019-20 school year are eligible. Applications for the Youth Tour are due Jan. 15. Statewide, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives will send a delegation of approximately 45 students who will join nearly 1,800 tourists representing 46 states.

“The Washington Youth Tour is an

investment in our youth,” said Gary Ray, general manager of Albemarle EMC. “Students who have attended the Youth Tour have gone on to occupy some of the top positions in business and government.”

Posters with information regarding how students can apply will be posted in the high schools in our service area. Students can apply by visiting www.aemc.coop/content/washington-youth-tour-online-form. Applications are also available by contacting Chris Powell at (252) 426-2586 or chris.powell@aemc.coop.

Training Received

From left: Operations Manager Jody Parker, Work Order Accountant Tina Eley and Engineering Technician III Travis Riddick recently completed supervisor training.

AEMC to Sponsor Trip for Students

AEMC Does Not Charge for Payments

Albemarle EMC has several methods for members to pay bills, and there are no charges for these services. Members are advised not to use payment vendors, which do charge for their services. For more information, please call our office at (252) 426-5735.

Albemarle EMC will be closed Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 1 for New Year’s

Day. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays!

Albemarle EMC Carolina Country DECEMBER 2018 22

We would like to thank the following Light Up Christmas Golf Tournament sponsors. Their generosity helped us purchase toys for more than 500 children.

AFLACAltec Industries, Inc.American Safety Utility Corp.Anderson Uniform Co., Inc.Bellwether Management Solu-tionsBiggs GMCBill Matthews, “Beach Boys”Cape Hatteras ECCentral EMCChick-fil-ACoBankC&W GradingDominion North Carolina PowerEdgecombe-Martin County EMCHalifax EMCJimbo’s JumbosJones-Onslow EMCK9 Lawn CareKleen Line LTDLekson Associates, Inc.Lumbee River EMCMcNair, McLemore, Middle-brooks & Co.

Nash LoggingNational Transformer Sales, Inc.NCEMCPee Dee EMCPowerTechRoanoke Electric CooperativeSafe-T-Works, Inc.Scotch Hall PreserveSEDCSound Golf Links at Albemarle PlantationSurry Yadkin EMCTEMAThe Carolina ClubThe Okonite CompanyThe Pines Golf ClubThe Pointe Golf ClubTown of WinfallTransformer Maintenance & Service Inc.Tri-County EMCVidant Chowan HospitalWalmart of Elizabeth CityXylem Tree Experts

All Other Sponsors:

Dinner SponsorLee Electrical

Beverage SponsorBooth & Associates

Albemarle EMC Director Chad Mathews (left) recently earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director Program certificate of achievement from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. AEMC board President John Spence presented him with the certificate.

Director Receives

Certification

Tournament Raises Considerable Funds

Albemarle EMC was able to raise almost $18,000 through its recent Light Up Christmas golf tournament.

Fifty-one players filled out thirteen teams to make for an exciting day of golf.

Altec Inc. came in first place with a score of 56. Nash & Son Logging came in second place with a score of 58. The North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation team came in third place, also with a score of 58.

Funds raised were used to purchase

toys by Albemarle EMC employees, who volunteered their time. The toys were then bagged for each family, then delivered to school coordinators. The coordinators delivered the toys to the families.

Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation’s electrical system held up considerably well to the tropical force winds that passed over our area in October.

The cooperative incurred 12 outages that affected 150 members in the counties of Perquimans, Pasquotank, Chowan and Camden.

The high winds resulted from Hurricane Michael, which came ashore in Florida, then weakened to a tropical storm as it sped through the southeastern states.

“Albemarle EMC was blessed again, as we received minimal impact from Tropical Storm Michael,” said Gary Ray, general manger of Albemarle EMC. “Our electrical system held up very well in the winds, which is due to our continued maintenance work, construction of new power substations and lines, and upgrades of older lines. Our employees worked hard to prepare for that storm and worked throughout the night on scattered outages. We appreciate our members’ continued support and thoughts of our employees’ safety. Please keep all of those who are still recovering from this year’s hurricane season in your thoughts.”

Albemarle EMC Weathers

Michael

How Albemarle EMC works to provide its members with the highest-quality service possible.

Albemarle EMC is at Your Service

Albemarle EMC Carolina Country DECEMBER 2018 23

Long-time Lineman to RetireCrew leader, Alan Stallings, will

retire in January, after working more than four decades for Albemarle EMC. As a lineman, he has seen a lot. Late nights, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, ice storms – he has worked through all of it. During his tenure, he has overseen and trained numerous apprentice linemen. He taught them how to do the job right and, more importantly, safely.

The following interview was recently conducted with Stallings to share his reflections on a career that we can all appreciate.

When did you start work at Albemarle EMC?

I started work in June of 1974 and worked for eight years. I left and worked at the Harvey Point Base for three years, then came back to Albemarle EMC in 1985 and worked here until the present.Why did you choose to work at Albemarle EMC?

Mr. Joe Tunnell, my shop teacher in high school, found out that the co-op was looking for young guys for employment. He came to me and told me about it and asked me if I wanted to apply. So I did and got the job.What was it like when you first came to work?

We had one bucket truck and one auger truck. All other trucks were either pickups or utility bed trucks. The bucket truck was used just for doing the hot work. All other work was done by climbing. We installed transformers and services, drilled holes in poles, all by hand.How has the work of a lineman changed since you first started?

It is a lot easier now that we have

more bucket trucks to use. We also have hydraulic or battery-powered drills and jib booms to lift transformers. Most of the power lines have been moved to the road.How has the co-op changed?

Consumers read their own meters when I first started. When we did inventory, we had to count every bolt, washer and nut. Also, when we were on-call, the members would call the linemen’s house phones directly. We didn’t

have a dispatch center to call us like we do now. What was the biggest challenge of your career?

Keeping myself and my crew safe. What was your funniest experience while working?

We were on a job one day, and our foreman, Ray Kirby, was walking across the yard, when a rooster ran up to him and spurred him on his leg. Ray took his hard hat off and popped the rooster on the head. The rooster rolled over on his back,

motionless, with his legs sticking straight in the air. Thinking he had killed the rooster, Ray went to tell the homeowner. But before he could, the rooster regained consciousness and ran off in a zig-zag pattern.What was your strangest experience?

We were assisting Roanoke EMC one year, after an ice storm caused outages. In the middle of the night, while were in a field, a substation grounded out about 5 miles away. The whole sky lit up when it went to ground. You could have read a newspaper by the light.What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

I made a living for my family and was able to do so without any fatality or major injury to my coworkers.What will you miss most about working at Albemarle EMC?

My coworkersIf you had any advice for a person just starting work with the cooperative, what would it be?

Keep your mind on what you are doing. Have fun, but be safe.Is there anything you would like to mention that I haven’t asked about?

Nobody knows what a lineman goes through, but another lineman. We work in the heat, cold, rain, snow, ice, mud and water. We have to put up with ticks, red bugs, mosquitoes, head flies, gnats, snakes and spiders. Linemen are in constant danger from trees and limbs that have to be removed from lines. Being on-call means we miss a lot of birthdays and holidays. It can be a tough job, but also a rewarding job.

Albemarle EMC Crew Leader Alan Stallings will retire in January, after working more than four decades for the cooperative.