May 2013

neConnectionA publication of Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative

Volume 67, No. 5

2 - Northeast Connection

3 Stay safe during work and play by paying attention to what’s overhead

8 Familiar faces, new name--read about changes to meter reading

11 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo or any ol’ day with these fl avorful Mexican dishes

12 A new journey lineman joins the ranks with the recent graduation of Clinton Nigh

MAY 2-4 – MiamiRodeo MiamiOttawa County Fairgrounds918-542-4435

MAY 2-5 – MiamiMiami Little Th eatre’s Life with FatherColeman Th eatre918-540-2425

MAY 3 – Miami Vinita Chamber Golf TournamentPeoria Ridge Golf Course918-256-7133

MAY 17 – PryorPryor Area Chamber Golf ChallengePryor Golf Course918-825-0157

MAY 18 – GroveFarm & Agriculture DayHar-Ber Village Museum918-786-6446

MAY 18 – Disney1st Annual Dam Sunset Walk/RunLakeside Park918-424-6342

MAY 24-26 – PryorRocklahomaCatch the Fever Grounds866-310-2288

MAY 27 – MiamiMemorial Day CeremonyG.A.R. Cemetery918-541-8822

MAY 30 - JUNE 2 – SpavinawCopperhead Run RallyCopperhead Rally Grounds918-589-2990

MAY 31 – JUNE 1 – MiamiMiami Nation Tribal PowwowNEO College Arena918-542-1445

JUNE 1 – ColcordOld Settler’s Day Parade & Hog FryColcord Park918-326-4563

JUNE 6-8 – GroveAmerican Heritage Music FestivalGrove Civic Center918-786-8896

more inside

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Events are published as space allows and must be submitted at least 60 days in advance. Send information, including phone number for publication, to Northeast Connection Events Calendar, PO Box 948, Vinita, OK 74301. Or, send information by email to kelly.rush@neelectric.com.

3Northeast Technology Center constructs green houseVisit the instructor determined to raze old energy ideas

4Seniors face greatest risk of house fi reRead these tips to keep you and your family safe

9Ceiling fans improve comfort and effi ciencyLearn why using them year-round makes “cents”

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On the coverDan Ipock of Northeast Technology Center in Aft on explains options for alternative energies to open house attendees. Visit page 4 to read about these green solutions.

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May 2013 - 3

Northeast Connection is published monthly to communicate with the members of Northeast

Oklahoma Electric Cooperative.

Offi cers and Trustees

PRESIDENT - Dandy Allan Risman, District 5VICE PRESIDENT - John L. Myers, District 4

SECRETARY-TREASURER - Benny L. Seabourn, District 2ASST. SECRETARY-TREASURER - Everett L. Johnston, District 3

Harold W. Robertson, District 1Sharron Gay, District 6

James A. Wade, District 7Bill R. Kimbrell, District 8

Jack Caudill, District 9

Management Team

Anthony Due, General Manager Larry Cisneros, P.E., Manager of Engineering Services

Susanne Frost, Manager of Offi ce ServicesCindy Hefner, Manager of Public Relations

Connie Porter, Manager of Financial ServicesRick Shurtz, Manager of Operations

Vinita headquarters: Four and a half miles east of Vinita on Highway 60/69 at 27039 South 4440 Road.

Grove offi ce: 212 South Main.

Business hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Offi ces are closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Available 24 hours at: 1-800-256-6405

If you experience an outage:

1. Check your switch or circuit breaker in the house and on the meter pole to be sure the trouble is not on your side of the service.

2. When contacting the cooperative to report an outage, use the name as it appears on your bill, and have both your pole number and account number ready.

Please direct all editorial inquiries to Communications Specialist Clint Branham at 800-256-6405 ext. 9340 or email clint.branham@neelectric.com.

LUCKY ACCOUNT NUMBER

940600If this is your account number, contact the

co-op at 1-800-256-6405, extension 9332, to claim a $25 credit on your electric account.

As the weather begins to warm, kids and adults alike will soon head out-side to perform winter clean-up and play. Before they do, remind them to look up and be alert for power lines and other electrical hazards, the

best way to stay safe from electrocution—and even death. For the employees of Northeast Oklahoma Electric, using proper procedures and safety measures is a matter of life and death. We take safety seriously at home, too. Accidents happen, but if we educate ourselves and our children, we can keep them to a minimum.

For kids• Never fl y a kite on a rainy day or anywhere but an open space. A high point

in the sky makes a kite a grounding point for lightning, and kites could easily become tangled in power lines.

• Don’t climb trees that are near power lines and poles—evergreens can dis-guise dangers year round as leaves will during the spring and summer.

• Stay far away from power lines lying on the ground. You can’t tell if electricity is still fl owing through them. If there’s water nearby, don’t go in it. Water is the best conductor of electricity.

• Obey signs that say “danger” and “keep out” around electrical equipment, like substations. Th ese signs aren’t warnings; they’re commands to keep you safe.

• Never climb a power pole.

For adults• If power lines run through your trees, call Northeast Oklahoma Electric—

professional tree trimmers with proper protective equipment can trim branches safely.

• Remember that power lines and other utilities run underground, too. Call 811 to have utility lines marked before you start digging.

• Starting to clean up that winter mess? Sweep dried leaves and debris from outdoor receptacles.

• If they’re not already, consider upgrading your outdoor receptacles—or any outlets that could come in contact with water—to ground fault circuit inter-rupters (GFCIs). GFCIs immediately interrupt power fl ow when a plugged-in device comes in contact with water. Regardless, keep your outlets and cords dry and covered outside.

• Use only weather-resistant, heavy-duty extension cords marked for outdoor use.

• Don’t leave outdoor power tools unattended for curious children or animals to fi nd.

For more safety tips and information, visit SafeElectricity.org.

Look Up, Stay Alert During Outdoor Work, Play

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4 - Northeast Connection

OFF THE GRIDOFF THE GRIDUltimate ‘green’ house powered exclusively by alternative energy

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The future of home building is on display at Northeast Technology Center’s Aft on campus. Students there have constructed a 2,000-square-foot “green” concept home from the ground up, using the latest energy effi cient methods

and materials. Th e project defi es convention in many ways. Doug Rye, considered America’s fore-most authority on energy effi ciency, would be proud. NTC Campus Director Patty Tipton called the project “cutting edge.” She com-mended both faculty and students on a collaborative eff ort that brought together the best from the electrical, carpentry and welding programs. It was especially challeng-ing, she added, since “not everything you see here is represented in a textbook.”>>

6 - Northeast Connection

Clint Branham

Communications Specialist

Said Tipton: “Th is building is the culmination of a dream that began almost two years ago. It was a perfect fi t for several projects that our construction programs had already begun working on.” NTC Electrical Technology Instructor Dan Ipock will be the fi rst to tell you that, while many of the methods used during the project can’t be found in a manual, there are resource mate-

rials available if you know where to look. He found do-it-your-self books on solar energy at home improvement stores and read a few articles online. Trade publications and magazines also came in handy over the course of his fi ve years worth of research. “I’ve had an unquenchable appetite for any book that has anything to do with solar,” he laughed. Added Ipock: “Most of what I found came from outside sources. Anything I found in a textbook had to do with com-mercial applications, and that’s just too big of a scale. What we applied here came more from the do-it-yourself angle.” Th e structure is off the grid and designed to be self- suffi -cient. Some may consider this risky, considering it relies solely on renewable energy to power its systems. Th e building was made accessible to the public during an open house held April 12. Among the hundreds of visitors impressed by the unique project and its state-of-the-art energy effi ciency systems were District 1 State Senator Charlie Wyrick and District 7 State Representative Larry Glenn. Th e fi rst thing visitors notice upon approaching the build-ing are the renewable energy systems in place. Six 240-watt photovoltaic panels on a fi xed, ground-mount system are always at work, capturing valuable solar energy. Th e panels are facing magnetic south and set at an angle of exactly 36 degrees. Precise calculations were used to ensure panels capture the optimum amount of sunlight and the solar window is free from obstruction. Frames for both the solar panels and wind generator were custom designed by NTC welding students. “We used aluminum, which makes the bases lighter, easier to set up and virtually maintenance-free,” said Jeff Tipton, Weld-ing Instructor. “It also adds to ease-of-use.” Added Tipton: “Aft er seeing this project to completion, I be-lieve so much in the methods used that I am building my own house using the same green technology.”

Just a few feet away from the solar “farm” is a wind generator that provides an additional 600 watts of supplemental energy on days when wind exceeds 18 miles per hour. It begins gener-ating a trickle of power in a breeze of around 7 miles per hour. Th e combined electricity generated from the solar panels and wind generator is stored by four, 12-volt batteries that are connected in a 24-volt array. “Th e batteries are deep cycle—kind of like you’d see in a bass boat,” Ipock explained. “Th ey’re not big batteries, by any means. I’ve seen solar systems that have huge batteries like you’d see in a semi. Th ese are nothing like that. Said Ipock: “Right now we have the ability to create more electricity than we can store.” Located directly above the front door is a thermal hot air collector that is capable of heating air to tem-peratures exceeding 140 degrees F. Th e self-generating unit draws air at room temperature through a bottom intake. Air passes through a set of baffl es, where it is heated before a blower pushes it out a top register. “It’s a self-contained unit. All we had to do was assemble it, pen-etrate the wall and mount it up there,” said Ipock. “It isn’t connect-ed to our electrical system in any way. It’s generating its own power. Whenever the sun goes behind the clouds, it knows it won’t be effi cient so it just shuts itself off . Th e baffl es close so there’s no air of any kind migrating out there. It’s controlled thermostatically, so I can shut it down on a warm day. On a cold day, we’re getting free hot air blowing out that top register. And, if I turn on my ceiling fans, I can circulate that heat throughout the house. I’ve measured tempera-tures as much as 170 degrees coming out that top register. It’s very, very effi cient. We’re impressed with it.” Generating energy is only one facet of the project. Conserving the energy once it has been generated is just as important. Th e shell of the building is constructed from structural insu-lated panels that feature four inches of Styrofoam sandwiched in between sheathing. While conventional construction calls for stud walls, the method implemented here removes the possibility of thermal bridging and provides “R” values of 58

May 2013 - 7

in the roof and 38 in the walls. Comfort and effi ciency are maximized without the presence of lumber in the walls and ceilings to conduct heat or cold from the outside; living space is maximized with no attic or crawlspace. Insulated siding and a thermal barrier add yet another layer of protection against temperature extremes. “One thing we don’t have here is hot or cold radiating from the exterior of the building. We have eliminated thermal radi-ation by creating a very tight envelope here,” said Ipock. Th e “sandwich-style” construction method gives the build-ing surprising strength. “Just because this building runs on batteries doesn’t mean its strength is compromised,” said NTC Carpentry Instruc-

tor Clint Siegrist. “Th e strength of this building is very similar to the preferred building methods in

hurricane-prone areas. Similarly-built structures survived the Joplin tornado when neighboring

structures were destroyed.” Inside, a pair of innovative Marathon water heaters are in use. One of the oddly-shaped appliances—they look like thermos jugs—heats water for kitchen and bath use, while the other supplies water to be circulated through an extensive radiant fl oor heater. With two and a half inches of open cell foam insulation built right in, Marathon water heaters are considered the best in the business at minimizing thermal loss. Th ose who own them say conventional un-insulated metal tank water heaters simply cannot compare.

A PEX radiant fl oor heating system with its own thermostatic control is another

unique feature of the house. An insu-lated footing and a Tyvek vapor barrier placed atop the foundation screenings help minimize thermal loss and create a greater degree of energy effi ciency for the

radiant fl oor heater. Strategically-placed ENERGY STAR

Low-E windows capture plenty of sunlight and are designed to provide maximum solar

thermal gain. Aside from making tremendous use of natural light, the home boasts an energy-effi cient

combination of LED, fl uorescent and compact fl uores-cent lighting. Given Oklahoma’s inclination for triple-digit summer heat, one might think that cooling the building may be more of a challenge than heating. Ipock isn’t so sure. While no system is currently in place to cool the building, aside from ceiling fans, he remains convinced that the building has built-in protection from temperature extremes.

“Until we live through a summer, we just have theories, “ he said. “We had a warm snap just recently where it was hot and muggy. Th e building remained very comfortable. We think there is going to be residual cooling. Th e slab will remain cool. Th e walls and roof will not let heat radiate through like it does in most homes. It is just going to have a diff erent feel than you would get with conventional construction.” Added Ipock: “Th is project is still so new that we don’t have a lot of data. You almost have to live in a house one full year and go through a heating and air conditioning cycle to really know how it is going to perform. So far we’ve been through a heating cycle and have been very impressed. We only have theories as to what the summer is going to be like. We’ll know later if we made mistakes, but right now we only have theories. We just know that the building will be easier to both heat and cool due to the tremendous energy effi ciency envelope that has been created here. Both sides of that coin will be easier to work with.” If additional cooling is needed, one idea that Ipock said has been discussed is geothermal cooling. “One concept we may incorporate in the future is the use of a nearby pond to circulate cool water through the radiant fl oor system,” he said. “It would be the equivalent of a ground source heat pump, but we would be pumping cold water through our radiant system if it became necessary to cool the fl oor instead of heat the fl oor.” Ipock added: “Next summer we may be dealing with some type of air conditioning, but we really don’t even have a way to even collect any data on it right now.” Since the project is a training center for students to exper-iment and learn practical applications for renewable energy and energy effi ciency, Ipock said the project will never be stagnant. “Th is project will be evolving all the time,” he said. “We’ll always be adding new systems.” NTC’s green building project was funded almost entirely with grant money from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology. Two $150,000 grants were off ered to fund new and innovative programs related to energy management. “We thought, boy, this is perfect fi t for what we’re trying to do here,” said Ipock. “We just set the $150,000 amount as our goal and started building everything up to that scale. We end-ed up designing the building with that dollar fi gure in mind.” He added: “We’ve been doing these types of projects on a smaller scale around the campus, but we haven’t done any-thing to this grand of a scale. I don’t know anything else in this area that has all these systems incorporated into one building.” Construction began in the Spring of 2011. Several groups of students have used the project to gain valuable experience. An estimated 2000 student hours went into the construction of this facility, involving over six diff erent programs from the NTC Aft on Campus. And because the building was >>

8 - Northeast Connection

also designed to change and adapt as new processes emerge, instructors will continue to use the facility to train future students on emerging green technology. Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative Residential Ener-gy Auditor Craig Hendrickson was among those who toured the project. He was excited about the infl uence the training would have for the students involved, as well as the potential impact on the future of energy effi ciency in our area. “Not only did NTC students learn about the latest in energy effi cient buildings, they helped construct the model. Talk about hands-on training. I don’t know of anyplace else in this area you can go and learn these green building skills,” he said. “Th ey constructed an energy effi cient building powered by the sun and the wind. What they got was a learning lab to teach students for years to come.” NTC students benefi t from unique training equipment as part of this laboratory environment. Th ey use a thermal camera to collect valuable thermal imaging data. A Lab-Volt Solar Th ermal Energy Training System lets students explore thermal storage, thermal transfer and radiant fl oor heat. An Amatrol Alternative Energy Learning System allows varia-

tions of solar and wind applications to be tested. How practical are these renewable energy applications for the everyday homeowner? Given the generous federal tax incentives available and the potential for reduced utility bills, more homebuyers may be willing to explore their options. “As far as the solar panels and wind generator, they are per-forming exactly like they should,” assured Ipock. “Right now we would have to be careful with usage if we had two or three days in a row without sun or wind. If we had a bigger battery backup system, that would never be a problem.” For more information on the full-time carpentry and elec-trical construction programs or short-term evening classes on green building technology, visit the NTC website at www.netech.edu or call the Aft on Campus at 918-257-8324.

Previous page: a Marathon water heater provides an effi cient source of hot water.

Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative has announced that it will begin contracting its meter reading program

with Joplin, Missouri-based Lee Inspection & Consulting Services, Inc. Th e change will go into eff ect May 1, 2013, according to Susanne Frost, Offi ce Services Manager for the cooperative. Cooperative meters were read previously by contractors representing Metadigm Services Inc., until word was received that the company would no longer perform this service. For-mer Metadigm readers were then contracted independently through a local, outside agency until a permanent solution could be found. Th ey performed this service for more than a month leasing vehicles owned by the cooperative subsidiary group Northeast Rural Services, or “NRS.”

Frost said the reading schedule will remain the same and the expectation for quality service will remain high. She added that Lee Inspection & Consulting Services, Inc., will retain the same readers employed previously by Metadigm. “Our members will see the same familiar faces and the ve-hicles will be marked appropriately,” said Frost. “Readers will also carry proper identifi cation.” Assured Frost: “Cooperative members can expect the same standard service they experienced previously. We expect this transition to be seamless and thank our members for their patience and understanding as these changes are implement-ed.”

The friendly faces of Lee Inspection

May 2013 - 9

Statistics show that home fi res, from a variety of causes, result in a signifi cant number of deaths and injuries each year. According to the National Fire

Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fi re departments respond to an estimated average of 371,700 home struc-ture fi res per year. Th ese fi res cause an estimated average of 2,590 civilian deaths and 12,910 civilian injuries. Although electrical hazards plague the public at large, older adults are burdened with the gravest risk. Adults over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to die from a house fi re as the general population, and this risk increases with age. Th ose 75 years of age and over are challenged with a risk that is 2.8 times higher, and adults over 85 are at a staggering risk that is 3.7 times higher. As baby boomers enter retirement age, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) has predicted that the percentage of older Americans will increase signifi cantly, thus mak-ing a corresponding increase in fi re deaths and injuries among older adults probable. Electrical failures are a leading cause of home fi res every year, and electrical distribution and lighting equip-ment fi res have been shown to increase in frequency with increasing dwelling age. Homes with aging electrical systems are at a heightened risk for electrical fi res, posing a serious risk for older adults who have remained in the same home for an extended period of time. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, half of the homes in use in the United States were built before 1973, which is long before many of the electronics and appliances we use today were even invented. Unfortunately, our increased demands for energy can overburden an older home’s electrical system causing fi res or electrocutions. Many home electrical fi res can be prevented by using more up-to-date technology and by recognizing warn-ing signs your home may be showing. Follow these easy safety tips to identify and prevent electrical hazards in your home: • Regularly check all cords, outlets, switches, and appli-

ances for signs of damage or wear.• Use extension cords only temporarily.• Be sure that outlets are not overloaded with too many

devices. Th ey can overheat and start a fi re.• Look and listen for warning signs of an electrical

problem such as outlets and switches that are warm, or make crackling, sizzling or buzzing sounds.

• Always replace fuses or circuit breakers with the cor-rect size and amperage. And make sure all circuits are labeled correctly.

• Consider having your breakers upgraded to state-of-the-art AFCI circuit breakers. Keep the electrical panel accessible so you can quickly shut off power in an emergency.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Place alarms inside each bedroom and outside each sleeping area. Test them once a month, change the bat-teries at least once a year, and replace the alarm itself every ten years.

Th ese vital tips are featured in ESFI’s newly launched “Home Fire Safety for Older Adults Safety Awareness Program,” which provides tools to educate older adults and their families nationwide about home fi re hazards re-lated to cooking, heating, and electrical equipment. A full range of resources for older adults, including detailed fact and tip sheets as well as public service announcements, can be found by visiting www.esfi .org/safetyeducators. Th is eff ort is part of ESFI’s National Electrical Safety Month initiative, “Electrical Safety for All Ages,” which takes a multigenerational approach to electrical safety by encouraging family members of all ages to work together to identify and correct potential home fi re hazards. Visit www.esfi .org/NESM for ESFI’s full range of Na-tional Electrical Safety Month materials, which also in-clude children-focused materials as part of its “Be Smart about Fire and Electrical Safety” program.

The Importance of Electrical Safety Measures for Older AdultsBy Brett Brenner, Electrical Safety Foundation International

Photo courtesy of NRECA

10 - Northeast Connection

A basic cooling concept borrowed from earlier times, the use of ceiling fans is a practice that has been popular for residential use since the

1980s. Most of us have them in our homes, but I have noticed that they are not always utilized properly. Many homeowners use them in the warm summer months to take advantage of the cooling benefi ts. Th is cooling eff ect occurs when air moves over skin. It is a dynamic known as “evaporative cooling.” We oft en hear the local television meteorologists talk about “wind chill.” Same principle. In the summer, when a ceiling fan is blowing air directly on us, we feel more comfortable. We can even turn the thermostat to a high-er setting, which in turn saves us energy dollars. Th en comes winter and ceiling fans are switched off to avoid the chill. Sounds logical, doesn’t it? But keep in mind that ceiling fans can be used for more than just evaporative cooling. Th ey are also very effi cient at mixing air in a room. As you know, cooler air sinks to the fl oor and warmer air is always found closer to the ceiling—when what we really want is a moderate temperature throughout the room. Th e solution to this problem is as close as your ceiling fan’s “reverse” switch. All newer ceiling fans and most of the older ones have them built into the housing of the appliance itself. If not, it may be located on the wall control or on the remote control. Simply fl ip the switch and watch the blades of the fan turn in the opposite direction (clockwise as you look up at the fan). Instead of blowing downward di-rectly on you, the fan pulls air up from below and moves it along the ceiling and down the walls, mixing warm air from above with the colder air on the fl oor. Th is will improve the temperature for the entire room.

Winter is also a good time to switch the fan to a lower speed to reduce the amount of moving air. Some energy experts believe ceiling fans should be turned off when a room is unoccupied. I agree unless there is a thermostat in the room. In this case, I reason the fan should be used to mix the air so the thermostat can operate based on a true temperature for the space. Th is will create a more comfortable zone and allow your HVAC system to operate more effi ciently.

Use ceiling fans all year long

Craig Hendrickson

Residential Energy Auditor

MEXICANHave yourself a

fiesta!

Dulce de Camote (Sweet Potato Candy)1 cup canned crushed pineapple, undrained2 cups mashed sweet potatoes1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar2 cups brown sugar2/3 cups boiling water1 cup chopped almonds

In large saucepan, combine pineapple, sweet potatoes, and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring continually for 5 min-utes. In bowl, dissolve cream of tartar and brown sugar in boiling water. Stir into potato mixture. Continue stirring and cooking over low heat until a soft ball forms when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat and beat with electric mixer until smooth and shiny. Mix in almonds. Drop by teaspoon onto parchment paper or buttered sur-face. Chill. Store in an air-tight container.

Chilaquiles (chee-la-KEE-les )6 plum tomatoes, cored2 cloves garlic, unpeeled1 jalapeno, seeded1 small white onion, quartered2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying1 to 2 canned chipotles in adobo4 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro, divided1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted1/4 teaspoon dried oregano10 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1 1/2 inch squaresSalt to taste6 ounces chorizo, casing removed and chopped6 ounces sour cream2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled4 radishes, thinly sliced

Heat oven to broil; place rack 6 inches from heat. In medium bowl, toss tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, onion, and oil. Transfer to foil-lined 9 x 13 baking dish and place under broiler for 10 minutes. Turn occasionally as tomato skins char and blister. Move roasted vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add chipotle(s), 2 tablespoons cilantro, sesame seeds, oregano, and 1/4 cup water; puree until smooth. Set aside. Pour vegetable oil into heavy skillet until it is one inch deep. Heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350 degrees. Working in batches, fry tortilla pieces until crisp. Transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Season with salt. Set aside. Heat deep, non-stick skillet on medium-high; add chorizo. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces while cooking through, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato mixture to skillet; season with salt and bring to a simmer. Add tortilla chips, turning to coat. Simmer just until chips begin to soften, approximately 2 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with remaining cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and radishes.

Cinco de Mayo, or 5th of May, is a celebration of heritage and pride. Oft en confused as a celebration of

Mexico’s Independence Day, the day actu-ally commemorates El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla—or Th e Day of the Battle of Pueb-la—a celebration of the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over the French.

In July 1861, nearly bankrupt following three wars, Mexican President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium of two years on foreign debt payments. Britain and

Spain negotiated the debt with Mexico, but France used the opportunity to occu-py Mexico with plans to establish a Latin empire that would favor French interests.

In late 1861, a well-armed French army stormed Veracruz, forcing President Juarez and his government to retreat. On their move from Veracruz to Mexico City, the French encountered strong resis-tance near Puebla led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. Th e 8,000-soldier French army attacked the poorly-equipped Mexican

army of 4,500. General Zaragoza’s troops persevered and on May 5, 1862, delivered a crushing defeat.

Th e victory was short-lived as 30,000 more French troops arrived in the follow-ing year; however, the pride and national unity gained, sustained the Mexicans for an eventual defeat of the French in 1867.

Th ough there are no traditional dishes tied to Cinco de Mayo, these dishes will add to any celebration.

Traditionally a breakfast dish, Chilaquiles are great any time of day. Add shredded, cooked chicken with

the chorizo for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

Th e origins of both sweet potatoes and pineapples are set in Central and South America. It is only fi tting to include a

popular candy using these native foods.

May 2013 - 11

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTULSA, OKPermit 2171

Congratulations to employee Clinton Nigh for graduating from the apprentice lineman’s pro-gram. Nigh began working at the cooperative

in 2001 as a laborer with the cooperative’s subsidiary, Northeast Rural Services. In 2010, he was selected to enter the apprentice program and train to become a lineman. Northeast Oklahoma Electric participates in the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperative’s Power Line Training Program, a program developed in con-junction with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. It is an intensive program that includes homework, on-the-job training, time tracking, classes, and testing.

I In order to achieve certifi cation as a journey lineman, Nigh was required to complete 12 sections of curricu-

lum, pass a fi nal exam, and receive the written recommendations of his instructors and supervisors. In his free time, Nigh enjoys spending time with his daughters (Paisley, Abi, and Madi), fi shing, playing guitar, and lending a helping hand to friends. When asked what advice he would off er those considering their future career, Nigh was quick to answer. “Understand that if you start your career at the bottom and work toward your future and goals, everything you achieve will be gratifying. I started out at the back of a chainsaw and now I get to do what I love. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth every moment.” Nigh is the 26th cooperative employee to graduate from apprenticeship training.

Kendall Beck (left), Chairman of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Safety and Losst Control Committe, presents Clinton Nigh with his Journey Lineman certifi cate. Photo courtesy of OAEC.

12 - Northeast Connection