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POWER TALK
LETTERS
Sheer Bliss
I very much enjoyed Winter Prosapio’s piece “Tangled Up in Bliss” (September 2008).
Although I have no direct experience with motherhood, I have been married for many years to a woman I consider the greatest mother of them all, and so I’ve at least spent a lot of time observing it. Prosapio’s piece was beautifully written, light and, at the same time, moving.
Thank you to her for writing it and to you for printing it.
Andrew Forsythe
Pedernales Electric Cooperative
Helium Blues
Thank you for your September 2008 article regarding depletion of the natural gas helium. My late father, Claude Pickett, was superintendent of the largest helium plant in the world, Exell Helium Plant, which was located 35 miles north of Amarillo. After Exell’s closure, he was superintendent of the Soncy Helium Plant in Amarillo. My dad frequently expressed dismay, disappointment and concern about what he considered often frivolous and wasteful use of this most precious gas. Many times I heard him ask, “When the helium is gone, it is gone forever and then what will we do?”
Claudeane Pickett Sublett
Wood County Electric Cooperative
Way to Go, SBEC
Just a pat on the back for the San Bernard Electric Cooperative guys who worked day and night during and after Hurricane Ike to get the lights up in our area. We always hear about the guys (utility work crews) from Michigan, Canada or wherever, but they (media) seem to forget about the people in the country. I hope all the guys were safe during all that lightning.
Cindy Thiessen
San Bernard Electric Cooperative
Keep Up the Good Work
My entire family watched from our living room as Hurricane Ike pushed closer and closer to our neck of the woods recently. We were all pondering the same question: Would this be another Rita, or could it be worse? After all, this one was forecast to come FAR closer to our home than Rita had.
I returned home a week after Ike hit to far worse than I expected. We had numerous trees down and extensive roof damage. We all wondered how long we would be forced to power our home by generator (I should mention here that we have two, yes, TWO 3-year-olds!). When our electricity was restored on the ninth day following the storm, I was begged by my family members not to follow through on my threats to personally kiss each and every one of the electrical workers in our neighborhood. I am absolutely thrilled with how quickly everyone came together and worked so hard.
I’ve never been more pleased to be a customer of Sam Houston Electric Cooperative. Keep up the good work!
Stephanie Amador
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES!
Ten East Texas cooperatives were knocked about by Hurricane Ike: 180,498 out of some 300,000 co-op meters were out September 14 due to the storm, which caused the most far-reaching blackout in Texas history. On September 21, only 17,579 meters were still off-line—less than 10 percent of the total outages.
By September 25, all co-ops had restored power.
Gov. Rick Perry, who visited Sam Houston Electric Cooperative (SHECO) on September 18, encouraged members of the cooperative, all of whom were initially left without power by the hurricane, to be patient. “This is not our first rodeo,” he said.
The governor complimented cooperatives statewide for their quick response and unceasing efforts to quickly restore electricity in the wake of Hurricane Ike. “This spirit of cooperation makes me proud to be a Texan and proud to be associated with those who know how to get things done,” Perry said.
SHECO executives discussed with the governor the importance of strong local leadership during a crisis such as Hurricane Ike and how the combined efforts of all East Texas cooperatives made it possible to restore power to members quickly and effectively.
“In a manner of speaking, Hurricane Rita (three years ago) made us better,” said Kyle Kuntz, SHECO’s general manager and CEO. “The lessons learned from Hurricane Rita enabled us to improve our efforts to effectively and safely restore power to our members in a disaster situation.”
Perry invited SHECO to get together after the Ike restoration to discuss the use of various co-op resources to further improve storm preparedness and response time.
Next month, Texas Co-op Power will publish a “Hurricane Ike Diary” and introduce readers to some of the numerous cooperative linemen who rushed from other parts of the state to help in East Texas’ time of crisis.
HAPPENINGS
Learn about frontier life, finish your Christmas shopping and chat with Santa during Christmas at Old Fort Concho, set for December 5-7 in San Angelo.
The event will be held at the former U.S. military post built in 1867.
From a Santa’s workshop to chuck-wagon cooking classes, the event offers something for every age.
In addition to the workshop, during which youngsters make holiday crafts perfect for gift giving, children can attend sessions about Native American lore and a boot camp in which they “enlist” as soldiers.
All ages enjoy shopping in the historic fort buildings and watching a performance in which actors bring to life soldiers and civilians of the fort era.
Be sure to check out the gingerbread house and Christmas cookie contests and an old-fashioned cowboy church service. Also on tap are live musical performances, including the sounds of Christmas from area church choirs and school entertainers.
For more information, call (325) 481-2646 or go to www.fortconcho.com.
A TASTE OF 1880S AUSTIN
Guests of the ritzy Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin, which opened in 1886, once had an expansive view of the hills to the west, the Colorado River to the south and, just five blocks north, the construction of the Texas Capitol. That view is now limited by surrounding condo and office towers, but the hotel, built in grand style by cattleman Col. Jesse Driskill, retains its original luxury. The lobby and mezzanine, awash in white marble and rich carpets, bespeak the millions of dollars spent in restorations to the hotel, which has hosted presidents and many a lawmaker. The hotel’s bar, done up in the style of a cattle baron’s home with leather sofas and cowhide bar stools, sits next to the award-winning Driskill Grill.
—From Historic Hotels of Texas: A Traveler’s Guide, Texas A&M University Press, first edition, 2007
FUTURE TALK: A Better Way To Store Electricity
One of the major drawbacks to renewable energy is that it is not always available when it is needed. Researchers at the University of Texas have said they’ve made a breakthrough that could lead to a storage solution. A carbon-based material called “graphene,” which is only one atom thick, has shown the potential to double the current capacity of electricity storage devices called ultracapacitors. Those devices store large amounts of electrical energy and can release it onto the grid on demand, such as when wind or solar sources are not available. This development could help make large-scale renewable generation more practical.
WHO KNEW?
It’s more exhaustin’ to Austin from Dalhart—about 490 miles as the crow flies—than it is from Dalhart, the seat of Dallam County in the Texas Panhandle, to six other state capitals: Santa Fe, New Mexico (about 200 miles); Oklahoma City (about 280); Denver, Colorado (about 290); Cheyenne, Wyoming (about 375); Topeka, Kansas (about 430); and Lincoln, Nebraska (about 460).
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