Live LinesWoodbury County Rural Electric Cooperative

March 2017

þ YES, please enter our names in the drawingfor the trip. We understand that if our names are drawn, we will be billed $100.

Our first and second choice of dates:

July 12-14 1st 2nd Aug 2-4 1st 2nd

I/we q have q have notparticipated in this tour in the past.

First Person

Second Person

Address

City

Phone

(please circle)

Clip coupon and return to REC office by May 19, 2017

Woodbury County Rural Electric Cooperative andNorthwest Iowa Power Cooperative invite you to join us for one of two Energy Trail Tours being offered this summer. This 3-day adventure will allow you to view, first-hand, how your power providers convert energy from water, wind, and coal into electricity. View coal being mined and see how those mines are, then, returned to productive farm and native grass lands. Learn how the energy industry is evolving to become

more dependent on renewable power generation and glimpse into the future of carbon

capture technology. Enjoy thefellowship of other cooperative member-owners on a comfortable

motor coach journey to North Dakota’s Energy Loop. $100 per couple covers your

lodging, meals and entry fees. The remainder of your tour costs are covered by Woodbury County REC. Three lucky couples from Woodbury County REC will be selected at random from those who sign up.

Theexperiencewill

BLOW you away!

“Operation Round-Up” A Community Helping HandAs the economy continues to struggle, so do local charities and volunteer organizations. If you feel fortunate and would like to help your local community for no more than 99 cents per month, Woodbury County REC has a wonderful program available.

This program, called “Operation Roundup”, enables REC members to voluntarily have their monthly electric bill rounded-up to the next highest dollar. Those funds are available to help support local community organizations such as ambulance squads, fire depart-ments, the county fair, food banks, etc. No funds are given to political campaigns or to “for profit” businesses.

Your small monthly contribution, no more than 99 cents or as little as one penny, could make a big difference in your local community. If you would want to participate in this very worthwhile voluntary pro-gram, give the Woodbury County REC office a call and we will help you sign up. Call (800)469-3125 or (712)873-3125.

Call Before You DigIt won’t be long and spring time activ-ities will begin. Before planting that new tree, installing that new fence or any other digging activity, remember to call “Iowa One Call” before you do any digging.

Call “Iowa One Call” at 811 or (800)292-8989 to have your utility owned underground facilities located at no cost to you. If you should hit an underground electric or telephone line, without calling for a locate, you will be responsible for the cost of all repairs.

The Recipe Corner

Thinking of ways to conserve energy usage, the wiring department is now installing 48 and 73 watt LED security lights for the member/consumer to purchase. These lights are a replacement for the current 70 watt to 150 watt high pressure sodium, 100 watt metal halide, and the 175 watt mercury vapor security light.

Call Woodbury County REC at 712-873-3125 or 800-469-3125 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for further questions and to schedule an appointment to upgrade your security light.

LED Security Lighting

$52

$19

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$10

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$60

Existing Proposed

Annual Energy Costs per Lighting Systems

A properly selected and planted tree can add beauty and energy efficiency to your landscape. A poorly selected and planted tree can become high maintenance, dangerous, and short lived.

One of the first consid-erations is the purpose of your tree. Will your tree be needed for shade, a windbreak, or beauty? These considerations will affect what tree is suit-able for you, and where it should be planted. Dense evergreens pro-vide a good wind block, while leafy deciduous trees provide shade in the summer. No matter what purpose, the best option is always native trees. They require less maintenance and will live longer. You can get more information about native growing trees from a regional University Extension office, a state department of natural resources, or The Arbor Day Foundation’s website www.arborday.org.

The next step is to decide where you will plant your tree. For a windbreak, plant trees to the north and northwest. For shade, plant trees to the east and west of your home. Remember that fast-growing trees are more brittle, and likely to be damaged in a storm. Plant these trees farther from your home to protect your home from damage.

Select planting locations that will not interfere with your utility lines or power poles. Tall growing trees with a mature height of greater than 40 feet should be planted 50 feet away to avoid future pruning. A mature height of less than 25 feet is recommended for trees planted near power lines. Keep in mind that trees should never be planted directly under power lines, near poles, or too close to electrical equipment.

Plant The Right Tree In The Right Place

It only takes a couple of minutes to change the air filter in your heating/cooling system. It’s simple and easy. As TogetherWeSave. com has shown, changing your filter every month can save you $82 a year.

But that’s not all you can save. A dirty air filter makes your system work harder to keep you cool, which wastes energy. Changing your air filter regu-larly helps to insure efficient operation and keep your electricity bill in check. What’s more, a dirty air filter allows dust and dirt to build up in your sys-tem. Changing your air filter regularly can reduce the need for costly main-tenance and prevent damage to your system.

Change Your Air Filter

1 ½ csugar½ c. margarine2 eggs2 t. vanilla1 t. salt1 ½ c. mashed bananas1 t. baking soda2 c. flour1c. sour cream

Spray cooking pan (jelly roll pan). Mix together the sugar, margarine and eggs. Add mashed bananas and vanilla. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add alternately with the sour cream until all blended together. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:¾ c. brown sugar 1/3 c. margarine1 T. corn syrup 1/3 c. milkPinch of salt

Bring to a boil and then cool. Add 1t. vanilla and enough powdered sugar to thicken. Beat until smooth. Spread over bars.

Moist Banana Bars