January ice storm tests men, machines at McKenzie Electric

MEMOS
Highway 23 E. • Watford City, ND
Outpost • Killdeer, ND
(701) 444-9288 • (800) 584-9239
January ice storm
tests men, machines
at McKenzie Electric
MARCH 2010 • McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS—C1

COOPERATIVE EFFORT
restores
power for members
When the frost started building on
the trees, fences and power
lines, the operations department
at McKenzie Electric Cooperative
didn’t see the calendar-worthy beauty in
the picture. They knew those frosted lines
could mean potential outages throughout
the system. And they were right.
During the week of Jan. 17, frost was
heavy on the lines and trees. On Wednesday,
Jan. 20, freezing rains came and the
frost turned to ice. The winds joined the
fun and were soon howling between 20
and 45 miles per hour. That’s when the
lines began to snap and the poles began
to break. And that’s when the first calls
from members reporting power outages
came in.
As if that combination wasn’t enough,
a blizzard was gathering power and hit
the area late Saturday night, adding to
the chaos through Monday, Jan. 25. After
C2—McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS • MARCH 2010
that, the sun came out, but the temperature
continued in the minus numbers for
the rest of the week.
“When I heard the forecast, I said to
my wife, ‘We’re looking at a disaster for
MEC,’ but we got lucky; we were right on
the edge of the storm,” said Rick Pokrzywinski,
a lineworker with 25 years experience
at McKenzie Electric Cooperative
(MEC). Pokrzywinski has worked through
at least six major ice storms in his career,
and he still remembers the ice storm of
October 2005 as the worst for damages
and time getting things back in order.
“The ice storm of 2005 was more widespread
in our area, but this ice storm was
the coldest I’ve ever experienced. It’s
unusual to have an ice storm in January;
they usually come in March. The extreme
cold made it hard to work through this
one,” he said.
But Rick and the rest of the line crew,
The farmers and ranchers were there to
help plow roads for the lineworkers and
to help in any way they could.
joined by the engineering department,
worked day and night from that Wednesday
through the weekend and into the
next week to get the power restored to all
the members of MEC, a cooperative that
takes in all of two counties and parts of
three others.
Steve Lautenschlager, operations
manager, has worked during many ice
storms in his 28 years with MEC, but this
was the first as operations supervisor and
overseeing all the men and equipment
working during the storm.
“To say that our men did a great job
is an understatement. They worked
through the night that first Wednesday
night right on into Thursday and Thursday
night. I brought them in early on
Friday night so everyone could get
some rest. After that, we tried to get
them in after 14 or 16 hours and on
Sunday the weather was so bad, I made

them come in by dark. The blizzard was
so bad then it was dangerous for them
to be out after dark,” he said.
“On Monday, they were out again and
by Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 11:30 p.m., we had
the last member back on. Or so we
thought. We found out later that there
was one more household that didn’t have
power. They were back on the next day,”
he said. The longest that any member
was out of power for one stretch was from
midnight Friday to the following Tuesday.
John Skurupey, general manager/chief
executive officer of MEC, said the members
of the co-op were great. “The members
who called in understood what was
going on and what our guys were doing.
In most cases, they just wanted to know
when the power might come back on. The
farmers and ranchers were there to help
plow out roads for our guys and to help
in any way they could.”
Skurupey also had high praise for
Lautenschlager and the men from the
operations and engineering departments.
“Steve did a phenomenal job.
He was manning two radios, a phone
and a cell phone most of the time
through the storm. He remained positive
throughout the whole time and his
organization was amazing. He kept track
of where all the men were, both our men
and the contractors we called in, where
the outages were as the calls came in,
and he got it all documented as well.”
Skurupey had praise for the men as
well. “I know the quality of the men we
have and it showed during the storm. The
members recognized their efforts as well.
I’ve had many calls and e-mails thanking
the line crew for their fast response, their
dedication to the job and their neverstop
attitude,” he said.
Lautenschlager explained that one of
the reasons that MEC had such a fast
response to outages throughout the area
was that the co-op was in construction
mode and had two contractors working
for the co-op when the storm hit.
“Between the two contractors, we had
about 30 men and their machines that
could build lines for us. We didn’t have to
go looking for more help. Along with the
20 men from MEC, we were in better
shape than many of our neighboring coops
and able to get members back on
power fairly soon,” he said.
The equipment has improved over the
years as well. “The snowcats saved us this
storm,” Pokrzywinski said. “The fourwheel-drive
bucket trucks were great as
well.” Lautenschlager added that MEC
Poles were down as far as the eye could see along the Kelling line northwest of Killdeer
in Dunn County.
was demonstrating a large four-wheeldrive
bucket truck when the storm hit.
“This truck has a bucket that can reach
to the top of a 65-foot pole. In fact, we
used it to help (the Western Area Power
Administration) repair one of their big
transmission lines. That line serves the
Mountain substation about 15 miles
north of Killdeer. The truck was also able
to park on the road and work some of the
lines right from the road. It passed the
test and we bought it,” he said.
The storm hit hardest in the southern
part of McKenzie County and in Dunn
County. More than 100 poles were broken
during the storm. The worst area was just
east of the Charlie Creek substation at
the junction of Highway 85 and Highway
200. More than 30 poles were down in a
really rugged area. One of the contracting
crews worked on that project from Friday
morning to Tuesday afternoon. Just when
they would have the new poles in, more
poles would break.
About 588 households were out of
power at some time during the storm.
Some of those were out for only a short
time while others went without power for
much of the storm. Storm damage was
estimated at about $500,000, but that
number was expected to go up as the
cleanup continued.
While many of the men were wellexperienced
in working through an ice
storm, this was the first one for Rick Jore,
a field staking engineer who has been
with MEC for three years. “It was a great
experience to work in the field with the
line crew. I learned a lot about location
of lines and what it’s like to work in
those conditions.”
The line crew, Lautenschlager and
Skurupey all talked about the great
cooperation from Dunn and McKenzie
counties and several local contractors
who were there to move snow for the
men to reach the lines, as well as the
farmers and ranchers. John summed it
up by saying, “It was a cooperative effort
to get the power on for the members.”
Thank you to all who helped, but
especially to the line crew who were
and always are the front lines in any
power outage.
MARCH 2010 • McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS—C3
McKENZIE ELECTRIC

March may be a bit into the year
for New Year’s resolutions or
even to begin yearlong projects,
but it is the beginning of spring
— in some parts of the world — and
the beginning of a new season of creation.
And that brings me to my brilliant
new plan, a new hobby that will
combine three of my most ardent,
long-hidden passions.
I am going to start making beautiful
canvas prints of wonderful photographs
I have taken and will continue
to take. I got this idea from some
cousins we were visiting last fall. As
Ron and I walked around their home,
we were amazed at the beautiful pictures
on their walls. As we looked closer,
we recognized some of the scenes
as places we had been. They explained
that they took their favorite pictures off
the camera card and had them printed
on canvas and framed. Ron was
impressed; I was fascinated.
I could see the possibilities opening
before me. Here was the perfect trifecta.
I would have a reason to go through
all the pictures I had taken in the past.
And along the way, I could throw some
of the not-canvas-worthy pictures in
those albums I’ve been saving for
years, or give them away. That would
take care of the cupboard in the living
room which has gone from a horrific
mass of pictures into lots of clear plastic
boxes somewhat organized by date
or subject. That was done in my last
great project of cleaning all the closets
in the house a couple of years ago. The
next year’s project was going to be taking
care of all those pictures, including
those I stuffed into large bins and have
moved from room to room since then.
That year went by without any attempt
on my part to look at those pictures.
It seems any project that includes
organizing the mountain of pictures
that date back to the early 1970s has
been doomed to fail. But all that will
change now. That’s because this project
uses those pictures to satisfy the
other two reasons for my project.
C4—McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS • MARCH 2010
McKENZIE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
mind’s meanderings by Myra Anderson
My newest, grandest plan of all
The second great aspect of my grand
new hobby is that these rediscovered
pictures, now printed on canvas and
framed, will be the perfect gifts for family
and friends.
I know there will be even more
doubters about this part of the project.
Since Ron and I were first married, I
believed the best gifts were those you
create yourself. Unfortunately, most of
my created gifts were never completed.
There was the pantsuit I was sewing for
Ron’s mom for Christmas back in 1973.
I finally threw out the pattern and gave
the material to the quilters at the
church three years ago. And then there
was the large floral piece of crewel
embroidery that I gave to my mom in
1977. It was gorgeous and it came complete
with a threaded needle about
two-thirds of the way done. I did finish
it in time for Mother’s Day 1981. That is
better than the advent angel I was
working on for Marshall. He was about
to celebrate his second Christmas.
That’s still not done and he just celebrated
his 33rd Christmas. That project
is still so cute, I refuse to throw it away.
And then there’s the infamous chair
seat that I was going to needlepoint for
my sister even though she begged me
not to. I insisted and that chair cover
became the butt of jokes each year at
Christmas even when the two successive
chair covers Ryma purchased for
the chair had both worn out. The last
time I was at her house, I didn’t even
see the chair anymore. I guess it’s a
good thing I didn’t work myself to
death on the cover all those years ago.
I did think that when I retired, I would
pick up some of those needlework projects
again. I had to have more time
now than when I was working full time
and had two small boys. I haven’t
found that time yet, but now I can
abandon those unfinished or neverstarted
projects with a light heart and
clear conscious. I’ve found an even better
gift from the heart.
And the last reason for my new hobby
is perhaps the strongest. This will
finally give me the outlet for artistic
creativity that I know has been smoldering
inside me all my life. I have
always loved looking at beautiful paintings
and sculpture, listening to wonderful
music, both vocal and instrumental,
reading great poetry. And I
think that I must also have some of
those talents hidden away.
And they are deeply hidden. I took
piano lessons for almost 10 years and
never learned more than the basics.
When I got to high school, my parents
suggested that I learn to play a school
instrument — I chose the tuba. The
tuba is a great instrument, but I never
found my talent there either. I love to
sing, but I’ve heard myself and cannot
even pretend there is talent lurking in
that area. My sisters and I took a year of
dance class when we were in elementary
school, but after the first recital it
was clear to the entire family gathered
that it wouldn’t be worth throwing
good money after bad.
I love words and I love writing, but
I’m fully aware that what I write is more

the meat and potatoes of the literary
world, not the gourmet food of poetry
and great literature. I am happy with
that; I do love what I do, but I still
needed the great artistic outlet. My
one attempt at poetry deemed worthy
of saving for posterity was written in
the third grade and went something
like: “My daddy is a farmer true; his
father and his father both were farmers,
too.” You get the idea. Pretty good
for a third-grader, but my poetry writing
stopped there.
I also found out it wasn’t painting. I
took a painting class back when I was
teaching in Minot. I was determined that
if I really tried, I would succeed. My
friend, an art teacher in the school, was
giving adult lessons and assured me that
anyone who tried could learn to express
themselves through painting. I tried. I
wasn’t greedy — I didn’t want to become
the next Leonardo DaVinci. All I wanted
was to paint clouds and some scenery.
During that six-week course, I followed
the instructor’s every direction
and suggestion. I concentrated on
moving my hand just like her. I
watched her and the other students
like a hawk to see how they could
move their brushes over the paper and
suddenly there were images that were
beautiful. My friend offered encouragement
and there was a spark of hope
when I completed a painting of a
banana. That hope dwindled when my
picture of the Blue Buttes become an
inkwell. In the end, the teacher and I
admitted failure when she returned the
money I had paid for the class.
But all that is behind me. I know
that my pictures are as beautiful as
any I see hanging in stores. All I have
to do is get started. It will be great; my
pictures will suddenly have a purpose,
friends and family will love the
beautiful gifts I create, and my artistic
soul will be satisfied. And all I have to
do is get started. And I’m going to get
started pretty quick. Maybe even next
week; and certainly before spring
becomes summer.
Nick Shattuck earns journeyman lineworker status
Nick Shattuck earns journeyman status
Nick Shattuck was presented his certificate for earning journeyman lineworker
status at the Apprenticeship Training & Safety (AT&S) Conference held in Bismarck
Jan. 13-15.
Shattuck is originally from Velva and went to school at Bismarck State College,
taking a year of general classes and then a year of lineworker training, earning his
associate degree. He went to work for Coal Creek Construction and later worked at
the Minot Air Force Base as a civilian electrician.
Shattuck came to work for McKenzie Electric Cooperative in the summer of 2006 as
temporary help, hoping it would lead to a full-time job. It did and he became a fulltime
apprentice lineworker in January 2007. He immediately began studying for his
journeyman’s certificate.
He took correspondence courses, a series of four books, under the supervision of
first Gary Thorson and more recently Steve Lautenschlager, operations supervisor at
McKenzie Electric Cooperative. There were nine chapters to each book. Shattuck
completed chapter tests, a final test after each book and then a comprehensive final
test. He was also required to work 8,000 hours under the supervision of a journeyman
lineworker. It usually takes about four years to complete this course, but Shattuck
finished in three.
Shattuck has a new title at work and he’s also going to have a new title at home
soon. Nick and his wife, Amanda, are expecting their first baby in May. Congratulations,
Nick, on becoming MEC’s newest journeyman lineworker.
Snowmobile with care
Sledding across the snow in a roadside
ditch is how many snowmobilers find
their fun. But remember, power lines
and poles are located along those same
roadside ditches. Often, poles are reinforced
with guy wires which extend some distance
from the poles. They may not be easy to see
from a speeding snowmobile, especially on a
dark, winter night or when they are buried
under snow.
As you snowmobile this winter, watch
While you are snowmobiling this winter, for guy wires, fences and since the
always ride at a speed at which you can stop recent storm, downed lines.
quickly. Ease up on the throttle, especially near any objects.
Know your riding area, too. Watch for guy wires, fences, underground
cable junction boxes and other hazards as you ride.
MARCH 2010 • McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS—C5
McKENZIE ELECTRIC

MEC has booth
for community
fund-raiser
McKenzie Electric Cooperative
(MEC) participated in the McKenzie
County Healthcare Systems Relay
for Life fund-raiser, “Soups On.”
Brenda Berquist prepared Mojakka
Soup, which is a Finnish-American
soup made with beef (the secret
recipe came from Verendrye
Electric). MEC’s side was
Ciabatta bread.
Since 1998, Operation Round Up has distributed more than $94,000 throughout the McKenzie Electric Cooperative service area to
individuals with medical costs, to civic and charitable organizations to help with their projects, to schools and parks to upgrade equipment,
and to ambulance and rescue departments to buy new and necessary equipment.
C6—McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS • MARCH 2010
Staff Assistant-Administrative Lynette Hansen serves a hot bowl of Mojakka soup to
member Rick Lawlar.
Operation Round Up applications due April 16
Rural people have long known that when you work
together, you can accomplish almost anything. This
was true when those who lived outside the areas
served by investor-owned utilities banded together to form
rural electric cooperatives and bring a new and better life to
those who farmed and ranched. That attitude of people
pulling together is still alive today, and it still works. At the
53rd annual meeting of McKenzie Electric Cooperative (MEC)
in 1998, the members voted to implement the Operation
Round Up program.
This program is voluntary to members of MEC. Those who
choose to take part have their monthly bills rounded up to
the nearest dollar, and the difference is put into a fund that is
managed by a board of local co-op members to benefit area
people and organizations. For example, if your March MEC
bill is $56.79, the bill is rounded up to $57. The 21 cents goes
into Operation Round Up. The most a member would ever
contribute in a year would be $11.88. It doesn’t seem like a
big amount, but since most of the co-op’s members have
chosen to participate, it adds up.
Twice a year applications are
submitted to the Operation
Round Up board which is made
up of co-op members from each
district within the co-op. They
meet and review the applications
and distribute funds. The board consists
of Doreen Orf, president; Arlene
Isaak, vice president; Betty Bruins, secretary; Maureen Moe,
treasurer; Delores Maston; Ray Mrachek; Joan Baker; Olive
Quinnell and Donna Lewis. The next application deadline is
April 16.
If you haven’t taken part in Operation Round Up, and
would like to be part of this worthwhile program, please contact
Lori Wright, billing supervisor, at McKenzie Electric; and
she will make the necessary changes to your account to
include you in Operation Round Up, where your pennies do
make a difference.

Keep your family in HOT WATER!
From washing dishes to showering,
hot water is used daily in most
homes. Water heating is the third
largest energy expense in your home. It
typically accounts for about 12 percent
of your utility bill. That’s why an efficient
electric water heater is so important.
Your energy consumption for water
heating is divided among three types of
use: heating efficiency, standby loss
and hot water consumption. You
should apply different conservation
measures to reduce each use.
BUY THE BEST
Heating efficiency describes how
well your water heater converts electricity
into hot water. When you next
buy a water heater, study the yellow
Energy Guide label that is required
on all appliances, and compare the
listed Energy Factor (EF) that is used
to rate water heaters. Find the highest
EF available to identify the most efficient
appliances.
The efficiency of water heaters is
rated by the EF. This is the percentage
of energy that remains in the hot
water you use, compared to the energy
that was used to heat that water.
For example, the best new electric
water heaters have an energy factor of
0.95. This means that 95 percent of
the energy used to heat the water is
still there when it enters your water
lines, and that 5 percent escaped
through the walls of the tank before
you used the water.
If your existing electric water
heater has an energy factor of 0.86
and the new one is 0.95, you’ll save
more than 400 kilowatt-hours per
year or $25-$35 per year.
Better yet, buy an Energy Star
appliance and you’ll get the most efficient
appliance of all.
TO LEARN MORE:
To learn more about saving energy, and money,
visit www.togetherwesave.com.
Fast fact:
• Nearly 2.5 million water heaters
will fail this year, leaving their
owners without hot water.
• The water heaters in 27 million
households are more than 10
years old. If your water
heater is more than 10
years old, replace it now,
and start saving money
right away!
Your local electric cooperative
will be glad to help you select a model
that will fit your needs. Most new
electric water heaters carry lifetime
warranties and have features that
make them much more efficient than
older models.
CHECK THE INSULATION
Standby losses include the heat that
goes through the walls of your water
heater tank even when no one is using
hot water. The best defense against
standby loss is a heavily insulated
tank. If you buy a tank with a high EF,
you’re getting the best built-in tank
insulation available.
If you have an existing water heater
that is more than a few years old, the
best way to reduce standby loss is by
installing an external water heater
blanket. Adding insulation to your
water heater can save 4 percent to 9
percent in costs. To determine if you
need to insulate your water heater,
touch it. A tank that’s warm to the
touch needs additional insulation.
Insulating your water heater tank is
fairly simple and inexpensive, and will
pay for itself in about a year. You can
find precut jackets or blankets available
from around $10 to $20. Choose one
with an insulating value of at least R-8.
If you install a blanket, be sure to follow
the manufacturer’s instructions to
avoid safety hazards.
CONSERVE HOT WATER
Hot water consumption is the water
you use at appliances and faucets.
Every gallon of hot water you use is
replaced by a gallon of cold water in
your water heater that must be heated.
If you reduce your hot water consumption,
you’ll reduce the amount of electricity
your water heater consumes.
MARCH 2010 • McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS—C7
McKENZIE ELECTRIC

BOARD
OF
DIRECTORS
Thompson
Link
Hanna
Monsen
Wasem
Aamodt
Houghton
Johnson
Tescher
board minutes report
Jan. 25
The regular meeting of the McKenzie Electric board of directors was held at
the headquarters building in Watford City.
Directors present were: Travis Thompson, Rondee Hanna, Ray Tescher,
Dennis Johnson, Glenn Aamodt, Tim Wasem, Donald Link, Clayton Monsen
and Glen Houghton.
Also present were: Cooperative General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) John Skurupey, attorney Dennis Edward Johnson and several
staff members.
Preliminaries: The agenda for the meeting was approved by the board of
directors. Minutes of the December 2009 board meeting were reviewed and
approved.
Directors’ issues: Director expenses were approved. Kirk Dewey, HDR Engineers,
presented the 2009 cost-of-service study to the board. The methodologies
used in the study were discussed and the results were reviewed in detail
by the board. After review, the board directed the general manager/CEO, along
with the consulting engineer, to proceed with proposed rate change scenarios
to be presented at the next board meeting.
Office report: The financial reports for December were reviewed with the
board. Year-to-date kilowatt-hours (KWH) sold was a 14 percent increase over
2008. MEC’s active meter number exceeded the 6,000 mark. The board
reviewed the comparison of actual-to-budget expenses for the year 2009. Margins
for the month of December were negative due to expensing the Western
Area Power Administration drought adder; however, margins for 2009
remained positive.
Member service report: The written member services report was reviewed
by the board. Essays received from area high school students for MEC’s Youth
Tour contest have been sent to North Dakota Association of Rural Electric
Cooperatives (NDAREC) for judging .
Operations department report: The operations department report was given.
Completed construction projects included 16 oil-related connects and 15
non-oil connects. Oster Brothers and 4T Construction remain very busy constructing
power lines. The conversion of the 15-kilovolt (KV) to 25 KV in the
new Mountain Substation area is continuing, however the weather has hampered
the progress of this project. The mobile substation was installed at the
Alexander substation due to a transformer failure. Inventory has been completed.
Annual line inspection is continuing through the winter. The board
approved the purchase of a new bucket truck to replace an old truck that has
been taken out of service due to structural problems.
Engineering report: The written engineering department report was
reviewed by the board. MEC has selected a proposed route for the Moccasin
Creek transmission line and will begin right-of-way acquisition. MEC is also in
the process of securing a site for the new Moccasin Creek Substation.
General manager/CEO report: General Manager/CEO Skurupey reported
on several items, including wholesale power issues and management items.
He reported that MEC set a new peak demand in December of 61,510
megawatts as a result of load growth and high heating load due to bitter cold
weather. Skurupey also reported on the reservation infrastructure meeting that
was recently held to discuss building new electric infrastructure on the reservation.
The board approved changes to Member Policy 203-Line Extensions
and eliminated Member Policy 803-Member Loans.
Associated organizations report: Director Link gave the NDAREC report.
Link also reported that he had been re-elected for another two-year term on
the NRECA board of directors. The board appointed voting delegates Hanna,
Monsen and Houghton to the NDAREC annual meeting and alternate delegates
Tescher, Aamodt and Wasem. Link was appointed as the NDAREC director
and Johnson as the alternate NDAREC director. The board cast a number of
election ballots for director elections in associated organizations.
Power supply: Chairperson Thompson reported on Upper Missouri G&T
Electric Cooperative issues. Several issues were discussed by the board of
directors. The board appointed Thompson as trustee and Tescher as alternate
to the Upper Missouri board of trustees. The board appointed Tescher as the
chairman of delegates to the Upper Missouri annual meeting. A report from
the Mid-West Electric Consumers Association annual meeting was given by
Wasem and Houghton.
Next meeting date: The next meeting date was set for Feb. 24 at the Watford
City headquarters building.
Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
C8—McKENZIE ELECTRIC NEWS • MARCH 2010
908 4th Ave. NE
Watford City, N.D. 58854
Phone: (701) 444-9288
Toll-free: (800) 584-9239
Web page:
http://www.mckenzieelectric.com
E-mail:
mec@mckenzieelectric.com
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS:
Travis Thompson, Chairperson
Director, District 1C, Charlson..............675-2373
Upper Missouri G&T Director
Donald Link, Vice Chairperson
NRECA Director, Statewide Director
Director, District 2A, Alexander............828-3427
Rondee Hanna, Sec.-Treas.
Director, District 2C, Watford City.......675-2516
Glen Houghton
Director, District 3B, Grassy Butte........863-6606
Glenn Aamodt
Director, District 1A, Alexander ............572-3066
Dennis Johnson, Alternate Statewide Director
Director, District 1B, Watford City ........842-2055
Tim Wasem,
Director, District 3C, Halliday ...............938-4376
Ray Tescher, Director-At-Large
Director, District 3A, Beach ...................565-2342
Clayton Monsen
Director, District 2B Arnegard ..................586-3336
3 C Construction Advisory Board
GENERAL MANAGER/CEO:
John Skurupey
(701) 842-4848
MEMBER SERVICES DEPARTMENT:
Brenda Berquist, Member Services
Coordinator................................................444-4033
Myra Anderson, Contributing Editor.......675-2267
Energy Efficiency
Tip of the Month
Use a programmable thermostat to
vary your home’s temperature based on
your schedule. Lower your thermostat
when you’re not home or at night to
save as much as 10 percent on heating
and cooling costs!