April 2012 - Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative

From Here to ThereBy Greg Blum,President & CEOIn celebration of our 75 th Anniversary, I talked lastmonth about the formation of Waupaca Electric Cooperativein 1937, which merged with Marathon PortageElectric Cooperative in 1948 to form Central WisconsinElectric Cooperative. This month I will highlight howMarathon Portage Electric Cooperative came to be.Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative was incorporatedon October 1, 1940, three years after WaupacaElectric Cooperative. It would be avery tough beginning for the newcooperative and it would test the resolveof the nine original members.The first order of business was toaccept those nine pioneers as membersof the cooperative and to makethem directors of the new entity.Discussion was then held about startplanning the new system, settingup the territory, and applying to theREA for approval of funds.The new cooperative membersalso discussed whether a mergerwith Waupaca Electric right awaywould kick start the cooperative, butthe REA response was that WaupacaElectric Cooperative had enough to do and there wereenough farms in Marathon and Portage to ensure successalone. This ended the discussion on a merger, but it wouldhaunt the cooperative over the next few years.The REA approved $190,000 in loan funds in 1941,and work began to secure an office and engineer thesystem, but as in life, timing is everything. The war brokeout. On February 10, 1942, the REA sent a letter to thecooperative explaining all new projects would be abandonedbecause of the war effort. The cooperative wouldhave to wait, and it would cost the co-op dearly. WisconsinPublic Service Corp (WPS), an investor-owned utility,began building lines in the co-op territory, skimming offthe most profitable areas. The cooperative was powerlessThe nine original membersof Marathon PortageElectric Cooperative wereFrank Kleman, Hatley;John Essex, Custer; HarryKluck, Wittenberg; FrankWlasek, Knowlton; ChasDallman, Mosinee; HarveyWoodward, Schofield; MaxKawleski, Stevens Point;Leo Zynda, Hatley; andWalter Cychosz, Custer.to stop them, and the co-op’s service territory was gutted.Finally, in 1944 the War Production Board grantedapproval to the cooperative to build 115 miles of lineserving 299 members. WPS held a conference in which itasked the co-op to abandon its plan; the co-op declined.WPS then offered to sell the co-op the lines it had builtin the cooperative’s area. WPS offered a price the co-opaccepted, but it would have to be approved by the StateCommission. Again, WPS pulled a fast one on the co-opby informing all the farmers that the hearing was aboutWPS abandoning the lines to their farms, which the statecommission certainly would not approve. WPS alsopromised the cooperative could buildlines through territory WPS pilfered andit would “no longer hamper the Co-op’sprogram.” Of course, WPS changed itsmind and kept building spite lines in thecooperative’s area.One such line was built by FrankKleman’s farm. Frank was one of theoriginal members in 1940, and he hadserved as the president of the cooperativesince 1940. On December 3, 1945, he reluctantlyand sadly tendered his resignationbecause he would be served by WPSand so could not be a co-op member. TheMarathon Portage Electric Cooperativewould miss his dedication, leadership,and loyalty. He expressed his hope thatWPS would sell the line to the cooperative someday.Finally, on December 12, 1945, Frank Kleman,although not a member, presided over a small celebrationenergizing the very first section of line of MarathonPortage Electric Cooperative. The next year the directorsvoted to merge with Waupaca Electric Cooperative tostart the consolidation in 1948, forming Central WisconsinElectric Cooperative. It is truly amazing that MarathonPortage Electric Cooperative survived the war andthe shenanigans of WPS. It took loyalty, perseverance,and a vision of a better future for those original membersto succeed. We are greatly indebted to those men and otherswho shared in the trials and successes to get us heretoday. Have a great month.4 • Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

CWEC 74 th Annual MeetingCentral Wisconsin Electric Cooperative iscelebrating 75 years in 2012, so join usfor a very special annual meeting on Saturday,April 14, 2012. This year your annualmeeting will be held at the Rosholt HighSchool in Rosholt.Registration for the meeting begins at 9a.m., with members having an opportunity tosocialize over coffee and rolls and view variousdisplays.We will be kicking off our foodpantry collection at the annual meeting.Bring three or more non-perishable fooditems and receive a FREE CFL bulb (fivebulbs per family). The items collectedwill be distributed to food pantries in ourservice area.President & CEO Greg Blum andBoard Chairman Anthony Buss, Jr. willkeynote the meeting’s business session,which begins at 10 a.m. During the businesssession, members will have theopportunity to hear how their co-op is faringfinancially, learn details about variousservices offered by their member-ownedpower supplier, and receive updates on stateand federal regulatory issues of importanceto electric co-ops. An election of two boardpositions will be held.As a member-owner of an electriccooperative, you can voice your opinions atSaturday, April 14Rosholt High School346 Randolph Street West, Rosholt, WIthe annual meeting. You can also vote forthe directors to represent you on the boardof directors. This is an advantage cooperativeshave over the investor-owned utilities,whose customers have no say in the managementof the company and cannot vote fortheir board of directors.EntertainmentFollowing the businessmeeting, C. WilliMyles (left), stand-upcomedian and storyteller,will entertain the crowdwith his extremely funnyhumor and storytellingthat everyone can relateto. He has been referredto as “America’s EverydayComedian.”Prizes will begiven to all in attendance.In addition, 74 members’ names willbe drawn for up to $100 of free electricity.Door prizes will also be given to luckymembers who names are drawn. For kidsup to age 15, there will be a drawing for abicycle and helmet. For all of the drawings,winners need to be present.Lunch will be served after the entertainment,so make sure you stick around.Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative • 5

Central Wisconsin Electric CooperativeMr. andMrs. JacobOstrowski,Wittenberg,stand nextto their newWestinghousecenter drawerrefrigerator inAugust 1961.Mrs. FrankRebeck,Hately,switched froma gas rangeto a flamelesshigh-speedWestinghouseelectric rangein January1961.Mrs. Andrew Olson, Iola, with the fancy newWestinghouse dishwasher she won at theannual meeting on June 8, 1961.Electric AppliancesMade Life EasierWith the introduction of power tothe rural areas, many CWEC memberswere able to replace their non-electricappliances with new electric ones,making their lives much easier andhelping them save money. Whether itwas a refrigerator, dishwasher, stove,or freezer, electric appliances brought amore efficient and versatile life to ruralAmerica. Here are some excited memberswith their new electric appliances.Myron Wogsland, Iola, was the grand prizewinner of a 15-cubic-foot Westinghousefreezer at the 1962 annual meeting.WECA Education& Lobby DaysGreg Blum, CWEC president &CEO, and CWEC board membersLee Lehrer, Anthony Buss, Jr.,Elaine Eckendorf, Sue Rombalski,and Tom Smith had a chance to attendthe annual Lobby Day hostedby the Wisconsin Electric CooperativeAssociation in January inMadison. They were able to meetwith Wisconsin lawmakers anddiscuss issues that are affectingyour co-op.Kevin Peterson, 40 th Assembly district representative, met with Greg Blum, CWEC president& CEO, and Lee Lehrer, CWEC director, at the recent WECA Lobby Days.28 • Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

Friends of Main StreetTigerton is celebrating 19 years as a Wisconsin Main StreetCommunity. At its banquet February 12, Tigerton Main Streetpresented the 2011 Friends of Main Street awards to John Gutho,Village of Tigerton president; Mark Forseth, CWEC vice presidentof marketing, and Tom Smith, CWEC board member, representingCWEC’s Round-up program; and the Bud and Norma JohnsonFoundation. Pictured left to right are Smith; Forseth; Gutho;Virginia Kauffman, Tigerton Main Street manager, accepting theaward for the Bud and Norma Johnson Foundation; and KathrynRobbins, president of Tigerton Main Street, Inc. Board of Directors.Dates to Remember in AprilCWEC Annual MeetingSaturday, April 14 • Rosholt High School, Rosholt, WI9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. business meeting, followed by entertainmentand lunch. For more information call 715-677-2211.April Fool’s Day • Sunday, April 1CWEC Office will be closed Friday, April 6Easter Sunday • April 8Walls of Wittenberg Presents:“Those Johnson Girls and All Their Horses”Open show Saturday, April 21, 7-10 p.m.; Show continuesSaturdays & Sundays through May 13, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.WOWSPACE, 114 Vinal St, WittenbergThree sisters, a daughter and a niece, all with roots in Tigerton, createhorses in all shapes and sizes: watercolor, oil, acrylic, ceramic,fabric, and mixed media. $25/person. For more information call715-253-3525 or visit www.wallsofwittenberg.com.Walls of Wittenberg 5 th Annual Wine, Beer and Cheese GalaSaturday, April 21, 7–10 p.m.WOWSPACE, 114 Vinal St, WittenbergFeaturing: Dupont cheese, Point Beer, Wagner Shell wine selections,Nueske meats, and Lisa’s Sweet Treats. $25/person. For more informationcall 715-253-3525 or visit www.wallsofwittenberg.com.To submit your community events e-mail brenda.mazemke@cwecoop.com or call Brenda at 715-677-2211.Mainstreet MessengerPersonal Independence with Peace of MindLiving alone can be an uneasy situation, especially forelderly individuals or those with medical difficulties.MainStreet Messenger Medical Alert provided by CentralWisconsin Electric Cooperative allows individuals thesatisfaction of independent living and the peace of mindthat comes with knowing there is always someone to help.CWEC has been providing MainStreet MessengerMedical Alert to individuals since 1997, with installationsin the home, senior care facility, or apartment.MainStreet Messenger is a 24-hour, 365 day/year monitoringservice. With the touch of a button, the individualis connected with the Response Center. An automatedcomputer system will display all of the subscriber information,such as address, family contacts, and medicalhistory. The unit has a powerful speaker on it that willopen up two-way voice communication. If medical help isneeded, the family contacts and the proper authorities, ifneeded, are notified.Our staff provides in-home installation. They willcontact you and set up an appointment to install the unitand demonstrate. To hook up the unit you will need a landline phone jack with long-distance service. The buttons arewaterproof, so they can be worn in the shower, bath, etc.The cost is $29.95 per month plus sales tax; there isno installation fee. We work with a variety of county departments,including the Department of Aging and SocialService, as well as health-care facilities, rehabilitationcenters, senior care centers, hospitals, and clinics.We are centrally located in Wisconsin, and we prideourselves in being able to provide a quality service. Ourservice is available to anyone who needs it; you do notneed to be a member of the co-op. It is available to anyonein Waupaca, Portage, Marathon, or Shawano counties.If you know of someone who could benefit from thisservice, or you would like us to provide a demonstrationto your group or facility, contact us at Central WisconsinElectric Cooperative 1-800-377-2932.Central Wisconsin Electric CooperativeYour Touchstone Energy ® PartnerGreg Blum, President & CEO10401 Lystul Rd., P.O. Box 100, Rosholt, WI 54473(715) 677-2211 • 800-377-2932www.cwecoop.comCentral Wisconsin Electric Cooperative • 29