MG_NL_1106

November 2006

Middle Georgia EMC Newsletter

Member Newsletter

Middle Georgia

The Official Newsletter of Middle Georgia Electric Membership Corporation

P.O. Box 190, Vienna, GA 31092

November 2006

MANAGER'S

Comments

By Hugh Richardson

uring the past 30 years, technological

advancements have improved to make our

jobs faster, safer and more efficient. Below are
just a few that have really had a positive impact
on our operations:

OMS Outage management system

This system allows us to record all power

outages when our members call in and speeds
up locating the source of the problem. Reports
are more accurate since all the inputs replace
our old paper trail of notes.

Automatic sleeves

Repairing broken conductors got easier and

faster about 25 years ago when we began using
these. No crimping tools are needed--just put
the conductor in each end of the sleeve and
tension will clamp down on the conductor,
holding the sleeve in place.

AMR Automatic
meter reading

Transportation costs

dropped considerably after we discontinued driving
to each home every month in 1999. Since the price
of gasoline soared earlier this year, the payoff of the

Automatic Meter Reading
(AMR) system was even bet-
ter. The AMR also allows us
to monitor power outages
and get readings from our
control center any time we
need them.

The Internet

Our members can conveniently access their

accounts and pay online. Several hundred of our
members now use this service each month, and the
list keeps growing. Our branch offices also access
our main office computer via the Internet.

Technology

Holiday Notice

Our offices will be closed on

Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006, in

observance of Thanksgiving.

GEORGIA MAGAZINE

Middle Georgia EMC Newsletter

Spicy Cinnamon Cake

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen
and

foodnetwork.com

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 7 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Yield: 15 servings
This recipe got a five-star rating.

Ingredients

1 (18-ounce) package spice cake mix

1 (4-serving) package instant vanilla

pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup corn oil

5 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 10-inch tube pan.
Combine cake mix, instant pud-
ding, sour cream, eggs and corn

oil and beat together well. In a
separate bowl, combine sugar, cin-
namon and pecans. Pour half of
batter into prepared pan and
sprinkle with sugar mixture,
reserving a little to sprinkle on
top. Pour the rest of batter into
pan and sprinkle with the rest of
sugar mixture. Bake for one hour.
Let cool and remove from pan.

Granite Steps Country Blueberry
Coffee Cake

Courtesy of Paula Deen
and

foodnetwork.com

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 15 minutes
Inactive prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
This recipe got a five-star rating.

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (12-ounce) can buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen

blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Generously grease a 9-inch square
baking dish. In a small bowl,
combine brown sugar and cinna-
mon and mix well with a fork.
Separate biscuit dough into 10 bis-
cuits. Cut each biscuit into quar-
ters, and dip each piece in melted
butter and coat with brown sugar
mixture. Arrange in a single layer
in baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2
cup of the oats.

Combine blueberries and

sugar in a bowl and toss to coat.
Spoon over oats and biscuits and
sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup
oats. Drizzle remaining melted
butter on top. Bake for 20 minutes
or until cake is golden brown and
center is done. Cool for 20 min-
utes and serve warm.

Yummy fall cake recipes!

ver found yourself sweating over an open oven door,

staring at your Thanksgiving turkey, basting and

basting again, wondering if it's cooked just right or why
the skin won't bake to a beautiful golden brown?

You're not alone--and you don't have to figure it

out alone, either. Butterball's toll-free Turkey Talk
line--(800) BUTTERBALL--connects you with one of
50 home economists and nutritionists whom the turkey
company hires at Thanksgiving time to answer all your
cooking questions.

The help line started in 1981 with six staff mem-

bers who fielded a whopping 11,000 calls. Since then,
the company has added a line for Spanish-speaking
callers and one for hearing- and speech-impaired cooks
at (800) TDD-3848.

And the Butterball Web site (www.butterball.com)

helps the Internet-savvy with pages full of unusual
recipes, along with simple preparation and baking

instructions for a
classic Thanks-
giving turkey.

The main

job of the talk
line and Web site,
however, is to
help Thanksgiving
cooks prepare
their turkeys safe-
ly. Call or go
online to learn what temperature your turkey should
be for safe consumption and how long to keep that
bird in the oven.

Along with traditional oven tips, the Web site

and talk-line staffers can provide information about
gas and charcoal grilling, as well as microwave
preparation of your Thanksgiving bird.

Talk turkey--on the phone

Yummy fall cake recipes!

November 2006

Middle Georgia EMC Newsletter

Warm winters call for fire safety

The lower the temperature dips, the higher

your chances for a fire in your home.

That's because nearly one-third of residen-

tial fires occur during the winter, the National
Fire Protection Association says. Several culprits
mar the holidays with fires: Space heaters and
wood stoves are obvious threats, but candles and
overloaded outlets from holiday lights are guilty
as well.

Prevent holiday fires by decorating carefully

and paying a bit of extra attention to fire safety
this winter. Some tips:

· Have the chimney cleaned and inspected

each year before winter use. Keep a tight-
fitting screen on the fireplace.

· Burn only dry, well-seasoned wood in wood

stoves. Do not burn trash, as it can start a
chimney fire. Scrape ashes into a closed
metal container and dispose of them out-
doors.

· Electric space heaters may help you stay

cozy when it's cold, but they can be danger-
ous. Replace your old heaters with newer
models that have automatic shut-off protec-
tion. Keep them away from curtains and
other flammables; never put snow-covered
clothes on an electric heater to speed drying.
Most important, teach your children to steer
clear of the heaters.

· Don't overload outlets or extension cords

with holiday lights.

· Extension cords are designed for temporary

use, so pack them away when the season is
over. Do not put extension cords under rugs
or in walking paths. Not only can they trip
someone, but the wear on the cord
could cause it to fray and
create a fire hazard.

· Candles are a classic

holiday decoration, but
also a potential fire
starter. If you use
candles as part of a
centerpiece,
enclose the can-
dle in a glass
holder and keep
it away from
the surround-
ing decora-
tions. Keep
candles off of
coffee tables,
where they easily
can be knocked over. Never leave one unat-
tended in an empty room.

The lower the temperature dips, the higher

your chances for a fire in your home.

That's because nearly one-third of residen-

Prevent holiday fires by decorating carefully

and paying a bit of extra attention to fire safety
this winter. Some tips:

Have the chimney cleaned and inspected
each year before winter use. Keep a tight-
fitting screen on the fireplace.

Burn only dry, well-seasoned wood in wood
stoves. Do not burn trash, as it can start a
chimney fire. Scrape ashes into a closed
metal container and dispose of them out-
doors.

Electric space heaters may help you stay
cozy when it's cold, but they can be danger-
ous. Replace your old heaters with newer
models that have automatic shut-off protec-
tion. Keep them away from curtains and
other flammables; never put snow-covered
clothes on an electric heater to speed drying.
Most important, teach your children to steer
clear of the heaters.

Don't overload outlets or extension cords
with holiday lights.

Extension cords are designed for temporary
use, so pack them away when the season is
over. Do not put extension cords under rugs
or in walking paths. Not only can they trip
someone, but the wear on the cord
could cause it to fray and
create a fire hazard.

Candles are a classic
holiday decoration, but
also a potential fire
starter. If you use
candles as part of a
centerpiece,
enclose the can-
dle in a glass
holder and keep
it away from
the surround-
ing decora-
tions. Keep
candles off of
coffee tables,
where they easily
can be knocked over. Never leave one unat-
tended in an empty room.

Middle Georgia EMC Newsletter

GEORGIA MAGAZINE

Board of Directors

Don Wood

President

Johnny Noble

Vice President

Kay West

Secretary

Ronnie Youngblood

Treasurer

John David McCall

Director

Jerry F. Rhodes

Director

Royce Conner

Director

Ronnie Fleeman

Director

David Dunaway

Director

Davis and Forehand

Attorneys

Staff

Hugh Richardson

General Manager

Lisa Laney

Executive Secretary,

Newsletter Editor

Randy Kent

Office Manager

Mike McGee

Manager of Operations

and Engineering

Vienna Area (229) 268-2671

Rochelle

(Day) (229) 365-2263
(Night) 1-800-342-0144

Hawkinsville

(Day) (478) 892-3436
(Night) 1-800-342-0144

Office Hours

Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

(Branch offices closed from

12-1 p.m. daily)

Closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

There is a dispatcher on call 24 hours

a day for your convenience.

Middle Georgia EMC recognizes the following employees for their years of service as

of October 2006: Line Foreman

Henry Bellew

, who is celebrating 36 years with

Middle Georgia EMC as of Oct.1. Henry has the honor of holding the Middle Georgia

EMC record for being employed here for the longest amount of time!

Doug Powell

Middle Georgia EMC's purchasing agent, has been with us for 15 years. We would

also like to welcome a new member to our Middle Georgia EMC family--

Cole

Bearden

. Cole began work as a groundman on Monday, Sept. 18, 2006, and we are

so glad to have him here at Middle Georgia EMC.

Years of Service Recognition

snow-covered roof

can offer clues

about energy efficiency,

according to the

Wisconsin Division of

Energy. In a recent

report, the state agency

said a roof showing

massive icicles, such as

the ones depicted in

this photograph, could

mean the house is inad-

equately insulated.

Even in Georgia, poor insulation can cause snow on the roof

to melt and then refreeze as an "ice dam" when it reaches the

cold eaves. As more snow melts and pools, creating a frozen ice

dam, this moisture can seep between the shingles and into the

roof cavity and wall. A roof with an even, continuous blanket of

snow and no icicles is well-sealed and well-insulated. A struc-

turally sound roof, built to withstand at least 30 pounds per

square foot, can handle the weight of the snow, the state energy

division reported.

--Source: Electric Co-op Today

How to `read' your roof