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AUGUST 2016

• Operation Round Up helps LaMoure baby

• Youth Tour “trip of a lifetime”

AUGUST 2016 INSIDE

Laps of love

Landan Wipf and Tydias Kleinsasser play with a scooter at the Willowbank Hutterite Colony. Students at the Willowbank school helped support LaMoure County’s 2016 Relay for Life event in LaMoure.

www.dakotavalley.com DAKOTA VALLEY ELECTRIC NEWS , AUGUST 2016 C1

Age, wealth, religion – cancer doesn’t discriminate. That’s why one county is involving

residents – young and old – in the fight for a cure.

LaMoure County residents of all sizes and backgrounds participate in Relay for Life. The county’s Hutterite children are no exception.

About 15 families live in the Willowbank Hutterite Colony in southeastern North Dakota. Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative serves the colony, which is located between Edgeley and LaMoure. Similar to the Amish, Hutterites live in colonies and refrain from technology. For Hutterites, the colony, rather than the individual,

provides material goods like food and housing.

With the help of the Hutterites, LaMoure County Relay for Life raised more than $52,000 at its event on June 10. Relay for Life programs throughout the country raise more than $400 million for the American Cancer Society each year.

Jenna Wipf, Emma Wipf, Kendra Hofer and Olivia Wipf live at Willowbank Colony. The students participated in a Relay for Life Project. LaMoure County raised more than $52,000 for the American Cancer Society this year.

Hutterite children walk in solidarity with cancer patients BY KATIE RYAN-ANDERSON

[email protected]

Hutterite children walk in solidarity with cancer patients

Laps of love

C2 AUGUST 2016 , DAKOTA VALLEY ELECTRIC NEWS www.dakotavalley.com

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The Hutterite children hosted a Relay for Life event at school. The program’s goal was to raise awareness to the American Cancer Society and what it does to help people with cancer.

“We wanted to do something different to get the kids involved,” Jenna Wright said.

Wright lives in Edgeley and is the fourth- through eighth-grade elementary teacher at Willowbank Colony School. Wright is also the team development coordinator for LaMoure County Relay for Life. She, along with Paraprofessional Nicole Wiederrich, helped organize the Relay event. Wiederrich is LaMoure County Relay for Life’s chair.

The 28 students had a goal of collectively walking 500 laps. Each lap around the colony playground measured 1/7 of a mile.

They exceeded it. “We had purple chains all over our

room,” Wright said. “We ended up with more than 1,000. It was crazy.”

The laps symbolized the challenges

of battling cancer. For every two laps, the children got to post one purple paper link in the classroom.

“We’re glad we got to help the people with cancer,” said Jenna Wipf, 13. “We hope they get well.”

Braden Hofer, age 11, got the most links out of all the children. He said he did it because he enjoyed being outside.

“I also wanted to help people who are sick,” he said.

Hutterite children helped Relay for Life last year, too. In 2016, they collectively read 1,000 books in one month as part of a friendly competition with nearby Fairview Colony.

“We are part of this community,” Wright said. “This is one way we can support it.”

This year marked the fourth Relay for Life in LaMoure County. In four years, the group has raised more than $200,000. For its efforts, American Cancer Society has awarded LaMoure County numerous awards, including a Nationwide Top 10 award in 2015. LaMoure County placed third in its

division for raising the most money per capita.

For more information on Relay for Life, visit Facebook.com/LaMoureCountyRelayForLife. n

Honorary Survivor, Cheryl Gackle, Kulm, speaks to Relay for Life participants. LaMoure County RFL held its annual event on June 10.

For more information on Relay for Life, visit

Facebook.com/LaMoureCountyRelayForLife.

Luminary bags mark the Relay for Life track in LaMoure County.

Candace and Janae Wipf are students at Willowbank Colony. The students there walked laps in remembrance of people with cancer. The students set a goal of 500 laps. By the end of the project, they’d walked more than 1,000.

PHOTO COURTESY BRIDGET SYVERSEN

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DAKOTA


LaMoure baby receives Operation Round Up helpDakota Valley gives grants to individuals, organizations in needBY KATIE [email protected]

Little babies with feeding tubes can’t go to day care. And moms without day care don’t get to

work. When moms can’t work, they can’t pay the bills.

That’s the situation Destinee Christensen faced when her baby was born 10 months ago.

When little Raea was born, her esophagus didn’t connect correctly to her trachea, meaning whatever she swallows goes into her lungs. The 10-month-old also has Down syndrome.

Even now, Christensen said she misses many days of work due to Raea’s illness and medical appointments. No day care can accept a baby in Raea’s condition, but Christensen said she

can continue working. Her mother now cares for Raea and Raea’s brother, Kolter, age 2. Christensen is also mother to Joshua, age 20.

“I work full time, but we have lots of travel and medical expenses, so that gets expensive,” Christensen said.

That’s what was on Linda Wagner’s mind when she suggested Christensen apply for Operation Round Up.

Operation Round Up gives grants to individuals and nonprofits within the Dakota Valley service area. Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative members

voluntarily elect to round their power bills up to the nearest dollar. Those donations vary between 1-99 cents per month. Each year, that money totals about $20,000, which is then donated to individuals like Christensen.

Wagner, of Fullerton, knows about the program firsthand. She’s served on its nine-member board for two years.

“Operation Round Up is so good at supporting individuals who need help,” she said.

Since 2002, Operation Round Up has donated more than $286,000 to individuals and nonprofit

organizations, said Michelle Berry. Berry manages the program for Dakota Valley Electric.

Recipients vary from premature babies and cancer patients to food pantries, libraries, opera houses and community centers.

Some of the applications, Wagner said, are heart-breaking to read.

“There’s a lot of sad stories,” she said. But Operation Round Up offers a silver lining.

“It’s definitely an easy way to give,”

she said. “It’s wide-reaching and a good way to support the community.”

All Operation Round Up grants are donated to individuals and organizations within Dakota Valley’s service area. Applicants do not need to be Dakota Valley members to qualify.

Christensen said she’s grateful for the support.

“It felt really great. It’s nice that the community is so supportive,” she said.

Operation Round Up applications are due Oct. 15, 2016. Download the form at DakotaValley.com. For more information, call 1-800-342-4671. n

“Operation Round Up is so good at supporting individuals who need help”

– Linda Wagner, Fullerton

Destinee Christensen, LaMoure, holds her children, Kolter and Raea. Christensen said she misses several days of work to care for Raea, who struggles to swollow and was born with Down Syndrome.




DAKOTA


Dakota Valley Electric Operation Round Up approves charitable grantsDakota Valley Electric Cooperative distributed $11,850 in

grants this summer.Money for the grants comes from co-op members who

donate to the Operation Round Up program. Operation Round Up rounds up electric bills to the nearest dollar. On average, each participating member will contribute $6 per year.

The money collected through Operation Round Up is

pooled and given away in grants of up to $2,500. Those grants can benefit any person or nonprofit in the Dakota Valley service area. The grants need never be paid back.

DVEC’s Operation Round Up program raises about $20,000 each year. Since 2002, Dakota Valley has awarded more than $286,000 to individuals and organizations in need.

This summer, the co-op awarded grants to the following individuals and organizations:

Destinee Christensen Medical $2,500LaMoure Community Development Park improvements $850Youth Opportunity Unlimited Inc. Play area improvements $300William Cignetti Medical $300Mooreton Park Board Playground renovations $790Lidgerwood-Hankinson Rural Health Assc. Maintain clinic buildings $790Friends of the Hankinson Library Dolly Parton Imagination Library $790Hankinson American Legion Irrigation system on learning site $790Hankinson Community Betterment Club Tables and chairs $790 Kulm Public School Hearing loop $1,300Montpelier PTO School gym mats $500Tim Klose Medical $100Ava Lematta Medical $1,800O.P.E.R.A Inc Opera House improvements $250

Operation Round Up helps schools, libraries, prematurebabies and victims of cancer. Coop members donate anaverage of 50 cents per month. That money then helps

other members merge onto the road of recovery.

Driven by change.

Apply for an Operation Round Up grant.Deadline: Aug. 29

Operation Round Up helps schools, libraries, prematurebabies and victims of cancer. Coop members donate anaverage of 50 cents per month. That money then helps

other members merge onto the road of recovery.

Driven by change.

Apply for an Operation Round Up grant.Deadline: Aug. 29

Apply for an Operation Round Up grant. Deadline: Oct. 15




DAKOTA


Montpelier student: Youth Tour is trip of a lifetimeFifteen North Dakota students attended the 2016 Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in June. Among them was Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative’s student: Hobie Bear, Montpelier. Students like Hobie learned about civics, cooperatives and most importantly, leadership, during the seven-day journey.BY HOBIE BEAR, MONTPELIER HIGH SCHOOL

The Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., was a really great experience for me. I would say

that it truly was a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” and that it had an impact on me. I learned a lot, and had an extreme amount of fun.

My favorite part of the trip, besides meeting all the other Youth Tour participants, would have to have been the Newseum. The Newseum is a museum dedicated entirely to news and media. It surprised me that I enjoyed it so much, as when I saw it on the itinerary I had no clue what to expect. It does make sense that it was so grand, if you think about it, news and media is how we convey pretty much everything to the public. The Newseum feels to me like a more accurate representation

of history because news is history that was written as the events took place, as opposed to a page in a dusty book that was written 50 years after the event.

Before I went on this trip, I thought that it wouldn’t be as cool as it was. I thought that with the age of the Internet, I had experienced everything I would experience going on this trip. I was wrong. Experiencing things secondhand doesn’t give you the same feeling it does as experiencing them firsthand. There is a distinct difference between reading about the Holocaust, and seeing the shoes of a little girl who didn’t survive the Holocaust at the Holocaust Museum.

Amongst the fun and the education there were other valuable things, too. Visiting places like the Pentagon

Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery puts some things into perspective. The United States of America has a fast, loud culture and it is beautiful how these places have a certain ambience that goes against that. It really is hard to explain how these memorials make you feel; I would not use the word sad.

On the last day of the trip, we had to stand up, one by one, at breakfast and say a word that we thought best described the trip. My word was “groovy.” At the time, I chose this word because all the good adjectives were taken, but as I reflect, groovy is the perfect describer for the trip. The dictionary definition for “groovy” is “enjoyable and excellent” which the Youth Tour certainly was. n

“There is a distinct difference between reading about the Holocaust, and seeing the shoes of a little girl who didn’t survive the Holocaust at the Holocaust Museum.”

– Hobie Bear, Montpelier High School




DAKOTA


Hunting electrical equipment is never in season

What’s behind that big buck might cost you big bucks. Damage to electrical equipment can be costly, and dangerous. Here’s a few tips to stay safe:SOME TIPS:• Do not shoot at or near power lines or insulators.• Be especially careful in wooded areas where power lines may not be as visible.• Do not use power line wood poles or towers to support equipment used in your shooting activity.• Do not place deer stands on utility poles or climb poles. Energized lines and equipment on the poles

can conduct electricity to anyone who comes in contact with them, causing shock or electrocution.• Do not shoot at, or near, birds perching on utility lines. That goes for any type of fi rearm, including

pistols, rifl es or shotguns.• Do not place decoys on power lines or other utility equipment. Anything attached to a pole besides

utility equipment can pose an obstruction – and a serious hazard – to electric cooperative employees as they perform utility operations.



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[email protected]

800-342-4671Edgeley O� ce:7296 HWY 281, Edgeley, ND 58433

Milnor O� ce:14051 HWY 13, Milnor, ND 58060

OFFICE HOURS:Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

BOARD & MANAGEMENT:Richard Schlosser, President .............. Edgeley

Arden Fuher, Vice President .............. Edgeley

John Hauschild, Treasurer ..............Wahpeton

Connie Bitz, Secretary ......................LaMoure

Richard Johnson ................................Cogswell

Kim Rasmussen ....................................Havana

Dave Paulson .................................. Hankinson

Matt � ompson ............................. Wyndmere

Blaine Lundgren ...................................... Kulm

General Manager ....................... Bruce Garber

Manager of Engineering ...........Seth Syverson

IT Manager ............................. Scott Buchholtz

Operations Manager .................. Craig Rysavy

Business Manager ...........................Kelly Wald

Sta� Assistant ...........................Michelle BerryDakota Valley

Services Manager .......................... Pat Scha� erDakota Valley

News Editor ..................Katie Ryan-Anderson

ELECTRIC WIRING, PLUMBING& HEATING SERVICES:

Dakota Valley Services–Edgeley800-726-8056 or 701-493-2283

[email protected]

800 342 4671

7296 HWY 281, Edgeley, ND 58433

14051 HWY 13, Milnor, ND 58060

OFFICE HOURS:Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

BOARD & MANAGEMENT:Richard Schlosser, President...........................EdgeleyArden Fuher, Vice President .............................EdgeleyJohn Hauschild, Treasurer ............................WahpetonConnie Bitz, Secretary....................................LaMoureRichard Johnson.............................................CogswellKim Rasmussen...............................................HavanaDave Paulson...............................................HankinsonMatt Thompson............................................WyndmereBlaine Lundgren...................................................Kulm

General Manager ....................................Jay JacobsonManager of Engineering........................Seth SyversonIT Manager...........................................Scott BuchholtzOperations Manager ................................Craig Rysavy

Staff Assistant........................................Michelle BerryDakota Valley Services Manager................Pat SchafferDakota Valley News Editor...........Katie Ryan-Anderson

ELECTRIC WIRING, PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES:Dakota Valley Services - Edgeley800 726 8056 or 701 493 2283

NOW THROUGH OCT. 31 WAYS TO GIVE2

As a co-op, Dakota Valley Electric is committed to community. That’s one of our principles. In celebration, we’re conducting a Can & Coat Drive through Oct. 31. Anyone willing to contribute may drop donations off at headquarter offices in Milnor or Ed-geley. Offices are open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Questions? 1-800-342-4671.

Help celebrate Co-op Month!

Total Energy Generated (kWh) 2015-16

MAY JUN JUL AUG

kWh 530 961 1,065 1,019

$ $57.61 $104.46 $115.77 $110.77

SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB

861 607 413 101 325 484

$93.59 $65.98 $44.89 $10.98 $35.33 $52.61

MAR APR MAY JUN JUL (as of 7-12) TOTAL (as of 7-12)

kWh 831 821 975 1,104 370 10,599

$ $90.33 $89.24 $105.98 $120 $37.96 $1,152.11

How much is the sun worth? Dakota Valley and Northern Plains are trying to fi nd out. The co-ops installed a 6.56-kilowa� solar system in May 2015. This is how much electricity it has generated since then.

Know what dangers lie below

DIG SAFELY.Accidents can happen to anyone.


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