Dec 2017 SECO News

SECO News

TM

D ECEM BER 2017

UNITED

It’s time to bid distributed locally to farewell to 2017 directly benefit SECO and welcome 2018 members. The donated as the Christmas funds may be used to and New Year’s purchase emergency holidays approach. medical supplies, Dreaming of a support charitable white Christmas in organizations or provide Florida is probably bill payment assistance DUNCAN’S DIGEST a long-shot, but to your fellow members Jim Duncan, CEO with the help of our experiencing dire and charitable SECO unique circumstances. employees, dreaming of a giving Christmas Enroll online at SECOEnergy.com>Your Cois a reality. SECO employees, myself op>Pennies from Heaven or give us a call included, renewed their commitment to local 154202 communities through their generous pledges To learn more about United Way, find a to United Way in the new year. volunteer opportunity or to be connected with SECO employees pledged $52,214 for a local agency, visit www.UnitedWay.org.

United Way’s 2018 Live I couldn’t be prouder of our employees’ United campaign. Every dollar goodwill toward others, contributed by and I am grateful to work SECO employees $52K with employees who care is used to endow $45K about our members and service programs our communities. I that benefit the applaud our employees’ residents in the generous spirit with counties we serve their promise of $52,214 and in our footprint. to support United Much of the funding Way’s 2018 campaign. is locally designated This giving spirit reflects by each employee the very essence of our to the agency of not-for-profit electric their choice and cooperative business administered model. through United Way. Yearly, 61 May peace, love and million people across the world benefit from prosperity follow you all the programs and services funded by the through the year. From our United Way. SECO family to yours, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Every penny makes a difference. Would you all the best in the new year. like your small change to make a difference

RAISED

GOAL

WE LIVE & GIVE

in your community? Enroll in SECO’s Pennies from Heaven program and round up your monthly bill to the nearest dollar. Every penny collected through Pennies from Heaven is

Jim Duncan, Chief Executive Officer

Toys

In early November,

it began to feel a lot like Christmas as hundreds of SECO employees performed the role of Santa Claus for SECO’s yearly toy drive. SECO chooses to support the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program which collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them as Christmas gifts to local children in need who live in the communities we serve.

The halls were decked, and Christmas joy and cheer were present at all SECO locations. Our perpetually generous employees donated hundreds of toys for needy children in Sumter, Lake, Marion and Citrus Counties. Each of our five Member Service Centers were open to the public as local Toys for Tots drop-off locations, and many charitable SECO members donated toys as well.

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO adheres to the seven key cooperative principles – one of which is Concern for Community. SECO employees personally demonstrate their Concern for Community by volunteering their time and supporting community involvement projects in their areas. Our employees give generously during the Christmas season to the Toys for Tots toy drive and the United Way as referenced on the front page. 085014 Employees donned their Santa hats, and smiled for the camera while displaying the toys gathered across the cooperative. The toys collected through Toys for Tots will bring joy to thousands of local children who will wake up to presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas!

Inverness

Sumterville

Sumterv

Ocala

s for Tots—“SECO Claus Delivers”

Eustis

120012

Sumterville Headquarters

ville

Groveland

Eustis “HIDDEN” ACCOUNT NUMBERS

525204

Ocala

Don’t forget to look for the last six digits of your account number in this month’s SECO News. You can email us at customerservice@secoenergy. com or call if your number appears. Six winners will be drawn at random from all submissions. Winners receive a $25 restaurant gift card.

WHOOPING CRANE

This large bird still on the endangered species list The whooping crane (Grus americana), is named for its unique trumpet-like call that can be heard for several miles. It is North America’s largest bird, standing 45 to 50 inches tall with a wingspan of 90 inches. Mature birds are pure white with black wing tips, dark legs, a long neck, a long, dark, pointed bill and a bumpy red crown. The bumpy red patch on the head, a trait shared with the close relative sandhill crane, serves to indicate the bird’s mood – becoming bright and expanded when agitated or excited.

Whooping cranes and sandhill cranes are the only two cranes found in North America.

Whooping cranes are one of the most beautiful birds and one of the rarest. This endangered species once wintered in Florida, but habitat loss virtually wiped out most of its population.

The birds were on the verge of extinction and a concerted effort has been ongoing since the 1990s to bring them back. Florida’s small whooping crane population is now mostly nonmigratory. 656902 A project to restore the migratory whooping crane began in 2001. Each winter, captiveraised and released whooping cranes are led by ultra-light aircraft from Wisconsin to Florida.

The idea of the project is that once these birds are taught the north-to-south migration route, the birds will continue to make the journey on their own.

Whooping cranes mate for life, but will take a new mate if one dies. Whoopers live 22 to 24 years in the wild. Sexes are similar in appearance, although males are larger – weighing about 16 pounds. Nests are usually built over standing water and pairs return to nest in the same area each year. Females lay two blotchy, olive-colored eggs in late April to May. Incubation takes 30 days. Within twentyfour hours of hatching, the pale brown chicks leave the nest to follow the parents. Both parents care for the young. The young stay with the parents for a year, learning to forage for seeds and roots, insects, snakes, frogs and small rodents. They can fly at three months, and have their full adult plumage by the end of the second summer. At five years they are ready to choose a mate and begin a family.

To learn more about the ongoing migratory project, visit www.bringbackthecranes.org.

Column & photo by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

348602

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ray F. Vick President District 5

Jerry D. Hatfield Vice President District 9

Robin R. Henion

Secretary-Treasurer District 7

Scott D. Boyatt District 1

Dillard B. Boyatt District 2

Richard J. Belles District 3

Richard Dennison District 4

The Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, Dec. 18, at 2:30 p.m. in the Corporate Offices at 330 South US HWY 301 in Sumterville. A Trustees’ meeting will also be held on Monday, Jan. 29, 2018.

Earl Muffett

24 /7 Jo b Ho tlin e: (855) 483-2673 www.secoenergyjobs.com

Bill James

Report an Outage: (800) 732-6141 www.secostormcenter.com

District 6 District 8

SECO Energy is an equal opportunity provider and employer.