CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative

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CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC
                       JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3

          ERATIVE
CONNECTIONS

                        ATVs in SD
                        Summer fun on the
                        off-road trails
                        Page 8
                        Sensible solar
                        solutions
                        Page 12
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
ANNUAL MEETING

          NOTICE OF ANNUAL                                                     Annual Meeting Prizes
                                                                               A FREE GIFT FOR ALL WHO ATTEND!
         MEMBERSHIP MEETING
                                                                                   Codington-Clark Electric Co-op
 The annual meeting of the members of Coding-
 ton-Clark Electric Cooperative Inc. will be held at Cod-                          Annual Membership Meeting
 ington-Clark Electric Cooperative, Watertown, S.D., on                                             Tuesday, June 29
 Tuesday, June 29, 2021. Registration opens at 5:30 p.m.                                   Codington-Clark Electric Office
 Meal served from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Business meeting                                      3520 9th Ave. SW, Watertown, SD
 starts at 7:00 p.m. to take action on the following:                                      • 5:30 p.m. - Registration opens
    1. The reports of officers, management and others.                                       • 5:30-6:45 p.m. - Meal served
    2. The election of three directors.                                                        7 p.m. - Business meeting
    3. All other business, which may properly come be-
       fore the meeting or any ad-journment or adjourn-
       ments thereof.
 A cooperative business needs its member/owners
 to participate in the democratic process to prosper.                            Cash drawings from members in attendance
 Registered members attending will have a chance to                                                • 1 - $500 drawing
 win 1 - $500 cash prize and 10 - $50 cash prizes. There                                          • 10 - $50 drawings
 will also be a drawing for $1,000 in cash from the entire                       • $1,000 cash drawing from the entire membership
 membership roll, must be present. Kids 18 and under                                                  (must be present to win)
 have a chance to win an iPad, must be present.
                                                                               Special drawing for an iPad
 This notice posted by Alfred B. Schleusner, Secretary                           for kids 18 and under
                                                                                      (must be present to win)

 Designated voting representative
        for organizations
 Any member corporation, LCC, partnership, church, township, school
 or any other non-natural person member of Codington-Clark Electric
 Co-op that wants to be represented at Codington-Clark’s annual
 meeting in Watertown on June 29, 2021, should complete the follow-
 ing form, have it signed by an authorized officer of the organization      Shown above are Kobe Kettwig and Ethan Byrd
 and present the form at the annual meeting registration table. The
 representative must be affiliated with the organization, e.g. officer,            Kettwig, Byrd join co-op
 director, partner, member, trustee, etc.
                                                                            Codington-Clark Electric is pleased to welcome Kobe Kettwig
 ________________________________________________________________________
                                                                            and Ethan Byrd as temporary line workers.
 PLEASE PRINT Name of Member Organization
 hereby authorizes _____________________________________________________    Kobe Kettwig graduated from Watertown High School and
             PLEASE PRINT Name of Designated Voting Representative          earned his Power Line Construction & Maintenance diploma
 to represent our organization at any meeting of the members of Cod-        from Mitchell Technical Institute in May.
 ington-Clark Electric Cooperative held in 2021, in any and all business,
                                                                            Ethan Byrd graduated from Rapid City Central High School and
 including voting, that may be conducted at said meeting.
                                                                            earned his Power Line Construction & Maintenance diploma
                                                                            from Mitchell Technical Institute in May. Ethan will return to
 __________________________________________       ______________
                                                                            Mitchell Tech in the fall to further his education in the Electric
 Signature and Title of Authorized Officer        Date
                                                                            Utilities & Substation Technology program.

2 COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS | JULY 2021
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
BOARD ELECTIONS

              ERATIVE                           Three director candidates
                                                file petitions
 CONNECTIONS
   CODINGTON-CLARK
           ELECTRIC
 (USPS 019-073)
Board of Directors
President:
Russell Hurlbert, Raymond
Vice President:
Benjamin Fleming, Florence
Secretary:
Alfred “Ben” Schleusner, Watertown
Treasurer:
Daniel Thyen, Watertown
Directors:
Russell Foster, Garden City                     Mike Meland                        Ben Fleming                     Russ Hurlbert
Roy Gjerde, Vienna
                                                District 1                         District 3                      District 7
Michael Meland, Webster
John Rider, Henry                               Rural Webster, SD                  Rural Florence, SD              Rural Raymond, SD
David Warkenthien, Clark
Management Staff                                Incumbent directors Mike Meland, Ben                and in the district which the member is to
Dave Eide, Manager                              Fleming and Russ Hurlbert will run unop-            represent; or
Tammy Popham, Staff Assistant
                                                posed when Codington-Clark Electric Co-op
Tasha Torgerson, Office Services                                                                    •  Is in any way employed by or finan-
                                                members elect directors during the June
   Manager                                                                                          cially interested in a competing enterprise
Bob Johnson, System Support/Member              29 annual meeting. They were the only
                                                                                                    or a business selling electric energy or
   Services Manager                             members to submit nominating petitions as
                                                                                                    supplies to the cooperative; or
Jared Terhark, Distribution System              candidates for the board of directors.
   Manager                                                                                          •  Is an employee of the cooperative or
                                                Directors serve a three-year term. Terms
                                                                                                    was an employee of the cooperative and
To report a power outage:                       are staggered so one-third of the board is
                                                                                                    less than three (3) years have passed
886-5848 or 1-800-463-8938                      elected each year.
                                                                                                    since the last day of employment; is
Summer Office Hours:                            Serving as a director is more than just             a close relative of an employee of the
June 1 - Sept. 3                                attending a monthly board meeting. Serving          cooperative; or is a close relative of an
Mon. - Fri., 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.                as a director is a large responsibility. A          incumbent director; or
                                                director must act in good faith and always in
Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative                                                                • Does not have the legal capacity to
Connections is published monthly by
                                                the best interest of the cooperative.
                                                                                                    enter into a binding contract.
Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative, PO
                                                The cooperative’s bylaws state that no
Box 880, 3520 9th Ave SW, Watertown, SD                                                          The board of directors and management
57201-0880. Electric cooperative members        person is eligible to become or remain a
                                                                                                 work as a team, but each has different
devote 50 cents from their monthly electric     director or to hold any position of trust in
payments for a subscription. Non-member                                                          responsibilities and objectives. The board
                                                the cooperative who:
subscriptions are available for $12 annually.                                                    is primarily concerned with idea decisions
Periodicals Postage Paid at Watertown Post
Office, Watertown, SD 57201 and at addi-
                                                  • Is not a member and bona fide                while management is primarily concerned
tional mailing offices.                           resident physically residing in the area       with action decisions.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes                  served or to be served by the cooperative
to: Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
Connections, PO Box 880, 3520 9th Ave SW,
Watertown, SD 57201-0880; telephone (605)
886-5848; fax (605) 886-5934.                     Codington-Clark
www.ccelectric.coop                               Electric will be closed
Codington-Clark Electric Cooper-                  Monday, July 5. Have a
ative, Inc. is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.                            Happy Fourth of July!

                                                                                JULY 2021 | COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS 3
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
FOOD SAFETY

Handling food
safely when grilling
outdoors
One of America’s favorite summer pastimes is grilling, and safe
grilling starts with with proper food handling. Here are a few
simple guidelines for grilling food safely:

     • Wash away harmful            sauce to a boil for at least three
bacteria. Avoid providing a         minutes to kill harmful bacteria.
hotbed for bacteria. Unwashed           • Use grilling shortcuts.
hands are a prime cause             Pre-cooking food partially
                                                                         • Our employees will never       to the details they need to
of foodborne illness, also          indoors before putting it on
                                                                         show up at your door to          service your account.
known as food poisoning,            a preheated grill will give you
                                                                         demand payment.                  • Demands for immediate
as are unwashed perishable          quick results when your friends
                                                                         • Never give personal            payment by wire transfer,
foods such as meat, seafood,        are hungry or your grill is slow     information to an unknown        cryptocurrency, gift cards
and peeled or cut fruits and        or small. Conversely, flame-grill    caller or visitor. Our           or cash reload cards should
vegetables.                         meat for a smoky, charbroiled        representatives have access      immediately raise red flags.
     • Keep perishable foods        flavor, then bake in an oven
cold. If you’ll be meeting up       until it’s cooked properly.
with friends away from your             • Cook thoroughly and use a
backyard grill, it’s best to        meat thermometer. It’s best to
transport all perishables in an     cook food to the safe minimum
insulated cooler kept cold with     internal temperature to destroy
ice or frozen gel packs.            harmful bacteria. On the grill,
     • Throw away any perishable    meat and poultry will brown
leftovers that have been out of     quickly, but the inside might
a refrigerator or cooler for more   only be cooked partially. To be
than two hours—one hour if          sure the food has reached a
the temperature is above 90         safe internal temperature, use a
degrees.                            meat thermometer.
     • Keep coolers out of direct       Here are some
sunlight and avoid opening          safe minimum internal
them frequently, to keep the        temperatures:
cold air inside.                        • Chicken: 165 degrees            Don’t fly kites near trees
     • Marinate safely. Marinated
meats should be stored
                                        • Beef hamburgers: 160
                                    degrees
                                                                          and power lines
immediately in a refrigerator           • Beef, veal and lamb             Annette Tschetter, 7 years old
or cooler, not on the kitchen       (steaks, roasts and chops):
counter or outside next to the      medium-rare 145 degrees,              Annette is the daughter of Elaine and Ryan
grill. As long as a marinade is     medium                                Tschetter of Revillo. They are members of
stored in a cool environment,           • 160 degrees                     Whetstone Valley Electric based in Milbank.
it can remain there safely for          • Pork: 165 degrees
                                                                          Kids, send your drawing with an electrical safety tip to your
several hours or days.                  With proper refrigeration
                                                                          local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3). If your
     • Do not use marinade          and thorough cooking, your            poster is published, you’ll receive a prize. All entries must
from a raw meat/marinade            backyard barbecue will be a           include your name, age, mailing address and the names of
mixture as a sauce on cooked        tasty success.                        your parents. Colored drawings are encouraged.
meat, unless you first cook the

4 COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS | JULY 2021
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
RECIPES

SUMMERTIME
DESSERTS
                                                                       PRALINE PECAN CRUNCH
                                                                       Ingredients:
                                                                       1 21 oz. box Quaker Oat Squares cereal (about 8 cups)
                                                                       2 cups pecans
WHOOPIE PIES                                                           1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Ingredients:                                                           1 tsp. vanilla
1 box spice cake mix                                                   1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups apple butter                                                1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup canola oil                ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM                 1/2 tsps baking soda
2 eggs                            Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese             1/2 cup cocoa powder                 METHOD
4 tablespoons butter              1 -14 oz. can sweetened con-         Heat oven to 250 degrees. Mix cereal and pecans
3 cups powdered sugar             densed milk                          in 9”x13” pan. Set aside. Mix corn syrup, brown
                                  2 cup heavy cream                    sugar and margarine in glass bowl. Microwave on
2 tablespoons milk
                                  1 cup half & half                    high 1-1/2 minutes. Stir, microwave 1 to 1-1/2
1 teaspoon vanilla
                                  1 TBS vanilla
                                                                       minutes more or until boiling. Stir in vanilla
METHOD                                                                 and baking soda and pour over cereal mixture.
                                  1/2 cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350 F. Line                                               Stir to coat evenly. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 20
                                  1 cup miniature marshmallows
baking sheet with parchment                                            minutes. Spread on baking sheet to cool. Break
paper. In large bowl, whisk       METHOD                               into pieces and store in air tight container.
spice cake mix, apple butter,     In a small saucepan put in           NANCY STENSON, FORT PIERRE
oil and eggs. With ice cream      cocoa and whisk in sweetened
scoop or large tablespoon,        condensed milk until smooth.
spoon batter into rounded         Cook over low heat, whisking         MAMA’S CARAMEL PUDDING
heaps, about 2-3 inches in        constantly until slightly            Ingredients:
diameter, onto parchment          thickened, about 5 minutes.          1 cup sugar - melt in skillet until golden brown
paper. Space spooned batter       Remove from heat. Transfer           2 cups milk - stir until sugar is dissolved
2 inches apart. Bake 14           to a bowl and stir in both           4 tsps. corn starch stirred into a little milk
minutes. Let cool. In large       creams and vanilla. Pour
bowl, beat cream cheese,          mixture into ice cream maker         METHOD
butter and powdered sugar         and freeze. Stir in pecans           Cook until thickened. Serve with whipped
until smooth. Add milk and        and marshmallows halfway             cream.
vanilla; beat until blended.      through freezing process.            Elaine Rowett, Sturgis, SD
Frost flat sides of pie halves    Transfer to airtight container
                                                                      Please send your favorite dairy recipes to your local
and place halves together.        and put in freezer to harden,       electric cooperative (address found on Page 3).
Refrigerate and store in sealed   about an hour. Makes 2              Each recipe printed will be entered into a drawing
container.                        quarts.                             for a prize in December 2021. All entries must
Culinary.net                      Joan Antonen, Arlington, SD         include your name, mailing address, phone number
                                                                      and cooperative name.

                                                                   JULY 2021 | COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS 5
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
COLLABORATIVE EFFICIENCY

Dear Pat and Brad: We just purchased a
home and noticed the previous owner
installed an electric wall heater in the
outdoor shed. How much will our
                                                                     An important consideration, unless you live
electric bill go up if we use this heater                         in a desert-dry climate, is the effect moisture
next winter? Should we consider                                   can have in an outbuilding. Moisture enables
                                                                  rot, insects and mold to wreak havoc on
insulating the shed? – Lloyd                                      your structure, and rust to degrade tools
                                                                  and other metals. Heating and insulating
                                                                  an outbuilding, if done right, can reduce or
                   Good questions! An uninsulated                 eliminate a moisture problem. But insulation
                outbuilding can be quite expensive to heat        installed incorrectly can trap moisture and
                (or cool) depending on where you live. Even       foster mold growth.
                though we’re currently experiencing July’s           Moisture in an outbuilding is usually caused
                warmer temperatures, I’ll focus on heating        by three things: leaks where water can get
                since your shed includes the wall heater.         through (typically through the roof, windows
                   Years ago, I worked on a home energy           and doorway); seepage through floors and
                contest that selected homes with the highest      walls; or condensation when nighttime
Pat Keegan      energy bills and helped the owners make           temperatures drop. To prevent moisture
Collaborative   efficiency improvements. One year, the            buildup, you need to eliminate moisture
Efficiency      home with the highest energy use had an           sources and prevent condensation.
                uninsulated shed that was heated in order            As air cools, it cannot carry as much
                to keep several cans of leftover paint from       moisture, and condensation occurs, usually
                freezing. The cost of heating the shed each       on the coolest object at hand. Insulating
                winter was more than it would have cost to        walls and ceilings can keep the interior wall
                replace the paint.                                or ceiling surface from getting cold enough
                                                                  for condensation to occur. Insulated wall or
                The cost of heating and                           ceiling cavities need to be carefully air sealed
                                                                  so that condensation does not occur inside the
                cooling an outbuilding can be                     cavity.
Brad Thiessen   much lower if the thermostat                         I should also note that the cost of heating
Collaborative
                is carefully controlled.                          and cooling an outbuilding can be much
Efficiency                                                        lower if the thermostat is carefully controlled.
                                                                     Only you can decide if the value of heating
                   The cost to heat or cool your outdoor          and cooling your outbuilding is worth the cost
                shed depends on your climate, the size of         and effort to properly insulate and seal. Even if
                the outbuilding and the price you pay for         your shed is not heated or insulated, it’s worth
                electricity. I conducted a quick calculation      keeping an eye out for mold and mildew.
                that showed heating an uninsulated 6 ft. by 8        We hope you enjoy your new home and
                ft. shed could cost twice as much as heating an   your outdoor shed!
                insulated 900 sq. ft. home. Wow!
                   Some outbuildings are heated with wood,        Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative
                which is a sound choice if you have a free        Efficiency write on energy efficiency topics for the
                source of firewood. Another strategy often        National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. For
                seen in workshops is a radiant heater directed    additional energy tips and information on Collaborative
                at the work area, perhaps in front of a           Efficiency visit: www.collaborativeefficiency.com/
                workbench. But if you’re paying for your fuel     energytips.
                and decide to keep an outbuilding heated, you
                should definitely insulate it.

6 COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS | JULY 2021
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
LOGAN STORLEY

                                                                                                 the pain of watching his beloved uncle
                                                                                                 battle ALS for 10 years before finally
                                                                                                 succumbing to the dreaded disease in
                                                                                                 2019.
                                                                                                    “It really hurts to see someone you’ve
                                                                                                 love and cared about all your life being
                                                                                                 sick like that and withering away,”
                                                                                                 Storley said. “But he did a great job
                                                                                                 keeping his spirits up. He never groaned
                                                                                                 about how unlucky he was or how
                                                                                                 unfair it was. He lived a great life, he
                                                                                                 had a lot of good people around him
                                                                                                 and I was fortunate to know him. Now
                                                                                                 he’s in a much better place.”
                                                                                                    Storley said that while hardships
                                                                                                 in life and contrived combat in the
                                                                                                 confines of a cage may be different types
                                                                                                 of challenges, they require the same
                                                                                                 determined mindset to overcome and
                                                                                                 move beyond.
Logan Storley of Roslyn, SD, lands a kick against opponent Yaroslav Amosov at Bellator              “When there’s a death in the family,
MMA 252 last November. It was Storley’s first Bellator loss against 11 wins. Photo courtesy of   or a heartbreak or financial problems,
BELLATOR MMA/Lucas Noonan                                                                        you have to keep showing up no matter
                                                                                                 what life throws at you. You have to

LOGAN STORLEY
                                                                                                 take the time to deal with it, control
                                                                                                 what you can control and then continue
                                                                                                 to go on with life.”
Former state champion wrestler seeks to                                                             As far as what it’s like to get physically
                                                                                                 punched in the head and body during
make his mark in mixed martial arts                                                              the heat of competition, Storley said it’s
                                                                                                 important to first understand, as in real
Billy Gibson                                     career in mixed martial arts, fashioning        life, there is going to be some adversity
billy.gibson@sdrea.coop                          a record of 11-1 as a competitor in the         and pain.
                                                 Bellator MMA program.                              “You go into the cage expecting that
   There are many who know what it’s                And while he’s used to punching              you’re going to get cracked. You know
like to experience difficult emotional           and being punched, Storley said he              you’re going to be in a fight,” he said.
blows in life: broken relationships,             recruits the same mental and emotional          “It’s a shock to your system when you
medical afflictions, financial hardships         fortitude to deal with any test of              feel that thud, but you know you have
and other misfortune. There are fewer            adversity whether it comes in the cage          to respond and keep on fighting. You
who know what it’s like to get physically        of combat or in the cage of life.               realize you can get past it and fight on.”
punched in the face, choked, kicked in              Storley suffered his first loss last            Storley’s loss in November hasn’t
the jaw and thrown to the ground with            November when he dropped a split                deterred him in the least. He stays
violent force.                                   decision to Yaroslav Amosov, a defeat           focused on completing a task left
   And still fewer who have experienced          that was difficult for him to bear. The         undone when he failed to win a national
both. That’s Logan Storley.                      post-fight video segment shows Storley          title in college. His goal is to become
   Folks around Webster know Storley             ripping his hand away from the referee          the “best fighter in the world.”
as a six-time state high school wrestling        after the verdict was announced.                   “It’s important to me. My whole life
champion and four-time all-American                 But the blows to the forehead and            has been wrestling and competing,” he
at the University of Minnesota. The              kicks to the ribs that rocked his body          said. ”I want to win a title, defend it a
28-year-old is currently carving out a           that evening paled in comparison to             couple of times and then move on.”

                                                                                JULY 2021 | COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS 7
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
OFF THE BEATEN PATH

  Summer fun
  awaits off the
  beaten path

Off-road enthusiasts from far and wide come to ride the Black Hills. Photos by Billy Gibson

From the Black Hills to Avon, off-road                                                        Rentals in Nemo. Hilger does a
                                                                                              brisk business pairing up riders
ATV trails attract outdoor enthusiasts                                                        with fully licensed and permitted
                                                                                              machines that allow visitors to free-
Billy Gibson                                     smattering of permanent residents            range along the trails and take in the
billy.gibson@sdrea.coop                          who spend their days in unhurried            breathtaking vistas. His fleet of more
                                                 leisure. But the warm summer                 than a dozen two-seaters and four-
                                                 months bring thousands of visitors           seaters gets snapped up quickly as
  Generations ago, folks flocked to              seeking to explore the undulating            the town is completely transformed
the tiny hamlet of Nemo to search                wooded landscape on foot or on               during the summer season, which
for gold buried deep in the nooks                horseback, but most of all nestled in        typically kicks off with the annual
and crannies of the Black Hills                  the seat of a side-by-side.                  Black Hills ATV/UTV Rally held in
region.                                             The Black Hills area is widely            mid-June.
   Today they come in search of                  regarded as the state’s top draw for           “There are so many people in
family outdoor fun and adventure                 all-terrain adventurists, and Nemo           town it seems like it’s hard to get
along the hundreds of miles of                   stands smack dab at the center of            around sometimes, but it’s very
nature trails that course throughout             the action.                                  family-oriented and everybody
the craggy terrain.                                 One of the town’s busiest denizens        gets along and has a good time
  During most months of the year,                during the summer crush is Dane              getting out and enjoying the great
Nemo is a quiet outpost with a                   Hilger, who runs D&K ATV                     outdoors.”

8 COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS | JULY 2021
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
OFF THE BEATEN PATH

   Vacationers and even day-trippers
have access to everything they need           TOP ATV TRAILS IN SD
during a visit to Nemo with the               1. Centennial Trail
Brandin’ Iron restaurant, camping                 West of Rapid City
sites, a general store and lodging.           2. Northern Black Hills
   Adam Rice, a native of Rapid                   West of Rapid City
City, owns and operates the                   3. Southern Black Hills
Brandin’ Iron in addition to another              Southwest of Rapid City
restaurant in Arizona. Soon after             4. Buffalo Gap National Grassland
high school, he headed to Arizona                 Southeast of Farmingdale
for culinary school and later opened          5. Bear Lodge Mountains
his business there. But two years                 North of Sundance
ago, Rice was lured back to South             6. Oahe Downstream OHV Area
Dakota and decided to resettle in                 North of Pierre
Nemo.                                         7. Talsmas ATV Trail Park
   “The town just has an aura about               South of Avon
it. It’s pristine and gorgeous. There’s       8. Reveheim Bay OHV Area
no better way to see the Black Hills.             Southeast of Mobridge
You can get to a lot of cool places
through the trail system that goes
literally thousands of miles and you         They bring their kids, the grand
never have to get on the road. You           parents and the dog and they just
can get to Deadwood, you can get             relax, unwind and have fun.”
to Mount Rushmore, you can go                  While Nemo may be considered
to Sturgis. I go out into the woods          the mecca of ATV riders, there are
just about every day. There’s always         several other prime spots in South
something interesting to see.”                       Dakota open to the public.
   Larry Kaiser owns the                                  In the southeastern
Nemo Merchantile                 “It’s just a lot of      region of the state near
store where visitors            fun. You meet the          Avon, Jerry and Tina
will find fuel, snacks,          most interesting           Talsma welcome ATV        Many ATV trails across the state have

beverages, clothing                 people and              riders to their Trails    access to fishing, scenic vistas and places

and an assortment of               everybody’s              End Ranch situated        to pull over for refreshments such as the

dry goods.                        having a good            alongside the Missouri     Merchantile store in Nemo shown above.

   He laments that                      time.”            River.
during the summer he                                      The third-generation        as well as multi-day and seasonal
is often too busy to ride the                       land owners opened Talsma’s       passes. Camp sites are available at a
trails, but he enjoys supplying the          Trail Park in 2005 with several          rate of $20 per night with electricity
provisions visitors need.                    hundred acres open to the public         and $10 without.
   “It’s just a lot of fun. You meet         and trails that range from novice to       The Talsmas have big plans for
the most interesting people and              extreme.                                 the summer with a Customer
everybody’s having a good time.                There are climbing hills, creek        Appreciation Day on Aug. 14, a
                                             crossings, deep brush, open prairie      fundraising event for Horse Haven
                                             land, river bottom terrain and           on Sept. 11 and a Halloween Scare
                                             expansive scenic bluffs overlooking      Ride on Oct. 9.
                                             the Missouri. There are also several       For more information on the
                                             play areas for riders to kick up some    private park, visit talsmastrailpark.
                                             mud.                                     com. For more information about
                                               There are different fees to enter      riding in the Black Hills, visit
                                             the park depending on the mode of        blackhillsatvrally.com and custersd.
                                             transportation and special discounts     com where you’ll find details about
                                             for groups of 10 or more machines        ATV activities in the Custer area.

                                                                      JULY 2021 | COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS 9
CODINGTON-CLARK ELECTRIC - JULY 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 3 - Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative
ANNUAL MEETING NEWS

Unapproved minutes of the 2020 Annual Membership Meeting
   Unapproved Minutes of 2020 Annual         MOTION CARRIED                                ballot voting and to instruct the
Membership Meeting                              Treasurer Thyen summarized the             Secretary to cast a unanimous ballot for
   Pursuant to notice duly given, the        financial condition of the cooperative        John C. Rider for District 4 director,
members of Codington-Clark Electric          as of December 31, 2019. Motion by            Alfred B. Schleusner for District 5
Cooperative Inc. held a drive-in             Vincent Cordell, second by Laverne            director and David M. Warkenthien for
membership meeting at Codington-             Schmig, to accept the treasurer’s report      District 8 director, each for a three-year
Clark Electric Cooperative, Watertown,       as presented. MOTION CARRIED                  term. MOTION CARRIED
South Dakota, on Tuesday, June 30,              President Hurlbert reviewed the               Nick Speidel, Watertown, South
2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.       qualifications for director and called        Dakota was drawn as the winner of
   President Russell Hurlbert called the     on Secretary Schleusner for a report          the $1,000 cash prize. Speidel was not
meeting to order at 7 P.M. Secretary         on nominations. Secretary Schleusner          present to claim the prize.
Alfred Schleusner recorded the minutes       explained the nominating process and             Calvin Mack, Goodwin, South
of the meeting.                              reported that John C. Rider, Henry,           Dakota, was drawn as the winner of the
   Jolene Spilde delivered the invocation.   South Dakota, submitted a valid               $500 cash prize.
   Upon question of the president,           petition nominating him as a director            Winners of $50 cash prize drawings
Secretary Schleusner reported the            candidate for District 4; that Alfred B.      included: Curtis A. or Cindy L. Weyh,
meeting’s registration list revealed a       Schleusner, Watertown, South Dakota,          Summit, South Dakota; George N.
quorum present. A list of registered         submitted a valid petition nominating         Feyereisen, Goodwin, South Dakota;
members is attached to the minutes of        him as director candidate for District        Arlen Boehnke, Henry, South Dakota;
this meeting and identified as Exhibit       5; and that David M. Warkenthien,             Jim Zwieg, Watertown, South Dakota;
“A”.                                         Clark, South Dakota, submitted a valid        Marianne Geise, Watertown, South
   Secretary Schleusner presented and        petition nominating him as a director         Dakota; Douglas or Ann Rae Herr,
read the Notice of Meeting and the           candidate for District 8. He stated he        Watertown, South Dakota; Brett P.
Proof of Mailing. A copy of the Notice       had no knowledge of any other candi-          Schmidt, Willow Lake, South Dakota;
of Meeting and Proof of Mailing are          dates.                                        James Opsahl, Carpenter, South
attached to the minutes of this meeting         President Hurlbert called on Attorney      Dakota; Bruce L. Gaede, Watertown,
and identified as Exhibits “B” and “C”,      Tom Burns to conduct the election of          South Dakota; and Vincent or Sharon
respectively.                                directors.                                    Cordell, Castlewood, South Dakota.
   President Hurlbert presented                 Attorney Burns suggested dispensing           Absent further business to come
the minutes of the 2019 annual               with ballot voting for District 4, District   before the meeting, motion by Vincent
membership meeting. Motion by Joan           5 and District 8 since each district had      Cordell, second by Laverne Schmig,
Boehnke, second by John Mills, to            only one candidate and asked for a            to adjourn the meeting. MOTION
dispense with the reading of the 2019        motion to instruct the Secretary to cast a    CARRIED
minutes and to approve the minutes           unanimous ballot for each candidate.
as recorded, printed and distributed to         Motion by Vincent Cordell, second            Alfred B. Schleusner, Secretary
the members attending the meeting.           by Gail Kittelson, to dispense with             Russell A. Hurlbert, President

Members are invited to view the new
Codington-Clark Electric website
  Members of Codington-Clark                 contemporay digital design standards.
Electric Cooperative are invited to             Find us at www.ccelectric.coop
take a moment and view our new and           and you’ll see all the latest news
improved website.                            and information coming from your
  The new website has an updated,            local cooperative. There are tips on
more modernized look and user                electric safety, ways to pay your bill
interface that conforms with                 electronically, and so much more.

10 COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS | JULY 2021
ANNUAL MEETING NEWS

                     Operating Summary                                                          All about the cash
                                                     2020           2019           2018
                                                                                                2020 Revenue by Source
Income
 Revenue from sales and other                     $12,283,671    $12,498,896    $12,084,148
                                                                                                Farm and residential             Small and large
                                                                                                                                 power users
Expenses

 Cost of purchased power                           $7,458,608     $7,619,241     $7,351,156
 Distribution expense - Operations                   642,824        651,949        631,628
 Distribution expense - Maintenance                  307,740        318,076        282,570                                33.34%
 Consumer accounts expense                           199,928        194,264        192,856
 Customer service & informational expense             85,669        107,852         95,155
 Sales expense                                        10,966         13,275         12,206
                                                                                                           63.30%
 Administrative and general expense                  951,208        990,802        955,506
                                                                                                                          3.36%
 Depreciation expense                               1,273,464      1,212,089      1,165,929
 Tax expense                                         207,427        210,876        204,852
 Interest exp. for RUS, CFC, CoBank & FFB loans      882,981        993,746        973,157                                         Irrigation
 Other deductions                                           13             47             324
Total Expenses                                    $12,020,828    $12,312,217    $11,865,339
                                                                                                2020 Expenses by Type
Operating Margin                                    $262,843       $186,679       $218,809
 Non-operating margins                               178,648        310,194        267,770          Operations
 Patronage credits from others                       604,733        551,751       1,215,963
Total Margins                                      $1,046,224     $1,048,624     $1,702,542
                                                                                                Depreciation

                             Balance Sheet                                                                     18.30%

                                                   12/31/20       12/31/19       12/31/18
Assets                                                                                                  10.59%
                                                                                                Taxes                   62.05%
 We have an electric system that costs            $49,286,782    $47,303,741    $45,790,248             1.72%
   Less: Depreciation                              15,039,390     14,155,725     13,370,400
                                                                                                         7.34%
 Net value of property                            $34,247,392    $33,148,016    $32,419,848
                    plus
 We have cash on hand                               2,145,342      1,946,960       959,053
                                                                                                Interest on Debt             Cost of Power
 We have investments                                8,314,398      8,040,927      7,798,605
 We have owed to us                                 1,159,483      1,300,869      1,109,418
 We have material on hand                            841,946        576,249        399,779      5-year comparison
                                                                                                of total use
 We have prepayments                                    4,009        11,229               -10
 We have other assets                                   3,750          3,750          3,750
 We have deferred debits                             259,229        240,836        247,537
Total Assets                                      $46,975,549    $45,268,836    $42,937,980      2016     115,395,201 kwh
Liabilities

 We owe RUS, CFC CoBank & FFB                      25,686,973     24,889,707     23,425,402
 We owe for taxes, insurance and other              1,361,565      1,420,758      1,289,162      2017      118,736,610 kwh
 We owe other deferred credits                      2,758,633      2,342,705      2,311,189

Total Liabilities                                 $29,807,171    $28,653,170    $27,025,753
Net Worth
                                                                                                 2018            128,032,482 kwh
 We have patronage capital credits                 15,239,769     14,739,599     13,422,487
 We have margins this year                          1,046,224      1,048,624      1,702,542      2019              131,797,209 kwh
 We have other margins and equities                  882,385        827,443        787,198

Total Net Worth                                   $17,168,378    $16,615,666    $15,912,227
Total Liabilities and Net Worth                   $46,975,549    $45,268,836    $42,937,980      2020            129, 730,461 kwh

                                                                                          JULY 2021 | COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS 11
STRAP

SENSIBLE
SOLAR
                                                                                has allowed new residential and
                                                                                commercial solar owners to deduct
                                                                                26 percent of their installation
                                                                                costs from their federal taxes. The
                                                                                ITC is set to be reduced to 23
                                                                                percent in 2023 and eliminated
South Dakota’s electric cooperatives                                            for homeowners by 2024. The
promote fair, sensible solar policies                                           Biden Administration has proposed
                                                                                extending the program for another
Billy Gibson                             Across the country, the solar          two years.
billy.gibson@sdrea.coop                market is facing what can be               According to the Energy
                                       described as growing pains. Those        Information Administration, direct
   With summer in full swing, the      pains stem from the fact that the        federal government subsidies for
sun is bearing down on South           nascent stages of solar energy were      solar alone totaled $34.4 billion
Dakotans. But that wasn’t the          heavily subsidized through taxpayer      between 2010 and 2019.
case just five months ago when an      dollars, as early adopters benefited       As solar subsidies decline, the
unexpected polar vortex covered        from an array of state, federal and      true costs for ratepayers to have
much of the country in a blanket of    municipal government tax credits,        24-hour access to both intermittent
snow and ice.                          exemptions, incentives, rebates          renewable power and more reliable
   As co-op members now reach for      and subsidies designed to get the        traditional power at the same time
the sunscreen and a cold beverage,     industry off the ground. Tapping         are coming to bear.
it’s easy to forget that back in       into these programs, owners of             In Nevada, for example, incentives
February the same solar panels that    solar installations have been able to    for homeowners were phased out in
are streaming torrents of ions today   deduct up to half of their costs.        2016 after the state’s largest energy
were reduced to a trickle when a         But as more homeowners and             company argued that its costs
convergence of circumstances caused    businesses opt for solar and as the      of creating and delivering power
a series of rolling blackouts.         cost of solar has dropped 80 percent     weren’t being fully covered and the
   That historic event alerted         since 2010, those subsidies are          expenses of serving every home and
policymakers from Texas to the         shrinking and the industry is in the     business in the system were being
Canadian border to hit the pause       process of having to eventually stand    shifted to those exercising their right
button and take another look at        on its own feet. At the federal level,   not to have rooftop panels placed on
how renewable power fits into the      for instance, the Investment Tax         their homes.
national grid-based energy picture.    Credit (ITC) established in 2005           Predictably, once the incentives

12 COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS | JULY 2021
A SOLAR SNAPSHOT

                                                       “WE RELY ON INTERMITTENT RENEWABLE
                                                       SOURCES TO CURB EMISSIONS AND MORE
                                                       RELIABLE FOSSIL FUELS TO DELIVER THE
                                                       BASELOAD POWER OUR MEMBERS NEED.”
                                                                                                 ROBERT RAKER

                                                        West River Electric,         to communicate with one another
                                                        characterized the state’s    as each cooperative in the state
                                                        electric cooperatives        has its own set of interconnection
                                                        as being neither             requirements and policies
                                                        pro-renewable energy         determined by their management.
                                                        nor anti-renewable              “If one of our members wants to
                                                        energy.                      get involved in renewable energy,
                                                          “We’re pro-reliability     we need to know about it so we can
                                                        and pro-affordability        work with the member to make
                                                        for our members,”            sure the process goes as smoothly as
                                                        he explained. “We            possible,” Raker said.
                                                        rely on intermittent            Chris Studer, chief member and
                                                        renewable sources to         public relations officer at East River
                                                        curb emissions and           Electric, echoed Raker’s comments
                                                        more reliable fossil fuels   and emphasized another important
                                                        to deliver the baseload      factor in open member-to-
                                                        power our members            cooperative communication: safety.
were sun-setted and solar owners         need. It’s like a parent trying to             “Just make sure to call your
had to pay for maintaining the same      determine which is their favorite kid.      co-op. It’s a safety issue. Improperly
grid that they depend on when            We favor both of them because we            installed equipment could put
their panels aren’t producing power,     need to help protect the planet but         the homeowner’s property and
demand decreased.                        we also need to fulfill our obligation      co-op employees who work on the
   In South Dakota, where there          to serve our members whether it’s           infrastructure at risk and that’s what
are no state government subsidies,       day or night, hot or cold, sunny or         we want to prevent.”
investor-owned Black Hills Energy        cloudy, windy or calm.”                        Studer said the state’s cooperatives
has followed Nevada’s lead by              Raker noted that co-ops have              will continue to play an active role as
proposing that the South Dakota          embraced the integration of                 the renewable market evolves.
Public Utilities Commission              renewable power into the state’s fuel          “At this stage in the emergence of
institute tariffs on homeowners to       mix. Electric co-ops were leaders           the distributed generation market,
compensate the power company for         in introducing wind power, which            the fixed costs that electric utilities
those fixed costs required to keep the   now makes up roughly 25 percent of          have invested in their infrastructure
system functioning for all ratepayers    the supply while 17 percent comes           needs to be taken under
who use it.                              from hydroelectric dams along the           consideration as more members
   Opponents argue that the tariffs      Missouri River. Co-ops are also             bring localized solar installations
could potentially obliterate the         involved in the construction of Wild        into the system,” he said.
state’s growing solar market, which      Springs solar farm, which is expected          “Other states have addressed this
saw 462 MW installed through the         to go on-line next year as the largest      issue by establishing fixed charges for
first quarter of 2021.                   solar array in the western part of the      distributed generation owners in a
   As for South Dakota’s electric        state.                                      way that was fair for everyone, while
cooperatives, the system’s leaders         Without a clear and complete              also setting up a system to streamline
paid close attention to the polar        set of rules in place for distributed       the resolution of any disputes
vortex event and the lessons             generation, Raker said it’s                 that may arise. We’ll continue to
learned in the aftermath. Robert         paramount that members and                  serve as an advocate for all co-op
Raker, public relations manager at       their cooperatives work together            consumers.”

                                                                   JULY 2021 | COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS 13
LET THE GAMES BEGIN

LET THE
GAMES BEGIN                                                                  that the primary goal would be to
                                                                             protect the health of the students,
                                                                             parents, coaches, referees and others
SDHSAA plans to resume normal activities                                     involved in youth activities under
with the fall semester begins                                                the association’s purview.
                                                                               It was the responsibility of
                                                                             Executive Director Dan Swartos
Billy Gibson                         executed a quick response by pulling    to serve as head coach of the
billy.gibson@sdrea.coop              together a premier task force with a    campaign to draft and execute a
                                     variety of participants to determine    game plan before the fall 2020
   Success on the field of play      an effective plan of attack against     season commenced even as many
often hinges on putting together     the global menace.                      restrictions were still in force. He
a solid playbook to prepare for        The A-team included officials         credited all involved in the effort
the rigors of competition. Like      from the state Department of            for recognizing the importance of
many organizations, the South        Health, Department of Education,        “keeping kids active” while staying
Dakota High School Activities        local school administrators, private    focused on the goal of returning to
Association (SDHSAA) didn’t have     medical practitioners, teachers,        sports and extracurricular activities
a playbook designed to deal with     coaches and parents. After using the    in a safe manner.
the coronavirus pandemic that        balance of the spring season to reset     “There was never any pressure
interrupted the slate of sporting    and regroup, members of the task        placed on anyone to decide to play
events mid-stream in the spring of   force spent last summer pursuing        sports or not to play sports. Our
2020.                                their work without any preconceived     goal was to keep everyone safe as
   But just as it teaches student    notions of where their efforts would    we dealt with the pandemic and
athletes the merits of teamwork      lead or how the future would look.      determined the best way to respond
and perseverance, the association    All were in agreement, however,         and return to normal activities

14 COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS | JULY 2021
LET THE GAMES BEGIN

                                                                                                    Officials at the
                                                                                                    SDHSAA say they
                                                                                                    plan to resume
                                                                                                    a normal slate of
                                                                                                    events this fall.
                                                                                                    Photos by South
                                                                                                    Dakota Public
                                                                                                    Broadcasting.

as the pandemic ran its course,”        “SOMETIMES YOU DON’T FULLY APPRECIATE WHAT
he said. “We listened to those in       YOU HAVE UNTIL IT’S TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.”
the health profession for their
recommendations based on what                                                              DR. DAN SWARTOS
they were experiencing and balanced
that with recommendations and           school population sizes and other       to a fall 2021 semester that will
observations that were coming from      variables,” Swartos said. “Things       seem close to normal for students,
other quarters. The governor’s office   were happening differently in Sioux     parents, teachers and administrators.
trusted us and gave us the space we     Falls compared to Lemmon. It               “Our plan right now is to go
needed to make the best decisions.”     was breaking out in some parts of       full speed ahead as normal, but
   Swartos also gave high praise to     the state, but in Harding County        we’re continuing to meet and take
leaders of the local school systems     they didn’t have any coronavirus        assessments of how things are going
for being flexible as the chain of      cases until the fall. We had to look    and receive the recommendations of
events unfolded. As an example,         at things like some small schools       the task force,” Swartos said.
he referred to Lance Christianson,      having 500-seat arenas and others          “One of the things we learned
the 2019 state golf champion.           having 5,000-seat arenas. We            is how important our sports and
Christianson was a student at           decided not to place restrictions       activities are to the development
Little Wound on the Pine Ridge          on attendance and leave it up to        of our students. Sometimes you
Reservation when the school was         the systems to make those kinds of      don’t fully appreciate what you have
forced to shut down due to the          decisions. The way our members          until it’s taken away from you. It’s
pandemic. Christianson was faced        responded, it was extraordinary.”       important physically, mentally and
with the prospect of not being able       Swartos said he looks forward         socially.”
to compete for another golf title in
2020.
   Swartos explained that meetings
were held and an agreement was
hammered out to issue a waiver and
allow Christianson to participate in
the state tournament competition.
   That kind of flexibility and
adaptability was paramount, Swartos
said, as the pandemic was impacting
local schools in different ways in
various parts of the state.
   “The situation was different
from east to west, rural and urban,

                                                               JULY 2021 | COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS 15
REGISTER TO WIN!
Bring this coupon and mailing label to the Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives
booth at Dakotafest, Farmfest or the South Dakota State Fair to win a prize!
                                                               Your Phone Number:__________________________________________________
                                                               Your E-mail Address: __________________________________________________

                                                                                                     JULY 16-17
                                                                                                     Storybook Land Festival
                                                                                                     Wylie Park, Aberdeen,
                                                                                                     SD, 605-626-7015

                                                                                                     JULY 16-18
                                                                                                     Gold Discovery Days
                                                                                                     Various Locations, Custer,
                                                                                                     SD, 605-673-2244

                                                                                                     JULY 16-24
                                                                                                     Senior Summer Tournaments
                                                                                                     Rapid City, SD, Contact Lindsey
                                                                                                     Meyers at 605-394-4175

                                                                                                     JULY 23-25
                                                                                                     Arlington Days
      July 4
                                                                                                     Various Locations, Arlington,
      Independence Day                                                                               SD, 605-983-5251

                                                                                                     JULY 27-31
                                JUNE 19-20                     JULY 4                                Days of ‘76 Rodeo & Parades
                                Aberdeen Arts in the Park      Fall River Fourth of July             Various Locations, Deadwood,
                                Melgaard Park, Aberdeen,       Various Locations, Hot Springs,       SD, 605-578-1876
                                SD, 605-226-1557               SD, 605-745-4140
                                                                                                     JULY 31
                                JUNE 25-27                     JULY 4                                Chislic Festival
                                Annual Main Street Arts        Fourth of July Celebration            Freeman’s Prairie Arboretum,
                                and Crafts Festival            703 Main Street, Deadwood,            Freeman, SD, 605-496-9946
                                N River Street, Hot Springs,   SD, 800-344-8826
                                SD, 605-440-2738                                                     AUGUST 5-14
                                                               JULY 4                                Sioux Empire Fair
                                JUNE 30-JULY 4                 Fourth of July Parade                 W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds, Sioux
                                Annual Black Hills Roundup     Kemp Avenue, Watertown,               Falls, SD, 605-367-7178
  To have your event            300 Roundup Street, Belle      SD, 605-886-5814
  listed on this page, send     Fourche, SD, 605-723-2010                                            AUGUST 17-19
                                                               JULY 9-11, 16-18, 23-25               Dakotafest
  complete information,
                                JULY 2-4                       Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant          2300 E Spruce Street, Mitchell,
  including date, event,        Custer’s Old Time Country                                            SD, 877-611-8161
                                                               43379 Rose Lane, De Smet,
  place and contact to your     Fourth of July                 SD, 605-983-5251
  local electric cooperative.   Various Locations, Custer,                                           AUGUST 26-29
                                SD, 605-673-2244               JULY 9-11                             58th Annual Steam
  Include your name,
                                                               Annual Hot Harley Nights              Threshing Jamboree
  address and daytime           JULY 2-4                                                             Prairie Village, Madison,
                                                               J&L Harley-Davidson, Sioux
  telephone number.             Gold Camp Jubilee Days         Falls, SD, 605-334-2721               SD, 605-256-3644
  Information must be           Various Locations, Lead,
  submitted at least eight      SD, 605-584-1100               JULY 10-11
                                                               50th Annual Brookings
  weeks prior to your           JULY 2-4                       Summer Arts Festival
  event. Please call ahead      Sitting Bull Stampede Rodeo    W Highway 14 and 1st                  Note: Please make sure to
  to confirm date, time and     Rodeo Grounds, Mobridge,       Avenue, Brookings,                    call ahead to verify the event
  location of event.            SD, 605-845-2387               SD, 605-692-2787                      is still being held.
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