For Debbie Robinson, Wood County Electric Cooperative has become a way of life in 25 years on the job. She joined WCEC as an accountant in 1983, rose up through the ranks, and in 1996 became chief executive officer and general manager of the electric cooperative that provides power to all or parts of nine counties in the Upper East Side of Texas: Camp, Franklin, Hopkins, Smith, Rains, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.

She is only the third manager in WCEC’s 70-year history and one of the first women to manage an electric co-op in Texas.

WCEC got its start in 1938 when a group of farmers got together to bring electricity to the region after President Franklin Roosevelt passed the Rural Electrification Act. It now serves about 33,000 users in nine counties and works with nine other co-ops for a combined 340,000 East Texas users, giving it a larger market for buying power less expensively.

“The larger the market, the better price you get,” Debbie said, calling on her business administration accounting degree from Texas A&M University to cite one of he realities of commerce.

Under her leadership, WCEC also has ownership interest in power plants that supply about half of its needs.

“Co-ops are very focused on meeting members’ needs; there is no incentive to meet any stockholders‘ profit needs,” Debbie said.

That fact means co-ops can offer electricity cheaper and also emphasizes a focus on service. Being able to control costs and expenses is one key to success; long-time employees is a second.

“Being a good employer is a key,” Debbie said. “One thing about WCEC is that we don’t have a lot of turnover in employees, so we have a knowledgeable employee base.

“When you work for the co-op, it’s almost like you are called to service. When there’s an outage or storm, we know we’ve got a job to do. And we believe in being good neighbors - to help out in the area whether it’s serving in volunteer fire departments or local churches, schools, chambers of commerce, or whatever we can do.”

While the primary focus is on providing electricity to rural areas, being good corporate citizens is also important to Debbie and WCEC. That’s a role outlined in the founding Seven Cooperative Principles.

“It’s important to be good corporate citizens. We are big supporters of education in the area through our safety demonstrations and scholarship programs. That also helps us recruit the employees we need because they see that as important in their lives also.”

WCEC manages about 4,400 miles of power lines in the nine counties it serves. Its “mobile convenience center,” developed in 1993, is a visible presence Mondays in Van, Tuesdays in Mount Vernon, Wednesdays in Hawkins, Thursdays in Winnsboro, and Fridays in Grand Saline.

The mobile office is a reality based on growth and controlling costs.

“We could not identify one particular area that was growing faster than the rest. We wanted to reach out to the membership, to offer more convenience, but we couldn’t justify five-day-a-week offices so we came up with the mobile office that is in a different town each day of the week,” Debbie said. “It’s been a real success for us, averaging about 100 visitors a day to pay bills or ask questions or request new service. Anything we need to do in an office, we can do in the mobile office.”

In Debbie’s 25 years with WCEC, the co-op has averaged about three percent growth a year in net consumers, with that growth expected to remain steady.

“We see that as very manageable. You can’t manage day-to-day operations or fall short of control if you grow too fast,” she said. “Our growth is residential, and when people move here, they are here to stay. There are a lot of qualities that attract people to move here to East Texas; one of those that we need to promote more is low-cost power that’s reliable. That’s helping us grow.”
Because WCEC has traditionally served more rural and unincorporated areas than towns, it takes a regional approach to business development.

“We always need to recognize that our source of revenue is not just from one area, but from all areas,” Debbie said. “The majority of the service we provide is residential, so we need to focus on that - meeting those customers’ needs.

“Customers today know what’s going on in the world and are very focused on their financing needs and their budgets. The costs of all the things we need are rising and energy is part of that, whether it’s gasoline at the pumps or electricity,” she said. “We need to be particularly focused on electricity and where it comes from.”

Debbie refers to a web site, www.ourenergy.coop that presents information about power supply choices including coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy.

“Our area consumers need to be more aware of moving this country to renewable resources whether it be wind or solar to help us decrease our independence on foreign oil,” she said. “We also need to keep in mind the baseline costs. Baseline fuels like coal get a bad rap these days, but are good reliable sources of power.”

While Debbie spends most of her time finding less-expensive power for members, she said she enjoys meeting the members and speaking at ag shows and at schools.

“I’m on the road a lot with power-supply issues, contracts, and feasibility inquires, but one of the joys of working for the co-op is getting out and being with people.”

Debbie is also president of East Texas Electric Cooperatives, past chairman of the Texas Electric Cooperative Board, is a past director of the Quitman Chamber of Commerce, and served on the East Texas Workforce Development Board and in other civic volunteer roles.

Burke Bullock, Wood County commissioner and dairy farmer, is on the WCEC board of directors and has known Debbie for about 20 years.

“She was one of the first women in the state to be a co-op manager, and surrounded herself with good advisors - highly qualified men and women,” Burke said. “We consider WCEC to be one of the best electric co-ops in the nation under her leadership. It’s progressive and has good contracts to buy power, and she’s kept it on good financial footing. Debbie has good rapport with each community we serve.”

Dr. Beverly Waddleton Johnson grew up with Debbie’s husband and met Debbie through their children’s involvement in scouting and other activities.

“In a male-dominated profession, Debbie Robinson is the star to follow,” Beverly said. “She does a great job with employee relations and community relations, and continues to give superb service for the areas Wood County Electric Cooperative serves.”

Debbie and her husband, Troy (who is president of Quitman-based BankTexas), have two sons in college. One is a senior at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and one is a sophomore at Texas A&M, where Debbie got her degree in business administration accounting.

Lately, the Bryan native has been reading a book called “Balance of Power,” which reminds her that life and work are equally important.

“I try to keep life balanced with work and exercise. I love to cook, and health and nutrition are important. And spirituality; I’m very involved with my church,” she said. “I lead a good East Texas life.”

By Tom Geddie
www.countylinemagazine.com/

The event included an auction of Pro/Am tennis teams that competed for their winning bidders for a number of Auction Lots that were donated by sponsors of this worthy cause. EBS’ own Stephen Kaplan was part of one of the teams that went for auction. Mr. Kaplan, along with 9-time doubles champion tennis player Piet Aldrich came in 4th place in the annual charity tournament.

The annual Tennis Auction Ball raised more than $100,000 to fund Cystic Fibrosis research. The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a nonprofit donor-supported organization, is to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease.

EBS encourages its friends, colleagues, and investors to consider supporting this worthy cause and help find a cure for this terrible disease. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation can be found online at: http://www.cff.org/Chapters/sandiego/

About Equity Based Services, Inc
EBS is a Private Real Estate Company specializing in the acquisition and management of self-storage property. EBS currently owns and operates nearly 60 Self-Storage properties in 10 states with a current market value of more than $300 Million. EBS also manages a family of Private Equity Funds for institutional and high net worth individual investors. The EBS Income Fund, the EBS Income and Growth Fund II, and the Pilot Equity Value Added Fund all closed in 2007. For more information, contact Kurt Ambrosius at 619-220-6700.

By: EBS Associate

Ben Wheeler, Texas Fall Feral Hawg Festival | Eric Giles, Joshn Smith, Stephen Giles and Ben Lowery standing, and far right Bob Proudfit.

The Fall Feral Hawg Festival on October 25 in Ben Wheeler had been a great success and had rewarded many with joy and entertainment.

Activities included a 10 a.m. parade, the 11 a.m. queen pageant, a wild hog barbecue cook-off that ended at noon, and other food and entertainment including live music, exhibits, and concessions had been scheduled for the event until 5 p.m.

East Tx BackRoads Band opened with Live Music at 2 PM on Front Porch Stage of Ben Wheeler Park of Hawg festival.

The pageant is open to both male and female contestants at least 18 years of age who live in Van Zandt County. The winner must be available to ride on the parade float, reign as Ben Wheeler Feral Hawg Queen for one year, and represent Ben Wheeler in community events, parades, grand openings, and other events.

There also had been an adults-only Feral Hawg Ball encouraged attendees to dress in anything from ball gowns and tuxes to pig farming attire with wild hog or pig-theme masks or accessories.

 With out filling paragraphs with percentages and/or polling results, it must be said that the United States of America has a problem with voter fraud. Voter fraud is a serious issue, as fraudulent votes if successfully counted as votes and unfairly turn an election a wrong direction may end in devastating consequences for the United States Government and for each and every individual on Earth. Voting is very important to democracy and fraudulent votes are defiantly unfair and unacceptable to those that are genuine voters.

 In the passed few weeks, it has been revealed to the nation and to the world that several organizations have been campaigning for the Democrat Party under the radar as non profit/ non partisan organizations. Non partisan organizations that register voters to vote are suppose to register voters for all parties where as some organizations that appear to have been non partisan are in fact registering voters that are only in a particular party.

 Using the nations tax dollars, Organizations such as ACORN are also connected to and accepting funds from political action organizations. ACORN is being investigated in several states and is reportedly being investigated by the F.B.I. (Federal Bureau of Investigations). Several individuals have been arrested for voter registration fraud, some could be sent to prison for 8 decades (80 years).

 ”If a party has to cheat to get into a elected office, they do not belong in that office.” said by local politician. They go on to say, “These cheaters should not be allowed to when the seat that they are competing for. Our Nation is better than this. Why are people acting in this manor?” in a flurry of un acceptance. The feeling of un acceptance had overwhelmed the people listening with in the building as most while leaving asked the same questions.

Toby Lewis (42) whom just completed his parole for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and Sandra Barr (48) a long time drug user, were both charged with possession of marijuana over four ounces under five pounds.

“We recovered several ounces of marijuana inside the house, along with a rifle, four sets of scales, and a large quantity of paraphernalia,” said Jordan. $40,000.00 worth of copper wire had been seized as well.

Jordan said that eight plants and 41 containers holding seeds were found outside.

“I had received information that there was some dealing and growing going on at this residence. He had a lot of seed but some of it had not begun to grow yet,” said Jordan.

Jordan said that he was assisted by Deputy Constables David Smith and Jason Hollowell, as well as, Van Police Chief Kelly Smith and Officers Preston Roberts and Jacob Richardson. Van Public Safety Officer Melissa Davis also assisted.

“I appreciate Kelly and his officers’ assistance. My deputy constables donate their time. I would like to thank all of them. I could not have done it without them,” said Jordan.

Both Lewis and Barr were transported to the Van Zandt County Justice Center and bond was set for each of them at $5,000. Officials are yet to charge the two with the alleged theft of the copper.

Activities include a 10 a.m. parade, the 11 a.m. queen pageant, a wild hog barbecue cook-off ending at noon, and other food and entertainment including live music, exhibits, and concessions until 5 p.m. Contests throughout the afternoon for adults and children include team hog dressing, hog races, lipstick-on-a-pig and pig chases. A kiddie pen area offers lots of fun activities for children. There will also be demonstrations of hog traps, saw mills, sugar curing, pig skin crackling, and exhibits from Texas Parks & Wildlife and East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park.

From 7-10 p.m., the adults-only Feral Hawg Ball encourages attendees to dress in anything from ball gowns and tuxes to pig farming attire with wild hog or pig-themed masks or accessories.

Feral (wild) hogs are a problem in Van Zandt County, much of Texas, and North America with an estimated two million – half of the continent’s total population – in the state. The omnivores – they eat plants and other animals –are a multi-million-dollar problem because they can disrupt both livestock and farming operations by damaging facilities and fences, and trampling and eating crops. They also are popular table fare and, in some areas, compete with the white-tailed deer as the most popular animal to hunt.

At one time, there was a bounty on the intelligent, prolifically reproducing hogs in Van Zandt County. While the problem remains, the budget does not; in one month a few years ago, the county paid bounties of nearly $4,000.

Within that spirit, hawg queen candidates will be judged on stage in attire appropriate to the event and season. Props, costumes, special clothing, and makeup are acceptable. One winner and one runner-up will be selected based on a total package including appearance, poise, personality, and knowledge of feral hogs.

The pageant is open to both male and female contestants at least 18 years of age who live in Van Zandt County. The winner must be available to ride on the parade float, reign as Ben Wheeler Feral Hawg Queen for one year, and represent Ben Wheeler in community events, parades, grand openings, and other events.

Pageant applications can be obtained from Kathy Kendrick at kjkendrick@aol.com or at the Ben Wheeler Development Company (BWDC) which is next door to the Ben Wheeler post office on Highway 64.

The festival is scheduled in downtown Ben Wheeler. BWDC is returning the southern Van Zandt County community to the way it looked in 1935 and bringing new businesses and a new attitude to the area. The project will take at least three years – probably longer – to recapture the old-fashioned atmosphere with an even longer timeline for some projects. In a community with a thousand or so nearby residents, there will be new restaurants, new shops, music venues, a fully restored downtown park complete with gazebos, a classic car museum and motorcycle hall of fame, and more.

For more information about the Fall Feral Hawg Festival call 903.833.1070.

 ”Somebody needed to do it,” he said, smiling at the notion of any individual setting aside a week as a reminder of the importance of all the arts. “The arts matter and we shouldn’t take them for granted.”

As part of his own effort, Geddie will host an artists’ dinner meeting from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, at the world-famous Dairy Palace in Canton. He urges artists to share information about the event with other artists, and to bring a piece of your art to share, if practical and if it’s the kind of stuff that won’t offend the family-oriented restaurant. (Kids are welcome at the meeting, too.) It’s a chance to introduce yourself, meet other folks, and visit informally with good company. Dairy Palace is near the southwest intersection of Interstate 20 and Highway 19.

 According to the Harris Poll, 93 percent of Americans believe the arts are vital to a well-rounded education, Childhood arts education helps improve imagination, individuality, the willingness to take risks, focus, and problem-solving, cognitive, language, and social skills, although budget crunches endanger school programs and many adults seem to forget how rewarding the arts are.

 ”Education doesn’t end with our formal schooling,” he said. “As adults, the arts help us explore ourselves and others and help us expand the world we live in. The arts help us understand our own emotions, thoughts, and experiences. The arts can help us think outside the box to find real solutions for real problems. The arts inspire us, and help make us more fully human.”

 In a profit-dominated world, it’s hard to make a living with the arts, even for people who combine skills in both business and an art. That’s why Geddie urges everybody to embrace an artist (literally and figuratively) on Oct. 19-25, as a reminder to make the arts part of everyday life.

 Noting that there are increasing options for enjoying the arts in the Upper East Side of Texas, he offers 10 suggestions for honoring the art in all of us all year long, not just in this special week. Some of the tips are very easy; some of them involve freeing and exercising our own imaginations.

 ”Buy a piece of visual art, or go to a live music performance,” he said. “Go to a museum or one of the many art centers all over the Upper East Side of Texas. Go enjoy a local arts festival.”

 Buy a meal for an artist, he said, and have a serious conversation about art. Or host a simple artists’ roundtable where several artists get together to share conversation. It’s stimulating.

 Some of the suggestions take more work.

 ”Host a show for a local artist at your place of business, even if it’s a small show. It might even bring more business through your doors,” Geddie said. “If you can’t do it during this week set aside for artists, plan it for sometime later this year.”

 It’s also a great time to create something of your own, or to enroll in an art class.

 Last, Geddie suggests coming up with and sharing your own ways to honor artists.

 In his creative-writing class, the Van Zandt County-based Geddie talks with students about such topics as purpose and inspiration, about relevance and truth and the “movement” in our writing, where what we write (and read) takes us emotionally.

 He looks for the same things in music and in the visual arts.

 ”When I listen to music, for example, sometimes I like to be comforted and sometimes I like the challenge. It’s the challenging music that helps me grow. I listen for songs’ power to move me, whether it’s through the lyrics, the music, the originality of the expression, or even better the combination of those things,” he said.

 ”When I see visual art, if I’m really paying attention, I notice the form, of course, but I think about the feelings it evokes in me.”

 Geddie is an essayist, music journalist, poet, photographer, creative-writing teacher, and freelance writer. During his corporate, not-for-profit, and consulting career he won more than 100 awards for hands-on, results-oriented work on communication programs; measurement; publications; news, feature, series, and interpretive writing; photography; publication design; speech writing; and marketing programs and collateral. He also served on the global board of the International Association of Business Communicators, as president of the Dallas/IABC chapter, and published frequently in professional journals.

 He’s published 25 poetry chapbooks and teaches a three-hour creative-writing workshop in colleges, bookstores, and other venue including private homes. See more of his writing at www.tomgeddie.com.

 Earlier in 2008, Image Warehouse in Athens hosted Geddie’s whimsical “$13.80 Foto Sho.” Some of his photography is available at The Winnsboro Gallery, and he writes frequently for County Line magazine and other publications. During National Poetry Month in 2005, he dropped in unexpectedly at businesses in Fate, Caddo Mills, Cooper, Pecan Gap, and Paris, and at the easy-to-miss town limits sign at Birthright to read poems to employees, customers, and whoever else would listen.

 He hopes “Embrace an Artist Week” creates more attention for all of the arts than that tour did for poetry.

 ”I would like to hear what people do to celebrate artists and the arts, and people’s thoughts on the experience,” he said.

 For more information, email Geddie at geddiemuses@aol.com. He hopes to collect responses to grow the concept and promote this special week in future years.

With costs of energy increasing, everything will increase in cost as well. Citizens of the United States are growing impatient with over blown fuel costs, while seeing energy companies take in record profits in every new quarter. A private study shows that there are fewer people taking weekend trips in the family car than there where just a year ago. Jan Abdale of Rusk, Texas says that she has to put two thirds of her check away per week just to make it to work where before she would only use less than a third before. Jesse Lee of Van, Texas says he’s lost his home to fuel costs. He says, as the fuel costs where rising and kept on rising, his mortgage payments started to increase could not be paid on his home, so he is now living with his sister who rents her home. Another person that would not give their name said that we are teetering on something bigger than any economic recession.

While the high fuel costs increase even higher, the stress that illegal immigration has caused on hospitals, highways, employment and etc. is ever more increasing as time passes. Amy Taylor of Tyler, Texas says she may have to move north to find a new job because employers where she lives are only hiring bi-lingual speaking individuals. And she goes on to say, “Illegal immigrants have taken several jobs from me and my family members in the past decades, and I’m sick of it.” Illegal immigration is, has been and will be one of the biggest issues talked about and campaigned on.

Healthcare is going to be a seemingly mediocre issue. It is bigger than you think. Healthcare is one of the things that all of us will need in the end. The bad part about healthcare programs is that they are like the stars in the sky, there are just so many of them. Health program here, a health program there, and look, another healthcare program there too. Jim Sweeny of Dallas, Texas says, “What is health insurance for? It’s like I pay enough on just insurance to pay for two major surgeries a year, but I don’t get to use the surgeries. The insurance companies don’t have a roll over plan, if you don’t either. So it’s kind of like I am paying for someone else’s surgery when I do not use the insurance. I think if everyone paid their own hospital bills that are able instead of buying insurance, we would not have such high healthcare costs.”

Who ever is elected, we hope that the best person for the Job is elected. ]]> http://www.newsspoiler.com/politics-005200-november-election-news-forecast.php/feed/ http://www.newsspoiler.com/travel-004800-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-sixty-dollar-gas-card.php http://www.newsspoiler.com/travel-004800-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-sixty-dollar-gas-card.php#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:15:32 +0000 admin Travel World News Local News http://www.newsspoiler.com/travel-004800-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-sixty-dollar-gas-card.php

 Today many Americans pay around three dollars per gallon of fuel. Small businesses are gaining more costs as their fuel costs, and their shippers fuel costs rise. Americans are starting to complain about higher fuel prices and it seems as though their voices are gaining strength and are gaining many. They say that the prices for fueling their vehicles and heating are staying higher than normal and are always on the increase, and say that the prices for everything that they have to buy to survive and live on are also on the increase.

 Mike Wilson of Tyler, Texas says that all he wants for Christmas is a $60.00 gas card, and said that all that he is requesting from his friends and family for this years Christmas is Gas Cards. Mike said that he usually tries to take what ever he doesn’t like that he was given as gifts back and then he get’s what he wants with the money. This year he said he will be wanting gas cards, although he says jewelry is good too.

 Everywhere there are larger used trucks and SUV’s up for sale parked in front of houses and local Wal-Mart parking lots as their current owners try to cope with the rising costs of fuel. There are fewer drivers out on the road, when there should be more on average as some are cutting back on traveling in order save money or they can’t afford to drive their automobiles. The everyday fill up of gasoline for average people and businesses is taking a toll.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

President Bush had met with Prime Minister Olmert of Israel and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Afterwards, the President Bush Attended, made remarks, and the Joint Understanding was Read by President Bush at Annapolis Conference.

“The day is coming when Palestinians will enjoy the blessings that freedom brings - and all Israelis will enjoy the security they deserve. That day is coming. The day is coming when the terrorists and extremists who threaten the Israeli and Palestinian people will be marginalized and eventually defeated. And when that day comes, future generations will look to the work we began here at Annapolis. They will give thanks to the leaders who gathered on the banks of the Chesapeake for their vision, their wisdom and courage to choose a future of freedom and peace.” - President George W. Bush

President Bush met with Prime Minister Olmert of Israel and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority at the White House. Following the meetings, President Bush made a statement, and other remarks on the Annapolis Conference.

“It’s very important for the international community to support these two leaders during the bilateral negotiations that will take place. And one thing I’ve assured both gentlemen is that the United States will be actively engaged in the process, that we will use our power to help you, as you come up with the necessary decisions to lay out a Palestinian state that will live side by side in peace with Israel.” - President George W. Bush

President Bush met with President Elias Antonio Saca of the Republic of El Salvador. The two leaders discussed a range of issues including recent regional developments. President Bush also consulted with President Saca on the recent initiative to enhance security cooperation with Central America to combat organized crime, drug smuggling, and international terror. Later, the President participated in a photo opportunity with the U.S. Solheim Cup team. In the afternoon, the President participated in U.S. Department of Defense, received briefings and made a statement.

“Here in Washington, leaders have a responsibility to send the right message to the rest of the world. Let us tell our enemies that America will do what it takes to defeat them. Let us tell Afghans and Iraqis that we will stand with them as they take the fight to our common enemies. Let us tell our men and women in uniform that we will give them what they need to succeed in their missions - without strings and without delay.” - President George W. Bush

The President and Mrs. Bush participated in a meeting on World AIDS Day. After, the President made a statement. On World AIDS Day, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting and preventing HIV/AIDS in America and around the world. We also remember those who have lost their lives to this terrible disease and those who continue to suffer. On this day and throughout the year, the red ribbon helps raise awareness of the importance of fighting HIV/AIDS. This year, the White House will display this symbol from the North Portico to represent America’s commitment to this struggle.

“World AIDS Day is both a day of sadness and a day of hope. We remember with sadness all those lost to AIDS. We mourn their lives cut short, their dreams of future denied. And we ask for God’s blessing on the loved ones they have left behind. We also mark this day with hope - for the improving prospects of those living with the virus, for the unprecedented number of infections being prevented, and for new progress toward eradicating this disease. Above all, we rededicate ourselves to a great purpose: We will turn the tide against HIV/AIDS - once and for all.” - President