Georgia Magazine - February 2013 - (Page 14)

A lineman’s little girl By Renea WinchesteR A WIL LEDFORD, ALTAMAHA EMC LINEMAN s Hurricane Sandy approached in late October, Northern power companies requested support from their Southern counterparts. Linemen at electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) in Georgia began checking their rubber suits for holes, collecting batteries, gloves, hardhats and other necessary gear. Trained for disasters, they kissed their families goodbye and formed a convoy traveling north. They would not spend Halloween trick-or-treating with their children. Instead, they would work many nights fueled by a God-planted seed to help others. How do I know? In the 1970s, my dad, Larry Winchester, worked for Nantahala Power and Light in Western North Carolina. Back then, there were no underground power lines. Building, repairing and, in the winter, rebuilding power lines, was a physically demanding, laborious process. The same can be said for Georgia’s EMC linemen who worked in the aftermath of Sandy. When Mother Nature slaps down timber and pulls up roots, the trees reach out to the nearest thing for support—usually the closest power line. And two tons of oak is more than a cable can bear. Everyone in my hometown of Bryson City knew Daddy worked for the power company. That meant people didn’t call the power company when their lights flickered. They called my house. They didn’t know I hadn’t seen my daddy in days and we were, like them, huddled beside a wood-burning stove. They didn’t know my daddy was busy praying the work truck parked on an icy hillside didn’t slide off the bank leaving his crew stranded. Line crews work 18- to 20-hour shifts. They sleep in their clothes— boots still on. I would try to wait up for Daddy. But a 9-year-old can’t stay up till 3 a.m. Days passed. Eventually, Mother would receive a call. Power had returned, and soon so would her husband. The smell of biscuits and beef stew filled the air. Sitting on the back of the couch, I peered through the curtain and waited. Opening the door, I stood shocked. This man I did not recognize, with ice frozen to a beard that had erupted during his absence, had grown older. Mom embraced him, then I grabbed his stiff, cold legs. It took my brother and me several minutes to remove the rubber boots, then unlace the steel-toed boots. Exhausted, Daddy waved away Mom’s offer of food. Stumbling to bed, he slept soundly—for three hours— Linemen from Altamaha EMC in Lyons traveled to Maryland until the phone rang to help Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative restore again. power in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. 14 More online at www.georgiamagazine.org Larry Winchester, pictured with his daughter Renea, began his employment with the power company as a meter-reader and served as a lineman for two decades. Restoring power demands a communication center set up like a war room, which knows what area has an immediate need. Hospitals are first, then residents on an urgent-care list. Each crew has a specific task. Beginning with the removal of trees, every crew member either possesses or knows how to operate a chainsaw. While someone cuts a path, the foreman determines whether a new power pole is necessary. Setting a new pole takes hours. Then a brave soul climbs into the bucket truck and connects the power. There’s no hurrying this process. A hurried lineman is a dead lineman. Line crews eat cold sandwiches that their wives pack and drink dayold coffee from a thermos. There were no stores open when Sandy smacked down trees and spewed water and sand across the coast. Next time the lights go out, be kind to the lineworkers. If you have extra food, please share. If you own a hotel where they are staying, offer to do their laundry. And for those who think they can do nothing, please pray for the workers’ safety. Somewhere back home is a little girl worried about her daddy. Cobb EMC member Renea Winchester is the award-winning author of “In the Garden with Billy: Lessons about Life, Love & Tomatoes” and “Stress-free Marketing: Practical Advice for the Newly Published Author.” If you have a meaningful Georgia experience to share, see page 6 for submission information. GEORGIA MAGAZINE http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - February 2013

Georgia Magazine - February 2013
The 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards
Table of Contents
Viewpoint
Liberty Notes
Georgia News
Calendar of Events
Picture This?
Currents
My Georgia
A Safe Haven
Around Georgia: Return to Tara
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - February 2013