Cooperative Living June 2020 - 6

Brights | from Staff Reports
Charge It!
The Electric Cooperative Training
Center in Palmyra, Va., does more
than power the next generation of
lineworkers. It
powers electric
vehicles, as well.
A 7.2-kilowatt
two-vehicle charger
recently was placed
in service at the
center, which
serves the training
needs of co-op
lineworkers and other personnel in
Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
Accessible from U.S. 15, it is
believed to be the only non-residential
charging station in Fluvanna County.
The nearest stations are located in
Zion Crossroads, several miles north
of the center in Louisa County.
" It's good to have because we do
get some visitors driving electric cars, "
says Alan Scruggs, vice president of
safety and training services for the
Virginia, Maryland & Delaware
Association of Electric Cooperatives.
MailBag
SWEET VIRGINIA BARN CATS
I appreciated the environmental
focus of the March-April Cooperative
Living. However, I am disturbed that
the CoverFocus article, on page 10,
condoned the efforts of the Sweet
Virginia Barn Cats organization to
sustain outdoor feral cat colonies.
Letting cats roam outdoors is bad for
the environment, wildlife, humans
and the cats themselves. Outdoor
cats, including those that are neutered
and fed, kill an estimated 2.4 billion
birds and 12.3 billion mammals
annually, according to information
published by the American Bird
Conservancy. Even when cats do not
directly kill wildlife, their presence
in the environment leads to indirect
mortality, such as reduced feeding
of young birds.
I worked as a wildlife biologist
on national wildlife refuges in Virginia
and California, where ground-nesting
bird species were brought to the brink
of extinction due to predation by free4
| Cooperative Living | June 2020
roaming domestic and feral cats. Public
health scientists and agencies and many
veterinarians rally against trap, neuter
and release programs. Managed cat
colonies harbor and transmit disease,
including rabies and toxoplasmosis,
which can cause blindness and
miscarriage in humans. I like cats, and
my beloved indoor cat lived to be 20
years old. While Sweet Virginia Barn
Cats' work may be well-meaning -
and I applaud their adoption efforts -
I wish they would keep the rescued cats
indoors or confined to an outdoor area
where they can't harm wildlife, or be
harmed themselves. The heartbreaking
shooting, which left Jack the cat
maimed, could have been avoided.
- Joelle Buffa, Greenbackville, Va.
MOVING COLUMN
I just wanted to thank your
executive editor [Richard G. Johnstone
Jr.] for the article titled " Every Storm ...
Runs Out of Rain " in the May issue.
This is a well-written article and the
perfect message for this moment of
crisis. I just shared it with a co-worker
who needs a little bit of encouragement.
I am positive that our nation will
flourish and our people will experience
great success after this " Storm ...
Runs Out of Rain. "
- Millie DiPatrizio, Sterling, Va.
WRITE US !
We welcome signed letters of less than
250 words. Write: MAILBAG, P.O. Box
2340, Glen Allen, VA 23058-2340 or
email mailbag@co-opliving.com.
Please read and observe our policies
at co-opliving.com/mailbag before
submitting a letter.
Correction: In the May Cooperative Living, a photo in Crossroads misidentified
Alan Hynson as the Rev. Denny Maupin. The identification is correct on co-opliving.com.
co-opliving.com
" As fast as the field is growing,
it'll also be good to give our trainees
some experience in how to handle
these devices, " he says.
Co-op Scholarships
Sixty high school seniors are
getting a helping hand with their
college costs, thanks to their
electric co-ops.
The Education Scholarship
Foundation of the Virginia, Maryland
& Delaware Association of Electric
Cooperatives awarded more than
$60,000 in 2020-21 scholarships to
deserving students whose parents
live in areas served by electric co-ops
in the three states.
The foundation awarded $1,000
scholarships named for Worth Hudson,
the first chairman of the Foundation
board, as well as co-op-specific
scholarships to students in the
territories of Rappahannock Electric
Cooperative, Craig-Botetourt
Electric Cooperative and
Delaware Electric Cooperative.
Since 2001, the Foundation
has provided approximately 780
scholarships totaling more than
$740,000 to aspiring college
students as well as to the next
generation of electric lineworkers.
To contribute to the Foundation,
visit vmdaec.com/scholarship.
Pint-Sized Bakers
Meet sweet little bakers, Johanna,
1, and Naomi, 2, of Winchester,
members of Rappahannock Electric
Cooperative.
The little ladies
participated in
an online baking
contest for a
charity fundraiser.
The charity
funds research
for and supports
women with a
rare pregnancy condition. Proud
mom, Fiona, reports that Naomi
won first place and Johanna took
second place in their respective
age groups in the competition.
Next up - Top Chef? 
MORE
LETTERS
ONLINE!
http://www.vmdaec.com/scholarship http://www.co-opliving.com/mailbag http://www.co-opliving.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living June 2020
