Cooperative Living November/December 2020 - 6

TrainingTracks
Working Safe and Smart
Thomas Coates has been set on a career in electricity for a
while. He attended a technical school as a part of his high
school studies and placed third as a senior in the Electrical
Construction Wiring Technical Test at the 2015 State Leadership
Conference & Skills Championships in Roanoke, Va. Coates
recently completed coursework to graduate from apprentice
to journeyman lineworker.
Becoming a lineworker: I saw the Southeast Lineman Training
School in Georgia and went down there for 3 1/2 months. That's
when I knew this was for me. When I came back to Shenandoah
Valley, I started out as an equipment operator and within six
months got into their apprenticeship program and started going
to Palmyra.
What he likes best about his job: Just being able to help people out in
different ways with outages. There was a storm when we went to
Our Training Tracks feature spotlights a trainee
from an electric cooperative. Training is conducted
at the Electric Cooperative Training Center in Palmyra,
Va. The state-of-the-art facility is an ideal learning
environment to serve the needs of lineworkers,
system operators, substation operators and other
co-op representatives.
Thomas Coates
* Shenandoah Valley Electric Co-op
* Been with SVEC for 4 1/2 years
* Native of Strasburg, Va.
* Graduate of Strasburg High School
Southside Electric for five days. The last couple of days,
people had been out for almost a week. When we put
their lights back on, we saw how grateful they were.
What he's learning: It's really finishing out everything
they've been trying to teach us - the main things like
safety, and then finish off with hot work. I've been
coming over here for years and we're tying up everything
it takes to work safe and smart.
About the training center: I really like this one. I remember
when there used to be a trailer here and this is a whole
lot nicer. The teachers are really good at what they do.
I'd definitely recommend it. 
Read about the training center at vmdaec.com/center.
MailBag
'MOVING AND
INFORMATIVE ARTICLE'
Until about 25 years ago, I had never
heard of horses being used for therapy
purposes. Then, while serving as chair
of the Northern Virginia chapter of
the Boeing Employees Good Neighbor
Fund, I received a grant request from
an equestrian center serving children in
nearby Maryland. We visited the facility
as part of the evaluation of the grant
request and were amazed, not only at
the facility and its devoted staff, but
at the results achieved.
Very much along the same lines as
described in your September " Where
Heroes Come to Heal " article, the
children, most of whom had severe
emotional or psychological disorders,
were calmed and better able to deal
with their difficulties after several
visits to the facility. Needless to say,
the grant application was approved.
Thank you for a moving and
informative article.
- James Sherry, Winchester, Va.
READER DISAGREES
WITH MARGO
Margo Oxendine's Rural Living
column is one of my favorites in
Cooperative Living, but I felt the need to
write regarding September's " The Jaguar
Preserve " with respect to her statement
that Belize is " not the safest place for
tourists. " While there are places on
mainland Belize and on Ambergris Caye
to which that may apply, as someone
who has spent three winters in San
Pedro, Ambergris Caye, I have found
Belize to be one of the most welcoming,
safest destinations in the Caribbean.
The Belizeans are warm, friendly people
who have an infectious joie de vivre.
I know many American and Canadian
expats on Ambergris Caye who have
made the island their permanent home
and I daresay would find parts of the
U.S. much less safe than their beloved
Belize. As for the night hike through
4 | Cooperative Living | November-December 2020
the jaguar preserve, that's something
I've yet to do, so I will be sure to do so
when I return this winter.
- Kathy Wisiackas, Manteo, N.C.
EQUINE THERAPY
ARTICLE APPRECIATED
I am president of Woodlife Chapter
468 in Mechanicsville, Va., and we have
donated to Lonesome Dove Equestrian
Center for several years. We think this
is a wonderful place for veterans to ride
and we thank you for this wonderful
story in your September issue of
Cooperative Living.
- Rebecca Baker, Henrico, Va.
WRITE US !
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250 words. Write: MAILBAG, P.O. Box
2340, Glen Allen, VA 23058-2340 or
email mailbag@co-opliving.com.
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at co-opliving.com/mailbag before
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Cooperative Living November/December 2020

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