Cooperative Living October 2015 - 3

THE INSIDE STORY
Bill Sherrod
October is a fun
month. There are
lots of fairs and festivals,
the weather's
becoming cooler
and drier, and there's
Halloween.
Traditionally a
time for kids, Halloween today has
been co-opted by grownups and
morphed into something of an industry
- a fright industry. And, as
our cover story illustrates, there's
plenty of good material for such an
industry right here in Virginia.
Being frightened has always been
sort of fun, the goal of horror
movies, fright houses, scary pranks
and practical jokes.
We all have our favorite fright
stories. The most frightened I ever
was - and it wasn't fun - was
while watching an episode of The
Twilight Zone when I was 9 years
old. It was called " Nightmare at
20,000 Feet " and starred William
Shatner (before his Capt. Kirk Star
Trek days) as an airline passenger,
and a wicked-looking gremlin trying
to destroy his plane. One surprise
scene so shocked me that I unleashed
an ear-splitting scream with
complete abandon, bringing my
mother rushing downstairs ―in a
fright herself ―to see what was up.
She wasn't amused when she saw all
the ruckus was over a TV show.
Growing up around Richmond
in the 1960s and '70s, I was familiar
with the legend of the light at West
Point. Supposedly, a railroad worker
had been decapitated years earlier in
a work accident and the light -
visible at night down the railroad
tracks where they exited West Point
and ran through the reeds - was
the man's ghost looking for his
head. I actually saw this phenomenon
on a college-fraternity road
trip, and it was interesting but not
especially scary. As I recall, the
official scientific explanation for the
light at West Point was " swamp gas "
(isn't it always?).
Enjoy October's cool weather,
fairs and festivals, and if you'd like,
have a for-fun fright or two. But if
you watch " Nightmare at 20,000
Feet, " don't be surprised if one
scene makes you scream. 
- Bill Sherrod, Editor
6
Our Mission
To inform you about your cooperative and its efforts to
serve your energy needs; how to use electricity safely and
efficiently; and the people who define and enhance the
quality of life in communities served by electric co-ops.
Contents
14
OCTOBER 2015
Learning the Lines
Plans are in the works for a new Virginia community
college facility that will help train students for careers
working on electric-power lines.
The Old Dominion's Haunted Haunts
Virginia's a place rich in history and, according
to the National Register of Haunted Locations,
a place also replete in haunted haunts.
On the cover: October's the ideal time for a fun fall fright-fest.
ThinkStock photo MISS_J/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK
26
Balancing Temperatures in Two Stories
Keeping temperatures comfortable in all rooms
of a home can be a challenge, especially in
two-story structures. Here are some helpful ideas.
The Power of Curiosity
As kids and cats well know, a splendid way to
learn is to exercise one's curiosity, discovering
new and exciting things through imagination.
Viewpoint
Mailbag
Whatzit?
History Mystery
Say Cheese!
Happenings
Currents
DEPARTMENTS
2
4
4
5
8
10
12
Bang for Your Buck 12
Local Co-op Pages 18
Healthy Take*
28
20
Caught in the Web*
Safety Sense*
06
14
26
28
21
22
It's Your Business* 23
Co-op History*
24
Stories from the Road 30
Garden Muse
Reader Recipes
Classifieds
Rural Living
34
36
38
40
* not in all editions
Visit us online at: www.co-opliving.com
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Please recycle this magazine.
1
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Cooperative Living October 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living October 2015
