|
|
When it comes to Christmas gifts, Cook County was gifted something that we can all appreciate and be thankful for….ELECTRICITY. Mother nature wreaked havoc on North America this past week. Some had it much worse than others…but few escaped her wrath.
When the power went out on Friday during sub zero temperatures and high wind gusts, many county residents were in peril. When we lose the conveniences of electricity that also means our primary source of heat has been compromised. Even if you use propane for your heat source, you still need electricity to run the pump and blowers to move the heat.
That’s where the valiant workers at Arrowhead Cooperative stepped up to the plate. First to identify the source of the outage(s) and then to address the repairs. And there were many! Now while most of us were inside wondering or even complaining about when the electricity would return…there were men and women out in the frigid conditions working to restore the power. That lasted well into the night, all day Saturday and even on Christmas Day.
It was not just the line workers, but support staff and management were all away from their families striving to get every customer back online. Electricity is a commodity that we can easily take for granted. It is intertwined in our lives at every level. Our true appreciation comes when we don’t have it anymore.
Full disclosure….I am a Board member for the AECI (Arrowhead Electric Cooperative Inc.). Thus, I was privy to a series of email updates throughout the weekend. I can attest to the fact that the outages were widespread throughout the county. It was all hands-on deck for the employees at AECI. Due to the high number of outage issues, we needed assistance of additional crews from Lake States Construction and Great River Energy.
As we sit at home with family and friends sharing fellowship and enjoying the holiday season, let’s all take a moment to thank those involved in restoring the electricity. They deserve it. As do the medical personal that work in our hospitals and nursing homes, the snowplow drivers who keep our roads open, law enforcement workers in the field and at dispatch, the convenience store workers, those in the hospitality business, the many volunteer firefighters and EMS workers…and the list goes on. When they are called to be of service, Christmas Day is no different than any other day. The bell rings and they answer in order to make all our lives better.
By the way, it was the power outage with 5 minutes to go in the Vikings’ game that made most people appreciate the value of electricity!!! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
Michael Valentini – Gunflint Trail
Leave a Reply