D.C. Although Riley tookbusiness classes, she did notfinish school but went to workfor a laundry and dry-cleaningestablishment. This jobprovided the background forRiley’s career as a business -woman. She met herhusband, Phillip Riley, at theend of World War II when hewent to Washington for work.

In 1947, Phillip and ThelmaRiley moved to the Northern Neckto build and open the NorthernNeck Cleaners the next year. She hadthe experience to run the business whilePhillip picked up and delivered clothes,along with other jobs. She also opened aNaturalizer Shoe store in the cleaners’side office. As a businesswoman inCallao, Riley was active in the Chamberof Commerce and the PTA for her twochildren, Phyllis Riley Thomas andDonald Riley.

In 1959 Riley closed the shoe storeand sold the cleaners to the J.W. HarperCorporation. She and her husbandmoved to Richmond in 1960 to managethe Hamlet Apartments off Staples MillRoad. Riley was active in the garden clubsduring this time and all the apartmentresidents put flower boxes on theirbalconies. Riley was featured in aRichmond Times-Dispatch article about thegrowing trend of flower gardening andflower boxes.

The Rileys returned to Callao whereThelma opened The Fashion Shop, adress and boutique store. Ever thebusinesswoman, she sold The FashionShop to run other businesses and work

18 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

Northern NeckElectric Cooperative

NORTHERN NECKELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

85 St. Johns StreetP.O. Box 288

Warsaw, VA 22572-0288804-333-3621 • 1-800-243-2860

www.nnec.coop

Office Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

President & CEOGreg W. White

Local Pages EditorAndrew Packett

with the Callao Chamber of Commerce topromote Callao. One of her promotionswas a radio call-in program featuringCallao businesses with prizes, entitled“Callao Calling.” Another time, Rileysponsored a Miss Teenage Pageant withthe girls in evening gowns and used theloading dock of the Southern States as thestage. In later years Riley bought andmanaged the Callao Motel until retiringto waterfront property she owned nearHeathsville. The Rileys enjoyed theirretirement together until Phillip died in 1993.

What is the secret to being a successfulbusinessperson and living to be acentenarian? Thelma Winstead Riley

Story and photo by

Andrew Packett, NNEC Local Pages Editor

Thelma Winstead Riley hasexperienced many changesthroughout her 101 years. She

has witnessed the early days of theautomobile and airplane, television,computers and NASA’s space program tothe technological “breakthroughs” oftoday with cellphones, Internet androbotic surgery. Riley has experiencedmajor events going back as far as WorldWar I, the Great Depression, the ruralelectrification movement, World War II,the Cold War and the Korean War. Rileyhas lived during the administrations of 18 U.S. presidents. Perhaps one of themost important changes during Riley’s life has been her role as a successfulbusinesswoman.

Born the youngest of 13 children toKeturah and Hiram Winstead, Riley livedin Quinton Oak until her farmer fatherdied when she was a young child. Shewas raised by her sisters in Washington,

Looking Ahead

Thelma Winstead Riley sits with her daughterPhyllis Riley Thomas and granddaughterDebra Thomas Bingham.

continued on pg. 20

19January 2014

NNEC employees, front row L-R: Wayne Douglas, Pamela Davis, Brenda Kram, Betty Millward, Jane Harcum, Jenny Hayes, CotyDameron, Craig Loving, Valerie Hinson, Sheila Balderson, Vivian Diggs, Carey Allen; second row L-R: Shawn Coates, Mark Evans,Greg White, Bobby Franklin, Casey Hayes, Dawn Green, Denise Sanders, Gabrielle Dawson, Chris Neale, Mike Finerfrock, JohnHarhai; third row L-R: Len Usual, Ralph Self, Mike Dunaway, Hunter Beane, Richard McLendon, Mike Hyde, Tony O’Bier, BeverlyJewell, Jim Moss, David Thomas, Marty Mothershead, Mike Winebarger, Bill Clark, Greg Dove; fourth row L-R: Joey Gay, BJ Walker,David Jackson, Pat Henry, Edward Courtney, Steve Smith, Davin Brann, Will Schools, Keith Balderson, Derek Pierson, Delacy Dodson,Harry Smith, Danny Delano, James Kelly, Andrew Packett, Randall Thompson. Not pictured: Scott Smith, Ricky Taylor, Leon Douglasand Steve Minor.

Best Wishesfor a Safe , Happy and Healthy New Year

from D irectors , Management and Employeesof Northern Neck E lectr ic Cooperat ive

NNEC board of directors, L-R, front row: Ralph E. Sutton, Elnora F. Tompkinsand J. Steve Thomas, Sr. Back row: Hunter R. Greenlaw, Jr., A. WayneSaunders, James A. Wise and Russell G. Brown.

20 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

answered, “Work hard and payattention to what you are doing. Takecare of yourself and don’t look back.Look ahead.” Her response clearlypoints to the answer: attitude. Isn’t itamazing to be looking ahead when youare 101 years old?

Currently residing in the LancashireNursing Home, Riley’s daughter PhyllisThomas (married to Steve Thomas, Sr.)said of her mother, “My mama was abusinesswoman. She was the drivingforce of the businesses and our family.Mama has always had a wonderfulattitude. She never worried. She has noworries or complaints even now. She isjust a happy-go-lucky person.” Riley’sgranddaughter, Debra Thomas Bingham(married to Chris Bingham), remarked,“She has always been laid back. Shetakes things in stride. I cannotremember her worrying ... aboutanything.”

There may be a lesson in this for allof us as we start the New Year with apositive attitude to look ahead.

LOOKING AHEADcontinued from pg. 18

From left: Northern Neck ElectricCooperative’s President and CEO GregWhite and Board of Directors Chairman SteveThomas, Sr., accept the No Lost Time AccidentAward from Ken Parks of Federated RuralElectric Insurance Exchange. Northern NeckElectric Cooperative has an accident-freerecord of 1,068,203 employee-hours sinceApril 29, 2005. The man-hours representeight years of continuous work includingstorms and major outages. Greg Whitecommented on this award, “Creating a safework environment requires commitment fromeach employee of Northern Neck ElectricCooperative. We have reached this milestonethrough the dedication and continuing effortsof everyone in our organization. This award isnot an occasion to rest on our laurels but tocontinue to focus on safety training andeducation at the Cooperative to extend thisimpressive record. I want to thank all ofNNEC’s employees for their role in our safetyprogram and this exciting achievement.”

NNEC Achieves Safety Milestone

NNEC is as close as the palm of your hand with its new mobile websiteprovided through Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. The website is compatiblewith iPhones and Droids. The Report Outages number is directly under NNEC’slogo for members to speed dial.

The site has a short paragraph About Us, and a web form under ContactUs to email NNEC. The menu bar includes Make a Payment, News &Events, Outage Map, My Account, and Local Deals. News & Eventslists the latest co-op happenings, while members can sign up to pay their billsdirectly at Make a Payment. The Outage Map keeps members informedwith the location and number of outages. My Account provides a sign-inportal to view your account information, pay your bill, view kilowatt-hour use foryour home and sign up for email notification of your daily or weekly use ofelectricity. By accessing My Account, you understand how increased applianceuse and weather impact your electric bill as revealed through daily or weeklyemails. Understanding electricity use helps you conserve energy while recognizingthe causes of increased kilowatt-hour (kWh) use. The emails are a reminder ofhow much electricity you are using and the factors that affect your use. LocalDeals contains the discounts available to you through the Co-op ConnectionsCard in your area.

As you scroll down you see the link to Together We Save that includesenergy-saving tips, an energy-savings home tour and the discounts availablethrough your Co-op Connections Card. The Touchstone Energy logo is abovethe Twitter, Facebook and YouTube links for NNEC.

You Have NNEC in the Palm of

21January 2014

Your Hand!

Keep NNEC’s mobile sitehandy, we are right at your fingertips!

SAFETY CORNER

DIY Electrical Safety

The current economic downturn has inspired more homeowners to tackle do-it-yourself projects than ever before. Faced with declining home values and agingproperties, homeowners in some cases may choose not to pay for the services of a

licensed electrician.However, most of us don’t have the training or experience needed to safely perform

electrical work, which increases the risk of injury and electrocution, and potentiallyintroduces new dangers. Working with electricity requires thorough planning and extremecare — cutting corners can be a costly mistake.

For example, electrical outlets cause nearly 4,000 injuries every year. And each year,more than 19,700 people are hurt by ceiling fans that are improperly mounted orincorrectly sized.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International strongly recommends hiring a qualified,licensed electrician to perform electrical work in your home. However, if you decide to do ityourself, consider the following important safety tips:

• Make an effort to learn about your home electrical system so that you can safelynavigate and maintain it.

• Never attempt a project that is beyond your skill level. Knowing when to call aprofessional may help prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities.

• Always turn off the power to the circuit that you plan to work on by switching off thecircuit breaker in the main service panel.

• Be sure to unplug any lamp or appliance before working on it.

• Test the wires before you touch them to make sure that the power has been turned off.

• Never touch plumbing or gas pipes when performing a do-it-yourself electrical project.

For more tips on treating electricity with care in the home and workplace, visitwww.esfi.org.

WATCHWATTSyour

Whether you can’t train your kidsto turn out lights when theyleave a room or need a better

outdoor lighting scheme, automaticcontrols might be a cost-effective solution.

No matter what type you use, “themost important thing to remember for anylighting control is to use a type of lightbulbthat doesn’t need to ‘warm up,’” says BrianSloboda, a senior program managerspecializing in energy efficiency for theCooperative Research Network, theresearch and development organization forthe nation’s electric co-ops. “All of thelightbulbs for residential use now on themarket will work — incandescents,compact fluorescent lamps [CFLs], andLEDs [light-emitting diodes].”

IndoorsOccupancy sensors are helpful indoors,

as long as they’re positioned to detectpeople in any corner of the room. They’realso good as task lighting — above places

like a desk or kitchen sink — so you getthe extra light you need while working,but you don’t forget and leave it on all night.

There are two types of occupancysensors: ultrasonic and infrared. Ultrasonicsensors detect sound; infrared sensorsdetect heat and motion.

Timers make an empty home lookoccupied. If kids are still running in andout, however, timers aren’t as effective asoccupancy sensors. Plug timers into a walloutlet or install them in the wall, like alight switch or thermostat. New varietiesare digital.

Photosensors are generally bestoutdoors, but new applications have foundthey’re also useful for LED nightlights.When an overhead light is on, thenightlight shuts off automatically.

OutdoorsIf you already have or are thinking

about installing an outdoor security light,consider combining it with a photosensor

to keep it from burning all day. A motionsensor goes one step further, if you don’twant continuous light.

Timers are commonly used for aestheticor holiday lighting, sometimes inconjunction with a photosensor — so theyturn on at dusk and turn off at adesignated time.

Visit EnergySavers.gov to learn moreabout energy efficiency in your home.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy(EnergySavers.gov)

LIGHTS OUTAutomatic controls can keep lighting costs in check

If your kids just won’t turn the lights out whenthey leave a room, try automatic lightingcontrols to keep lighting costs in check.

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NNEC’s Tools to Stay Informed During a Power Outage

During an outage NNEC has several methods formembers to stay informed. The Outage Map online iseasy to access at outages.nnec.coop with a new mobile

website provided through Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.The website is compatible with iPhones and Droids. TheReport Outages number is directly under NNEC’s logo formembers to speed dial.

The Outage Map shows the outages by county, the volumeof outages in each location per a color chart, and the numberof outages restored. Jim Moss, vice president of Operations,remarked on the importance of the outage map, “The outagemap on our website provides a convenient way to quicklycheck for outages on the NNEC system. Even if your area isshown on the map, if you are without power we encourageyou to call our outage-reporting number 866-NNEC OUT.More calls collected into our outage-management system willmore accurately define our outage areas.”

“Like” NNEC on Facebook to keep informed during majoroutages from your Cooperative at www.facebook.com/northernneckelectriccoop. Energy-saving tips, Beat the Peakalerts and other useful information is posted on Facebook.Follow NNEC on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NorthernNeckEC.NNEC tweets a link to the press releases on major outages tokeep members informed. Press releases on major outages arealso posted on NNEC’s website under News and Events.

In order to better serve our members, NNEC has adedicated outage number 1-866-NNEC OUT (866-663-2688).This number is only for outages and it is designed to handle

several hundred calls at one time. This number allows NNEC membersto report their outage information in a timely manner. Report anelectricity outage or an emergency by calling toll-free 1-866-NNECOUT (866-663-2688). If there is a high volume of calls for a largenumber of outages, please use the automated system. The automatedsystem recognizes your telephone number and is programmed toreport the outage based on the telephone number identification.Please make sure NNEC has your correct telephone number.

During normal business hours, customer service representativesare available for all other inquiries by calling toll-free 1-800-243-2860or locally 804-333-3621.

This is the online outage map. The red arrow is pointing to a blue dot,which would indicate 1-9 customers are experiencing a power outage.

Why Is My Electric Bill So High in Winter? Why Does It Go Up During the Holidays?

dfe

Colder temperatures outside requiremore household heating. The colder theoutdoor temperature, the greater theheat loss from inside your home and thelonger a heating system must operate tomaintain a level of comfort.

Space heaters are often used ingarages, basements and other places toprovide warmth.

When the outside temperature is close tofreezing, the auxiliary heat will come onautomatically to maintain the desiredtemperature. Many thermostats have alight that indicates when the auxiliaryheat is in use. The auxiliary heat will alsocome on when a person adjusts thethermostat more than three to fourdegrees up at a time. Most newer homeshave heat pumps; therefore, coldtemperatures will activate the auxiliaryheat, resulting in much higher energyconsumption and consequently a higherelectric bill.

Winter is here. Electric bills go upwhen the temperatures godown! Cooperative members

also use more energy during the holidays.During this time of year, it is important for you to know why your electric bill ishigher and to note ways to reduce yourelectricity use.

Here are a few items that mightcontribute to higher bills this time of year:

Lighting around the home (outside andinside) is at maximum use with shorterdays and longer nights. Holiday lightsand decorations also use energy.

Water heaters use more electricity toheat colder water. Holiday guests meanmore hot water for showers, laundry anddishwashing.

Holiday guests mean more heating andlighting in guest rooms. More cooking isusually required with holiday guests.

Clothes cannot be dried outside infreezing weather, so electric dryers areused instead.

In the winter people are inside morewatching television or playing video games.

22 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

If your home remains without power, the service line between a transformer and your residence may need to be repaired. Always call to report an outage to help line crews isolate these local issues.

Individual Homes

Transmission towers and cables that supply power to transmission substations (and thousands of consumers) rarely fail. But when damage occurs, these facilities must be repaired before other parts of the system can operate.

High-Voltage Transmission LinesEach substation serves hundreds or thousands of consumers. When a major outage occurs, line crews inspect substations to determine if problems stem from transmission lines feeding into the substation, the substation itself, or if problems exist down the line.

Distribution Substation2

If the problem cannot be isolated at a distribution substation, distribution lines are checked. These lines carry power to large groups of consumers in communities or housing developments.

Main Distribution Lines3

If local outages persist, supply lines, called tap lines, are inspected. These lines deliver power to transformers, either mounted on poles or placed on pads for underground service, outside businesses, schools, and homes.

Tap Lines4

Powering Up When an outage occurs, line crews work to pinpoint problems

When electricity goes out, most of us expect power will be restored within a few hours. But when a major storm causes widespread damage, longer outages may result. Co-op line crews work long, hard hours to restore service safely to the greatest number of consumers in the shortest time possible. Here’s what’s going on if you �nd yourself in the dark.

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Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees.Save 3-5 percent for each degree thethermostat is lowered.

Lower the water heater thermostat to120 degrees and insulate all hot waterpipes. Insulate the hot water tank.Always follow the manufacturer’sinstructions given in your owner’smanual. (Water heater jackets are notrecommended for all models.)

Install a programmable thermostat tolower the temperature when you’resleeping or away.

Run ceiling fans on reverse at thelowest speed to move warmer air at the ceiling down toward theliving space.

Caulk and weatherstrip openings suchas cracks in walls, around windows,and where doors do not fit or closeproperly. Insulate electrical outlets and switches — they are an often

overlooked source of energy loss fromcold air.

Open your blinds and curtains duringthe day. Allowing natural light in fromthe sun will warm the air. Remember toclose the blinds and curtains at night.

Close the doors and vents to rooms youdon’t use daily. Keep them open if youuse a heat pump, because efficiencydepends on proper air flow.

Replace heating system air filters monthly.

Check insulation levels in the attic,crawlspace and basement. Add more if needed.

Keep the fireplace damper closed whennot in use.

Use your oven sparingly. When you douse it, leave the oven door open afteryou are finished cooking to warm upthe room. However, do not use youroven to heat your home — it will cost

more than running your heating systemand it is very dangerous.

Use exhaust fans sparingly. Minimizingthe use of these fans will keep thewarm air inside, but use them duringshowers to avoid mold.

Run your dishwasher and your clotheswasher only when they are full.

Flannel bed sheets and extra coverskeep you warm on cold winter nightswithout turning up the thermostat.

NNEC understands that members areconcerned about their electric bills. TheCooperative offers its members severalpayment options including LevelizedBilling. Contact Customer Service at800-243-2860 or 804-333-3621 for info.

Members are encouraged to go onlineto conduct a free energy audit of theirhome using the HomeEnergySuite, and toview many other money-saving resourcesunder the Energy Conservation area ofthe NNEC website at www.nnec.coop.

Take the CHILL out of your Winter Electric BILL

23January 2014

The Cooperative Helping Hands Association (CHH) recently sponsored its Third Annual 5 Stand Sporting Clays Tournament. The tournament includedfive-member teams with individual recognition for the three high guns (top

shooters). The course consisted of shooting 10 rounds from five stations. Winners werethe teams with the highest scores after completion.

Congratulations to all winners and thank you to all who participated to make thisevent successful. Cooperative Helping Hands Association is the fundraisingorganization established by the Northern Neck Electric Cooperative employees todonate to local charities.

Cooperative Helping Hands Association Sponsors 5 Stand Sporting Clays Tournament

First-place team, L-R: Carvel Whaley, Russell Haynie, Richard Haynie, Richard McLendonand Joey Gay – Score 186.

Second-place team, L-R: Richard Kent, Jack Reeves, Robert Kent, Benny Holiday and DavidNapier with Cooperative Helping Hands member and coordinator for the shooting eventJoey Gay – Score 173.

Third-place team, L-R: Benny Johnson, Bryan Oliff, Glen Branich, Tony Oliff and Wally Johnson – Score 122.

Russell Haynie, High Gun award winner –Score 45.

Jack Reeves, Second-Place High Gunaward winner – Score 43.

David Napier, Third-Place High Gunaward winner – Score 43.

Team Tournament Results:

As the competition concluded,teammates Jack Reeves and DavidNapier were tied for second place in thehigh gun award. They were in a shoot-off competition with Reeves winning.

High Gun Results:(accepting High Gun awards from CHH member Joey Gay)

24 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

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Cooperative Helping Hands Association members help with food sales at the event.

Youth Division Results:

Special Thanks to:Wood Preservers for the use of their

facilities.

Peyton Motley and J.R. Fidler, who

helped plan and run the tournament.

Essex Concrete

The NNEC employees (members of

the Cooperative Helping Hands

Association) who helped plan and work

the Sunday event.

Winner of the CZOver/Under Raffle:Colbert Bell

L-R: First place Kyle Thomas – Score 22; Secondplace Shane Pittman – Score 14. The course consisted of shooting 10 rounds from five stations.

25January 2014

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