The Pioneer from Bemidji, Minnesota • Page 30

The Pioneer, Bcmidji, Minnesota Friday, March 15,1974 PHYSICAL GROWTH--The facility growth of the Beltrami Riectric Cooperative is reflected by the beautiful new headquarters on highway two west of Bemidji. The economic and ser- vice growth is not so easy to see, but it is equally impressive. Beltrami Electric rates high billing on list of progressive business When you talk about 20 years of progress in the Bemidji area, Beltrami Electric Cooperative (BEC) has to be given a high billing because almost all of its massive operation of providing rural electrical service has been developed within that period of time. Actually the cooperative was started in 1940 when by July 22 there were 321 members signed up at $5 apiece. But there was no current yet.

The first annual meeting of the cooperative was April 7, 1941 when it was determined which of the then 804 members were eligible for farm or residential rates in the bud- ding project. To be a farm member you had to have two or more cows, or at least 20 sheep, or a minimum of 50 chickens. By then 384 miles of poles had been set, but no wire was strung. And the war suspended activities. Until 1942, when the demand for dairy and poultry products and the boost electrification could give to production prompted re-opening of the office and the construction of 125 more miles of power line.

In 1946 a contract for wholesale power was made with the Minnkota Power Cooperative of Grand Forks and in 1947, the Beltrami Coop's fifth annual meeting revealed that 800 miles of line then served 1870 members. Now that we have the coop in operation and serving its members, let's see what happened from 1950 to now. In 1950, with 23 employes, the coop had 1,150 miles of line serving 2,769 consumers. Kilowatt hour sales were 3,835,381 and revenue was $210,993 consumers. Average Killowatt hour consumption per consumer was 115 and the average billing was $6.25.

Wholesale power costs per kilowatt hour was .0157. In vestment in electrical plant was $1,545,705.51 and the plant investment per consumer was $588.22. CARR LAKE SCHOOL, after many years of service, was closed in 1972. Students from that area now attend the newest addition to the school system, Horace May Elementary. Pioneer Staff Photo) LATE WINTER snowfall had dusted the countryside as Burlington Northern's first freight train between Chicago and Seattle drew into a yard area.

The six, 2,000 horsepower diesel electric locomotives, on the 2,200 mile run, hauled a variety of commodities including automobiles to the Pacific Northwest. (Photo by Burlington Northern.) Employes of the cooperative in 1950 numbered 23. That has only risen to 38 during the 23 years. And the 1950 no homes were heated electrically. Those same statistics for 1973 reveal the progress the cooperative has made.

The miles of line for 1973 is 1,956. Not a big jump, but look at what those lines are providing. The number of consumers is now 7,530. Kilowatt hour sales are a whopping 95,890,135 and revenue is $1,708,799.21. The average kilowatt hour per month per consumer is 1091 and the average billing is $19.43.

The average kilowatt hour cost to the consumer is .0178 and the wholesale power cost per kilowatt hour is .0080. Investment is the electric plant is $8,034,780.31 and the plant investment per consumer is $1,096.60 The number of homes heated electrically today is 625 and the demands for such service is growing constantly. Although space consideration prevent a full history of the EEC's growth, a few interesting highlights should be recorded. M.B. Taylor was hired as manager in 1941 at a salary of $150 per month.

His assistant, Lawrence Spears, drew $100 monthly, plus 4 cents a mile for travel (if necessary.) William A. Wiltge and George Lindgren were linemen at 40 cents an hour and 3 cents per mile actually traveled in the performance of their duties. Office space at 523 Minnesota Ave. was rented at $35 per month. Records for the cooperative in those early days were kept by hand.

Today the bookkeeping department is completely modernized with an IBM System Three Computer. Progress -is 0 growthv Progress is moving ahead and the BEC has progressed. To keep up with its rapid growth the cooperative moved into new, completely modern facilities west of Bemidji in December of 1971. The Beltrami Electric Cooperative was originated to provide electrical service to the rural areas. It continues to do that today, only in amounts undreamed of 20 years ago.

The present board of directors for the BEC are: Charles Powell, president (Saum); Clarence Hart, vice president (Rt. 1 Bemidji; Roman Hentges, director (Blackduck); Frank Yerbich, director (Puposky); Rueben Bock, director (Puposky); Conrad Nelson, secretary (Rt. Under-21 violations stay same Allowing Minnesotans aged 18 to 21 to consume alcoholic drinks legally has not increased the involvement of youthful drinking drivers in fatal traffic crashes. This is the conclusion indicated by a Public Safety Department comparison of such crashes during the last six months of 1972, when drinking was illegal for this age group, with the last six months of 1973, when it was legal. With a substantially large involvement of under-21 drivers in fatal crashes in 1973 than in 1972, there were fewer drinking drivers and about half as many intoxicated drivers during the period when under-21 drinking was legal.

The reported condition of the drivers was based upon coroners' reports of blood analyses, where these were available, and on the judgment of investigating officers in other cases. Where both were available, the coroners' reports generally supported the officers' judgments. The Mediterranean island of Cyprus was one of a Antony's gifts to Cleopatra. The island has been i since 1960, but the Greek majority and Turkish minority on Cyprus never have resolved their differences. COIWTBY KITCHEN A Place Like Home! OUR SECOND YEAR IN BEMIDJI rrcHtx Stop In Soon And Enjoy The Best Home Cookin For Miles Around! BRUCE PAT HOURS: Sun.

a.m. to Midnite Fri. Sal-Open 24 Hours HWY.2WEST BEMIDJI 1 Bemidj); Albert Swenson, treasurer (Rt. 4 Bemidji); George D. Suther, Minnkota director (Rt.

1 Cass Lake); Albert P. Pederson (Star Rt. Laporte) and Sheldon McRae (Bemidji.) The BSC Manager is Earl Larson. The best ofBunyan Bemidji is the home of the greatest outdoorsman, lumberjack of all time and legends about Paul Bunyan abound, but the one we like the best is about the cold weather that eventually brought Bemidji to be known as the Ice Box of the Nation The story goes that one winter it was so cold that the logger's words froze, then dropped to the ground and it was the quietest winter ever known in the northwoods. Then came spring.

All of the words thawed, and suddenly there was a roar of conversation that was heard all the way to Chicago. That same year it was so cold that boiling coffee froze so fast the ice was still hot. And, that was the same year that the Kee Birds came to Minnesota. And for the uninformed, Kee Birds are winter birds that on the coldest day in January can be seen flying backwards crying, "KEEEEE, Keeeee, Keeeee, Keeeee-riminy but it's cold out." Safety belts are great life savers "If the people of Minnesota are concerned about saving from 200 to 300 lives a year, it is vital that a mandatory seat belt use law be passed this year," said Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner W.R. Hoaglund today.

"Such a bill has been introduced in our state legislature and so for has been approved by an overwhelming majority vote of the Senate Transportation Committee. "This bill would require both occupants of the front seat to use lap belts in those vehicles in which they are installed. Though the bill puts no requirement on passengers in the back seat, we are confident that voluntary compliance will be greatly improved if those in the front are buckled up. Besides, of all occupants of vehicles who were killed or injured during 1972, 92 per cent were in the front seat. This clearly indicates that the present bill will cover those most likely to be killed or injured.

"Opponents of a belt use law argue that reduced speeds will suffice, since speed is the major cause of highway deaths. This is true to a point, but statistics show that serious injuries and deaths do occur at lower speeds as well. According to data collected by theAustralia College of Surgeons, of 237 drivers involved in crashes with property damage of less than $200, 12.5 per cent of the belt wearers were injured compared with 24.8 per cent of those who were unbelted. "Actually, there are no logical arguments against the use of seat belts. Of all the safety equipment presently installed in cars or programmed for the future, the seai belt still produces the greatest dividends for the least cost and effort.

We Are Proud To Have Been A Part of A BEMIDJI for the Past 2 Years BEAVER MHO 309 America Ave. "BemidflTMinnesota CONGRATULATIONS "LUMBERJACKS" What we call progress is the exchange of one nuisance for another Ellis. PROGRESSING WITH THE BEMIDJI AREA Specializing in RURAL PLUMBING HEATING Installation Repair Sales Service if Cesspool Cleaning Installation TROY'S RURAL HEATING West4th Street Bemidji 751-8883 WITH IDJI SINCE 1962 Manufacturers of Steel Culverts In the past 12 years Northern Culvert has increased the steel tonage we use by 100,000 pounds annually and now ship steel culverts and related steel highway Items to three states. NORTHERN CULVERT A Division of St. Regis 706 Railroad Street OPERATIONS Bemidji Wheeler Division.