Hard Copy to Hard Drive

Transcription

1 Hard Copy to Hard Drive Gary Schorzman looks to digitize local newspapers By Dianna Troyer Wearing white cotton gloves, Rupert historian Gary Schorzman painstakingly thumbs through fragile, yellowed newspaper pages to uncover stories for his latest book, Rupert s Fourth of July, 111 Years. He hopes that soon will change. Instead of turning delicate pages of the Rupert Pioneer-Record and the Minidoka County News bound in large books, Gary envisions searching through more than a century of newspapers with a few taps on a computer keyboard. It will be exciting for everybody to have that information available in a digitized format, says Gary of the newspapers printed from 1905 to He is spearheading a project to bring back the news to our fingertips, he says, and is working in partnership with the Minidoka County Historical Society Museum and the DeMary Memorial Library in Rupert. Gary launched a $70,000 fundraising campaign so the museum s 118 volumes of newspapers can be scanned and transformed into a digitized JPEG format. CDs will be available at the museum and library. It will be a literary and educational benefit to our entire community, Gary says. Gary first thought of the idea three years ago while spending years at the museum doing research for his books and the local newspaper about local towns in celebration of the county s centennial. Gary Schorzman, Rupert s historian, points out his grandparents anniversary announcement in one of the archived publications. I had to write the information out by hand at the museum, then come home and write on my computer, Gary says. It was very labor intensive, but definitely a labor of love. Response to the 17 local historical books he has written in the past 16 years encouraged him. People love reading about our history and seeing old photos published, says Gary, who lives on the family farm north of Rupert. In 1912, his German grandfather, David Schorzman, moved from South Dakota and homesteaded in Kamima and Adelaide. Newcomers have told me they re eager to learn about our past, too, and have all kinds of questions, he says, listing a few. Why did part of Minidoka County eventually become Jerome County? When did the first car come to town, and what kind was it? How was the desert near Rupert first homesteaded and later irrigated? While doing research at the museum, Gary realized how priceless the disintegrating newspapers were to others who 4 JUNE 2016

2 Old newspapers can be difficult to sort through because of how fragile the paper becomes with age. Gary hopes digitizing the papers makes searching easier and preserves the documents. Ginger Cooper is the museum s secretary and curator. She often gives visitors a hand as they search through the community history. were delving into the past, including genealogists, students and history buffs. We had to figure out a way to preserve this information for future generations, he says. The historic newspapers are popular among families doing genealogy and searching for obituaries, points out Ginger Cooper, the museum s secretary-curator. Besides wanting to read obituaries, people are interested in learning more about the German prisoner of war camp that was near here during World War II, she says. The camp was open from 1943 to 1946, so prisoners could help harvest crops. One POW, Klaus Langlotz, returned to the area as a senior citizen and recalled in a newspaper article that he was treated well at the camp and had fond memories of Idaho. Ginger also helps patrons research other popular topics, including the Minidoka Dam construction, arrival of electricity or finding proof that a relative lived in the area. One project involved helping someone learn about an accidental family shooting that was never discussed when she was young. She was 4 when it happened, and just wanted to know about it to have some closure, says Ginger. Her dad accidentally shot her stepbrother while a gun was being cleaned. A few days earlier, another brother had accidentally fatally run over someone while driving farm equipment. Those events were so traumatic that her family never discussed them, so she was glad to read the articles to know what had happened. To digitize the newspapers, state and federal grants, along with private donations, are being sought. Once money is raised, the newspaper volumes will be disassembled and placed in archival safe boxes. With that complete, the pages will be scanned and indexed in 25-year increments. It will be searchable by name recognition, says Gary. Another nice feature with this format is that there won t be a crevice down the center of a page, which is found in microfilmed documents. You ll easily be able to read an entire column. Copies of a page can be printed with clear headlines, newsprint and photos. Contributions to the project are tax deductible because the Minidoka County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)(3) tax designation. We appreciate all size donations from $5 and up, says Gary, who has collected $15,000 for the project, including a donation from United Electric Co-op that he is grateful for. Gary says he looks forward to the day when he and others can do historical research with a computer. This project will be a technological leap forward for our community and will be a legacy for future generations, he says. n To donate, send a check made out to Minidoka County Historical Society to Gary Schorzman, 148 W. 300 N., Rupert, ID For more information, contact Gary at , or wgschorzman@pmt.org. JUNE

3 United Electric Announcements Check out everything happening this summer at United Electric Summer Hours for United Electric Summer hours run through September 30, UEC s summer hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Office Closure United Electric will be closed Monday, July 4. A crew will be on call in case of emergencies. The emergency crew can be reached at Call 811 Before You Dig Summer is a great time to start outdoor projects. Whether it is building your dream deck, installing a fence or sprucing up your landscaping, calling 811 is a must. Although it is easy to see where power lines are located above ground, there may gas, water and electrical lines you cannot see underground. Call 811 at least two business days before your project to have local utilities mark the location of lines in the area you plan to dig. If a utility line is damaged while digging, it could disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, cause serious injuries or death, and cost money in repairs and fines. Don t guess where lines are located. Call 811. You also can visit the Dig Line website, www. digline.com, and submit an online locate request. need to be members of United Electric. Trade-A-Tree The Trade-A-Tree program helps members remove trees from areas where they could pose a hazard to primary high-voltage overhead power lines. The aim is to replace taller trees with shorter trees that will not grow up into the lines, as shown in the graphic below. For each tree removed, United Electric will reimburse up to $50 of the cost of the replacement tree as long as it fits within the guidelines. To find out how you can participate in the Trade-A-Tree program, visit our website, coop, call the office, , or stop by to speak with a representative. Be sure to check out the back page in this issue of Ruralite to find out more about the Trade-A-Tree program. Nontraditional Scholarship Available Applications for the $500 nontraditional scholarship are accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, June 10. The application is available in the office or online at This scholarship is given to an adult or nontraditional student whose life circumstances differ from traditional students. Applicants do not 8 JUNE 2016

4 Driving Blindfolded On the Highway Distracted driving is believed to have caused 424,000 injuries in 2013 By Anne Prince Would you drive on a highway blindfolded? Of course not. However, if you text while driving 55 mph on a highway, you are essentially doing just that. Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55 mph, that s like driving the length of a football field while blindfolded. According to the National Safety Council, drivers can miss seeing up to half of what s around them traffic lights, stop signs and pedestrians when talking on a cell phone. In our digital world, people feel pressure to remain in constant contact, even when behind the wheel. As mobile technology use increases, distracted driving talking, texting and sending s is a growing threat to community safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control, each day in the U.S., more than nine people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes reported to involve a distracted driver. The National Highway Administration notes that 3,154 people were killed and an estimated 424,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in Texting and cellphone use while driving takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel and your focus off driving. Victims families, friends, co-workers and community are affected. At United Electric Co-op, safety is a core value. This time of year in particular, when more people are driving and kids are out of school, our goal is to raise awareness and spur conversation about the dangers of distracted driving. Talking on a cellphone quadruples your risk of an accident about the same as if you were driving drunk. Risk doubles again if you are texting while driving. UEC is committed to eliminating this unnecessary risk. No conversation or text is worth the potential danger. Help promote a culture of safety. Join us and help keep our families, friends and neighbors safer by putting phones down and focusing on the road when driving. Together, we can put the brakes on distracted driving. n JUST DON T DO IT! Phones and Driving Don t Mix Take the NO TEXT, NO TALK Pledge NO TXT NO TLK Keep your co-workers, members, family and yourself safe! Help reduce driving accidents by taking the pledge not to text or talk while driving. JUNE

5 Co-op Connections Card Please support these businesses that participate in the Co-op Connections Card program A&T Construction 194 E 200 S, Rupert percent off labor. Animal Medical Clinic 284 S 600 W, Heyburn percent off all cash services. Arby s 594 N Overland Ave., Burley percent off purchase. Barclay Mechanical Services Inc. 100 S 490 W, Paul percent off metal purchase. Barry Equipment & Rental 159 W Hwy 30, Burley percent off daily rates; 15 percent off select Walker and Bobcat parts. Clayville Insulation 250 E 100 S, Burley percent off existing residential insulation. Clegg s Service n Repair Brad Clegg, owner 703 W Main, Burley , Cell (208) Lube, oil and filter; up to 5 quarts with card, $ Columbia Electric Supply Co Normal Ave., Burley slockner@cesburley.com Wholesale pricing on cash sales. Connections Credit Union st St., Heyburn New members receive a free welcome gift and $5 deposit. D.L. Evans Bank North Burley Branch South Burley Branch Rupert Branch Free small business checking. Complimentary Visa check debit/atm card. No annual fee Visa with a business checking account (upon approved credit). Free introductory checks. Member FDIC Farmers Corner 202 S Highway 27, Burley Free pop with gas purchase. Greener Valley Computer 2853 Overland Ave., Burley percent off in-store software. Larry s Electric & Heating 1133 Albion Ave., Burley andheating.com 10 percent discount on filters and light bulbs bought in the store. Lee s Furniture Clearance Outlet 459 Overland Ave., Burley Receive up to a 5 percent discount on purchase. Marble-N-Counters 1321 E Main, Burley percent off marble jobs. Mind & Body Wellness Center 2207 Overland Ave., Burley percent off any services, 15 percent off nutrition. Free consultation for Ideal Protein Weight Loss program. Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce th St., Heyburn percent discount on all Idaho gifts and jewelry items, excluding consignment and sale items. NAPA Auto Parts 501 Overland Ave., Burley percent discount on regularly priced items. Ponderosa Golf 320 Minidoka Ave., Burley $1 off green fees, Monday through Friday before 4 p.m. Pro Paint Inc Overland Ave., Burley $5 off a $50 purchase. Quality Tire Factory 822 S Onieda, Rupert percent off regularly priced items. Sears Burley 2338 Overland Ave., Burley Owned and operated by Ron and Judy Fowler 10 percent off any regularly priced merchandise. Skaggs Furniture Overland Shopping Center, Burley Discount of up to 50 percent on regularly priced items. Snake River Bowl 725 Minidoka Ave., Burley percent off regularly priced bowling, food or merchandise (league and tournament bowling excluded). Stars Ferry Building Supplies 20 S 300 W, Burley Free hat with $100 cash purchase. 28 JUNE 2016

6 Sweetheart Manor Overland & 42nd St., Burley percent off invitations or 30 percent off if Sweetheart Manor is used for receptions and tuxedo rental. Ted s Diesel Electric 1141 South Hwy 30, Heyburn percent discount once a month on any rebuilt starter, alternator or generator. The Gathering Place 524 6th St., Rupert percent off purchases, excluding kits, batting and quilting machines. Tony s Barbershop 1607 J St., Heyburn (208) Special price for seniors and children. Ward s Cleaning & Detail 1131 E 18th Lane, Burley percent off carpet and upholstery cleaning; 5 percent off auto detailing. Wilson Bates Appliance & Furniture 2560 Overland Ave., Burley Additional 5 percent off the best sale price of any furniture, Burley location only. everyday savings THAT'S THE POWER OF CO-OP MEMBERSHIP Savings on everyday items. Like up to 85% off prescription drugs at participating pharmacies nationwide. Find all the ways to save at Connections.coop JUNE

7 United Electric Co-op Inc. Directors President Bruce Beck Vice President David Phillips Sec./Treas. Cordell Searle Brent Bowen Dean Nielsen Ronald Osterhout George Toner John R. West General Manager Jo Elg Engineering and Operations Trevor Parke Line Superintendent Dan Kidd Executive Assistant Penny West Manager of Finance and Admin. Curtiss Peterson Community Relations Manager Chris Seibold Mailing address: st St. Heyburn, ID Phone: (208) Fax: (208) Website: Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After Hours: (208) ID-29 Trade-A-Tree at United Electric At United Electric, we know few things are more inconvenient to our members than a power outage or more dangerous than a downed power line in your yard. The leading cause of power outages and downed lines is tree growth near the lines. Trees that grow near power lines pose a serious safety risk and are one of the top causes of power bumps and outages each year. United Electric recognizes the benefits of trees to the environment. They supply shade in summer, provide a windbreak in winter, and ultimately help conserve energy and lower home energy costs. However, trees in or near high-voltage power lines can disrupt power service, decrease system reliability and pose a safety hazard. To provide safe, reliable power, as is our mission, United Electric trims trees each year. Annually, money is budgeted to trim trees. Unfortunately, trimming trees is like the laundry. It s never done. It takes about five years to trim trees across the service area. At the end of the five years, we start over. To reduce the tree-trimming cycle and reduce the cost of trimming trees, the Trade-A-Tree program was adopted in The intent of the program is to remove trees in or near primary high-voltage power lines. Removing hazardous trees eliminates the need to return every few years to trim, in turn reducing the cost of tree trimming for the long term. How does the Trade-A-Tree program work? For each tree removed, United Electric will reimburse up to $50 toward the cost of the qualifying replacement tree. The process is easy: The property owner provides written authorization to remove the tree interfering with the high-voltage power line. United Electric removes the tree. The property owner buys and plants a new Class 1 tree. Replacement trees must meet program specifications for expected height at maturity. The property owner brings the receipt to the office and completes a request for reimbursement form. Additional information and program forms are available at under Your Account. You also may call the office at for information. Do your part to help control tree-trimming costs. Jo Elg General Manager UNITED ELECTRIC CO-OP, INC. 32 JUNE 2016