POWERGRAMS

CONTENTS HEALTH Pelham Engineer Nicole Hedrick has completed marathons in 25 states, halfway home to her ultimate goal of running the 26.2-mile races in all 50 states. Page 1 GENERATION Gorgas Steam Plant began producing power a century ago and has been home to generations of employees who have been key cogs in the success of their communities. Page 5 SAFETY Since 1987, hundreds of Alabama Power employees have volunteered their time and talents to educating schoolchildren about the value and danger of electricity. Page 9 INNOVATION When the doors opened, the Mobile Distribution Control Center represented a new era for the companys, as employees sought to improve customer service, become more efficient and restore service faster aer storms. Page 11 APSO The guests depend on Community Kitchens and the organization depends on dedicated volunteers to serve healthy meals along with a heaping helping of friendship at the nonprofit restaurant in Birmingham. Page 13 ENERGIZERS There's no telling where retirees might end up when they sign on for the ride with the Energizers Travel Group, which helps arrange good deals with good friends on globe-troing adventures each year. Page 15 SAFETY It's inevitable that workers in the field will come face to face with wildlife, and few animals raise anxiety levels like snakes. Rebecca Tucker is following in the footsteps of her father by teaching Alabama Power employees how to deal with poisonous – and harmless – reptiles. Page 19 SAFETY Eastern indigo snakes were a crucial link in the circle of life before they all but disappeared from Alabama. Now they are being brought back in the longleaf pine forests that are enjoying a rebirth of their own with help from Alabama Power and conservationists. Page 21 ENVIRONMENT Turkey Creek Falls was a popular recreation spot for a century before misuse made it an eyesore. Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is returning the 466-acre site to its heyday and then some, in part with support from Alabama Power. Page 23 OUR TOWN Eufaula is the smallest town that is home to an Alabama Power division office but the bigger cities have a hard time matching the natural and historic aractions found on the border of Alabama and Georgia. Page 27 OUR TOWN SIDEBAR Lake Eufaula's birth behind a dam 55 years ago made its namesake city the "Bass Capital of the World" but the 85-mile-long reservoir has done much more than serve as a huge fishing hole for locals and visitors. Page 34 COMMUNITY Wadley High School won a state championship in track and field with lile equipment and no actual track. The Alabama Power Foundation's Power to Play grant is helping level the playing field for the Bulldogs. Page 38 SAFETY Every glove worn by Alabama Power's 1,200 linemen and apprentice crew members undergoes an exhaustive series of tests at the General Services Complex to ensure that electricity does not go from a power line to an employee. Page 39 HAPPY TRAILS Don Boyd was Alabama Power's own "storm chaser" for three decades, heading company efforts to get the lights back on for customers aer major storms. He's moved on to chasing his granddaughter. Page 41 HISTORY Aer making significant advances aer World War II, females began moving into executive positions across the company in the 1970s. Page 43 RETIREES Page 45 POSTCARDS TO POWERGRAMS Page 46 IN MEMORIAM Page 47 THUMBS UP Page 48 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER • 2017 EDITOR Chuck Chandler 205-257-3651 cchandle@southernco.com ART DIRECTOR Jay Parker WRITERS Donna Cope Carla Davis Gilbert Nicholson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leah Rawls Atkins Linda Brannon Erin Harney Anna Catherine Roberson Allison Westlake CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dan Anderson Phil Free Chris Jones Nik Layman Meg McKinney Bernard Troncale Charles Yeager ON THE COVER The iconic fountain in historic downtown Eufaula was sculpted by Frederick William MacMonnies, who was internationally lauded for his works displayed from Paris to New York City. Photo by Meg McKinney. Story on Page 27 POWERGRAMS © Alabama Power Company 2017 Hail to the Chiefs! Have you ever met an American president? Do you have a photo taken with the CEO of the USA? Tell us about your experience. Send details and a photo to cchandle@southernco.com or to the Powergrams editor at P.O. Box 2641, Birmingham, AL 35291-0666.

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