POWERGRAMS

17 For more than 40 years, Ed Nesmith has lit up a room, in more ways than one. During his long career at Alabama Power and Southern Company, Nesmith was known for his easy laugh and outgoing personality – qualities that made him liked on and off the job. But it was a stint as a Junior Achievement (JA) adviser that earned Nesmith acclaim as a "a great guy" who could also illuminate a room. Nesmith handcras lamps with vintage power meters. Providing serviceable lighting and beauty, the fixtures sport an artisan- made walnut base that is lacquered to a mirror finish. Nesmith's lamp-making venture began when he was supervisor of Mail and Courier Services at Corporate Headquarters. He saw a brochure from the Women of Georgia Power group, which offered meter lamps as a fundraiser. He figured how to make the lamps by studying the brochure. "I bought a lamp and I was fascinated by it," he said in his Trussville home. "I learned how to troubleshoot them, and a co-worker showed me what to do. I was self-taught with help by the good people at Alabama Power who showed me a lot about the meters." In 1980 Nesmith volunteered as a JA adviser with employees Elizabeth Vickers and Re Donaldson. "I decided we'd make meter lamps," he said, considering the project a cost-conscious way of making products in lile time. Helping 25 teenagers build a product to sell, Nesmith began his nearly lifelong hobby. Nesmith found a small municipal utility that hadn't transitioned to socket meter, and bought their retired "A-base" meters NESMITH LIGHTS COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS, ONE HOME AT A TIME by Donna Cope

• Cover