October 11, 2007
Lincoln County Power to Try Rural Magazine

By Dave Maxwell

Beginning in January 2008, Ruralite magazine, specifically designed for consumer-owned electric utilities, will be mailed free of charge to customers in Panaca on a trial basis.

Ruralite magazine currently reaches more than 300,000 homes monthly to serve the communication needs of 46 consumer owned electric utilities in Oregon, Alaska, California, Idaho, Washington, Nevada and Montana. Edited for a family-oriented readership, the magazine focuses on activities and issues affecting Western readers. Regional places and personalities, food, outdoor activities, kids and the undiscovered treasures of the West are presented in each issue.

LCPD Office Manager Gary McBride said at the regular power board meeting this week, they are taking a one-year, bi-monthly, trial subscription to be bulk mailed to power customers in Panaca. 150 extra magazines of each issue will also be purchased and divided evenly at utility offices in Pioche, Alamo and the City of Caliente.

The full-color magazine began as “Northwest Ruralite” in Oregon in 1950.

LCPD Manager Mick Lloyd said the value of making the magazine available in Lincoln County is, “A way to communicate with our customers on what’s happening in the Lincoln County Power District.” He said staff will submit articles to the magazine editorial staff and “they will put the articles together for us.”

Each member-utility receives a custom version of the magazine, enabling them to use it to communicate with their members about important issues and features, as well as promoting programs specific to their utility. Each utility can use a cover photo provided by the head office in Forest Grove, Oregon, or choose one of their own. The back page is available for utilities to relay important messages to their customers. Regional advertising rates are also available.

Of the six pages for each local utility’s use, some use a two-page spread to feature a member with an interesting story, job or hobby. For example, the Wells Rural Electric Company issue for October 2007 includes an article on West Wendover High School Principal John Barrus. The other four local pages provided may be used to explain special programs the utility is offering, update consumers on local happenings, or announce upcoming meetings. If a given utility doesn’t have enough material to fill the six pages, Ruralite has many backup “fillers.”

The remaining 24 pages are the same in all editions. In those “common” pages, readers are given information about electrical safety, conservation, and new products or ways of doing things. They are also kept up-to-date on developments in the power industry.

Several articles in each issue focus on interesting people, places and events in Ruralite territory. In the October issue, a regular feature called, Side Roads, has an interesting story on Jeff and Rebecca McKay of The Dalles, Oregon, who call themselves “Pirates of the Columbia Gorge.” And there are several other regular features of general interest in the magazine each time as well.

By cooperating with one another, utilities have made Ruralite the solution to keeping members informed, connected to their utility and each other, and entertained.

The idea for the one-year free trial is to see what reader interest there is locally and if the district might want to renew their subscription for 2009 to make the magazine available to all of Lincoln County. A questionnaire may be sent out near the end of the first year subscription for public opinion.