Bite-sized news, notes and knowledge — November 2024
To the editor:
Helene ramps up. Power goes out. Unable to connect for my remote job, I call out from work and settle in for the laid-back read of The Tennessee Magazine that I usually reserve for rare weekends not dominated by to-do lists. I’m immediately moved by Mike Knotts’ Viewpoint column (“Just After Waking,” September 2024) that honored the life and service of AEC journey lineworker Nathan Potter, who died in a work accident in July. My heart goes out. My prayers go up. As the wife of a former fighter pilot, I know the worry, but I have never known the sorrow. May Nathan’s wife and children lean hard into their faith community for comfort and eventual healing.
I thought for a time about this pull quote in the article: “While lineworkers are not often appreciated or recognized for the work they do, they are critical to the way you and I live. Think through your own morning routine, and tell me what part doesn’t involve electric power. These unsung heroes are all around us and perform their jobs in relative anonymity without any real need for praise or attention. Most of the lineworkers I know prefer it that way.”
Sure, those words rang true early Friday as I sipped (with a little smug satisfaction at my foresight) the coffee I’d brewed before the high winds hit. At the time I had no idea how long the outage might last and no inkling of the devastation Helene would soon unleash on eastern Tennessee. Within hours, Mike Knotts’ words would carry much more significance as Helene escalated a morning power outage into days-long restoration efforts in poor conditions, complicated by flooding, bridge collapses, road failures, stranding, evacuations, rescue efforts … loss of life, loss of house and home, loss of ability to make a living.
AEC, I’d guess I’m not alone in saying that my appreciation for your dedicated workers grew hourly, with each horrible development in our newsfeeds this weekend. They deserve recognition and thanks for the quiet but monumental impact they have on our community. Truly, truly grateful.
Linda Singerle, Appalachian Electric Cooperative
Corrections …
Attentive readers alerted us to a few errors that slipped past our team.
In September’s “This Month in Tennessee History” on page 8, Larry Storch’s name was misspelled. The correct entry should have read:
Sept. 28, 1963
“Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales” cartoon voiced by Don Adams and Larry Storch debuts on CBS-TV.
In October’s feature on Cumberland Trail State Park, the bridge on page 17 crosses New River, not the Sequatchie. And the 50-mile stretch mentioned on that page extends to Frozen Head State Park from Lafollette, not Lafayette.
We apologize for the errors and appreciate our readers for keeping us on our toes.
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