Next Meeting - Tuesday, March 20, 2012. MICHELLE VETTERKIND is the Program Host, and she will introduce Neil Heinen, TV personage on Channel 3, and Editor of Madison Magazine. Not sure of the subject, but in those two positions he probably knows more than anyone about what's going on in Madison (and there's a lot), so it will be really interesting to hear what he has to tell us. Don't miss this one!

At the last meeting, Pres. JIM ran the show, LINDA led the song (in a lower pitch, supposedly for the guest), and PHIL INGWELL gave “a good ol' Congregational invocation”, according to our reporter SCOTT GROVER, who commented that it reminded him of his grandmother. Have to think about that one.

Pres. JIM said that the Flower Sale was coming soon,(April 23) and coming together, which is a good thing because Jerry Hoddinott won't be leading this year. We will be working out of the Edgewater, as before.

SCOTT GROVER gave thanks that the basketball season (at least the Kohl Concession part) was finally over, and said that the Madison East Club was having a Highway Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 14 and we are welcome to help. Breakfast at the HyVee at 8:30, done by 11. He also said they were planning a vision screening for May 11 - there's an opportunity to do one of the things Lions do best. Apparently last year's event was very busy. See SCOTT for details. He also said we were experimenting with wristbands saying “Ask me about Lions.” JACK had one on, which he displayed. Makes a perfect prompt for recruiting conversations. You can get one for your very own by donating $3.50 to cover the cost.

JACK said we've been contacted by a visually-limited woman on the West Side who needs someone to read her mail to her. JACK will be looking at her computer to see if he can make it more accessible for her. SCOTT volunteered.

LINDA tells us that she has chocolate covered almonds, granola, and a case of trail mix left. She mentioned a couple of fruit cakes, but they seemed to be going fast. She will be hawking her wares at the District Convention.

JOHN noted that said Convention would be Friday evening and all day Saturday at the Merriott in Middleton. Friday evening has a wine-tasting social sponsored by the Middleton Lions, and your registration will gain you entry. Our delegates will be voting, but none of the contested issues were really that contested.

JIM KEMMETER said that he had already started calling eye tissue transporters. If you're on the list, expect a call.

JIM S told two stories - one about his daughter getting a house for $26 and change down, and one about his son getting a job offer while lounging in the living room. Both stories indicate that father does not always know best.

CRAIG introduced our speaker, John Callaway, from American Transmission Company. John works with landowners and local governments, and is also a college and high school football official. John said that ATC is not a car transmission repair, something he gets questioned about a lot. Most people don't think about electric transmission, they just expect the lights to be there. There are three phases to the electric business - generation, transmission, and distribution. ATC does the transmission. The company is only about 10 years old, and the owner/investors are utility companies (like MG&E and Alliant). ATC serves four states - Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota (actually just a bit in Illinois and Minnesota), and has about 10,000 miles of line.

He talked mostly about the Rockdale to West Middleton line. That line has been nine years in the planning, with five years of open houses and question answer sessions. We can expect it in service by 2013. The PSC determines two things - is it necessary, and what route will it take. There were three alternatives to this line, and the shortest one was chosen.

We learned that the lines sag with heat, and they will sway with wind. Thus most of the towers are 120 to 130 feet tall (although shorter towers were used near the Beltline for aesthetics). The work in Yahara Marsh required a helicopter for tower placement, but also used mat roads for small vehicles.

A proposed route from Madison to LaCrosse would bring in power from western wind turbines and hydro power from Manitoba.

John pointed out that the lines had both transmission lines and shield lines. The shield lines prevented lightning strikes and gave birds somewhere to perch, and sometimes contained fiber optics for the transmission control centers. The transmission lines can run about 170 degrees when under full load. Every tower is custom designed for that particular location. The transmission centers are usually underground. There is one near Milwaukee and one near Madison. Underground routes are, contrary to what you might have heard, not cheaper in the long run, and must have special provisions to combat the heat generation. They are used mostly in urban areas. John estimated that they are five times as expensive as above-ground towers.

We ended the meeting with another PADDHE-donated auction item, again from Fromagination. Our guest bid the highest! Thanks to SCOTT GROVER for being the Tale reporter for this issue!