Rain-soaked ground. Snow on the way. Temperatures in the single digits and plummeting further with the chill of wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. Winter is in full swing as I write this column, and as always, Tipmont linemen, operations and support staff are ready to serve you during any wild weather event.

By offering our members free food and a forum to learn more about their cooperative, our annual Kilowatts & Brats gatherings have become mainstays on our event calendar. It’s a great way to thank you and provide critical information about electric and fiber internet service. For many years, Tipmont hosted these events during the summer months. Last year, we switched that up and shifted to earlier in the year.

If you’re like me, you tire of being cooped up at home not long after winter first arrives at the doorstep (and likely buries it beneath several inches of snow). Moving our Kilowatts & Brats events helps to break some of that seasonal cabin fever. And there are still plenty of opportunities for us to gather during warmer seasons, whether at summertime fairs in the primary counties we serve or at our Annual Meeting — which will be held this year on Saturday, Sept. 21.

This year’s free Kilowatts & Brats events will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on:

• Tuesday, Feb. 20: River City Community Center, Lafayette

• Wednesday, March 6: Fountain Central Jr/Sr High School, Veedersburg

• Tuesday, March 12: North Montgomery High School, Crawfordsville

NEW OPEN HOUSE FORMAT

We have also heard your feedback on Kilowatts & Brats and are implementing format changes for this year’s event. Don’t worry; we’re keeping those tasty brats. You have told us you would prefer more of a forum for the questions you want to ask us, so that’s what we’re going to do. Much as we do at our Annual Meeting, we’ll have representatives on hand from the following Tipmont departments:

• Broadband/Member Services

• Business Solutions

• Energy Efficiency

• Vegetation Management

• Operations

• Engineering

I’ll still be there to meet and greet you, as will communication director Rob Ford. But most of all, we look forward to answering your questions, engaging you in conversation, and shaking off some winter doldrums together. So, get your questions (and appetites) ready and register today at tipmont.com/kwb.