Co-op Board Holds Public Meeting Regarding Rate Change

This month, Cherryland’s board of directors will hold a member input session at the cooperative office in Grawn regarding a proposed two-phase rate change. If approved, phase one of the rate change would go into effect in April and appear on bills in May.

The official public meeting will be held on Monday, Feb. 24, at 9 a.m., ahead of the monthly board meeting. Members are welcome to provide public comments to the board during that time. For more information regarding the proposed rate change, see pages 12 and 13 of the February issue of Michigan Country Lines, or visit our website, www.cherrylandelectric.coop/rate-change.

Cherryland Cares Awards $23,500 To Five Nonprofits

At its fourth-quarter board meeting, the Cherryland Cares board awarded grants to five local nonprofit organizations: The Baby Pantry at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Redeemer of Interlochen Food Pantry, North Ed Foundation, TART Trails Inc., and Benzie Senior Resources. In 2024, Cherryland Cares awarded a total of $61,730 in grants to 16 area nonprofits.

The Cherryland Cares board is comprised of five volunteer Cherryland members. The funds distributed by Cherryland Cares result from members electing to round up their monthly bills to the nearest dollar. Members can contribute to the Cherryland Cares fund by calling 231-486-9200, signing up through SmartHub, or emailing us at [email protected].

If you are an area nonprofit agency looking to apply for our next grant cycle, please call Shannon Beery at 231-486-9218 or email her at [email protected].

Serve On Cherryland’s Board

Any qualified Cherryland member can be elected to serve a three-year term on the cooperative’s board of directors. Three directors will be elected at this year’s Annual Meeting, including two at-large directors and one Benzie/Manistee/Wexford County director.

To be nominated in 2025, candidates may file a petition with the cooperative’s executive administrative assistant starting the first day of March until 4 p.m. on the last business day of March. To receive a nominating petition, please fill out the board candidate interest form on our website.

Review Article III of the co-op’s bylaws on our website for more information regarding board nominations and the election process.

Cherryland Offers Five Scholarships

Cherryland offers five scholarships— three worth $4,000 ($1,000 for four years) for high school seniors and two for $1,000 each for adult scholarships (post-high school).

Applications for both scholarships are available on our website. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 4.