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Your Electric Co-op
General Manager
Anthony J. Mercure
Address
P.O. Box 217 • 1135 Camino Escondido Chama, NM 87520
Telephone
575-756-2181
nora@noraelectric.org
Website
www.noraelectric.org
Winter Office Hours
7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (M-F)
Board of Trustees President
Steve Rendon Chama, District 2
Vice President
Thomas G. Rivas Chama, District 2
Secretary
Paul Cordova Tierra Amarilla, District 3
Treasurer
Leroy Martinez Canjilon, District 4
Michael Gomez
Lumberton, District 1
Debbie F. Manzanares
Tierra Amarilla, District 3
David Martinez
Canjilon, District 4
Board Meeting
The Board of Trustees meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 1:00 p.m. via Teleconference and Visual Conference, until further notice.
Statement from NORA’s General Manager Regarding Recent Outages
Northern Rio Arriba Electric Cooperative’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, Anthony Mercure, would like to address the recent service area outages that occurred in the late summer and early fall. It has been brought to NORA’s attention that individuals have contacted New Mexico’s Public Regulation Commission (PRC) regarding these outages. Please be advised that any concerns regarding outages should be directly made with NORA’s office at 575-756-2181, and any complaints should be addressed with Anthony Mercure.
When an outage occurs, and NORA is notified directly, the line crew, who is continuously on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will be dispatched immediately to corour power lines and other infrastructure. Please also keep in mind the conditions that result from these storms are less than ideal for our line crew who endure mud, snow, and ice while diligently working in subfreezing temperatures.
When storms like these happen, we ask our members to please be patient and report any outages immediately and directly to NORA. It is NORA’s priority to ensure the well-being and needs of ALL our members and nonmembers are met, and that power is restored as quickly as possible.
rect the situation. The PRC is not responsible for addressing outages that occur within our service area or dispatching NORA’s line crew.
It has been unfortunate that our area has experienced mixed season snowstorms in September and October that have been much wetter and heavier than normal snowfall that occurs in colder winter months. This heavy wet snow and ice can be very destructive to
Another issue that has come up this fall is the Village of Chama’s decision to disconnect several security lights placed throughout Chama. NORA was not responsible for making the decision to power down these lights. We simply followed the instructions from Village officials to disconnect the lights. Please direct any questions or concerns regarding these lights to the Village of Chama.
LED Lights: Always A Great Choice for Your Holiday Decor
LED stands for light-emitting diode. Instead of having a filament that can burn out like the traditional mini incandescent bulbs, LED lights are illuminated by the movement of electrons in a semi-conductor material. Because of this, LED strings can remain lit even if a bulb is damaged.
LED lights are more efficient and cooler-burning than traditional incandescent lights making them ideal for use in continuously lit holiday displays. By comparison, a standard incandescent bulb will burn for approximately 5,000 hours. An LED bulb will burn for about 100,000 hours.
LED lights have quickly become a mainstay in Christmas displays, and are available in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes. Another positive feature is they operate only at extra-low voltage. This significantly reduces the risk of electric shock.
Use the utmost caution when climbing ladders, on rooftops, and other precarious perches from which you decide to hang your lights. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season!
‘Tis The Season for NORA Scholarship Applications
NORA Electric Cooperative is currently accepting applications for its annual scholarships for graduating seniors who reside within the service area. In order to qualify for the scholarships, the student’s parent/ guardian must be a current NORA member. A one-time membership fee of $5 can be submitted to the NORA office for any non-members by December 31, 2020. This includes all students from within the Chama Valley School District as well as students residing within the Lumberton and Monero areas. Students will compete for the following awards: • NORA Scholarship • NORA Golf Scholarship • Tri-State Scholarship (Specifically for attendees of • Basin Scholarship NORA’s golf camp.)
Safety Tips
1. Don’t ever use electronics near water. 2. Never sleep with electronics under your pillow. 3. Keep batteries safely stored away; they can be deadly if swallowed. 4. Do not leave space heaters unattended when in use.
Winter Office Hours Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The NORA office staff would like to thank all members for your patience over the past several months since our doors have been locked. We encourage you to call, and make use of our drop box as needed.
Merry Christmas
We will be closed Thursday, December 24; Friday, December 25; and Friday, January 1 to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with our families.
To report an outage, please call: 575-756-2181.
SAFE DÉCOR FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON It’s almost time to deck those halls! Statistics show that home fires and electrical accidents typically increase during winter months, so keep these holiday lighting tips in mind for a safe holiday season.
Carefully inspect all electrical decorations before you use them. Cracked or damaged sockets and/or loose or exposed wires can cause serious shock or start a fire.
Consider purchasing LED lights, which use less energy and run cooler than traditional incandescent lights.
Never mount or support light strings in a way that might damage the cord’s insulation.
Make sure that cords are not pinched in doors, windows or under heavy furniture, which could damage the cord’s insulation.
Always unplug electrical decorations before replacing bulbs or fuses.
Turn o all indoor and outdoor electrical decorations before leaving home or going to sleep.
Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International
