Your Electric Co-op

General Manager Denise Barrera Address 610 Highway 195 • P.O. Box 290 Elephant Butte, NM 87935 Telephone 575-744-5231 Outages 888-336-3380 Fax 575-744-5819 Email sierra@secpower.com Website www.sierraelectric.org Office Hours 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (M-F) Board of Trustees President John Bokich, Elephant Butte, District 2 Vice President Thomas Stroup, Elephant Butte, District 2 Secretary Charles McMath, Elephant Butte, District 2 Treasurer George Biel, Monticello, District 3 Dennis Franklin Williamsburg, District 1 Tami Garrett Las Palomas ,District 3 Judy Smith Caballo, District 1 Darryl Sullivan Monticello, District 3 Oscar Lee Wood Elephant Butte, District 2 Board Meeting The Board of Trustees meets the third Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. in the Cooperative boardroom.

National Lineworker Appreciation Day is Monday, April 13, 2020

In 2015, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) proclaimed: “Whereas linemen leave their families and put their lives on the line every day to keep the power on; Whereas linemen work 365 days a year under dangerous conditions to build, maintain and repair the electric infrastructure; Whereas linemen are the first responders of the electric cooperative family, getting power back on and making things safe for all after storms and accidents; and Whereas there would be no electric cooperatives without the brave men and women who comprise our corps of linemen; Therefore be it resolved that NRECA recognize the Second Monday of April of each year as National Lineman Appreciation Day and make available to electric cooperatives, materials and support to recognize the contributions of these valuable men and women to America’s Electric Cooperatives.”

It wasn’t too many months ago, on Thanksgiving Day, when Sierra Electric members in the northwestern service territory woke up to a power outage caused by a foot of snow that had fallen overnight. Members commented later that they were amazed to wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning to the sound of a Sierra Electric utility truck accessing and repairing a damaged pole. However, those lineworkers had actually been out all night patrolling the lines looking for the multiple causes of the outage. Sierra Electic’s lineworkers dedicated themselves on a family holiday to leave their own families in the middle of the night and get our cooperative family of members’ power restored.

We say Thank You for doing a job that not many would, or could, do. We say Thank You for dedicating your life to keeping the lights on. And, we pray that you always come home safe.

Census 2020 Computer Lab For the first time in history of the United States, the Census will make its questionnaire available to be completed online. Sierra Electric Cooperative, Inc., in partnership with the Sierra County Complete Count Committee, will make a computer available to help residents of Sierra County with limited internet access complete the new online questionnaire. The computer was available March 23, 2020, and continues through April 30, 2020, during business hours, Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding Good Friday, April 10.

The 2020 Census results will impact our community for the next 10 years, providing population data that drives funding for important things like schools, roads, health care, and other critical programs. This is our one chance in a decade to get it right. We’re all counting on you.

Complete your census online, by phone, or by mail. Started March 12, 2020.

NOTICE –ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERS CANCELED Pursuant to the New Mexico Department of Health’s “Public Health Emergency Order to Limit Mass Gatherings Due to COVID-19”, based on the Governor of the State of New Mexico’s Public Health Emergency declaration in Executive Order 2020-004, the Sierra Electric Cooperative, Inc., Annual Meeting of the Members scheduled for April 4, 2020, has been canceled, until such a time as a meeting will be allowed by law and in accordance with the Sierra Electric Cooperative, Inc. By-laws.

Sierra Electric Office Closed for Good Friday, April 10, 2020.