Membership Matters
April 2005
Member Discount Available for An
Appalachian Summer Festival Concert
As part of Blue Ridge Electric’s sponsorship of An Appalachian Summer Festival’s Outdoor Fireworks Concert, Blue Ridge Electric members are again eligible to receive discounts on tickets for this year’s grand finale event. The concert has become a permanent part of the High Country’s summer scene and is filled with music, dancing, fireworks, and fun.
This year’s featured performers are The Legendary Lead Singers of the Temptations and The Sounds of the Supremes. Representing the finest of the Motown tradition, the talented musicians of these groups equal the high standard set by the original artists, proving that the music the original groups made famous will last forever. The groups’ artistic contributions include: “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Baby Love,” “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.”
An Appalachian Summer Festival is a cultural arts program of Appalachian State University. The month-long arts festival features visual and performing arts for all ages. This is the eighth consecutive year Blue Ridge Electric has sponsored An Appalachian Summer Festival as part of its commitment to local communities.
The Outdoor Fireworks Concert with the Temptations and Supremes will be held Saturday, July 30, starting at 7:30 p.m. in Kidd Brewer Stadium on the campus of ASU. The evening will conclude with the concert’s spectacular trademark fireworks show.
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Members Only News
-For Members of Blue Ridge Electric
Nominating Committee Names
The board of directors appointed members for the cooperative’s Nominating Committee at their February board meeting. The committee will select a slate of nominees to fill four available board seats this year, and the nominees will be announced in the May Enlightener as well as posted in district customer service offices 30 days prior to the Annual Membership Meeting, which is held the second Saturday of June each year.
Committee members are:
Caldwell:
Diane Hoyle, Reba Barlow, Judi Hyatt.
Alternate: Caroline Woody
Watauga:
Terry Beach, Lowell Younce, Brad Teague.
Alternate: Margaret Pierce
Ashe:
Carol Sharpe, Ralph Jones, Paul Norris.
Alternate: Lynelle Blackburn
Alleghany:
Peggy Choate, Mary Joines, Wilma Foster.
Alternate: Judy Sexton.
Meet the Candidates
You will have an opportunity to meet the candidates for your cooperative’s board of directors during “Meet the Candidate” forums being held in each local Blue Ridge Electric office on the following dates:
- Alleghany District: May 23
- Caldwell District: May 31
- Ashe District: June 1
- Watauga District: June 2.
Each forum begins at 7 p.m.
The Perspective
An Editorial by Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson
Technology and Reliability
As I write this month’s message, we’re just recovering from one of the largest snow storms in our service territory this season. As always, our linemen and system operators were quick to respond and get your power back on in a timely manner. Our customer service staff was also there for you answering the phones.
While you often tell us how much you appreciate our quick and courteous response to power outages, what you may not realize is the technology behind the scene that helps provide you with reliable power.
This year, we invested in a new outage management system that is helping our system operators better detect where an outage is located and often determine the cause. System operators can often direct linemen to the source of an outage, resulting in faster restoration times.
The system is also designed to give customer service representatives more details about outages so that they can better inform members.
In an effort to integrate our systems, we have entered each pole, substation and all other equipment into a geographical information system (GIS) over the past few years. We are now beginning to realize the value from integrating our systems and the end result will prove to be faster response and better customer service to our members.
Technology is a large part of running an electrical system. The advantage of properly working automated systems is that data gets communicated faster and our crews respond to service problems more quickly. Blue Ridge Electric has been investing in technology and will continue to devote resources to emerging technologies that enhance power reliability for our members.
Technology will never replace the people who set the poles or serve you on the phones and in our offices. However, it can help provide valuable information for improving reliability and responding to our members. And that’s why we’ll continue to invest in the right technologies: to better serve our member-owners with the highest in customer care.
NC Electrical Safety Month
Did you know that according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately three people die each day in residential electrical-related fires and accidental electrocutions in the home?
A great many of those are related to problems with power outlets, power cords and extension cords. That’s why North Carolina’s Touchtone Energy cooperatives have teamed with Governor Mike Easley to proclaim May, “North Carolina’s Electrical Safety Month.”
Understanding the benefits as well as the dangers of electricity will help prevent electrical accidents from occurring. Make sure your home is free and safe from potentially fatal injuries from shock and electrocution. You should always:
- Respect the power of electricity.
- Read and follow the operating instructions that come with every electrical product.
- Replace worn or frayed electrical cords.
- Remember not to overload circuits and extension cords with too many electric appliances.
May is the perfect time to check for indoor and outdoor electrical hazards. Learning how to play it safe around electricity benefits you, your family, and the community.
Updated Numbers Needed
To report outages quickly and receive the fastest response, be sure we have your correct telephone number. We need your telephone number matching your physical home or business address in our system. Indicate the change on your next bill or call us to update your number if needed.
Published monthly by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation for its 52,319 members.
