An open letter to Rio Grande Electric:

All this time I thought I was the ONLY ONE to be disguntled by your business practices. I thought that I, ALONE, was just a hard hearted complainer, and practiced, almost weekly, curbing my anger at the “service” your company provides. After hearing the news of other customers, primarily in South [Brewster] County area, voicing their concerns about your practices, I now see that many others recognize the poor quality of electric service we collectively receive.

What am I disgruntled about? Let me count the ways:

1. Rude employees. An employee arrives at my home and without notice cuts my power. I go outside to find out what is wrong and see him working. When I ask what he’s doing he replies, “installing a turtle.” I said, “I don’t want a turtle.” He replies, “Well, you don’t really have a choice.” When I drive to Alpine to report the rude employee, only secretaries are in the office. Anyone with decision-making powers is out of the office, “for about a week.”

2. Interruptions of service. I’ve lived in this area for many many years and the disruptions never seem to get any better. Does your company EVER upgrade the infrastructure? If you have “deep canyons” as you said last week that are “hard to get to,” do you EVER plan to come up with a better idea other than having your customers wait for DAYS to get service?

3. Better service equals more money for electricity, you say. Hmmm....you have now raised your prices AGAIN. You charge your customers FOREVER for the pole/meter...$17 a month residential, $22 a month business. We NEVER get the meter price paid. Why don’t you just call this ‘meter charge’ what it is...a way to get money for something other than electricity. Sort of like the “handling charge” when you mail order something.

4. With power off a few weeks ago, I called the Alpine office. Busy signal, busy signal, busy signal...until I finally realized I would have to call the Brackettville number. When I finally reached someone, they said, “Well the Alpine office is closed. This is the weekend.” Oh, I see. MY emergency is not YOUR emergency. It’s Saturday. Too bad for me that I happen to use electricity on the weekends. For VERY LITTLE MONEY you could at least have a recording that says, “Call Bracketville; it’s the weekend” instead of the old phone-off-the-hook method.

5. Your monthly magazine. EVERY OTHER CO-OP in Texas gets the ‘Texas Co-op Power’ magazine; a fine magazine that has a circulation of over NINE MILLION CUSTOMERS. Not Rio Grande Electric. WE have our OWN magazine. (Which I laughingly refer to as “The Goat Gazette.” No offense to goats and goat lovers, but this is cattle country!) Why does EVERY OTHER TEXAS CO-OP go together to issue one magazine? I’m guessing “COST EFFECTIVENESS.” And yet, RGE publishes their very own magazine. Would you please enlighten me as to how much it would cost for you to join the Texas Co-Op Power magazine versus the cost of publishing your own? If it IS more cost effective to publish your own magazine, then kudos to you. But I’d like to see the figures.

As you’ve probably guessed, I have other concerns with RGE. But I’m sure there will be many other letters concerning these and other issues, and I don’t want to hog all the space, or take up any more of your time to be informed about how your customers feel. Suffice it to say, it is not any more pleasant to be held hostage by the ONLY electric company in town than it is to be held hostage by the ONLY phone company in town. Since your customers truly DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE, you should be a little less arrogant in the delivery of your “services.”

I am excited by the way that the interest in the Sierra Children’s Health Project grows.

We are actively recruiting volunteers for Dr. Hector Lechuga’s ambitious project which aims to identify the causes of disease present in current dietary norms of the Tarahumara [in the Sierra Madre Occidental of northern Mexico], and to correct them. For him, antibiotic resistant strains of TB, hypertension (precursor to many forms or heart disease), undergrowth and obesity are all diseases of the poor.

Thwarted in his previous attempts to identify and help those suffering from the above-mentioned fatal form of tuberculosis, Dr. H. went back to the drawing board and created the concept of this project.

In 3 target villages volunteers will measure the height and weight of children from ages 4 - 16 and interview them as to their dietary habits. Dr. Lechuga and any other trained volunteers/staff will draw a small amount of blood to correlate the children’s present health status.

The focus of the health survey is to identify those who are at risk of hypertension and heart disease as they age. Believe it or not, this is a serious risk to life and longevity in the Sierra Madre. The causes are most easily traced to dietary habits. Unbelievably, those living closest to the land are also missing nutrients which are available to them through the cultivation of vegetables and legumes. Part of the traditional lifestyle, but for whatever reason, is not present today. Dr. Lechuga is determined to document this, and create a change in perception and practise in 3 villages. And we need your help.

I just returned from a quick trip to Chihuahua, during which I had a great and productive meeting with Dr. Lechuga and his wife Patricia, and also met briefly with the secretary to the Presidente in Carichi, Paco Estrella.

The project continues to unfold and grow, despite sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds. It is quite a saga, and the shepherd is the one who keeps us believing that it will all happen.

We now have the support of the rector (highest director) of the Universidad de Ciudad Juarez, the largest university in the state of Chihuahua. They will provide graduate students for field work and the invaluable weight of their considerable prestige.

Jim Glendinning and I are going to attend the Tri-District Convention of the International Rotary Club in Las Cruces, NM on September 12-13, to help Marfa Rotary Club present their grant proposal for funding for part of this project. Wish us luck!!  There seems to be a very good chance that we are in the right place at the right time with this as the focus of Rotary International for 2008-2009 is Child Mortality. And it appears that the Marfa Rotary Club has enlisted the backing of a Rotary Club from Cuahtemoc, in the vicinity of the municipalities where this first phase of the project will take place.  Jim presented to the Alpine Rotary last week and they are planning to participate in a supportive role as well.  It just seems to be a matter of showing up and putting this information out, and the world responds!

We are actively recruiting for the first group of volunteers for the health project in early November. Jim is ready to accompany a group any time after the 6th of November and Jackie Siglin is also ready and willing to go. The length of time for this first group is probably going to be 2 weeks. Is there anyone who is able to free themselves to make a commitment?

I am hoping that this first group will be followed by a second one in early December.  Please let me know if you are interested and available.

Jim and I presented to the City Council last week and their response was enthusiastic about exploring the possibilities of a cultural exchange between Alpine and Carichi, Chihuahua. A group of council members would like to travel to Carichi sometime this fall.

I have, at long last, published a blog with pictures and information on the project and the surrounding area: www.SierraHealth.blogspot.com. I will keep it updated with pictures and information.

We are grieving the escalating incidences of drug-related violence on both sides of the border, but most recently in the town of Creel, jumping-off point for Copper Canyon visitors. It would be foolish and disrespectful not to acknowledge the tragic loss of life in this town. I want no one to be unprepared and uninformed when they enlist to do volunteer work for this project. However, we have very good assurances that the areas we will be visiting are safe from these activities. Dr. Lechuga has also informed me that the Mexican Government is stepping up their efforts to provide security in the Sierra Tarahumara and is opening an new office/station in Creel in September.

One of our big motivations as volunteer organizers for this project is to promote cultural exchange and friendship between ourselves and our neighbors. The negative press which informs our awareness of the people on our southern border does not represent the culture and people of Mexico. We of the United States have much to give and share with the Mexicans. We have an equal amount to learn and to receive from the people on the other side of the Rio Grande. Together we can create positive and significant change, one person at a time.  And there is no better moment than now.

Who can volunteer 2 weeks of their time in November? Let me know. pilar.pedersen@gmail.com.