Panhandle

Rura

l Ele

ctric

Mem

bers

hip

Ass

oci

ation

June 2014

Panhandle Rural Electric Membership

Association (PREMA) actively participates

in the development of rural communities

through leadership and financial commit-

ment. In 2007 they established a Revolving

Loan Fund (RFL) by matching a percentage

of an initial investment provided by the

USDA. This has allowed PREMA to further

enhance the economic climate of the area,

contributing to the economic development

and business expansion for residents of their

service territory.

PREMA considers loan applications for

projects that will significantly benefit rural

areas by creating and retaining employment

opportunities, or provide necessary commu-

nity facilities and services. Projects to be

considered for loans include medical or oth-

er emergency facilities; training and educa-

tional facilities; community infrastructure;

small business start-up projects; small busi-

ness expansion projects; business incuba-

tors; and commercial or industrial develop-

ment.

Loan guidelines require the money bor-

rowed not be used to compete with local

lending agencies, but rather the RLF is

meant to work in partnership with other pub-

lic and private lenders to compile the best

financial package necessary for project com-

pletion. The minimum RLF loan is

$20,000.00 with the maximum of

$150,000.00. These amounts are based up-

on the available balance in the revolving

loan fund account.

Team Challenge of the Midlands – Boys

Ranch . . . on the Oregon Trail, came before

the PREMA Board requesting a loan for the

repair of the Goodall building. It is the in-

tention of Team Challenge to reopen what

was previously operated as the Nebraska

Boys Ranch. This is slated to be a Juvenile

Boys center helping young men with life

controlling problems, as is the challenge of

dealing and coping with the debilitating ef-

fects of drug and alcohol addiction. Their

mission statement reads, “Teen Challenge of

the Midlands provides HOPE in Christ,

HELP for hurting people, and FREEDOM

from addiction.” They are hoping to have

their doors open early fall of 2014.

The Goodall building is a key structure

of the facility that needs repair in order to

function as future classrooms, recreation

area, and administrative offices. Teen Chal-

lenge will be using various funding sources

in anticipation of accommodating 16 boys

this fall, followed by an additional 16 boys

in the fall of 2015.

Teen Challenge’s plan calls for the crea-

tion of 10 jobs with the arrival of the first 16

boys and an additional 8-10 jobs with the

arrival of the subsequent 16 occupants.

Teen Challenge centers in the United

States have a 70% cure rate for drug addicts

completing their program. (Government

sponsored programs on the average have

less than a 5 % success rate.) A study re-

leased by the National Institute on Drug

Abuse indicated Teen Challenge is a pro-

gram with hope for hurting people. Found-

ed in 1961, they are privately funded, and

include over 250 centers in the U.S., and

over 1000 worldwide and in over eighty (80)

countries.

Teen Challenge of the Midlands began in

Omaha in 1972, and operates centers in Io-

wa and Nebraska. They serve men and

women eighteen (18) years of age and older.

PREMA Approves

Rural Development Loan for

Teen Challenge of the Midlands

OUTDOOR LIGHTING LEDs work well for out-of-doors because of their durability and

performance in cold environments. Look for LED products such as pathway

lights, step lights, and porch lights.

CFLs and LEDs are available as flood lights. These models have been

tested to withstand the rain and snow so they can be an exposed fixture.

Because outdoor lights are usually left on over a long period of time,

using CFLs or LEDs in fixtures will save you a lot of energy and that trans-

lates into lower costs.

PREMA would like to congratulate all of the 2014

graduates in our service and surrounding communities.

Best wishes for your future success!

Watch for 2015-2016 Scholarship information in future Newsletters

after the first of the year. PREMA loves students and supports their

continuing education. Special kudos to the children of our PREMA

family; Ty Sutphen, son of RD (director), Lindsay Swartz, daughter of

Guy (Alliance lineman) and Derek Coleman son of Loralee Young

(Accountant).

FLAG DAY—Friday June 14 In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14.

It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United

States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of

the Second Continental Congress. The United States Army

also celebrates the Army Birthday on this date; Congress

adopted "the American continental army" after reaching a

consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on

June 14, 1775.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclama-

tion that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in Au-

gust 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of

Congress.

HISTORY OF FATHERS DAY

The idea of celebrating Father's Day Festival was given by Ms. Sonora

Dodd, a loving daughter from Spokane. Her father, Henry Jackson Smart,

single-handedly raised Sonora and five of her siblings after the death of

her mother during childbirth. When Sonora attended a Mother's Day Ser-

mon in 1909, she thought that if there is the day to honor mothers, then

there should also be a corresponding day to honor fathers. Sonora worked

relentlessly for years to ensure that the idea of Father's Day became a re-

ality.

In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge first recognized Father's Day. In

view of the massive popularity of the festival, in 1972, President Richard

Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be

held on the third Sunday of June.

Besides heating and cooling your home, heating your water uses more energy than

anything else in the house.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the typical family spends up

to 18 percent of its utility dollars on water heating.

Good news: It’s simple to lower that cost. Here are nine tips:

1. Get rid of your old showerheads and bathroom faucets: They pump out way more

water than you need to comfortably get clean. In their place, install low-flow

faucets and aerating shower heads. The less water you use, the less you have to

pay for it.

2. If you notice a leaky faucet, repair it immediately. The U.S. Geological Survey

Estimates that a faucet that drips 20 times per minute will waste a full gallon of

water every day. If that happens to be hot water, you are washing money down

the drain with every drip.

3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees. The Department of Energy says that’s

a safe and sanitary temperature, and it will keep you comfortable at bath time, too.

4. Insulate your electric hot water tank—but don’t cover the thermostat. If your tank is gas or oil-

fueled, don’t cover the top or bottom of the heater or its burner compartment. You might need to

ask a plumber for help.

5. Wrap the hot and cold water pipes that connect to the water heater—for about six feet out.

6. Drain about a quart of water from the tank every three months to remove sediment. Built-up gunk

in the water heater can make it inefficient because it has to work harder to transfer heat to the

water.

7. If you’re in the market for a new water heater, choose a high

efficiency model with the Energy Star label. High-efficiency water

heaters use 10 percent to 50 percent less energy than traditional

models.

8. Water heaters last for up to 15 years, but new models are so much

more energy efficient than older ones that it’s worth it to replace

yours if you’ve had it for seven or more years.

9. PREMA and our power supplier, Tri-State, provide Energy Efficien-

cy Credits for Energy Star rated water heaters. Contact Gina Briggs

at 308-762-1311 for further information.

If you are a Load Management participant you should have received notification of which

group your account(s) have been assigned to. If you have not received this notification please contact us.

Participants are now able to receive a text message when load control is active. If you would like to

receive a text message, call the PREMA office at 308-762-1311 or email tims@prema.coop.

We anticipate load control to be active through the later part of June. Load control will not be active

during the months of July and August.

PREMA 251 BRAYTON ROAD

P.O. BOX 677

ALLIANCE, NE 69301-0677

OPERATIONS AND STAFF

Ryan Reiber—General Manager

Paul Grosz—Operations Manager

Dale Knapp—Staking Engineer

Jerry Mathistad—Office Manager

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dale Berndt, Lakeside—President

Board Members

Wayne Crawford—Alliance

Marty Larsen—Ashby

Bryan Monahan—Hyannis

RD Sutphen—Lakeside

Jerry Underwood—Alliance

Phil Zochol—Alliance

(308) 762-1311—800-585-4837

FAX—(308) 762-5750

Tri-state completed its structure change project between Ogallala and Hyannis on

May 7. The project was finished two weeks ahead of schedule, with the original

projected completion date being May 25.

Jim Butcher Tree service is trimming trees in areas north and northeast of Alliance.

Just a reminder; if you are having trouble with your electric service, when you contact

us, providing pertinent information allows us to better assist you. It is very helpful if

you provide the name, meter number, updated contact number and location description for the

service you are calling about. This allows us to find and remedy the problem faster,

more efficiently, and to also update this vital information in our records.

OPERATION UPDATES