Portales, November 19, 2020--Over the last 25 years, the Portales Rotary Club has provided decorative building lighting during the holiday season with the support of Portales area businesses and The Little Miss Merry Christmas fundraiser hosted annually by the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce. As we once again approached the 2020 season, the Rotary Club started to make the appropriate plans for yet another successful season.
In August, the Club officers determined it best to first do a thorough evaluation of the current lighting throughout the town. Upon completing this evaluation, we have regrettably decided that we cannot offer the lighting service for 2020.
In some cases, the wiring and lighting were adequate, but in most cases, that was not what the electrician consulted found. There are multiple reasons for this, including but not limited to, hail damage, old wiring, and electrical code concerns. After careful review, the Portales Rotary Club simply do not have adequate time and resources to address these concerns for over 150 buildings for this 2020 Holiday Season.
Should businesses that have supported this community service project over the years elect to service the lights, the Portales Rotary Club recommends that businesses do so with the guidance of a licensed electrician. The lights are the property of the building owner. Not all the buildings fall under this concern, but in some cases, just plugging the lights in would be unsafe.
As we move into 2021 and hopefully away from the COVID 19 pandemic, the Portales Rotary Club is committed to reevaluating the program and determine a path forward for the 2021 holiday season. This tradition has been a unique partnership with Little Miss Merry Christmas, Portales business owners, and the Portales Rotary Club for many years. The Portales Rotary Club board of directors look forward to sharing the innovative solutions that will come from having to take a step back this year and address the electrical concerns.
We, as a Community, will make it thru these difficult times, and we, as a Rotary Club, are forever grateful for your support. We look forward to sharing updates during 2021 and hopefully partnering with you again on this important community service project.
