By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
KRTN Multi-Media sat down with Kathy McQuery a lifelong Raton resident who has been involved with both the Raton Public Service Board of Trustees and the Raton Museum Board for well over 30 years.
McQuery has been president of the RPS board for several years and admits that she is still learning the ropes of the business as it continues to change. McQuery went on to explain the financial bucket system that RPS uses for its funding. That system is maintained through electrical rates and the income is broken out by a formula depending on the amount of income that RPS receives each month.
The recent power pole replacement project that the RPS performed was a prime example of why RPS must maintain funding in those buckets. The pole replacement cost RPS $235,000. Fortunately, RPS had the necessary poles in stock but will have to replace those poles noting it could take up to a year for replacements poles to arrive.
She noted that the 21-mile-long Burro Canyon line is another asset but a big expense. This year RPS will be doing some maintenance on the line that will require RPS to seek some additional funding through a loan from the Department of Finance Authority.
RPS has started the discussion of how RPS can either produce their own power and or continue with a purchase power agreement like they have with Guzmon which will run out in 2030. As part of that contract RPS is required to run the 4-megawatt generator for a period of time each day or as necessary to meet power requirements. Raton’s current power requirements run between about six megawatts up to about 10 megawatts. Should the Burro Canyon Line go down Raton could run the generator alone or with power from Springer Electric. If run alone it would require rolling blackouts and with Springer Electric the entire town can be powered, but as McQuery noted it’s not a long-term situation, its only short term and on an emergency basis.
Solar is part of the discussion and McQuery noted that RPS could add another half a megawatt to the current system under the contract with Guzmon. McQuery noted that there have been a lot of changes since RPS was required to shut the power plant down so RPS is looking at possibilities. The coal fired power plant was shuttered in part because of environmental regulations as well as finding the proper coal to burn in the boilers. While Raton had a coal mine in the backyard the coal was too rich to burn in the RPS boilers and not long after the plant was shut down the coal mine closed.
McQuery is also on the Raton Museum board. The Museum is one of those small gems that graces Raton’s downtown with exhibits covering the history of Raton and the surrounding area. The mining industry was a huge part of the history in the area bringing in many cultures from Italy, Germany, China and other cultures that would eventually mix and give Raton its current cultural mixture. Another program the Museum is planning is a trip to the Catskills Coke Ovens some of the oldest in the area.
Agriculture is another big part of the history with Colfax County home to several big ranches in the early days and some of those ranches have grown in size in the last couple of years. The train was another big part of Raton. McQuery noted that one of the collections includes the Indian Detours that was created by the Mr. Harvey to help bring in more tourism as people traveled the rail lines through the area. Robert Campbell gifted the Museum a huge collection of glass negatives that he had taken from the early 1900s to about 1950. There is also a large collection of photos of the TO Ranch that have been donated to the Museum.
McQuery is hoping to use technology to help grow the Museum and bring in younger generations to see and or hear about the exhibits. Just how the Museum will incorporate that is still in question but something the board is looking at. For now, Roger Sanchez serves as curator and is the walking talking history book at the Museum. McQuery noted it will be tough to replace Roger should he decide to retire, not many people have the history knowledge of the area like Roger.
The Museum was fortunate enough to be able to purchase the current building they are in with donations and through the help of Lodger’s Tax non promotional funding from the City of Raton the Museum can keep the doors open. A hard decision for the board was to impose a small entrance fee of $5.00 per person to help cover costs.
A trip to the Museum is always a treat and a conversation with Roger Sanchez is the icing on the cake.
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