PEAK ALERT SEASON IS HERE

from Ohio Cooperative Living – June 2023 - Paulding Putnam

Efficiency tips for residential well pumps

A peak alert occurs when all of Ohio’s electric cooperatives approach a new peak demand for electricity usage. This is important because Paulding Putnam Electric purchases the electricity we use based on the total kilowatt hours of electricity our members use, and also the largest demand for electric power during any one-hour increment. When we set a new usage peak, it can mean a higher rate for electricity next year.

We share peak alerts on our social media channels and the main page of our website. We ask members to help out by reducing usage during those times (reducing the demand) when everyone is using more electricity. A peak alert is not a shortage of electricity. It is a way to manage purchasing higher-cost electricity. By lowering usage during times of peak demand, members reap the benefit in the form of a lower cost for power.

During the summer months, peak alerts are likely to occur Monday through Friday, from 2 to 6 p.m. on days that are extremely hot and humid. Peak alerts can also occur in the winter depending on temperatures and demand.

Radio-controlled switches

Electric cooperatives across the state, including PPEC, save money by allowing our co-op-owned generation supplier, Buckeye Power, to control portions of their use of electricity at certain times through the use of load management devices called radio-controlled switches (RCS). We do this because electricity costs the most when it’s in very high demand. When the peak goes up, so does the cost. By reducing the demand for electricity created by the electric water heaters and central air-conditioning systems of our members, the cooperative works to reduce the costs of power for our members.

How can I help?

When we experience those extreme hot weather days, find small ways to lower your electric use, such as:

• Raise your thermostat, if possible, to a higher temperature while maintaining comfort. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends 78 degrees.

• Turn off lights and appliances you aren’t using. They waste both energy and your money.

• Delay doing laundry, running the dishwasher, or using other major appliances until later in the evening.

• In the summer, take advantage of using the outdoor grill to keep cooking heat outside.

By working together, we can curb the demand for electric power. This teamwork is a win-win for everyone, as the cooperative consistently works toward the goal of keeping the cost of power as low as possible.

Get a $25 initial account credit + $5 account credit per month during peak months (JuneAugust) by having an RCS device installed on your HVAC system or hot water heater. Visit ppec. coop/rebate-programs to learn more and sign up.

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BY MARGO BARTLETT

This summer, you can take a voyage on a 19th-century British ship, visit ancient Rome, witness 50 years in a couple’s bedroom, travel to the underworld, and even go to the prom, all within the confines of the Buckeye State. Those are only some of the journeys offered by Ohio college theater programs that celebrate summer as a time to heat up the stage with musicals.

Of course, college summer theater programs showcase the talents of their own theater students. But it’s also a time they may feature alumni, students from other schools, and professional actors and designers from around the country, says Terri Kent, producing artistic director for Kent State University’s Porthouse Theatre. The combination adds up to robust performances that delight audiences, she says.

“The enthusiasm and commitment of the younger actors inspires everyone,” she says. “More seasoned actors are teaching by example. There are no classes, no exams. The students are learning through experience, and everyone is having a wonderful time.”

Ohio Cooperative Living caught up with three renowned college programs to get a sense of what’s happening on campus during the summer months. (Several others stage their own productions, so make sure to check out your local institution’s website to see what might be in store).

Ohio Light Opera at the College of Wooster

Freedlander Theatre, 329 E. University St., Wooster, OH 44691. 330-263-2345; www.ohiolightopera.org

At its peak, Ohio Light Opera’s program allows ambitious theater lovers to see as many as six shows in one week. While there are some devoted ticket holders who do just that, many others come to see one or two favorites.

Ohio Light Opera, the resident professional company of the College of Wooster, has been entertaining audiences since 1979, says Laura Neill, OLO’s executive director.

“The program offers a classical rotating repertory,” Neill says. “We open one show, then the next, then the next, and so on, and by the last three weeks of the season, we are playing and rotating all six shows.”

Performers, musicians, and production workers come from all over the country to participate in OLO shows. Auditions are held in Wooster and New York City, as well as virtually.

Cast members tend to perform in more than one show, Neill says. Actors might have lead and supporting roles in a couple of shows and perform in the chorus of a third, she says. Stage crews work on all the shows.

Summer Schedule

Camelot (Lerner and Loewe) — June 10, 14, 23, and 27; July 1, 7, 15, 18, 20, 23, 28, and 30.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Loesser) — June 15, 21, 24, and 30; July 2, 8, 12, 15, 21, 26, and 29.

No, No Nanette (Youmans, Harbach, and Caesar) — June 22, 24, and 28; July 1, 8, 14, 21, and 29.

H.M.S. Pinafore (Gilbert and Sullivan) — June 29; July 5, 7, 11, 13, 22, 25, and 28.

Arizona Lady (Kàlmàn) — July 6, 9, 14, 20, and 27.

Orpheus in the Underworld (Offenbach, Crémieux, and Halévy) — July 13, 16, 19, 22, and 27.

Porthouse Theatre, Kent State University

3143 O’Neil Road, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223. 330-672-3884; www.porthousetheatre.com

This year’s theme for Kent State’s Porthouse Theatre is “LOL all summer long,” Kent says. “To young people, that means ‘laugh out loud,’ but to some more ‘mature’ people, it can mean ‘lots of love.’ Our shows will provide plenty of both.”

Porthouse Theatre’s summer season features three shows: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a classic Stephen Sondheim musical; The Marvelous

Wonderettes, a jukebox musical that follows four high school friends from prom to a reunion and features songs from the ’50s and ’60s; and The Prom, a Broadway show that tells a compelling story of love and acceptance.

The performances take place in the 500-seat Porthouse Theatre, a venue that is outdoors but covered from the elements, at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls. That setting, with lots of land adjacent to the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park, enables the group to offer an experience that goes beyond viewing the performances, Kent says. “People come to picnic before the shows,” she says. “Longtime subscribers come to meet and become friends. Some people stay to tailgate after the shows, meet the actors, and toast with champagne.”

Summer Schedule

(Shows run Tuesday through Sunday each week; check website for showtimes)