Category: Howe News Bulletin

Grid operator requests energy conservation

AUSTIN, TX, June 14, 2021 – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking Texans to reduce electric use as much as possible today through Friday, June 18. A significant number of forced generation outages combined with potential record electric use for the month of June has resulted in tight grid conditions.

Generator owners have reported approximately 11,000 MW of generation is on forced outage for repairs; of that, approximately 8,000 MW is thermal and the rest is intermittent resources. According to the summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy, a typical range of thermal generation outages on hot summer days is around 3,600 MW. One MW typically powers around 200 homes on a summer day.

“We will be conducting a thorough analysis with generation owners to determine why so many units are out of service,” said ERCOT Vice President of Grid Planning and Operations Woody Rickerson. “This is unusual for this early in the summer season.”

According to generation owners, the number of outages should decrease throughout the week.

Wind output for today is expected to be 3,500 to 6,000 MW between 3 and 9 p.m. This is roughly 1,500 MW lower than what is typically available for peak conditions. Wind output is expected to increase as the week goes on.

Today’s peak load forecast may exceed 73,000 MW. The peak demand record for June is 69,123 MW set on June 27, 2018 between 4 and 5 p.m.

Please take these simple actions to help reduce electric use:

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher – every degree of cooling increases your energy use by six to eight percent.
• Turn off lights and pool pumps and avoid using large appliances like ovens, washing machines and dryers.
• If you don’t need something – we are asking you to turn it off and unplug it if possible.

 Visit the Power to Save website or your electric provider for more ways to conserve.

How to track electricity demand

• View daily peak demand forecast, current load and available generation at http://www.ercot.com.
• Follow ERCOT on Twitter (@ERCOT_ISO) and Facebook (Electric Reliability Council of Texas).
• Sign up for the ERCOT mobile app (available for download at the Apple App Store and Google Play).
• Subscribe to the EmergencyAlerts list on http://lists.ercot.com.

Consumer assistance

Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline – 1-888-782-8477

Jerry Orville Park was born on July 5, 1940 in Sherman, Texas to Thomas Orville Park and Vera Idella (Franklin) Park. He graduated from Sherman High School in 1958 and joined the US Army in 1959. During his Army service he attended the Signal School at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey and received training as a Meteorology Observer and was then transferred to Ft. Lewis, Washington, for further duty with a new unit stationed in the remote Gerstle River Test Site in Alaska and later at the US Army Arctic Test Board range in Alaska, where he served as shift supervisor. His Commanding Officer commended Jerry for his “wry sense of humor [which] often dispelled gloom during the dark moments when the Team was undergoing the throes of organization”.

Upon honorable discharge from the Army, Jerry returned to Sherman and married Joyce Ann Brede on May 16, 1964. Jerry and Joyce enjoyed 57 years of marriage together and were blessed with three wonderful daughters: Lisa in 1965, Debra in 1970, and Angela in 1979.

Jerry served 32 years as a City Carrier for the United States Postal Service and spent 30 of those years walking various mail routes in the City of Sherman. He was honored by the Postal Service as a member of the One Million Mile Club for driving 1 million miles without a preventable accident.

One of his many talents was the ability to build and repair electronic and mechanical devices. One such example was the restoration of an M37B1 Army Truck to like new condition. This truck had special meaning for Jerry since it is of the same type as the truck, he drove throughout the extreme cold of three Alaskan winters! Jerry was often seen driving the M37 in various parades through his membership in the Red River Valley County Military Vehicle Preservation Association.

Service was an essential part of Jerry’s life. For many years he served as a member of the Howe Planning and Zoning Commission. Most people in Howe will remember him from his 40 years of volunteer service with the Howe Fire Department including service as Fire Chief from 1978 until 1989. During his 40 years many fires were fought, lives saved, severe weather was monitored, and communication, equipment, and training was improved. Jerry was responsible for equipping the departments vehicles with their first radios and for overseeing many communications upgrades. He was also instrumental in the volunteer firefighters attending the Fire Training Academy at Texas A&M in College Station. Despite his humble protests, the Jerry Park Scholarship is given annually by the Howe Fire Department to graduating Seniors to honor Jerry’s service.

After his retirement from the Howe Fire Department, Jerry continued using the training he first received in the US Army by watching and reporting the weather as a Skywarn Storm Spotter for the Grayson County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). He was also a frequent participant as a Ham Radio/ARES observer for the monthly City of Sherman Outdoor Warning Siren Test Net.

Over the years, the family referred to Jerry as their Superhero. Many who knew him at the Texoma Regional Blood Center in Sherman will agree! During his lifetime Jerry gave 48 separate donations, which totals to 6 gallons of blood in his lifetime. Jerry often encouraged others to give the “gift of life” by becoming blood donors.

Surviving family members are his wife, Joyce Park; brother Gary Park (Donna); daughters Lisa Park, Debra Graves (Wade), Angela Cox (Matthew); grandchildren Jessica (King) Riley, Ciarra (King) Smith, Sadie (Pierson) Hackney, Maggie Pierson, Harper Park, Owen Cox; and great-granddaughter Vera Hackney. In addition to his parents, Jerry was also preceded in death by his great-grandson Harrison Keith Hackney.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM on Friday, June 11 at the Scoggins Funeral Home Chapel in Van Alstyne. The family will gather to receive friends at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Howe Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 518, Howe, TX 75459. Those who are able are also encouraged to donate blood at the Texoma Regional Blood Center.

Charles Roy Lynch, Charlie, Tuna, a beloved father, brother, papaw, pawpaw, pa-tun, uncle, and friend was born in Marion, Kentucky on July 19, 1944 to Roy and Leora Lynch. He went to be with the Lord at his home in Sherman, Texas on May 8, 2021. He grew up on an 800-acre farm in Crane Kentucky with his parents and four siblings.

He attended Kings Trail Cowboy Church in Whitewright, Texas where he was saved and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior. He was his grandchildren’s and great grandchildren’s biggest and loudest fan at their sporting events. He was known by all for his huge Tuna hugs, strong handshakes, and quick wit. He was a hard worker, everybody’s best friend, a hero to many, and loved with his whole heart and then some. He was a licensed meat cutter for many years and retired from Denison Walmart, where he considered many as family rather than coworkers. After retirement he worked at the City of Howe in the Public Works department where he became a well-known member of the community, as the old man in the funny hat that kept the grass cut and the city looking good. Tuna loved life, his family, his friends, his horses, watching and feeding his birds, going to the races, and junking. Tuna never met a stranger and would give the shirt off his back, but most of all he loved visiting with family and friends, telling stories, a good meal and would fight you over banana pudding. Tuna is preceded in death by his wife Pat Lynch, father Roy Lynch, mother Leora Lynch, brother Eddie Lynch, and sister Wanda Guess.

He is survived by his sister Kathy Schraer, her husband Wayne Schraer, and his brother Howard Lynch, and his wife Linda Lynch, four daughters Charmaine Tate, her husband Ken Tate, Sia Wangler, her husband Roger Wangler, DeVera Tillett, her husband Philip Tillett, and Tammy Grisolia, a papaw to 10 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren, and two on the way.

The visitation will take place Sunday, May 16, 2021 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. followed by the service on Monday, May 17, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at Scoggins Funeral Home, 637 West Van Alstyne Parkway, Van Alstyne, Tx., with Pastor Joe Beshirs officiating. The burial will take place at Van Alstyne Cemetery. The Pallbearers are Rocky Ratcliff, Stephen Tillett, Andrew Amaro, Jacob Grisolia, Chris McClure, and Tad Kirchoff. Honorary Pallbearers are Bill Wright, and Bert Dowlen.

Services are under the direction of Scoggins Funeral Home & Crematory, 637 W Van Alstyne Parkway, Van Alstyne, Texas 75495. 903-482-5225. You may sign the online guest book at www.scogginsfuneralhome.com.