July 2009 - Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association

Transcript

J U LY 2 0 0 9 Pennsylvania’s power-ful past ‘Energy Trail of History’ details story of energy in the Commonwealth PLUS Favorite places ‘Tis the season Portable AC JULY Vol. 44 • No. 7 William M. Logan 6 EDITOR/VP OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS & MEMBER SERVICES Peter Fitzgerald SENIOR EDITOR 3 ASSOCIATE EDITOR/WRITER James Dulley Kitty Halke-Staley Barbara Martin Marcus Schneck KEEPING CURRENT Deer management audit, Amish population increases Katherine Hackleman 4 E N E R G Y M AT T E R S ‘To good to be true’ energy claims CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS W. Douglas Shirk 6 LAYOUT & DESIGN Pennsylvania’s power-ful past Vonnie Kloss ‘Energy Trail of History’ details story of energy in the Commonwealth ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION Penn Lines (USPS 929-700), the newsmagazine of Pennsylvania’s electric cooperatives, is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. Penn Lines helps 149,800 households of co-op consumermembers understand issues that affect the electric cooperative program, their local coops, and their quality of life. Electric co-ops are not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed, and taxpaying electric utilities. Penn Lines is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. The opinions expressed in Penn Lines do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, or local electric distribution cooperatives. Subscriptions: Electric co-op members, $5.42 per year through their local electric distribution cooperative. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Harrisburg, PA 17105 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes with mailing label to Penn Lines, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. Advertising: Display ad deadline is six weeks prior to month of issue. Ad rates upon request. Acceptance of advertising by Penn Lines does not imply endorsement of the product or services by the publisher or any electric cooperative. If you encounter a problem with any product or service advertised in Penn Lines, please contact: Advertising, Penn Lines, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Penn Lines reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Board officers and staff, Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association: Chairman, Tim Burkett; Vice Chairman, S. Eugene Herritt; Secretary, Lanny Rodgers; Treasurer, Kevin Barrett; President & CEO, Frank M. Betley © 2009 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Visit with us at Penn Lines Online, located at http://www.prea.com/Content/ penn_lines_magazine.asp Penn Lines Online provides an email link to Penn Lines editorial staff, information on advertising rates, contributor’s guidelines, and an archive of past issues. F E AT U R E 10 TIME LINES 12 Your newsmagazine through the years 10A C O O P E R AT I V E C O N N E C T I O N Information and advice from your local electric co-op 11 POWER PLANTS Keep memories in a garden journal 12 O U T D O O R A DV E N T U R ES My favorite places List of top fishing, hunting spots brings back memories 14 COUNTRY KITCHEN ‘Tis the season 15 14 SMART CIRCUITS Perks of portable air conditioners 16 CLASSIFIEDS 18 PUNCH LINES Thoughts from Earl Pitts– Uhmerikun! Earl loves the outdoors — except for birds, squirrels and most other critters 19 19 RURAL REFLECTIONS A summer day O N T H E COV E R Lori and Bill Arnold, owners of the Somerset County property where the 2002 Quecreek Mine rescue took place, have formed a nonprofit foundation to honor the miners and rescue workers. Photo by Kathy Hackleman. KEEPINGcurrent State’s deer management plan to be audited by independent firm Too many deer? Not enough deer? Everyone has an opinion and the opinions of Pennsylvanians are as varied as the people who provide them. Drivers complain they face deer on the state’s highways all too often, while some subur- ban residents note they can’t plant a vegetable garden or flowers because the deer eat them. On the other hand, hunters in some parts of the state unhappily report seeing dwindling numbers of deer. In an effort to provide a definite answer as to whether too many deer are negatively impacting Pennsylvania’s forests and how to “manage” the deer population to maintain a healthy forest ecosystem, the House Legislative Budget and Finance Committee has hired a Washington, D.C.- based conservation organization to conduct an independent audit of Pennsylvania’s deer management plan. According to state Rep. David Levdansky (D-Elizabeth), who is treasurer of the Budget and Finance Committee and member of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, the goal is to remove the guesswork from the deer management program by having an objective company from outside Pennsylvania determine if the right number of deer, of the right age and gender ratio, in the right places are being harvested. Meanwhile, the potential effects of deer overbrowsing are being showcased this summer at Latham’s Acre, one of a series of fenced-in islands erected nearly 60 years ago on a McKean County mountaintop. The fenced deer “exclosures” were built in 1950 by Roger Latham, then a biologist and head researcher for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Conservationists are studying Latham’s Acre to determine the level of forest regeneration if no deer are present in the environment. Latham’s Acre, located in State Game Land 30, sports wildflowers and fresh buds on the lower level tree branches, while just outside the fence where deer are plentiful, the forest is devoid of new growth from the carpet of dead leaves to the browse line about five feet off of the ground. State officials hope to learn from the audit if the current deer management plan is working, and if not, what system can be put into place to ensure both the state’s deer population and its forests can flourish. Amish population continues to grow in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania’s Amish population continues to grow, according to information recently released by The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. In fact, Pennsylvania tops the list of states with the largest estimated population increase between 2007 and 2008. It is followed by Indiana, New York, Ohio and Missouri. With 51,570 estimated Amish residents, Pennsylvania ranks second in the country in terms of total number of Amish residents, behind only Ohio, which has 55,620 Amish residents. Indiana is third with 38,610. The number of Amish in any one state drops dramatically from there with Wisconsin at 15,525, Michigan at 10,530 and New York at 10,125. Ten states have Amish populations of between 1,200 and 9,999, while an additional 12 states have populations estimated at less than 1,000. (The center reports all of the population numbers are estimates based on the number of settlements and church districts located in each state.) Four of the largest Amish settlements in the country are in Pennsylvania. They include Lancaster County area, No. 2 with 169 church districts; Mifflin County area, No. 9 with 20 church districts; Indiana County area and New Wilmington area, tied at No. 10 with 18 church districts. The largest settlement in the country is in Ohio’s Holmes County area, where there are 213 church districts. Of an estimated 231,000 Amish nationwide, more than 60 percent still live in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. The center reports an overall estimated Amish population growth of 6 percent between 2007 and 2008 (from 218,000 in 2007 to 231,000 in 2008). If this rate of growth remains constant, the Amish population would double in only 12 years. Primary forces driving the growth, according to the center, are sizeable traditional families (five or more children on average) and an average retention rate (Amish children who join the church as young adults) of 85 percent or more. A few outsiders occasionally join the Amish, but the bulk of the growth is from within their own community. l J U LY 2 0 0 9 • P E N N LINES 3 ENERGYmatters Beware of energy claims that seem too good to be true B y E l i z a b e t h M c G o wa n Lean times understandably motivate people to explore money-saving options. Customers wanting to lower their electric bills likely already know the sage advice about insulating their homes, investing in Energy Star appliances and unplugging devices they are not using. But what about investing in one of those “magic boxes or cylinders” that promises to slice home electricity costs by up to 50 percent? Here’s a heads up. If a product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A pocket-size, seemingly innocuous item sold online — called the RPU-190 — falls into this grouping. Engineers agree that there’s no doubt that as promised, this $200 piece of copper wire will cut a homeowner’s electricity bills in half. The catch is that installing such a device is against the law because it requires tampering with a meter and stealing power from a utility. Thomas Suggs, vice president of engineering for Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, a cooperative in Murfreesboro, Tenn., began researching the RPU-190 after a colleague forwarded him a link to the product’s website. While online, he was alarmed to find a promotional video featuring a young woman clad in shorts, a T-shirt and lineman’s gloves pulling out the meter and inserting the RPU-190 into the meter. That enables the installer to create a circuit that bypasses one of two “legs” of power flowing into a home. The video failed to warn viewers that power surging through a compromised meter can cause an electrical catastrophe. Furthermore, a short circuit could pro4 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 duce an arc flash bright enough to cause temporary blindness, hot enough to melt metal, and powerful enough to launch fragments of shrapnel-like debris. Suggs wasted no time acting. The video was removed from the website after Suggs contacted Electric Hero, the San Diego firm marketing the RPU-190. Also, numerous webmasters removed the product from their websites once Suggs alerted them about its hazards. Suggs also informed other electric cooperatives about potential problems with the product. Numerous other products fall into the deceptive and ineffective category. One to achieve significant notoriety is the Xpower Energy Saver. Forum Trading Inc. was collaborating with other companies to sell a $200 cylinder they claimed consumers could plug into the wall to trim electricity consumption by 25 percent, and extend the life of household appliances. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued a temporary restraining order against Forum Trading’s sales through a multi-level marketing plan, and the case is scheduled for trial. Engineers at the University of Texas at Austin concluded the Xpower could produce no more than a 0.06 percent reduction in electric use in an average house. Laboratory tests revealed the product is an ordinary capacitor. Capacitors are usually employed in electronic circuits to store energy or differentiate between high- and low-frequency signals. Unfortunately, it’s a “buyer beware” world with all of these devices, says Dan Greenberg, an associate director at E Source, the Boulder, Colo.-based organization that provides independent research to utilities, major energy users and others in the retail energy marketplace. “It’s so important for consumers to be skeptical,” Greenberg emphasizes. “They really should check in with their co-op before making any purchase.” Saving energy is not as simple as plugging a device into an outlet or a meter. Electric cooperatives invest millions of dollars annually into researching energy efficient and renewable energy options. Many cooperatives offer energy audits, weatherization programs, rebates and other assistance to ownermembers seeking answers about energy efficiency. Marketers have found a niche offering products they promise will deliver quick and easy energy savings. The soundest advice to follow is: buyer beware. Instead of wasting money on these products, cooperative owner-members are encouraged to work collaboratively with their local electric cooperative. l By Elizabeth McGowan, a journalist with Energetics Inc., Washington, D.C., who writes for the Cooperative Research Network®, a service of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. PENNlines Pennsylvania’s power-ful past ‘Energy Trail of History’ details story of energy in the Commonwealth by Kathy Hackleman A s s o c i a t e E d i t o r / Wr i t e r ALTHOUGH it may be difficult to comprehend in the middle of the daily minutia that makes up a life, the world is a huge interconnected web with links that only become apparent when viewed with the perspective of time. Such is the story of energy, its influence on the past, its impact on the present and its potential to change the future. That story is being told at local museums and historic sites across Pennsylvania through the “Energy: Innovation and A TIGHT SQUEEZE: Bill Arnold stands by the rescue capsule that pulled nine miners, one by one, from beneath his family’s farm in Somerset County in the Quecreek Mine rescue. The larger miners came out first as they had to be pushed into the 30-inch capsule by the remaining miners. 6 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 Impact” focus initiated by the State Museum of Pennsylvania. From power provided by harnessed horses, mules and oxen to the current focus on renewables, the 2009 museum display tells the story of energy. By highlighting the advent of energy sources like hydro, coal and nuclear power, the display shows how progress brought change to the people, the land and the businesses of the Commonwealth, and how those changes are interconnected. But it is in the small museums and visitors’ centers scattered along Pennsylvania’s “Energy Trail of History” — the listing of energy-related sites — where the impact of the changing energy landscape is most obvious. The list, developed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for this initiative, includes a mix of 50 museums, parks and historic sites. Each site along the trail adds a different chapter to the story of energy in Pennsylvania and the nation. “You can’t tell any story in Somerset County without tying it into energy,” states Charles Fox, director of the Somerset Historical Center, a 150-acre rural museum located four miles north of Somerset, where Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative is based. Fox explains that in the early days, Somerset County farmers could plow, plant or harvest an acre a day using a horse. With the advent of the industrial revolution, farmers used tractors to increase the number of acres they could farm. Fewer farmers were needed and farms grew in size. As time went on, the displaced employees left the farms and went to work at coal mines and steel mills, leading to increased production there. “Life is a pageant, and every time PEEK AT THE PAST: Visitors to the Drake Well Museum in Titusville can watch outdoor displays demonstrate how drilling for oil has changed over the past 150 years. something changes, it changes the composition of the entire society of an area,” Fox notes. “It’s a testimony to the human desire to constantly innovate and move forward. Now in the Somerset County area, we are focusing on green energy and we are seeing a whole new industry — wind power. Who knows where the future will take us.” The museum, located at 10649 Somerset Pike, focuses on the area’s agricultural roots. While interior displays chronicle the move from hand and horse power on through steam and gasoline, outdoor exhibits depict early farm life. A 1770s farmstead includes a one-room log house similar to one a pioneer would have built, while a two-story house moved from its original location near Berlin shows changes residents would have experienced during the early to mid-1800s. Plans are to add an early 1930s farmstead, which will include the story of rural electrification in Pennsylvania. The Somerset museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, check www.somersethistoricalcenter.org. Just down the road from the Somerset Historical Center is a relatively new site that reveals just how significantly energy, and the pursuit of it, can impact individual lives. Lori and Bill Arnold, owners of Dormel Farms on Haupt Road, didn’t seek the spotlight that came to them on July 23, 2002, when nine men were trapped under their farm for three and a half days before being pulled out alive in a dramatic televised scene that has come to be known as the Quecreek Mine Rescue. The Arnolds are third-generation dairy farmers, taking over the dairy several years ago from his parents, Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative members Melvin and Dorcas Arnold. They call what happened at their farm seven years ago this month a miracle. Lori Arnold repeats the story over and over again to the individuals who come alone and sit on blocks of granite praying. She repeats it to the busloads of people who tear up at the stories of the incredible number of small miracles that culminated in one huge miracle of survival. Nine for nine they call it — nine men were trapped and nine men were rescued. Thanks to the donation of time and materials by an Ohio Amish group, the Arnolds have a new building that will house the Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation’s artifacts and stories. The nonprofit foundation’s center will open for a sneak peek this year on the anniversary of the rescue, although it still will be a work in progress. Displays will include the yellow rescue capsule that brought the survivors to the surface, the Channel 11 news van that camped at the site during the dramatic days of the rescue, the air lock welded together in case it was needed, and even the cast Arnold was wearing on her foot during the rescue (it’s signed by President George W. Bush, who came to Pennsylvania to pay tribute to the miners and the rescuers). The displays are designed to honor not only the coal miners of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, but also the tireless heroism of rescue workers everywhere. Outside, visitors can see the 6-inch air shaft, dug when the idea of finding survivors was just a flickering hope, and the 30-inch rescue shaft through which the miners were lifted to safety. The Arnolds have planted nine evergreen trees in a circle, one for each miner who was trapped 240 feet below the surface of the Earth. Inside the circle are nine granite blocks, PITHOLE HISTORY: “Mayor” Fred Sliter dresses in 1800s garb to show off what remains of the ghost town of Pithole. The oil boom city once boasted 15,000 residents, but few signs of them remain. chair high. They represent the other nine miners who also went into the Quecreek Mine at about 3 p.m. on that same July day not knowing that relying on incorrect maps would nearly cost them their lives. Because they were working in a different location, they escaped the flood caused when the old, incorrectly mapped mine was breached. After they escaped, they came to the Arnolds’ farm to help in the rescue efforts. In the center of the circle, there is a single oak tree towering above the others. “It is to honor God, who was with the miners and with the rescuers during those days and nights,” Arnold says simply. Hours depend on the season. Check the foundation’s website at www.quecreekrescue.org or contact Arnold at 814/445-4876 for more information. While the Quecreek Mine Rescue site is an example of a part of Pennsylvania’s energy history that is continuing to grow, Pithole City, which is served by Youngsville-based Warren Electric J U LY 2 0 0 9 • P E N N LINES 7 PENNlines MANPOWER IN THE 1700S: Charles Fox, director of the Somerset Historical Center, demonstrates the use of a mortar and pestle, an early tool set used to crush and mix grain, at the museum’s 1770s farm. Cooperative, is its polar opposite. Pithole, located about 10 miles southeast of Titusville just off of Route 227, is a true ghost town. In its heyday back in 1865, the city boasted a population of about 15,000 people who were working in the adjacent oil fields. “At one time, at the height of the boom, there were 57 hotels,” explains Barbara Zolli, director of Titusville’s Drake Well Museum, which oversees the historical site in Pithole. “There were three-story, luxurious hotels at the high end, while at the low end, a hotel room was a bale of straw on the ground in a shack.” Today, the site is open only on summer weekends. Volunteer Fred Sliter walks the grounds dressed for his role as the 1860s “Mayor Sliter,” dispensing historical information about the former boomtown and the displays at the visitor’s center. According to the booklet, “Pithole: A Wooden Nickel Tour,” living conditions were crude for the steady wave of humanity that made its way to the area hoping to strike it rich. “A few restaurants served the masses of hungry people; some were open all night,” the booklet explains. “Fresh water was precious, but liquor was readily available. Sunday activities frequently included 8 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 a several-hour wait in line for mail delivery at the post office. Brothels flourished … It wasn’t long before Pithole had the reputation of a muddy and lawless community of unsavory characters.” Today, visitors to Pithole can view a model display of the city in its prime, and then they can walk the empty streets that are still mowed for ease of getting around. The locations of former businesses are marked with signs. “There are only three or four cellar holes still visible,” Zolli notes. “Other than that, there’s nothing left. It’s a very powerful feeling that so much could have taken place there and there is so little trace left on the landscape. It’s a very sobering experience.” The “ghosts of Pithole” come to life each year in October when the site hosts a lantern tour. Volunteers dress in period costumes and re-enact incidents that were reported in The Pithole Daily Record. On that evening, toilet paper soaked in crude oil and set on fire replicates the smell of Pithole, named for a nearby crack in the ground that emitted a smell so foul it is said that many residents back in the 1800s swore it was a portal to hell. Meanwhile, up the road at 202 Museum Lane in Titusville, the Drake Well Museum is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the drilling of a “modern” oil well by Edwin L. Drake. The oil well that launched the petroleum industry as we know it today is located on the museum grounds. “Oil has a huge impact on our daily lives,” Zolli explains, noting that oil is contained in gasoline, but also in products such as fertilizers, pesticides, the wax used in chewing gum, synthetic fabrics, rubber in tires, asphalt paving, printer’s ink, sneakers, and containers that store food. “If you had a day without oil, you HISTORY COMES ALIVE: Bill Stumpf, a retired history teacher and a volunteer at the Drake Well Museum in Titusville, demonstrates operation of the well Edwin Drake drilled in 1859 that launched the petroleum industry as we know it today. The well is located on the museum grounds. REMNANTS OF A GHOST TOWN: The oil city of Pithole, population 15,000 in the mid-1800s, is marked only by mowed strips in the field and signs that tell where landmarks once stood. A model of the city in its heyday is on display at the visitor’s center, inset. from him discovering oil to us having the kinds of toothbrushes we have.” She adds, “His toothbrush makes him seem more real.” Visiting hours at the Drake Well Museum are 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. from May through October. From November through April, the museum is LUMBER AS AN ENERGY SOURCE: The Pennsylvania Lumber closed on Mondays. InformaMuseum is dedicated to keeping the memory of Pennsylvania’s tion about the museum, as lumber industry alive. The site features buildings and equipment well as Pithole, can be found at that would have been common in a lumber camp a century ago. www.drakewell.org. About 140 miles east of probably would be sitting in a dark room Titusville, on Route 6 between Couderwearing burlap.” sport and Galeton, near Tri-County Rural In addition to the original Drake oil Electric Cooperative’s territory, another well, the Titusville museum exhibits type of energy production thrived. include early oil field machinery and hisYears ago, the forests of Pennsylvania toric buildings full of memorabilia and were dense with pine trees, hemlocks and photographs related to the oil industry. other hardwoods, and sawmills were Squeeze-and-sniff bottles provide whiffs plentiful along the banks of the Commonof oils from different parts of the world. wealth’s waterways. The Pennsylvania Yes, differences in the smell can be detect- Lumber Museum, administered by the ed. Zolli explains there are two basic Pennsylvania Historical and Museum kinds of oil: tar/asphalt and a paraffinCommission, is dedicated to keeping this based sweet crude oil. The United States era alive. has both types of oil, but in Pennsylvania, Along with a visitors’ center, the site it’s mostly sweet crude. includes buildings that would have been Most oil is found underground trapped located at the lumber camp, where dozens in layers of sandstone, the result of of men spent seven days a week from sunmarine, animal and plant life that died rise to sunset working. A 70-ton Shay, a millions of years ago, settled to the bottom gear-driven, steam-powered locomotive of what was then an ocean and with with a slow, but powerful engine designed enough time and pressure, was “cooked” to travel on light rails laid by lumbermen, into petroleum, Zolli explains. The type of is displayed in the engine house. The oil a region coughs up depends on loader shed houses log loaders, and smallwhether the cooked mix was comprised er shacks show how the men sharpened mostly of plants or animals, and what their axes and blacksmiths kept the tools types of plants and animals. in working order. The men ate in a comA crowd favorite always is the mon mess hall, slept in a bunkhouse — pyrotechnics show with its explosions typically on straw-filled mattresses — and caused by nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin was washed at the communal laundry facility. lowered into the wells and exploded, All are open for viewing. which fractured the sandstone and Down the hill, by the creek, visitors allowed oil to flow into the wells. can walk through the sawmill and see Zolli’s personal favorite, however, is where thousands of board feet of lumber Drake’s toothbrush, a gift from his widow would have been moved through and cut to the early museum collection. before being stored in the mill yard await“His toothbrush is made of steer horn ing delivery. and boar bristles,” she explains. “Our Museum hours are seasonal. For more toothbrushes today are made of plastic, information, call 814/435-2652 or visit which is made from oil, so it’s a full circle www.lumbermuseum.org. The curator and site coordinator is Deloris Buchsen. These are just a few of the Energy Trail sites scattered around Pennsylvania. For more information about the trail, contact the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg or log on to its website at www.statemuseumpa.org. l Energy Trail of History Here is a sampling of some of the sites along the trail. Visit these historic places and www.paEnergyTrail.com to discover more energy connections throughout the Commonwealth. J U LY 2 0 0 9 • P E N N LINES 9 TIMElines Yo u r N e w s m a g a z i n e T h r o u g h t h e Y e a r s 1999 TEN YEARS ago, rural health care advocates were making slow headway toward their goal of attracting doctors to practice in rural Pennsylvania. They focused on four programs. First, the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Rural Caucus invited senior medical students to a Residency Match Day each spring to educate them about how to evaluate small communities as potential sites for their future practices. In conjunction with that program, the state began forgiving student loans of medical school graduates up to $20,000 a year if the doctor agreed to work for three years in a designated health professional shortage area. A third and more successful effort to get doctors involved in a rural practice was the Foreign Medical Graduate Visa Program. This program provided an immigrant visa to foreign-born medical students who would practice in an area where there was a shortage of physicians. Finally, several medical schools in the state began to offer students a taste of rural medicine by rotating them through an underserved community as part of their training. However, according to statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, rural counties still have fewer primary care physicians than urban counties. In 2006 (the latest information available), there was one rural primary care physician for every 1,681 residents. In urban counties, there was one primary care physician for every 1,167 residents. In 2007, there were 71 general acute care hospitals, with a total of 7,945 beds, in rural Pennsylvania. In seven rural counties, there were no hospitals. On average, there are 2.32 hospital beds for every 1,000 rural residents. There are 2.83 hospital beds for every 1,000 urban residents in Pennsylvania. 1969 Sixty-six outstanding high school juniors represent Pennsylvania’s rural electric cooperatives at the sixth annual Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. 10 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 1979 More than 80 youth from rural electric cooperatives from across the Commonwealth visit Washington, D.C., as part of the annual Youth Tour. 1989 Rural electric cooperative leaders visit their representatives in Washington, D.C., to discuss how pending legislation would affect rural consumers. POWERplants by Barbara Martin Keep memories in a garden journal EVERY yard or garden deserves its own book: a journal containing notes and photos. Your “garden journal” is the perfect place to keep these kinds of records. While I would normally argue that gardening has no rules, I do recommend keeping a garden journal. We forget the details unless we write them down. Record keeping is invaluable to flower gardeners and priceless for vegetable growers. Landscaping records are an asset to the property — for example, informing future owners the age and specific variety of each tree. Don’t invest in a fancy garden journal unless that’s your style. Loose-leaf binders, pocket folders and big envelopes labeled in a way that makes sense to you all work just fine. Or you might prefer to scribble notes in a diary, or a computer whiz could update paperless files. What to keep Your journal can hold many types of information in BARBARA MARTIN , who says she began gardening as a hobby “too many years ago to count,” currently works for the National Gardening Association as a horticulturist. A former member of Gettysburg-based Adams Electric Cooperative, her articles appear in magazines and on the internet. all kinds of formats: sketches and plot plans, plant catalog pages and descriptions, magazine articles, articles printed off the internet, a personal reading list of gardening books, brochures and post cards from gardens you visit, soil test results, informational handouts from classes and workshops you attend, plant tags, nursery and garden center receipts, tool warranties. You name it and you can put it in there because it is your personal garden journal. Minimum “must have” records When it comes down to using the journal as a reference over time, the most common things to look up will be what you planted, when you planted it and where you planted it. Vegetable gardeners will appreciate records about yields and weather. Make notes and take photos For ornamental landscape or flower gardeners, keep a photographic record along with your notes. Take photos at regular intervals throughout the year. If your camera does not take wide-angle shots, you could use a disposable panoramic camera. The photos will document growth over the years and remind you which seasons or months still need fine tuning. Pictures are crucial for general planning, and when designing for fourseason appeal. Next winter, those photos will help you decide what to order from your favorite lawn and garden catalogs. Use the journal records to remind yourself exactly which yellow marigold is the perfect match to the yellow daylily growing out by the mailbox. And when it’s written down, you’ll be sure which specific lettuce tastes best. Refer to your garden journal when a gardening friend asks you how many tomatoes you plant and what kind the terrific heirloom pink ones are. Your notes and photos will help you avoid repeating your mistakes, help you duplicate your successes and help you pass along accurate information. Learning from your garden journal Good gardeners develop a sense of humility as we not only look back at how much we have learned but also remember how we learned it. It’s good to keep track of your mistakes — and your successes. It’s useful to know instantly which is your best dahlia and that a particular salvia never does well for you, or which rose and clematis pair is your favorite. It’s helpful to have a permanent record of planting bed measurements and plant spacing distances you have used (or how many plants you need on eight-inch centers to fill a particular bed), along with seasonal notes such as if a year was extra dry or extra rainy, when the first fall frost killed your annuals, and when the last spring frost usually happens for you. Ideas and inspiration and memories Garden journals are as unique as the people who keep them. At first, I loved making lists of my dream plants and then trying them out. Later on, my journal became a reference of woody plants, plus bulbs and newto-me perennials. Eventually, I developed a spring seed starting and transplanting calendar, a landscape plan, and a lifetime plant list. I’ve kept souvenir visuals from public gardens. I’ve got muddy plant tags to remind myself what went where on rushed spring planting days. There is a dog-eared book with my then-5-year-old daughter’s handwriting: “vioLa seeds” she wrote. That’s my favorite page of all. l J U LY 2 0 0 9 • P E N N LINES 11 OUTDOORadventures by Marcus Schneck My favorite places List of top fishing, hunting spots brings back memories BLACKWELL, Halifax, Milford, Ohiopyle, Port Clinton, Temple, Thompsontown and Waterville lead my list of top fishing towns in Pennsylvania. Port Clinton and Waterville also make it to the top ranks on my Pennsylvania hunting towns, along with Paupack, Pine Grove and Tower City. I live near Hamburg, where I do most of my day-to-day fishing and hunting. I travel to the waters, fields and forests near those other towns when time permits. I travel there mostly because of memories. I’ve had good experiences there and I want to have more of them, these days with my son, who is also my No. 1 fishing and hunting partner. None of “my” towns made it onto Outdoor Life magazine’s top 200 U.S. towns for hunters and anglers to live. Not even close. In Pennsylvania, only Erie, Williamsport (close to several of “my” towns) and Bradford MARCUS SCHNECK , outdoors editor at The Patriot-News (Harrisburg) and outdoor blogger at www.pennlive.com, is the author of more than two dozen outdoors books and a contributor to many state and national publications. You can reach him at [email protected] 12 PENN made it onto the magazine’s list. They came in at No. 87, 163 and 192 respectively. Marquette, Mich., at No. 3; Port Clinton, Ohio, at No. 37; and Cumberland, Maine, at No. 74, were the only easternish towns that made it even close to the top of Outdoor Life’s list, which was pretty much dominated by towns from the West. Lewiston, Idaho, moved up from No. 2 on the first-time list last year to top this year’s list, the rankings for which were based on available sporting opportunities and qualityof-life measures. “Outdoorsmen want world-class hunting and fishing, but like everyone else, they also want to have a high quality of life,” says Todd Smith, editor-in-chief of Outdoor Life. “The towns on this list offer the best of the outdoors, as well as decent homes and schools and goodpaying jobs. They are truly dream towns for sportsmen.” L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 Given those criteria, as applied by editors at the magazine, most of the top 25 towns are in the West. Wyoming has four. Colorado, Idaho and North Dakota each have three. Arkansas, Minnesota and Utah each have two. And, with one each, Alaska, Arizona, Michigan, South Dakota and Montana account for the rest of the top 25. Among the measures applied to the rankings were population, growth since 2000, median household income, median home value, cost of living index, unemployment rate, mean commuting time, and one-to-10 ratings for amenities, gun laws, fishable species, huntable species, proximity to public access and trophy potential. I can understand why none of “my” towns made it into the rankings, given those measures at a national scale. I’ve never hunted or fished in any of those towns on the national list. I’ve been to, and through, a few of them, and based on what I saw there, I’m sure they all offer incredible fishing and hunting opportunities. However, I didn’t shoot my first deer or catch my first trout in any of those top-rated towns. I didn’t watch my son bag his first pheasant or hook his first sunfish or trap his first raccoon in any of those towns. My wife many years ago didn’t try fishing for the first time to make me happy in any of those towns; it really doesn’t make a difference to my memory that she decided it just wasn’t for her. The wilds of Wyoming or northern Quebec or Maine offer an adventurous diversion every now and then, often for fish and game Pennsylvania just doesn’t hold. However, none of those big, wild places hold what Pennsylvania holds: nearly all of my deepest, most cherished outdoor memories. Sound familiar? l COUNTRYkitchen by Kitty Halke -Staley ‘Tis the season! IT’S NOT the holiday season, but one that is a favorite of many — summertime! Time for enjoying the backyard, fireflies, barbecues, sharing food and great times with family, friends, neighbors and easy, breezy outdoor entertaining. Have you thought about trading in the typical picnic fare for a great spread of appetizers and hors d’oeuvres instead? The delightful sampling we have below is a great way to give an updated twist to a warm-weather tradition. Add pitchers of ice water, lemonade, sparkling punch, bottles of chilled soda, milk — the sky is the limit! Add one (or two) of your favorite cool fresh fruit desserts and let the party begin! l KITTY HALKE-STALEY is a cooking professional and freelance writer from rural Pennsylvania. Send recipes and comments to her in care of: Penn Lines, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. CRANBERRY COCK TAIL MEATBALLS W ITH SAUCE 2 pounds ground beef 1 cup cornflake crumbs 2 eggs 1/2 cup crushed fresh par sley or comparable amount dried flak es (but fresh is best this time of year) 1/3 cup ketchup 3 tablespoons minced oni ons 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 clove garlic crushed or 1/4 teaspoon garlic pow der 1/4 teaspoon ground bla ck pepper In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cornflake cru mbs, eggs, parsley, ketchup, onions, soy sauce, garlic (or garlic powder), and black pepper. Mix well and form into sm all me role dish or baking pan. Hea atballs. Place in a lightly greased casset oven to 300 degrees and utes or until meat is no lon bake 30-40 minger pink inside. SAUCE 16-ounce can jellied or wh ole cranberry sauce 12 ounces chili sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice In a medium saucepan ove r low heat, combine cranberry sauce, chili sau ce, brown sugar, and lemon juice, stirring until smooth. Pour sauce over meatballs in a lightly gre ased casserole dish. Bake 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs. This can be transferred to a crock pot to keep warm before serving. 14 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 DIP ESE CLAM E H C M A CRE ftened cheese, so ages cream ck pa ce un -o 2, 8 inced clams 1 small can m e nais 1 cup mayon ced garlic in m 2 cloves d onions 1/3 cup mince anulated sugar gr on po 1/2 teas on juice m le on po as 1 te e (optional) uc sa refrigerated t 1 dash ho creamy. Keep ker bread. l ti un l w bo e ackers or crac ients in a larg Mix all ingred rve with your favorite cr se until ready to CRABME AT-STUF FED MU 20 medium mushroom SHROOM Italian sala caps S d dress ing 1 can drain ed and flak ed crabmea 2 tablespo t ons finely chopped onions 2 tablespo ons chopped p finely a 2 tablespo rsley on 1/2 cup ch s mayonnaise op 1/2 cup sh ped pecans redded pro volone che Parmesan ese (if desi , Romano, red) or sh etc. redded Brush mush rooms clea use as the n a n d remove ste y ms (k Italian dre can be frozen). Whe ssing. n clean, bru eep stems for futu re sh mushro om caps w In a mediu ith m mixing b o onnaise, p ecans and wl, combine crabme at, onions, cheese an using abou d fi pa t desired. Ba 1 teaspoon per mush ll mushrooms with th rsley, mayroom cap. ke for abo is mixture, ut 10-15 m hot to warm inutes in a Top with more cheese . 350-degre e oven. Se if rve SMARTcircuits by James Dulley Perks of portable air conditioners Using natural fresh air ventilation is always the most energy efficient, but outdoor allergens are a problem for many people. In many cases though, indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air. Check with your physician to make sure the allergens to which you or family members are sensitive are coming from outdoors and are not indoor-generated. If you are going to air-condition just for the clean air circulation, but not necessarily for the cooling, there are several options to consider. Heat recovery fresh air ventilation is a good option for yearround fresh air. Most systems include air cleaners to remove allergens from the fresh air before it enters the system. Another option is ducting some fresh air into the return air system. Run the system on “fan-only” with no cooling and allow a high-quality central air cleaner to remove the allergens. This is most efficient if your central air handler has an efficient variable-speed blower that can be run at a relatively low speed. Using a portable air conditioner, which is often a heat pump, would also be an effective solution for some families who have allergy-sufferers. I use a portable heat pump in my own home/office for year-round savings. In addition to cooling the room during summer, it also functions as an efficient portable heater during winter. It produces 14,000 Btu per hour (Btuh) of cooling and 11,000 Btuh of heating. This is much more heat output than a standard electric space heater using the same amount of electricity during winter. The efficiency of a portable air conditioner is similar to a window air conditioner. Although this is less efficient than the newest central air conditioners, using one can still save money. By keeping just one or two rooms comfortably cool with clean air, you can set your central thermostat higher and save electricity overall. They are typically mounted on castors so they can be easily rolled from room to room. Most operate on standard 120-volt electricity, so they can be plugged into any wall outlet near a window. A portable air conditioner/heat pump operates similarly to a typical window unit. The primary difference is it is on castors and rests on the floor. It would be difficult for most people to move it up and down stairs, but it still rolls easily. Round air ducts, similar to dryer ducts, connect the unit to a window adapter. You open a window, place the adapter in the opening and close the window against it. This moves the heat exhaust outdoors when cooling. There are two basic designs of portable units. One uses a single duct to the window adapter. This is the simplest system and works well, but it does draw some cooled or heated room air to the outdoors. I use a one-duct model, with a remote control, in my second-floor bedroom to precool it. Then I set its thermostat higher so it does not come on much overnight. The other design uses two ducts, which is more efficient. All of the air flow- ing through the condenser (which carries the heat away) is drawn from outdoors and exhausted back outdoors. This is more energy efficient, especially when operating a heat pump model in the heating mode during winter. Some two-duct heat pump models can also be set up with only one duct for quicker installation. Another feature to consider is how the condensed water is handled in the cooling mode. Some evaporative models mix it with the air exhausted outdoors so there is nothing to empty. Other models, which also work well as dehumidifiers, capture the water in a small tank that you must empty. The following companies offer portable air conditioner/heat pumps: Fedders, 609/662-5300, www.fedders.com; Soleus Air, 513/985-1211, www.soleusair.com; Sunpentown, 800/330-0388, www.sunpentown.com; Toyotomi, 203/775-1909, www.toyotomiusa.com; and Windchaser, 800/405-2943, www.windchaserproducts.com. l JAMES DULLEY is a nationally syndicated energy management expert. You can reach him at James Dulley, c/o Penn Lines, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244. J U LY 2 0 0 9 • P E N N LINES 15 PENNLINESclassified HERE’S MY AD: Yes, I want my message to go into more than 149,800 households in rural Pennsylvania. I have counted _________ words in this ad. (FOR ADS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, ADD 20 PERCENT TO TOTAL COST.) ATTACH ADDRESS LABEL HERE (OR WRITE IN COMPLETE LABEL INFORMATION) am an electric co-op member. Attached is my Penn Lines mailing label from the front of this magazine. ❏ II enclose $20 per month for 30 words or less, plus 50¢ for each additional word. The total payment enclosed is $_________________________. Please run my ad during the months of ______________________________________________________. NOT a member of an electric cooperative. I enclose $70 per month for 30 words or less, plus $1.50 ❏ Iforameach additional word. The total payment enclosed is $_____________________. Please run my ad during the months of ______________________________________________________. _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ 2 1 _______________ 3 7 8 _______________ 9 14 15 20 21 26 25 11 27 12 17 18 _______________ _______________ _______________ 22 _______________ _______________ 6 _______________ _______________ _______________ 16 _______________ _______________ 19 _______________ 5 _______________ _______________ _______________ 10 _______________ _______________ 13 _______________ 4 _______________ _______________ 23 24 _______________ _______________ _______________ 28 29 30 Additional words: _____________________________________________________ (use separate sheet if needed) NOTE: You must pay for special heading requests, even if the heading is currently appearing in Penn Lines. Only the following qualify as free headings. Please check your selection: Around the House Business Opportunities Employment Opportunities Gift and Craft Ideas Livestock and Pets Miscellaneous Motor Vehicles and Boats Nursery and Garden Real Estate Recipes and Food Tools and Equipment Vacations and Campsites Wanted to Buy. FOR SPECIAL HEADINGS NOT LISTED: Indicate special heading you would like, and add $5 for co-op members, $10 for non-members. Insertion of classified ad in Penn Lines serves as proof of publication; no proofs are furnished. SEND THIS FORM (or a sheet containing the above information) to Penn Lines Classifieds, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. FOR INFORMATION ONLY Telephone: 717/233-5704. NO classified ads will be accepted by phone. ATTN: Checks/money orders should be made payable to PREA/Penn Lines. ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ AROUND THE HOUSE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES “COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage. “RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage. Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks. Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT. MOMS – Stay at home with your children … join the MAHMA movement … “Moms At Home Making A Difference And A Lot Of Money.” You can do it! 800/403-3381. www.projectmahma.com/yournaturalchoices. OUTSIDE WOOD HEATER - $1,545. Forced air system. Rated 100K BTU. Heats up to 2,400 square feet. Houses, mobiles or shops. Low-cost shipping. Easy install. 417/581-7755 Missouri. www.heatbywood.com. Turn “SLIGHTLY USED” Furniture into cash. Display on consignment in our showroom. Also, new window treatment options available. Blinds/Shutters/Drapes. Contact Ross & Son Inc., Ashville, PA. 814/674-8803. JOSEPH MORGAN DUNMIRE INC. National Fireplace Institute Certified Wood, Gas, Pellet Fireplace Specialist. Chimney cleaning, relining, repair, masonry, painting, crowns, caps. Fully insured. Free estimates. Phone 724/726-0437. CLOCK REPAIR: If you have an antique grandfather clock, mantel clock or old pocket watch that needs restored, we can fix any timepiece. Macks Clock Repair: 814/749-6116. BUILDING SUPPLIES STEEL ROOFING AND SIDING. Discount Prices. Corrugated sheets (cut to length) 61¢ per square foot. Also seconds, heavy gauges, odd lots, etc. Located in northwestern Pennsylvania. 814/398-4052. METAL BUILDINGS — 24 x 40 x 8, $9,900 installed. 30 x 40 x 8, $11,900 installed. Includes one walk door and one garage door. All sizes available. 800/464-3333. www.factorysteelbuildings.com. FACTORY SECONDS of insulation, 4 x 8 sheets, plywood backed, foil back, blue board, fiberglass bats, reflective foil bubble wrap. 814/442-6032. 16 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 NEED EXTRA CASH? Revolutionary new triple patent-pending weight loss formula. It’s an entirely new approach to weight loss like you’ve never seen before. Just released in January 2009. www.mocks.gojiteam.com. CHURCH LIFT SYSTEMS Make your church, business or home wheelchair accessible. We offer platform lifting systems, stair lifts, porch lifts and ramps. References. Free estimates. Get Up & Go Mobility Inc. 724/348-7414 or 814/926-3622. ✉ MONTH CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE DEADLINE September 2009 . . . . . . July 16 October 2009 . . . . . . August 18 November 2009 . . . . . . Sept. 17 All ads must be received by the specified dates to be included in the corresponding month’s issue. Ads received beyond the deadline dates will automatically be included in the next available issue. Written notice of changes or cancellations must be received prior to the first of the month preceding the month of issue. For information about display rates, continuous ads, or specialized headings, contact Vonnie Kloss at 717/233-5704, the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. FENCING FREE Fence Guide/Catalog – High-tensile fence, horse fence, rotational grazing, twine, wire, electric netting – cattle, deer, garden, poultry. Kencove Farm Fence Supplies: 800/5362683. www.kencove.com. High tensile fence installation. Experienced in CREP and EQIP Programs. For estimates call Horizon Fencing 570/596-4930. FLAGPOLES AND FLAGS 20' ANODIZED ALUMINUM Sectional Pole, $150; 20' aluminum one-piece tapered flagpole, $484. Other sizes available. Easy installation. Prices include shipping. Flagpoles & Flags, 419 Lemmon Road, Markleton, PA 15551. 814/926-3709. [email protected]. GEOTHERMAL HEATING/COOLING WHO NEEDS YOUR GAS OR OIL? WE “BURN” WATER for heating & cooling. 26 years experience with GEOTHERMAL heating & cooling and CLOSED LOOP systems. J. Karp & Sons Well Drilling. Serving ONLY Wyoming, Susquehanna, Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne and Pike Counties IN PENNSYLVANIA. 800/344-0587 or www.jkarpandsons.com. CONSULTING FORESTRY SERVICES NOLL’S FORESTRY SERVICES, INC. performs Timber Marketing, Timber Appraisals, Forest Management Planning, and Forest Improvement Work. FREE Timber Land Recommendations. 30 years experience. Call 814/472-8560. CENTRE FOREST RESOURCES. Maximizing present and future timber values, Forest Management Services, Managing Timber Taxation, Timber Sales, Quality Deer Management. FREE Timber Consultation. College educated, professional, ethical. 814/867-7052. ENGINES Low Mileage Engines. We ship to business or residence. 1-year warranty. CARFAX Mileage Verification. Call 800/709-9233 Today or visit our website @ www.LowMileageEngines.com. ENTERTAINMENT 9th KETTLE CREEK Ambulance Music Festival — August 7-9 at Quiet Oaks Campground, Cross Fork, PA. Live music, homemade food, crafts, vendors, kids’ games, (Classic Cars Saturday) camping available. Visit www.kcmusicfest.com. GIFT AND CRAFT IDEAS “COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage. “RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage. Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks. Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT. HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE COUNTRY CRAFTED bentwood oak and hickory rockers. Swings, gliders, double rockers, coffee and end tables, bar stools, kitchen sets, log bedroom sets, SPECIAL queen log bed, $579. Zimmerman Enterprises 814/733-9116. HEALTH SAVE 60-90% on quality Brand name and Generic meds with our licensed pharmacy partners. 90-day supply! Hundreds available. Inhalers – Eye Drops – Pet Meds. Call 800/288-9526 for free information. PENNLINESclassified HEALTH AND NUTRITION MAPLE SYRUP RV FOR SALE Tired of all those medicines — Still not feeling better? Do you want to feel better, have more energy, better digestion, less joint stiffness, healthier heart/circulation and cholesterol levels? Find out how to empower your own immune system — start IMMUNE-26 today! It’s safe, affordable, and it works. Call 800/557-8477: ID#528390. 90-day money back on first time orders. When ordering from Web, use Option #3. www.mylegacyforlife.net/believeit. STEVEN’S PURE Maple Syrup, Liberty, Pa. Plastic from 3.4 ounces to gallons. Glass containers for gifts and collectors. Maple Sugar, Maple Cream, Maple Candy, Maple Bar-B-Que Sauce, Maple Salad Dressing, and Gift Baskets for any occasion made to order. Wholesale or retail prices. NEW Number: 570/324-2014 or email: [email protected]. 2007 Fiberglass DUTCHMAN TUNDRA sleeps six. 27 feet, A/C, gas heater and stove, fully equipped with linens, pots, pans, dishes, etc. Located near Orlando, FL. Good for winter home. Can be taken to nearest campground. New $26,000, asking $20,000. Call 570/353-2723. HEALTH INSURANCE BECOME AN ORDAINED MINISTER, Correspondence study. The harvest truly is great, the laborers are few, Luke 10:2. Free info. Ministers for Christ Outreach, 7549 West Cactus Road, #104-207, Peoria, AZ 85381. www.ordination.org. DO YOU HAVE THE BLUES regarding your Health Insurance? We cater to rural America's health insurance needs. For more information, call 800/628-7804 (PA). Call us regarding Medicare supplements, too. INFRARED SAUNAS Removes toxins, burns calories, relieves joint pain, relaxes muscles, increases flexibility, strengthens immune system. Many more HEALTH BENEFITS with infrared radiant heat saunas. Economical to operate. Barron’s Furniture, Somerset, PA. 814/443-3115. INSURANCE CAMPS, SEASONAL, FARMS, Dwellings, Businesses, and an industry-leading investment department. Davis, Gregory and Kyle Insurance and Investments. T/A DGK Insurance Inc., P. O. Box 337, Factoryville, PA 18419. 800/242-4337. LAND SURVEYORS PROFESSIONAL Land Surveyor does timber, farms, lots, subdivision surveys, soils (S.E.O.) consultant, statewide, 724/329-4994. Wetlands delineation, planning, stadium lighting layout, sewage modules, F.E.M.A. flood plan mapping for insurance. LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL – SALES – SERVICE – PARTS. Compact Loaders & Attachments, Mowers, Chainsaws, Tillers, etc. We sell BCS, Boxer, Dixon, Ferris, Hustler, Grasshopper, Shindaiwa and more. HARRINGTON’S, Taneytown, MD. 410/756-2506. www.harringtonsservicecenter.com. LIVESTOCK AND PETS GERMAN SHEPHERD puppies $900-$1,500. Young Adult $800 and Adult dogs $500 from imported blood lines. 814/967-2159. Email:[email protected] Web: www.petrusohaus.com. LLAMAS FOR SALE — Variety of colors and types of wool, including suris. Whatever your need, we have that special llama for you. Please call 814/735-4736. BLUETICK COONHOUND puppies — UKC Registered. Excellent hunters or loyal loving companions for only $250! Super friendly, have shots and de-wormed. Occasionally young started coonhounds for sale starting at $350. John Wilson 724/463-7485 Home, Pa. AUTOMATIC POULTRY DOOR. Attaches to your existing coop. Daylight sensor opens and closes the door unit when you can’t. Keeps night-time predators away from your birds. $129.95. www.poultrybutler.com. ALPACAS, pet or breeding quality. Farm visits welcome — come see these wonderful fiber animals! Black Creek Farms, Dushore, PA. Call 570/928-9307. Visit our website at www.AlpacaNation.com/blackcreek.asp. LOG CABIN RESTORATIONS VILLAGE RESTORATIONS & CONSULTING specializes in 17th and 18th century log, stone and timber structures. We dismantle, move, re-erect, restore, construct and consult all over the country. Thirty years experience, fully insured. Call 814/6961379. www.villagerestorations.com. SAWMILLS MISCELLANEOUS SAWMILL EXCHANGE — North America’s largest source of used portable sawmills and commercial equipment for woodlot owners and sawmill operations. Over 700 listings. THE place to sell equipment. 800/459-2148. www.sawmillexchange.com. SHAKLEE Offer to sell 500 plus issues of Pennsylvania GAME NEWS, approximately 50 years, good condition, a bargain at $250. Call Ray Vista 330/725-6445. MOTORCYCLE-SNOWMOBILE INSURANCE For the best INSURANCE RATES call R & R Insurance Associates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800/442-6832 (PA). MOTOR VEHICLES AND BOATS 1976 CHEVELLE 65-K, $6,995. 1978 Skylark 30-K, $6,995. 1971 Cutlass-S A/C Project, $3,995. 1994 Toyota Tacoma pick-up 60K, $4,995. Boat 1995 4-Winns 19.5 Cuddy, $6,995. 65 HP Mercury outboard, $995. 814/754-4099. NURSERY AND GARDEN HENIGIN’S SMALL ENGINE REPAIRS — Authorized Dealer: Briggs, Kohler, Shindaiwa, O.E.M. after market/blades, ignition, carburetors, gaskets, pulleys, clutches, belts, saw chain. 10% discount. Call 877/846-8868. [email protected]. FREE SAMPLE Shaklee’s Energy Tea. Combination red, green and white teas that are natural, delicious, refreshing, safe. For sample or more information on tea or other Shaklee Nutrition/Weight Loss Products: 800/403-3381 or www.tryshaklee.com/yournaturalchoices. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT SHARPENING. Carbide saw blades, scissors, knives, wood chisels and tools. Arius Eickert Certified to sharpen beauty shears. Scissor sales and service. Call 814/267-5061 or see us at www.theScissorGuy.net. BEARCAT Model 73420 Towable Chipper, 20 HP Honda electric start (GX620) engine, 4 1/2” diameter capacity, only used eight hours. $4,400. 814/886-8592 after 6 p.m. GOWELL vertical milling machine 8 X 20 inch. R8 Coletts (small Bridgeport) $1,000. With vice, lights, Nichols horizontal mill air feed, $800. Blair County 814/224-4962. 9 to 5. TRACTOR PARTS – REPAIR/RESTORATION P2000 INSULATION SYSTEM Out of 20,000 homes, Energy Star found this one to be the most energy efficient home ever tested in PA, NJ, NY & DE. Stops cold, heat, wind and moisture. Vapor barrier and sheathing all in one. Residential - Commercial – Hobby - Shops – Farms – Pole Buildings. Burkenhaus Distribution Center, Thomasville, PA. 717/801-0013. [email protected] or visit www.P2000insulation.com. REAL ESTATE RAYSTOWN LAKE — $375,000, 35 acres, build-ready, mountaintop vista, close to boat launch. Call 814/599-0790. $329,000 — Eight acres, three bedrooms, three-bath house. Two-car garage, mountain view near trout stream, back to State game land. Lots of wildlife. Blacklog Valley. 814/542-8388. SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Huntingdon County — (One & eight tenth) 1.8 acre building lot. New, working sand mound, deep well/excellent water, underground utilities, 12’ x 24’ insulated shed/elec., 24’ camper trailer, nice, clean. Road ready. Riding mower. $70,000. Home phone 610/913-7372, cell phone 610/716-7641. FARM — 150 mostly flat acres, Ridge Road, Hooversville, Somerset County. Completely remodeled three-bedroom farm house. Remodeled 19,000 square foot bank barn. Two-acre wood fenced orchard/yard. $995,000. 814/754-4099 after 8 p.m. TWO ACRES, Tioga County, level wooded, perked, eight miles to Canyon Rail Trail, four miles to public lake. $9,500. 570/368-2840. RECIPES AND FOOD “COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage. “RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage. Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks. Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT. ARTHURS TRACTORS, specializing in vintage Ford tractors, 30years experience, on-line parts catalog/prices, shipped via UPS. Contact us at 877/254-FORD (3673) or www.arthurstractors.com. TREE TRIMMING/REMOVAL TOM’S TREE SERVICE – Tree Trimming/Removal – Storm Cleanup – Stump Grinding – Land Clearing – Bucket Truck and Chipper – Fully Insured – Free Estimates – Call 24/7 – 814/4483052 – 814/627-0550 – 26 Years Experience. VACATIONS AND CAMPSITES VACATION PROPERTY — For rent ocean front condo, Myrtle Beach, SC. Excellent condition. Close to new Hard Rock Amusement Park, Family Kingdom, water park. Booking for 2009. Please call 814/425-2425. FLORIDA VILLAGES — Two bedroom, two bath, two bikes. Fully furnished. One hour from Disney World. For rent two week minimum or monthly at $1,400. Call 757/746-4964. Great entertainment. Dancing nightly. GETTYSBURG POND VIEW Bed and Breakfast 877/888-1957. Horse boarding for overnight guest. Located six miles west of Gettysburg, Pa. Weekday specials available until July 1, 2009. Spend a day at Raystown Lake! SEVEN POINTS MARINA offers daily boat rentals plus public sightseeing and dinner cruises. For more information call 814/658-3074 or www.7pointsmarina.com. WIND AND SOLAR FREE E-BOOK —Everything you need to convert your home or business to Solar or Wind power. Improve your energy efficiency. www.freeenergy111.com. WORK CLOTHES GOOD CLEAN RENTAL-type work clothes, 6 pants & 6 shirts to match, $39.95. Men’s jeans – 5 pairs, $25. Lined work jackets, $9.95. Walt's Wholesale 800/233-1853 or www.usedworkclothing.com. J U LY 2 0 0 9 • P E N N LINES 17 PUNCHlines Thoughts from Earl Pitts, UHMERIKUN! Earl loves the outdoors — except for birds, squirrels and most other critters Social commentary from Earl Pitts —— a.k.a. GARY BURBANK , a nationally syndicated radio personality —— can be heard on the following radio stations that cover electric cooperative service territories in Pennsylvania: WANB-FM 103.1 Pittsburgh; WARM-AM 590 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; WIOO-AM 1000 Carlisle; WEEO-AM 1480 Shippensburg; WMTZ-FM 96.5 Johnstown; WQBR-FM 99.9/92.7 McElhattan; WLMI-FM 103.9 Kane; and WVNW-FM 96.7 Burnham-Lewistown. 18 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 0 9 I can’t understand this recession For the life a’ me, I don’t underthing we got goin’ on. First we heard people was eatin’ Spam (or Treet). Then a couple weeks ago, we heard more people are fishin’. ‘Sposedly, cause it’s cheap. An’ now, you know what I just heard? On account a’ the economy, more people are goin’ campin’. It’s what they call a “cost-efficient vacation alternative.” So that’s how people are gettin’ through these tough times — eatin’ canned pork products, fishin’ an’ campin.’ Geez, I guess I must a’ been livin’ in a recession my whole life! Now — I do got a word a’ warnin’ for all you out there buyin’ sleepin’ bags an’ fishin’ rods. There is two types a’ folks that camp. Those that want to camp. An’ those that have to camp. People that want to camp are regular Americans, lovers a’ the great outdoors an’ nature, those who live for the smell a’ a campfire an’ the taste a’ S’Mores. An’ then there’s those that have to camp. They’re generally the relatives a’ people that want to camp. They’re lovers a’ the great outdoors, too — at least when it comes to complainin’ ’bout it. Take my wife, Pearl (please!). She doesn’t want me doin’ nothin’ without her. So she’ll set there for a week in a lawn chair whinin’ ’bout the skeeters, an’ that’s she’s cold, an’ that her feet hurt. An’ that animals live in the woods. Lemme tell you somethin’ straight up. There ain’t nuthin’ worse on God’s green earth than bein’ a want-to camper stuck in the woods for a week with a have-to camper. Unless a’ course that have-to camper is Pearl’s mother. Wake up, America! Now I don’t mind greenhorns bein’ out in my woods this summer. But ask yourself this question first. Can your wife an’ kids use a porta-john for a week? An’ like it? If not, then stay home. stand why people love birds so much. They put up birdhouses, an’ bird feeders an’ bird baths. They pretty much create an avian welfare state. My wife, Pearl, has been one a’ ’em bird nuts for a long time. Only now she’s got a little war goin’ on — with a fox squirrel. Yeah! She says some little fluffytailed rodent is in our backyard raidin’ seeds out a’ the bird feeder. An’ she wants me to squirrel-proof the darn thing. I’ll put that on my “To Don’t” list. The last time I did battle with a squirrel at her feeder it got way too personal. I put a metal band around a tree so that dang critter couldn’t climb up. I swear he retaliated by changin’ the locks on the garage door so I couldn’t get in the house. They’re a lot smarter than they look. Besides, what do birds do for us anyways? I mean, besides their fine displays a’ abstract art on our windshields. They’re pretty much bums. Fact is, the only birds doin’ anythin’ worthwhile are your bigger ones — your raptors like hawks an’ vultures. They eat mice an’ clean up road kill. I bet you’ve never seen a buzzard at your bird feeder, or cleanin’ up in your bird bath. That’s because they’ve got self-respect. If bird lovers quit puttin’ out free food, maybe we’d start seein’ a few more chickadees peckin’ at a dead raccoon. Or robins swoopin’ down out a’ the sky an’ snatchin’ a baby rabbit or two. Or a flock a’ red-winged blackbirds gang tacklin’ a groundhog for lunch. Instead, I gotta go out an’ protect the Pearl Pitts Soup Kitchen for Our Fine Feathered Friends. Wake up, America! I sure hope I’m not facin’ the same squirrel from before. That beast has got a nasty streak. I’m Earl Pitts, Uhmerikan. l RURALreflections A summer day SUMMER IS a special time highlighted by July 4th – a unique holiday that reminds us of what it means to be an American. But it’s also a time for picnics, hiking, baby animals and children playing outside. Please don’t forget to capture on film the moments that bring you joy this summer for inclusion in our “Rural Reflections” photo contest. Winners in each of our five contest categories — most artistic, best landscape, best human subject, best animal and editor’s choice — will receive a $75 prize. To be eligible for the 2009 contest prizes, send your snapshots (no digital files, please) to: Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg PA 17108-1266. On the back of each photo, include your name, address, phone number and the name of the electric cooperative that serves your home, business or seasonal residence. (The best way to include this information is by affixing an address label to the back of the photo. Please do not use ink gel or roller pens to write on the photo as they bleed onto other photos.) Remember, our publication deadlines require that we work ahead, so send seasonal photos in early. We need fall photos before mid-July and winter photos before mid-September (save your spring and summer photos to submit for the 2010 contest). Photos that are not seasonal may be submitted at any time. l Amy McCullough REA Energy Douglas S. Brant Somerset REC Greg Bechtold Tri-County REC Stephanie Giantisco Tri-County REC J U LY 2 0 0 9 • P E N N LINES 19