Electric Consumer June 2013 by American MainStreet Publications

News from your REMC

June 2013

Y o u r I n d i a n a C o o p e r at i v e c o m p a n i o n

Geared Up!

High school goalie gathers sporting goods for kids around the globe

Geothermal

Energy from the ground up Indiana’s Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives

Periodical

A Batch of Butterscotch ‘Flavor of the Month’ goes sweet

Our Grand Old Flag! Readers celebrate Flag Day with patriotic photos

That Reminds Me

ISSN 0745-4651 • USPS 262-340

Publication of Indiana’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives

Electric Consumer is for and about members of Indiana’s locally-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. It helps consumers: use electricity safely and efficiently; understand energy issues; connect with their co-op; and celebrate life in Indiana. Over 245,000 residents and businesses receive the magazine as part of their electric co-op membership.

Published monthly by Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Our address: 720 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214 Telephone:

317-487-2220 or 800‑340‑7362 Email: ec@ElectricConsumer.org Website: www.ElectricConsumer.org

Indiana Statewide Association Officers Larry Fetters President Mark Evans Vice President Ron Arnholt Secretary/Treasurer Rick Coons Chief Executive Officer

Editorial Staff Emily Schilling Editor Richard George Biever Senior Editor Holly Huffman, Mandy Kent Communications specialists/ local page coordinators

Unsolicited material: Electric Consumer does not use unsolicited freelance manuscripts or photographs and assumes no responsibility for the safe‑keeping or return of unsolicited material. We are always open to suggestions for stories about people, places and events in Indiana’s electric co-op country. Subscriptions: $12 for individuals not subscribing through participating REMCs/RECs. Change of address: Readers who receive the publication through their electric cooperative membership should report address changes to their local co‑op office. Postage: Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, Ind., and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send change of address to: Electric Consumer, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224. Include key number. Copyright 2013, Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. No portion of Electric Consumer may be reproduced without permission of the editor.

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A smaller break for summer Back when I was a kid, summer

break started in late May and school didn’t resume until right after Labor Day. Always. The full three months between school sessions were wide open to students’ pastimes of choice: things like camp, summer school, summer jobs, sports, or just playing outside. Nowadays, just because it’s early June doesn’t mean the kids are out of school. School calendars vary widely among our state’s schools with more and more schools opting to shorten summer break and add more, and longer, breaks throughout the school year. I don’t disagree with the year-round calendar concept. I do understand that a large school-free gap — especially if kids don’t read or engage in other educational pursuits in the summer — can initially slow down the learning process once school starts again. Today’s kids face accelerated academic demands: second graders are learning pre-geometry and middle school students are reading books I didn’t read until high school. Young elementary school students these days

have nightly homework during the school year — and full lists of suggested reading in the summer. Lag times in the learning process are not advantageous when kids must hit the ground running once the school year begins. But these shorter summer breaks make it more difficult to schedule quintessential experiences that kids will remember the rest of their lives — like summer camps or vacations that don’t conflict with other activities in each family members’ abbreviated eight-week schedule. Parents have to nail down family time around a limited choice of available June-August dates. Those scheduling dilemmas are not unlike those faced during the rest of the year for our society of multi-aged multi-taskers. There are pros and cons to the best way to create a school calendar, and I’m glad in my school district parents are invited to give feedback before schedules are determined. Yet, I’m nostalgic for the days when summer breaks lasted long enough to enjoy all that the season had to offer.

Emily Schilling editor, eschilling@ElectricConsumer.org

J u n e 2 0 1 3 • Ta b l e o f c o n t e n t s 4 Local Co-op news 6 Keeping Current

For the birds!

A state REMC continues building shelters for our fine feathered friends of the forests. Photo by Richard G. Biever

Volume 62 • Number 12

On The Cover

Wesley Boone, a high school soccer goalie from Montgomery County, is surrounded by the myriad of soccer balls, basketballs, footballs and other sporting gear donated to an organization he founded this spring called “Gear Going Global.” He hopes to get the gear into the hands of poor children around the world who have little or no sporting equipment.

8 Hoosier Highlights

(not in all editions)

9 Co-op Connection

Making regulations and energy work

Sen. Joe Donnelly shares his perspective on making regulations and energy development work together. 10 Energy Now

Lower the humidity

James Dulley says it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that makes us uncomfortable. Here are tips on how to beat it.

11 New Gadgets

Bringing up baby

Caring for an infant is a tough job that just got easier thanks to some nifty new items for parents and babies. 12 Energy Feature

Geothermal: Energy from the ground up Harnessing Earth’s natural heat can generate electricity and heat our homes.

14 Cover Story

Geared up!

Wesley Boone is a 17-year-old athlete from central Indiana who’s winning over international fans through his desire to spread the joy of sports with underprivileged kids around the globe.

20 Food Focus

A batch of butterscotch

Readers respond to our “flavor of the month.” 23 The Great Outdoors

Are bass tourneys harmful?

Jack Spaulding weighs in on a two-year state study. 24 Green Thumb 25 Hoosier Energy/ Wabash Valley news 26 Hoosier Happenings 27 Power kids

‘My dad is the best!’

28 Local Co-op News 30 Odds ’n’ Ends

Our grand old flag! Readers show the starspangled banner yet waves over Indiana.

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 3

news from your cooperati Why technology investments make sense

y investing in technology like automated meterering infrastructure, your electric co-op and other power providers can provide: k Greater security and protection from severe weather and technology threats. k More accurate and timely information to help you manage your power. k Increased reliability through detailed mapping of our systems to restore outages more quickly. k The ability to more accurately plan for future costs.

Investing to better serve you Indiana electric cooperative members may occasionally hear about something called “automated metering infrastructure,” or AMI, and wonder what that is. Although the term may not be familiar to you, the investments we make in technology have a big impact on how your co-op serves you. Also, decisions made in government can sometimes affect our ability to make these types of investments for our members.

What is AMI? When we talk about AMI, we mean newer, more efficient infrastrucuture to measure the energy you use and provide higher reliability than before. These investments in technology, along with those of our neighboring co-ops and power providers, are part of a nationwide push to upgrade the infrastructure we rely on to serve you. By investing in today’s advanced technology, your co-op is better able to serve your power needs. This new infrastrucutre is important for the ability to improve reliability and make restoring power quicker during outages. These upgrades in the future will be crucial to better responding to outages when they happen. New technology also benefits our members by providing you with options to monitor and manage your power use at home.

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

These efforts are part of our continued mission to find ways to keep costs low and reliability high for our members. Whether during a fierce spring storm or on the coldest day of the year, these investments allow us to build more efficiency into how we respond to your needs.

Why does this matter to you and our elected leaders? Adding these new technologies to your electric cooperative’s system requires that it make independent, long-term investments in valuable infrastructure. As co-ops across the country make these changes, some have raised questions about the safety and privacy of these advancements. You should know our first priority remains the safety and privacy of our members. AMI, like every investment we make, provides significant benefits without sacrificing this priority. In some states, elected leaders have taken steps to limit the ability of co-ops to make improvements — putting these investments at risk. These legislative efforts have generally been based on misinformation or lack of understanding about the technology’s capabilities. Indiana’s electric cooperatives are watching for this kind of threat, so we want our members to know the benefits of these investments and be ready to speak up should they be threatened in the future.

How can you help? Your electric cooperative appreciates your support as we take these steps to improve efficiency and reliability. In addition, you’re encouraged to sign up for “Our Energy, Our Future®” at www.OurEnergy.coop. This network of cooperative supporters helps us be ready to engage our elected leaders when our investments in the future are threatened. …

ive

Around-the-clock appliances can gobble energy By Magen Howard

Photo coursey of GE

n 2013, new appliances don’t just cook your food and keep it cold, wash your clothes and dishes, or offer a few hours of entertainment. These machines boast a myriad of functions that make our lives easier — but in doing so also consume more energy. While appliances have become more energy efficient as technology has evolved and federal standards tightened, few ever truly shut down anymore. And as Americans add more and more electronic devices to their households — 25 on average, according to the Consumer Electronics Association — much more energy is consumed. Take a phone charger as an example. Leaving it plugged in without a phone attached doesn’t mean it’s not drawing power — in fact, it uses 0.26 watts of electricity even when a phone isn’t connected, and 2.24 watts when the handset is charging. Of course, that 0.26 watts by itself might not be a big issue. But if most of your electronic devices are doing that, it can add up to as much as 10 percent of your bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Take a look around your house — how many cords are plugged in? Of those, how many are actually attached to a device? You might be surprised at how much electricity your family consumes, even when you don’t realize it. Cable boxes are a big culprit of 24/7 energy use. Leaving your cable box plugged in for a year and never turning it off adds, on average, $17.83 to your electric bill. Toss in a DVR function and that total jumps to $43.46, the DOE reports. And electronics aren’t the only problem. Basic “white goods” appliances like clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers are so savvy that you can set them to come on late at night, when the wholesale power your co-op must buy costs less — helping your co-op keep power affordable for you and your neighbors. Here again, the bigger you go with a new appliance, the more energy it will use. Electric bills don’t have to be held hostage by 24-houra-day energy use. For starters, use a power strip to turn several electronics on or off at once. For a bigger investment, look into “smart” power strips. They allow you to cut power to certain appliances — say, your TV — while letting power flow to your cable box because it takes time to reboot after being unplugged. If you’re in the market for a new appliance, look for an

GE’s new dishwasher with exclusive Wash Zones allows consumers to run a cycle on just the top or bottom rack so favorite items are clean and sanitized when they want them. But consumers must remember to use these energy-saving settings to see savings on their electric bill.

ENERGY STAR® model. It generally consumes less power all around and uses less standby energy. But remember that you actually have to use those energy-efficient settings on your appliances to see savings on your electric bill. For more information on energy-efficient living, contact your electric cooperative’s energy advisor. … Sources:

U.S. Department of Energy, Consumer Electronics Association

MAGEN HOWARD writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service organization for the nation’s 900-plus consumerowned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

“Take a look around your house — how many cords are plugged in? Of those, how many are actually attached to a device? You might be surprised at how much electricity your family consumes, even when you don’t realize it.” ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 5

Letters ‘Proud of our Indiana guys’ I just saw “Power to the People” online. I’m so proud of our Indiana guys! I first learned of the project in Guatemala in my REMC’s newsletter last November. I kept that issue so that I would remember to look for the documentary. I’m so glad I’ve seen it! In fact, I would like to own it on DVD. My daughter, 6, was born in Guatemala. Her birth family lives in the mountains in the extreme north of the country, probably not far from where our linemen worked. I would like her to see this (when she’s old enough to sit through it). For her, this documentary will mean so much on so many levels! To see how families live in the country of her birth; the warmth, generosity and work ethic of the people there; and the selfless giving of the men from Indiana — where we live. I am so glad that the film’s director included the part faith played in the lives and work our guys. — Shawna Miller, Charlestown, Ind.

Electric Consumer responds: We are still waiting to find out when or if DVD copies of “Power to the People” will be available to purchase. Go to ElectricConsumer.org for a link to the video on the WFYI website.

What about shingles? I eagerly opened the latest Electric Consumer to learn more about cool roofs and was disappointed to find little information on shingle roofs (the kind that the vast majority of your readers would have). Is there a good solution for those of us who have shingle roofs? — Beth Bender, WIN Energy consumer

Electric Consumer responds: As the article (“Cool roof=cool house=cool cash) noted, cool asphalt shingles are made with specially coated granules. If you have shingles and you want to keep a shingled roof, this is what you’d use. The writer said a good roofing contractor or good home improvement store can help you select the right product. He said some people sell shingle paint which is supposed to help its cooling effects. However, he noted, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association does not advise that it be used.

For the birds

Co-op installs platforms and perches at state forest South Central Indiana REMC recently led a major project to help wildlife flourish at Yellowwood State Forest in Brown County. The project, part of SCI REMC’s Raptor Enrichment Program, included the installations of a newly designed eagle nesting platform, two raptor perches, two bat nesting condos, five screech owl nesting boxes, five barred owl nesting boxes and 33 bluebird boxes. They were installed by SCI REMC with help from Hoosier Energy, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Yellowwood State Forest. “Yellowwood State Forest, a member of SCI REMC, is home to a juvenile eagle. The installation of a newly designed, covered eagle nesting platform near the water will help provide a safe place for it to nest and feed,” said Yellowwood Property Manager Jim Allen. SCI REMC, headquartered in Martinsville and serving over 27,670 consumers in parts of seven counties south and southwest of Indianapolis, redesigned its newest platform to accommodate the preference of the eagles. Earlier platforms were open to the elements. The crews discovered that eagles tend to create a more sheltered nest if possible. This project is the first SCI REMC raptor project in Brown County and SCI’s first eagle platform installed in a

highly recreational area — near a walking trail. It’s also the first platform using a 65 foot tall pole. Other eagle platforms installed by SCI REMC use 40 foot poles. The REMC launched a Raptor Enrichment Program in April 2011 to promote wildlife habitats and protect native birds of prey by building nesting platforms that keep raptors off power lines. Prior Raptor Enrichment Program installations around SCI REMC’s heavily wooded service area include perches, platforms and boxes at Bradford Woods, CYO Camp Rancho Framasa, Fairfax Beach and Burkhart Creek. SCI REMC is the first cooperative and the second utility in the nation to start an Energy for Wildlife Program certified through the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Tally-hoooooo! Electric Consumer readers responded to our “Best of Indiana” ballot from the May issue in droves! We’ve collected the ballots you’ve mailed and emailed to us and will now begin the process of tabulating your votes. Check out the August issue for the results … and for the names of the three lucky $100 prize winners.

Electric consumer • JUne 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

CO - O P IN FORM ATION • E N E RGY A DV IC E • N E WS Contact us at ec@ElectricConsumer.org

Late governor was a friend to electric co-ops When former Indiana governor and lifelong Marshall County REMC member Otis “Doc” Bowen passed away May 4, Indiana’s electric cooperatives lost a longtime supporter. Bowen, who was governor from 1973-81, secured a strong future for the state’s electric cooperatives by signing Senate Bill 76 — the Territorial Gov. Otis Bowen, Protection circa 1980 Bill — into law in March 1980. The bill protected REMCs/RECs from attempts by other utilities to take their members, territory and facilities in the event of annexation. In a 1976 article in Indiana Rural News, the forerunner to Electric Consumer, Bowen said, “My record shows that I have been a longstanding friend of REMCs. It is important that people in public life recognize that REMCs are unique. They were created to meet unique needs. They are unique because they are supervised by their own members.” Following his two terms as governor, Bowen served as chairperson of the National Governors Association, the Republican Governors Association and the Midwestern Governors Association simultaneously from 1979-80. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services by President Ronald Reagan in 1985.

Featuring Willie Wiredhand ®NRECA

Help smooth the ‘roller coaster’ of energy use The ups and downs of a roller coaster make it a thrilling amusement ride. But when it comes to tracking electricity use, a roller coaster isn’t good for your or your electric co-op. Here’s why. For most of us, a kilowatt-hour seems to cost the same no matter if we use it at 3 a.m. or at 3 p.m. But during high use times of the day, known as “peak demand,” the wholesale cost of electricity can swing way up. Your co-op, and ultimately, you — as an owner/consumer — pay this higher cost through adjustments to your bill. In summer, peak demand is weekdays from about noon to 10 p.m. That’s when air conditioners and industries, are all cranking and people are living their lives. Help your co-op keep electric rates stable and beat this peak by smoothing out the roller coaster ride. Here’s how: k Use your bigger appliances — washer, dryer, dishwasher — earlier in the day or at night. k Adjust your thermostat up in summer by 3 F. k Take hot showers earlier in the day or before bed. k Turn off unneeded lights, appliances and electronics. Use a power strip to really switch them off. k See if your co-op has “Beat the Peak” or a similar program that offers incentives to use less electricity during peak time. If so, sign up if you think shifting some of your electric use to off hours is something you and your family can do conveniently to save your co-op and you from buying power at its peak. To see more of Willie’s safety and savings tips, go to ElectricConsumer.org.

Electric co-op mascot Willie Wiredhand says the gentle sway of a carousel beats the big peaks and valleys of a roller coaster — at least as it relates to electricity use through the day.

Photo illustration by Richard G. Biever

Ohio-based electric co-op adds Electric Consumer to mailing list Continuing an enhanced focus on its Hoosier consumers, Ohio-based Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative, Inc., has begun sending Electric Consumer to some 2,980 members who live in Indiana. The cooperative — headquartered in Paulding, in Northwest Ohio — straddles the Indiana-Ohio line. Its territory includes Adams and Allen counties in Indiana. Indiana’s Paulding-Putnam Electric

Cooperative members will find news specific to their cooperative on pages 4-5 and 28-29 of Electric Consumer. Previously, those members received Country Living magazine, the publication for Ohio’s electric cooperative members. Just last year, Paulding-Putnam joined the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., which provides a unified voice and a variety of services for the state’s electric cooperatives.

Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 7

Hoosier Highlights Fair time in Indiana See page 26 for more events

Surely you jester and joust? June 14-16

Step back into the Middle Ages and Renaissance at the Enchanted Lakes Renaissance Faire & Marketplace at Steuben County Park. There will be 22 events, unique shops, hearty food, stage performers, music and full-contact jousting. 7 am-8 pm. Admission charge. 800-LAK-E101; enchantedlakesfaire.com

Strawberry days forever • June 15 Nothing says June like the fresh taste of strawberries in a bowl, topping a piece of shortcake or baked in a pie. The red morsel is the highlight of Strawberry Daze in Ligonier. Artist, crafters, antiques, children’s activity tent along with a Farmers Market, music and, of course, strawberries are part of this free event. 10 am-4 pm. 260-463-6647

4-H fairs begin later this month in several of Indiana’s counties. The rest follow in July and lead up to the big State Fair, Aug. 2-18. Here’s a complete list to plan ahead to get your fill of elephant ears, lemon shake-ups and lots of livestock. ADAMS • July 21-25 ALLEN • July 23-28 BARTHOLOMEW • July 5-13 BENTON • July 20-26 BLACKFORD • July 5-13 BOONE • July 19-25 BROWN • July 29-Aug. 3 CARROLL • July 12-20 CASS • July 7-13 CLARK • July 12-20 CLAY • July 13-20 CLINTON • July 14-20 CRAWFORD • July 13-20 DAVIESS • June 21-29 (County Fair, Elnora); July 12-19 (4-H Show, Washington) DEARBORN • June 15-20 DECATUR • July 11-18 DEKALB • July 20-24 (summer judging); Sept. 23-28 (Fall Fair) DELAWARE • July 8-18 (4-H Fair); July 14-20 (County Fair) DUBOIS • July 14-20 ELKHART • July 19-27 FAYETTE • July 27–Aug. 3 FLOYD • July 8-13 FOUNTAIN • July 12-18 FRANKLIN • July 15-20 FULTON • July 13-21 GIBSON • July 7-13 GRANT • June 16-22 GREENE • July 12-20 HAMILTON • July 18-23 HANCOCK • June 21-28 HARRISON • July 12-17 (4-H Fair); July 14-20 (County Fair) HENDRICKS • July 14-20 HENRY • July 10-20 HOWARD • July 8-14 HUNTINGTON • July 12-26 JACKSON • July 21-27 JASPER • July 13-19 JAY • July 6-12 (4-H Fair); July 8-14 (County Fair) JEFFERSON • July 8-13 JENNINGS • July 14-20 JOHNSON • July 14-20 KNOX • July 22-27 Source:

KOSCIUSKO • July 8-13 LAGRANGE • July 6-13 LAKE • Aug. 2-11 LAPORTE • July 7-13 LAWRENCE • July 6-13 MADISON • July 21-27 MARION • June 21-29 MARSHALL • July 14-20 MARTIN • July 19-23 MIAMI • June 23-29 MONROE • July 27-Aug. 3 MONTGOMERY • July 11-18 MORGAN • July 26-Aug. 3 NEWTON • July 15-20 NOBLE • July 14-20 OHIO • July 5-13 ORANGE • July 13-19 OWEN • July 7-13 PARKE • July 20-27 PERRY • July 7-13 PIKE • July 14-21 PORTER • July 18-27 POSEY • July 7-13 PULASKI • June 29-July 5 PUTNAM • July 19-26 RANDOLPH • July 20-25 RIPLEY • July 20-27 RUSH • June 22-29 ST. JOSEPH • June 28-July 6 SCOTT • July 7-13 SHELBY • July 1-6 SPENCER • June 25-30 STARKE • July 13-20 STEUBEN • July 19-25 SULLIVAN • July 13-20 SWITZERLAND • July 15-20 TIPPECANOE • July 20-27 TIPTON • July 12-17 UNION • July 20-26 VANDERBURGH • July 22-27 VERMILLION • June 21-28 VIGO • July 7-13 WABASH • July 5-13 WARREN • June 18-22 WARRICK • July 15-20 WASHINGTON • June 23-29 WAYNE • June 22-29 WELLS • July 13-18 WHITE • July 13-18 WHITLEY • July 12-18

The Indiana 4-H Youth Development

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

Paddle for a cause • June 14 The fourth annual “Paddle for Parkview”, a fundraiser for Parkview LaGrange Hospital will offer two paddle options; a leisurely seven mile paddle down the Pigeon River or a more challenging 13-mile paddle option. Gather at Trading Post Canoe Kayak & Campground in Mongo 260-463-9004; jennifer.will@parkview.com

The real ‘Hoosiers’ get museum June 8

Milan’s 1954 basketball team and their fans will be gathering in Milan for the Grand Opening of the new Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum. Located in the former State Bank of Milan, 201 W. Carr St., the museum has more space than ever to showcase the memorabilia that has been collected over the years representing the 1954 Milan team that won over the much larger Muncie Central in the state basketball championship. The stories about the team inspired Angelo Pizzo to write the movie “Hoosiers”. Activities include a special video, parade, games and ribbon cutting. The events will kick off at 10 am. Charge for some activities. 812-654-2772; www.milan54.org

Co-op Connection

Making regulations and energy work D.C. Perspective by Sen. Joe Donnelly

Last month, I gave

my first speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, discussing an opportunity agenda based on what I have heard and continue to hear from job creators across Indiana. I appreciate the opportunity to share with you two parts of that agenda: first, common sense regulations and second, increasing affordability and reliability by going all-in on American energy. Regulations should act like the umpire on the field in a baseball game. They should ensure everyone is playing by the rules and that the rules are common sense, but otherwise stay out of the game. Regulations should protect the health and safety of our families and our workers while not creating unnecessary burdens on our job creators. Further, the regulatory system should give businesses the certainty they need to plan for the future and the ability to compete with anyone in the world. That’s why I support fixing government regulations so they work for Indiana businesses and communities. Earlier this year, I hosted a series of roundtable discussions with local chambers of commerce, community leaders and business owners around

Indiana. During those discussions, notably in Fort Wayne, Indiana, many business representatives said they were dealing with too many regulations. It’s time to get rid of the bureaucratic mess and keep only what works. I have supported bills that would require economic impact studies before new regulations are put in place, and we should regularly review existing regulations to see if they are working or if they are simply overly burdening our communities’ businesses. Recently, I, along with Senators Joe Manchin (W.V.), Mary Landrieu (La.), and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), sent a letter to President Obama, urging him to consider an alternative approach to issuing a technology-neutral new source performance standard for greenhouse gases. A standard that does not differentiate between the technological needs of natural gas and coal fuels would be unprecedented. As the president’s proposal stands now, even new coal plants would not be able to meet the standard without using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology that is not yet commercially viable. As a result, new, more efficient coal plants would not be built and existing sources could not be upgraded until CCS is commercially viable. That’s because upgrades are frequently considered “new sources” by federal regulators. In our letter, we stated that an alternative approach from what the Obama Administration proposed — one that

“Regulations should act like the umpire on the field in a baseball game. They should ensure everyone is playing by the rules and that the rules are common sense, but otherwise stay out of the game.”

recognizes the differences between fuel sources — would allow new, more efficient coal plants to be built to upgrade the existing, aging coal fleet. With a technology-neutral standard in place, older coal plants would remain in use — instead of being upgraded for better efficiency or replaced by new plants. Potentially, this translates into more greenhouse gas emissions and a less reliable electricity supply. When it comes to energy, I have long believed in an all-in approach to energy production in the United States. It simply makes sense for Indiana families’ pocketbooks, businesses’ bottom lines and our nation’s security. While visiting Lawrenceburg, Indiana, I heard from a trucking company interested in transitioning its fleet to natural gas. However, the front-end costs are high and the infrastructure for natural gas is not in place yet. We need to address the ongoing issue of energy costs for Indiana businesses while pursuing opportunities to create jobs in the American energy production area. We should keep more of our hard-earned dollars here at home by investing in homegrown energy: coal, oil, natural gas, biodiesel, wind, ethanol, solar, nuclear. I am a proud supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would create jobs and has the support of both parties. That is an example of a common sense investment in domestic energy that both sides of the aisle can support. I look forward to working with you on these and other issues important to Indiana’s rural communities, energy industry, and all middle class families. It is an honor serving you in the U.S. Senate. Joe Donnelly was elected to the U.S. Senate representing Indiana in 2012.

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 9

Energy Now

Lower humidity, lower electric bill by James Dulley

Our old central air conditioner still works, but our house often seems too humid indoors. We set the thermostat lower, but it does not help a lot. How can we reduce the humidity and improve comfort?

igh indoor humidity levels can make people uncomfortable. Damp, cool indoor air creates a clammy atmosphere that often feels much worse than warmer humid air from open windows. This is particularly true for allergy sufferers because many allergens thrive in damp conditions. Excessively humid indoor air also can drive up air-conditioning costs. As you mentioned, you sometimes set the thermostat lower to compensate for the high humidity and discomfort. Each degree you lower the thermostat setting increases your electric bill. First, try to reduce the humidity you’re already producing. The kitchen and bathrooms are the greatest contributors to humidity levels. Make sure your stove’s exhaust hood is ducted outside, not into the attic — recirculating stove hoods are ineffective at controlling odor and moisture — and run the fan when cooking, especially while boiling water. Also consider using small countertop cooking appliances outdoors on a patio or deck. As in the kitchen, run the bath-

room vent fan whenever showering or bathing. Don’t turn it off as soon as you are done because there is much residual moisture in the air. Some of the new, quiet bathroom vent fans have humidity level sensors to run long enough to exhaust the moisture, but not too long to waste electricity and conditioned indoor air. If you can get the indoor humidity level low enough, it often is possible for your family to get by with a much higher thermostat setting and ceiling fans. The air movement from a fan increases evaporation and creates a “wind chill” effect for added comfort. Make sure the ceiling fan rotates to blow the air downward during summer (usually counterclockwise). Proper sizing of a central air-conditioning system is critical for low humidity and comfortably cool indoor air. An HVAC contractor generally sizes the cooling system properly for a new house. Over the years, you may have made energy efficiency improvements to your house such as more insulation and new windows or doors. With these improvements, the cooling requirements for your house may have dropped from, for example, 3.5 tons (12,000 Btuh/ ton) to 3.0 tons. A unit that’s too large for the space will operate inefficiently and could even cause mold problems because of humidity. A licensed professional should size your central air-conditioning system using a mathematical code or an autoThis is a fully ducted fresh-air matic computer program. heat-recovery ventilation system. If you plan to install a new Notice the fresh-air outlets are in high-efficiency air conditioner many of the rooms. Source: Broan-Nuton or heat pump and humidity

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

is an issue for your family, consider a two-stage or variable-output model with a variable-speed blower motor. With the matching smart thermostat, these models are designed for efficiency and humidity control. You can set both the desired temperature and humidity settings. The air conditioner will run as normal to cool the air to the desired temperature. Once that temperature is met, the blower speed slows down to provide more dehumidification and less cooling. Installing a whole-house ERV (energy recovering ventilation) system is an efficient way to exhaust stale, humid indoor air and bring in fresh outdoor air. Both heat and humidity are exchanged in the system to minimize energy loss. These systems are often controlled by a humidity sensor. If you don’t want to upgrade to a new, efficient air conditioner, a contractor may be able to change some settings to slow the blower motor on your current unit. This will dehumidify more but will likely reduce its efficiency somewhat. If the lower humidity level allows you to set the thermostat higher and still be comfortable, you should save electricity overall. There may be certain rooms in your house where the humidity level is more uncomfortable than others due to the activity level. A portable air conditioner, which can be moved from room to room and vents outdoors through a window, can provide spot cooling and dehumidification. … James Dulley is a nationally

syndicated engineering consultant based in Cincinnati. If you have a question about energy use or energy-efficient products, send it to: James Dulley, Electric Consumer, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244; or visit www.dulley.com.

New Gadgets

Bringing up baby BY BECKY BillingsleY

Caring for an infant may be the toughest job on the planet, but new parents can enjoy a little peace of mind with these clever tools to keep babies safe, healthy and entertained.

HEALTH AND SAFETY  GENTLE

PLAY TIME PUSHING BUTTONS 

Settling down on the sofa with your laptop can be frustrating when a baby wants to push buttons, so give your youngster his or her own laptop. VTech’s Baby’s Light-Up Laptop for ages 6–36 months entertains with songs, lights and sound effects while it teaches shapes, colors and more. It even has a mouse to encourage fine motor control. $20. 800-521-2010; vtechkids.com.

SCAN

 SWING

When baby has a fever, worried parents can easily perform a non-invasive temperature check with an Exergen Temporal Scanner. Simply place the thermometer on the correct spot on the child’s forehead, and get an instant, accurate reading. $32. 800-966-6546; walmart.com.

TUBby Time TEMPs

SEAT

The Fisher-Price Discover ‘n’ Grow Swing Seat is a compact portable swing with five speeds. It can also play 10 songs and has a removable toy bar. With one simple adjustment it converts to a seat that can sooth baby with calming vibrations. $80.



Designed for use from birth to age 7, the 4moms Spout Cover keeps bath time safe and fun. It slips over most faucets to digitally monitor the water temperature with a color-coded display. Bonus: The cover helps protect toddlers from bumping into the faucet. $30.

888-222-9787; toysrus.com.

888-614-6667; shop4moms.com.

FAST FOOD DISCREET PUMP



Busy moms gain discreet mobility with Medela Pump in Style kits designed for those who pump breast milk several times a day. Choose a tote bag, metro bag or backpack that includes a double electric pump, battery pack, AC adaptor, four BPA-free bottles and an insulated cooler with ice pack. Starts at $240. 877-250-5823; walgreens.com.  QUALITY

CONTROL

When warming bottles or baby food (even in the jar), parents want the process to be safe, simple and speedy, and the Kiinde Kozii warmer delivers. It uses a low-temperature flowing water bath, so there are no hot spots. It also comes with a built-in timer and can be used one-handed. $70. 401-223-2977; kiinde.com.

SLEEPY TIME VISUAL CONTACT 

Parents can keep a close watch over their napping child with the Motorola MBP33 Digital Video Baby Monitor. The infrared-capable camera delivers a clear picture even in low-light conditions, and the 2.8-inch color monitor unit has handy features like a push-button zoom and the ability to play five preprogrammed lullabies. $180. 888-222-9787; toysrus.com. Becky Billingsley is a freelance writer from Myrtle Beach, S.C. Her monthly column about new electrical gadgets also appears in South Carolina Living, the statewide electric cooperative magazine of the Palmetto state.

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 11

GeoThermal: Energy from the Ground

by Magen Howard

eothermal energy — created from Earth’s natural heat — has been used for thousands of years to cook and bathe. Modern technology has unlocked new ways to harness geothermal potential: to produce electricity using hot water and steam locked below the Earth’s surface, and to heat and cool buildings. America leads the world in geothermal power production. Nine states generate nearly 3,200 megawatts of capacity, and more than 100 new projects are developing in 14 states, according to the Geothermal Energy Association, the national trade association for geothermal development companies. For comparison, 1 MW can power 750 to 1,000 average homes. Western states boast the most geothermal energy.

How it works Typical fossil fuel-burning and nuclear power plants heat water to boiling to create steam. The steam turns a turbine, which generates electricity. Geothermal power stations cut out the middle man, piping naturally heated water (changed into steam) or naturally occurring steam into a plant to spin turbines. Three different types of geothermal generation exist; the choice depends on the state of the steam or water and its temperature. k Dry steam: The first type of geothermal power plants built, these facilities use steam from 12

a geothermal reservoir (pulled from wells) and route it directly through turbines to create electricity. k Flash steam: The most common, these plants pump water with temperatures greater than 360 degrees Fahrenheit under high pressure to generation equipment. The steam is separated from the water and used to make electricity; leftover water and condensed steam are channeled back into the reservoir. k Binary cycle: These use moderate- to low-temperature groundwater or steam. In a binary cycle

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

system, hot water is pumped from a well and passes through a heat exchanger, where it warms a secondary fluid with a lower boiling point than water. This causes the secondary fluid to flash to vapor, which in turn drives a turbine. The secondary fluid then condenses and returns to the loop system; the water gets pumped back into the well.

Other uses Geothermal energy offers an array of benefits beyond power generation. In some cases, hot water can be piped directly into systems to heat buildings,

Up Geothermal’s benefits Geothermal systems tap into the consistent temperature of the ground just below our feet to provide homes or offices with central heating and cooling with manifold benefits such as: Energy savings: Geothermal systems can deliver up to five units of energy for every one unit of electrical energy used. By combining stored earth energy with safe electric power, many geothermal owners realize savings up to 70 percent for heating, cooling, and hot water. Environmentally friendly: According to the Department of Energy, geothermal systems are the most environmentally friendly way to heat and cool your home. Geothermal systems emit no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or other greenhouse gases considered to be major contributors to environmental air pollution.

The western United States has the most potential for geothermal energy. Like that of the geysers in Yellowstone National Park, naturally occurring steam can be used to power generators that create electricity. Photo by Jupiterimages

Source: Waterfurnace.com

greenhouses, and fish farms. Some cities run hot water under roads and sidewalks during winter to melt snow and ice. The top 10 feet of earth remains a relatively constant 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Geothermal heat pumps rely on the energy of the ground to move heat into and out of a building, providing heating and cooling. Also called ground-source heat pumps, these appliances come in two types: a groundwater (open-loop) system uses well water; an earth-coupled (closed-loop) model moves a water and antifreeze solution through underground pipes to disperse heat.

While geothermal heat pumps generally operate more efficiently than their air-source cousins, they are more expensive to purchase up front. A federal tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost for materials and installation, with no limit on total project expenses, applies to geothermal heat pumps through Dec. 31, 2016. Find a full list of geothermal heat pump requirements, along with a product list, at www.energystar.gov/ taxcredits. To see if other rebates are available in your state, check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency at: www.dsireusa.org.

A geothermal heat pump might not always be the best option in every situation. Contact an energy advisor at your local electric cooperative to determine whether a geothermal heat pump is the right choice for you. … Magen Howard writes on consumer and

cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric co-ops. Scott Gates contributed. Sources for this story included: U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Geothermal Energy Association and the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association.

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 13

Geared

This year, we introduce you to a participant on the upcoming trip who — inspired by something else Indiana’s electric cooperatives had showed him earlier this spring — has already put service and leadership into action.

by Richard G. Biever

esley Boone comes across as a typical high school athlete from rural Indiana. Conscientious and quiet, he’s a goalie for the North Montgomery High School soccer team and kicks for the football team. In winter, he wrestles; in spring, he’s run track. Beyond that, he may never get his name inked in a record book, lit up on a scoreboard or printed on a bubblegum card. But Wes, who just completed his junior year, has already made a positive impact on the international world of sports. He’s become a compadre — a benefactor — to young sports fans living in poverty in distant pinpoints around the globe. That’s because he initiated a program this spring — Gear Going Global — which distributes new or gently used athletic equipment collected through donations to children in poorer regions of the world. Its first shipments of various kinds balls, plastic baseball bats and even soap bubbles were sent to an orphanage and an outreach ministry for children of migrant farmworkers on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. Other shipments have been or soon will be delivered by missionaries and medical students traveling to Guatemala, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Kenya. The young philanthropist, who’ll be among the 77 students attending the Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., later this month, was inspired to start the program after seeing poor children in Guatemala kicking rocks instead of soccer balls in the “Power to the People” PBS documentary. The film, made by crews from WFYI in Indianapolis, followed the month-long work of Indiana electric cooperative linemen as they brought electricity for the first time to three hardscrabble mountain villages late last summer. “You can tell your kids there are kids that don’t have anything or have very little,” said Amie Cox, Wesley’s mom. “‘Power to the People’ just had great examples of how children in Third World countries live.” Through a family connection with the state’s REMCs, Amie saw a preview of the documentary that aired in April and May on PBS TV stations

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

Wesley Boone, who just finished his junior year at North Montgomery High School, charts the locations where his “Gear Going Global” is being distributed on a map tacked to a wall inside his family’s garage. While watching a documentary this spring of Indiana’s electric co-op linemen in Guatemala, he noticed the children there kicking rocks and homemade soccer balls. A goalkeeper for his high school soccer team, Wes wanted to help. With his parents’ support, he formed a nonprofit organization to collect and distribute donated new and used sporting equipment to disadvantaged children in poor areas of the world.

Photo by Richard G. Biever

In years past, high school seniors participating in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., have been introduced in Electric Consumer after the June trip to share what they learned about service and leadership.

Up!

Athlete gathers sporting goods for poor children around the globe

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 15

“When I saw them playing with rocks and some other round object that they’d made themselves, I thought, ‘Jeez, that’s horrible.’ They need to have a real soccer ball.” — Wesley Boone

around the state. She received a copy to show Wes and his sister, Olivia, an eighth grader. “Wes was really struck by it,” Amie said. “These boys were kicking rocks for a soccer ball. It kind of hits you. American kids can start organized sports at age 4. It’s just something you take for granted. Here, these kids don’t even have the equipment to play with.” “When I saw them playing with rocks and some other round object that they’d made themselves, I thought, ‘Jeez, that’s horrible,’” Wes said. “They need to have a real soccer ball.” Amie, the media specialist at Crawfordsville High School, and her husband, Michael Cox, assistant principal at North Montgomery High School, saw a teaching moment. They convinced Wes if he wanted to do something about what he saw, he could. The family talked about it and decided to start the service initiative they dubbed “Gear Going Global.” “We were looking for an umbrella term that would cover everything without being too limiting but not be too broad,” said Amie. “Once he decided on it, it just seemed perfect.” “The whole alliteration facet of it flows,” added Michael Cox. “That’s what you’re hoping, anyway; that you’ll remember it because of that.” But by any name, Amie told her son, “This is your thing. We’ll guide you. But it’s not going anywhere unless you do it.” Wes’ response: “Yeah, I want to do this.”

The ball rolling Gear Going Global’s first goal was to place soccer balls right at the bare feet of the children Wes saw in the “Power to the People” documentary in the western mountains of Guatemala. 16

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

But right off the bat, the realities of a nonprofit organization and the logistics of international shipping figuratively bonked them in the back of the head. Even with family connections in the shipping business, Amie learned to send a box of the equipment they had gathered internationally would cost around $800. “Well, the gear is probably $20 in value,” she said. That was a hurdle, she said, but not the end of the road. “We’ve just got to figure out another way around that.” The family intensely hit the Internet searching for alternatives. While getting gear to those three villages in the documentary remains a goal, Gear Going Global worked on other avenues of distribution to other regions of the world. That’s when they found the orphanage on the Baja Peninsula, south of the border. It maintained a California mailing address that made that shipment affordable. By the end of March, the first shipment was made to the Vicente Guerrero orphanage. Another box of goods was sent to the Welcome Home Outreach which ministers to migrant camp families, also in Baja, Mexico. The orphanage sent an email and photos back to Wes thanking him and blessing him for the donation. “From the photos,” Wes said, “I thought to myself, ‘I just touched these and put them in the box for them, and it’s already in their hands.’ It puts a really good feeling in your stomach.” On the home front, Wes turned to social media, friends and coaches at his school to gear up the inventory for future shipments. He was

A group of boys at the Vicente Guerrero orphanage in Baja California, Mexico, south of Tijuana, holds a collection of the balls and other athletic equipment and toys Wesley Boone’s “Gear Going Global” delivered to them earlier this spring. The gear was among the first Wesley gathered from around Montgomery County and sent to children in poverty.

soon receiving donations of all kinds of balls — soccer, football, baseball, kick ball, bouncy balls — along with bats, tennis rackets, baseball gloves, even a boomerang. They also reached out to the Indiana Soccer Association. Wes tries to tailor the packages of gear to the where the gear is heading and the requests of the prospective recipients. As the “world sport,” soccer gear is most in demand. They also turned to the media to raise Gear Going Global’s profile in seeking donations. The Crawfordsville Journal Review featured Wes in an April sports section page 1 story. “Our whole purpose is getting more donations. It’s not that Wes wants to toot his own horn, or I want to toot his horn,” said Amie, “It’s just trying to get the word out so donations will start coming in.” Wes noted most everyone has old unused sports gear sitting around. “I want to get that gear into the hands of children who will use it and appreciate it,” he told his local newspaper. Equipment that is too big, too cumbersome or simply not allowed to tote on international flights is sold to used sporting goods stores. With that money and the monetary donations they’ve received, Wes will then buy other used equipment or the carry-on bags at second hand nonprofit stores like Goodwill. Small air pumps and needles are also included with each shipment so the balls can be reinflated when they are distributed to the eager hands. Meanwhile, other opportunities to send the gear global were found amid a network of family and friends. That’s when the ball, Amie noted, really got rolling. They partnered with the Timmy Global Health and the Timmy Foundation at Butler

University to have a group of students heading to another area of Guatemala in May take gear with them. Wes also partnered with GlobeMed at Indiana University for students to carry gear to Ecuador later this month. A missions team from the Westfield Friends Church, where Wes has participated in a youth group, will take a box of gear to Kenya, just about the time Wes will be arriving in Washington for Youth Tour. Amie also reconnected with a former Crawfordsville High School exchange student from Nicaragua, now an art therapist, to have a box of gear delivered to an orphanage there. “It’s all about networking,” Amie said. Gear Going Global provides bags and boxes that the deflated balls and other donated gear are stuffed into that the students flying to the countries volunteer to carry on or check. The response from the recipients has made Wes and his parents realize how relatively untapped this field they’ve entered is. Amie said they received an email back from the supervisor of mission in Kenya where a shipment of soccer balls is headed later this month. “He was just floored because he never thought to even ask for sports gear because he thought it was too trivial.” “It’s such a blessing,” Michael said the email read, “because it’s something I’ve always felt was a need, but I’ve always felt wrong in asking for it because you’d see so many other things you’d think are a need. Any gear you can bring down would be greatly appreciated because we simply don’t have anything.” “It’s such a great diversion for them,” Michael added. “That stuck with Wes when he read that.” After school, his sports practices or refereeing the youth soccer league and doing homework, Wes will spend most evenings emailing people or groups for donations or writing thank you notes for donations he’s already received.

Rolling on While many athletes often toss out the clichés about playing the games only one at time when asked about the future, Wes is already thinking long-term for his nascent nonprofit. Gear Going Global received its articles of incorporation from the state last month and has filed for official 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. Wesley sees the potential for a career path after college if this niche gets big enough to support a full-time position. ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 17

Photo by Richard G. Biever

In the garage at the family’s home, Wes organizes the donations into different large containers. The family’s home is served electrically by Tipmont REMC.

“Kids are in poverty. They may not be in the best situation. Sports gear helps distract them against all the other worse things going on in their lives. I think that’s where they find joy and happiness.”

— Wesley Boone

He plans to pursue Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management at Indiana University after high school. “Gear Going Global and this IU major complement each other,” Amie noted. “If he gets into IU, he plans to add a business, administration or philanthropy minor to it.” Wes has always been active in helping where he can. He’s volunteered as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army. He went to tornado-stricken Henryville last spring for a day of service with classmates. He’s garnered sportsmanship and attitude awards in the sports he’s participated in. He’s dealt with a number of surgeries to rebuild the cleft lip and palate he was born with, one just last month and the next (and last) coming in July. Sports and athletes these days are often criticized, especially where the big bucks of professional athletes and athletics are involved. But Wes has always played sports for the pure joy they bring. He said he wants to share that with less fortunate children. “Kids are in poverty. They may not be in the best situation,” said Wes. “Sports gear helps distract them against all the other worse things going on in their lives. I think that’s where they find joy and happiness. They can play. It can make the kids bond together.” Amie has also seen the good his project has done for him. “Wesley can be a little shy and reserved, so this has been a good way of pulling 18

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

him out his shell through email, social media and face-to-face interviews,” she said. “Michael and I are thrilled because it’s just a great learning experience for him.” Diane Willis, a former Indianapolis TV news anchor and now a free-lance journalist who went to Guatemala to cover the electric co-op project and narrated, co-wrote and co-produced “Power to the People,” said she was touched to hear its effect on Wes. “All of us on the WFYI documentary crew hoped people who saw ‘Power to the People’ would learn, feel, be moved and be inspired. But Wes took it many steps further. He was inspired to act,” she noted. “It takes an exceptional person with a big heart to reach out to children he’s never seen, who live so very simply, yet have the same desires to play and grow up as children do anywhere in the world,” Willis said. “The documentary shone a light on the big hearts and the cooperative spirit across Indiana. Wes continues that tradition,” Willis added. “I can imagine how excited and amazed the children we saw each day in those mountains will feel, knowing that he cared enough and dreamed big enough to want to reach out to them.” Wesley Boone has already made an impact on the wide world of sports — by reaching out to make the world of sports not so wide. His Gear Going Global is trying to shrink the world and the borders and boundaries that separate those who have all the equipment they’d ever need and the poor children of the world who have so little. … Richard G. Biever is senior editor of Electric Consumer. If you’d like to donate sports equipment, especially soccer balls, or cash, find Gear Going Global on Facebook, or email GearGoingGlobal@gmail.com. A link to the WFYI documentary and the Electric Consumer article on the Guatemala project are at ElectricConsumer.org.

Youth Tour to D.C. hits the highway this month Indiana’s Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., — the 64th annual trip Indiana’s electric co-ops have sponsored — heads east this month with two motor coaches of

Indiana’s best and brightest high school-seniors-to-be. Here’s a brief itinerary of this year’s trip and a list of participants scheduled to go.

Itinerary Highlights: House and Albert Einstein memorial for photographs; attend a sunset dance/cruise on the Potomac River. Monday, June 17: Attend “Youth Rally” with some 1,500 peers from other electric cooperatives around the nation; tour museums along the National Mall. Tuesday, June 18: Tour U.S. Capitol; meet with Indiana legislators; tour monuments; attend Iwo Jima Sunset Parade. Wednesday, June 19: Tour the Newseum and the Marine Corps Museum; attend an All-States Dinner/

Indiana

OHIO

Indianapolis

Pennsylvania

Flight 93 Memorial

West Virginia

Gettysburg Maryland

Washington Dance with Virginia participants from around the U.S.; depart for all-night bus ride to Indianapolis. Thursday, June 20: Arrive back in Indianapolis.

New Jersey delaware

Atlantic Ocean

Map by Richard G. Biever

Thursday, June 13: Participants arrive in Indianapolis for orientation; tour Indiana Statehouse. Friday, June 14: Participants depart Indianapolis; tour the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pa.; arrive in Gettysburg, Pa. Saturday, June 15: Tour Gettysburg National Military Park Battlefield; arrive in Washington; tour D.C. monuments and memorials under the lights. Sunday, June 16: Tour Arlington National Cemetery; visit Old Post Office; stop by White

2013 Youth Tour Participants and their sponsoring electric cooperative Bartholomew County REMC: Brooke Stafford, Samantha McAllister Boone REMC: Alexandrea Aguirre, Kristen Parks, Rachel Miller, Victoria Blackwell, Thomas Blackwell Carroll White REMC: Ashley Galbreath, Alaina Milazzo Clark County REMC: Travis McKim, Yi Zhang, Raven Cochran, Roger Howard Daviess-Martin County REMC: Nicole Harder, Caitlin Chestnut Decatur County REMC: Lauren Kinker, Ashleigh Kramer Dubois REC: Brandon Luebbehusen

Harrison REMC: Abigail Thompson, Katrina Klingsmith Hendricks Power: Cariee Ennen Jackson County REMC: Job Willman Jasper County REMC: Benjamin Davis, Madison Babicka, Simmeon Gastineau, Robert Kuhn Johnson County REMC: Kalyn Guyer Kankakee Valley REMC: Jessica Bruder, Torie Hemphill, Morgan Swanson Kosciusko REMC: Nolan Sponseller, Margaret Holderman Marshall County REMC: Kira Master, Emily Denney, Kyle Emenaker, Makayla DePoy

Miami-Cass REMC: Hannah Murphy, Wesley Willson, Silas Green, Elizabeth Greeson NineStar Connect: Brenda Kidder, Allison Frazier Noble REMC: Rachel Stohlman, Mitchell Comparet Northeastern REMC: Drake Maggard, Katelyn Linvill, Benjamin Ott, Jordan Bly Orange County REMC: Andrew Thomas Parke County REMC: Brianne Huxford RushShelby Energy: Maggie Carpenter, Morgan Kent, Brittany Koehl, LeAnn Lux

SCI REMC: Elizabeth Nethery, Anna Dunn, Mackenzie Dailey Southern Indiana Power: Hillary Hubert Steuben County REMC: Sadie Miller, Kyla Regadanz Tipmont REMC: Breanna Hampton, Kylee Randle, Garrett Emerick, Abigail Campbell, Jordan Cory, Grant Ellington, Susan Nagy, Adrianna Erdie, Kassidy Bonebrake, Wesley Boone, Alaina Hayman UDWI REMC: Ian Heffner, Conner Hill Wabash County REMC: Stephanie Rohrer Warren County REMC: Audra Brown WIN Energy: Alek Copeland, Daniel Welage

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 19

Food Focus

A batch of buttersc Butterscotch is the flavor of the month, highlighted in these reader-submitted recipes for bars, brownies and more

Cheryl Okuly’s “Double Decker Bars” and Sandy Martin’s “Butterscotch Balls”

double decker bars

butterscotch balls prepared by emily schilling; Bars prepared by Mandy Kent/Photo by Richard G. Biever

chocolate layer: 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup sugar ¾ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

butterscotch layer: 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ cups packed brown sugar ¼ t. salt ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional) 2 eggs 2 t. vanilla extract frosting: ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup butter, cubed 3 T. milk 1½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Electric consumer • JUNE 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

1/3

cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup butterscotch chips 1 T. shortening

In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour, walnuts, and salt. In another bowl, stir butter and cocoa until smooth; add to egg mixture and blend well with a wooden spoon. Pour into greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan; set aside. For butterscotch layer, cream brown sugar and butter in mixing bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt, and walnuts. Spoon over the chocolate layer. Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until bars begin to pull away from sides of pan; cool. For frosting, combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in confectioners sugar until smooth. Quickly spread over bars. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and shortening, stirring frequently. Drizzle over frosting. Yield: 3 dozen Cheryl Okuly, Andrews, Ind.

Find all our recipes online at ElectricConsumer.org and on Pinterest at Pinterest.com/ electriconsumer.

Pinch salt ½ cup butter, melted ¼ cup baking cocoa

Butterscotch balls 1 stick margarine ½ cup crunchy peanut butter 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup coconut

1½ cups powdered sugar 1 cup chopped nuts ½ block paraffin 12 oz. butterscotch chips

Over low heat, melt together margarine and peanut butter. Add graham cracker crumbs, coconut, powdered sugar, and nuts. Form into balls. Melt together paraffin and butterscotch chips. Dip balls in paraffin and butterscotch mixture and place on wax paper to set. Cook’s note: “Keep paraffin mixture warm while dipping.” sandy martin, new salisbury, Ind.

zucchini Brownies 1/3 cup margarine 1 T. water 1 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 t. vanilla 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 t. baking powder

1/8

t. baking soda ½ t. salt ¾ cup chopped, unpeeled zucchini ½ chopped nuts ½ cup butterscotch morsels

Melt margarine in water in a pan; add brown sugar. Beat well and then cool. Add egg and vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to mixture. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Pour mixture into greased 9-by-9-inch pan and sprinkle butterscotch morsels on top. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Margaret Sandage, bristow, Ind.

butterscotch cashew bars Bars: 1 cup plus 2 T. butter ¾ cup plus 2 T. packed brown sugar

2½ cups flour 1½ t. salt

topping: 1 (11-oz.) package butterscotch 3 T. butter chips 2 t. water ½ cup plus 2 T. light corn 2½ cups salted cashew halves syrup In mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture just until combined. Press into greased 10-by-15-inch pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine butterscotch chips, corn syrup, butter and water in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until chips and butter are melted. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with cashews; press down lightly. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Cool on wire rack and cut into bars.

Photo by Richard G. Biever

otch baked butterscotch apples 6 or 8 Golden Delicious apples 1 (3-oz.) box cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix ½ stick butter, sliced thin Wash apples and cut into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the apples, and core. Place in an 8-by-8-inch pan, lightly oiled, cut side up. Sprinkle the dry pudding mix evenly over the apples and add ¾ cup water. Arrange the butter slices evenly over the apples, cover with foil, and bake at 350 F for about an hour, slightly more or less depending on the ripeness of the apples. Martha Klinger, Warsaw, Ind.

butterscotch picnic cake ½ cup butter or margarine 1 cup packed brown sugar 3 eggs 1 t. vanilla 2 cups flour 1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda 1½ cups buttermilk 1 cup oats, uncooked 6 oz. butterscotch pieces, chopped ½ cup chopped nuts

Beat together butter or margarine and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla; mix well. Sift together flour, salt and soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Stir in oats. Pour into greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Combine butterscotch pieces and nuts, and sprinkle over top of batter. Bake in 350 F oven about 30 to 35 minutes. Betty Reitmeyer, loogootee, Ind.

Food Tips and tricks “After using a stick of butter you can save the paper is was in. Fold it in half and save it in your butter compartment in the fridge. When you need to grease a pan, you can pull out the paper and there will be enough butter on the paper to grease your pan. Just rub the paper all over the area you need greased.” — Melissa Dietrich, Borden, Ind. Do you have a kitchen tip or trick that saves time or money that you’d like to share with other readers? How do you save time when you’re preparing a meal or pinch a few pennies when shopping for groceries? Send them to us at ec@ElectricConsumer.org or P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224. If we pick your tip, we’ll send you a check for $5.

Angela Rouch, Peru, Ind.

ElectricConsumer.org • JUNE 2013 • Electric consumer 21

Food Focus Food Facts and Fancy Grilling out? Make it count! Using the grill instead of the oven or stove to prepare a meal will help your home stay cool on hot summer days and reduce the amount of work your AC has to do to keep up. If you fire up the grill, throw on some extra chicken or steak to save time preparing meals later in the week. Extra chicken can be shredded and made into chicken salad and packed with crackers for lunch tomorrow, or mixed with barbecue sauce and slathered on a bun for another meal. Leftover steak can be cut up and used to make fajitas the next night. And while you’ve got the grill going, add some veggies to complete your meal. Slide pieces of bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini and yellow squash onto skewers, or wrap diced veggies and potatoes in sheets of aluminum foil and cook on the grill.

Baking powder gone bad? Test baking powder for freshness. Mix a teaspoon of baking powder with ½ cup hot water. It should produce lots of bubbles; if not, throw it out!

Try a papaya If you’ve never tasted papaya, this month is the perfect time to try it; June is National Papaya Month! Eat it like you would a melon — cut lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Dice the fruit or scoop it out with a melon baller to add to a fruit salad. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice or blend with strawberries and yogurt for a summer smoothie. Papayas contain vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as folate and potassium.

Top pizzas with fresh ingredients For a quick summer dinner, top a store-bought pizza crust with fresh ingredients from your garden or local farmers’ market. Try spinach with ricotta cheese; sliced tomatoes with basil and fresh mozzarella; or try sliced red bell peppers, tomatoes and corn together. If you’ve got a few extra minutes, make an easy homemade crust by mixing together 2 cups flour, 2 t. baking powder, ½ t. salt, 2/3 cup milk, and 6 T. olive oil until the dough begins to form a ball. Knead until smooth, then press onto a greased pizza pan. Sprinkle with toppings and bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

On the Menu august

Tailgate Take-alongs

With the start of fall comes football games and tailgating. Our August recipes will help you plan the perfect pre-game party. We’re looking for recipes for the best tailgate take-alongs — whatever it is you pack for a parking lot picnic. If you have any tailgating tips or tricks or ideas for fun games to play before kick-off, share those with us too. Our address is Electric Consumer Recipes, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224, or you can email us at ec@ElectricConsumer.org. The submission deadline is June 20.

Electric consumer • JUNE 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

september

Honey

Known as nature’s sweetener, honey is commonly used to sweeten tea or toast. We want to know how else you use honey, not only as a sugar substitute, but as an ingredient in a variety of delicious dishes. Do you think honey is great for glazing or best for baking? Send us recipes that use honey by July 25. If we print one of yours, we’ll send you a check for $10.

The Great Outdoors

A flotilla of fishing boats take to Hoosier Energy REC’s Turtle Creek Reservoir at its Merom generating station for a fishing tournament earlier this year. The lake is a popular recreation area for fishing and hunting. Photo by Hoosier Energy

Are bass tournaments harmful? Two-year DNR study compares recent tourneys to those of a decade ago by Jack Spaulding

or many years, I reported on bass fishing tournaments in the Midwest for a major tournament magazine. During the bass fishing season, I’d attend 10 to 15 major tournaments and do telephone interviews with winners and organizers of another 30 or 40 more. I can’t count the times I encountered non-tournament anglers firm in their belief that bass fishing tournaments were harmful to the resource. Seeing large amounts of fish caught and brought to the weigh-in, while witnessing the increased traffic on a reservoir, convinced them that tournaments could only be a bad thing. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources again investigated the impact of organized tournaments over a two year period and compared the results to the same survey taken 10 years ago. Biologists examined the numbers and sizes of bass caught at 22 organized events in 2011 and 2012, and compared the results to 23 events monitored in 2001 through 2003. When all the numbers were crunched, Indiana’s fishery biologists found some interesting facts and surprising conclusions.

k Number one finding: Tournament

anglers who fish for largemouth bass in northern Indiana natural lakes have had no long-term negative effects on bass populations. k Number two: Bass fishing has improved. Over the 10-year period, average catch rates of bass tournament anglers have increased from one bass per 6.7 hours of fishing to one bass per 4.3 hours. The average number of bass brought to tournament weigh-ins has increased from 1.2 per angler to 1.7. “Bass fishing is as good as ever,” said Jed Pearson, the DNR lead fishery biologist who compiled the results of the tournament study. “We don’t see any evidence to indicate bass tournaments hurt bass fishing.” Since the 1970s, bass tournaments have played an important role in generating interest and excitement in bass fishing. Bass are now sought by more anglers nationwide than any other species, and bass are among the top three favorite fish in Indiana. They also bring in extra dollars to the local economy of the host sites, most of which are in rural areas that count on the added stimulation. Bass tournaments, however, are not without controversy. Some non-tournament anglers

claim tournaments reduce bass abundance. They believe tournaments increase bass mortality, despite the standard practice of tournament anglers to carefully handle and release their catch. Compared to other states, Indiana imposes few restrictions on organized bass tournaments. However, in response to complaints, the DNR monitors tournament activity and catches. “The size of bass brought to tournament weigh-ins also has stayed the same since 2001,” Pearson said. “About half of all bass caught by tournament anglers are 14 to 15 inches long. Bass 18 inches or larger typically make up only 5 percent of the catch.” In monitoring the tournaments, DNR officials recorded fewer than 5 percent of bass brought to weigh-ins showed any sign of stress. “Tournament anglers have done a good job of making sure they don’t hurt bass fishing,” Pearson said. … Jack Spaulding is a state

outdoors writer and a consumer of RushShelby Energy living along the Flatrock River in Moscow. Readers with questions or comments can write to him in care of Electric Consumer, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224; or email jackspaulding@hughes.net.

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 23

Green Thumb

Frost came a bit late, but little harm done By B. Rosie Lerner

uch of northern and central Indiana — and even patchy, low-lying areas of southern Indiana — experienced frost early last month, causing concern among backyard gardeners. On the morning of May 13, the recorded low air temperatures at Purdue Agricultural Centers were 33 degrees F at the northwest Indiana center; 36 degrees at Average Last Day the northeast, north central, of Last Spring Frost and south central centers; (36 F or lower) 38 degrees at the southeast center; and 42 degrees at the southwest center. Low spots could have been several April 11-16 degrees cooler as frost settled April 17-21 in those pockets. April 22-26 While this frost was a bit April 27-May 1 later than average for most May 2-6 areas, it is not as late as you May 7-11 might think. Statically, the May 12-16 last spring frost, defined as 36 degrees F, occurs from May 2-11 for much of the northern half of the state. You can see the more detailed spring frost maps for dates specific to your area on the Indiana graphic. It seems particularly late though, following last year’s season, which was about six weeks earlier than normal. This year has been roughly one to two weeks later than normal in bloom time for most landscape plants and fruit trees. Many gardeners were concerned with newly planted flowers and vegetables. Cool-season plants such as broccoli, cabbage, peas, potatoes and pansies should be just fine. Frost-tender vegetables and bedding flowers such as tomatoes, peppers, petunias and marigolds might have been nipped back, but should recover. Many fruit plants were in flower or had early fruit set, but the light frost in most area’s temperatures remained above the critical-injury level for these plants. Most crops had a really high flower count this year, and a little bit of frost injury might actually helped thin the fruit set a bit. Temperatures would have had to drop to 30 degrees F for grapes and to 28 degrees for most other fruit crops, and most areas stayed well above these critical temperatures. Most landscape plants should have come through just fine from this late light frost. We had a much harder freeze in May 2010, which caused considerable damage. The Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab has an excellent illustrated article documenting the 2010 damage at www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/hot10/5-14.html. …

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

Ask Rosie Mayapple will bring doctor right away I have quite a few of these plants coming up in the wooded area behind my house. They seem to grow around trees, and there are large clusters of them. The clusters seem larger than I remember last year. What are these, and are they poisonous and/or invasive? Should I try to control them? This is the mayapple, aka mandrake, known botanically as Podophyllum peltatum. Mayapple is a lovely native woodland plant no need to control. They do spread by rhizomes (underground stems) to form colonies. But their growing season is pretty short. Foliage (shown) comes up in mid spring. A single, white pendulous flower appears, usually in May, followed by a yellowish-green, fleshy ovoid berry (1-2 inches) that could resemble a small apple. The foliage dies back soon after. All parts of the mayapple plant are toxic, except for the ripe flesh of the fruit, but the seeds contained in the flesh are also toxic, as is unripe fruit. You will find this plant listed in folk medicine publications; there is research showing potential for treating cancer, but this seems limited by possible toxicity. Consuming mayapple can be quite dangerous, even fatal. Best to enjoy this plant with your eyes. Additional information on this plant is available at www.ppdl. purdue.edu/ppdl/weeklypics/5-12-08.html and extension.psu.edu/plants/gardening/ maescapes/articles/the-mayapple-aspring-treasure. B. Rosie Lerner is the Purdue

Extension consumer horticulturist and a consumer of Tipmont REMC. Questions about gardening issues may be sent to: “Ask Rosie,” Electric Consumer, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224, or ec@ElectricConsumer.org.

Wabash Valley Power News

With movie theaters and electricity, time matters

et’s set the scene, shall we? It’s a hot summer day in the late afternoon and you’re sitting in your recliner with the air conditioning on full blast and a glass of cold lemonade next to you. The television turns from the news to a commercial for the latest comedy out in theaters. You turn to your husband or wife and say, “Let’s go see that movie tonight!” You turn to today’s newspaper and look up movie times and call the movie theater to find out the price of a ticket. What you find out is you’ll save a few bucks on the movie if you wait and go during the afternoon tomorrow instead of seeing the show tonight. That’s because movie theater tickets are priced similarly to electric prices — the price of tickets depends on when you go. Time matters. The price of electricity is similar. If you use electricity when everyone else is, like on a hot afternoon, it costs more. However, most of you won’t PAY more (right then) for that electricity because most residential electric co-op members pay a fixed rate per kilowatt-hour for the electricity they use. But if we, Wabash Valley Power — your co-op’s generation and transmission co-op, would have to buy more power on the market because demand necessitates, that cost will be a lot higher because demand is a lot higher. And, in the long run, that costs all co-op members more money because we all share in those expenses. But, there is something you can do to help reduce energy costs! Many electric co-ops offer programs locally that help shift the demand of electricity when necessary. A switch can be installed on an air conditioner, electric water heater, pool pump and/or field irrigator that may be activated when demand is up — typically in the afternoons. The switch is never activated on weekends or holidays. If needed, a signal is transmitted from the local, electric coop’s office and will cycle off the air conditioner, electric water heater, pool pump and/or field irrigator. What’s in it for you? Well, besides helping your electric co-op keep costs as low as possible, some participating co-ops offer monthly incentives for allowing them to install a switch on your equipment at home as well as offering other rebates and incentives through the POWER MOVES program. Call your local electric co-op today to ask how you can help participate in lowering the demand for energy this summer. There are also other ways you can help to reduce the demand for energy during peak times, like on hot summer afternoons. You can help conserve by turning off lights, adjusting your thermostat up three degrees, closing your blinds and curtains to keep the sunshine from making your

house warmer, and running your ceiling or table fans to help keep you cool. You can also delay the use of hot water, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes dryers and other appliances to help shift energy use to off-peak times. And since a movie is cheaper in the afternoon, and you don’t have to do laundry, take a trip to the local theater and treat yourself to a matinee! …

The price of electricity is similar to the price a movie theater ticket. If you use electricity when everyone else is, like on a hot afternoon, it costs more. 2013 POWER MOVES Energy Efficiency Programs Air-source heat pump Geothermal heat pump Dual fuel heat pump Heat pump water heater Refrigerator/freezer recycling Commercial lighting Commercial HVAC Agriculture lighting and HVAC School lighting and HVAC Commercial custom program — tell us what your project is Commercial new construction k k k k k k k k k k k

ElectricConsumer.org • june 2013 • Electric consumer 25

Hoosier Happenings N o rt h June 6-8 • Round Barn

Festival, Rochester (Fulton) — Courthouse Square. Free. 574224-2666; contactrochester.org. June 7-8 • Water Tower Days, Remington (Jasper) — Downtown. Free. 219-819-2843. June 8 • Buffalo Daze, Buffalo (White) — Buffalo Fire Department, other locations. Free. 574-2787799; enjoywhitecounty.com. June 8 • Community Day, Chalmers (White) — Chalmers Square. Free. 574-583-4879; enjoywhitecounty.com. June 8 • Indiana’s Giant BirdAnimal Swap Meet & Flea Market, Ligonier (Noble) — Wolf’s Swap Grounds, 6397 W. Albion Road. 6am-1pm. 260-635-2356. June 8 • Kids Fly Free, Fort Wayne (Allen) — Smith Field Airport. Registration: 9-11am; flights: 9am1pm. 260-693-6191; www.eaa2.org. June 8 • Jazz and Blues Festival, Logansport (Cass) — Downtown, Little Turtle Waterway Plaza. 3pm-midnight. Admission charge. 574-735-ARTS; floryfest.org. June 8-9 • Northern Indiana Lakes Festival, Warsaw (Kosciusko) — Center Lake and Winona Lake. Free. 574-372-5100, ext. 6446; lakesfestival.org. June 12 • “Fishing Fun” Preschool program, Andrews (Huntington) — Salamonie Reservoir. 10-11:30am. Admission charge. 260-468-2127. JUNE 13-15 • Silver Lake Days Festival, Silver Lake (Kosciusko) — Various locations. Hours vary. Free. 574-267-5858; www.townofsilverlake.com. June 14 • Paddle for Parkview, Mongo (LaGrange) — Trading Post Canoe Kayak & Campground. 260-463-9004. June 14-15 • Ashland Days Festival, LaFontaine (Wabash) — Branson Street and Wabash Avenue. Fri: 5-9pm; Sat: 8am9pm. Free. 765-981-4054. June 14-15 • Pioneer Days, Logansport (Cass) — Rea Park. Free. 574-753-4856; visit-casscounty.com/. June 14-16 • Historical Power Show, Rochester (Fulton) — Fulton County Historical Society grounds. Admission charge. 574-2234436; fultoncountyhistory.org. June 14-16 • Mint Festival, North Judson (Starke) — Lane Street and North Judson Park. Free. 574-896-3340. June 14-16 • Renaissance Faire & Marketplace, Angola (Steuben) — Steuben County Park. Admission charge. 800-LAK-E101; enchantedlakesfaire.com. June 15 • Bourbon Children’s reSale, Bourbon (Marshall) — Old Elementary School gym. 8am-1pm. Free. www.bourbonresale.webs.com.

June 15 • Calf Days Celebration, Wolcottville (LaGrange) — Cook’s Bison Ranch. 10am-4pm. Free. 260-8543297; CooksBisonRanch.com. June 15 • Old Mill Festival & Hotcakes for Huntington’s, Howe (LaGrange) — Greenfield Mills, 10505 E. 750 N. Breakfast: 8-11am; mill tours: 8am-2pm. Admission charge. www.newrinkelflour.com June 15 • Strawberry Daze, Ligonier (Noble) — Downtown, Ligonier Pettit Park. 10am4pm. Free. 260-463-6647. June 16 • Dad’s Day Celebration, Bunker Hill (Miami) — Grissom Air Museum. Free admission for dads. 9am-5pm. 574398-1451; grissomairmuseum.com. June 19-23 • Heritage Days, Huntington (Huntington) — Downtown. Free. 260-356-5300; huntingtoncountychamber.com. June 20-22 • Good Ole Days, Lagro (Wabash) — Downtown. Free. 260-571-1693. June 22 • GUS Pancake Breakfast Fly-In & Air Museum Tour, Bunker Hill (Miami) — Grissom Air Museum & Grissom Aeroplex. Breakfast: 8-11am; cook out lunch: 11am-2pm. Admission charge. 574-3981451; grissomairmuseum.com. June 22 • Youth Target Shoot, Peru (Miami) — Mississinewa Reservoir. Free program; gate fees apply. 260-468-2127. June 23 • Heartland Summer fest, Valparaiso (Lake) — Heartland Christian Center, 170 S. SR 49. Hours vary. 219-462-4500; www.hcc3d.com. JUNE 24-28 • ARTCAMP, Rensselaer (Jasper) — Carnegie Center, 301 N. Van Rensselaer St., and other county locations. 219-866-5278. June 25-30 • Charley Creek Arts Fest, Wabash (Wabash) — Citywide. Admission charge. 260563-6356; charleycreekartsfest.org. June 26-29 • Quilt Festival, Shipshewana (LaGrange) — Town Center. Admission charge. 866-2439434; shipshewanaquiltfest.com. June 28 • Lake Max Challenge SUP Race & Food Festival, Culver (Marshall) — Beach Lodge at Culver Town Park. 10am5pm. Free. 574-889-0022; LakeMaxChallenge.com. June 29 • Folk Art Gathering, LaPaz (Marshall) — The Briar Patch. Free. June 29 • Taste of Rensselaer, Rensselaer (Jasper) — Carnegie Center. 4-10:30pm. 219-866-5278.

Central June 7-8 • RibFest,

Kokomo (Howard) — Various locations. Fri: 5-10pm; Sat: 2-11pm. 765-457-9318; www. KokomoSummerSeries.com.

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

EVENTS June 6-July 2

June 8 • Tour de Cure, Indianapolis (Marion) — Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Cycling event on the 500 oval to help stop diabetes. 7:30am. Fundraising requirement. www.diabetes.org/indytour. June 8-9 • Pottery Festival, Clay City (Clay) — Goshorn Park. Free. 812-939-2910; claycitypottery.com. June 8-9 • Gathering of Great Lakes Nations, Portland (Jay) — Tri-State Antique Gas Engine Association grounds. Hours vary. Admission charge. 765-426-3022; ncglnac.org. June 14-16 • Strawberry Festival, Crawfordsville (Montgomery) — Lane Place. Free. 765-376-2614; thestrawberryfestival.com. June 15 • Indiana Gourd Society Spring Festival, Lafayette (Tippecanoe) — Fairgrounds. Free. 765-674-8088; indianagourdsociety.org. June 15 • TASTE of Tippecanoe, Lafayette (Tippecanoe) — Downtown Riverfront. Admission charge. 765423-2787; tasteoftippecanoe.org. June 21 • SOUTHERN GOSPEL CONCERT, Lafayette (Tippecanoe) — Heartland Community Church, 3900 E 300 N. 7pm. Admission charge. 765-426-0101. June 21-22 • Mulberry Fest, Mulberry (Clinton) — Downtown. Free. 765-2422205; mulberryfest.net. June 22-23 • Indian Market and Festival, Indianapolis (Marion) — Military Park. Admission charge. 317-636-9378; eiteljorg.org. June 27 • Music Down Under: Deep & Simple, Frankfort (Clinton) — Frankfort Public Library. 6:308pm. Donation. 765-654-8746. June 28-30 • Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering, Battle Ground (Tippecanoe) — Tippecanoe Battlefield. Admission charge. 765-742-1419; indianafiddlersgathering.org. June 29 • Shades Chautauqua, Waveland (Montgomery) — Shades State Park.Park gate admission fee only. 765-597-2654.

South June 5-8 • Red Skelton

Festival, Vincennes (Knox) — Downtown. Free. 800-8866443; vincennescvb.org.

June 7-8 • Country Neighbors Tour, Bedford (Lawrence) — Various family-owned shops throughout county. 10am-6pm. Free. 800-798-0769; maps available online: www.picturetrail. com/countryneighbors. June 7-9 • Chautuaqua Festival, Merom (Sullivan). 815-674-1302; meromindiana.org June 8 • Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum Grand Opening, Milan (Ripley) — Former State Bank of Milan, 201 W. Carr St. 10am. Admission charge for some events. 812-654-2772; www.milan54.org. June 8-9 • Art on the Parish Green, New Albany (Floyd) — 1015 E. Main St. Sat: 10am-6pm; Sun: noon-5pm. Free. 812-246-9789; www.artontheparishgreen.org. June 8-9 • Golden Raintree Antiques Show, New Harmony (Posey) — Downtown Main Street and the Ribeyre Gym. Sat: 9am-5pm; Sun: 9am3pm. Free. 812-682-3352. June 8-9 • Miracle Trail Ride and Race, Springville (Lawrence) — Lawrence County Recreational Park. 7am-8pm. Admission charge. 800-2322283; www.miracletrailride.net. June 8-15 • Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, Bean Blossom (Brown) — Bill Monroe’s Music Park. 10am-11pm. Admission charge. 800-414-4677; http://www.beanblossom.us/. June 8-16 • Spring National Shoot, Friendship (Ripley) — Grounds of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. Admission charge. 800-745-1493; nmlra.org. June 12-15 • Spencer County Fair, Grandview (Spencer) — New fairgrounds northwest of Grandview. Admission charge. 812-649-4222; spencercountyfairindiana.com. June 14-15 • Old Settler Days, Lexington (Scott) — Lexington Park. Noon-11pm. Free. 812-595-0833; 812-889-2380. June 15 • BBQ Cook-Off, Hope (Bartholomew) — Downtown Square. Free. 812-546-4499; communitycenterofhope.org. June 15-16 • Fiber Arts Weekend, Mitchell (Lawrence) — Pioneer Village, Spring Mill State Park. 10am-3pm. Gate fee charge. 812-849-3534: www. in.gov/dnr/parklake/2968.htm. June 20-22 • Sommerfest, Haubstadt (Gibson) — Old Haubstadt Gym Grounds. Free. 812-768-6637; www. haubstadtsommerfest.com.

Rock club show moved to August Lawrence County Rock Club’s 48th annual Gem-Mineral-Fossil Show, originally scheduled for June 21-23 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds and listed in the 2013 Indiana Festival Guide, will now be held Aug. 9-11 at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds. For more information, call 812-295-3463; or visit lawrencecountyrockclub.org. June 22 • Riverfest, Derby

(Perry) — Mulzer Park. Hours vary. Fee for some activities. 812-7384251, ext. 2119; mholland@hchin.org. June 22 • Juneteenth Celebration, Lyles Station (Gibson) — Lyles Station School. Free. 812-385-2534; www.lylesstation.org. June 22 • Public Art Walk, New Albany (Floyd) — Various locations. 6-9 pm (rain date June 29). 812-944-7336; carnegiecenter.org June 26-29 • Gateway Park Bluegrass Festival, Metamora (Franklin) — 19067 SR 52. 513-607-1874; www.fotmc.com. June 28-29 • Summerfest, Corydon (Harrison) — Fairgrounds. Free. Fri: 5pm-midnight; Sat: 11am-midnight. 888-738-2137; harrisoncountysummerfest.com. June 28-30 • Antique Machinery Show, Princeton (Gibson) — County Fairgrounds. Free. 812-664-0306; www. gibsoncountytractor.com. June 28-July 4 • Limestone Heritage Festival, Bedford (Lawrence) — Courthouse Square, Parkview Field. Free. 812-278-4343. June 29 • Abraham Lincoln Freedom Festival, Rockport (Spencer) — Rockport City Park. Free. 812-649-9147. June 29 • Street Fest, Celestine (Dubois) — Downtown. 8am-midnight. 812-482-5781. June 29 • Car Show, Linton (Greene) — Humphrey’s Park. Registration: 9am-1pm; awards: 3pm. Free for spectators. 812-3846697; www.classiccruisers.org. July 1-6 • Freedom Festival, Linton (Greene) — Humphrey’s Park. Free. 812-847-4846; lintonfreedomfestival.org.

A complete list of events statewide is at ElectricConsumer.org. Electric Consumer publishes event listings as space allows, giving preference to those in and around areas served by subscribing REMCs/RECs. Electric Consumer advises using contact phone numbers or Internet sites to check times and dates of events before making plans. To add events, please send information two months before the date of the event to: Hoosier Happenings, Electric Consumer, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224; or email: Happenings@ElectricConsumer.org.

My dad is the best! To celebrate Father’s Day, we asked you to tell us why your dad is the best. Here are four submissions we picked as winners of gift certificates for movie tickets. We hope these dads enjoy a fun outing with their children.

“My dad is the best because he helps me when I need it, and I like him doing things with just me alone. I don’t really care how big he is or how smart he is. I don’t really care what he does to earn money. I just care about how much he loves me and that’s a lot!” Marissa Howett, 7 Warsaw, Ind.

“My dad is the best because he plays games with me. And sometimes he lets me win. He is the best because he loves me no matter what. I think he is the best dad ever because he takes us swimming and camping and rides his bike with us and lets us run with him, even if we run slower than him. He is funny and makes Mommy and me laugh. I love my dad. He is the very best!!”

“This is why I think my daddy is the best ... he works A LOT but he always makes time to play with me and wrestle. He loves watching Scooby Doo with me and always buys my favorite juice. When it’s just me and daddy he even lets me help drive the truck! He tucks me in every night and calls me his ‘cool dude.’ I love him so much.” Charlie Karge, 2 (as relayed to a family member) Wheatfield, Ind.

Morgan Howett, 8 Warsaw, Ind.

“I think my dad is the best because he loves outdoors. One of his favorite things to do is go fishing with me. I remember one moment he took a lot of pictures of me and him together and when I asked why he said, ‘to remember the greatest moments of my life.’ We have a lot of fun together fishing, playing golf, and camping. He was a scout when he was young and he decided to get me into it. Scouting is fun because you get to go different places and meet new people. I never would have enjoyed scouting as much as I do without my dad.” Kyler Anderson, 12 Floyds Knobs, Ind.

ElectricConsumer.org • June 2013 • Electric consumer 27

REMC Life

Don’t overload your home’s outlets! James and Patty just moved into their new home. While it’s new to them, it’s an older home with a limited supply of electrical outlets. James wants to plug several electronics into an outlet in the house’s living room. He figures, “What’s the big deal? I’ll just plug everything in through one outlet. It’ll be fine.” The problem is, James may be overloading that outlet and setting the stage for an electrical fire. The electrical system of many older homes is not properly equipped to respond to today’s increased power demands. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more than half of all homes in the U.S. are at least 30 years old. The wiring in many of these older homes was designed to handle around half of the electrical demands of today’s families with the ever-increasing use of gadgets, gizmos and appliances demanding power. According to the NFPA and the Electrical Safety Foundation International, electrical fires are one of the leading causes of structure fire annually. Officials with the NFPA said in 2010, electrical fires accounted for nearly 13 percent of reported home fires. Those fires resulted in 420 fatalities, 1,520 injuries and $1.5 billion in property damage. So, how can James, and you, prevent the dangers that can occur by overloading an outlet? Here are some tips: k Never plug more than two appliances into an outlet at once or “piggyback” extra appliances on extension cords or wall outlets. Use only outlets designed to handle multiple plugs. k Know the amount of power you’re placing on an outlet or circuit. Some recommend each outlet or circuit should not exceed 1,500 watts. k Major appliances (refrigerators, dryers, washers, stoves, air conditioners, etc.) should be plugged

directly into their own wall outlet since they are heavy power users. k If you find you are overloading an outlet or circuit in your home, you may need to contact a professional to help resolve the problem. You’ll also want to watch for these warning signs of electrical system overload. If you have any of these present, you should have your home inspected by a professional: k Lights often flicker, blink or dim momentarily k Circuit breakers trip or fuses blow often k Cords or wall plates are warm to the touch or discolored k Crackling, sizzling or buzzing is heard from outlets If an electrical fire does occur, take these steps: k Call 911 or another appropriate emergency service. k If you must attempt to put out an electrical fire, use a dry fire exting- uisher or baking soda. Never try to extinguish an electrical fire with water! k If the fire is large, try to turn off the main power source. Do not try to handle the fire yourself. Don’t make the same mistake James made. Never overload your home’s electrical outlets or circuits. It could prevent a fire and save lives! … Sources: National Fire Protection Association, Electrical Safety Foundation International, Safe Electricity, National Ag Safety Database

Electric consumer • june 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

Climbing costs of Consumer goods P

opular demand and short supply drives the cost of everyday necessities higher. Some price tag changes — like the cost to fill your car’s gas tank — are obvious to anyone driving down the road. Other increases at the grocery store are more subtle but still impact your family’s bottom line. Compare the average price increase of a few household expenses to see how the rising cost of electricity stacks up. The cost for a gallon of unleaded gasoline shot up 11.1 percent on average every year between 2002 and 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eggs don’t go over easy — the cost for a dozen eggs increased 7.8 percent. Bakers watched the price of flour rise 5.7 percent, and apples felt the crunch with a jump of 4.8 percent — every year. The cost of electricity grew at a slower pace — 3.2 percent a year, on average. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports homeowners across the nation pay an average of 11.7 cents per kWh. Unlike eggs or apples, electricity is a 24-hour-a-day commodity. Despite energy efficiency advancements, the average household uses more electronic gadgets — and needs more power to operate them — every year. In the past 30 years, the amount of residential electricity used by appliances and electronics has increased from 17 percent to 31 percent, according to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey by EIA. More homes than ever have major appliances and central air conditioning. Digital

video recorders (DVRs), computers, and multiple televisions are common. Your local electric cooperative works hard to keep your electricity safe, reliable, and affordable. But you play a role in the price of your power. Just as you might cut back on eggs if your budget is tight, we can work with you to cut your monthly electric bill. See how little changes add up at www.TogetherWeSave.com. … Sources:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Energy Information Administration

ElectricConsumer.org • JUNE 2013 • Electric consumer 29

Odds ’n’ Ends

Our

GRAND OLDFLAG ! To celebrate Flag Day June 14, we asked readers in April to send us photos depicting the U.S. flag in picturesque or patriotic ways. We received too many to show them all here, but we certainly can say Hoosiers answered the question, “Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave …” We thank everyone who sent photos. All are posted at our website: www.ElectricConsumer.org.

 Old Glory frosted

with January 2013 snow. Photo by Becky Miller, Georgetown.

 Matthew Turner, a LaGrange County REMC consumer, captured this flag at the Pioneer Village tractor show at last year’s Indiana State Fair.

 This flag was made out of working gloves to remind Charlie Krusz that “working under Old Glory is the reason we are FREE.” Krusz is a Noble REMC consumer.  When longtime Linton fire chief Henry Mercier died in July 2010, he was carried to rest on a fire truck and honored with a flag draped over the road. Photo by Tammy Wolfe, a UDWI REMC consumer.

Electric consumer • June 2013 • ElectricConsumer.org

 Flags and cemeteries are poignant reminders of service and the cost of freedom. Patricia Daugherty, a member of Daviess-Martin County REMC, took this picture at South Martin cemetery in Rutherford Township near Loogootee.

 Abigail Giesler shared this photo of her grandpa’s flag-adorned grave at Shiloh Cemetery near Ireland. Flag Day was always special to Carl “Junie” Giesler; it was also his birthday. Abigail is a consumer of UDWI REMC in Bloomfield.