Penn Lines January 2011

JANUARY 2011

Lighting the way Observing 75 years of rural electrification in Pennsylvania

to face PLUS Face Slow down for dip Rolling shutters

JANUARY Vol. 46 • No. 1 Peter A. Fitzgerald EDITOR/DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Katherine Hackleman SENIOR EDITOR/WRITER

James Dulley Janette Hess Barbara Martin Marcus Schneck

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E N E R G Y M AT T E R S

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Energy-saving boxes: Too good to be true?

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KEEPING CURRENT News items from across the Commonwealth

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

W. Douglas Shirk LAYOUT & DESIGN

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Vonnie Kloss

Lighting the way

ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION

Observing 75 years of rural electrification in Pennsylvania

Michelle M. Smith MEDIA & MARKETING SPECIALIST

Penn Lines (USPS 929-700), the newsmagazine of Pennsylvania’s electric cooperatives, is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. Penn Lines helps 166,400 households of co-op consumermembers understand issues that affect the electric cooperative program, their local coops, and their quality of life. Electric co-ops are not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed, and taxpaying electric utilities. Penn Lines is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. The opinions expressed in Penn Lines do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, or local electric distribution cooperatives.

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Subscriptions: Electric co-op members, $5.42 per year through their local electric distribution cooperative. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Harrisburg, PA 17105 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes with mailing label to Penn Lines, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266.

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Advertising: Display ad deadline is six weeks prior to month of issue. Ad rates upon request.

Acceptance of advertising by Penn Lines does not imply endorsement of the product or services by the publisher or any electric cooperative. If you encounter a problem with any product or service advertised in Penn Lines, please contact: Advertising, Penn Lines, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Penn Lines reserves the right to refuse any advertising.

F E AT U R E

TIME LINES Your newsmagazine through the years

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CO N N ECT I O N

Information and advice from your local electric cooperative

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O U T D O O R A DV E N T U R ES

Face to face

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Don’t make a move if you want staring contest to continue

COUNTRY KITCHEN

Slow down for dip 20

SMART CIRCUITS

Rolling shutters improve windows’ efficiency, safety 21

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POWER PLANTS

All in a good winter's rest 22

CLASSIFIEDS

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PUNCH LINES

Thoughts from Earl Pitts– Uhmerikun!

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Earl is having trouble adjusting to latest technology changes Board officers and staff, Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association: Chairman, S. Eugene Herritt; Vice Chairman, Kevin Barrett; Secretary, Lanny Rodgers; Treasurer, Leroy Walls; President & CEO, Frank M. Betley

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RURAL REFLECTIONS

The 2010 winners

© 2011 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Visit with us at Penn Lines Online, located at: www.prea.com/Content/ pennlines.asp. Penn Lines Online provides an email link to Penn Lines editorial staff, information on advertising rates, contributor’s guidelines, and an archive of past issues.

26 O N T H E COV E R This limited edition print, “Electrifying Rural America,” is available for $80 each unframed ($250 framed), plus $15 shipping and handling, from: The Renfroe Collection of Fine Art, 916 Holly Hills Road, P. O. Box 867, Hartwell, GA 30643-0867. You can also reach the gallery by phone at 706/376-5707 or email, renfroeart@comcast.net. Website is www.pamelarenfroe.com.

All prints are fully guaranteed and major credit cards are accepted.

JANUARY 2011 • PENN

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ENERGYmatters Energy-saving boxes: Too good to be true?

By B r i a n S l o b o da

MOST OF US think we’re too smart to fall for a scam. Yet every year thousands of folks are separated from their hardearned dollars by putting their faith and trust in another person’s sales pitch.

There’s no shortage of hucksters pretending to help consumers save energy.

These types of scams generally center on misstatements of science or confusion over an electric utility’s energy efficiency programs.

The most popular scam right now involves a device that promises to save energy without requiring you to make any changes in behavior, turn anything off, or adjust the thermostat. People who sell these “little boxes” often claim outrageous energy savings — sometimes as much as 30 percent or more — couched around legitimate utility terms like power conditioning, capacitors and power factor.

The marketing spiel usually goes something like this: The model being sold will control alternating current power factor and reduce electric bills. It will condition your power and make appliances last longer. It uses no power and has no moving parts. It will make motors in your home run better.

Accompanying materials often caution “your utility doesn’t want you to know about this device.” That last part is true — because these boxes are a rip-off.

What’s the reality? While electric co-ops use various components to correct power factor for commercial and industrial consumers, power factor correction is not a concern with homes.

Engineers at the University of Texas4

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Austin concluded that one of the units could produce no more than a 0.06 percent reduction in electric use in an average house.

The Electric Power Research Institute, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based non-profit research consortium made up of electric utilities, including electric cooperatives, recently tested one of the most popular residential power factor correction products and found that it generated average power savings of just 0.23 percent — far from the 30 percent claimed by its manufacturer. At that rate, it would take a typical homeowner more than 70 years to recoup his or her investment.

In short, these devices are nothing more than ordinary capacitors employed in electronic circuits to store energy or differentiate between high- and low-frequency signals. Companies selling these products change names quickly and often, and move from town to town looking for new victims.

There are several questions you should ask a sales representative when reading an ad for the next magical cure-all: 1. Does the product violate the laws of science? For example, does it claim to be capable of “changing of the molecular structure … to release neverbefore tapped power?” If true, the invention would quickly be sold in every store across nation, not marketed through fliers or a poorly designed website.

2. Was the product tested by an independent group? If the performance of the product was not tested and certified by a lab or entity not connected to the company selling it, be very skeptical.

3. Is it too good to be true? If so, it probably is. A video getting play on the internet shows a consumer reporter for a television station testing one of these little boxes. By looking at electric bills before and after installation, he concludes the device is a good buy. However, an excessively hot or unusually cool day can cause one month’s electric bill to run significantly higher or lower than the previous month. Wise consumers always ask to see electric use for the same month from the previous year(s), not the previous month, and factor in weather anomalies for any savings claims. l Brian Sloboda is a program manager specializing in energy efficiency for the Cooperative Research Network, a service of the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

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KEEPINGcurrent Jimmy Stewart Museum needs a boost As a new year begins, the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pa., is facing an uncertain future. Even as downtown

George Bailey in the holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Off-screen, Stewart was a Princeton graduate, a World War II hero who grew up in the small town of Indiana, son of a hardware store owner. The building that housed the hardware store still stands across the street from the museum. It was there that Stewart publicly displayed the 1940 Oscar for best actor that he won for “The Philadelphia Story.”

The museum houses all kinds of memorabilia from Stewart’s childhood in Indiana through his days as a bomber pilot to his years as a movie star.

Stewart died in 1997 at the age of 89.

The hometown museum that honors him is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Adult admission is $7; seniors (62 and older), military personnel and students are $6; children 7 to 17 are $5; and admission is free for children 6 and under and members of the museum.

State’s first Elk Country Visitor Center opens INDIANA STORY: Actor Jimmy Stewart is remembered in his hometown of Indiana, Pa., with a museum.

Indiana continues to thrive, the museum that honors its most famous resident finds itself in need of an influx of cash in order to ensure it will remain open.

Located at 835 Philadelphia Street in the west central community of Indiana, where REA Energy Cooperative is based, the museum is struggling as the past three years of a faltering economy combined with an aging population who identifies with the famous actor have curtailed attendance. It hasn’t helped that state funding has dropped significantly during the past couple of years.

On-screen, Stewart played a number of engaging “all-American” characters, but perhaps is best known for his role as 6

PENN

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Tourism promoters are hoping that the opening of the state’s first Elk Country Visitor Center will help boost the amount of tourism dollars that flow into the north-central part of Pennsylvania.

The center, located in Elk County at 134 Homestead Drive near Benezette, will be open this winter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Promoters expect that the hulking creatures that can weigh up to 1,000 pounds will prove a popular tourist draw for the

northwestern part of the state.

The center was built through funds contributed by the state and the Keystone Elk Country Alliance with $6 million from the state and matching amount from private funding. Situated on 245 acres within the heart of Pennsylvania’s elk range and within the Elk State Forest, the center is a premier elk watching and education facility. It includes interactive exhibits, wildlife trails and viewing blinds, as well as year-round restrooms and parking.

Early fall (September and October) is usually the best viewing time, although elk can be seen at any time and in any location in the area, including walking down the streets of some of the county’s small communities.

Although elk were once prolific in Elk County, humans — specifically their logging and hunting activities — decimated the elk population in the mid 1800s. Realizing the loss to the state, the Pennsylvania Game Commission started relocating elk from Yellowstone National Park decades ago, and the state now boasts that the Elk County area has the largest herd in the Northeast United States.

Residents reminded of changes in state game lands

The terrain in several rural counties of Pennsylvania has changed in recent months, and hunters are reminded that some of those changes may have taken place in areas where they have been staking out game for many years.

With the increased Marcellus Shale drilling activities on both privately owned land and state game land, there is an increase in equipment in the field. Although the well pads are typically very visible, on about five acres, painted well heads sometimes blend into LOOKING FOR ELK: The state’s first Elk Country Visitor Center recently opened near Benezette in Elk County. the background.

State offers 511 PA system

In addition to the fact that hunters may find equipment in their favorite hunting spots, the amount of traffic in rural areas also has increased with the hike in drilling activities.

According to state officials, as of Oct. 1, 2010, more than 4,500 well permits had been issued in Pennsylvania with about 645 completed wells, 46 of which are on state game lands.

Motorists in Pennsylvania can check real-time road conditions on more than 2,900 miles of state roads by calling 511 or visiting www.511PA.com, a website that is free and accessible 24 hours a day. The system provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 500 traffic cameras.

Two Pennsylvania areas named to ‘best’ list

Remembering historical events in rural Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has two of the top 10 “Best Places for Military Retirement.”

The Harrisburg-Carlisle area and the Pittsburgh area were named as Nos. 5 and 8 respectively in the list compiled by USAA — a leading financial services provider focused on serving the military — and Military.com — the largest military and veteran membership organization — in conjunction with Sperling’s BestPlaces.

Other top locations included: 1, Waco, Texas; 2, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 3, Austin/ Round Rock, Texas; 4, College Station/ Bryan, Texas; 6, San Angelo, Texas; 7, Madison, Wisc.; 9, New Orleans/Metairie/ Kenner, La.; and 10, Syracuse, N.Y. Twenty variables were reviewed for nearly 400 major U.S. metropolitan areas before the list was compiled. Variables included: military base proximity, military base amenities, Veteran’s Affairs hospital proximity, military pension taxation, unemployment rate, recreation, arts and culture, major airport proximity, access to mass transit, natural disasterprone area, climate, health resources, health indicators, crime, local schools, presence of colleges/universities, affordability, housing costs, housing appreciation (2007-2010), and economic stability.

Military retirees typically have retired relatively early in life, with the average age of an enlisted service member at retirement of 42 and the average age of an officer at retirement of 46, according to Military.com.

Many historical events have occurred in rural Pennsylvania, and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania recently prepared a listing of events commemorated in rural counties since 1946 with the installation of blue historical markers by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).

As of August 2010, there were 2,313 historical markers in Pennsylvania with 969 (42 percent) of them in rural counties.

Those markers include 233 markers about

This marker commemorates the first rural electric pole placed by Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative Association in 1936.

PHMC HISTORICAL MARKER:

people, 615 about places, 109 about events and 12 that detail other historical facts.

The top three topics of historical markers in rural counties, according to the PHMC report, include military and war,

industry and commerce, and buildings and settlements.

Of the 48 rural counties in Pennsylvania, Franklin County has the most historical markers with 70, followed by Washington County with 51 and Fayette County with 49.

Pennsylvania Farm Show adds attractions The 95th Pennsylvania Farm Show, scheduled for Jan. 8-15, 2011, at the Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, has announced it will feature several new attractions.

The Farm Show, which is the largest indoor agricultural exhibit in the United States, annually brings 6,000 animals, 10,000 exhibits and 300 commercial exhibits to Harrisburg to showcase the relationship between the state’s 63,000 farms and 12.5 million residents.

New events this year include: a Parade of Agriculture on Jan. 8; new commodity exhibits; “green” improvements with energy-efficient lighting, motors and heaters, water-saving devices, and solar systems that provide hot water and generate energy; a celebrity team draft horse driving competition on Jan. 11; and Agricadabra, a high-energy, educational agricultural magic show offered each day for kids of all ages.

Returning highlights include: PA Preferred Culinary Connection with television’s “Top Chef” contestants Ed Cotton and Tiffany Derry and the “World’s Fastest Omelet Maker” Howard Helmer as guests; Farm Show Detectives, a learning station educational program; celebrity cow-milking contest; and Farm Show favorites, including a butter sculpture, high school rodeo, baking contests, and of course, the food court. l JANUARY 2011 • PENN

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PENNlines

Lighting the way Observing 75 years of rural electrification in Pennsylvania

by Kathy Hackleman S e n i o r E d i t o r / Wr i t e r

THE STORY OF rural electrification in Pennsylvania began in the northwestern corner of the state, not far from where the country’s first oil well was drilled in 1859.

Seventy-five years ago, the industrious people of that region established the state’s first rural electric cooperative, forever changing the lives of rural Pennsylvanians.

Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative was the first of the state’s 13 rural electric cooperatives to set out on the journey to bring light and new life to rural Pennsylvania. The new cooperative received the state’s first Rural Electrification Administration (REA) loan to construct an electricity transmission system on May 13, 1936. Headquartered in Cambridge Springs, the cooperative energized its first 128 miles of line on May 19, 1937.

SIGN OF PROGRESS: Early rural electric cooperatives were called “projects” by the Rural Electrification Administration.

Other Pennsylvania cooperatives that energized lines in 1937 were Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative, REA Energy Cooperative (formerly Southwest Central Rural Electric Cooperative), Sullivan County Rural Electric BEACON: Rural Cooperative and Electrification Tri-County Rural Administration (REA) Electric Cooperapoles were a welcome tive. They were folsight in rural America. lowed in 1938 by Central Electric Cooperative and New Enterprise Rural Electric Cooperative; in 1939 by Bedford Rural Electric Cooperative and Valley Rural Electric Cooperative; in 1940 by Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative and Warren Electric Cooperative; and in 1941 by Adams Electric Cooperative. United Electric Cooperative lines were energized in Clearfield County in 1936 and in Jefferson County in 1939.

Life before electricity came to rural Pennsylvania — in fact, all of rural America — in the late 1930s and early 1940s was difficult at best. Although city dwellers had power, rural residents still labored in the dark, scraping by in a bare-bones existence that involved chopping wood to provide fuel for stoves that

This sign marks the location of the first rural electric cooperative pole set in Pennsylvania.

LIGHTBULB MOMENT:

were used both for heating and cooking, hauling buckets of water to the house from nearby streams, heating water on the stove and then washing clothes by hand in a tub, studying by dim kerosene lamps and making middle-of-the-night trips to a pitch-black barn to check the farm animals.

Electricity would have allowed rural residents to dramatically change their lives for the better, but public power companies, believing they would not be

1930s

1940s

1935 — President Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) as a federal agency by executive order 1936-1941 — Electric distribution cooperatives are incorporated in Pennsylvania

1942 — Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, the statewide service arm of electric cooperatives, is formed with offices in Harrisburg 1945 — Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc., is organized to provide wholesale power to electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

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organized and operated by their members for the purpose of delivering electricity to rural areas that were not served by public power companies.

able to make a profit on the widely spread rural residents, chose not to expand into the nation’s rural areas. This left 3.5 million people in Pennsylvania — nearly half of the Commonwealth’s population back then — in the dark. Nationwide, while 90 percent of America’s city residents had access to electricity, only 10 percent of rural Americans did.

The federal program that allowed Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative to participate in the REA loan program back in 1936 was established on May 11, 1935, by an executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The president envisioned that the availability

of $100 million in REA loans would entice public power companies to expand into the country’s rural areas.

He was wrong. However, it soon became apparent that the rural residents were willing to take it upon themselves to better their own lives. Through the establishment of rural electric cooperatives, rural residents across the nation began working together to accomplish a task that would have been impossible for any individual to have accomplished alone.

The electrification of rural America was on its way, thanks to the dedicated rural residents who set up the cooperatives, independent, non-profit businesses

All cooperative businesses, including Pennsylvania’s rural electric cooperatives, adhere to these seven guiding principles.

1. Voluntary and open membership.

Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

2. Democratic member control. Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected representatives are accountable to the membership.

3. Members’ economic participation.

Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative.

4. Autonomy and independence. Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members.

5. Education, training and information.

Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperative.

6. Cooperation among cooperatives.

Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7. Concern for community. While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.

1950s

1960s

By the mid-1950s, nearly all the farms in Pennsylvania and across the country had electrical service. Much of this was owed to rural electric cooperatives and Rural Electrification Administration loans, which were largely repaid and had a default rate of less than 1 percent.

1966 – Allegheny contracts with the New York Power Authority to purchase power from federal hydroelectric projects in New York

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TIMEpassages

Remembering the day the lights came on

by Kathy Hackleman S e n i o r E d i t o r / Wr i t e r

AS EACH YEAR passes, there are fewer and fewer people who remember “the day the lights came on.” But Ebensburg resident Ruth Harteis, 92, still has vivid memories of the day Southwest Central Rural Electric Cooperative — now REA Energy Cooperative — energized the lines to her family’s home near Winterset in Cambria County.

It was at 11:20 a.m. on Sept. 15, 1939.

Although getting electricity made Sept.

15, 1939, a red-letter day in the Harteis household, Mrs. Harteis has another reason to remember the day. Her daughter, Nancy, was born early that morning.

Mrs. Harteis, who has lived on a farm near Ebensburg in Cambria County since 1953, was especially tuned into when the electricity would be flowing as her husband, the late Lawrence Harteis, had dug a lot of the holes and set poles for the electric distribution system while they lived near Winterset.

“My husband had been laid off from the mills,” she recalls. “Everyone was being laid off. There was no unemployment back then and we had no place to go. We left our apartment in Johnstown because we couldn’t pay the rent. We eventually lost our furniture, our car and then a baby. ... We moved in with Lawrence’s mom and dad for a while before we saw an ad to rent the farmhouse at Winterset. We lived there for three years, trying to farm. All we had was a team of horses that ran away at the drop of a hat, and some old farm equipment held together with twine.”

They were still attempting to make a success of the farm when Lawrence heard from a friend that the cooperative

was hiring men to dig holes for their electric poles.

“The men had to dig four holes a day, each one six feet deep,” she recalls.

“They had a long waiting list of men who wanted to work there. If you couldn’t meet your quota of holes, someone else took the job.

For three months, all he had was a shovel and a [digging] bar and he dug holes. After that, he moved on to setting poles. He had to set 15 poles a day by hand. It was tough work.”

Meanwhile, back at home, the young couple had no electricity, no running water, no indoor bathroom, no conveniences of any kind although they worked the best they could AVAILABLE LIGHT: Ruth Harteis holds the oil lamp that provided light to tidy up their rented to deliver her daughter in 1939. Her home was connected to what is farmhouse without spendnow REA Energy Cooperative a few hours after her daughter’s birth. ing any money.

1939, by the light of the one oil lamp the They had lost their first baby in 1938, couple still had. Hours later when the but a new baby was due to arrive in late sun went down, the Harteises could consummer or early fall of 1939. tinue to admire their new daughter by “Our house was wired and inspected the light of the single electric bulb hangand it was ready for the electricity to be ing from the ceiling of each room of their turned on,” she recalls. “Nancy was to rented home. be born at home in mid-September and As time went on and finances permitthey kept telling us our electricity was to ted, the young couple purchased a few be turned on in mid-September. We had electric appliances. One that saved her two oil lamps and a flashlight to our the most time and back-breaking work name. Then we broke one lamp, but we was an electric washing machine. didn’t go out and replace it because we “I just hated to wash clothes in a knew that our electricity was coming.” tub,” she remembers. “You would get Mrs. Harteis went into labor on the done and hang them all out on the line. evening of Sept. 14, 1939. Daughter Nancy was born at 3:10 a.m. on Sept. 15, (continues on page 12)

1970s

1980s

1977 – Allegheny contracts for 10 percent ownership of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, a 2,355-megawatt, two-unit nuclear power plant near Berwick (commercial service from the plant begins in 1983)

1986 — Pennsylvania and New Jersey electric cooperatives launch the Coordinated Load Management System to reduce electricity consumption during demand peaks 1988 — The 21-megawatt Raystown Hydroelectric Project, wholly owned

by Allegheny, is dedicated at Raystown Lake and Dam in Huntingdon County

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PENNlines Sometimes the line would break, and you would have to wash them all again.”

The Harteises, who farmed and later had a dairy, would go on to have 14 more children, one of whom is Jim Harteis, a director at REA Energy Cooperative who lives just down the road from his mother on an adjacent farm near Ebensburg. Mrs. Harteis also has 46 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Electricity, she says, is a wonderful blessing, one she never takes for granted. Without it, she says, raising 14 children (they also lost another child in 1962) would have been very difficult.

“I baked 12 loaves of bread every five days,” she reports. “Bread was our mainstay. I also canned 1,000 to 1,200 quarts of food every year to feed my family. I don’t know how I would have done it without electricity.”

These days, Mrs. Harteis takes part in activities at the Holy Name Church in Ebensburg, and she continues to sell Amway products and make wine as a hobby. She’s won numerous awards for her wine, made, she says, using “blackberries, blueberries, dandelions, strawberries, whatever God gives me. I don’t buy anything to make it with. I just get the ingredients from the fields.” A painter, she also has several of her creations depicting familiar scenes hanging in her home.

As she looks around her tidy kitchen, she remarks with amazement about the sheer number of electric appliances she never even dreamed of back when having electricity was a novelty. Within sight of her chair, there’s a dishwasher, a stove, a refrigerator, a microwave, a mixer, a coffee pot, ceiling lights, a lamp, a toaster and a nightlight.

Electricity changed her life. But the old oil lamp — the one from 1939 in whose light she first saw her newborn daughter — still rests on her kitchen shelf in plain sight. Just in case she ever needs it. l

Night into day In the book, “Darkness to Daylight: An Oral History of Rural Electrification in Pennsylvania and New Jersey” by Mary Ellen Romeo, a Crawford County woman describes how difficult life was in rural Pennsylvania in the 1930s. Mary Davenport was a newlywed fresh from college, and had never known life without electric service. For her, starting a new life on a farm felt a little like going back in time.

“I recall those days with laughter now, but it wasn’t funny then,” she related. “(I had) never been without electricity, never had to build a fire. … I would be crying, the tears would be running down my sooty face. … I couldn’t start the fire.

And (my husband would) come home, tired from work, and expect a nice, hot supper. There was no supper, there was no fire.

There was nothing.”

Though many city dwellers had power, half of Pennsylvania’s residents had no access to electricity in the 1930s. It wasn’t until 1936, with the establishment of the state’s first rural electric cooperative in Crawford and Erie counties, that rural residents like the Davenports could begin to hope for some of the modern comforts that electricity brought.

Mary Davenport had to wait two years after she got married for a chance to finally use her wedding gifts – an electric coffee pot and electric toaster.

“So the day the electric came in, I sat at my kitchen table,” she said. “The electric coffee pot was plugged in, the electric toaster was plugged in, a bare bulb hung above, and I sat there and waited. … I had polished all my oil lamp globes. They were sitting in a nice, neat little row. Never again would I have to polish those sooty old things. … They sat there and I was glad.”

Throughout the year as we observe the 75th anniversary of rural electrification in Pennsylvania, Penn Lines will bring more stories from our members about “when the lights came on.”

1990s

2000s

1994 — During a reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, REA is abolished with most of its duties transferred to the new Rural Utilities Service

2010 — Nationwide, rural electric cooperatives celebrate the 75th anniversary of the executive order creating the system that brought electricity to rural America

12

PENN

LINES • JANUARY 2011

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TIMElines

Yo u r N e w s m a g a z i n e T h r o u g h t h e Y e a r s

2001 GIFFORD PINCHOT’S “Giant Power” plan, a vision of abundant electricity for all, helped pave the way for electric cooperatives everywhere.

Pinchot, a renowned forestry expert, conservationist and two-term governor of Pennsylvania (1923-27 and 1931-35) was among the first to recognize the lifestyle disparity that existed between the nation’s farms and cities.

Pinchot — then the nation’s chief forester — convinced President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909 to create a fact-finding commission to discuss the problem. The commission’s report blasted the lack of electric power in rural areas and suggested ways residents could obtain electricity (federally funded hydropower projects and/or cooperatives).

While more than 25 years would pass before President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) by executive 0rder in 1935, Pinchot never gave up. After taking office as governor in 1923, he hired Morris Cooke to conduct a Giant Power survey of the Commonwealth. Cooke produced an innovative energy development plan based on abundant supplies of power generated from plants built near coal mines.

The electricity would be “pooled” and shipped over giant transmission lines. Rural residents would obtain power through cooperatives.

This plan drew little legislative interest, but it would go on to provide the backbone of then-New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s establishment of the Power Authority of the State of New York.

Pinchot’s goal of “lighting up” Pennsylvania finally came to fruition in the late 1930s, and Cooke — the author of the Giant Power survey commissioned by Pinchot — was named the first REA administrator.

1971 Becky Marks, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Marks, Conneautville, and student at Allegheny College, reigns as ‘Miss Rural Electrification’ for 1971.

14

PENN

LINES • JANUARY 2011

1981 Penn Lines examines the question of ‘Who really controls America’s energy?’ According to a survey, control of energy companies is becoming concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.

1991 Recreation is a booming Pennsylvania business that does not hibernate for the winter. Skiing brings many people to rural areas, including Seven Springs Resort near Somerset.

Some homes waste nearly as much energy as they use.

At Touchstone Energy速 Cooperatives, we do everything in our power to ensure you always have an affordable, reliable source of energy. We also work hard to make sure all our members understand the latest and best ways to be more energy efficient.

We have hundreds of things that you can do to save energy. Contact your local electric cooperative to learn ways you can save energy.

OUTDOORadventures

Face to face Don’t make a move if you want staring contest to continue WHEN it comes to shortrange, face-to-face, groundlevel staring contests with white-tailed deer, I seem to be gaining skill over the years, or maybe just some patience. I’m talking about encounters at the eye level of the deer, no tree stands, no blinds, at a distance of just 20 or 30 feet.

Mostly recently I passed a half-hour in such a staring contest with a young doe in one of my favorite hunting spots on the first day of the 2010 firearms hunting season for bear.

As I was sitting on a large flat rock with my back to a thick oak trunk, the yearling first appeared at the edge of a patch of mountain laurel maybe 70 yards down the side of the mountain. She poked around a bit before continuing on a trail that led her off to the west and out of view.

A few minutes later she was back, this time nearly level with me on the mountain and looking right at me.

She paused, staring right at my fully exposed, fluorescent orange-clad bulk. I didn’t SCHNECK , is outdoor

editor for The (Harrisburg, Pa.) Patriot-News, a contributor to many outdoor publications and websites, and author of more than two dozen books.

16

PENN

by Marcus Schneck

even take a breath. She stomped her front hoof, once, twice, three times, slowly, craning her neck this way and that to get a different line of sight on me. I remained motionless.

She moved closer, still trying to figure out what the unnatural blotch of bright gray might be. (Research indicates that deer don’t see orange as we see orange, but rather as a gray, and that they can see the UV end of the spectrum fairly well, which is really pumped out by the fabric brighteners applied to much modern outdoor wear.) I held my pose as a statue.

With maybe a quarterhour now passed since the youngster first launched into our staring match, she began to move away again, this time to the east. She paused to look back three times en route to some spot out of my sight, once even turning back around to try that stomping tactic one more time.

Then she was gone. I relaxed a bit, finally taking a real breath. She hadn’t pegged me as anything more than an unusual blotch of gray.

The earliest similar encounter I can remember, many years ago, didn’t go quite so smoothly for either me or the deer. It was my first year of archery hunting for deer. At age 12, I didn’t have quite the knowledge of deer that I do now and consequently had set up right along the trail, where I hoped to see deer. Suddenly a small, six-point buck bounded up the trail, spotted

LINES • JANUARY 2011

me and stopped 20 or 30 yards away.

When he looked back down the trail, I raised the bow and knocked an arrow.

The buck turned his gaze back on me. I remained motionless until he looked away again and took a few more steps in my direction.

Then, assuming he would be in range in the next couple seconds, I pulled back on the string of the recurve bow, almost to full draw. He looked back at me again. I delayed my draw about three-quarters of the way to full readiness for a shot.

At that point, he decided I was something more than just a part of the landscape, maybe not a threat, but definitely something that warranted some staring. After a few minutes of that, when I could hold the partial draw

WHAT’S THAT?: If you remain motionless, deer are likely to just keep an eye on you rather than run away.

no longer, I quickly finished pulling back on the string and released a wild shot off through the trees. A few leaves drifting back to the forest floor and a disappearing white tail were all that was left of the buck.

Motion, and really just a small bit of motion, determined the different outcomes in these two encounters.

Deer eyes, with their abundance of the photoreceptors known as rods, are particularly attuned to detecting motion and to seeing in lowlight or nighttime settings.

We daytime-loving humans, with our better range of color vision, have relatively more cone-type photoreceptors in our eyes. l

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COUNTRYkitchen

by Janette He ss

Slow down for dip A BRIGHT yellow road sign emblazoned with the word “dip” always demands attention. Likewise, any recipe bearing the word “dip” demands attention, especially during this busy season of televised sports and indoor tailgating.

Easy Shrimp Dip takes very little time to prepare and may be served immediately. Layered Bean Dip is a bit more complicated to assemble but definitely worth the effort, and any leftovers may be rolled into a tortilla and served as a bean burrito.

Creamy Artichoke Dip is a hot, savory crowd pleaser that, when offered during a big game, usually results in an unbreakable huddle around the snack table.

New Year’s Dip is somewhat healthier fare. It draws its name from its main ingredient, black-eyed peas. Although black-eyed peas traditionally are served on Jan. 1 to assure good luck and prosperity in the new year, this dip assures lucky eating whenever and wherever it’s served. l A trained journalist, JANETTE HESS focuses her writing on interesting people and interesting foods. She is a Master Food Volunteer with her local extension service and enjoys collecting, testing and sharing recipes.

CREAMY ARTICHOKE DIP 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 medium onion, finely diced 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (8-10 count), drained and chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 16 ounces cream cheese 8 ounces sour cream 4 ounces (1 cup) Parmesan cheese, shredded s 2 heaping tablespoons dried parsley flake 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper e Several generous dashes hot pepper sauc

onion until softened. Add artiIn medium pan, heat olive oil and sauté fer to crock pot. Add remaining chokes and garlic and heat through. Trans hours, stirring well after cream 2 least at for ingredients and cook on low or crackers. cheese has softened. Serve on pita chips

18

PENN

LINES • JANUARY 2011

EASY

SHRIMP D 1/2 cup mayon IP na 1 teaspoon pr ise epared horser ad 1 teaspoon W orcestershire ish sa 1 4-ounce ca n tiny shrimp, uce drained and crumbled 4 ounces (1 cu p) cheddar ch eese, finely grated 1/4 cup finely diced onion In medium bo wl, naise, horserad combine mayonis sauce. Add sh h and Worcestershire rimp, onion an d cheese. Mix multi-grain cr ackers. well and chill . Serve with

NEW YEAR’S DIP and rinsed 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained ed drain , corn el kern e whol can nce 1 11-ou 1/2 small red onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 avocado, peeled and diced 1 medium tomato, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper (optional) 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

peas, corn, onion, garlic, avocado, In medium bowl, lightly toss black-eyed ining ingredients and pour over rema ther toge k Whis tomato and cilantro.

Cover and chill. Serve with ed. vegetables. Add jalapeno pepper, if desir t salad or relish. grea a s make Also . chips la corn chips or tortil

LAYERED BEAN D

IP 1 16-ounce can refrie d beans 4 ounces cream ch eese, cut into small pieces 1 large red bell pepp er, roasted, peeled and slivered OR 1/2 of a 12-ounc e jar of roasted red peppers, drained and sli vered 1/4 cup diced red on ion 1 4-ounce can slice d black olives, draine d 1/2 cup salsa 2 ounces (1/2 cup) Monterrey Jack ch eese, finely grated 1/4 cup slivered alm onds In order given, layer ing degrees for 25 to 30 redients in 8- by 8-inch baking dish. Ba ke at 350 minutes, or until alm onds are lightly bro with tortilla chips. wned. Serve

Advertisement

Do You Believe In Angels?

H

is name was Victor. Throughout all of his 88 years he had believed in angels, and on February 14, 1994 that belief became a reality for his family.

Victor and his wife Josephine had just returned from dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Yes, after fifty-five years of marriage, they still celebrated Valentine’s Day every year with a nice dinner.

That particular year after returning home, they were sitting quietly at the kitchen table.

Josephine was watching over him worriedly because Victor was experiencing chest pain.

“Just a little pressure”, he insisted. “Let’s see if it gets better”.

Josephine, anxiously wringing her hands, was close to tears. Just then the phone on the wall over her shoulder rang. She answered it and the voice on the other end said “This is 9-1-1, do you have an emergency?”

Confused, Josephine could only say “What?” The 9-1-1 operator repeated: “This is 9-1-1, do you have an emergency?”

Josephine said to Victor, “It’s 9-1-1, They want to know if we have an emergency.”

Victor immediately responded. “That’s my angel! Tell them I need an ambulance!”

Josephine then told 9-1-1 that her husband was having chest pain and an ambulance was sent immediately.

What followed was a series of “coincidences” that can only be explained as miraculous. The end result was an 88-year old man having triple bypass heart surgery against great odds. He went on to live six more years.

He went on an Alaskan cruise with his wife. He went to Italy with his family.

He saw a World Series game. He enjoyed countless family weddings, dinners and gettogethers. Quality of life? In spades! When he finally passed away in 2001, it wasn’t his heart that took him.

Victor was my father. I didn’t used to be a believer. In fact, I went to the 9-1-1 offices shortly after everything happened to listen to the tape of the 9-1-1 call that night.

What I heard was there was no incoming phone call to the 9-1-1 offices… nothing. Just the call from 9-1-1 that my mother answered.

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Angels also arrange for circumstances to come together so you get what you’ve been asking. But, we don’t always get what we want. In the words of Albert Einstein, “…

God has a plan for each of us, and what we want and ask for, may not fit into that plan…” It is during these times, that we often overlook our angel’s messages.

Here you’ll also discover how the Saints can help you with things like… s 3ELLING YOUR HOUSE 3PECIAL ASSISTANCE from St Joseph s ,OST )TEMS 3T !NTHONY CAN HELP s /UR ,ADY OF 'UADALUPE THE Mother of all Mothers, she helps those most in need. s !ND MORE If you believe in angels, then you know that each of us has a guardian angel to help us and to keep us safe. But did you know that you can learn how to communicate with your guardian angel?

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SMARTcircuits

by James Dulley

Rolling shutters improve windows’ efficiency, safety HAVING windows that are still in good condition but are not the most energy efficient is common. If good-quality windows were installed within the past decade, they should last a very long time with little maintenance. This is particularly true for windows with vinyl or thermally broken aluminum frames. Windows with pultruded fiberglass should practically last a lifetime.

Although rolling window shutters offer many advantages in addition to energy efficiency, there are other lowercost options to also consider. Installing magnetically attached acrylic interior storm windows is a relatively low-cost option to improve efficiency.

Some of the new low-emissivity permanent window films save energy yearround. They are nearly clear and you can install them yourself. Both of these options also block much of the sun’s fading UV (ultraviolet) rays. Installing insulating window shades or curtains is also effective.

Adding rolling shutters on the exterior of your windows improves efficiency and also offers security and storm protection.

These shutters are commonly used in coastal hurricane zones.

The actual energy savings from installing rolling shutters depends on the type of window glass you have and, to a lesser extent, the types of slat in the shutter. If your house has double-pane windows, adding the shutters will about double the insulation value of the windows.

With single-pane windows, the efficiency increase will be even greater.

You can get an additional energy savings during summer because the rolling shutters also block the direct heat from the sun’s rays through the windows. The 20

PENN

LINES • JANUARY 2011

shutters can be lowered to any position to allow in only as much light (and heat) as you desire. When completely lowered over the window, they block nearly all of the light.

Rolling shutters are extremely strong and secure because they operate much like a rolltop desk. Narrow slats roll up into a box housing above the window. The ends of each slat slide in vertical tracks on each side of the window, making them very secure and relatively airtight when fully closed. The slat itself provides insulation, as does the dead air space created between the shutter and the window glass. In cold climates, this also reduces indoor window condensation problems.

If you want security and privacy but also light and ventilation, slightly raise the rolling shutter. The bottom of the shutter will not rise, but the slats will separate slightly exposing the interlocking flanges between them. Many of the shutters are designed with narrow slots in the flanges, which allow some light and fresh air to filter in.

Roll-formed metal, plastic or extruded aluminum are used to make the slats. All are suitable for most areas. The extruded aluminum slats are the strongest and most expensive and are often used on

shutters for large windows. The rollformed metal slats can be filled with foam insulation for higher efficiency and rigidity. Check your local building codes for required materials and strength.

An important feature to consider is how the rolling shutter is opened and closed — usually with a pull strap, a crank handle or an electric motor. Keep in mind, if your shutters are inconvenient to use, you will not close them as often as you should.

For most small- to average-sized windows, a pull strap is easy to use and inexpensive. Large shutters or ones made from heavy gauge aluminum may be easier to operate with a hand crank. Electric motor operators are most convenient, but also more expensive.

If the pull strap or crank is indoors, there will have to be a hole in the wall connecting it to the outdoor housing. This will allow a slight amount of air leakage.

An electric motor operator will eliminate the need for a hole. l is a nationally syndicated energy management expert. You can reach him at James Dulley, c/o Penn Lines, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244.

JAMES DULLEY

POWERplants

by Barbara Martin

All in a good winter's rest WINTER IS the gardener’s season of physical resting, right alongside the dormant plants. We might dash out to brush snow off the shrubbery or sprinkle cinders on the front walk, but our outdoor, time-on-task, hands-on gardening hours are somewhat limited. Nonetheless, while winter may not be a prime gardening season, that doesn’t mean there is nothing gardenrelated going on, by far.

Sure, there are things you probably could be doing, but they aren’t as urgent as spring or summer to-dos. You could inspect the houseplants for seasonal pest problems; check your stored tubers and rhizomes for rotting or sprouting; peek inside the cold frame for evidence of a rodent incursion; and if you are feeling energetic and it’s over 40 degrees, get a jump on annual fruit tree pruning. But sometimes we just feel like taking a rest!

While you take a little time off and rest your body, you might perform some mental BARBARA MARTIN ,

who says she began gardening as a hobby “too many years ago to count,” currently works for the National Gardening Association as a horticulturist. A former member of Gettysburg-based Adams Electric Cooperative, her articles appear in magazines and on the internet.

gymnastics, gardener style.

Take a quick mental vacation by imagining biting into those juicy tomatoes and cutting sweet bouquets from bulging flowerbeds, and spending long, lazy hours driving endless loops on the riding mower.

On the other hand, you could also spend a little time preparing to make the coming gardening season easier on yourself. It’s vexing to revisit the never-ending bindweed invasion, or repeat the annual squash bug battle, or be stuck permanently with a huge and hideous hedge in need of removal. So maybe this is a time to do a little research and find some solid how-to answers.

If there is one constant about gardening, it’s that there is always something new (or old) to learn.

A convenient place to start is the library, where your helpful reference librarian can steer you toward the information you need. Yet another quick option is to hop on the internet and search for what you need.

It may be more satisfying for you to talk to a real live gardening expert. You can find assistance from the county extension system, the volunteer master gardeners, and your local professionally trained nursery staff.

If it’s as much about the social as it is the information, you could invite a few gardening friends over to talk shop for a bit. There’s also the

chance that either a general interest gardening club, or possibly a specialized garden club such as hobby greenhouse owners, or rose lovers, or water gardeners, might exist in your area. If not, you could start one.

Many community colleges, recreation departments, extension offices, plant nurseries, and public gardens offer lecture series or classes during the off season.

You might enjoy exploring a new-to-you aspect of gardening or learning about specialties such as the history of landscape design, new research in soil science, hands-on plant propagation, or simple ways to introduce vermiculture (raising worms) into your gardening life.

Meanwhile, the garden catalogs are piling up. Those glossy pictures and drool-

A WINTER GARDEN: Take time this win-

ter to plan so you are ready to garden when spring finally arrives.

inducing descriptions are intended to sell us on the offerings, but they can also be just as effective a learning tool as those old-fashioned flash cards used to be. Instead of drilling on math facts, you can exercise your brain reading up on botanical plant names.

Let’s try to keep our bodies fit this winter, too. Gardening is notoriously good exercise.

When you’ve been basically sitting around relaxing all winter, it’s all too easy to overexert and end up stiff and sore after that first spring weekend of tidying, digging and planting. So do yourself a favor and keep fit this winter so you hit the ground healthy and strong this spring.

It’s sooner than you think. l

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PENNLINESclassified HERE’S MY AD: Yes, I want my message to go into more than 166,400 households in rural Pennsylvania. I have counted _________ words in this ad. (FOR ADS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, ADD 20 PERCENT TO TOTAL COST.)

ATTACH ADDRESS LABEL HERE (OR WRITE IN COMPLETE LABEL INFORMATION)

MONTH

an electric co-op member. Attached is my Penn Lines mailing label from the front of this magazine. ❏ II am enclose $20 per month for 30 words or less, plus 50¢ for each additional word. The total payment enclosed is $_________________________.

Please run my ad during the months of ______________________________________________________.

NOT a member of an electric cooperative. I enclose $70 per month for 30 words or less, plus $1.50 ❏ Iforameach additional word.

The total payment enclosed is $_____________________.

Please run my ad during the months of ______________________________________________________. _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ 1

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Additional words: _____________________________________________________ (use separate sheet if needed) NOTE: You must pay for special heading requests, even if the heading is currently appearing in Penn Lines.

Only the following qualify as free headings. Please check your selection: Around the House Business Opportunities Employment Opportunities Gift and Craft Ideas Livestock and Pets Miscellaneous Motor Vehicles and Boats Nursery and Garden Real Estate Recipes and Food Tools and Equipment Vacations and Campsites Wanted to Buy. FOR SPECIAL HEADINGS NOT LISTED: Indicate special heading you would like, and add $5 for co-op members, $10 for non-members. Insertion of classified ad in Penn Lines serves as proof of publication; no proofs are furnished.

SEND THIS FORM (or a sheet containing the above information) to Penn Lines Classifieds, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108.

FOR INFORMATION ONLY Telephone: 717/233-5704. NO classified ads will be accepted by phone.

ATTN: Checks/money orders should be made payable to PREA/Penn Lines.

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CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE

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DEADLINE

March 2011 . . . . . . . . January 18 April 2011. . . . . . . . . February 15 May 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . March 18 All ads must be received by the specified dates to be included in the corresponding month’s issue. Ads received beyond the deadline dates will automatically be included in the next available issue. Written notice of changes or cancellations must be received prior to the first of the month preceding the month of issue.

For information about display rates, continuous ads, or specialized headings, contact Vonnie Kloss at 717/233-5704, the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.

HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE COUNTRY CRAFTED bentwood oak/hickory rockers. Swings, gliders, double rockers, coffee/end tables, bar stools, kitchen sets, cedar log outdoor furniture, log bedrooms, SPECIAL queen log bed, $599. 814-733-9116. www.zimmermanenterprise.com.

HARDWARE/LUMBER RETAIL

AROUND THE HOUSE

CHURCH LIFT SYSTEMS

“COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage.

“RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage.

Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks.

Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT.

Make your church, business or home wheelchair accessible.

We offer platform lifting systems, stair lifts, porch lifts and ramps. References. Free estimates. Get Up & Go Mobility Inc. 724-746-0992 or 814-926-3622.

LEE’S Hardware — CRESSON 814-886-2377. Plumbing, electrical, hardware, paint, tools, wood pellets. PATTON 814674-5122. Lumber, roofing, plywood, windows, doors, shale, sand, blocks, delivery, boom lift trucks, estimates. Full service hometown stores.

CONSULTING FORESTRY SERVICES

HEALTH AND NUTRITION

NOLL’S FORESTRY SERVICES, INC. performs Timber Marketing, Timber Appraisals, Forest Management Planning, and Forest Improvement Work. FREE Timber Land Recommendations. 30 years experience. Call 814-472-8560.

Tired of all those medicines — Still not feeling better? Do you want to feel better, have more energy, better digestion, less joint stiffness, healthier heart/circulation and cholesterol levels? Find out how to empower your own immune system — start IMMUNE-26 today! It’s safe, affordable, and it works. Call 800-557-8477: ID#528390. 90-day money back on first time orders. When ordering from Web, use Option #3. www.mylegacyforlife.net/believeit.

OUTSIDE WOOD HEATER - $1,595. Forced air system. Rated 100K BTU. Heats up to 2,400 square feet. Houses, mobiles or shops. Low-cost shipping. Easy install. 417-581-7755 Missouri. www.heatbywood.com.

CLOCK REPAIR: If you have an antique grandfather clock, mantel clock or old pocket watch that needs restored, we can fix any timepiece. Macks Clock Repair: 814-421-7992.

CENTRE FOREST RESOURCES. Maximizing present and future timber values, Forest Management Services, Managing Timber Taxation, Timber Sales, Quality Deer Management. FREE Timber Consultation. College educated, professional, ethical.

814-867-7052.

BUILDING SUPPLIES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES STEEL ROOFING AND SIDING. Discount Prices. Corrugated sheets (cut to length) 52¢ per square foot. Also seconds, heavy gauges, odd lots, etc. Located in northwestern Pennsylvania. 814-398-4052.

METAL BUILDINGS — 24 x 40 x 8, $9,900 installed. 30 x 40 x 8, $11,900 installed. Includes one walk door and one garage door. All sizes available. 800-464-3333. www.factorysteelbuildings.com.

FACTORY SECONDS of insulation, 4 x 8 sheets, foil back. Also reflective foil bubble wrap. 814-442-6032.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PIANO TUNING PAYS — Learn at home with American School of Piano Tuning home-study course in piano tuning and repair.

Tools included. Diploma granted. Call for free brochure 800497-9793.

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Recession-proof Business — NO LAYOFFS! 90% of the workforce wants control of their lives and work from home!

Build an internet business with the fastest growing industry in the world! Toll-free 877-893-9108.

FENCING FREE Fence Guide/Catalog – High-tensile fence, horse fence, rotational grazing, twine, wire, electric netting – cattle, deer, garden, poultry. Kencove Farm Fence Supplies: 800-536-2683. www.kencove.com.

GIFT AND CRAFT IDEAS “COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage.

“RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage.

Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks.

Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT.

HEALTH INSURANCE DO YOU HAVE THE BLUES regarding your Health Insurance?

We cater to rural America's health insurance needs. For more information, call 800-628-7804 (PA). Call us regarding Medicare supplements, too.

INFRARED SAUNAS Removes toxins, burns calories, relieves joint pain, relaxes muscles, increases flexibility, strengthens immune system.

Many more HEALTH BENEFITS with infrared radiant heat saunas. Economical to operate. Barron’s Furniture, Somerset, PA. 814-443-3115.

LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL – SALES – SERVICE – PARTS. Compact Loaders & Attachments, Mowers, Chainsaws, Tillers, etc. We sell BCS, Boxer, Dixon, Ferris, Hustler, Grasshopper, Shindaiwa and more. HARRINGTON’S, Taneytown, MD. 410-7562506. www.harringtonsservicecenter.com.

PENNLINESclassified LIVESTOCK AND PETS

SEA HAG SOAPS & ART MERCANTILE

GERMAN SHEPHERD puppies $900-$1,500. Young Adult $800 and Adult dogs $500 from imported blood lines. 814-967-2159.

Email:rick@petrusohaus.com Web: www.petrusohaus.com.

Three-story restored HAY BARN. Local, regional artwork and fine craft. Gifts of all price ranges. Open year-round. Hot coffee and warm cider is waiting for you. 570-663-2297. www.seahagsoaps.com.

PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI Puppies — AKC, adorable, intelligent, highly trainable. Excellent family choice. Reputable licensed breeder guaranteed “Last breed you’ll ever own.” 814-5873449.

NATURAL HOOF TRIMMING. Achieve real impact balance.

Experienced in hoof problems (founder, navicular). Boot fitting.

Over 20 years as Farrier, 814-662-4296. Healthy hoof — healthy horse.

LOG CABIN RESTORATIONS VILLAGE RESTORATIONS & CONSULTING specializes in 17th and 18th century log, stone and timber structures. We dismantle, move, re-erect, restore, construct and consult all over the country. Period building materials available. Chestnut boards, hardware, etc. Thirty years experience, fully insured. Call 814696-1379. www.villagerestorations.com.

MISCELLANEOUS BECOME AN ORDAINED MINISTER, Correspondence study. The harvest truly is great, the laborers are few, Luke 10:2. Free info. Ministers for Christ Outreach, 7549 West Cactus Road, #104-207, Peoria, AZ 85381. www.ordination.org.

FOR NEWS about North Central Pennsylvania and regional calendar of events. Also listen to a blend of country, pop oldies and folk on your computer 24/7. Visit www.blackforestbroadcasting.com.

SHAKLEE FREE SAMPLE Shaklee’s Energy Tea. Combination red, green and white teas that are natural, delicious, refreshing, safe. For sample or more information on tea or other Shaklee Nutrition/Weight Loss Products: 800-403-3381 or www.shaklee.net/sbarton.

TIMBER FRAME HOMES SETTLEMENT POST & BEAM BUILDING COMPANY uses timehonored mortise, tenon and peg construction paired with modern engineering standards. Master Craftsman and owner, Greg Sickler, brings over two decades of timber-framing experience to helping you create your dream. We use highquality timbers harvested from sustainable forests for all of our projects. Visit our model home, located on Historic Route 6, Sylvania, in North Central Pennsylvania. For more information phone 570-297-0164 or go to www.settlementpostbeam.com or contact us at cggksick@epix.net.

CLUSTER FLY & LADY BUG CONTROL Cluster Fly, Lady Bug, Boxelder Bug, Spiders, Crickets

One Price. One Treatment.

Five Results!® GUARANTEED SERVICE

1-800-726-0537 www.ClusterFlyControl.com

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT PROFESSIONAL SHARPENING. Clipper blades. Scissors for fabric, groomers and stylists. Knives, chisels and small tools.

Aires Eickert factory trained to sharpen beauty shears. Scissor sales and service. 814-267-5061 or www.theScissorGuy.net.

TRACTOR PARTS – REPAIR/RESTORATION

MOTORCYCLE-SNOWMOBILE INSURANCE For the best INSURANCE RATES call R & R Insurance Associates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-442-6832 (PA).

ARTHURS TRACTORS, specializing in vintage Ford tractors, 30-years experience, on-line parts catalog/prices, shipped via UPS. Contact us at 877-254-FORD (3673) or www.arthurstractors.com.

NURSERY AND GARDEN TREE-SHRUB SEEDLINGS. Wholesale Prices. Beautify Property.

Make Money Growing Christmas Trees, Ornamentals, Nut Trees, Timber. Plants for Landscaping, Windbreaks, Noise Barriers, Wildlife Food-Cover. Easy Instructions Guaranteed.

FREE Color Catalog. Carino Nurseries, P. O. Box 538PL, Indiana, PA 15701. 800-223-7075. www.carinonurseries.com.

TREE TRIMMING/REMOVAL TOM’S TREE SERVICE – Tree Trimming/Removal – Storm Cleanup – Stump Grinding – Land Clearing – Bucket Truck and Chipper – Fully Insured – Free Estimates – Call 24/7 – 814-4483052 – 814-627-0550 – 26 Years Experience.

VACATIONS AND CAMPSITES

REAL ESTATE RAYSTOWN LAKE — $275,000, 35 acres, build-ready, mountaintop vista, close to boat launch. Call 814-599-0790.

BRADFORD COUNTY — $87,500, 3.25 acres, deep well, Aframe, two bedroom and loft, new roof, approximate 920’ meadow, septic system designed/approved. 910-322-1856.

Nice wooded BUILDING LOTS in N.E. Florida from $7,900 with owner financing. With new home from $98,000. Have use of large lake and State Forest. Owner 717-532-4882.

POTTER COUNTY, PA — Ulysses Township. For sale by owner log home, seven years old. Two-bedroom, 2.5 baths, 5.96 acres, two carport garage, two sheds. 814-848-7993 leave message.

RECIPES AND FOOD “COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage.

“RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage.

Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks.

Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT. SAWMILLS USED PORTABLE Sawmills and COMMERCIAL Sawmill Equipment! Buy/Sell. Call Sawmill Exchange 800-459-2148.

USA and Canada. www.sawmillexchange.com.

VACATION PROPERTY — For rent ocean front condo, Myrtle Beach, SC. Excellent condition. Close to major attractions.

Booking for 2011. Please call 814-425-2425 or visit www.oceanfrontmyrtlebcondo.com.

FLORIDA VILLAGES — Two bedroom, two bath, two bikes. Fully furnished. One hour from Disney World. Rent two week minimum or monthly, $2,300 (January to March). Call 716536-0104. Great entertainment. Dancing nightly.

BEAUTIFUL LAKE ERIE COTTAGE — Enjoy swimming. Fishing and sunsets at their finest. Sleeps eight, 20 miles west of Erie.

Available May to November. Call 814-333-9669. Visit our website at www.curleycottage.com.

WATERLESS COOKWARE VAPO-SEAL Waterless Cookware — most important lifetime investment you will ever make for your family’s health. Free Brochure call 800-852-3765. 7-ply surgical stainless steel. 18 pieces, new in box. Small fraction of Dinner Party price or $295.

See what a difference it makes…

Advertise in Penn Lines Classifieds

United We Stand JANUARY 2011 • PENN

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Attention High School Seniors At least five $1,000 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarships in Memory of William F. Matson are available for the 2011-12 college year. fill out and mail this coupon Please send me an application for the 2011-12 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memory of William F. Matson.

I am a high school senior and the son or daughter of a member or employee of an electric cooperative in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who belongs to the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. _______________________________________________________________ Name _______________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________ Town or City _______________________________________________________________ State Zip _______________________________________________________________ Email address _______________________________________________________________ Name of Electric Cooperative

Who is eligible?

The Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memory of William F. Matson is offering scholarships to sons and daughters of members and employees of electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who belong to the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. Applicants must currently be high school seniors and be able to furnish necessary aptitude test scores and financial need information. At least five $1,000, one-time scholarships will be awarded.

Important dates to remember All applications and required information must be received no later than May 9, 2011. Finalists will be sent a follow-up questionnaire that must be returned by June 1, 2011. Scholarship awards will be announced at the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Summer Meeting in July 2011.

How to apply To receive an application, simply fill out and mail the accompanying coupon or contact your local electric cooperative office. If you would like to receive the application via email, please include your email address or visit our website, www.prea.com, for more information.

Applicant: To request a scholarship application, mail coupon to: The Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memory of William F. Matson P. O. Box 1266 Harrisburg, Pa. 17108-1266

Attention Past Rural Electric Youth Tour Students At least two $1,000 scholarships in memory of Jody Loudenslager are available through the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memory of William F. Matson for the 2011-12 college year. fill out and mail this coupon ___________________________________________________________ Name

Who is eligible?

The scholarship is available to any college-bound or college student who participated in the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA) Youth Tour. Applicants need to furnish necessary aptitude test scores, GPA and financial need information.

Dates to remember ___________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________________ State Zip ___________________________________________________________ Email address ___________________________________________________________ Name of your electric cooperative ___________________________________________________________ Year on Youth Tour

All applications and required information must be received no later than May 9, 2011. Finalists will be sent a follow-up questionnaire that must be returned by June 1, 2011. Scholarship awards will be announced at the PREA Summer Meeting in July 2011.

How to apply To receive an application, simply fill out and mail the accompanying coupon to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. If you would like to receive the application via email, please include your email address or visit our website, www.prea.com, for more information.

Jody Loudenslager, a 1995 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Youth Tour student from Trout Run, Pa., was among the 230 passengers killed July 17, 1996, when TWA Flight 800 exploded shortly after take-off from New York.

Since Jody was committed to higher education, the scholarship was created to honor her and help Youth Tour participants with college costs.

PUNCHlines

Thoughts from Earl Pitts, UHMERIKUN! Earl is having trouble adjusting to latest technology changes

Social commentary from Earl Pitts —— a.k.a.

GARY BURBANK , a nationally syndicated radio personality —— can be heard on the following radio stations that cover electric cooperative service territories in Pennsylvania: WANB-FM 103.1 Pittsburgh; WARM-AM 590 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; WIOO-AM 1000 Carlisle; WEEO-AM 1480 Shippensburg; WMTZ-FM 96.5 Johnstown; WQBR-FM 99.9/92.7 McElhattan; WLMI-FM 103.9 Kane; and WVNW-FM 96.7 Burnham-Lewistown.

I think y’all know by now that I have decided not to participate in the technology revolution.

So it should be no surprise that I like the old-fashioned phones. Namely, the ones stuck to the wall in the kitchen.

Heck, they lost me when they got rid of the dial. I don’t need no i-Phone, p-Phone, g-Phone or d-Phone.

Course, you know my better half — she’s keepin’ up with all this stuff. Or she pretends she does, anyways. She told me last night, “Earl, we’re gonna go an’ get you a new phone.” So we went over last night to the fancy, whizz-bang phone store.

It was like walkin’ onto the bridge of the Star Ship Enterprise. This is where some pencil-necked geeks go out of their way to make you feel inferior. You don’t even walk up to the counter an’ ask for help. You log onto their computer, an’ put your name in line! The dork is standin’ right there behind the counter, but he can’t see you until you put your stinkin’ name in the dang computer!!!

Well, I was about to put my fist in his computer, but I think Captain Kirk finally looked up an’ must’ a felt sorry for us. He asked what we needed, an’ my better half says, “My husband needs a new phone.”

He looks at me an’ he goes, “What do you want to do with your phone?” An’ I go, “Hmmmmm, talk to people, Sherlock!!!” Well, he looks at my better half, an’ then they both roll their eyes. Which is wonderful — you’re gettin’ tag-team belittled by your better half an’ the captain of the Geek Squad.

He says, “Are you gonna text?” I go, “No.” He goes, “Are you gonna take pictures?” I go, “No.” He goes, “Are you gonna access the internet or download apps?” I go, “No.” He goes, “Are you gonna tweet?” I go, “No, I’m gonna twalk.

To my fwiends!!!”

Wake up, America! Yeah, I think I stumped him. Apparently in today’s America, I am the missing link. But I did get a phone, but I don’t know how to answer it.

You know what makes me so mad I just wanna take me a’ inch worm an’ stretch him to a foot an’ a half?

I have discovered a disturbin’ trend in America today, an’ I’m here to warn y’all about it. See what happened was that me an’ the Meeker boys was down at the bowlin’ alley last night doin’ what we do best — beatin’ up on them bowlin’ pins.

Anyways, Mickie, the cocktail waitress, come up with a round a’ long-necks an’ she goes, “How was them pork chops you had for dinner last night, Earl?”

I go, “What in the world, girl? I still got some pork on my face?” She goes, “No, I been readin’ Pearl’s Facebook page…”

Then Runt Wilson come in here with his better half an’ she goes, “I seen where you’re takin’ Pearl to the mall tomorrow, Earl.” An’ Mickie chimes in, sayin, “On Facebook.”

OK, way too many people know way too much about my bidness. An’ I think I just found the leak.

I do not want my better half givin’ a blow by blow dee-scription a’ our life to complete strangers on the computer. Is that too much to ask? An’ it ain’t ‘cause we’re doin’ anything ee-legal, ee-moral or even remotely interestin.’ It’s just because, No. 1, it ain’t nobody else’s bidness but ours. An’ No. 2, it’s creepy.

That’s right. It’s dang creepy! That’s how come I don’t get on that there Facebook thing an’ cruise around like a computer Peepin’ Tom. I’m barely interested in my own life an’ I sure as heck ain’t interested in yours.

But there’s people out there — an’ you know who you are — that think the rest of us are sittin’ by our computers breathlessly waitin’ for your kid’s sixth-grade pictures to be posted. An’ we can’t wait to hear about your trip to the dentist.

If that was the case, lemme tell you somethin’ — we both need a life!

Wake up, America. Here’s the deal, you Facebook freaks. You wanna know what I’m eatin’ for supper tonight, don’t go on the computer to find out. Just come by the Duck Inn later tonight an’ I’ll burp on you.

I’m Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun. l JANUARY 2011 • PENN

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RURALreflections The 2010 winners IT’S ALWAYS difficult to choose the winners of the annual Rural Reflections contest from among photos submitted by Penn Lines readers, and 2010 was no exception, as our panel of judges discovered.

Penn Lines readers once again responded to our call for their favorite photos with hundreds of great shots submitted during the year. After the photo contest ended, our panel of 25 judges narrowed down the selection to the winners featured this month. Each of the winning entries will receive a $75 prize, but all of the readers who submitted photos during the past year deserve our thanks.

Next month, Penn Lines will publish the judges’ other favorite shots from 2010. In March, we will begin publishing our 2011 photos, so start sending us your spring photos now.

To be eligible for the 2011 contest prizes, send your snapshots (no professional photos, please) to: Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg PA 17108-1266. On the back of each photo, include your name, address, phone number and the name of the electric cooperative that serves your home, business or seasonal residence. (The best way to include this information is by affixing an address label to the back of the photo. Please do not use ink gel or roller pens to write on the photo as they bleed onto other photos.)

Remember, our publication deadlines require that we work ahead, so send your seasonal photos in early. We need spring photos before mid-January; summer photos before mid-April; fall photos before mid-July and winter photos before mid-September.

Photos that are not seasonal may be sent at anytime.

Again, thank you for participating in the 2010 “Rural Reflections” contest and congratulations to our winners. Please note: photos postmarked after Jan. 1, 2010, will not be returned unless a self-addressed, self-stamped envelope was included with the photo. l

BEST ANIMAL

Kim Templin Northwestern REC

MOST ARTISTIC

Tim Reese Somerset REC

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BEST LANDSCAPE BEST HUMAN SUBJECT

Thad J. Corwin United EC

Sean and Katy Spencer Northwestern REC

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Mary Lou Arford REA Energy

JANUARY 2011 • PENN

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Flush out your arteries — with oats!

Ease arthritis — with honey!

Keep your brain sharp — with blueberries!

“The #1 Cause of Big Bellies — It’s Not What You Think!”

(By Frank K. Wood) If you want to discover foods that will lower your blood pressure, cut your risk of heart disease, help you lose weight, and more — while trimming your grocery spending, too! — you need Your Body Can Heal Itself: Over 87 Foods Everyone Should Eat, an informative new book just released to the public by FC&A Medical Publishing© in Peachtree City, Georgia.

You’ll be amazed to know your kitchen is full of proven remedies — right now! See the delicious fruit juice that can help keep your mind sharp, the tasty sweet treat that can give you a good night’s sleep, and the easy breakfast favorite that can lower your cholesterol. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

The authors provide many health tips with full explanations.

One miracle food contains nutrients that coat your arteries like a non-stick spray! #1 cause of big bellies: Trim your waistline by switching to a tastier alternative!

Before you use an herbal supplement, make sure it’s safe by checking here.

Get a good night’s sleep when you munch a handful of this fruit before bedtime.

One extra serving a day of this fruit can fight strokes, obesity, and heart disease!

Drink it to boost bones and battle osteoporosis. Surprise! It’s not milk.

Cut your risk of memory failure in half! Eating just one food makes that much difference!

Don’t lose your vision! Eat the foods that’ll keep your eyesight sharp for years to come.

This little fruit not only fights off pesky infections, it actually works when antibiotics don’t!

The berry that may protect your vision!

How a healthy 50¢ meal can help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol!

The most important food you can eat — for

more energy, a more youthful body, and longer life.

Slash your risk of Alzheimer’s with just 3 glasses a week!

The 6 most dangerous foods in the country: One could be on your breakfast plate!

Foods that lower your blood pressure, cut your risk of heart disease, and curb weight!

Common spice blocks inflammation, helping you ward off arthritis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s!

Delicious three-in-one remedy soothes a sore throat, stops a cough, plus helps you sleep.

Digestive problems, joint pain, fatigue, and more could be caused by this common food ingredient!

Want to live a longer, healthier life? Then you should eat this twice a week.

The seasoning that can help reduce deaths from heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Eat this cereal daily and help prevent constipation, colon cancer — even weight gain!

The most inexpensive meat goes from tough to tender ... with just a tablespoon of this pantry item.

Save $50 to $150 a month on the foods you love when you follow these 9 shopping secrets.

Crush your cravings for sweet snacks with one simple secret. Try it. It’s easy!

Give your arteries a good scrub naturally with this food.

Little-known herbal medication can help reduce dementia symptoms and make people more cheerful!

Just one serving per day lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke by 11%!

One creamy, delicious food fortifies the immune system, bolsters bones, and helps you lose weight!

Lose weight, lower cholesterol, and improve insulin levels with this fruit!

One healthy oil lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, plus it relieves constipation, naturally!

Avoid high blood pressure and add delicious flavor to your meals with spices rich in antioxidants.

What type of fruit should you avoid? You’ll find it in nearly every store.

This could be your body’s first line of defense against stroke, high cholesterol, and heart damage.

Gain strength, stay sharp, and keep your bones strong with this energy-boosting power food!

Arthritis pain? Try ginger!

If you’re feeling bloated or gassy, reach for this tropical treat.

Have it before dinner, and you’ll eat less.

Weight-loss secrets your doctor doesn’t tell you.

Keep your energy up throughout a busy morning with this fruity, high fiber breakfast.

Learn all these amazing secrets and more.

To order a copy, just return this coupon with your name and address and a check for $9.99 plus $3.00 shipping and handling to: FC&A, Dept. 3F-3363, 103 Clover Green, Peachtree City, GA 30269. We will send you a copy of Your Body Can Heal Itself.

You get a no-time-limit guarantee of satisfaction or your money back.

You must cut out and return this coupon with your order. Copies will not be accepted!

IMPORTANT — FREE GIFT OFFER EXPIRES MARCH 7, 2011 All orders mailed by March 7, 2011, will receive a free gift, Lose 150 Pounds in 15 Months, Naturally: Your Handbook to Permanent Weight Loss, guaranteed. Order ©FC&A 2011 right away!