Penn Lines October 2010

OCTOBER 2010

Political spotlight

of the vine PLUS Fruit Steam savings No bad bulbs

Discover More:™

Wooden Play Set Barn doors B d open & close. l Lift hay bales with working pulley!

The Starter Set can be yours for the attractive price of $79.99, payable in 4 convenient installments of only $19.99*. We’ll bill you for your first installment along with shipment of the Starter Set. Subsequent sets—with more track sections, John Deere vehicles, buildings, and accessories—will be billed at the same affordable price and will arrive about every other month. You may cancel at any time simply by notifying us. This unique play set is backed by our 30-Day Guarantee, so you risk nothing. To order, send no money now, just mail the attached coupon today!

A Remarkable Value... Order now!

Starter Set includes a John Deere Tractor with Trailer, Big Red Barn, Farmer figurine, 2 hay bales, 6 corn stalks, 2 wind turbines,Welcome Sign and an 8-piece Track Set… all that's needed to start playing.

Begin the fun with your Starter Set!

John Deere “Welcome to the Farm”

For ages 3 and up!

“Old MacDonald had a farm ..."

And in addition to all those animals, he must have had a John Deere as well! Now little “farmers” will have hours of fun with our “Welcome to the Farm” play set! Safe, rolling wheels help the John Deere tractors, combine, and other farm vehicles easily roll all around the farm. There’s a Big Red Barn with doors that open and close, a real working pulley for lifting bales of hay and a Farmer's Market with a sliding door to roll the veggies right in! Tots can constantly change the scenery with movable track layouts. All they need is their own marvelous imagination!

Superbly crafted for years of safe play and enjoyment!

Crafted of natural hardwood, each smoothly sanded wooden piece is handcrafted and hand-painted in accordance with U.S. guidelines and our own strict quality and safety standards.

©2010 The Bradford Exchange

01-10369-001-BI

www.bradfordexchange.com/JDfarm

Spout lifts and lowers!

A N In va ot St ilab o l r es e !

Push lever to open Farmers Market door!

Entire track measures approx. 38" long x 36" wide; vehicles are 3" long x 2" high.

Limited Time Offer—Please Respond Promptly!

SEND NO MONEY NOW.

THE BRADFORD EXCHANGE, 9345 N MILWAUKEE AVE., NILES, IL 60714-9891

Name (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY)

State

Apt. No.

902116-E66101

Zip

There’s No Risk with Our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Yes! Please enter my Charter Subscription for the John Deere "Welcome to the Farm" Wooden Play Set beginning with the Starter Set. The Starter Set includes the John Deere Tractor with Trailer, Big Red Bran, Farmer figurine, 2 hay bales, 6 corn stalks, 2 wind turbines, Welcome Sign and an 8-piece Track Set to make a full circle.

Signature Mrs. Mr. Ms.

* Plus $9.99 shipping and service. All sales subject to acceptance and product availability. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Address

City

OCTOBER Vol. 45 • No. 10 Peter A. Fitzgerald EDITOR/DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Katherine Hackleman SENIOR EDITOR/WRITER

James Dulley Janette Hess Barbara Martin Marcus Schneck

4

E N E R G Y M AT T E R S Get the facts before buying into wind power

6

F E AT U R E

Election endorsements

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

W. Douglas Shirk

The Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE), the political action arm of your local electric cooperative, announces support for 63 federal and state legislative candidates

LAYOUT & DESIGN

Vonnie Kloss ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION

Michelle M. Smith

6

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.

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

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

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

10

KEEPING CURRENT News items from across the Commonwealth

12

F E AT U R E

Cooperative scholars Winners of statewide electric cooperative scholarships announced

14A C O O P E R AT I V E

CO N N ECT I O N

Information and advice from your local electric co-op

16

16

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

18

Growing up in state parks Family camping experiences leave lifetime of memories

18

COUNTRY KITCHEN

Fruit of the vine 20

SMART CIRCUITS

Steam savings Steam ovens offer a more efficient cooking option

21

POWER PLANTS

No bad bulbs

Board officers and staff, Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association: Chairman, Tim Burkett; Vice Chairman, S. Eugene Herritt; Secretary, Lanny Rodgers; Treasurer, Kevin Barrett; President & CEO, Frank M. Betley © 2010 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.

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

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

22

CLASSIFIEDS

24

TIME LINES Your newsmagazine through the years

25

PUNCH LINES

27

Thoughts from Earl Pitts– Uhmerikun!

Earl loves to say ‘I told you so,’ but he hates to hear it

27

RURAL REFLECTIONS

Final call for 2010 photos

O N T H E COV E R As corporate and community citizens, electric cooperatives take an active role in the political process through endorsements by the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE).

Photo of Pennsylvania State Capitol by Kathy Hackleman OCTOBER 2010 • PENN

LINES

3

ENERGYmatters

CENTRAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE/OKLAHOMA

recent years, small wind turbines have become more reliable and, to a degree, prices have come down as more are built.

More dealers are offering a better choice of products, and more experienced installers are available to erect the units.

So is installing a wind turbine at

By Bob Gibson your home a good idea? That depends on two basic factors: your motivation MORE and more people are attracted to and your location. the idea of generating their own electric If your motivation is to save money — power through the use of “backyard” to spend less on electricity than you do renewable energy systems. Small wind today — or to make money — expecting turbines are one of the most popular the small wind turbine will choices, but careful study earn you a profit by selling and assistance from your power back to your local cooperative can ensure you electric cooperative — proknow the facts before buyceed with care. Even though ing one of these systems. federal tax credits and utilThe spinning fan of a ity incentives and rebates windmill pumping water have helped lower the cost from a well was once a for some, in most parts of common sight across rural the country it remains diffiAmerica. When electric cult to generate electricity at cooperatives began lighting a price equal to or lower up the countryside in the than what you’ll obtain late 1930s, farmers and from your electric cooperarural residents began tive. While wind that blows replacing the mechanical through your property may energy of the windmill with be free, the equipment electricity from power lines. needed to capture that wind The wind turbines seen is not, and wind does not today are distant cousins to blow all the time. those windmills. The essenElectric utilities are tial difference is that today’s required by law to buy your wind systems — generally a excess power. But in many three-blade rotor connected areas they are only required to a generator and tail and to pay the same price they mounted on a tower — conpay any other power generverts wind energy into elecator — what in utility jartricity, rather than simply gon is called “avoided cost.” turning gears to lift water.

But even where your bill The most popular residenmight be credited for wind tial-scale wind turbines can DO YOUR HOMEWORK: Be sure power at retail rates, called generate between around to check your local zoning laws net metering, the sale of 2 kilowatts of power — before investing in a wind turthose kilowatts won’t make about one-third to one-half bine – some local laws restrict you rich. Paying back the of what a typical home heights or where it can be cost of installing a wind placed on your property. needs — to 10 kilowatts. In 4

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

CENTRAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE/OKLAHOMA

Get the facts before buying into wind power

RESIDENTIAL WIND TURBINE: This small, residential wind turbine stands about 46 feet tall, compared to the 300-feet heights reached by utility-scale wind turbines.

turbine, which runs from several thousand dollars to $50,000, can take several years to several decades.

You also need to consider your location. In more densely settled areas, local zoning laws may prohibit the construction of a wind turbine. But in any location, you must know just how much wind you have, day after day. In these calculations, average wind speed becomes critical.

While the federal government has mapped out average wind speeds across the country (check at www.nrel.gov/wind), each specific site is unique, affected by factors such as elevation and obstruction from buildings and trees. Better wind speeds are found higher off the ground, and there can be a huge difference between wind speeds at the 300-foot heights that large-scale wind turbines have and the 80- to 100-feet height of a small wind turbine. (continues on page 14)

No. It won’t make your morning coffee.

But it might make your day.

The Bose Wave music system ®

®

An all-in-one music system with built-in CD player, FM/AM tuner, clock and alarm.

You control them all with a convenient credit card-style remote.

Free shipping with your order.

“...you’ll think you’re listening to a…sound system that costs five times more.”

– Forbes FYI

To experience it for yourself with a risk-free, 30-day home trial:

1-800-925-9738 ext. TW534 www.Bose.com/WMS

Take advantage of our easy payment plan with no interest charges from Bose.

©2010 Bose Corporation. Patent rights issued and/or pending. The distinctive design of the Wave® music system is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation. Financing and free shipping offers not to be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases, and subject to change without notice. Risk free refers to 30-day trial only, requires product purchase and does not include return shipping. Delivery is subject to product availability. Quote reprinted with permission: Thomas Jackson, Forbes FYI, Winter/04.

Politically Involved The Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE) — the political action arm of electric cooperatives — endorses the following eight congressional and 55 legislative candidates to represent electric cooperative service areas in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The recommendations are based on the candidates’ support for and voting record regarding rural electrification and their stance on various rural and consumer concerns, in accordance with ACRE bylaws.

U.S. Senate (Pa.) No endorsement

By voting for these men and women on Nov. 2, you will help ensure your local electric cooperative has a voice before Congress and the state legislature.

In the following list, incumbents endorsed or actions taken on seats held by incumbents are listed in boldface. Actions taken on open seats are indicated in bold italics. Electric cooperatives represented are noted after each state House, Senate or congressional district.

U.S. House of Rep. (N.J.) Scott Garrett (R) 5th District (Sussex REC)

U.S. House of Representatives (Pa.) Kathy Dahlkemper (D)

Glenn Thompson (R)

Chris Carney (D)

Tim Murphy (R)

3rd District (Central EC, Northwestern REC, REA Energy, United EC, Warren EC)

5th District (Central EC, Northwestern REC, REA Energy, Tri-County REC, United EC, Valley REC, Warren EC)

10th District (Claverack REC, Sullivan County REC, Tri-County REC)

18th District (Somerset REC)

Jason Altmire (D)

Bill Shuster (R)

No Endorsement

Todd Platts (R)

12th District (REA Energy, Somerset REC)

19th District (Adams EC)

9th District (Adams EC, Bedford REC, New Enterprise REC, REA Energy, Somerset REC, United EC, Valley REC)

4th District (Central EC)

Pennsylvania State Senate Lisa Baker (R) 20th District (Claverack REC)

Mike Waugh (R) 28th District (Adams EC)

John Eichelberger (R)

Jake Corman (R)

Jane Clare Orie (R)

30th District (Bedford REC, New Enterprise REC, REA Energy, Somerset REC, Valley REC)

34th District (United EC, Valley REC)

40th District (Central EC)

Richard Kasunic (D)

Jim Ferlo (D)

Bob Robbins (R)

38th District (REA Energy)

50th District (Central EC, Northwestern REC)

32nd District (Somerset REC)

Paid for by the Action Committee for Rural Electrification.

6

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives John Hornaman (D)

Michele Brooks (R)

Donna Oberlander (R)

Frank Burns (D)

3rd District (Northwestern REC)

17th District (Northwestern REC)

63rd District (Central EC, REA Energy, United EC)

72nd District (REA Energy, Somerset REC)

Curt Sonney (R)

Frank Dermody (D)

Scott Hutchinson (R)

Gary Haluska (D)

4th District (Northwestern REC, Warren EC)

33rd District (Central EC)

64th District (Central EC, Northwestern REC)

73rd District (REA Energy, United EC)

John Evans (R)

Keith Gillespie (R)

Kathy Rapp (R)

Camille “Bud” George (D)

5th District (Northwestern REC)

47th District (Adams EC)

Brad Roae (R)

Tim Mahoney (D)

6th District (Northwestern REC)

65th District (Central EC, Northwestern REC, United EC, Warren EC)

Sam Smith (R)

74th District (REA Energy, United EC)

Matt Gabler (R)

51st District (Somerset REC)

66th District (REA Energy, United EC)

Richard Stevenson (R)

Joseph Petrarca (D)

Martin Causer (R)

8th District (Central EC)

55th District (REA Energy)

67th District (Tri-County REC)

76th District (Tri-County REC, United EC)

Jaret Gibbons (D)

Mike Reese (R)

Matt Baker (R)

Dick Hess (R)

59th District (Somerset REC)

68th District (Claverack REC, Tri-County REC)

78th District (Bedford REC, New Enterprise REC, Valley REC)

Brian Ellis (R)

Jeff Pyle (R)

Carl Metzgar (R)

Rick Geist (R)

11th District (Central EC)

60th District (Central EC, REA Energy)

69th District (Bedford REC, Somerset REC)

79th District (Valley REC)

Daryl Metcalfe (R)

Dave Reed (R)

Bryan Barbin (D)

Jerry Stern (R)

71st District (REA Energy)

80th District (Bedford REC, New Enterprise REC, REA Energy, Valley REC)

10th District (Central EC)

12th District (Central EC)

62nd District (REA Energy)

OCTOBER 2010 • PENN

75th District (United EC)

Mike Hanna (D)

LINES

7

Pennsylvania State House, cont.

Mike Fleck (R)

Rob Kauffman (R)

81st District (New Enterprise REC, Valley REC)

89th District (Adams EC)

C. Adam Harris (R) 82nd District (Valley REC)

Garth Everett (R)

Mark K. Keller (R)

Kerry Benninghoff (R) 171st District (Valley REC)

Tina Pickett (R)

Will Tallman (R)

91st District (Adams EC)

110th District (Claverack REC, Sullivan County REC, Tri-County REC)

193rd District (Adams EC)

Scott Perry (R)

Sandra Major (R)

Seth Grove (R)

Ron Miller (R) 93rd District (Adams EC)

86th District (Adams EC, Valley REC)

94th District (Adams EC)

Dan Moul (R)

92nd District (Adams EC)

84th District (Sullivan County REC, Tri-County REC)

Stan Saylor (R)

111th District (Claverack REC)

196th District (Adams EC)

Karen Boback (R)

No Endorsement

117th District (Claverack REC)

199th District (Adams EC)

Paid for by the Action Committee for Rural Electrification.

Remember to vote on Election Day November 2 8

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

Today, homeowners around the world are discovering superior energy savings using WaterFurnace geothermal comfort systems. A WaterFurnace system taps into the clean, renewable energy found in your own backyard to provide savings up to 70% on heating, cooling and hot water. And with additional benefits like no outdoor unit, and safe, clean, quiet, reliable operation, a WaterFurnace geothermal unit makes a typical furnace and air conditioner seem, well... just plain ordinary. Make the smart move to geothermal by calling your local WaterFurnace Dealer today.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL WATERFURNACE DEALER Bedford Knisely & Sons (814) 623-9086

Hollidaysburg Knisely & Sons (814) 693-8744

North Cambria Kupetz Plumbing & Htg (814) 948-6460

Eastern Pennsylvania Mike Fink, WF Territory Mgr. (800) 934-5160 x8853

Carbondale T.E. Spall & Son (570) 282-3000

Newville Whisler’s Plumbing & Htg (717) 776-6211

York R.E. Sanders Inc. (717) 843-7894

Western Pennsylvania John Cari, WF Territory Mgr. (800) 934-5160 x8816

Factoryville Jim Lamberti Heating (570) 945-9460

Visit us at waterfurnace.com | (800) GEO-SAVE

Š2010 WaterFurnace is a registered trademark of WaterFurnace International, Inc. *Based upon ARI13256-1 (GLHP - Part Load Ratings)

KEEPINGcurrent ’40 for 40’ to raise funds for Flight 93 memorial Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier is working to bring 39 other Steelers alumni together with families of the 40 passengers and crew mem-

bers who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, crash of Flight 93 near Shanksville in Somerset County.

Bleier hopes the fundraiser, scheduled for Nov. 17, 2010, at Heinz Field, will bring in more than $250,000 toward the construction of a memorial to mark the site where Flight 93 crashed after passengers tried to take back the hijacked plane. Flight 93 was traveling from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco.

Construction of the national memorial is under way with dedication of the first phase expected to come in time for the 10th anniversary of the crash in 2011.

Employees of Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative were among the first people at the scene when they began responding to reports of electric outages in the area. Playing a part in the recent memorial construction, cooperative crews moved the overhead line and will be installing underground lines in the area of the crash site.

After the underground line is complete, the remaining overhead lines will be retired.

Pennsylvania institutes tougher poaching penalties A law establishing a new slate of fines and penalties for persons convicted of various poaching-related offenses went into effect in Pennsylvania in September.

Act 54 of 2010 was introduced in the House as House Bill 1859 under the sponsorship of House Game and Fisheries Committee Chairman Edward G. 10

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

Staback (D-Lackawanna).

Before the passage of this legislation, a poacher could kill any game animal in Pennsylvania and the penalty was the legal equivalent of a traffic ticket with no possibility of jail time.

Under the new law, persons who are convicted of killing five or more big game animals (deer, elk, bear and turkey) or who have three big game poaching offenses within seven years will face possible felony-level penalties ranging from $1,000 up to $15,000, loss of license privileges for up to 15 years, and sentences of up to three years in prison. The poaching of a single deer now carries a minimum of a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail, with five years of license revocation.

The new law also includes increased penalties for the buying and selling of game, increased fines for summary offenses, such as using unlawful methods or devices; increased penalties for killing threatened or endangered species; and increased jail time for non-payment of fines.

Farmers in 38 counties eligible for emergency assistance loans Farmers in 38 Pennsylvania counties are eligible for emergency loans following a U.S. Department of Agriculture declaration designed to help producers recover from crop losses associated with

NATURALselections Adams Electric Cooperative member Jim Minnicks recently photographed this timber rattler on his property located on North Mountain between Carlisle and Newville in Cumberland County. This snake was one of two rattlers he captured and relocated this summer. Minnicks has lived on the south side of North Mountain for more than 30 years, during which time he has caught and relocated 18 timber rattlers. He has found most of them during hot, dry summers like the summer of 2010.

dry weather conditions this past summer, according to Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding.

“Dry conditions experienced throughout much of the state this summer have resulted in considerable crop loss for Pennsylvania farmers, affecting their ability to maintain profitable businesses,” Redding stated. “I thank U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for acting swiftly to help our farmers recover from these losses and safeguard the state’s agriculture industry.”

The 16 counties declared primary disaster areas are: Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union and York.

An additional 22 counties were named contiguous disaster areas. They include: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Delaware, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Sullivan, Wayne and Wyoming.

Eligible farmers in both the primary disaster area and the contiguous disaster area may apply for low-interest emergency loans through their county Farm Service Agency. Contact a local Farm Service Agency office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov for more information. l

NEW! Experience the unprecedented performance of the Cyclone Rake Z-10. The exclusive 10-inch diameter JetPath™ Vacuum System gives 3-times the debris flow-area of six-inch systems to vacuum and mulch the toughest debris, even if it’s wet.

With 415 gallons of debris capacity, you can clear large areas without stopping. When you’re done, the Cyclone Rake folds flat for storage.

12-MONTH RISK-FREE TRIAL Models starting at

$995

CALL TOLL-FREE TO REQUEST A FREE CATALOG & DVD.

1-800-569-4473 or visit www.CycloneRake.com Mention the Discount Code PL1010 when you call, or enter it on our web site for a special discount on any Cyclone Rake model.

Woodland Power Products, Inc., 72 Acton St., West Haven, CT 06516

Folds Up Flat!

PREA announces scholarship winners Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarship in Memory of William F. Matson Eleven Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarships in Memory of William F. Matson were recently awarded to outstanding students whose homes are served by rural electric cooperatives.

The recipients of the scholarships this year are Wyatt Albert, Diana Baker, Sarah Bristow, Cody Houck, Ian MacKenzie, Casey Northcraft, Kelsey Parfitt, Hannah Pratt, Katie Sefton, Karli Spangler and Jennie Vorhauer.

Wyatt Albert, son of Randy and Vicky Albert, lives in Graham Township, Clearfield County. A 2010 honor student graduate of West Branch Area High School, he was active Wyatt Albert in Drama Club, show choir, track team, Engineering Club and National Honor Society. He is attending Messiah College, where he is majoring in mechanical engineering. He is a member of United Electric Cooperative.

Diana Baker, a graduate of Shanksville-Stonycreek High School, is a government/pre-law major in the honors program at Liberty University. The first student from her Diana Baker school to be named a National Merit Commended Scholar, she was active in National Honor Society, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Student Council, varsity volleyball, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, scholastic scrimmage, Teens Against Alcohol Abuse, and student newspaper. The daughter of Mike and Jane Baker of Shanksville, she is a member of Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative.

Sarah Bristow is a freshman at Bryn Mawr College, where she plans to pursue a degree in the medical field. She is an honors graduate of 12

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

Saegertown High School, where she participated in Chamber Singers, Key Club, National Honor Society, and the Junior Engineering and TechSarah Bristow nical Society Team.

The daughter of Geoff and Renee Bristow of Saegertown, she is a member of Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative.

Cody Houck has been accepted at the University of Pittsburgh, where he plans to major in civil engineering. A high honor student throughout his years at Linesville High School, he particCody Houck ipated in National Honor Society, JETS Academic Challenge Team, Student Council, Stand Tall, Ski Club and Bullpen Club, and was named to the all-region soccer and baseball teams.

The son of Julie Hood Houck and Thomas N. Houck Jr. of Conneaut Lake, he is a member of Warren Electric Cooperative.

Ian MacKenzie, a member of Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative, has been homeschooled all of his life. He is the Erie Junior Chess Champion, and also plays baseball, basketball and floor hockey. He is Ian MacKenzie attending Geneva College in Beaver Falls, where he is majoring in chemistry. He is the son of Robert and Robin MacKenzie of Union City.

Casey Northcraft, daughter of Mary Buterbaugh of Breezewood, graduated from Everett High School, where she participated in varsity volleyball and basketball, and was involved in EnviCasey Northcraft ronthon, Student Council, Everett Athletic Association, Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor

Society, and Spanish Honor Society.

She is a student at the University of Pittsburgh, where she is majoring in chemical engineering. She is a member of Bedford Rural Electric Association.

Kelsey Parfitt, valedictorian of the 2010 senior class at Penns Manor High School, is attending the University of Pittsburgh, where she is majoring in pre-medicine. The daughter of Kelsey Parfitt Luke and Suzanne Parfitt of Northern Cambria, she was president of Student Council, vice president of National Honor Society and editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. She also participated in Future Business Leaders of America, Spanish Club, Environmental Club, Varsity Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions and the Heritage Conference math team, as well as the varsity basketball, volleyball and track teams. She is a member of REA Energy Cooperative.

Hannah Pratt is a freshman at Messiah College, where she is majoring in Christian ministries.

Franklin High School’s valedictorian, she is the daughter of Michael and Janet Hannah Pratt Pratt of Polk. She was president of her high school’s concert choir, vice president of National Honor Society, and a member of the marching band, madrigal, class council, Broadcast and Stand Tall. She is a member of Central Electric Cooperative.

Katie Sefton, daughter of Richard and Dora Sefton of Saxonburg, is a graduate of Knoch High School, where she was a member of National Honor Society, Ski Club, German Club Katie Sefton and Future Business Leaders of America.

She also was a majorette in the high school band, performed in two musicals and played lacrosse. She is attend-

ing Grove City College majoring in electrical engineering. She is a member of Central Electric Cooperative.

Karli Spangler is attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she is majoring in music education. A resident of Summerville and a graduate of Brookville Area High School, she Karli Spangler was involved in many organizations, including concert band, marching band, jazz band, chamber singers, select women’s ensemble, musicals, district and regional band and choir, district orchestra, National Honor Society and class officer. The daughter of Jerry and Lori Spangler, she is a member of United Electric Cooperative.

Jennie Vorhauer, a recent graduate of Central Cambria High School, is attending Allegheny College in Meadville, where she is majoring in biology with a minor in English. While in high Jennie Vorhauer school, she participated in French Club, National Honor Society, reading competition and a junior mentoring program. The daughter of Allan and Regina Vorhauer of Summerville, she is a member of REA Energy Cooperative.

PREA Scholarships are awarded each year to students from rural electric cooperative service areas in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Selection is based on academic excellence, cooperative membership, community involvement and need. The scholarship program is named for William F. Matson, who served for 22 years as president of PREA and Allegheny until his death in June 1986. More than 500 students applied for scholarships this year.

Jody Loudenslager Memorial Scholarship Three former Rural Electric Youth Tour participants have been named Jody Loudenslager Memorial Scholarship recipients, including Russell

Bopp, Brianna Isenberg and Sheena Zolla.

Russell Bopp is a junior at Grove City College, where he is majoring in political science with a minor in communications and legal studies. He takes part in college activities with a special interest in the Young Russell Bopp Life organization. After graduating, he plans to attend graduate school for an MBA or law degree.

Bopp, the son of Kathy Yackubosky and Randy Bopp of Indiana, is a graduate of Marion Center Area High School. He is a member of REA Energy Cooperative.

Brianna Isenberg, a member of REA Energy Cooperative, is a junior at Penn State University, where she is majoring in animal sciences. She is an assistant in the animal reproduction lab, a Brianna Isenberg member of the Block and Bridle Club, and leads tours for prospective Penn State students. She has been inducted into Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and the Golden Key International Honor Society. The daughter of Bret and Alisa Isenberg of Indiana, she is a graduate of United High School.

Sheena Zolla, a senior at Juniata College, is studying to be certified in the areas of early childhood education, elementary education and special education. She is a member of Juniata Sheena Zolla Instructors of the Future, Juniata Activities Board, Juniata Active Volunteer Association, Juniata College Wind Symphony and Juniata Active Minds.

A graduate of Somerset Area High School, she is a member of Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative. A resident of Friedens, she is the daughter of Dennis and Lori Zolla.

The Loudenslager Scholarship was created by the PREA Board of Direc-

tors in memory of Jody Loudenslager, a 17-year-old Youth Tour alumna who died on July 17, 1996, when TWA Flight 800 exploded shortly after takeoff from New York City. l

OCTOBER 2010 • PENN

LINES

13

ENERGYmatters

(continued from page 4) Before getting too far down the road at installing a small wind turbine, do your homework. That includes checking with your local electric cooperative well in advance of making a purchase. Being aware of your cooperative’s policies and procedures associated with interconnecting a wind system to the grid will avoid headaches, disappointments and unexpected costs.

The grid is a complex, interrelated machine and some costs may need to be incurred for studies or upgrades to preserve safety, reliability or quality of power.

Your cooperative may be able to help you estimate what those costs might be in advance and help you find additional opportunities for energy efficiency that could further reduce your electric bills.

To find out what incentives may be available in your state, go to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency at www.dsireusa.org.

Bob Gibson manages research programs in renewable energy and energy efficiency for the Cooperative Research Network, a service of the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. l

Interested in buying a wind turbine?

MAQUOKETA VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE/IOWA

MAKE SURE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS FIRST.

WIND, SOLAR DISPLAY: Some cooperatives have displays of small renewable energy generation systems that could be placed in a residential area, like this wind and solar display at Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative in Iowa.

14

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

1. How reliable is the rated energy output? How did you calculate the output?

What wind speeds did you use?

Experts advise ignoring peak output and power curves provided by vendors.

Rather, look for the monthly or annual energy output — in kilowatt-hours — for the turbine, estimated for the average wind speed that you expect or have measured at your site.

2. Is the inverter UL listed?

If the inverter (required to convert direct current power from the turbine to alternating current power of the grid) is not Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), listed, find another vendor. Most electric cooperatives require that an inverter carry a UL 1741 certification for interconnection with the grid.

3. What is the estimated total installed cost? What does the turbine cost? What does the tower cost? How much is installation estimated to cost? How much will interconnection cost? How much maintenance will be required and what will it cost?

Budget for labor expenses, as well as the cost of equipment rental, concrete and rebar, electrical components, shipping, and sales tax. It adds up fast.

4. How long is the warranty? What does it cover? Parts? Labor? Can it be extended? If so, what will it cost?

Warranties range from one to five years. The longer the warranty, the better. Make sure the warranty covers labor as well as parts. Ask owners of wind systems purchased from the same vendor about performance and reliability before making a decision on an extended warranty, if available.

If you live in an area prone to lightning strikes, you should strongly consider the option of lightning protection.

5. How long has the vendor been in business? How many turbines have they sold? Have their turbines been certified? Can they perform maintenance, or is there another licensed repair technician in the area?

Look for vendors that have been in business for at least five years or have acquired the product line of another vendor. In addition, ask the vendor for the names of at least two people who have installed a similar model wind turbine. Check with the references to ensure they are happy. Ask them if there was anything they wish they had known before investing in a turbine.

The Small Wind Certification Council has been conducting a small wind certification process in the United States (check at www.smallwindcertification.org). Small wind turbines can be certified using the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard — IEC 61400-2 -- for testing wind turbine power performance. This standard is increasingly used by U.S. manufacturers.

6. What are your electric cooperative’s interconnection policies? What will the cooperative pay for any excess energy you may produce?

Electric cooperatives must provide all of their members with safe, reliable, affordable electric service. Most cooperatives have interconnection policies designed to permit interested members to own their own generation without impacting the quality or cost of service received by other members. Knowing what those policies are before purchasing a wind turbine will help you better evaluate the full costs and benefits of the investment.

7. What local zoning laws, electrical codes, homeowners’ association requirements, or other local laws and standards apply to wind turbines?

Some local zoning ordinances and homeowners’ association policies restrict the height of wind turbines or require that they be set back a specified distance from the property line. Those restrictions may prevent you from taking advantage of the best wind resources or may require extra time to pursue a waiver or exception. Local electrical or building codes may also impose additional time or expense.

WHO KNEW A FRESH LAYER OF INSULATION WOULD HELP ME WEATHER THE ECONOMY? There was money hiding in my a ttic. Not an ymore. I’m sa ving $240 a year just by adding insula tion. Wha t can you do? Find out ho w the little changes add up a t TogetherWeSa ve.com.

TOGE THERW E S AV E .COM

OUTDOORadventures

by Marcus Schneck

Growing up in state parks

FORGET the fact that an entire tenting campsite remains to be pulled from the back of the Explorer, erected and arranged in the hour or less of daylight remaining; we just drove through the gate of a Pennsylvania state park and the world seems just a bit better of a place.

Regardless of the diversity among individual parks, Pennsylvania’s system of 117 state parks across the state — at least one in 61 of the state’s 67 counties — always seems to have that feeling of coming home again.

Maybe it’s because I feel like I grew up in state parks.

Summer vacation memories from my childhood include many a week-long adventure with my parents in the parks — Poe Valley, Poe Paddy, Little Pine, Ole Bull, Hills Creek, Promised Land and Locust Lake. I don’t remember any of their names, but I recall on-and-off friendships across multiple summers with other MARCUS SCHNECK ,

outdoors editor at The Patriot-News and outdoor blogger at www.PennLive.com, is the author of more than two dozen outdoors books and a contributor to many state and national publications. You can reach him at mschneck@comcast.net.

16

PENN

PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU OF STATE PARKS

Family camping experiences leave lifetime of memories

kids my age whose families returned to the same parks at the same point in the summer year after year.

The relationship between state parks and me continued as I moved out of my parents’ home and began my own family life. My wife’s family never camped anywhere, but Jill went along with my urges to vacation in state parks.

Her family often visited our campsites, and on one occasion her brother and his wife joined us for an outing.

My son doesn’t even remember his first camping experience in a state park at age 2, but he’s familiar with a great many of the system’s campsites from the 16 years that followed. Most recently we slept in the back of the Explorer at World’s End State Park while attending the annual Pennsylvania Bowhunters’ Festival in Forksville.

Maybe it’s the memories —

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

like the family of skunks rummaging through our trash bag under the picnic table while Jill and I sat perfectly still and quiet at that same table, or the raccoons that broke into an insect cage filled with recently collected monarch caterpillars and made a midnight snack of the larvae, or the hundreds of gentle, quiet times spent around hundreds of campfires.

Maybe it’s the feel-good experience of the state parks.

Knowing that so much land in so many special places has been protected and yet opened to the public allows the philosopher in me to hope that maybe we humans can at times rise above our day-today concerns to achieve something bigger and better.

In that same vein, there’s a certain American pride in knowing that so many of our state parks originated in projects of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the workcamps of hundreds of young,

WORLD’S END STATE PARK: Seven mountains converge in this state park, making it seem like the world ends here.

unemployed men or veterans created in 1933 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help bring the country out of the Great Depression.

Although the remnants of the CCC work are gradually deteriorating and being replaced with more modern structures, the amazing stonework of fireplace chimneys and dam breasts, the massive log supports for picnic pavilion roofs, the ancient boards of the pit toilet bathhouses comprise my unending mental image of what a state park is at its best. I can’t mount an argument that modern flush toilets and hot showers have been a downgrade, not in the real world, but mental images built over a lifetime do tend to persist and grow even sweeter with time. l

FUTURE STEEL BUILDINGS Do-It-Yourself Steel Buildings

Ideal For: • Recreational Use • Boat Storage • Bunkie • Equipment Storage • Garage/Shop • PWC/Snowmobile

• 30-year perforation warranty • Full technical support from start to finish • Fully customized to meet your needs • Factory-direct savings

FREE! INFORMATION PACKAGE

Our building consultants are ready to take your call Ask for ext.

91

1-800-668-5111

)5((

'(32 6+,33 7 ,1 for a limit * e time d

'5 /($) DQG /$:1 9$&880 Š

/($9(6 127+,1* ,1 ,76 3$7+ / ($9(6 127+,1* ,1 ,76 3$7+

(;&(37 7+( &203(7,7,21 Put an end to fall cleanup hassle with a DRÂŽ LEAF and LAWN VACUUM. No other is built stronger or lasts longer.

8167233$%/( 32:(5 Collect and shred acres of leaves, pine cones, pine needles, grass clippings, nuts. +8*( &$3$&,7< Exclusive shredding action reduces debris 10:1, for more vacuuming and less unloading. %8,/7 72 /$67 Beefy steel frame, large hoses, hard shell collector, commercial engine options.

3/86 WALK-BEHIND MODELS AVAILABLE!

Call for a FREE DVD & Catalog!

72// )5((

ZZZ '5OHDIYDF FRP

70114X Š 2010

Call Toll Free Today for a

COUNTRYkitchen

by Janette He ss

Fruit of the vine BOTANICALLY speaking, the pumpkin is a fruit because it contains seeds. But it and its squash brethren also seem to resemble vegetables. No matter the classification, however, pumpkin is always a popular ingredient in autumn cuisine.

Most often associated with desserts, pumpkin also works as well with savory ingredients. Let the recipe for Harvest Bisque help you explore the world of savory pumpkin dishes, and let canned pumpkin ease your way. Rich and colorful, Harvest Bisque makes an elegant appetizer or first course.

If you prefer traditional pumpkin-flavored desserts but dislike the extra work of a pastry crust, try Pumpkin Bars. These easy bars provide all of the expected sugar and spice plus a bit of nutty crunch. If you prefer your pumpkin chilled, blend it with ice cream and several other treats and then serve it in a no-trick gingersnap crust.

So savory or sweet, these recipes will have your loved ones grinning like the jack-o’-lantern on your front porch! 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.

HARVEST BISQUE 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup diced onion ed 6 fresh mushrooms, dic ately 1/2 can) 1 cup pumpkin (approxim ed 1/2 apple, peeled and dic ed 2 medium carrots, dic 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup water 6 tablespoons cream (optional) 3 tablespoons sherry salt ing son sea on spo 1/2 tea dill ed 1/4 teaspoon dri 1/8 teaspoon pepper me 1/8 teaspoon dried thy te tas to Salt in melted butter for heat, sauté diced onion m diu me r ove pot ge lar re. Add pumpkin, apple, In a s and sauté 3 minutes mo 3 minutes. Add mushroom mer until apple and carrots are soft, approxi. Sim nd the mixture until carrots, broth and water an immersion blender, ble ng Usi s. ute nsfer the mixture in mately 30 min tra le, blender is not availab ion ers imm an (If h. and blend until smoot blender or food processor batches to a conventional cream, sherry and seasonings and slowly Add additional salt, if smooth. Return to pot.) minutes. Do not boil. Add five nal itio simmer an add gs. vin tely 8 half-cup ser desired. Makes approxima

RS PUMPKIN BA CRUST 1 cup flour 1/2 cup quick oats gar 1/2 cup brown su ftened so r, tte bu p cu 1/2 FILLING mpkin 1 15-ounce can pu aporated milk ev n ca ce 1 12-oun 2 eggs gar 3/4 cup brown su 1/4 teaspoon salt mon 1 teaspoon cinna r 1/4 teaspoon ginge s ve clo on po 1/4 teas TOPPING pecans 1/2 cup chopped gar su n ow 1/2 cup br tter bu ns oo sp ble ta 2 umbly. Press into and butter until cr r ga su n ow degrees. br ts, 15 minutes at 350 Combine flour, oa dish and bake for 20 minof ro ke -p Ba en t. ov us h cr inc e a 9- x 13d pour over th an s nt die s. re nt ing die Combine the filling ined topping ingre is set. kle with the comb ing utes and then sprin r 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fill fo en ov rs. e ve th to to lef y rn tu an Re rate o 24 bars. Refrige When cool, cut int

18

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

“ROCKY ROA D”

PUMPKIN PIE 1 1/2 cups ginger snap crumbs (app roximately 20 sm finely processed) all cookies, 2 tablespoons bu tter, melted 1 quart (4 cups) vanilla ice cream , softened 1 cup canned pu mpkin 2 tablespoons su gar 1 teaspoon cinna mon 1/2 cup chopped pecans (reserve 1 tables po 1 cup small marsh on for garnish) mallows 1/2 cup white ch ocolate chips Combine gingers nap crumbs and melted butter in Using fingertips a 9-inch pie dish. or the back of a spoo bottom and sides of the dish. Place n, press the mixture onto the in freezer. In a se quickly blend the para ice the remaining ing cream, pumpkin, sugar and cinna te bowl, redients. Spoon th mon. Fold in e and garnish with reserved pecans. mixture into the frozen crust Freeze until solid Cut with a knife , at least 2 hours. dipped in hot wa ter, or thaw sligh Makes 8 servings. tly before serving .

We Finance Rural Living!

Loans available for: â&#x20AC;˘ Country Homes â&#x20AC;˘ Horse/Hobby Farms â&#x20AC;˘ New Construction â&#x20AC;˘ Equipment â&#x20AC;˘ Bare Land Tracts â&#x20AC;˘ Refinancing

Call us. We are the rural lending experts!

/2:(67 &267 7HUP /LIH ,QVXUDQFH

ď&#x2122;&#x201E;-ď&#x2122;&#x2039;ď&#x2122;&#x192;ď&#x2122;&#x192;-ď&#x2122;&#x152;ď&#x2122;&#x152;ď&#x2122;&#x2039;-ď&#x2122;&#x2C6;ď&#x2122;&#x2C6;ď&#x2122;&#x2C6;ď&#x2122;&#x160;

,VVXH DJHV WKURXJK

f£ää]äää

{x xx Ă&#x2C6;x

ÂŁĂ&#x201C;°Ă&#x2021;n ÂŁĂ&#x2C6;°£Â&#x2122; Ă&#x17D;£°äĂ&#x2C6;

www.AgChoice.com

fĂ&#x201C;xä]äää Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x201C;°Ă&#x2021;x Ă&#x17D;£°Ă&#x201C;n Ă&#x2C6;n°{Ă&#x2021;

# =HS\L. ,ZJVY[LK ;V\YZ :PUJL .

CLUSTER FLY & LADY BUG CONTROL

5DWHV ILJXUHG RQ PRQWKO\ FRVW IRU IHPDOH QRQ WREDFFR XVHUV

%5$1'21 5$0/(7

Cluster Fly, Lady Bug, Boxelder Bug, Spiders, Crickets

5L^ MYVT ! 7HUHTH *HUHS, 9HPUMVYLZ[Z HUK )LHJOLZ. *HSS . .*(9(=(5 MVY MYLL 28 WHNL PUMV N\PKL. 6Y, ]PZP[ \Z VUSPUL H[ *HYH]HU.JVT.

com

4!,)# &/2- ./

One Price. One Treatment.

Five Results!ÂŽ GUARANTEED SERVICE

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

To put this space to work for your business call: 717/233-5704

2.25w.1h4C8.13.10.Coopertives.indd 1

Farm â&#x20AC;˘ Industrial â&#x20AC;˘ Commercial 25 Year Warranty on Roof & Walls; Prices F.O.B. Mfg. Plants; Seal Stamped Blue Prints; Easy Bolt Together Design.

30â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 50â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 10â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.........$7,617 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.........$10,696 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.......$21,164 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 14â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.......$27,660 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 150â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 14â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.....$53,164

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

PRICES INCLUDE COLOR SIDES & GALVALUME ROOF

Arena Special (roof & frame) 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 14â&#x20AC;&#x2122;...$30,715 (Local codes may affect prices)

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

F a x : 9 4 0 - 4 8 4 - 6 7 4 6 e m a i l : info@rhinobldg.com Website: http://www.RHINOBLDG.COM

Toll Free

1-888-320-7466

8/14/10 6:50:23 AM

SMARTcircuits

by James Dulley

Steam savings Steam ovens offer a more efficient cooking option STEAM OVENS are used by professional bakeries and restaurants because of the quality of cooked foods and the dramatically reduced cooking time. Shorter cooking times result in less energy being used and lower utility bills. Bear in mind the initial price of a steam oven, whether it is built-in or freestanding (similar to a microwave oven), is considerably greater than a standard or convection oven.

If you have decided to invest in a steam oven, don’t just run out and buy a professional one. Professional ovens, steam or conventional, may be slightly less expensive, but often they do not have the safety features required for home use. Play it safe and get an oven designed for home use and approved by Underwriter Laboratories (UL).

Nearly everyone has used a small electric countertop steamer for vegetables and rice. The food cooks quickly and retains more of the natural flavors and nutrients than other cooking methods. With more natural flavors, less salt and other seasonings are needed — further enhancing the health benefits of steam cooking.

Within the past several years, steam oven models have become available for home use. The built-in models look similar to a conventional wall oven. Most models have a small (typically 1.25 quarts) water reservoir so they do not require a water line connection. Fill the reservoir each time you use the oven.

Food cooks much faster in a steam oven because steam has a higher heat content and heat transfer rate than hot air. Water normally boils at 212 degrees and becomes steam. Some steam ovens can produce superheated steam as hot as 500 degrees.

When this steam hits the food surface, it 20

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

transfers its heat to the cold food. As the steam transfers the heat and condenses, the latent heat also goes into the food.

Roasting a large chicken in a steam oven takes about 20 minutes, compared to two hours in a conventional oven. The overall heating element wattage in a steam oven also rates less than the elements in a conventional oven. Most models plug into a standard 120-volt wall outlet.

Superheated steam also heats the fat in meat quickly without searing the outside surface. This liquefies fat almost instantly — much of it drips off into a pan, resulting in lower-fat meat. If too much fat dripped off in a conventional oven, the meat would taste dry and tough. In a steam oven, the steam keeps the meat moist and tender without the higher fat content.

There are additional energy savings because an entire meal (meat, vegetables and potatoes) can be made in the steam oven without using separate pots on a stovetop. Stovetop cooking is particularly inefficient because much of the heat never gets to the food. Instead, it escapes around the sides of the pot into the room air, making your air conditioner run even harder during summer.

Because steam cooking at home is relatively new, most people don’t know how to

cook with it. Most new steam ovens have a menu of foods from which you select in the computer memory. The oven determines the proper cooking time and settings for each food. Some ovens have hundreds of food items stored in memory, and you can select combinations.

If you are planning to have fish, spinach and potatoes, select the three items. The oven prompts you to place the potatoes in the oven since they take the longest to bake. After 18 minutes, it prompts you to add the fish. After nine more minutes, it prompts you to add the spinach for the final three minutes; then, your entire meal is ready.

For more versatility, combination steam/convection ovens can cook even faster. Steam ovens do not brown meats, so the convection portion of the oven can be used to accomplish that task. For breads, the moisture inside the steam oven makes much better crusts and provides more even baking. 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

No bad bulbs SOME PEOPLE think October is all about mums and pumpkins. That’s fine, but the rest of us are fixating on planting our favorite spring flowering bulbs. You should, too.

If your mental image of spring bulbs consists of yellow daffodils, or if you envision lines of tulip soldiers, or if you have never paid much attention to early spring flowers, then I urge you to expand your outlook. Now is the season to experiment. With a little effort now, you could enjoy bright, colorful flowers next spring.

The beloved mainstays — the yellow daffodils and red tulips of mid spring — are fabulous, but there are many options beyond these classics.

Explore what’s available, and you might soon be taking up an enchanting new hobby. If you are already addicted to spring bulbs, you are probably twirling that trusty shovel in anticipation, awaiting your mail-order bulbs.

Spring bulbs are time-tested favorites for good reason. Not only are the flowers showy, but 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.

the bulbs are also readily available and best of all, most are truly easy to grow.

These plants are as close to a sure thing as you’ll find in the gardening world. Each bulb contains a flower ready to bloom after a winter-long nap underground. The basic requirement is to plant the bulb now and then be patient until spring.

By selecting carefully, a determined gardener can orchestrate a spring bulb display lasting several months. As a bonus, many bulbs survive and rebloom for years.

The earliest bloomers include cheery yellow winter aconite and the tiny Iris reticulata along with the smaller species or snow crocus. Plant these where you can observe them up close each day, perhaps beside the mailbox or outside a favorite window.

I promise you will anticipate those flowers with proverbial bated breath through each battle for survival — against the squirrels, the snow, the ice, the hail. It’s thrilling, this faceoff of annual plants versus the elements, especially when you planted the bulbs with your very own hands.

If you already have some of the golden yellow daffodils, consider branching out into the assorted classes of daffodils (the botanical name is Narcissus), meaning those with different flower shapes, sizes and colors.

For instance, aptly named Fortissimo has enormous orange trumpets and yellow petals for a loud, two-toned effect, while

the ghostly white Thalia has fragrant flowers as delicatelooking as butterflies.

Among tulips, we all know and love the familiar red flowers on tall stems, especially when grown in a formal pattern between clipped evergreen hedges, or combined with sweet violas in a flowerbed.

But there are romantic peonylike tulips with extra petals such as Angelique, and there are short, little (and incidentally longer-lived) rock garden or Greiggi tulips with colorful, patterned foliage such as Red Riding Hood.

Fragrance fans adore the stiffly formal hyacinths for their powerful scent, but we also appreciate the smaller Muscari or grape hyacinths (smelling like grape) and the lovely, informal (and shade tolerant) Spanish hyacinths. Blue flower lovers find many bulbs to love among the assorted hyacinths along with our native, blue-flowered Camassia, which is sometimes termed a wild hyacinth.

Some bulbs are quietly stel-

Take the time to plant spring bulbs now and you’ll be rewarded in a few months.

BURSTING BULBS:

lar. Among these are the Leucojems with their nodding, pristine white blooms along with the exquisite, blue-flowered Chionodoxa and Scilla sibirica.

Bulbs offer endless choices for gardens, whether the style is formal or informal or naturalized. You could plant spring bulbs to design a patriotic red, white and blue garden; a soft pastel theme; a passionate yellow, orange, and pink fiesta theme; an all-white moon garden; or an all-blue garden.

Between the “new” selections, the best sellers and the venerable heirlooms, there is always something exciting to grow. If you are new to bulbs, plant several and see which kinds grow best in your garden. If you are an old hand, I’d still encourage you to sample a few you haven’t tried before; perhaps you’ll discover a new favorite. Personally, I’ve never met a bulb I truly disliked.

Happy planting! l

OCTOBER 2010 • PENN

LINES

21

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

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

Please run my ad during the months of ______________________________________________________.

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

The total payment enclosed is $_____________________.

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

2

_______________

3

7

8

_______________

9

14

15

20

21

25

26

11

27

12

17

18

_______________ _______________ _______________ 22

_______________ _______________

6

_______________ _______________ _______________ 16

_______________ _______________

19

_______________

5

_______________ _______________ _______________ 10

_______________ _______________

13

_______________

4

_______________ _______________

23

24

_______________ _______________ _______________ 28

29

30

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

Only the following qualify as free headings. Please check your selection: Around the House Business Opportunities Employment Opportunities Gift and Craft Ideas Livestock and Pets Miscellaneous Motor Vehicles and Boats Nursery and Garden Real Estate Recipes Tools and Equipment Vacations and Campsites Wanted to Buy. and Food 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.

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

✉

CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE

❏ ❏

❏

❏

❏ ❏

DEADLINE

December 2010. . . . . . . . Oct. 18 January 2011 . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 17 February 2011 . . . . . . . . . Dec. 16 All ads must be received by the specified dates to be included in the corresponding month’s issue. Ads received beyond the deadline dates will automatically be included in the next available issue. Written notice of changes or cancellations must be received prior to the first of the month preceding the month of issue.

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

FENCING FREE Fence Guide/Catalog – High-tensile fence, horse fence, rotational grazing, twine, wire, electric netting – cattle, deer, garden, poultry. Kencove Farm Fence Supplies: 800-5362683. www.kencove.com.

FIREARMS

SABOT 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN SLUGS only 85 cents each. Now you can See How at www.slugsrus.com.

26-GAUGE METAL SHEETING — Large selection of seconds.

Many colors available. $1.50 per linear foot, 36-inch width.

Corle Building Systems, Imler, PA. Call 814-276-9611. Ask for Joe Fink. jfink@corle.com.

FOR SALE: Sako Model M995, 7mm Rem. Mag. Reloads shoot subMOA groups at 100 yards, $400 with scope. Call 814-441-4187.

AROUND THE HOUSE

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

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

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

Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks. Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT. *HOLIDAY SPECIAL — BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR $15.*

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.

“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. *HOLIDAY SPECIAL — BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR $15.*

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.

CHURCH LIFT SYSTEMS

AMMUNITION

CLOCK REPAIR: If you have an antique grandfather clock, mantel clock or old pocket watch that needs restored, we can fix any timepiece. Macks Clock Repair: 814-749-6116.

Be your own Boss! Part or full-time. $500/day. State of the art recession-proof service. FREE 16-page report. Promo code CL33306.

Call 800-507-7222. www.WagerCarpetCleaningCareers.com.

HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE 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.

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.

BUILDING SUPPLIES

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.

CORN PELLET STOVES

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.

22

PENN

LINES • OCTOBER 2010

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.

HEALTH AND NUTRITION

CONSULTING FORESTRY SERVICES

PIANO TUNING & REPAIR — Kevin Luke’s Piano Service offering piano tuning, repairs, regulation, restoration and rebuilding.

Serving all of Central Pennsylvania. 814-944-6031. www.lukepiano.vpweb.com

STEEL ROOFING AND SIDING. Discount Prices. “Fall Sale” — Residential roofing $1.95/lineal foot. Also seconds, heavy gauges, odd lots, etc. Located in northwestern Pennsylvania.

814-398-4052.

GIFT AND CRAFT IDEAS

BIXBY CORN or PELLET Stoves — Save with tax credit. Will heat 2,200 square feet. No chimney needed. Burn shelled corn and save over pellets. 717-776-5237. Email: blume@pa.net.

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.

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.

PENNLINESclassified HELP WANTED

MOTORCYCLE-SNOWMOBILE INSURANCE

SHAKLEE

We have appraisers earning over $80,000/year part time. If you have an agricultural background, you may be qualified to become a certified livestock or farm equipment appraiser.

Classroom or home study courses available. For information, call the American Society of Agricultural Appraisers 800-4887570 or visit www.amagappraisers.com.

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

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.

HUNTING CLUBS Customize your clubs embroidered CAMO HAT. Email your club’s logo. Minimum 12 hats. Average hat $10 to $15 + S/H. We carry a full line of clothing. Family reunion t-shirts heat pressed. Credit Cards accepted. EMB Embroidery & Design.

570-756-2004. embembroidery@gmail.com.

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.

LADYBUG/CLUSTER FLY SOLUTIONS Ladybug Problems? Cluster Fly Problems? We have the answer!

Pesticide-free powder traps. Over 200,000 satisfied customers.

To order call 814-494-4122 or visit www.4pestsolutions.com.

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.

LIVESTOCK AND PETS 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.

PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI Puppies — AKC, adorable, intelligent, highly trainable. Excellent family choice. Reputable licensed breeder guaranteed “Last breed you’ll ever own.” 814-587-3449.

AKC GERMAN SHEPHERD puppies — Black/silver, Black/red, Ultra whites. 570-924-3650. www.thesecondwindgermanshepherds.com.

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.

MAPLE SYRUP STEVEN’S PURE Maple Syrup, Liberty, Pa. Plastic from 3.4 ounces to gallons. Glass containers for gifts and collectors.

Maple Sugar, Maple Cream, Maple Candy, Maple Bar-B-Que Sauce, Maple Salad Dressing, and Gift Baskets for any occasion made to order. Wholesale or retail prices. NEW Number: 570-324-2014 or email: buymaple@epix.net.

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.

PROPANE GAS REFRIGERATOR ideal for remote cabin or hunting camp. About four years old, used very little. I paid $1,200 for it, would like to have $600. 717-359-5932.

REFRIGERATOR, FREEZER, Weed Eater, Holly Carburetor, Batch and a half mortar mixer with Honda motor, five complete sets of scaffold, generator, metal table. Call for prices 717-436-6010.

MOTOR VEHICLES AND BOATS 1976 CADDY DeVille, 210 HP 500 V-8. 54K miles, runs, claret and white, pristine claret interior, 8-track. BO over $5,000.

814-667-3444.

P2000 INSULATION SYSTEM Out of 20,000 homes, Energy Star found this one to be the most energy efficient home ever tested in PA, NJ, NY & DE. Stops cold, heat, wind and moisture. Vapor barrier and sheathing all in one. Residential - Commercial – Hobby - Shops – Farms – Pole Buildings. Burkenhaus Distribution Center, Thomasville, PA. 717-801-0013. JoeBurkeyp2000@comcast.net or visit www.P2000insulation.com.

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.

REAL ESTATE

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

RAYSTOWN LAKE — $375,000, 35 acres, build-ready, mountaintop vista, close to boat launch. Call 814-599-0790.

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.

HUNTING PARADISE! 81 acres includes: 30 tillable acres, 51 wooded acres, a 16 x 24 hunting cabin, frontage on two roads and adjoins hundreds of acres of gameland. Lease income, OGM rights and gorgeous view included. Canadohta Lake area, Crawford County. REDUCED $199,900. Call 814-881-2751.

RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES Big Woods Properties participating with Cabela’s Trophy Properties is looking for buyers and sellers of farms/camps/land/homes in recreational areas. Including properties promoting outdoor activities and hunting. 877-769-1050. www.paoutdoorproperties.com.

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.

MOUNTAIN LODGE — Owner will help finance. 3.75 acres, Raystown Lake area. 2,000 square feet plus deck, screened porch, workshop, implement shed. Everything stays. Just bring food and toothbrush. $245,000. 717-558-9053.

FARM in TANEYTOWN, MARYLAND with house, barn and 15,000 sellable Christmas trees. Three additional building lots available with all entitlements. Call Battlefield Realty at 717-334-9131 or call 717-752-0965.

INDIAN LAKE — SOMERSET County, PA — Two bedroom summer cottage, 760 square feet with partial basement, completely furnished. Includes 25-foot waterfront, 20-foot pontoon boat with boat 3 docks. $229,900. 717-737-6947. jwhart2@verizon.net.

TIOGA COUNTY, PA (Liberty Township) — Manufactured ranch home with full finished basement on 4.6 open acres. Enjoy the view from this 7-year-old home featuring 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, large eat-in kitchen, dining room with fireplace, living room, laundry area, large back deck with canopy. Family room, 3/4 bath and two-car garage in basement. Includes guest house with full bath. Oil-fired hot air and/or coal heat. Just 5 minutes from Route 15, 30 minutes north of Williamsport.

JUST REDUCED: $170,000. Call Wm. P. Connolly Real Estate Co., 570-324-3000 or online at www.connollyrealestate.com.

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. *HOLIDAY SPECIAL — BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR $15.*

1984 4x4 KUBOTA M4950, 6-cylinder diesel, 12-speed cab, 8’ power angled snow plow, 1,430 hours. New paint, very nice condition. $15,500 OBO. 814-757-4557.

TRACTOR 1949 Farmall H. Phone 814-938-4719.

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

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

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

Booking for 2010. 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, $1,700 (October to December). Call 716-536-0104. Great entertainment. Dancing nightly.

NAPLES, FLORIDA — Two bedroom, two bath condo, full kitchen. Quiet with lake view, heated pools, near beaches.

Available March 2011, $2,300 or March 2-15 or March 18-31 at $1,200 each. 717-872-7930.

PSU FOOTBALL Weekend or Anytime. Spacious vacation rental at Lake Raystown. Sleeps eleven. Thirty-five minutes to Beaver Stadium. Think family gathering at Thanksgiving. Call 814-658-0021. See: www.laurelwoodsretreat.com.

WANTED TO BUY GINSENG ROOT — Paying top dollar. Also I sell Ginseng seed.

Call 814-938-3864.

See what a difference it makes…

SAWMILLS USED PORTABLE Sawmills and COMMERCIAL Sawmill Equipment! Buy/Sell. Call Sawmill Exchange 800-459-2148.

USA and Canada. www.sawmillexchange.com.

Advertise in Penn Lines Classifieds OCTOBER 2010 • PENN

LINES

23

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

1990 IN 1990, Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Allegheny) and Sullivan County Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) marked a major milestone in Alleghenyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continuing effort to deliver sufficient power at reasonable rates to its 13 Pennsylvania and one New Jersey member cooperatives.

Allegheny, the wholesale power supplier for the 14 cooperatives, built the Fairfield-Mill Creek substation and transmission line, a 5.6-mile, 69,000 volt (69 kv) line in Lycoming County, to improve service for about 2,000 Sullivan County REC consumer-members who for years had suffered from regular outages.

Transmission lines deliver high-voltage power to substations built near the area where the electricity will be used. Banks of transformers at the substations convert the electricity from high voltage to the 110volt electricity used in homes. Sullivan County REC added two distribution circuits to serve its members.

Work on the construction project began in 1987 with the selection of Black & Veatch as construction manager, and continued until the lines were energized in the summer of 1990. The project was funded through the Rural Electrification Administration (known since 1994 as Rural Utilities Service) and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.

Today, Allegheny has 85 miles of transmission lines and 230,277 meters (year-end 2009 figures) served by member cooperatives. There are more than 200 power delivery points in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey.

1970 Greenwood Fire Tower, located near the Huntingdon-Centre County line, is one of 130 state-owned fire towers charged with preventing and controlling forest fires.

24

PENN

LINES â&#x20AC;˘ OCTOBER 2010

1980 U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, along with Independent John Anderson, are profiled prior to the 1980 General Election.

2000 The Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE), the political action arm of your local electric cooperative, announces support for 59 federal and state candidates.

PUNCHlines

Thoughts from Earl Pitts, UHMERIKUN! Earl loves to say ‘I told you so,’ but he hates to hear it

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.

Me an’ the boys was down at the Duck Inn last night. We was chewin’ the fat an’ suckin’ down long-necks. I don’t even remember what we were talkin’ ‘bout, but my buddy Dub Meeker said, “I hate to tell you this, Earl, but I told you so.”

You know what, nobody hates to tell you they told you so. They love to tell you they told you so. That’s what you call your “vindication.” Heck, I love to tell people I told you so. Not only do I get to remind people a’ my superior knowledge, I get to rub their noses in it. ’Cause not only did I know something before you, when I told you, you didn’t believe me. That would indicate not only that I’m smarter than you, you’re just flat-out stupid.

But you know what I do hate? I hate when people tell me they hate to tell me they told me so, an’ they didn’t. They never said nothin’. That’s like your Monday mornin’ Nostradamussin’.

Like Sunday mornin’. My better half’s Escort broke down drivin’ to church. She goes, “I told you, Earl. I told you this car was gonna break down if we didn’t get it serviced.” I says, “Number 1, it’s an ’86 Escort. It’s gonna break down.

“Number 2, you ‘devinin’ it’s gonna break down don’t exactly give me a lotta information to work with. Next time mention a tie rod is about to fall off an’ maybe I can do something about it.”

She goes, “Well, I told you so, Earl. I told you it was makin’ a funny noise.” I go, “Number 1, it’s an ’86 Escort, Pearl. The noises it makes sound like an ’86 Escort.

That ain’t a funny noise, that’s a death rattle!!!”

She turns to my little girl, Sandra Dee, in the back seat an’ she goes, “I told you your Dad was gonna get mad.

I told you so.”

Wake up, America. Hey, you know what they say, “Hindsight is 50-50.” An’ I know a buncha hind-ends that got that hindsight.

I heard the dumbest thing the other day on the radio. Some idiot psychological dip-wad somewhere was sayin’ that superheroes are bad examples for little boys.

Yeah, they say superheroes in the movies an’ comic books teach little boys their problems can be solved with violence.

Let’s examine that theory for a second.

Let’s say you were made outta steel. You could kick bullies with one arm tied behind your back. Bullets bounce off you. You could pick up a train an’ hold it over your head.

Heck yeah, violence would be a viable option for you!!! I mean, why wouldn’t you resort to violence? You’re built for violence.

There’s a reason Gandhi was not a comic book superhero. You could break that boy in half, just by lookin’ at him hard!!

I mean, that’s how come your super powers are flyin’, strength, speed an’ invisibility. Those are all useful in a fight. I don’t remember seein’ any comic books titles like “Talk It Out Man,” or “Count to 10 Man” or “Can’t We Just Get Along Man.” An’ Number 2 — most a’ your villains tend to be a tad on the violent side themselves. Or at the very least aggressively disagreeable. You don’t send a mama’s boy in to save the world when the bad guy’s got nuclear-tipped fingernails an’ a robot that can melt people.

You know what this is, dontch’a?

This is the bleedin’ heart, touchy-feely, Kumbaya crowd tryin’ to wussify the future generations a’ this country. Next thing you know they’re gonna have Superman savin’ kittens from trees an’ Batman driving a Chevy Volt.

I weep for my country.

Wake up, America! Hey, don’t fall for this Alan Alda superhero stuff. Your honest-to-goodness, real superhero only got two jobs on this planet. Kickin’ bullies, an’ takin’ names. We got the U.N. to do the fluffy stuff.

I’m Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun. l OCTOBER 2010 • PENN

LINES

25

Advertisement

An Ounce of Hydrogen Peroxide is Worth a Pound of Cure (SPECIAL) - Hydrogen peroxide is trusted by every hospital and emergency room in the country for its remarkable ability to kill deadly germs like E. coli and the swine flu virus. In fact, it has attracted so much interest from doctors that over 6000 articles about it have appeared in scientific publications around the world.

Research has discovered that hydrogen peroxide enables your immune system to function properly and fight infection and disease. Doctors have found it can shrink tumors and treat allergies, Alzheimer’s, asthma, clogged arteries, diabetes, digestive problems and migraine headaches.

Smart consumers nationwide are also discovering there are hundreds of health cures and home remedy uses for hydrogen peroxide. A new book called The Magic of Hydrogen Peroxide is now available that tells you exactly how to use hydrogen peroxide by itself... and mixed with simple everyday kitchen items... to make liniments, rubs, lotions, soaks and tonics that treat a wide variety of ailments.

It contains tested and proven health cures that do everything from relieving chronic pain to making age spots go away. You’ll be amazed to see how a little hydrogen peroxide mixed with a pinch of this or that from your cupboard can: s 2ELIEVE THE PAIN OF ARTHRITIS

RHEUMATISM AND FIBROMYALGIA s #URE ATHLETE S FOOT s #LEAR UP ALLERGIES AND SINUS PROBLEMS s 3OOTHE SORE THROATS s &IGHT COLDS AND FLU s (EAL BOILS AND SKIN INFECTIONS s 7HITEN TEETH WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE s $ESTROY HARMFUL DENTAL BACTERIA AND heal gingivitis s (EAL COLD SORES AND CANKER SORES s #LEAR UP FOOT AND NAIL FUNGUS s 2ELIEVE THE STING AND PAIN OF INSECT bites s 3OOTHE SORE FEET s 2ELIEVE EAR ACHES s 3OOTHE MUSCLE ACHES s %NABLE MINOR WOUNDS CUTS AND SCRAPES TO HEAL FASTER s 2EFRESH AND TONE YOUR SKIN s #LEAR UP ACNE RASHES AND AGE SPOTS

s (EAL YEAST INFECTIONS s !ND MUCH MORE Besides killing E. coli and the swine flu virus, hydrogen peroxide also destroys botulism, salmonella and other harmful organisms. It works by making viruses and bacteria self-destruct on the cellular level.

Amazingly, for something so powerful, hydrogen peroxide is safe. That’s because after it makes germs self-destruct, hydrogen peroxide breaks down into harmless water.

The Magic of Hydrogen Peroxide book is a valuable health improvement treasure that also shows you how to make tons of household cleaners that work better and more economically than expensive storebought products. It’s a safe powerful alternative to harsh chemical cleaners.

Discover easy-to-make formulas that: s +ILL GERMS ON KITCHEN COUNTERS AND SURFACES s 3TERILIZE DISHES CUPS AND KITCHEN utensils s -AKE A POWERFUL SCOURING POWDER THAT WORKS WONDERS ON KITCHEN SINKS

REFRIGERATORS AND OVENS s $ISINFECT AND DEODORIZE COFFEE MAKERS TEA POTS BLENDERS AND FOOD processors s 3ANITIZE WOOD CUTTING BOARDS AND WOODEN SPOONS s #LEAN OUT AND DISINFECT CLOGGED drains s -AKE HARDWOOD FLOORS TILE FLOORS

grout and linoleum gleam s 'ET RID OF HARMFUL BACTERIA ON FRUITS

VEGETABLES AND MEATS WITH THIS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE FOOD RINSE s %LIMINATE NASTINESS FROM TOILET BOWLS

BATH TUBS SHOWERS AND SHOWER curtains s 3TERILIZE AND PURIFY TOOTHBRUSHES AND dentures s #LEAN AND DISINFECT PET STAINS s 2EMOVE MOLD AND MILDEW FROM BASEMENT WALLS ROOFS AND OTHER SURFACES s $ISINFECT DIAPERS PACIFIERS AND BABY TOYS s 2EMOVE WINE CHOCOLATE INK AND BLOOD STAINS FROM CLOTHING CARPETS AND FURNITURE s "OOST LAUNDRY DETERGENT POWER AND

RESTORE BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR TO FABRICS s 3TREAK FREE CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS AND mirrors s #LEAN AND DEODORIZE YOUR CAR s %LIMINATE SKUNK STENCH ON PETS AND FOUL ODORS FROM LITTER BOXES OLD TENNIS shoes, etc. s 2ID PETS OF PARASITES AND BACTERIA s -AKE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PLANTS FLOURISH WITH A SUREFIRE FERTILIZER AND INSECTICIDE ALL ROLLED INTO ONE s +EEP HANDS GERM FREE WITHOUT EXPENSIVE hand sanitizers s !ND MUCH MORE The Magic of Hydrogen Peroxide contains many more amazing health remedies, cleaning formulas and gardening mixtures. In addition, it also gives you a list of qualified physicians who use hydrogen peroxide in their practices to treat serious ailments. Also included FREE with each book are useful tips and home remedy formulas using vinegar, garlic baking soda and teas.

To get your copy of The Magic of Hydrogen Peroxide direct from the publisher at the special introductory price of $19.95 plus $3.98 shipping and handling (total of $23.93, OH residents please add 6% sales tax) simply do this: Write “Hydrogen Peroxide” on a piece of paper and mail it along with your check or money order payable to: James Direct, Inc., Dept HP104, 500 S. Prospect Ave., Box 980, Hartville, Ohio 44632.

You can charge to your Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express by mail. Be sure to include your card number, expiration date and signature.

Want to save even more? Do a favor for a relative or friend and order two books for only $30 postpaid.

Remember, you’re protected by our 90-day money back guarantee. If you’re not happy, for any reason, we’ll refund your money. Simple as that. &2%% ')&4 You will also receive a copy of the handy booklet “How To Grow, Dry, Use & Prepare Herbs” as our gift to you. Even if you return the book, it is yours to keep with no obligation.

Hurry! Supplies are limited so you ©2010 JDI HP102S07 must act now. http://www.jamesdirect.com

RURALreflections Final call for 2010 photos IT’S OCTOBER — time to get outside and enjoy the crisp, colorful fall days Pennsylvania offers every year. During every season, remember to keep a camera handy so you can take beautiful landscapes, or adorable child and pet photos that make us all smile for the “Rural Reflections” photo contest. Entries for the 2010 contest must be postmarked by Oct. 31 to qualify for this year’s competition.

Pennsylvanians who are members of a rural electric cooperative have a chance to win a $75 prize in one of our five contest categories: most artistic, best landscape, best human subject, best animal and editor’s choice. Entries received after the Oct. 31 deadline will be entered into the 2011 contest.

To be eligible for the contest, send your photos (no digital files, please) to Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg PA 17108-1266. On the back of each photo, include your name, address, phone number and the name of the electric cooperative that serves your home, business or seasonal residence. (The best way to include that 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 submitted at any time. Please note: photos postmarked after Jan. 1, 2010, will not be returned unless a selfaddressed, self-stamped envelope is included. l

Carmen McCombs Tri-County REC

Carol N. Stiles United EC

Dawn Cornett Somerset REC

Tim & Carol Sossong REA Energy

OCTOBER 2010 • PENN

LINES

27