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J U LY 2 0 1 0 Learning on the fly Fly-fishing teaches environmental awareness, appreciation for natural resources PLUS Is it summer yet? Declare your independence Metal roofs JULY Vol. 45 • No. 7 Peter A. Fitzgerald EDITOR/DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS 4 FIRST WORD 6 KEEPING CURRENT Katherine Hackleman SENIOR EDITOR/WRITER James Dulley Janette Hess Barbara Martin Marcus Schneck News items from across the Commonwealth 7 CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS E N E R G Y M AT T E R S A greener way to a green lawn W. Douglas Shirk LAYOUT & DESIGN Vonnie Kloss 8 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. © 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. 8 16 Fly-fishing teaches environmental awareness, appreciation for natural resources 12 TIME LINES Your newsmagazine through the years 12A 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 14 POWER PLANTS Is it summer yet? 16 17 O U T D O O R A DV E N T U R ES Sharing space with a snake Five-foot-long black rat snake provides entertainment, eats rodents 17 COUNTRY KITCHEN Declare your independence 18 CLASSIFIEDS 20 SMART CIRCUITS 23 Metal roofs keep things cool, and look good, too 22 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 F E AT U R E Learning on the fly ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION PUNCH LINES Thoughts from Earl Pitts– Uhmerikun! Earl knows the difference between gardening, farming 23 RURAL REFLECTIONS The view from here O N T H E COV E R Bill Amspacher, a retired general serviceman from Adams Electric Cooperative, fishes for trout in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Photo by Peter Fitzgerald J U LY 2 0 1 0 • P E N N LINES 3 FIRSTword b y J o h n A r wa y A fishing license decrease? Executive Director Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission JOHN ARWAY 4 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 IF THE TITLE of this article didn’t get your attention, you must have thought it was a misprint. No, it isn’t a mistake. In fact, as I have promised, I am going to tell you about some of my priorities as the new director of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC). It has become obvious to me that inflation is catching up with the commission, much like it catches up with all of us in our personal lives. The cost of personnel services, fish feed for our hatchery programs, gasoline for our vehicles, electricity due to deregulation, a looming pension plan deficit, and all of the other costs of survival in the 21st century continue to rise. Therefore, if we are expected to provide the same level of service, we must find additional revenue or cut programs. In my interview with our board of commissioners for this position, I explained the need to diversify our funding portfolio much like we are personally advised to diversify our investment portfolio. It makes sound fiscal sense not to put all of your eggs in one basket, which makes one less vulnerable to impact if something happens to your funding. In our agency’s case, we have always depended upon fishing license sales and boat registration fees and the federal funds that go along with them to sustain our agency. These sources of revenue have always been the core funding for our programs and the reason why we have stayed an independent agency. We don’t receive general fund (tax) money contrary to the popular belief of many. However, there are other ways to fund our agency’s programs and that involves acquiring alternative funding revenue — something other than fees from fishing licenses and boat registrations. We need to get serious about looking at other revenue sources and that’s where I need your help. We know that most anglers, boaters and conservationists are not part of organized groups that we traditionally ask for help to support our cause. We are getting close to pricing ourselves out of the market and continue to hear complaints about the rising costs of licenses and registrations. For many of us, the cost of a license or registration is a bargain. However, there are a lot of us who don’t use our privileges quite as often for a variety of reasons, which is why our license sales drop every time we raise license fees. Therefore, I suggest that we look at ways to generate funds by other non-traditional means. Unfortunately, most of us are apathetic when we are happy with the way things are going. It is good that anglers and boaters are happy with our programs, which is a sign that we continue to do good things for you. However, I am concerned about the future, and you should be, too. My staff and I are working on innovative funding ideas that will support our agency programs, but all of these options will require action by our General Assembly. We are finishing a revenue calculator that will project how various amounts of funding from alternative revenue sources will carry us into the future without the need to increase fishing license or boat registration fees, and possibly reduce them. We need to start thinking outside that proverbial box. The time for action is now before it’s too late for our children, our grandchildren and us. It’s time to support the idea of alternative revenues for the PFBC, and I am ready to discuss my ideas with our legislators. Together, we may be able to put together a plan that will allow us to lower the cost of your license. See you on the water. l KEEPINGcurrent CREP program protects environment, pays landowners MANY Pennsylvania residents living in areas where non-forested streams — even small, intermittent waterways — meander through their property are eligible to participate in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). At the same time they are elevating the water quality of local streams (and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay) and benefitting wildlife through habitat development, participants are earning an annual income. CREP is a voluntary conservation program that rewards landowners for planting native trees and shrubs along the edge of a non-forested stream in an attempt to cut down on sediments, pesticides and nutrients in the water. It offers up to 100 percent reimbursement for installation and subsequent maintenance, plus it provides a one-time incentive payment followed by annual payments to the landowner. The program also covers expenses for high-quality fencing, crossing and watering systems for livestock owners to keep livestock out of waterways if they are needed. CREP is a partnership of 16 federal, state and private conservation organizations. CREP also has other options besides buffers, such as planting native grasses and establishing wildlife habitat, but the Chesapeake Bay Foundation works only with forested buffers. The foundation has been working with CREP’s stream buffer efforts since 2000. Correction Carolyn Stafford was incorrectly identified in a photo caption in the July issue of Penn Lines in the article, “Pedaling through Pennsylvania.” Carolyn and her husband, Joe, members of Adams Electric Cooperative, are avid bicyclists. 6 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 This farm in Bradford County is one of many in Pennsylvania taking part in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). CREP is a voluntary conservation program that reimburses landowners for the costs associated with planting native trees and grasses near nonforested streams. Photo provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. GREEN PASTURES: To date, roughly 24,000 acres of forested buffers have been enrolled in the program. Of the $90 million that the program has brought to Pennsylvania so far, about half is for project installation (creating jobs and tree nurseries) and half is rental payments to landowners. According to Dave Wise, the watershed restoration manager of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation based in Harrisburg, participants are not required to be farmers. They simply must be landowners in a rural area who can use a little extra spending money and are concerned about the environment. “The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that every $1 spent to prevent water pollution is worth $29 that would otherwise be spent to clean up the water after it is already polluted,” Wise reports. Because clean water is so important, CREP is well funded, Wise reports. “CREP has lots of resources — roughly $500 million — to be put toward doing good things for the environment,” he notes. “We need to make serious progress toward meeting the goals we have been mandated to meet in terms of cleaning up the nation’s streams. Voluntary, profitable conservation through CREP is far more attractive than some of the alternatives we could be faced with if EPA doesn’t see measurable results in cleaning up the streams.” To learn more about how to help the environment while earning extra money through CREP, call 800/941-CREP or visit www.cbf.org/CREP. l ENERGYmatters A greener way to a green lawn ground-level ozone. Operating a gasoline-powered lawn mower for one hour produces the same amount of smog-forming hydrocarbons By Brian Sl ob oda as driving an average car Cooperative Research Network almost 200 miles, according MOST summer weekends are filled to the EPA. with the sounds of splashing in swimWhat’s more, gas lawn ming pools, kids riding on bicycles and mowers are noisy. the din of lawn mowers. Lawn mowers Luckily for your lawn and other gas-powered lawn equipment (and neighbors), options do roar to life in most neighborhoods to GREENER MOWING: Reel mowers rely on time-tested technology exist to help keep grass to cut grass with little more than sharp blades and elbow grease. keep yards looking pristine. groomed while reducing air However, these small engines emit a and noise pollution. surprisingly large amount of pollution. lawn the mower can handle or the minA manual reel mower is a great By some U.S. Environmental Protection utes the mower will be able to run on a option. These mowers have no engine, Agency (EPA) estimates, engines used single charge. Actual times will vary no fuel, and use human power to operto maintain lawns and gardens account ate. They have zero emissions and oper- depending on the age of the battery, for 5 percent of total U.S. air pollution. height of the grass, and how quickly the ate with very little noise. These mowers Although regulation of small engines user can get the job done. can last years with proper care. They has not been a priority for the governIn recent years, the choice in cordare best-suited for smaller lawns. ment, new rules will go into effect in the less mowers has expanded, but cordless Electric and battery-powered mownext year or two governing emissions mowers continue to receive mixed ers offer a clean alternative to the reel from small engines. reviews. Given the high cost of the mower. Like gas mowers, electric and The gasoline engines powering lawn mowers, careful attention should be battery-operated mowers have a motor mowers and other yard equipment emit that spins a blade, which cuts the blades paid to the brand and model being purcarbon monoxide, a colorless and odorchased. Online reviews of cordless of grass. They are quiet, emit no direct less gas that is toxic to humans. They mowers are a helpful resource in pickpollutants, and can either be corded or also emit hydrocarbons and nitrogen ing the right one. Many retailers offer cordless. oxide that contribute to the formation of Costs for a corded mower are similar customer reviews of products and these should be viewed prior to purchasing. to that of a gas-powered Gas-powered lawn mowers can be mower. They do have one found on almost every street in Amervery limiting feature: they ica. However, because of rising fuel must be connected to the costs and environmental concerns, house via an extension cord. more people are switching to humanCordless rechargeable mowers are more convenient powered reel mowers or electric mowers. These alternatives are a reliable and than their corded counterparts. Some cordless mowers attractive alternative to gas-powered models. They pollute less, and perhaps have a removable battery most importantly, they won’t disturb that can be charged inside your neighbor’s summer nap. l the home. Brian Sloboda is a program manager Rechargeable mowers are specializing in energy efficiency for the limited by the life of the batCooperative Research Network, a service of tery pack. When shopping the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural QUIET ALTERNATIVE: Battery-powered mowers run on for a cordless mower, look rechargeable batteries. for information on the size of Electric Cooperative Association. J U LY 2 0 1 0 • P E N N LINES 7 PENNlines Learning on the fly Fly-fishing teaches environmental awareness, appreciation for natural resources By Peter Fitzgerald Editor FOR MANY fly-fishermen, a day in the stream can be a lesson in nature, where paying close attention to your surroundings can land you that prize trout. The lessons come in many forms to the observant angler. It may be an early morning hatch of mayflies, tipping you to what’s on the menu. Or that babble in the brook, telling you the water level is low; look for deeper pools to fish. For Joe Humphreys, the lessons come from a lifetime in the water, where he developed not only fishing skills, but also a great love for the natural environment. “The stream was my classroom,” he Bill Amspacher, retired Adams Electric Cooperative general serviceman, works his line onto his fly rod for a day in the stream. HOOKED: 8 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 says. “That’s where I developed a fly-fishing education. When I was old enough to ride a bicycle, I’d ride out and fish.” Pennsylvania’s babbling brooks could probably tell a story or two about Joe Humphreys. The legendary angler has fished many of the Commonwealth’s waters since he was a boy growing up in Centre County in the 1930s. “I caught my first trout on Spring Creek,” he recalls. “It was an 8-inch trout on a bamboo fly rod, which was what everybody had in those days. Since then, I’ve been hooked.” Humphreys went on to capture the Pennsylvania record brown trout, a 34inch monster he landed in 1977 that was featured in a past issue of Penn Lines (see inset, page 11). The record stood for several years until the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) changed the record standard from length to weight. Humphreys took that early love of the sport and turned it into a lifelong career, going on to teach fly-fishing for more than four decades. In 1968, he introduced fly-fishing to the physical education program at Bald Eagle Area High School in Centre County. He then went on to teach at Penn State University, and directed the angling program there for close to 20 years, passing along his knowledge of fly casting, fishing techniques and tactics to generations of students. While he learned some things from fishing veterans like George Harvey, who created the angling program at Penn State, most of what he knows he picked up on his own in and along Pennsylva- LEARNING TO FLY: Fly-fishing guide Dave Cardellino, a member of Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative, demonstrates proper casting on Kettle Creek in Potter County. nia’s many trout streams. “Fishing can be funny sometimes — fishermen, too,” he notes. “Some don’t want to share what they know and give up their secrets.” If fishing is Humphreys’ first love, teaching is his second, and he doesn’t mind sharing a secret or two. Though retired now, Humphreys maintains a busy That’s just what Bill Amspacher, a retired general serviceman from Adams Electric Cooperative, did one day when a friend introduced him to the sport several years ago: he just watched and learned. While some people might be intimidated when they see the back-and-forth motion of fly casting, Amspacher encourages people not to get too caught up in the casting process. “Casting is easy,” he says. “I can have someone casting in five minutes. The easiest way is to watch someone who knows how to do it. But I wouldn’t worry about it so much. Besides, you can’t catch a fish if your line’s in the air all the time.” Another piece of advice Amspacher offers: keep it simple. While it can be easy to get caught up in all the fancy (and expensive) equipment available for flyfishing, it’s best to start with the basics of a rod and reel and some flies. “In the end, you’re getting all geared An angler works a fly off a recently landed brown trout. PRIZE: schedule and continues to share his knowledge through charity events, youth programs or with people he meets along the stream. A big part of his message has always been care for our natural resources. “I enjoy seeing people learn,” he says. “But it’s not just about techniques and tactics. We need to stress the importance of the environment.” That lesson, Humphreys believes, goes hand-in-hand with picking up a fishing rod. After all, knowing a little about the environment might help you become a better fisherman. “If I want to catch a fish,” he says, “I should know something about the insect population.” Getting started While he was mainly self-taught, Humphreys says today people wishing to learn fly-fishing have access to many resources — including books, instructional videos, even professional guides. For many beginners, the best way to learn still is to tag along with someone who knows the sport. up to go after something that has the brain the size of a peppercorn,” Amspacher says with a laugh. “And most of the time, the fish wins.” Amspacher has a cabin in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Cumberland County, with lots of trout fishing in the area. It’s there he discovered the joys of being in the stream. “You just notice so many things when you’re out there,” he explains. “For me, it’s the catching, not the keeping.” Amspacher has since passed along his love for the sport to his son. “It’s something we can do together,” he says. J U LY 2 0 1 0 • P E N N LINES 9 PENNlines Cooperative spirit Passing along the pastime of fishing serves as the inspiration for the Yellow Creek Coalition (YCC), a nonprofit organization established to preserve a stretch of the stream in Bedford County. Concerned that the purchase of land along the stream for a private fishing club might prohibit fishing to the general public, the coalition formed in 2005 to ensure future generations in the area would be able to enjoy the sport. “I have fished the stream all my life,” explains YCC President Fred Sherlock, a member of New Enterprise Rural Electric Cooperative. “I want to make sure my grandkids have a place to fish. We want to keep it open to the public.” The coalition serves to protect a 1.25mile stretch of the stream that is designated as a fly-fishing only project. The project was established in 1957 through the efforts of then-state Fish Warden Bill McIlnay. Working in cooperation with local landowners, McIlnay helped secure this portion of Yellow Creek to serve as a catch-and-release area for fly-fishing. That spirit of cooperation continues today at the project, which is thriving, thanks to the coalition. Formed by members of three local chapters of Trout Unlimited (an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of streams, waterways and trout resources), the coalition has worked to improve the infrastructure at the site, including adding a bridge, access roads and a parking lot — all through volunteer efforts. Today, the parking lot bears McIlnay’s name, and was developed from land donated by his daughter and her husband. Charles Whitman, McIlnay’s son-inlaw and a member of New Enterprise Rural Electric Cooperative, says none of this would be possible without the help of volunteers. “In 2009, we put the bridge in,” Whitman relates. “It took about 5,000 hours of labor — all volunteer.” Volunteers also help keep the creek and feeder streams clear of trash and debris. Yellow Creek is a well-known trout stream that draws people from outside the state. In addition to keeping this stretch of the stream open to the public, the goal of the coalition is to conserve the natural resource and preserve the water quality. “Some of the old-timers here say the stream is healthier today than it’s been in the past,” Whitman relates. “They say there’s more insect life for the fish to eat.” Over the years, the YCC has raised about $60,000 for its various efforts. Because it doesn’t rely on any state or government money, the coalition supports itself through DEDICATION: The parking lot at the Yellow Creek fly-fishing project is dedicated to the memory of former Pennsylvania Fish donations, raffles and various Warden Bill McIlnay. fundraising events. To help 10 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 PRESERVATION: New Enterprise Rural Electric members, from left, Charles Whitman and Fred Sherlock, overlook a stretch of Yellow Creek in Bedford County designated for fly-fishing only. The two are members of the Yellow Creek Coalition, which works to preserve this part of the stream. maintain the fly-fishing project for people to enjoy, the members always welcome more support. “This stream was open long before I was here,” says Whitman. “It should stay that way.” Trout economics Maintaining projects like this also serves to enhance the state’s rural economies, explains Randy Buchanan, YCC vice president and Trout Unlimited/Mountain Laurel chapter president. “In terms of bringing people to restaurants and hotels, a project like this does a lot for the local economy,” he says. “People come from all over to fish this stream.” The story seems to be the same along trout streams all across the Commonwealth. According to the American Sportfishing Association, Pennsylvania, at $1.8 billion annually, ranks fifth in the nation in terms of fishing expenditure. And that’s behind states with considerably more shoreline — Florida, Texas, Minnesota, California and Michigan. PFBC Executive Director John Arway says the impact of fishing and fishingrelated activities is considerable, especially in rural parts of the state where people go to enjoy these activities. “Fishing and boating contribute signif- icant revenues to local, regional, and statewide economies, particularly in rural areas,” Arway notes. “Over 870,000 anglers and 2.5 million boaters together contribute nearly $3.4 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy every year. One of the most popular activities is fly-fishing. In fact, Pennsylvania has a national reputation as home to some of the best flyfishing streams in the country.” Humphreys agrees, pointing out the fact that the state has more trout streams than any state in the nation. “Think about this,” Humphreys says. “Tourism is the second biggest industry in Pennsylvania; fishing is tourism. People fly here, drive here, they need gas, lodging, food, a tackle shop, equipment … It is really fueling our economy.” According to a 2007 Congressional Sportmen’s Foundation report, fishing also adds 23,000 jobs to the Commonwealth’s workforce. Giving back Organizations like Trout Unlimited, which has 11,000 members in 51 chapters across the Commonwealth, understand Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative members Brenda and Dave Cardellino welcome outdoor enthusiasts to Kettle Creek Adventures, their lodge and bed & breakfast in Potter County. ADVENTURE: Joe Humphreys, a legendary fly-fisherman who has written books, taught fly-fishing at Penn State University and hosted a fly fishing series on ESPN, was featured in the May 1983 edition of Penn Lines, giving his common-sense approach to the sport. Included in the article was a photo of Humphreys with a fish he caught in 1977. And not just any fish, but the speckled monster he had been stalking for years — Pennsylvania’s record brown trout that measured in at 34 inches long and 19 1/2 inches around. For three summers, Humphreys had chased the huge trout, trying to ascertain its feeding patterns while hoping no one else beat him to it. He describes the record-breaking trout as “a railroad tie with spots” that he had to pick up with both arms and throw up on the bank because his net wasn’t big enough to capture it. the importance of maintaining streams as precious natural resources. Dave Cardellino, Trout Unlimited/Kettle Creek chapter president and member of Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative, says he got interested in Trout Unlimited through his work with the Kettle Creek Watershed Association in north-central Pennsylvania. “Trout Unlimited is an extension of that because we share similar goals in working to improve the fishing habitat and enhance the area,” he explains. “I saw a need for getting involved and wanted to help out the community. I think it’s important that we give back to the environment and not just take from it.” Cardellino started coming to this area in the early 1980s and fell in love with its natural beauty. Today, he and his wife, Brenda, run Kettle Creek Adventures, a lodge and bed & breakfast in Cross Fork, Potter County. The lodge brings in all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts, from hunters and fishermen to golfers and canoeists. Cardellino, who has a forestry degree, says he heard the “call of the outdoors” at an early age. An avid fisherman, he brings that love of nature to his work as a fly-fishing guide. “A lot of fishing is trying to understand what the fish is thinking,” he explains. “It comes from knowing where they are and why they’re there. I like to take everything in when I’m out on the stream. For me, a successful day is just being out in nature.” Over the years, he’s come to know the waters and the land well in his neck of the woods — woods that have seen a lot more traffic lately associated with natural gas development of the Marcellus Shale formation in Pennsylvania. That development has generated much concern among residents who rely on the state’s natural resources not only for their simple enjoyment but their livelihoods. “It’s coming, we know,” Cardellino says. “Trout Unlimited is very concerned about the Marcellus Shale. We would like to see any detriment to the ecology kept to a minimum.” Humphreys, who has seen development dry up many creek beds in his time, finds Marcellus activity particularly worrisome. “It could ruin things,” he says. “It’s scary. That’s why we need to promote the conservation of resources.” Though well past retirement, Humphreys continues to encourage people to fish for this very reason. It’s the one lesson he hopes people will remember. “The more people that partake in it,” he explains, “the more people there are that are aware of what we have — and what we have to save and protect. Without clean water, we don’t have a future.” l For more information: PENNSYLVANIA FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION www.fish.state.pa.us TROUT UNLIMITED www.tu.org YELLOW CREEK COALITION www.mltu.org/yellowcreek.shtml KETTLE CREEK ADVENTURES www.pavisnet.com/kcadventures J U LY 2 0 1 0 • P E N N LINES 11 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 2000 BY CUTTING down or eliminating commuting hassles, internet- and interactive-based education encouraged many rural residents — especially adults — to “attend” college. In the summer of 2000, Indiana University of Pennsylvania offered 11 online courses to students who lived too far from campus to commute. The latest technology at the time allowed students to type messages to each other on university-provided online chat rooms, post questions and assignments to a virtual classroom, read lectures on screen, surf the web to research papers and ask questions of their instructors via email. Gary Miller, Penn State University’s associate vice president for distance education, reports the original distance learning environment — the correspondence course — was developed by the university in 1892 with rural students in mind. College students weren’t the only ones who were benefiting from distance education. Using two-way television, high school students in rural Pennsylvania participated in classes in advanced science, math, language, and history that were previously unavailable at their own high schools because there were too few students enrolled. Meanwhile, their elementary school counterparts began taking “field trips” to educational and historic spots throughout the nation through distance learning — all without leaving their classrooms. Today, distance learning is offered by most colleges and universities. Penn State University offers hundreds of online courses that can lead to more than 70 online degree and certificate programs. Students from all over the world are tied to teachers through the latest 2010 technology. 1970 Swimming is just one of many activities available at Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset County. The recreational development is served by Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative. 12 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 1980 Meeting with President Jimmy Carter is the highlight of the Youth Tour. Carter tells the 900 tour participants that his family was served by a rural electric co-op in Georgia. 1990 The 2-year-old hydroelectric project at Raystown adds safe, environmentally sound and affordable energy production to the recreational and flood control benefits of the lake. POWERplants by Barbara Martin Is it summer yet? WE PLANT our vegetable gardens with such anticipation and expectation. Our taste buds are in high gear as we seed the rows or gently poke seeds into carefully mounded hills of soil. We weed, we water, we watch and we wait. Harvest dates are different every gardening year. We can use the “days to harvest” number listed on the label as a guide, sure, but ripening depends on the growing season. Some plants grow best in an extra warm summer, some seem to thrive in a coolerthan-normal summer. Soil temperature and moisture, degree-days (a cumulative heat measure) and sunny vs. cloudy or rainy days will affect the process. The microclimate for your garden will influence plant growth, as will your setout or seeding date. So we gardeners learn to apply those wonderfully inexact rules of thumb, the subtle tips and tests for gauging ripeness and readiness and knowing when the crop “is ready” to pick. Experienced gardeners 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. 14 PENN have their own system of what to watch for and how to tell when to begin harvesting each vegetable. Beginners will learn this through trial and error. Luckily, many vegetables can be harvested for fresh eating while still on the immature side, including the thinnings of carrots, beets and leafy greens, pulled baby onions, and even “new” potatoes. The benefit: you enjoy them on the table sooner and you stretch their season. You might notice that some vegetable varieties seem to ripen all at once while others stretch their productivity over a longer period. If you want to make cucumbers into pickles or tomatoes into paste, or expect to can string beans, it is best to grow a variety that matures in a short window. If you record your experiences in a garden journal, you can track your observations about ripening, yield quantity and quality over time. This data becomes an invaluable, ongoing reference, like an owner’s manual to your vegetable garden. By now, the early season vegetables including peas, red radishes, cole crops, spinach and lettuces are “gone by.” What’s ready next? Cucumbers and their relative, the zucchini, are fast growers, so keep an eye on them. You will notice cukes and zukes begin developing about 10 days after the first bloom. Watch closely: these seem to double in size overnight. Both of these vegeta- L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 bles will continue producing as long as they are harvested promptly, so keep picking. If you dread the “baseball bat” zucchini squash, keep in mind that tiny zucchini are quite tender and delicious, so don’t hold back! And yes, squash blossoms are edible, too. Ripe green beans have sized up but are still tender and moist. Pick them before the inner seeds bulge out and the exterior hardens. Check often once the plants begin to flower because the beans elongate quickly. Sweet corn is sweetest when cooked within a few minutes of picking, so don’t waste time. When the silks begin to turn brown and dry, check for ripeness. Pierce a kernel with your finger nail; when the inner juice is milky, it’s time. To preserve the sweetness, keep the corn cool between harvest and cooking. Tomatoes! Ah, tomatoes! These babies are ripe when a ARE WE THERE YET: Like an impatient child on a car trip, anxious gardeners have a difficult time waiting for their home-grown produce. gentle “tug with a twist” separates the fruit from the vine. Although we picture fully vine-ripened tomatoes as red, it depends on the specific variety. Ripe tomato colors range from gold to orange-red to deep red to nearly black! Many homegrown favorites — heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons and winter squash — ripen in late summer, thus requiring patience. Gardeners who desire a constant supply of produce to show for our efforts know that Swiss chard produces steadily week in and week out. Snip individual stems from the outer edge of the plant, cutting low to the ground and leaving the center leaves to continue growing. You’ll never come in empty-handed. l OUTDOORadventures Sharing space with a snake 5-foot-long black rat snake provides entertainment, eats rodents THE BLACK rat snake that sometimes dens in our Boy Scout troop’s cabin on the mountain finally showed itself when I was there. Others had spotted the reptile several times before this, and on one occasion even found a shed skin on one of the cots in the upstairs sleeping area. It’s not a giant by rat snake standards. Rather than the maximum for the species, which would measure in at about 100 inches, “our” rat snake is about 60 inches or so. But, it’s a snake about 5 feet long and that tends to catch your attention. I didn’t spot the snake in the close quarters of the cabin, which I’m sure would have lent a much deeper sense of surprise to the experience. I met up with the snake along one of the trails near the cabin, in a passing MARCUS SCHNECK , outdoors editor at The Patriot-News (Harrisburg) and outdoor blogger at www.pennlive.com, is the author of more than two dozen outdoors books and a contributor to many state and national publications. You can reach him at mschneck@comcast.net 16 PENN by Marcus Schneck encounter that gave each of us a good look at the other, but left neither of us worse off because of the experience. It might have been on its way back to the cabin. Adult leaders in the troop have carried it away from the cabin several times, only to have it show up back in the building weeks later. It’s one of the milder-tempered rat snakes, willing to put up with some handling and not move to defend itself. Others of its species are more prone to defensive machinations that attempt to present the image of a rattlesnake by vibrating their tails in the leaves, raising their heads as if preparing to strike, striking and biting. They also can release a foulsmelling musk. Black rat snakes also are highly skilled climbers, which explains why the one at the cabin has been spotted sliding down the side of the big, rock fireplace at the end of the common room on the first floor. And, that’s a slightly creepy thought to those of us who regularly sleep in the cabin, on cots easily reached from the floor under beams that could easily provide crawl space for a climbing serpent. On the other hand — and this is the consideration that will trump all else — rat snakes are great predators of small rodents of all types. That reptile without a doubt is putting a dent in the local rodent population. They also eat other snakes, and put those arboreal abilities to use in finding and swallowing L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 birds’ eggs, but those are small offenses for any snake that’s cutting down on the number of tick-carrying rodents. (There was a time when I had a real phobia about snakes, but ticks and Lyme disease spirochetes now hold the top spot among my not-too-unrealistic fears.) I doubt I’d feel the same way about this situation if the cabin-loving snake was a copperhead or a rattlesnake. Those reptiles also are good A GOOD DEED: Snakes drastically cut down on rodents living in the same area. mousers, but they have that downside of poisonous venom. We couldn’t have one of those species frequenting the cabin. I guess we’d just have to transport the offending reptile farther from the cabin, as killing any snake in these days of declining herp populations is not an option. l COUNTRYkitchen by Janette He ss Declare your independence JULY IS the perfect month to declare your independence from a hot kitchen, and strategic selection of recipes and cooking methods will assure your success. Once you’ve placed the ingredients for Tangy Pulled Pork in your slow cooker, simply move it to the patio or garage. Plug it into a convenient outlet and let the slow cooker do the work while the great outdoors absorbs the extra heat. With the recipe for Sweet and Sour Slaw, the not-so-secret, timesaving ingredient is a bag of prepared slaw mix. Be sure to complete your summer meal with a cool, light dessert. Cocoa Mousse fits the description. The heat required to boil the water can be confined to a microwave oven. For a finishing touch of flavor, garnish the mousse with shaved chocolate or crushed cookies. Oh, say, can you see how much time and energy you’ve saved? 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 SLAW (green 1 16-ounce bag slaw mix e) red cabbag 6 tablespoons sugar 2/3 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup cider vinegar d 1/4 teaspoon celery see cabbage, carrots and sugar, ving time, combine the the chilled cabbage and Thirty minutes before ser h wit nd Ble en. giv er ord in r ega vin and t serving time. cream, sal to the refrigerator until stir in celery seed. Return D PORK TANGY PULLE butt pork roast 1 boneless Boston ) ds (4-5 poun 1/2 cup water salt 1 teaspoon garlic salt y ler ce on po as 1 te e seasoning fre ltsa 1 teaspoon uce 1 cup barbecue sa 1 cup salsa with seasonings. w cooker. Sprinkle to 9 hours. Transslo a in r te wa d an er, about 8 Place roast e meat is very tend meat with a fork, removth til un low on Cook Shred or cutting board. meat to the fer to a large pan ings.) Return the ipp dr d an fat all d one hour ar isc ok (D Co . . fat lsa sa all ing ue sauce and ec rb ba d ad s dry. Serve on d em an se slow cooker uce if the meat sa ue ec rb ba re longer, adding mo al sauce. buns with addition COCOA MOU S SE 2 teaspoons unfla vored gelatin 2 tablespoons co ld water 1/4 cup boiling wa ter 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup cocoa 2 cups chilled wh ippi 2 teaspoons vani ng cream lla extract OPTIONAL TOPP INGS: Shaved chocolat e Crushed chocolat e sandwich cook ies Sprinkle gelatin on cold water to softe until the mixture is clear. Cool sligh n. Add boiling water and stir tly, but do not all to set. In a cold mixi ow ping cream and va ng bowl, combine sugar and coco the gelatin a. nilla extract and beat until stiff. Fo Add whipmixture and blend ld in the gelatin well. Spoon into indivi ping, if desired. Ch ill. Makes 8 serving dual cups and add a tops. J U LY 2 0 1 0 • P E N N LINES 17 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. ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ AROUND THE HOUSE “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. 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. ✉ CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ROOF KILLING YOU? Instant Renew Roof Coating (sm) saves replacement cost — metal, rubber, flat. Hotels, schools, factories, offices, trailers. Winter/summer don’t miss out, addon or new start. Business Mfg. Direct Aztec 573-489-9346. YOLI — Check out the new health drink. Stop drinking all that sugar and other bad stuff that is in all the so-called health drinks. www.digger.goyoli.com. OUTGOING? Looking for motivated individuals with a positive attitude to become a Brand Partner for a health and wellness company. Please send inquiry to: don@HelpYourHealth2.com. CAMPGROUND DEADLINE September 2010. . . . . . . July 19 October 2010. . . . . . . August 18 November 2010. . . . . . . Sept. 17 All ads must be received by the specified dates to be included in the corresponding month’s issue. Ads received beyond the deadline dates will automatically be included in the next available issue. Written notice of changes or cancellations must be received prior to the first of the month preceding the month of issue. For information about display rates, continuous ads, or specialized headings, contact Vonnie Kloss at 717/233-5704, the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. 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. CYCLONE FENCING CYCLONE FENCE for sale — 7 feet high x 400 feet. One eightfoot gate, one four-foot gate. Must be dismantled by buyer. Location – Beaumont. Call 570-760-1094 for inspection. Ask for Sandy. ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING RESIDENTIAL PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL – Raystown Electric LLC. New construction, remodeling, additions, storage barns, garages. Also offering landscape and security lighting. Call Cliff at 814-386-5520. ENTERTAINMENT 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. AUSTIN CAMPGROUND in beautiful Potter County, modern family camping, full-service pet friendly cabin/RV rentals, see the Pennsylvania Elk, Grand Canyon of PA, fishing, ATV, hiking. 800-878-0889 or www.austincampground.com. 10th Anniversary KETTLE CREEK Ambulance Music Festival, Aug. 12-15, special band appearing Thursday night. Live music, vendors, food, crafts, children’s games area. (Classic Cars Saturday) Held at Quiet Oaks Campground, Cross Fork, PA. Camping available. Visit www.kcmusicfest.com. FREE FIREWOOD – Trees already felled. You cut and clean up. 814-838-4723. CASH FOR GOLD FENCING Sell your unwanted GOLD and SILVER. Highest paid prices paid in Central PA. Guaranteed! Licensed local dealer: Creekside Antiques, 1031-35 Third Ave., (old Rt. 22) Duncansville, PA. 814695-7219 Get Cash. 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. BUILDING SUPPLIES 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. WHITE PINE T&G Boards. 1 x 6 and 1 x 8 bead/V groove. Some can be used for flooring. Price start 26¢ LF to 60¢ LF. Call 717-870-9746. www.twoguyslumber.com. 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 800-497-9793. 18 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 CHURCH LIFT SYSTEMS GIFT AND CRAFT IDEAS 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. 412-833-9371 or 814-926-3622. “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. CONSULTING FORESTRY SERVICES NOLL’S FORESTRY SERVICES, INC. performs Timber Marketing, Timber Appraisals, Forest Management Planning, and Forest Improvement Work. FREE Timber Land Recommendations. 30 years experience. Call 814-472-8560. 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. PENNLINESclassified HEALTH AND NUTRITION 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. HERBALIFE NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS – Call James at 717-4836510 or check the website, www.herbalnutrition.net/members/JamesLewis. 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. HELP WANTED 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. 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. 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.” 814-5873449. LLAMAS FOR SALE — Variety of colors and types of wool, including suris. Whatever your need, we have that special llama for you. Prices start at $250. Call 814-735-4736. 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. BAT, BIRD, SQUIRREL droppings can be a health hazard. I can safely dispose of the problem with my industrial vacuum machine. I also remove bats and other nuisance animals. Darrin Fillman 717-436-9391. Licensed and insured. 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). 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. NURSERY AND GARDEN FRESH, HOME-GROWN vegetables and herbs. Several varieties of hot and sweet peppers, tomatoes, beans, peas, onions, turnips. Parsnips, spinach, red beets, kohlrabi, cucumbers, zucchini, cantaloupes, watermelons, pumpkins. For availability, call Maria, 814-224-5368 or 814-312-5997. PAINTING CONTRACTORS IN PA LOG CABIN painting and staining, interior, exterior. One-stop preventive maintenance. Victorian and historical homes and structures are our specialties. Jardine’s Painting, Newville, 717 226-0629 or www.jardinespainting.com. REAL ESTATE RAYSTOWN LAKE — $375,000, 35 acres, build-ready, mountaintop vista, close to boat launch. Call 814-599-0790. CAMP FOR SALE near Cook Forest. Small but clean, sleeps six. Near stocked trout stream, horse trails, ATV trails, surrounded by Allegheny Forest. Has septic, carry-in water. $26,500. 440241-1562. INDIAN LAKE — Somerset County, Pa. Two bedroom summer cottage, 760 square feet with partial basement, completely furnished. Includes 20-foot pontoon boat with boat dock. $229,900. 717-737-6947 or email jwhart2@verizon.net. TIDOUTE AREA — Warren County. Double-wide on block foundation, 1 acre close to Allegheny River, gamelands. 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, living room, kitchen, covered deck, shed. $75,000. 814-825-3890 or 814-566-1656. COOK FOREST Business and Property for sale. 46.7 acres. Includes restaurant/lodge, campground, ten cabins, threebedroom house, maintenance barn, equipment, mobile home and pond. Call 814-752-2361. 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 Saw-mill Equipment! Buy/Sell. Call Sawmill Exchange 800-459-2148. USA and Canada. www.sawmillexchange.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. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT SHARPENING. Carbide saw blades, scissors, knives, wood chisels and tools. Arius Eickert Certified to sharpen beauty shears. Scissor sales and service. Call 814-267-5061 or see us at www.theScissorGuy.net. 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, $1,400 (June to September). Call 716536-0104. Great entertainment. Dancing nightly. COOK FOREST, SHILOH RESORT/MAMA DOE’S Restaurant — Campground, cabins, rooms and suites, rent by day or week. Two days free when you stay by the week. Reserve today, call 814-752-2361. CLEAR CREEK PARK AREA — The cleanest place in the forest. Five-star rated, open all year. Call 814-752-2972 for brochures or visit www.northwoodscottagerental.com. APARTMENT FOR RENT – Two bedroom apartment for rent by the week, 1 1/2 blocks from the beach. Call 717-334-4388. RAYSTOWN CAMPER RENTALS – Campers available for all events. Delivery and set-up available within Lake Raystown. For more information, call 814-386-1715 or email hedgie17@yahoo.com or visit www.raystowncamperrental.com. HUNTING CAMP in Clearfield County near Parker Dam in Moshannon State Forest. 12 x 28. Excellent hunting and fishing. Please call for more information and pictures, 724838-5367. $37,500. WANTED TO BUY WANTED TO BUY: Standing timber 20+ acres. Earn a little extra cash this summer. For more information please call 301-7465552 or visit our website at www.redrockllc.com. MEDICINAL ROOTS – Including blood root, skunk cabbage, black cohosh, golden seal and others. For serious diggers, call 814-698-2206 or write “Roots” at 567 Bryant Hollow Road, Coudersport, PA 16915. WORK CLOTHES GOOD CLEAN RENTAL-type work clothes, 6 pants & 6 shirts to match, $44.95. Men’s jeans – 5 pairs, $25. Lined work jackets, $10.95. Walt's Wholesale 800-233-1853 or www.usedworkclothing.com. J U LY 2 0 1 0 • P E N N LINES 19 SMARTcircuits by James Dulley Metal roofs keep things cool, and look good, too MANY — but not all — metal roofs qualify for the federal energy conservation tax credit for 2010. Metal roofs save energy by keeping your house cooler during the summer, which can dramatically improve comfort inside and reduce electric bills if your home is air-conditioned. During the winter, a metal roof has a negligible impact on the energy efficiency of your house. In general, in order to qualify for the energy tax credit, the roof must meet Energy Star qualification standards. For roofing, this means the TSR (total solar reflectivity) must be greater than 25 percent when new and 15 percent after three years of aging. To be sure the roofing qualifies, ask for the specifications and a manufacturer’s certification statement (MCS). It pays to be diligent these days: I recently got quotes on a roof installation, and several roofers told me their asphalt shingles qualified for the tax credit. In actuality they did not qualify. The amount of the tax credit is 30 percent of the material cost of the roof (not installation expenses) up to a maximum of $1,500. Use IRS form 5695 to apply for the tax credit and save the payment receipt and MCS in case of a tax audit. For my own home project, I eventually selected a Classic Metal Roofing Systems aluminum roof. It is made from 98 percent recycled aluminum, and the one-by-twofoot panels are formed to simulate a cedar shake roof. It’s attractive and certainly unique: many neighbors were stumped trying to figure out exactly what it is. To install the aluminum panel roof, a special film underlayment was nailed down with plastic clips and stainless steel fasteners over the existing shingles (which saved the expense of tearing off the old shingles). Each aluminum panel interlocks with the adjacent ones on all four sides. 20 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 The top of each panel is held down by a stainless steel nail through a hole in the upper corner and an aluminum clip attached midway across the top. It is designed to withstand up to a 120-mileper-hour wind. Although it is more expensive to install than an asphalt shingle roof, my new metal roof will never have to be replaced. From a lifetime cost comparison, it is cheaper than installing an asphalt roof every 20 to 30 years. I also get a 3 percent reduction on my homeowner’s insurance because of reduced fire hazard. Most metal roofs reflect more of the sun’s heat than do asphalt shingles, particularly black shingles. My metal roof has a TRS of 0.43 whereas a black asphalt shingle roof has a TRS of only 0.05. This keeps the roofing materials cooler so less heat is radiated down through the ceilings to the living area. Also, the underside of the aluminum metal surface has lower “emissivity” (the ability to emit heat) than shingles, so even less heat radiates downward. The final energy advantage is that the Classic Metal Roofing aluminum panels are relatively thin with the contour of shakes formed into them. This contour creates an air gap between most of the roofing and the roof sheathing or shingles below it. This gap allows some outdoor air to circulate up under the metal roof panels to keep them cooler. I sealed off my gable vents so outdoor air is now drawn in the soffit vents and exhausted out the ridge vent. One minor drawback to the aluminum shake panels is they can dent if you indiscriminately walk on the high points of the contour. This can be avoided by stepping on the lower nailed area of the panels. Contoured insulating foam pieces were placed under areas of panels to provide walkways on the roof to clean my skylight and service the ridge vents. Steel roofing is another option. Painted standing seam or tile steel roofing is very durable. Instead of trying to simulate some type of standard roofing material, the bright colors and unique appearance are signatures of upscale homes. The finish coating on aluminum and steel often uses a Kynar-based paint with heat reflecting additives in a multistep process. 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 PUNCHlines Thoughts from Earl Pitts, UHMERIKUN! Earl knows the difference between gardening, farming 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. 22 PENN L I N E S • J U LY 2 0 1 0 This whole back-to-nature, save- OK, here’s the deal. Some rat-torthe-planet, eat-healthy, hug-a-squirrel business we got out there now — it just makes me laugh. You know what I seen on the TV the other night? It was for some garden store somewhere. Only gardenin’ ain’t called “gardenin’” no more. No sir. It’s now called “backyard farmin’.” Ain’t that cute? Now, I can’t tell if this is ‘sposed to make people who grow their own vegetables feel more important. Or is it ‘sposed to make real farmers feel stupid? Yeah, I got news for you people. What you’re doin’ in the backyard ain’t farmin.’ An’ if I might make the call here — the cut off would be if you used a roto-tiller. ‘Cause that dude with 200 acres a’ corn, he didn’t use no stupid roto-tiller on his field. No sir. Yeah, if your biggest farm equipment is a rototiller, you ain’t no dang farmer. An’ again, I hate to bust your bubble out there. That ain’t your barn out there. That’s a shed. Yeah, if you got your barn from Wal-Mart, you ain’t no dang farmer. Here’s another thing. Real farmers don’t grow their tomaters upside down. You ever drove down along a wheat field? Yeah, it’s right side up. You ever pass a field a’ soy beans? Right side up. The way God meant it to be. You grow crops upside down, you ain’t no dang farmer. Oh, an’ by the way, if you tell your better half you’re goin’ out to work the lower 40, an’ you’re talkin’ about square feet an’ not acres, you ain’t no dang farmer. An’ another thing, if your irrigation system is a garden hose an’ a sprinkler, you ain’t no dang farmer. Wake up, America. It takes more than a pair a’ Dickies and a friend named Eb to make you a farmer. So don’t go foolin’ yourself, cause you ain’t foolin’ nobody else. You ain’t no dang farmer. turin’, toked-up science geek somewhere done a study, an’ he says men lie more than women. Yeah, he says men lie three times a day. That’s over 1,000 lies a year. Your average woman only makes two lies a day — less than 800 in a year. Obviously, women don’t gotta lie as much as men. That’s because us men don’t ask them if our jeans make us look fat. Here’s the part I like. What’s the No. 1 lie a man tells? Accordin’ to this science weasel, it’s about how much he drank. An’ what’s the woman’s No. 1 lie? It’s when they tell us, “There’s nothing wrong. I’m fine.” Yeah, any man will tell you them are the three scariest words in the female language. “There’s nothing wrong.” Course women don’t say them words like there ain’t nothin’ wrong. They don’t go, “There’s nothing wrong.” Naw. They shoot it out like a semi-automatic weapon (fast and loud). “There’s nothing wrong!!!” Which in woman talk means there’s somethin’ wrong. That’s like the guy that takes the piñata stick to the crotch. He buckles over like he was shot by a sniper an’ goes (gasping), “I’m OK.” Yeah, it’s a little tough to believe. Now for you new husbands out there, lemme ‘splain somethin’ to you. When you think your better half is actin’ stupid, an’ you ask her what’s wrong, that is essentially the same thing as puttin’ a single bullet in a revolver an’ spinnin’ the cylinder. Yeah, cause five times outta six, she’s gonna say, “there’s nothin’ wrong.” An’ you get to live another day. An’ then there’s that one time she’s gonna go off. Wake up, America. There’s only one way to keep your marriage together an’ yourself sane. When your better half is agitated, kind a’ off a bit, kinda a spoilin’ for a fight, ignore her! Then she don’t hafta lie, an’ you don’t hafta pretend to care. I’m Earl Pitts, Uhmerikan. l 103⁄4 13 101⁄2 RURALreflections The view from here OUR VIEW of ordinary items sometimes is changed when we change the perspective we are viewing the items from, or the light we are viewing them in. Consider different perspectives, along with lighting and subjects, when you are taking photos for the “Rural Reflections” contest. At the end of the year, five lucky contest winners will receive a $75 prize in the categories of: most artistic, best landscape, best human subject, best animal subject and editor’s choice. To be eligible for the 2010 contest prizes, send your snapshots (no digital files, please) to: Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg PA 17108-1266. On the back of each photo, include your name, address, phone number and the name of the electric cooperative that serves your home, business or seasonal residence. (The best way to include this information is by affixing an address label to the back of the photo. Please do not use ink gel or roller pens to write on the photo as they bleed onto other photos.) Remember, our publication deadlines require that we work ahead, so send seasonal photos in early. We need fall photos before mid-July and winter photos before mid-September (save your spring and summer photos to submit for the 2011 contest). 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 self-addressed, self-stamped envelope is included. l Mary Thall Northwestern REC Sylvia Gray Claverack REC SPINE/GUTTER Carrie Dinger Tri-County REC C. Lichtenberger Adams EC J U LY 2 0 1 0 • P E N N LINES 23 101⁄2 13 10 ⁄8 103⁄4 10 ⁄16
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