Penn Lines October 2015

OCTOBER 20 15

For changes of address, please contact your local electric cooperative.

Balancing temps‘That’s not how this works’Wild about pie

PLUS

Longtime directors onserving cooperativemission

On boardOn boardLongtime directors onserving cooperativemission

Adams Electric Cooperative, Inc.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 • P E N N L I N E S 3

Visit with us at Penn LinesOnline, located at:www.prea.com/Content/pennlines.asp. Penn Lines Onlineprovides an email link to PennLines editorial staff, informationon advertising rates, and anarchive of past issues.

Vol. 50 • No. 10Peter A. Fitzgerald

ED ITOR

Katherine HacklemanSENIOR EDITOR/WRITER

James DulleyJanette Hess

Barbara MartinMarcus Schneck

CONTR IBUT ING COLUMNISTS

W. Douglas ShirkLAYOUT & DESIGN

Vonnie KlossADVERT ISING & C IRCULAT ION

Michelle M. SmithMEDIA & MARKET ING SPECIALIST

Penn Lines (USPS 929-700), the newsmagazineof Pennsylvania’s electric cooperatives, is pub-lished monthly by the Pennsylvania Rural Elec-tric Association, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. Penn Lineshelps 166,000 households of co-op consumer-members understand issues that affect theelectric cooperative program, their local co-ops, and their quality of life. Electric co-opsare not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locallydirected, and taxpaying electric utilities. PennLines is not responsible for unsolicited manu-scripts. The opinions expressed in Penn Linesdo not necessarily reflect those of the editors,the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, orlocal electric distribution cooperatives.

Subscriptions: Electric co-op members, $5.42per year through their local electric distributioncooperative. Preferred Periodicals postage paidat Harrisburg, PA 17107 and additional mail ingoffices. POSTMASTER: Send address changeswith mailing label to Penn Lines, 212 LocustStreet, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266.

Advertising: Display ad deadline is six weeksprior to month of issue. Ad rates upon request.Acceptance of advertising by Penn Lines doesnot imply endorsement of the product or serv-ices by the publisher or any electric cooper-ative. If you encounter a problem with anyproduct or service advertised in Penn Lines,please contact: Advertising, Penn Lines, P.O.Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Penn Linesreserves the right to refuse any advertising.

Board officers and staff, Pennsylvania RuralElectric Association: Chairman, Leroy Walls;Vice Chair man, Tim Burkett; Secretary, BarbaraMiller; Treas urer, Rick Shope; President &CEO, Frank M. Betley

© 2015 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or inpart without written permission is prohibited.

4 ENERGY MATTERSEnergy-saving apps availableYour local cooperative is your best source ofinformation about how to cut back on energy use

6 K EEP ING CURRENTNews items from across the Commonwealth

8 F EATUREOn boardLongtime directors on servingcooperative mission

14 T IME L INESYour newsmagazine through the years

14A COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONInformation and advice from your localelectric cooperative

16 F EATURECooperative scholarsWinners of statewide electric cooperativescholarships announced

18 SMART C I RCU I TSBalancing temps in a two-story home

21 OUTDOOR ADVENTURES‘That’s not how this works’

22 C LASS I F I EDS

24 COUNTRY K I TCHENWild about pie

25 POWER PLANTSWhy we garden

26 PUNCH L INESThoughts from Earl Pitts–Uhmerikun!City folks’ definition of ‘unplugged’ is countryversion of daily life

27 RURAL REFLECT IONSFinal call for 2015 photos

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OCTOBER

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ON THE COVERDirectors with more than35 years of service on theirlocal rural electriccooperative boardsdescribe changes they have seen in their decadesof service.

http://www.prea.com/Content/

4 P E N N L I N E S • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5

B y T h o m a s K i r k

Home Energy Saver — was introducedin 1996 by the Lawrence BerkeleyNational Laboratory (LBNL). The HomeEnergy Saver and other early web-basedtools for energy monitoring lacked auto-mated collection, processing and pres-entation of energy data, and they werenot widely used. Much has changed intoday’s options. Energy-monitoring apps essentially

come in two flavors. The easiest and least expensive apps,

like Energy Tracker and Wiser Home,ask you to provide an inventory of allelectricity-consuming devices withinyour home. The information needed willinclude your home’s size, number ofwindows and an outlet-by-outlet assess-ment of everything plugged in. Themore detailed and accurate you are, themore accurate the app will be in predict-ing your energy use and providing prac-tical energy-saving tips. Dependingupon the size of your home and the dex-terity of your fingers, it may be timeconsuming to input all of this informa-tion into your phone or tablet. But theseapps can provide useful insight intoyour energy use. They also tend to befree or cost less than a couple of dollars. Other apps and software, like TED

(The Energy Detective), depend on datafrom your utility or from sensorsinstalled inside of your home. Peopleshould be careful sharing utility accountusernames and passwords with appsthat are not provided by their utility.Sensors installed in the breaker box orin other areas of the home can provideaccurate real-time energy consumptioninformation. These products will rangein price and may not be right for some-one uncomfortable opening theirbreaker box. Some apps may provide aremote control capability over somedevices, such as thermostats or tablelamps. The best source of information on

Energy-savingapps available

your energy use actually is your localcooperative. Many offer apps or webservices that can help you determinewhen, where and how energy is beingused based on models and your accountinformation. They can also provideenergy-saving tips and information spe-cific to your area. Saving energy is not always easy, but

the right mix of tools can go a long waywhen it comes to making educated deci-sions on how to make an impact. Just besure to read the fine print.l

Thomas Kirk is a technical research ana-lyst specializing in energy efficiency andrenewable energy for the CooperativeResearch Network (CRN), a service of theArlington, Va.-based National Rural Elec-tric Cooperative Association.

ENERGYmatters

As the research and development arm of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, CRN pursues innovative solutions that hel

electric cooperatives deliver safe, reliable, and a�ordable power to their consumer-members.

Your local cooperative is your bestsource of information about howto cut back on energy use

INTERESTED IN saving energy?There’s an app for that. Home energyuse often goes unnoticed because it islargely an intangible good. It isn’t untilthe monthly electric bill arrives that youget concrete feedback about your energyuse. But, because of the delay betweenenergy use and billing, people often can’taccurately account for how specificactions contribute to their overall energyuse. This is akin to shopping at a gro-cery store where customers cannot seethe prices of goods and are billed justone time per month in aggregate. How-ever, this is starting to change as moreconsumers adopt and use home energymonitoring applications. Calculating how much energy devices

inside a home use is not a new concept.The first online tool designed specifi-cally to reduce home energy use — the

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KEEPINGcurrent

and HDOnTap to offer the sights andsounds of the state’s wildlife in theirnative habitat. The live stream, available at the com-

mission’s website at www.pgc.state.pa.usthrough the end of bugling season inmid-October, is offered through a cam-era at State Game Lands 311 in ElkCounty. The camera overlooks a fieldthat is not open to the public where elkoften congregate.Elk, once common in Pennsylvania,

were virtually gone from the state by thelate 1870s. In 1913, state officials began aneffort to reintroduce elk, but annual mor-

tality of the animals offsetreproductive gains until by1980, there were only 120 to150 elk remaining. State offi-cials began another push toreintroduce elk in the 1990s,and today, the population isestimated at around 1,000. The best location to learn

about Pennsylvania elk is atElk Country Visitor Center,134 Homestead Drive,Benezette, Pa., where thelargest wild elk herd in thenortheastern United Statesroams the 245-acre site onWinslow Hill. The site isadjacent to State GameLands 311 and the Elk StateForest. More information

about the center is available atwww.elkcountryvisitorcenter.com.

Plan in place to safeguard stateagainst bird fluAt this writing, no cases of avian

influenza (commonly known as bird flu)have been reported in Pennsylvania, butthe state has developed a set of guide-lines to prevent its spread. To date, thevirus has been detected in 21 states. It isspread primarily through migratorybirds. It appears to have spread from thePacific flyway to the Central flyway tothe Mississippi flyway.According to the Pennsylvania

Department of Agriculture, the concernis that infected birds migrating souththis fall could enter the Atlantic flyway(which overlies Pennsylvania) from theMississippi flyway. Among the stateswhere the virus has been confirmed isMichigan, 150 miles across from LakeErie’s Pennsylvania shore.Officials estimate approximately 50

million birds were killed by this virus asof mid-September. Bird flu is caused byan influenza type A virus. Avianinfluenza viruses occur naturally inbirds, and wild bird species (ducks,swans and geese) can carry the viruses,but usually do not get sick from them.However, bird flu does often kill domes-ticated birds such as chickens, quail,pheasants, guinea fowl and turkeys.

Penn Lines reader input neededPenn Lines is sending a four-page reader survey to a small sampling of randomly

selected Penn Lines readers. In fact, you may have already received a copy of thesurvey.

The questionnaire takes just minutes to complete and all responses are kept instrict confidence.

The survey is one of the important ways in which Penn Lines magazine and adver-tising staff gauges readers’ likes and dislikes and assists them in determining editorialand advertising content for the publication.

If you receive a survey in the mail, please complete and return it in the providedpostage-paid reply envelope. As an added bonus, all those members who return acompleted survey will be entered for a chance to win an iPad Mini.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Penn Lines receives awardsPenn Lines, published by the Pennsyl-

vania Rural Electric Association, recentlyreceived two first-place awards for featurewriting in the 2015 National ElectricCooperative Statewide Editors Associa-

tion Willies Awards. Awards were pre-

sented for “A FamilyAffair: Bicentennial Pro-gram Recognizes Penn-sylvania’s Farming Gen-erations,” published inApril 2015, and “Hope inHand: Sowing the Seedsfor the Return of theAmerican Chestnut,”published in May 2015. There were over 300

entries from 23 maga-zines in the contest, named for “WillieWiredhand,” the mascot of the electriccooperative program.

New ‘elk cam’ offers close-upsPennsylvania’s elk are now starring

on the “elk cam,” the latest effort by thePennsylvania Game Commission, Penn-sylvania Department of Conservation

PHOTO BY PAUL STANISZEWSKI

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us

http://www.elkcountryvisitorcenter.com

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/SCHWARTZ

Avian influenza viruses do not usuallyinfect humans, although certain strainshave the potential to infect people.Agriculture Secretary Russell Red-

ding, noting the state’s poultry businessis a $13 billion industry, said the state istaking measures to prevent the disease’sspread. Two interstate quarantine ordershave been established to protect thestate’s poultry industry from accidentalintroduction of the virus through move-ment of poultry and poultry products. The first, established in June, involves

a 72-hour testing and reporting require-ment before moving poultry and poultryproducts from states with infected flocksto certify the shipment has tested nega-tive for avian influenza. The second order,issued in August, sets strict standards forcleaning vehicles, containers and materi-als that transport poultry and relatedproducts to, in and from Pennsylvania. In addition, Gov. Tom Wolf has

approved $3.5 million to support thestate Department of Agriculture’s ongo-ing planning efforts and response needs.If avian flu is confirmed in Pennsylva-nia, the funds would go toward depopu-lating infected flocks, disposing of

infected birds and disinfecting houses,as well as support for field staff.Redding also noted poultry produc-

ers should have a producer plan and aflock plan in place in case bird flu isconfirmed in Pennsylvania.“Producers need to anticipate what

steps they will need to take should aninfection be confirmed in their flock,”Redding said. “In addition to biosecuritystandard operating procedures, everyfarm needs a (bird flu) flock plan. Flockplans address specifics of depopulation,disposal, and cleaning and disinfectionmethods. Since variables includingweather and other environmental condi-tions at the time infection is confirmedmay affect the plan, alternative proce-dures should be considered.”For more information about avian

influenza, visit the Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Agriculture’s website atwww.agriculture.pa.gov or the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s website atwww.usda.gov.

Cold and snowy winter?If you like to ice fish, you will be

happy with the 2016 Old Farmer’s

Almanac, as it is predicting an unusu-ally harsh winter for most of the nation. The annual publication, which claims

it is 80 percent accurate, has been in usesince 1792. One of the most popularweather reference guides in the UnitedStates, the almanac says the Northeastand Midwest should prepare for below-normal temperatures, while the Southand Pacific Northwest will have above-average snowfall.The almanac’s founder, Robert B.

Thomas, had a secret forecasting for-mula involving his belief that theweather was influenced by magneticstorms on the surface of the sun. Theformula, which has been updatedthrough the years, is said to be lockedaway in a simple black box somewherein New Hampshire.

Western parks looking for artworkThe Western Pennsylvania National

Parks (WEPA) is preparing for theNational Park Service’s 100th anniver-sary in 2016. In preparation for the cen-tennial, the WEPA is inviting fourth-graders to share their park experience inart. The winning entry will be used onthe annual five-park pass for the 2016season, and the winner will receive a$50 gift card to be used in the WEPApark bookstores.The contest is open to all 2015-16

fourth-grade students who live in one ofthe four counties where the WEPAparks are found: Blair, Cambria, Fayetteand Somerset. Artwork must displaythe student’s visit and experience in oneof the WEPA’s parks: Allegheny PortageRailroad National Historic Site, Flight 93National Memorial, Friendship HillNational Historic Site, Fort NecessityNational Battlefield or Johnstown FloodNational Memorial.Only original flat art (sketch/draw-

ing), size 8 1/2 by 11 inches will beaccepted. It must list the student’sname, school address, and phone num-ber or email on the back. Entries, whichwill not be returned, should be mailedto WEPA Art Contest, Fort NecessityNB, One Washington Parkway, Farm-ington, PA 15437. Only one entry perstudent; all entries must be postmarkedby Oct. 31.l

TELLING THE STORY: With the recent dedication of the Visitor Center Complex, the Flight 93 NationalMemorial in Somerset County is nearly complete. All that remains to be built is the Tower of Voices, a93-foot structure with 40 wind chimes. The new Visitor Center, above, uses photos, video, artifactsand interactive displays to tell the story of Flight 93, one of four airliners hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001,and the only one that did not reach its intended target. Forty passengers and crew members died asthey fought to regain control of the plane, which is believed to have been headed for the U.S. Capitol.The center’s stark, 40-foot tall concrete walls are bisected by a black granite walk that mirrors theplane’s flight path. Visitors walk through the exhibits to an outdoor platform where they can view thecrash site. Tickets to the center are free, but must be reserved in advance. For ticket information,call 1-877-444-6777 or view the park’s website at www.nps.gov./flni.


http://www.agriculture.pa.gov

http://www.usda.gov

http://www.nps.gov./flni


ON BOARDLongtime directors on serving cooperative mission

PENNlines

LISTEN UP: Lowell Friedline,secretary/treasurer of the SomersetRural Electric Cooperative Board ofDirectors and a member of theAllegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc.,Board of Directors, left, and otherPennsylvania directors listen to aninstructor at a director training session. Friedline joined the Somersetboard in 1975.

B y K a t h y H a c k l e m a n

S e n i o r E d i t o r / Wr i t e r

Electricity does more than flow through the linesat Bob Guyer’s house. It has been an integral

part of his life for as long as he can remember. Guyer, who will celebrate 60 years of service on

the New Enterprise Rural Electric Cooperative (REC)Board of Directors in 2016, recalls doing hisschoolwork by the light of a kerosene lamp. Heremembers just how hard his mother worked,cooking, washing clothes and cleaning withoutelectricity, and how the farmers in his Pennsylvaniacommunity labored to dig the holes where the ruralelectric cooperative would place the poles that wouldeventually bring them light.

Early sparkGuyer was 8 years old when his family’s home was

electrified in 1936. Motivated by how much electricitychanged his family’s life, Guyer became an electrician,wiring homes for contractors. It was a suggestionfrom a line foreman that led Guyer to seek a positionon the cooperative’s board in 1956. He won thatelection, and has remained both a dedicatedelectrician and an enthusiastic cooperative boardmember ever since, earning a CredentialedCooperative Director (CCD) designation, one of twoeducational certificates offered through the NationalRural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA – seeinformation on cooperative training and education onpage 12). In addition to serving his local cooperative,Guyer has also held a number of positions with thePennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA),the statewide organization representing the 14 Penn -sylvania and New Jersey cooperatives, and Allegheny


PENNlines

Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Alleg heny), thecooperatives’ power supplier. Guyer’s term at New Enterprise REC

is the longest of any Pennsylvania direc-tor, but there are several directors withextensive experience serving their localcooperatives. This October, as electriccooperatives observe National Coopera-tive Month, some of these individualsoffer a unique look at how the industryhas changed through the years.In addition to the obvious differences

(the number of New Enterprise RECmembers has nearly tripled from 1,165 in1956 to 2,896 in 2015, and the primary linemileage has increased from 230 to 373),Guyer notes some changes are not soapparent, especially as they relate to reg-ulations and finances.“At one time, we had to only talk to our

members and figure out how to solvetheir problems,” Guyer says. “Then, as theyears went by, the industry became muchmore regulated. Also, we were an all-cashbusiness and everything was hand-writ-ten in ledger books. Now, everyone ismoving toward a paperless environmentand everything is computerized.” Guyer isn’t the only veteran coopera-

tive director who can recall life “before

the lights came on.”Wayne Gavitt, chairman of the

Forksville-based Sullivan County RECboard and a member of the PREA boardwho will celebrate 40 years of board serv-ice in 2016, says his memories of lifebefore electricity are vivid.“My mother and I lived with my

grandparents while my father was in themilitary, and we didn’t have electricity,”Gavitt says. “Every Saturday, my grand-mother would clean all the globes on thekerosene lamps. We pretty much got upat daylight and went to bed at dark.”Little did he know back then that he

would grow up to lead the local coopera-tive board, as well as serve at thestatewide level. With a smile, Gavitt, aretired banker, explains that he was “vol-unteered” to serve on the cooperativeboard after working with several cooper-ative employees during the constructionof his new home in 1975. His first impres-sion was that his major responsibilitywould involve attending a few monthlymeetings. Those few meetings wouldturn into decades of commitment asGavitt’s background in finance dovetailedwell with the cooperative’s needs. “Cooperatives are a very capital-inten-

sive business,” he states. “We focus onproviding reliable electricity at the bestpossible price, but along with everythingelse, the cost of electricity has trendedupward over time. We always keep ouremphasis on the members, who, as theyears go by, have become a lot less toler-ant of service interruptions. So we havegotten a lot more serious about aggressiveright-of-way clearing, which is veryexpensive for our 900 miles of line,almost all of which goes through forests.”

Commitment to learningGavitt, who also holds the CCD desig-

nation, enjoys his board service, but headvises potential candidates to becomemore familiar with the cooperative thanhe was before he agreed to serve.“There is great satisfaction in being

involved in a program that is serving peo-ple, but you need to know that if you aregoing to take it seriously, you have to be pre-pared to read everything you can put yourhands on about the energy world, includingnatural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewables,”Gavitt says. “These are all things we needto be familiar with, and much of that edu-cation can be obtained through theNRECA training, but you have to be will-ing to commit to learning all you can.”Dave Turner, a member of the

Youngsville-based Warren EC Board ofDirectors since 1980, agrees there is a steeplearning curve to becoming an informedcooperative board member, but that curve

ANNUAL MEETING: Wayne Gavitt, chairman of theSullivan County Rural Electric Cooperative Board ofDirectors and a member of the PREA Board ofDirectors, presides at a cooperative annual meet-ing. Gavitt has been a member of the local boardsince 1976.


YEARS OF SERVICE: Leroy Walls, president of the New Enterprise Rural Electric Cooperative Board ofDirectors and chairman of the PREA Board of Directors, left, presents a plaque to Bob Guyer, NewEnterprise REC board treasurer, in 2006 in recognition of Guyer’s 50 years of service. Guyer will cele-brate his 60th year on the board in 2016.


can be flattened through participation indirector training. Turner, who has servedas chairman of the local cooperative boardsince 1982 and has also served and heldoffices on the PREA and Alleghenyboards, holds the CCD designation.“You have to be willing to spend the

time and learn the basics,” Turner says.“The CCD is set up to help board mem-bers learn those fundamentals. (The War-ren EC) board asks new directors to takeenough classes to get their CCD withinthe first five years of their election.”Pennsylvania’s cooperative directors

take their education seriously, with thegreat majority having achieved CCD sta-tus and more than half going on to earnthe Board Leadership Certificate (BLC) –numbers that far outpace national direc-tor training results. Tracey Steiner, NRECA senior vice

president, education and training, notesthat the state’s member cooperatives areconsistently among the top in directortraining numbers.“When you see 84 percent of directors

from Pennsylvania cooperatives have theCCD designation, compared to 64 per-cent nationwide, and 54 percent hold theBLC, compared to 31 percent nationwide,

those are very impressive numbers,”Steiner says.While the training does take a per-

sonal commitment, Turner says hewouldn’t trade his board experience. “I became very interested in the indus-

try, and soon our board members sent meto Harrisburg to be on the PREA boardand then the Allegheny board,” Turnerreports. “Once I got into learning aboutpower supply, I was really hooked.”Through his years on the Warren EC,

PREA and Allegheny boards, Turner hasseen a lot of changes.“The boards have become a lot more

diversified with members who havewider ranges of backgrounds,” he says.“That diversity is really helpful in thedecision-making process and in doingwhat’s right for the members.”Then there is the technology. Turner

describes himself as computer-illiterateup until a few years ago. Today, he gets allof his Allegheny board information on aniPad as the organization has movedtoward a more paperless environment.“The changes to technology since I

joined the Warren EC board are phenome-nal,” Turner says. “When I started on theboard, the co-op was still doing bills byhand, and our linemen were still takingtrouble calls at their homes. Then we wentto an answering machine. Now, ouranswering service is in Erie 50 miles away;they then turn around and make the call-outs for crews. Our first computer took upmost of a room and we had to add an extraair-conditioner just to cool it.”

Steve Sliwinski, who was elected tothe Wysox-based Claverack REC boardin 1980, the same year as Turner, echoesTurner’s thoughts about changes.

Tech trends“Technology is the main driver of

changes since I joined the board,” Sliwin-ski notes. “GIS (geographic informationsystem) systems made paper mappingobsolete. Automated meters, cellularcommunications and cloud servers werefar removed from the minds of engineers.No one took seriously the idea of windsources for generation, and solar alwayswas thought of as expensive, mainte-nance-laden, roof-mounted panels forheating water. Certainly, they were notthought of as reasonable alternatives forgenerating electricity for home use.” Looking to the future, Sliwinski pre-

dicts it won’t be long before remotelypiloted drones are widely used for lineinspections. Sliwinski, who holds theCCD and BLC designations, views theNRECA training courses as one way tokeep abreast of changes. “A director without industry-related

education is akin to someone attemptingto fly a commercial jet and thinking all heneeds to know is autopilot,” Sliwinskisays. “Directors have a responsibility tokeep abreast of technology, management,legal, financial and legislative impacts toname a few. Whether viewed as a positiveor negative, these areas are in constantchange. Change is the only constant inthe industry.”That experience with change, honed

over decades of board leadership roles, ishelpful to new board members. Without abackground in the energy industry,Angela Joines, a three-year ClaverackREC board member, appreciates the assis-tance from experienced directors such asSliwinski, as well as the NRECA training.“I feel it is very important to have a

diversified team,” Joines says. “It hashelped make my transition into a better,more-informed decision-maker a littleless stressful. There are so many sea-soned, helpful board members who arewilling to educate and guide new mem-bers to make this the best board that itcan be. They really do have the member-ships’ best interests at heart.”

LEGISLATIVE CONCERNS: Dave Turner, chairman ofthe Warren Electric Cooperative Board of Directorsand a member of the Allegheny Board of Directors,left, visits with state Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren) atthe annual PREA Legislative Event in Harrisburgabout cooperative concerns. Turner was first electedto the local board in 1980.

PENNlines

In addition to the mentoring fromexperienced board members, Joines isworking toward the BLC designation (shealready holds her CCD) — training, shesays, that has made her a more effectiveboard member.

Principles in practiceLowell Friedline, a 40-year board

member of Somerset REC who hasserved in numerous cooperative leader-ship roles at the local and statewide lev-els, has even more accolades for NRECA’straining program. “It is the gold standard for director

education,” says Friedline, who holdsboth the CCD and BLC designations.“Over the years, I have served on a num-ber of other boards and while thosedirectors were intelligent, well-meaningpeople, they don’t hold a candle to theacumen of electric cooperative directors.Cooperative directors are well-versed inparliamentary procedure that permits aboard meeting to run along smoothly. Butwhere they really shine is being well-informed on industry issues.”From the outside, Friedline says, it

would seem that running an electric

cooperative would involve setting upsome poles and stringing some wirebetween them.“However, poles and wires are proba-

bly the things that an electric cooperativedirector needs to know the least about,”he adds. “The cooperative business modelbrings into play concepts that are oftencounterintuitive to conventional, profit-driven business enterprises, and director

education enables directors to redirecttheir thinking with the seven cooperativeprinciples in mind (see principles listedon page 13).” Friedline had limited knowledge of the

industry when he was elected in 1975.“I knew that we read the meter at the

farm and that there was an annual mem-ber meeting,” he recalls with a smile. Over the years, though, Friedline has

been in on major decisions affecting thestatewide operations of PREA andAllegheny, including the completion ofthe Susquehanna Steam Electric Station,a nuclear plant that Allegheny owns a10 percent share in, as well as construc-tion of Allegheny’s hydroelectric plant atRaystown Lake. Today, those resourcesprovide approximately 60 percent of thepower needs of cooperative members.

Members firstWith each passing decade, Friedline

says he learns more. “Today, we take it for granted, but the

ability to access information in millisec-onds would have been beyond our wildestimagination as little as 15 years ago,” headds. “Member data, system maps andperformance, pole locations and any otherinformation desired are available in thecooperative office, cooperative vehicles orboardroom instantly in real time. But thedirectors never forget that the memberswe represent are real people and not thesubjects of a robotic manipulation. It is forthat reason that Somerset REC shuns


WORKING TOGETHER: Steve Sliwinski, secretary-treasurer of the Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative Boardof Directors, left, visits with Angela Joines, also a Claverack board member. Sliwinski, who was first electedto the board in 1980, is a mentor to newer board members, including Joines, who was elected in 2012.

Cooperative curriculumLEADERSHIP TRAINING KEEPS DIRECTORS INFORMED ON ISSUES

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) offers a number oftraining courses for elected directors to help them effectively contribute to the devel-opment of their cooperatives. Directors who successfully complete those professionaldevelopment courses receive one of two designations.

Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) training is designed for new directors ormore experienced directors who want to keep up with the latest industry information.The training involves five core courses offered over a two-year period.

Board Leadership Certificate (BLC) courses are designed to challenge veterandirectors. There are 16 courses, of which 10 credits must be completed to earn theleadership certificate.

Courses focus on a number of business and industry topics, including parliamen-tary procedure, power supply, cooperative business model, governance, finance, com-munications, technology, risk management, and grassroots efforts as they pertain toelectric cooperatives.

Beginning in 2016, directors who have completed both the CCD and BLC will beable to work toward a third designation: Director Gold.

Anita Leitzel, member services & education coordinator for the Pennsylvania RuralElectric Association (PREA) and Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Allegheny), reportsthat 84 percent of the directors from PREA member cooperatives have the CCD desig-nation, compared to 64 percent nationwide, and 54 percent of directors from PREAmember cooperatives hold the BLC distinction, compared to 31 percent nationwide.

“We take Cooperative Principle No. 5 — Education, Training and Information — veryseriously,” Leitzel notes. “It’s important that the directors learn as much about theindustry as possible, and also that they are able to communicate with the generalpublic and opinion leaders about the nature and benefits of cooperatives.”

some technology so that when the mem-bers want to contact the cooperative, theyget to talk to real people.”At 15 years of service, Leroy Walls,

president of the New Enterprise RECboard, is not among the most veteran ofdirectors, but his position as chairman ofthe PREA board provides a unique per-spective on Pennsylvania’s local coopera-tive boards, as well as the statewide board.“Electric cooperative board members

have an important position with lots ofresponsibility, but we get to work withsome of the best people in our communi-ties,” says Walls, who holds the CCD des-ignation. “Participating fully in availabledirector training is essential to being able tokeep up with the current industry environ-ment that is always in a state of change.”But he adds that all the training in the

world can’t instill what the directorsknow intuitively.“It’s all about the members,” Walls

says. “Being a director involves a lot oftime, a lot of work, a lot of education, butI can’t emphasize enough that the boardmembers always have the best interestsof the membership and cooperativeuppermost in their minds.”l

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The Seven CooperativePrinciples

1 VOLUNTARY ANDOPEN MEMBERSHIP

2DEMOCRATICMEMBER CONTROL

3MEMBERS’ ECONOMICPARTICIPATION

4AUTONOMY ANDINDEPENDENCE

5EDUCATION, TRAININGAND INFORMATION

6COOPERATION AMONGCOOPERATIVES

7CONCERN FORCOMMUNITY


TIMElines Y o 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

1985 October is the month set aside nationallyto recognize and celebrate cooperatives in theUnited States.

1995 Pennsylvania’s rural electric cooperativeslend a helping hand to rural families who arehungry.

2005 Following a tough fight to craft a soundenergy policy, rural electric cooperatives are in astrong position.

THE RURAL electric cooperative program traces its roots to the mid-1930s, when fewer than 10 percent of America’s rural areas were electri-fied. Investor-owned power companies, which served most of the nation’scities, looked upon rural areas as unprofitable and set prohibitively highelectric rates that largely precluded service to farmers and ranchers.Then, in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Emergency

Relief Appropriation Act of 1935; one of the projects funded by the act wasrural electrification. The next year, the president signed the Rural Electri-fication Act, designating the Rural Electrification Administration (REA)as an independent government agency that could grant low-cost loans tonewly established cooperatives.A period of rapid growth followed during the next 12 years as the

cooperative way of providing electricity spread across the nation. Ruralelectrification was to become one of America’s greatest grassroots suc-cess stories as the consumer-members of the cooperatives proved theycould provide themselves with adequate, low-cost electricity.The road to success would not be easy, however, as rural electric cooperative

leaders have had to fight many battles over the years dealing with territorialrights, funding, alterations to the Rural Electrification Act and other issues.One major advance in the program came in September 1975, when Penn-

sylvania Gov. Milton J. Shapp signed legislation fixing boundary lines,assuring service areas were created for the state’s cooperatives. This allowedthe Pennsylvania cooperatives to project future service loads and revenues.For the first time, the cooperatives could be secure in their areas of service.

1975

When you save energy, it helps our entire

co-op lower its costs. Find out what you can

do at TogetherWeSave.com, and spread

the word throughout your co-op.

SOMETIMES KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES ISABOUT KEEPING YOUR ELECTRIC BILLS DOWN.

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Pennsylvania Rural ElectricAssociation Scholarship inMemory of William F. MatsonEIGHT Pennsylvania Rural ElectricAssociation (PREA) Scholarships inMemory of William F. Matson wererecently awarded to outstanding stu-dents whose homes are served by ruralelectric cooperatives.PREA Scholarships are awarded

each year to students from rural electriccooperative service areas in Pennsylva-nia and New Jersey. Selection is basedon academic excellence, cooperativemembership, community involvementand need. The scholarship program isnamed for William F. Matson, whoserved for 22 years as president ofPREA and Allegheny Electric Coopera-tive, Inc., until his death in June 1986.This year, 431 applications for scholar-ships were reviewed.The recipients of the scholarships

this year are: Neel Daugherty-Shrivas-tava, United Electric Cooperative (EC);Skyler Hinchberger, Central EC; RachelNye, Northwestern REC; Nicole Clark,Bedford REC; Dillon Davis, United EC;Noah Orner, United EC; Douglas Smith,Northwestern REC; and Bethany Lam-bert, Sullivan County REC.

Neel Daugherty-Shrivastava, a 2015graduate of Clarion-Limestone High School,is a resident of Strat-tanville. He is the son ofMittch Shrivastava andBrenda Daugherty-Shri-vastava. The valedicto-rian of his graduatingclass, he is attending theUniversity of Pennsylva-

nia with plans to major in computationalbiology or biochemistry with a minor inhealth management while fulfilling pre-med requirements. His goal is to becomea physician/surgeon and someday opena research biotech/pharmaceutical cor-poration. In school, he was involved in anumber of activities and clubs, includingAcademic Decathlon, Science Olympiad,Student Council, class officer, yearbookstaff, Math Club, Foreign Language Club,National Honor Society, Envirothon,choir and musicals. He also played var-sity golf, varsity baseball and junior var-

sity basketball.Skyler Hinchberger, daughter of

Troy and Joann Hinch-berger, Prospect, grad-uated as salutatorian ofthe Slippery Rock AreaHigh School Class of2015. At school, shewas involved in soccer,track, forensics, Stu-dent Council andNational Honor Society.

In addition, she has over 80 hours ofvolunteer service with a number oforganizations. She is attending RobertMorris University, majoring in nursing.

Rachel Nye, a student at GannonUniversity, majoring inphysician assistantstudies, is the daughterof Harold and SusanNye, Union City. Agraduate of SenecaHigh School where shewas the valedictorian ofthe Class of 2015, she

ran on the cross country and trackteams, and was the captain of bothteams as a senior. She also was involvedin Science Olympiad and NationalHonor Society. Her career goal is to pro-vide medical care in areas of need andalso travel to developing nations todeliver medical aid.

Nicole Clark, the valedictorian ofthe 2015 Everett AreaHigh School graduatingclass, is the daughter ofJames and Carol Clark,Everett. Her schoolactivities includedbeing a class officer anda member of StudentCouncil, National

Honor Society, Drama Club, and theScholastic Quiz Team. She was also themanager for the boys’ soccer team. Sheis attending Saint Francis University,majoring in the physician assistant sci-ences. Her career goal is to work in achildren’s hospital specializing intrauma or cardiology.

Dillon Davis, son of Brian and JudyDavis, Curwensville, Pa., is a 2015honor graduate of Curwensville AreaHigh School. He participated in soccer,

basketball, football,Student Council, Envi-rothon, National HonorSociety, marching bandand concert band whilein school. He is a stu-dent at Wilkes Univer-sity, majoring in bio-chemistry. He plans to

focus on a career in pharmaceuticalresearch.

Noah Orner, a student at Northwest-ern University, major-ing in chemistry, repre-sented United EC onthe 2014 Youth Tour. A2015 graduate ofDuBois Area HighSchool, he is the son ofFrank and KarenOrner, Rockton. In high

school, he was a member of the varsitytennis team for four years and co-cap-tain his senior year. He participated inmarching, concert and jazz bands, andperformed in school musicals. He alsoparticipated in Scholastic Challenge andNational Honor Society. He plans to gointo research.

Douglas Smith, Cooperstown, whograduated as valedicto-rian of the MaplewoodHigh School Class of2015, is the son of Dou-glas Smith and ClaireSmith. He was involvedin his high school’sband program, ScienceOlympiad and Hi-Q. He

is attending the University of Notre Dame,majoring in computer science, with acareer goal of focusing on software.

Bethany Lambert, a 2015 graduate ofSullivan County HighSchool, is the daughter ofJames and Melanie Lam-bert, Forksville. In highschool, she was active instudent government andserved as her class secre-tary for four years. Shewas co-captain of the

cross-country team and was a state cross-country qualifier her senior year, and alsoparticipated in band and chorus, qualify-ing for district chorus as a senior. She par-

Bethany Lambert

Rachel Nye

Douglas Smith

Nicole Clark

Dillon Davis

PREA announces scholarship winners

SkylerHinchberger

Noah Orner

Neel Daugherty-Shrivastava


ticipated in school plays, was co-editor ofthe school yearbook, and a member ofFuture Business Leaders of America, His-tory Club, and National Honor Society, andwas captain of Sullivan County’s readingcompetition team. She is attending PennState University in the Division of Under-graduate Studies Program.

Jody Loudenslager Memorial ScholarshipTwo former Rural Electric Youth

Tour participants have been named JodyLoudenslager Memorial Scholarshiprecipients. They are: Tyler Dolchan,Somerset REC, and Anthony Iannuzzi,Adams EC.

Tyler Dolchan, a 2015 graduate ofNorthern Garrett HighSchool, represented Som-erset REC on the YouthTour in 2014. In highschool, he was assistantdrum major and thendrum major for themarching band, seniorrepresentative in the stu-

dent government, participated in the North-ern Garrett Mock Trial Team, performed inthe honor band and concert band, andwas on the cross country team. He alsodelivered the salutatorian’s address for theClass of 2015. The son of William andKatherine Dolchan, Frostburg, he is a stu-dent at the University of Maryland, major-ing in chemical engineering, with a careergoal of working in the clean energy field.

Anthony Iannuzzi, son of Michaeland Christine Iannuzzi,Shrewsbury, is a stu-dent at Rochester Insti-tute of Technology,majoring in mechanicalengineering. A graduateof Susquehannock HighSchool, he representedAdams EC on the

Youth Tour in 2014. The valedictorian ofthe Class of 2015, he was also a NationalAP Scholar, the president of NationalHonor Society, treasurer of the ClassCouncil, captain of the varsity tennisand cross country teams, president andfounder of the Badminton Club andBoard Game Club, and a member of theQuiz Bowl Team.l

Tyler Dolchan

Anthony Iannuzzi

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MANY PEOPLEwith heat pumps reportthey have a problem keeping all of therooms in their home comfortable. Thisissue is common, particularly in a two-story home — even for the newest heatpump systems. Unless you install anexpensive zone-control system with multi-ple thermostats, your heat pump can onlyrespond to the temperature of the roomwhere the wall thermostat is located.Numerous factors determine how

much heating or cooling is used, andtherefore the temperature is affected.These factors can include the numberand orientation of the windows, whetherthe room is located on the first or secondfloor, the activity level in the room, andthe length of the duct leading to it. There also may be differences in the

energy efficiency of various rooms. Leakywindows are a particular problem. Whenusing an air-conditioning system, placean air deflector over the register to helpdistribute cool air throughout the room.Check your home’s attic insulation,

especially if it is the blown-in type. Theinsulation can shift during storms. Thiscan have a major effect on the room tem-perature. Even out the insulation asmuch as possible.The standard, builder-installed sheet

metal ductwork often has many leakyspots, so some of the heated or cooled airleaving the heat pump never makes it tothe rooms. The joints between the ductsegments are the most common areasthat leak. Use a high-quality duct tape towrap all of the joints.Each room should have a return air

register. Return ducts usually run downbetween the wall studs inside interior

Have a question for Jim? Send inquiriesto JAMES DULLEY , Penn Lines, 6906Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 orvisit www.dulley.com.

Balancing tempsin a two-storyhome

walls, so adding them in problem roomsis not difficult for a contractor to do.There are many innovative ways to

install an additional return duct. Forexample, in my parent’s older two-storyhome, the contractor was able to run areturn duct down through a never-usedlaundry chute to the basement.Check the ducts near the heat pump. If

you see short handles on each one, theyare for control dampers inside the ducts.When the handle is parallel to the duct,the damper is fully open. Partially close thedampers in the duct leading to the roomsthat are getting too much heating or coolingto force more to the problem rooms.Don’t try closing the damper in the

room’s floor or wall registers. They typi-cally are leaky, so the air flow will notbe reduced by much.If these methods do not provide ade-

quate temperature balancing, considerinstalling duct booster fans. These smallfans mount in the ducts and force moreconditioned air to the problem rooms.These fans are sized to fit standard

round and rectangular residential ductsand can be controlled in different ways.The simplest fans sense when the main

blower turns on, and they automaticallyrun at the same time. Others have built-inthermostats to determine when they run.It is best to hire an experienced contractorto handle the installation for you.A simple do-it-yourself option is to

install a register booster fan. This smallrectangular fan mounts over the registercover in the room and is plugged into astandard electrical wall outlet. The smallfan uses only about 30 watts of electricity,and some models are adjustable to turnon only when more cooling or heating isneeded in that particular room.Setting the thermostat to continuous

fan may also help, but, it will increase yourelectric bill. The fan setting is most helpfulif your new heat pump has a variable-speed blower, which allows the blower tocontinuously run on a low speed. Variable-speed blower motors are also more effi-cient than a standard blower motor.l

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Name

Address

Number of books Amount enclosed $

Two cookbooks for the price of $12“Recipes Remembered” & “Country Cooking”

“Recipes Remembered” and “Country Cooking” includefavorite recipes from electric co-op men and women inPennsylvania and New Jersey. “Recipes Remembered”features anecdotes about the recipes, cooking tips andfavorite quotes. It also includes a section of dishes from

co-op friends in other states and 15 different sections arranged by cooperatives. Both books are

great for collectors.

Only $12, including postage, for both cookbooks payable to:Pennsylvania Rural Electric AssociationP.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, Pa. 17108

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Portable Generator Safety TipsTake precautions for your safety and the safetyof those working to restore your power

Alwaysk Read and follow all manufacturer’s operating instructions

k Use your generator outdoors, away from open windows, vents or doors

k Allow the generator engine to cool at least 2 minutes before refueling

k Store the recommended type of fuel for the generator in an approved, properlylabeled safety can

k Maintain your generator according to the manufacturer’s schedule

k Have a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm to check for deadly buildup

k Start or stop the generator ONLY when no electrical loads are connected

k Allow at least 4 feet of clearance on all sides of the generator when it is operating

k Keep children away from the generator at all times

Neverk Never use a generator inside your home, garage, basement, crawl space or otherenclosed area, even with ventilation, as carbon monoxide buildup can kill

k Never operate the generator near combustible materials

k Never plug your generator directly into your home outlet, as this presents an electrocution risk to utility workers and neighbors served by the same utilitytransformer – have a qualified electrician install a power transfer switch instead

k Never operate a generator under wet conditions or touch it with wet hands (put iton a level, dry surface under an open, canopy-like structure)

k Never overload the generator or connected appliances and components can bedamaged

k Never cut corners when it comes to safety


OUTDOORadventures b y M a r c u s S c h n e c k

MORE THAN 1.5 millionpeople jumped on the live-streaming camera feed froma bald eagle nest nearCodorus State Park in YorkCounty earlier this year.They checked back fever-

ously again and again, dayafter day, week after week,watching for the adult femaleto lay her eggs and then forthose eggs to hatch.They assumed ownership

of the birds they were watch-ing on that video feedthrough the PennsylvaniaGame Commission’s website.They anthropomorphized

the heck out of the birds, giv-ing them human names andtrying to spot human behav-iors, attitudes, emotions andmotivations in birds thatpossess none of those things,at least none shared withhumans.They screen-grabbed

images and videos from thefeed, attempting again andagain to press the keys ontheir computers at just theright time to record the exactimage or video they wanted.They shared those imagesand videos on their Face-book, Twitter, Pinterest, blogand website feeds.And, some seemed to fancy

themselves wildlife photogra-phers because of their actions atthe keyboard.To borrow a television adver-

tising phrase that was popularabout a year ago: “That’s not howthis works. That’s not how any ofthis works.”That is not how wildlife

photography works.

Wildlife photographersspend time in the field, put-ting in that time to get toknow the habits and hauntsof their wild subjects, to getclose enough to those sub-jects to produce tack-sharpimages worthy of magazinecovers. They lug aroundheavy equipment, like super-telephoto lens and ultra-sturdy tripods, through rainand snow, hot and cold, upthe sides of mountains andout into swamps.Heck, that online stuff

isn’t really even wildlifewatching. Real wildlifewatching is a multi-dimen-sional experience that offerssomething for all the senses,taxes the muscles a bit andbuilds a thirst. A wildlifewatcher can tell you aboutthe environment occupied bythe wildlife they watch.More recently, the Penn-

sylvania Game Commissionunveiled a live-streaming elkcam from the heart of thePennsylvania elk range in thenorthcentral part of the state.To be fair, hundreds of

wildlife agencies worldwideare doing this same thing.Their claims that the live camsattract additional audience,additional constituency forwildlife, are probably valid.However, how strong can

that constituency be expectedto be in advocating forwildlife and conservationwhen their experience withwildlife is on par with the lat-est episode of “Dancing withthe Stars” or “Real House-wives of Wherever?” l

MARCUS SCHNECK isthe outdoor writer forThe (Harrisburg) Patriot-News and its website,PennLive.com. He alsowrites for many outdoorpublications and is theauthor of more than

two dozen books. Keep abreast of his adven-tures and writings at www.marcusschneck.com.

‘That’s nothow thisworks’

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY: “Real”wildlife photographers are outdoorswith their subjects, but wildlife camsbring animals to many who are notfamiliar with them.

http://www.marcusschneck.com


PENNLINESclassified

ISSUE MONTH: AD DEADLINE:

CLASSIFIED AD SUBMISSION/RATES: Please use the form below or submit a separate sheet with required information.

Electric co-op members: $20 per month for 30 words or less, plus 50¢ for each additional word.

Non-members: $70 per month for 30 words or less, plus $1.50 for each additional word.

Ad in all CAPITAL letters: Add 20 percent to total cost. Please print my ad in all CAPITAL letters.

PLACE AD IN THE MONTHS OF: . WORD COUNT: .

I am an electric co-op member. Attached is my Penn Lines mailing label.

Enclosed is payment in the amount of $ .

I am a non-member. Address is noted or attached at right.

Enclosed is payment in the amount of $ .

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 Additional words; attach separate sheet if needed.

FREE Headings (Select One): Around the House Business Opportunities Employment Opportunities Gift and Craft Ideas Livestock and Pets Miscellaneous Motor Vehicles and Boats Nursery and Garden Real Estate Recipes and Food Tools and Equipment Vacations and Campsites Wanted to Buy

SPECIAL HEADING: . SPECIAL HEADING FEE: $5 for co-op members, $10 for non-members. Applies even if heading is already appearing in Penn Lines. Insertion of classified ad serves as proof of publication; no proofs supplied. SEND FORM TO: Penn Lines Classifieds, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Please make CHECK/MONEY ORDER payable to: PREA/Penn Lines.

Penn Lines classified advertisements reach nearly 166,000 rural Pennsylvania households! Please note ads must be received by the due date to be included in the requested issue month. Ads received beyond the due date will run in the next available issue. Written notice of changes and cancella-tions must be received 30 days prior to the issue month. Classified ads will not be accepted by phone, fax or email. For more information please contact Vonnie Kloss at 717 233-5704.

Name/Address or Mailing Label Here:

December 2015 . . . . October 19

January 2016 . . . November 18

February 2016 . . . December 16

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AROUND THE HOUSE

SPECIAL OFFER — BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR $12. “CountryCooking” — $5, including postage. “Recipes Remembered” —$7, including postage. Both of these cookbooks are a collectionof recipes from men and women of the electric co-ops ofPennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania RuralElectric Association, P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. WriteAttention: Cookbooks.

ART TOUR

19TH ANNUAL ARTISTS’ OPEN HOUSE weekend on ColumbusDay weekend. October 10, 11, 12. 10-6 daily. Visit 27 artists at21 locations throughout Susquehanna County. Free. Downloadmap and brochure at www.artiststour.com.

AUCTIONS

BRINDLE AUCTIONEERING now accepting quality consignmentsfor fall and winter sales. Competitive rates. FFC license. We canlegally sell your firearms. $25.00 each sale. 3rd Saturday eachmonth and New Years Day. 717-360-9493.

BUILDING SUPPLIES

STEEL ROOFING AND SIDING. Over 25 years in business. Severalprofiles — cut to length. 29 and 26 gauge best qualityresidential roofing — 40-year warranty. Also, seconds, heavygauges, accessories, etc. Installation available. Located -northwestern Pennsylvania. 814-398-4052.

FACTORY SECONDS of insulation, 4 x 8 sheets, foil back. R-Value 6.5 per inch. Great for pole buildings, garages, etc. Manythicknesses available. Also blue board insulation sheets. 814-442-6032.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

TIRED of the Rat Race? Want to own your business? Low cost,high-end leadership company has open positions! 814-603-0231.

CHURCH LIFT SYSTEMS

Make your church, business or home wheelchair accessible.We offer platform lifting systems, stair lifts, porch lifts andramps. References. Free estimates. Get Up & Go Mobility Inc.724-746-0992 or 814-926-3622.

CONSULTING FORESTRY SERVICES

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

CENTRE FOREST RESOURCES. Forest Management Services,Wildlife Habitat Management, Timber Sales, Appraisals. Collegeeducated, professional, ethical foresters working for you. FREETimber Consultation. 814-571-7130.

CRANE SERVICE

NEED A LIFT? Crane service for all your lifting needs.Experienced, fully insured, Owner-Operated and OSHACertified. Precision Crane LLC, Linesville, PA 814-282-9133.

ELECTRIC MOTORS

FARM, COMMERICAL, INDUSTRIAL, NEW AND USED MOTORSALES. Complete repair facility with over 30 years experience.Most sizes in stock. Emergency repair available. LudwigElectric LLC. 814-948-4471.

FENCING

HYDRAULIC POST DRIVER FOR RENT. Easy hookup andtransportation. Safe, simple operation. Convenient, cost-effective alternative for setting wood posts by hand. $200 forfirst day, $175/additional day. 1-800-KENCOVE.

FINANCIAL FREEDOM

AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO GENERATE CASH! No buying — Noselling — No boss. View 7-step video. Jim 314-614-6039.www.smileyougotcash.com.

GIFT AND CRAFT IDEAS


HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Tired of all those medicines — Still not feeling better? Do youwant to feel better, have more energy, better digestion, lessjoint stiffness, healthier heart/circulation and cholesterollevels? Find out how to empower your own immune system —start 1-26 today! It’s safe, affordable, and it works. Call 800-557-8477: ID#528390. 90-day money back on first time ordersor call me 724-454-5586. www.mylegacyforlife.net/believeit.

HEALTH INSURANCE

DO YOU HAVE THE BLUES regarding your Health Insurance? Wecater to rural America's health insurance needs. For moreinformation, call 844-591-2797 (PA). Call us regarding Medicaresupplements, too.

http://www.annadelealpacas.com

http://www.artiststour.com

http://www.smileyougotcash.com

http://www.mylegacyforlife.net/believeit


HUNTING

VERGONA OUTDOORS: Gear up for hunting season! We sellgame cameras, crossbows, binoculars, scopes, rangefinders,blinds, archery targets, packs and many other items. 814-967-4844. www.vergonaoutdoors.com.

HUNTING CAMP

ELK COUNTY, MEDIX RUN — 3 miles from Benzett. Twobedrooms with third added on back. Outbuilding for storage.Washer and dryer. Well and septic. Call 717-677-8601 or [email protected]. (CORRECTION)

INFRARED SAUNAS

Removes toxins, burns calories, relieves joint pain, relaxesmuscles, increases flexibility, strengthens immune system.Many more HEALTH BENEFITS with infrared radiant heatsaunas. Economical to operate. Barron’s Furniture, Somerset,PA. 814-443-3115.

LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT

HARRINGTONS EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 475 Orchard Rd.,Fairfield, PA 17320. 717-642-6001 or 410-756-2506. Lawn & Garden equipment, Sales — Service — Parts.www.HarringtonsEquipment.com.

LIVESTOCK AND PETS

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

REGISTERED ANGUS BULLS — D. of B. 2-28-15, 3-07-15.AAA18142735, AAA18131537 - $2.50/lb. Pick-up 10-15-15, 11-15-15. Delivery available. Rotational grass based. Dams sentearlier bulls to Penn State test sale. Good flesh cattle. Docile.724-349-3652.

LOG CABIN RESTORATIONS

VILLAGE RESTORATIONS & CONSULTING specializes in 17thand 18th century log, stone and timber structures. Wedismantle, move, re-erect, restore, construct and consult allover the country. Period building materials available. Thirtyyears experience, fully insured. Call 814-696-1379.www.villagerestorations.com.

MISCELLANEOUS

BECOME AN ORDAINED MINISTER — Correspondence Study. Theharvest truly is great, the laborers are few, Luke 10:2. Freeinformation. Ministers for Christ Outreach, 7558 WestThunderbird Rd., Ste. 1 — #114, Peoria, Arizona 85381.www.ordination.org.

MOTORCYCLE-SNOWMOBILE INSURANCE

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

PENNSYLVANIA HUNTING LAND WANTED

OUR HUNTERS WILL PAY TOP $$$ to hunt your land. Call for afree base camp leasing info packet and quote. 866-309-1507.www.BaseCampLeasing.com

REAL ESTATE

HOUSING LOTS — Near Cook Forest and Allegheny NationalForest. All utilities, township maintained cul-de-sac road,surrounded by 100 acres of woods. Internet and cableinstalled. 15 min. from Clarion. www.deerrunlots.com.

SW WARREN COUNTY Tidioute area — 37 acres with timber.OGM negotiable. Completely remodeled house with largegarage, other outbuildings. Access to PA game lands. AlleghenyRiver nearby. For more information, call 814-484-3941.

PENNLINESclassified

IF IT’S NOT INSULATED, NEITHER ARE YOU.

REPLACE, NEVER REPAIR DAMAGED EXTENSION CORDS.

Helping members use electricity safely, that’s the power of your co-op membership. Learn more from the experts themselves at TogetherWeSave.com.

RECIPES AND FOOD


SAWMILLS

USED PORTABLE Sawmills and COMMERCIAL Sawmillequipment! Buy/Sell. Call Sawmill Exchange 800-459-2148.USA and Canada. www.sawmillexchange.com.

SHAKLEE

FREE SAMPLE Shaklee’s Energy Tea. Combination red, greenand white teas that are natural, delicious, refreshing, safe. Forsample or more information on tea or other ShakleeNutrition/Weight Loss Products: 800-403-3381 orwww.sbarton.myshaklee.com.

TRACTOR PARTS – REPAIR/RESTORATION

ARTHURS TRACTORS, specializing in vintage Ford tractors, 30-years experience, online parts catalog/prices, Indiana, PA 15701.Contact us at 877-254-FORD (3673) or www.arthurstractors.com.

VACATIONS AND CAMPSITES

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Florida condo rental. Two bedrooms, twobaths, pool. 200 yards from beach. NA February. No pets. $500weekly, $1,800 monthly. Call 814-635-4020.

ALLEGHENY FRONT LOG CABIN RENTAL. New, fully furnished,linens, kitchenware provided. Three bedrooms, one and 1/2bath. Great room, million dollar view. Bedford Co. 814-754-4512. www.alleghenyfrontexperience.com.

WANTED TO BUY

CARBIDE — Paying cash/lb. — Some examples of items thathave carbide pieces at their tips for cutting or drilling are: coalmining machinery — roof bits — road bits — gas/oil/water welldrill bits — machining inserts as well as many others. We willpick up your materials containing carbide pieces. We willextract the carbide item from the part in which it is held inmost cases. 814-395-0415.

http://www.vergonaoutdoors.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.HarringtonsEquipment.com

http://www.villagerestorations.com

http://www.ordination.org

http://www.BaseCampLeasing.com

http://www.deerrunlots.com

http://www.sawmillexchange.com

http://www.sbarton.myshaklee.com

http://www.arthurstractors.com

http://www.alleghenyfrontexperience.com

COUNTRYkitchen b y J a n e t t e H e s s

WALNUT FUDGE PIE

Unbaked pastry for 9-inch, single-crust pie (purchased or homemade)

1/2 cup butter3 ounces unsweetened chocolate4 eggs3 tablespoons light corn syrup1 1/3 cups sugar2 tablespoons flour1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon salt3/4 cup chopped walnutsWhipped cream or whipped topping for garnish

Place butter and chocolate in covered, microwavable dish. Heat in microwave

oven until butter is melted and chocolate begins to soften, 60 to 70 seconds.

Remove and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool. In separate mixing bowl,

beat eggs until light in color. Add corn syrup, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, salt

and walnuts. Fold in chocolate mixture. Transfer to unbaked pie crust that has

been formed with high, fluted sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 min-

utes, or until filling is set on top. (Center may still be a bit soft.) Cool and

then refrigerate until serving time. To serve, cut into small slices and garnish

with whipped cream or whipped topping. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Wild about pieIN RECENT news from the western United States, a maraud-ing black bear broke into a bake shop and helped himself tomultiple pies. When he had eaten his fill, he took off into thewoods, leaving a trail of pie filling and granulated sugar.Apparently, all living creatures — especially humans andbears — are wild about pie!This October, test autumn-friendly pies on your own rav-

enous eaters. Praline Apple Pie is a sweet treat that marriestraditional apple pie with a praline filling. Walnut Fudge Pieis a nutty, chocolaty treat that is best served with a dollop ofwhipped cream. Free-form Apple Pie is a trick as well as atreat, because it features a no-hassle crust.In an interesting footnote to the bear-in-the-pie-shop story,

investigators discovered that the beast had scrupulously avoidedall pies containing rhubarb. We can only assumethat he would have found this month’s apple- andnut-themed pies completely irresistible. lA 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.

FREE-FORM APPLE PIEUnbaked pastry for 9-inch, single-crust pie (purchased or homemade)3 tablespoons flour1/4 cup white sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/8 teaspoon salt1/2 cup apricot preserves2 teaspoons lemon juice5 cups peeled, thinly sliced tart apples(approximately 5 medium apples)

1 tablespoon butter

Place pastry (approximately 11 inches in diameter) into seasoned, cast-ironskillet.* Set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, pre-serves and lemon juice. Add apples and carefully toss to coat. Spoon applemixture onto center of pastry, arranging apples so that they lie flat. Dotwith small pieces of butter. Fold edges of pastry evenly up and overapples, leaving center apples exposed and taking care not to stretch ortear pastry. Allow pastry edges to drape naturally over apples. Bake at400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until crust is brown and apples are cookedthrough. If crust or apples begin to brown too quickly, lay a piece of alu-minum foil over top of “pie.” To serve, cut into wedges. Makes 8 servings.*Recipe was tested in a 10-inch skillet.

PRALINE APPLE PIE

Unbaked pastry for 9-inch, 2-crust pie (purchased or homemade)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup brown sugar3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup flour, divided6 cups peeled, thinly sliced tart

apples(approximately 6 medium apples)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice1 teaspoon cinnamon1/8 teaspoon saltSugar and cinnamon mixture, for garnish

Line 9-inch pie plate with 1 sheet of pastry. Set aside. Combine pecans,

brown sugar, melted butter and 1/4 cup flour. Set aside. In large mixing bowl,

combine granulated sugar, remaining 1/4 cup flour, lemon juice, cinnamon

and salt. Add apples and toss to coat. Spoon half of apple mixture into lined

pie plate, arranging apples so that they lie flat. Top with half of pecan mix-

ture. Add remaining apples. Top with remaining pecan mixture. Position

remaining pastry sheet on top; seal, trim and flute. With sharp knife, cut

steam vents. Cut a 7- or 8-inch hole in a square piece of aluminum foil; lay

on top of pie, making sure edges of pastry are covered. Bake at 375 degrees

for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or

until crust is nicely browned. Remove pie from oven and immediately sprin-

kle with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Makes 8 servings.


I RECENTLYmet up with anavid hobby gardener who isstudying for a career as a pro-fessional HT-R, meaning horti-cultural therapist as recog-nized by the American Horti-cultural Therapy Associationor AHTA. Intrigued, I did alittle digging.According to the AHTA,

horticultural therapy is widelyused in rehabilitation, voca-tional and community settings.Therapeutic gardens can bedesigned for a variety of specialpurposes ranging from healinggardens, enabling gardens andrehabilitative gardens torestorative gardens. If you enjoygardening, you won’t be toosurprised to hear these kinds ofbeneficial aspects of the activitybeing formally recognized.I have yet to meet a hobby

gardener who didn’t considerit in some way to be some typeof casual and enjoyable form of“therapy” — a way to unwindafter work, an escape from thekids, a welcome excuse tospend time outdoors, a pre-scribed healthy workout, aplace to express an artistic side

or work with our hands, a per-sonal “happy place,” a way toconnect with kindred souls, aswell as being fun.All of these motivations

explain gardening’s enduringpopularity in today’s time-pressed and preoccupied day-to-day life, despite the conven-ience of commercial floristsand grocery store producedepartments.Some gardeners prefer to

quietly nurture their plantssolo, while some consider yardwork a family activity, andsome volunteer their skill inpublic gardens.Gardening can be fun

whether pursued alone or aspart of a group: consider thetime-honored garden club, theMaster Gardeners, theassorted plant societies. It canbe purely for pleasure or com-petitive for ribbons andawards, or even patents.Gardening can be self-

taught or learned in formalclassrooms, or perhaps gleanedworking alongside an accom-modating relative or neighbor.Gardening can be economi-

cal or extravagant. For thebudget-conscious and impas-sioned do-it-yourselfers, pass-along plants and heirloomseed saving allow for inexpen-sive starts and delicious home-grown food for the cost ofelbow grease. In contrast, con-venient “done for me” serviceswill design and install every-thing from a custom gazebo tothe last gazania.Our gardens reflect our

preferences for plain or fancy,elegant or kitschy, multicol-

ored or monochrome, decora-tive or edible.There are increments along

the gardening hobby scale allthe way to “happy obsession.”One could easily remain anarmchair gardener and readvoraciously, vicariously followgardening blogs and televisionshows, and perhaps eventuallybe enticed to venture out tovisit a public garden.Or one might prefer a small

space garden: a few win-dowsill plants, or a counter-height tabletop planter, or tidygeometric raised beds meas-ured in scant square feet.Your approach to garden-

ing might be playful and silly,or daring and experimental, orutterly serious.No matter. At any size or

stage, a real deal garden is aliving, growing, transpiringmass of ever-changing green-ery and good earth.Gardens have few man-

made rules. It’s up to you

whether to conform to theusual expectations for yourproperty’s type, or let looseand indulge yourself.I’m not a horticultural thera-

pist, but I do know that overthe years, I and countless oth-ers have at different timesfound great joy and great solacein the garden, working withour hands to tend the plantsand watching them respond.Gardening is an optimisticactivity, by its very nature. Anda forgiving one, for whateverremains undone this year canbe attempted next year. Gar-dens evolve over time, and so,too, do the gardeners.l


POWERplants

BARBARA MARTIN ,who says she began gar-dening as a hobby “toomany years ago tocount,” currently worksfor the National Garden-

ing Association as a horticulturist. A formermember of Gettysburg-based Adams Elect -ric Cooperative, her articles appear in mag-azines and on the internet.

b y B a r b a r a M a r t i n

Why wegarden

WIDE DEFINITION: The word “garden”offers a unique experience to eachof us, hence the appeal.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is BarbaraMartin’s final column for Penn Linesas she has decided to retire fromwriting her monthly “Power Plants”column. We appreciate her contribu-tions over the past 10 years.


Thoughts from Earl Pitts,UHMERIKUN!

PUNCHlines

Social commentary from Earl Pitts —— a.k.a.GARY BUR BANK , a nation ally syndicatedradio per son ality —— can be heard on the fol-lowing radio stations that cover electriccooperative service territories in Pennsylvania:WANB-FM 103.1 Pittsburgh; WARM-AM 590Wilkes-Barre/Scran ton; WIOO-AM 1000 Carlisle;WEEO-AM 1480 Shippensburg; WMTZ-FM 96.5Johnstown; WQBR-FM 99.9/92.7 McElhattan;WLMI-FM 103.9 Kane; and WVNW-FM 96.7 Burnham-Lewistown. You can also find him atEarlpittsamerican.com.

City folks’ definition of‘unplugged’ is countryversion of daily life

I seen this show on the TV called“America Unplugged.” Well, I got prettyexcited, on account of I figured it was a do-it-yourself show on cordless power tools. Itwasn’t. It was a show about Americansgoing “unplugged.”You know what unplugged means?

That’s when your people want to escapethe rat race. They want to unplug from thehectic lifestyle of the city. They want toturn off all their electronic gizmos, drinkwell water, run solar power, get a woodstove, grow their own food and get closerto nature. Yeah, they think that’s going tobe fun and excitin’.OK, first off, that ain’t being “unplug -

ged.” Out where we live — that’s called“bein’ a redneck.” Or another way to lookat it is that out where we live, we wasunplugged before unplugged was cool.For example, you come out to the Duck

Inn or the bowling alley or the SunshineCafe for breakfast, and you won’t see uscountry folk sitting there staring at a littlecellphone screen. We’re usually looking atthe people we’re sittin’ there with. Thatright there tends to confuse city peopleright from the get go.Now, we’re plugged in if that means

plugged in to what the heck is going onaround us. Yeah, a general awareness ofour surroundings — that’s just crazy coun-try livin’ right there.As far as drinking well water, heatin’

with a wood stove and growin’ your ownfood — out where we live, that ain’t trendy.That’s survival! Have you ever tasted wellwater? Half the times it tastes like thesweet nectar of the earth. And the rest ofthe times, it tastes like the devil took a bathin it. Are you sure you people wanna dothis?Wake up, America! The last thing us

country people need is a bunch of youYuppie-types comin’ out here and wantin’to be like us. The next thing you knowwe’re gonna be livin’ next to a vegan com-munity — with pottery classes. I’m EarlPitts, Uhmerikun.

My buddy,Runt Wilson, come in theDuck Inn last night, and he was allexcited. He said him and his brother,Woody, got their plans all put together —next summer they are goin’ backwoodshiking in Montana.“I wish I was going with you boys —

that sounds like a hoot,” I says. Then Iadded, “Make sure you take plenty of fire-power on account of they got grizzly bearsup there that will chew you up and spityou out before you know what hit you.”And he goes, “Earl, you don’t shoot no

bears up in Montana. You take bear repel-lent.” Uh huh. I have watched my share of

survival shows. You know what bearrepellent is, right? That is mosquito sprayfor grizzly bears.All I’m saying is, if you got 2,000

pounds of teeth and claws coming at youat a surprisingly nimble speed, I’m notsure pullin’ out a spray can and starting toshake it is your best option.Dub goes, “Earl, you don’t want to kill a

grizzly. You just want to scare them away.”And I says, “That would be fine if the

grizzly bear was operatin’ under the samerules of engagement. That bear don’t dropoutta no tree goin, ‘I think I’ll scare thesecampers away.’ No sir, he’s thinking, ‘I’mgonna eat today.’”Plus, you squeeze off a couple shots of

bear repellent and every grizzly bear withinfive miles is goin’, (sniff sniff) “Hikers!”Dub goes, “Earl, if you shoot a grizzly

bear in Montana, you could be dragged offto jail.” And I go, “Dub, if you don’t shoot a

grizzly bear, you could dragged off to ashallow depression and covered withsticks and twigs — for later.”Wake up, America. Dub says if worse

comes to worse, you just drop in the fetalposition and protect your vital organs. I says, “Or, pull out a gun and watch

Yogi scramblin’ to protect HIS vital organs.Makes more sense to me.” I’m Earl Pitts,Uhmerikun.l

RURALreflections

Krista LeisterTri-County REC

Paul NealenREA Energy

Final call for 2015 photosIT’S THAT time of year — time to wind down the 2015 RuralReflections contest. Entries must be postmarked by Oct. 31 inorder to be placed in competition for the 2015 prizes.Amateur photographers who are members of a rural elec-

tric cooperative have a chance to win a $75 prize in one of ourcontest categories: artistic, landscape, human subject, animaland editor’s choice. Runners-up will receive a $25 prize. Entriesreceived after Oct. 31 will be entered in the 2016 contest.Winning entries and the runners-up, all selected by an

independent panel of judges, will be printed in the Januaryand February issues of Penn Lines.Amateur photographers may send photos (no digital

files, please) to Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, HarrisburgPA 17108-1266. Include your name, address, phone numberand the name of your electric cooperative that serves yourhome, business or seasonal residence. (The best way toinclude this information is by affixing an address label to theback of the photo. Please do not use ink gel or roller pens towrite on the photo. Include a self-addressed, self-stampedenvelope if you want your photo to be returned.Remember, our publication deadlines require that we

work ahead, so send your seasonal photos in early. We needspring photos before mid-January, summer photos beforemid-April, fall photos before mid-July and winter photosbefore mid-September. Photos that do not reflect any seasonmay be sent at any time. Please note: we will return photos ifyou include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.l

Barney & Lise MillerAdams EC

Pat FieldNorthwestern REC


Penn Lines October 2015

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