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Penn Lines

1966-2016years

Celebrating 50 Years of Penn Lines

TH E MAGAZ I N E YOU COM E HOM E TO

PLUSPunxsutawney PhilHot and heartyRemember winter?

JAN UARY 2016

| JAN UARY 2016 3 | JAN UARY 2016

JANUARY 2016 Vol. 51 • No. 1

EDITOR Peter A. Fitzgerald

SENIOR EDITOR/WRITERKatherine Hackleman

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTSJames Dulley Janette Hess

Marcus Schneck

LAYOUT & DESIGNW. Douglas Shirk

ADVERTISING & CIRCULATIONVonnie Kloss

MEDIA & MARKETING SPECIALISTMichelle M. Smith

Penn Lines (USPS 929-700), the newsmagazine of Pennsylvania’s electric cooperatives, is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Associa-tion, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. Penn Lines helps 166,000 house-holds of co-op consumer-members understand issues that affect the electric cooperative program, their local co-ops, and their quality of life. Electric co-ops are not-for-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed, and tax-paying 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 coopera-tive. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Harrisburg, PA 17107 and additional mail ing offices. POST-MASTER: 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 endorse-ment 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.

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

© 2016 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Visit with us at Penn Lines Online, located at: www.prea.com/Content/

pennlines.asp. Penn Lines Online provides an email link to Penn Lines editorial staff, information on advertising rates, and an

archive of past issues.

4 FIRST WORD A note of congratulations

6 SPOTLIGHT The magazine you come home to

8 COVER: FIVE-OH! Celebrating 50 years of Penn Lines

12 KEEPING CURRENT News from across

the Commonwealth

14A COOPERATIVE CONNECTION Information and advice from

your local electric cooperative

14 ENERGY MATTERS Exploring inner space

16 FEATURE: THE SHADOW KNOWS

Punxsutawney Phil set to make his prediction

18 COUNTRY KITCHEN Hot and hearty

19 OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Remember winter?

20 CLASSIFIEDS

22 TIME LINES Your newsmagazine

through the years

23 SMART CIRCUITS Consider options for new heating,

cooling system

25 PUNCH LINES Ever wonder what your cat is

thinking when it stares at you?

26 RURAL REFLECTIONS And the 2015 winners are …

CONTENTS

ON THE COVERPenn Lines celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016 with a look back at topics the cooperative

newsmagazine has covered since 1966.

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| JAN UARY 2016 9

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| JAN UARY 20164

firstword

A note of congratulationsBy Russell C. Redding

It is my great honor to congratulate the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA) on the 50th anniversary of Penn Lines. As an agriculturalist whose family farm benefited from the Rural Electric Administration’s investments, as a proud

Rural Electric member, and as the husband of a former Adams Electric Cooperative board member, I appreciate the important role rural electric cooperatives have played — and continue to play — in support of farms and rural communities across the state and country.

For those of us involved in ag-riculture, the 1935 creation of the Rural Electric Administration (REA) is seen as one of the great water-shed moments in the history of our industry, fundamentally changing the lives of rural citizens and the path of our nation. In 1934, fewer than 11 percent of farms in the United States had electricity. This didn’t just mean reading by candlelight and relying on washboards for laundry; it meant milking cows by hand with lanterns and canning or preserving everything you could because there was no re-frigeration to minimize food spoilage.

By 1959, much of that had changed. Ninety-six percent of farms in the United States had electricity, thanks in large part to the low-cost loans REA provided to rural elec-tric cooperatives. Bringing light and power into rural communities was a turning point for farmers in terms of what they were able to accomplish and the quality of life in their small

towns. REA’s investments helped to spur growth in agriculture and bridge the cultural, educational and com-

mercial divides between urban and rural America.

Today, PREA continues to serve the needs of Pennsylvania’s rural com-munities — a point that is made each month when Penn Lines reaches the mailboxes of approximately 600,000 Pennsylvanians in 41 counties. By focusing on issues such as agricul-

Penn Lines

1966-2016years

Russell C. ReddingPennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture

ture, energy efficiency, economic and community development, and other rural social and political issues, Penn Lines has proven to be much more than “just” an association publication. Indeed, Penn Lines is essential monthly reading, serving as an important edu-cation and advocacy resource for the rural residents PREA and its members serve.

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the entire Redding family, I wish you continued success. We look forward to remaining avid monthly readers of Penn Lines for many years to come.Sincerely,Russell C. Redding, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture

| JAN UARY 20166

spotlight

‘The Magazine You Come Home To’Penn Lines staff

It’s a new year, and the beginning of a new era for your cooperative news-magazine. This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Penn Lines, the monthly magazine brought to you by your local rural electric cooperative. We’ll

be observing that anniversary in our pages throughout the year.

To start with, you’ve probably noticed the magazine looks a little different. To kick off our golden anni-versary year, we’ve redesigned the publication to give it a fresh, new look. We’ll also be making some changes to our columns and feature content — all designed to provide you with more variety each month.

Another change you may have noticed on the front cover is the phrase, “The Magazine You Come Home To.”

We’ve adopted that motto as a reflection of the sentiments you’ve shared with us over the years. In surveys, letters, phone calls, and even in person — you’ve let us know how you feel about Penn Lines, and it’s been a pleasure hearing from you.

Some of you have let us know that you grew up with Penn Lines — how it was always on the coffee table, or how a certain story touched your life. Some enjoy trying out the recipes, while oth-

ers really only want to find out what “Earl Pitts” has to say each month.

Whatever the case may be, for the past 50 years, you have welcomed Penn Lines into your homes and into your lives. That’s an honor — and a respon-sibility — we take very seriously. The new motto is also a reminder for us that, with each issue, we must strive to earn that welcome.

As we enter this anniversary year, we have been inundated with good wishes from you, our readers. We thought we’d share some of those sentiments here.

Thank you for your support over the past 50 years. We look forward to the next 50 years of being “The Magazine You Come Home To.” l

“I’ve been a reader ever since Penn Lines was first published. I’m 89 years (young) and we got electric service back in the 1940s from REA. … Please continue to publish the many helpful hints and stories.”

— Hilda Beidel, Adams Electric Cooperative

“Congratulations for 50 years of service by your wonderful publication. I have always enjoyed each issue since becom-ing a member in 1976. … I sincerely hope your next 50 years are as successful as the first 50.”

— Pete Ellerman, Valley Rural Electric Cooperative

“I would like to start by saying that Penn Lines has provided an excellent opportunity to follow what my rural electric cooperative is doing. … I’m pleased to receive my monthly publication, and I look forward to seeing what is new and what is happening. I have been a cooperative member for 45 years.”

— Dick Astor, Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative

“Penn Lines has been coming for as long as I can recall and I’m 54, so I guess it’s been since I was 4. I like it and I hope it keeps right on coming.”

— Linda Lamb, United Electric Cooperative

“I have been enjoying my Penn Lines magazine for many a moon. There is always so much to read in it. There are photos, recipes and often the article is about people I know. Penn Lines is a magazine I actually look forward to reading. …”

— R.S. Loughney Mook, Bedford Rural Electric Cooperative

“Penn Lines, 50 years! Wow. Hard to believe. I have always enjoyed reading the magazine. … Whatever you had to say, I read it all. Congratulations on 50 years. As long as I am able, I will read Penn Lines from cover to cover. …”

— Deborah Pyle, Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative

| JAN UARY 2016 7

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Early missionCreated for rural electric cooperative members, Penn Lines

debuted in October 1966 with a specific mission in mind.“The sole and single purpose of this magazine is to inform,”

states the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA), the publisher of Penn Lines, in the magazine’s first commentary. “(Our goal is) to keep you up to date on matters pertaining to and affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural Pennsylvania and its people.”

In keeping with the cooperative principle of providing “education and information,” that goal is the same today, says PREA President & CEO Frank Betley.

This year, your cooperative newsmagazine turns 50. To celebrate, we’ve given Penn Lines a fresh, new look. We’ll also feature specialized content throughout the year. But

before we get started, let’s take a look back at the past 50 years of Penn Lines, starting with that very first issue.

“Cooperative members are extremely well-informed consumers,” he notes. “They understand the issues affecting cooperatives, their communities, and the energy industry as a whole. Penn Lines plays a big role in that. Cooperatives have a long history of communicating with their consumer-members, and Penn Lines has been a vital part of that history.”

The first Penn Lines included congratulatory notes from Gov. William Scranton, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Leland H. Bull, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) General Manager Clyde Ellis, Rural Electrification Administration (REA) Administrator Norman Clapp and PREA President Charles Packard (from Valley Rural Electric Cooperative). They all noted the importance of rural electric cooperatives and the value of communication with the cooperatives’ 93,000-some members.

Current readers of Penn Lines perusing that first edition would recognize some familiar topics. There’s an update about the Somerset County Fair, including a photo of the

Five-oh!Celebrating 50 years of Penn Lines

| JAN UARY 20168

By Kathy Hackleman Senior Editor/Writer

Penn Lines

1966-2016years

9 | JAN UARY 2016

… I will support the principle of parity so that you can give rural people the rates and services enjoyed by city people. … Most of all, I will support your most critical struggle — to gain fresh sources of capital to finance your future growth.”

Penn Lines would cover all of those industry problems in depth during the next few years.

A special edition of Penn Lines, published between the August and September 1968 regular issues, described the invasion by private power companies into rural electric cooperative territories. The private power companies were “pirating” away easy-to-reach cooperative consumers, leaving only the remaining difficult-to-reach consumers for cooperatives. The issue encouraged passage of the “Electric Consumer Protection Act,” which would avoid duplication, prohibit unfair competitive practices and define electric cooperative territories.

Other crises, all covered by Penn Lines, would follow. They included escalating energy costs in the early 1970s (with a chart showing the gas mileage for 1974 vehicles — remember the Ford Galaxie LTD at 9.3 miles per gallon, or the Chevrolet Impala coupe at 10.1, or what about the Pontiac Bonneville at 7.8), the fight to maintain federal REA funding for energy infrastructure, and the effort to procure long-term, low-cost hydropower for cooperatives from the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers through the New York Power Authority.

presentation by a Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative representative of a “Willie Wiredhand” (the symbol of the rural electric cooperative program) doll to the fair queen, and an article about the consolidation of two cooperatives into United Electric Cooperative.

Soon, multiple pages would be dedicated to the topic members were most interested in — their local cooperative — while the remainder of the magazine was filled with news of statewide interest, including potential sources for wholesale power, ways to save energy and cut electricity bills, and the importance of voting.

Political rootsEarly Penn Lines issues note the importance of political action

in keeping the cooperative program on track. In April 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, photographed during a visit to the NRECA Annual Meeting in Dallas, was on the front cover. The words spoken by Johnson, a former director of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative in Texas, were an indication of the problems facing rural electric cooperatives.

“So long as I am your president, I will do all in my power to encourage you,” he said. “… I will support the right of your systems to territorial integrity, to continue serving the area where you pioneered. I will support

your right of access to additional power so that the growing needs of your areas can be met with full and dependable power.

OCTOBER 1966: Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative Manager D.W. Smith presents Nancy Maust, Somerset County Fair Queen, with a “Wil-lie Wiredhand” doll and a letter confirming her participation in the 1967 Rural Electric Youth Tour.

OCTOBER 1966: The first issue of Penn Lines includes letters of support from numer-ous state and national figures, as well as news from local cooperatives.

APRIL 1968: President Lyndon B. Johnson addresses a meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

FALL 1968: PREA pub-lishes a special edition of Penn Lines as rural electric cooperatives face a crisis and seek support of the “Electric Consumer Protection Act.”

| JAN UARY 201610

Co-op powerIn September 1972,

Penn Lines announced that Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Allegheny), the cooperative formed by the 14 Pennsylvania and New Jersey cooperatives in 1946 to supply wholesale power to member systems, was in negotiations with Pennsylvania Power and Light Company to jointly build “one of the most modern nuclear plants in Pennsylvania” in Luzerne County. Penn Lines kept cooperative readers informed

on the progress of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, from permitting and construction through its official startup in June 1983 (the second unit came on-line in February 1985). For the first time, rural electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey owned part of their own power supply. Today, the Susquehanna facility provides approximately 60 percent of the cooperatives’ needs with clean, low-cost power.

For years, Allegheny had researched the possibility of operating a small hydroelectric plant, and in December 1978, Penn Lines announced Allegheny was awarded a Department of Energy grant to conduct an extensive study of a number of small dam locations in Pennsylvania as a potential location for a hydroelectric facility. In late 1984, Penn Lines reported Allegheny had received a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to develop a small hydroelectric facility at Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County. The facility, which came on-line in June 1988, continues to provide between 2 and 3 percent of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey cooperatives’ annual power needs.

In the mid- to late-1990s, Penn Lines extensively covered another major industry change, the advent of “customer choice.” This new law — the “Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act” signed by Gov. Tom Ridge — permitted utility consumers to select their own generation supplier. Cooperatives, thanks to a combination of self-owned generation resources and competitive wholesale purchases, enjoy some of the lowest and most stable rates in the region. As a result, other electric generation suppliers saw no profit in marketing to sparsely populated cooperative territories.

Nonetheless, cooperatives maintained retail market availability, despite the lack of interest from alternative generation suppliers.

Articles on this topic continued on a regular basis through January 2015, when Penn Lines announced the Pennsylvania General Assembly had recognized the effectiveness of the cooperative business model by passing legislation relieving cooperatives of the financial burden — potentially $10 million annually — of having to maintain a retail market that had no benefit for cooperative consumers.

Co-op innovationIn June 1983, Penn Lines reported a pilot project at three

Pennsylvania cooperatives — Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative, Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative and

Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative — revealed that direct control of home electric water heaters would be an effective load management tool for rural electric cooperatives. By 1986, Allegheny and its member cooperatives had established the Coordinated Load Management System (CLMS), which as Penn Lines explained, works by shifting electricity use of residential water heaters and other equipment from times of peak demand — when electricity prices are higher — to off-peak hours when prices are lower. To date, the CLMS program has saved Pennsylvania and New Jersey cooperative members more than $127 million in avoided purchased power costs.

More technology changes followed. In the mid- to late-1990s, in-person meter readings by cooperative personnel or consumer-members began to be phased out as more and more rural electric cooperatives began the long process of installing automated meter reading systems. Penn Lines was there to cover the transition as it happened. Then, as local cooperatives began to offer new, convenient ways for members to pay their bills and report outages, Penn Lines explained the process.

Throughout the years, Penn Lines has kept readers informed about the latest technology, including electric-powered vehicles,

SEPTEMBER 1988: The Raystown Hydroelectric Project is on-line and generating power in Huntingdon County.

LOAD MANAGEMENT: Numerous Penn Lines articles through the years have featured the Coordinated Load Management System, which is de-signed to shift electric use from times of peak demand to times of lower demand in an effort to save money for cooperatives and their members.

FEBRUARY 1998: Penn Lines investigates what the new “Customer Choice Act” will mean for cooperative members.

11 | JAN UARY 2016

generators, and fuel cells, and advised them about what could be helpful, as well as what is just “too good to be true.”

Staying truePenn Lines has also widened its scope over the years to

include more photographs and features, but it has remained true to its founders’ intentions: promoting the value of Pennsylvania cooperatives, and those issues that are important to rural Pennsylvania, its residents and their quality of life.

It’s a formula that’s working. In survey after survey, results show that more than 90 percent of cooperative members read Penn Lines on a regular basis.

“The overall mission is to inform, and we start that process by producing a magazine we hope people will want to read,” explains Penn Lines Editor Peter Fitzgerald. “Engaged readers are informed readers. We try to provide content that is engaging, with a little something for everyone in each issue. It’s worked well for the past 50 years, and we hope to continue that long tradition well into the future.”

This walk down “Memory Lane” reveals just how similar today’s publication is to its early versions:

k Since July 1967, Penn Lines has extensively covered the annual Rural Electric Youth Tour. Many participants have been photographed on the steps of Capitol Hill, and many times, those photos have been the Penn Lines cover.

k Sometimes, topics of rural interest have been featured more than once in the pages of Penn Lines. Take maple sugar for instance — it was the topic of a March 1967 Penn Lines feature and it will take center stage again next month — or Lyme disease — mentioned as an emerging new disease in June 1987 and as a significant statewide problem in the June 2011 issue of Penn Lines.

k In January 1968, Penn Lines introduced the recipients of PREA scholarships. Current recipients continue to be presented to magazine readers annually.

k Nearly every October of even-numbered years, Penn Lines has published an election issue, with recent issues noting which candidates the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE®) is supporting. (ACRE is a political action committee that recommends support of candidates who support the cooperative program, not candidates of a specific party.) The front covers of many of those election issues have featured the state capitol.

k Recipes were introduced in November 1966 (for years, the column was called “Woman to Woman”). It has long been recognized that men also are cooks, and the recipe column — now known as Country Kitchen — continues to be one of the most popular columns in the magazine.

k Energy efficiency tips have been included regularly for five decades. While some tips — such as insulate your house, fix faucet leaks and don’t open the oven door unnecessarily — are still as valid today as they were in the 1960s, others — such as defrost your refrigerator before the ice is 1/4 inch thick — now are outdated.

While it’s true that with this issue — the kickoff of a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Penn Lines — subscribers, now numbering over 166,000 spread over 12 cooperative territories, will see some changes in their magazine, most of the familiar, favorite columnists and sections will remain. The Penn Lines redesign — the first since 2006 — is intended to provide an easier-to-read, more-interesting magazine. There is a clean, fresh look with more (but shorter) features, more energy-related news, some specialized anniversary content, and a greater focus on Pennsylvania’s rural electric cooperatives and cooperative members. We hope you like the updated Penn Lines, and thank you for your continued interest in your cooperative newsmagazine. l

NOVEMBER 1966: The first recipe column printed in Penn Lines features recipes using chocolate. Today’s cook-ing column, “Country Kitchen,” remains a popular magazine feature.

JULY 1967 and MAY 2009: In the early years, Pennsylvania cooperatives sent about 30 high school students on the annual Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., left, while in more recent years, about 90 students from Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the more than 1,600 students who participate in the annual educational trip to the nation’s capital, right.

| JAN UARY 201612

keepingcurrent

Learn about agriculture at 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg

The theme for this year’s Farm Show is “The 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show: Our Commonwealth’s Blue Ribbon Experience.” The theme is a nod to indi-vidual experiences visitors have enjoyed since the first exhibition in 1917 and the logo — a blue ribbon — recognizes the range of exhibits and contests at the show.

The show, scheduled for Jan. 9-16 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, will feature a number of special events, includ-ing a variety of tribute walls dedicated to sharing the story of the strong history of agriculture in Pennsylvania. One wall will be dedicated to the growth of rural elec-trification through the rural electric coop-erative program. Other walls will highlight the evolution of the Farm Show and its current building complex, the story behind the state’s historic barns, and the diversity

of Pennsylvania’s agricultural com-modities.

The Farm Show will also include a “Farm-to-Shelf” display where visitors can interact with farmers, proces-sors and grocery store staff to learn how the

food purchased at a local grocery store is grown, harvested and sourced, and then makes it way to the consumer.

Another special event is the announce-ment of the “Centennial Milkshake,” a new flavor of milkshake offered at the food court, by the Pennsylvania Dairy-men’s Association. The association has raised more than $1 million from its sales of milkshakes to fund dairy youth-devel-

opment and education programs, as well as a statewide fresh milk project to feed the hungry (the “Fill a Glass with Hope” campaign).

Admission to the Farm Show is free, but there is a fee to park. For information about hours and an event schedule, go to www.farmshow.state.pa.us.

Penn State University petition calls for zero carbon emissions by 2050

A petition calling for Penn State Uni-versity to commit to zero carbon emissions by 2050 has more than 7,000 signatures.

A Penn State University professor and staff member started the petition asking the university’s administration to do three things: set up a task force to be in charge of creating a plan to hit the emissions tar-get, publicly commit to combating climate change, and identify and revise univer-

sity policies that currently limit efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through university operations, purchasing and investments.

Proposed legislation would help rural phone customers

Even though more and more consum-ers are ditching their traditional landline telephones in favor of cellphones, there are many people in rural Pennsylvania who depend on their landlines because it is the most reliable service in some areas, and maybe even the only service.

The trouble, according to represen-tatives of the Pennsylvania Telephone Association, is that support for landline phone service is declining due to regu-latory changes at the federal level. The Federal Communications Commission has redirected funds away from the federal

News from across the Commonwealth

IT’S EAGLE-WATCHING TIME: The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s “eagle cam” featuring 24/7 view-ing of an eagle pair that regularly nests near Codorus State Park is up and running. The commission first livestreamed the pair in 2015, and people from around the world tuned in to watch the pair as they kept their eggs warm, and two eaglets hatched and grew in front of their eyes. Watch the eagles as they nest at www.pgc.state.pa.us.

(continues on page 24)

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| JAN UARY 2016

________________________________________Name

________________________________________Address

________________________________________City

________________________________________State Zip

________________________________________Email address

________________________________________Name of your electric cooperative

________________________________________Year on Youth Tour

fill out and mail this coupon

Attention Past Rural Electric Youth Tour StudentsAt least two $1,000 scholarships in memory of Jody Loudenslager are available through the Pennsylvania Rural

Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memory of William F. Matson for the 2016-17 college year.

Who is eligible?The scholarship is available to any college-bound or college student who partici-

pated in the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA) Youth Tour. Applicantsneed to furnish necessary aptitude test scores, GPA and financial need information.

Dates to rememberAll applications and required information must be received no later than May 9, 2016.

Finalists will be sent a follow-up questionnaire that must be returned by June 15, 2016.Scholarship awards will be announced at the PREA Summer Meeting in July 2016.

How to applyTo receive an application, simply fill out and mail the accompanying coupon to:

Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266. Or visit www.prea.com/content/scholarship-opportunities.asp. If you would like toreceive the application via email, please include your email address or visit our website,www.prea.com, for more information.

Jody Loudenslager, a 1995 Pennsylvania RuralElectric Association Youth Tour student from TroutRun, Pa., was among the 230 passengers killedJuly 17, 1996, when TWA Flight 800 explodedshortly after take-off from New York. Since Jody wascommitted to higher education, the scholarship wascreated to honor her and help Youth Tour participantswith college costs.

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energymatters

Exploring inner space How to use space heaters efficiently

By Patrick Keegan

It can be more cost-effective to run a space heater than to turn up your cen-tral heating, but if you’re not careful,

you may increase your electric bill.

but are usually noisier.If you need a space heater to keep your

home comfortable, this may be a sign that your home needs insulation or air sealing, both of which can be great investments and significantly reduce your energy bills. You can consider simple, short-term mea-sures, such as:k Putting in weather stripping around

drafty doors and windows;k Hanging thermal curtains or blankets or

installing window film; ork Using rugs to cover uncarpeted floors.

In the longer-term, increasing your home’s insulation or switching to a more efficient heating system, such as a ductless heat pump, can be a more cost-effective solution. A good energy auditor can help you figure out the best measures to take to keep your home comfortable. If your co-op offers free or discounted home audits, take them up on it. l

Patrick Keegan writes on consumer and coop-erative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus con-sumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

Generally, it is best to run a space heater when you need to heat just one or two rooms, or if you need temporary heat in a normally unheated area like a garage or shed. If you have a particularly cold-sen-sitive person in the home, it can be more efficient to use a space heater in the room they most often occupy rather than over-heating the whole house.

However, be mindful of the costs that these little heaters can add to your electric bill. Nick Rusnell, an energy adviser with HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Portland, Mich., notes, “During an energy audit, I found three 1,500-watt heaters in the house of a co-op consumer with a high-bill com-plaint. I did a cost analysis for him and he was shocked.”

Do your own calculations for how much running one, two or three in your

home would cost. And beware the effi-ciency hype around space heaters: electric space heaters are all 100 percent efficient at turning electricity into heat, but an Energy Star air-source heat pump can be 300 percent efficient.

If a space heater is right for you, remember a few things to save energy and money: k If you’re using a space heater to heat the

one or two rooms you use most, turn down your central heating so you don’t heat up rooms you aren’t using.

k Close doors to rooms that are being heated to avoid heat loss.

k Turn off the heater when not in use or get a space heater with a timer feature.

k Purchase a heater with thermostat set-tings and use the lowest setting that you are comfortable with.

k Select a space heater that is the right size for the space you need to heat; most will have a sizing table on the box.Due to safety and air-quality concerns,

portable propane and kerosene space heaters are not recommended for use in a home or other unventilated area. Even when installed properly, these types of heaters can emit low levels of carbon monoxide. Instead, look for an electric space heater. There are two main types: k Infrared heater: Radiates heat to the

objects and people directly in front of it, rather than the air in the room. If you are often sitting in one place, such as at a desk, this can be a good option. Note that the surface of these heaters can get very hot.

k Convection heater: Uses convection to warm and cycle the air in a room. These heaters are relatively quiet and can be warm to the touch, but not so hot as to burn you. Some models use fans to push the air over warm coils; these heaters can warm a room faster,

CONVECTION HEATERS: Fan-forced convec-tion space heaters, above, and radiator-style electric convection space heaters, above right, use convection to warm and cycle the air in a room.

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| JAN UARY 201616

HELLO, WORLD: John Griffiths, top, holds Phil above the crowd that gathered to find out if the famous groundhog would see his shadow — an omen predicting six more weeks of winter — or stay above ground for an early spring, while a replica of Phil greets visitors as they arrive in Punxsutawney, above.

teacher at Punxsutawney Area High School and a member of the Groundhog Club Inner Circle. “It was mostly a local event in those days. Some of us kids would head out to watch. It was one of the only times you could show up late for

school without an excuse.” Local businessman John Griffiths, another

United Electric Cooperative member who also belongs to the Inner Circle, remembers those earlier observances clearly.

“When I was 11 or 12, I used to walk out there at dawn to watch the show,” he says. “If there were 50 people at the spot, I’d be shocked. It was more like 15 or 20.”

Hollywood hitThat all changed in 1993 when

Hollywood came knocking at Phil’s burrow door. Although the movie was actually filmed in a small town (Woodstock, Ill.) near Chicago, “Goundhog Day,” which starred Bill Murray, was a big hit at the box office. It grossed more than $70 million ($115 million in 2016 dollars) and made Punxsutawney, Pa., and its favorite son, Phil, famous beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

Suddenly, thousands of people realized they’d been missing something. They began showing up every February, filling

The shadow knowsPunxsutawney Phil set to make his prediction

By James KreiderContributing writer

He’s been doing this for 130 years now, and he shows no sign of letting up. On Feb. 2, a 15-pound

groundhog named Phil will emerge from his burrow at a place called Gobbler’s Knob. Flanked by the 15 top hat-wearing members of his Inner Circle, he’ll wipe the sleep from his eyes, take a look around and reveal his official prediction — an early spring or six more weeks of winter. With that, the peaceful little town of Punxsutawney, Pa. — population 5,962 — will wake up with a bang. In the days leading up to this moment, that population has most likely quadrupled.

It’s Groundhog Day.Growing up in Punxsutawney during the

1980s, United Electric Cooperative member Jason Grusky was more interested in scoring touchdowns for his high school football team than tracking the comings and goings of a groundhog in the dead of winter.

“Back then, Phil wasn’t quite as famous as he is today,” says Grusky, now a math

| JAN UARY 2016 17

SUNRISE: As the sun rises in Punxsutawney, thousands of people wait to hear Phil’s official prediction of when spring will arrive, based solely on whether he sees his shadow or not. The 130th anniversary of the founding of the Groundhog Club Inc. is scheduled to take place Feb. 2.

FRIENDLY PHIL: Groundhog Club Inner Circle member Jason Grusky holds a friendly Punxsut-awney Phil at an outreach presentation. A high school teacher, Grusky often gives educational presentations about the town’s most famous resident.

all the local and regional hotels to capacity. They came in droves from all over the country and all over the world, from as far away as Japan and Australia and Russia.

Within four years, attendance at the Groundhog Day celebration had soared to 35,000.

“That movie touched a lot of people,” Griffiths says. “I think they come because it’s a simple, enjoyable gathering of folks without any deeper meaning or cause. It’s not about politics or religion or anything like that. It’s just about having fun.”

Grusky agrees, adding, “It’s become part of an American tradition. There’s a childlike excitement that comes with seeing something special, and just having fun in a very family-friendly place.”

As the lone school teacher on the Inner Circle, Grusky coordinates the club’s educational materials and outreach, making presentations in the classroom, sometimes in person but more often via Skype. His most frequently asked question? “Where does Phil go the rest of the year?”

When he’s not making predictions, Phil lives in a custom-made burrow behind a big plate glass window at the Punxsutawney Civic Center, a multi-use building on the town square. There, he goes about his daily business in full view of anyone who cares to have a look. The den is inspected regularly by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

In addition to seeing to his daily care, Griffiths and fellow Inner Circle handler Ron Ploucha take turns escorting Phil to

personal appearances. “I can’t tell you exactly, but I must take

him on the road at least 50 or 60 times a year, maybe more,” Griffiths says.

What’s the No. 1 question he gets asked about Phil?

“The kids all want to know what he eats,” he says. “I tell them he eats salad greens and baby carrots. And he really likes granola bars.”

Those who can’t join the fun in person can still attend the festivities in spirit, thanks to the abundance of media covering the big day. Local, regional and national news outlets, including The Weather Channel, regularly cover the fun surrounding Phil’s appearance.

Community event“A lot of work goes on behind the

scenes to get everything ready for the big day,” says Katie Donald, the executive director of the non-profit Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. “The Inner Circle members, the community, in fact the whole region, pitches in and works to make sure everything is safe and fun for everyone who comes here to experience Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney.”

This year, to commemorate the 130th anniversary, the Groundhog Club is focusing on the history of the event, showing footage of earlier observances, some of which were attended by only a handful of spectators.

Interest in Phil isn’t limited to Feb. 2. Throughout the year, visitors come to

Punxsutawney to celebrate their birthdays, check items off their bucket lists, or just to indulge their curiosity. They’ll stop by the civic center in hopes of catching a glimpse of Phil if he’s up and around. And they’ll visit Gobbler’s Knob to pose for pictures on the hallowed ground where Phil will again make his official appearance.

That appearance is coming soon. Before dawn this Feb. 2, a fleet of school buses, their motors purring in the early morning cold, will carry the crowds to Gobbler’s Knob. Warming tents will be waiting to accommodate those who didn’t dress for the weather. Hot coffee, hot cocoa and hot dogs will be cooking at concession stands. By 7 a.m., the noise of the waiting crowd will rumble like a hive of bees. Finally, the members of the Inner Circle, Grusky and Griffiths among them, will don their top hats and earmuffs and mount the stage. A hush will fall over the crowd. This is the moment everyone’s been waiting for.

It’s Groundhog Day.For information, visit www.ground

hog.org, email the Punxsutawney Ground- hog Club at director@ghogclub.com or call 814-618-5591. l

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| JAN UARY 2016

Cold weather calls for hot sandwiches. This month’s recipes craft hearty sandwiches around three favorite meats — ham, pulled pork and beef brisket.

Perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner, Open-faced Ham Sandwiches are a delightful combi-nation of English muffins, steamed broccoli, ham and made-from-scratch cheese sauce. As a bonus, any leftover cheese sauce may be tossed with cooked pasta or vegetables. Delicious!

In the recipe for Pepperoni Pork Sliders, pepperoni is used in place of a traditional rub to season the roast. The pepperoni also adds visual interest to the shredded pork. With Savory Brisket Sandwiches, highly flavored liquid ingredients — consommé, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and red wine vinegar — work together to season the meat. If even more dramatic flavor is desired, the sandwiches may be served with Horseradish-Mustard Spread. l

Hot and heartyBy Janette Hess

Using kitchen shears, cut sliced pepperoni into thin strips. Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with salt. Add pepperoni and drizzle with brine. Cook on low for 9 to 10 hours, or until meat shreds easily. Transfer meat to cutting board; shred with two forks, removing and discarding visible fat. Place meat back in slow cooker. Stir in diced peppers. Serve on buttered, toasted slider buns. Offer sauce, if desired.

Pepperoni Pork Sliders1 3-ounce package

sliced pepperoni1 3- to 4-pound pork

roast (shoulder or butt)

1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 cup brine from

jarred pepperoncini peppers

1/4 cup diced, drained pepperoncini peppers

2 dozen slider buns (count may vary with size of roast)

Butter (for toasting buns)

Barbecue sauce, if desired

Place brisket, fat side up, in large glass baking dish. Sprinkle with peppercorns and garlic powder. Combine liquid ingredients and pour over brisket. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight, or at least 12 hours. Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 6 hours, until meat is fork tender. Transfer to cutting board to cool slightly before slicing. Slice thinly across grain, removing and discarding any visible fat. Strain and skim broth. Broth may be used to moisten meat, or it may be served as a dip for the sandwiches. To serve, place generous portions of brisket on split, toasted rolls along with Horseradish-Mustard Spread.

Combine and serve on sandwiches.

Savory Brisket Sandwiches

Horseradish-Mustard Spread

1 4- to 5-pound trimmed beef brisket half flat

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef consommé

2 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons

Worcestershire sauce2 tablespoons liquid

smoke2 tablespoon red wine

vinegarSplit, toasted hard rolls

2 tablespoons jarred, grated horseradish

2 tablespoons grainy mustard with whole seeds

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

In medium saucepan or skillet, melt butter over me-dium-low to medium heat. Add flour, salt and garlic powder. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in milk; cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add cayenne pepper. To assemble sandwiches, divide ham that has been warmed among hot, toasted English muffins. Top with broccoli spears and hot cheese sauce. Makes 4 large or 8 small servings. These sandwiches also are good with roasted or smoked turkey.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup flour1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic

powder1 3/4 cups milk 1/2 cup (2 ounces)

sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup (2 ounces) Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 English muffins, split and toasted

8 large, trimmed broccoli spears, steamed

16 to 20 ounces sliced, smoked ham

Open-faced Ham Sandwiches

A trained journalist, Janette Hess focuses her writing on interest-ing people and interesting foods. She is a Master Food Volunteer with her local extension service and enjoys collecting, testing and sharing recipes.

18

| JAN UARY 2016

outdooradventures

Marcus Schneck is the out-door writer for The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News and its website, PennLive.com. He also writes for many outdoor publications and is the author of more than two dozen books. Keep abreast of his adventures and writings at www.marcusschneck.com.

Remember winter?By Marcus Schneck

Remember winter? Not these crappy, ice-freeze-thaw-warm-ice-freeze-thaw-warm winters

of the past 10 years or so, but those good old, wall-to-wall-snow-from-Christmas-to-St.-Patrick’s-Day winters. Those skate-on-stream winters. Those snowman-building, snowball-throwing, sledding-until-you-could-sled-no-more winters.

powder rather than instantly plummeting into the zero range and converting that snow into ice?

Remember winter? I do. I miss it. l

Remember those?Memories may be all we’ll have of

those wonderful winters of yore. The Farmers’ Almanac holds out little hope for this winter in Pennsylvania, with tem-peratures ranging from below normal to normal and precipitation generally below normal. That’s a prescription for more ice-freeze-thaw-warm cycles.

If this is the new norm, I’m ready for climate change to give us those 2 degrees that will convert Pennsylvania’s weather into spring followed by summer followed by fall followed by spring. For-get all that icing. If I can’t have snow, I’ll go with growing and harvesting salad fixin’s right through Christmas with just a month or two before the new-spring planting season is upon us.

I remember breaking through the ice on the pond of a friend’s family during a pickup hockey game, getting soaked from the waist down, finishing the game and then walking a mile or so to my home. The legs of my trousers and ther-mals under them were frozen board-stiff, but the air temperature wasn’t so drastic as to do any further damage.

I wonder if we’ll ever see weather patterns again that would allow either end of that adventure. Will we ever again have ice thick enough and long-lasting enough for 20 boys to slip and slide and fall and crash on it

for hours on end? Will we ever again have ice-forming cold temperatures not so bitter that a kid walking a mile in drenched trousers would see no perma-nent damage?

I remember following tracks of rabbits, squirrels, pheasants, turkeys, deer and more for miles through the snow-covered fields and forests. Will we ever again have that perfect tracking weather that lays down a couple inches and then holds the temperature just right to maintain that snow as slightly damp

REMINISCING: Many people who love the outdoors long for the “old-time” winters when there was snow on the ground from Christmas to St. Patrick’s Day, allowing for outdoor sporting and hunting adventures.

19

Classified Advertisements Classified Advertisements

| JAN UARY 201620

Classified Advertisements Classified Advertisements ISSUE MONTH AD DEADLINE March 2016 January 18 April 2016 February 16 May 2016 March 18

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 cancellations must be re-ceived 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.

FREE Headings: • Around the House• Business Opportunities • Employment Opportunities• Gift & Craft Ideas• Livestock & Pets• Miscellaneous

• Motor Vehicles & Boats• Nursery & Garden• Real Estate• Recipes & Food• Tools & Equipment• Vacations & Campsites• Wanted to Buy

PLEASE SUbMIT A CLEArLy wrITTEN Or TyPED SHEET wITH THE FOLLOwINg rEqUIrED INFOrMATION:

o Cooperative members should please submit the mailing label from Penn Lines as proof of membership.

o Non-members should submit name, address, phone number, and email address, if applicable.

o Month(s) in which the ad is to run.

o Ad copy as it is to appear in the publication.

o Heading ad should appear under, or name of special heading (additional fee). See below for FREE heading options.

CLASSIFIED AD SUbMISSION/rATES

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.

SPECIAL Headings: $5 for co-op members, $10 for non-members. Fee applies to any heading not listed under “FREE Headings”, even if the heading is already appearing in Penn Lines. For ads running a special heading in consecutive months, the fee is a one-time fee of either $5 or $10 for all consecutive insertions.

PAyMENT:Please make CHECK/MONEy OrDEr payable to: PrEA/Penn Lines. Insertion of classified ad serves as proof of publication; no proofs supplied.

SEND COMPLETED AD COPy AND PAyMENT TO: Penn Lines Classifieds • P.O. Box 1266 • Harrisburg, PA 17108

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ArOUND THE HOUSE

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bUILDINg SUPPLIES

STEEL ROOFING AND SIDING. Over 25 years in business. Several profiles - cut to length. 29 and 26 gauge best quality residential roofing – 40-year warranty. Also, seconds, heavy gauges, 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. Many thicknesses available. Also blue board insulation sheets. 814-442-6032.

bUSINESS OPPOrTUNITIES

Residential and Commercial CLEANING BUSINESS FOR SALE. Over forty years in business in Central PA. Long-term clients. Over 500K gross per year. Net 100K per year. Contact www.onsiteadvertisers.com.

CHUrCH LIFT SySTEMS

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

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.

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

CrANE SErVICE

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

ELECTrIC MOTOrS

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

FINANCIAL FrEEDOM

DO YOU NEED CASH NOW? No buying - No selling - No boss. Computer needed. Jim Vargo 314-614-6039. www.smileyougotcash.com.

FISHINg SHOw

1st Annual FISHING SHOW/FLEA MARKET. Heidlersburg Fire Company, Gettysburg, Pa. February 27-28, 2016. Accepting vendors. Fresh/salt water gear, displays, charters. Call Earl 717-253-4175 or Donna 717-528-7018.

21 | JAN UARY 2016

Classified AdvertisementsClassified Advertisements

BEAUTIFUL ALPACA and also agora goat yarn. Some wool added. Various weights and colors. All from our own animals. No synthetics. Call Sue Graver at 717-487-0785.

NIGERIAN DWARF GOATS. These are small dairy goats. Beautiful and friendly. Now taking reservations for 2016 babies, both doelings and bucklings. Please call Sue Graver at 717-487-0785.

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. Thirty years experience, fully insured. Call 814-696-1379. www.villagerestorations.com.

MISCELLANEOUS

BECOME AN ORDAINED MINISTER — Correspondence Study. The harvest truly is great, the laborers are few, Luke 10:2. Free information. Ministers for Christ Outreach, 7558 West Thunderbird Rd., Ste. 1 - #114, Peoria, Arizona 85381. www.ordination.org.

FOR SALE: Pride Jazzy 1103 Ultra Power Wheel Chair with seat height adjustment. New batteries. Excellent condition. Located in Littlestown, PA. Call: 717-359-9858.

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).

NUrSEry AND gArDEN

TWO 1971 ERA INTERNATIONAL Cub Cadet garden tractors. Both have mower decks. One has roto tiller, manuals for one. Both need work. Fun project. $650 both. More information. 814-228-3266. nick@reitter.net.

PENNSyLVANIA HUNTINg LAND wANTED

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

rEAL ESTATE

BEAUTIFUL LODGE WITH 78 ACRES next to Blue Knob State Park. Two bedroom, great hunting, near ski area. Five miles from interstate 99. Call 814-404-4662 or email: bknisel@comcast.net.

CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Lumber City. 35 acres mostly wooded, secluded yet accessible, timber, natural gas, large metal commercial building, spring water. $175,000. Call George. 814-237-1000.

LYCOMING COUNTY, Upper Fairfield Township — 54.85 acres, small stream, hunting, spring water, privacy. No OGM transfer. Asking $300,000. Call 570-433-3783.HUSTONTOWN, PA - Two bedroom, one bath house with detached garage on TEN ACRES. Ideal starter home (Forbes Road School District) or hunting cabin. Wildlife is abundant plus PA game lands minutes away. A little TLC is needed. For more information, call 717-658-7835.

rECIPES AND FOOD

SPECIAL OFFER — BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR $12. “Country Cooking” — $5, including postage. “Recipes Remembered” — $7, 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.

SAwMILLS

USED PORTABLE Sawmills and COMMERCIAL Sawmill 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.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, two baths, pool. 200 yards from beach. NA February. No pets. $500 weekly, $1,800 monthly. Call 814-635-4020.

SPRING IS COMING! Raystown Vacation House Rental. Sleeps 11, fireplace, four bedrooms, table for 12, 2 flat screen satellite TVs, 2 flbaths, 2 hfbaths, linens/towels provided, boat parking. Minimum two nights. Call 814-931-6562. Visit www.laurelwoodsretreat.com.

BEAUTIFUL LAKE ERIE COTTAGE – Enjoy swimming, fishing and sunsets at their finest. Sleeps 8, 20 miles west of Erie. Available May to November. Call 814-333-9669. Visit our website at www.curleycottage.com.

VIDEO TrANSFEr/PHOTOSCANS

TRANSFER YOUR VHS, VHS-C, HI-8, and mini-DV to Archival DVD. Professionally scan your old photographs, slides, and negatives to an Archival DVD. Color restoration software used on every scan. 100% services done in-house. A gift sure to be appreciated. To connect your past with the future, call Craig. 814-592-6638. Clearfield, PA. contactwisemediagroup@gmail.com.

wANTED TO bUy

CARBIDE – Paying cash/lb. – Some examples of items that have carbide pieces at their tips for cutting or drilling are: coal mining machinery – roof bits – road bits – gas/oil/water well drill bits – machining inserts as well as many others. We will pick up your materials containing carbide pieces. We will extract the carbide item from the part in which it is held in most cases. 814-395-0415.

NEW PRODUCT

• Helps prevent Bruising, Cuts, Scratches, and Burns.• Ideal for those who Bruise Easily or have Thin Skin.• Perfect for working with thorny/needled plants & trees.• Easily worn under regular gloves or over sleeves.• Comes in various Sizes and Colors.• Website shows nearly 100 uses for this product.

Arm Protection- for Home and Work

| JAN UARY 201622

timelines

Your Newsmagazine Through the Years

P enn Lines takes a look back to the beginning of rural elec-trification. In 1909, the Country Life Commission, a panel appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt, recommend-

ed the creation of electric cooperatives to bring power to rural areas. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, by executive order, established the Rural Electrification Administration, which led to the establishment of rural electric cooperatives across Pennsylvania between 1936 and 1941.

In 1942, the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, the state-wide service arm of electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, was formed, followed by Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Allegheny), the cooperatives’ wholesale power supplier, in 1946.

Legislation establishing electric utility service territories in Pennsylvania was signed into law in 1975. Two years later, Allegheny contracted for 10 percent ownership of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, a nuclear power plant near Berwick. In 1986, electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania launched the Coordi-nated Load Management System to reduce electricity consump-tion during peak periods, saving money for members. In 1988, the Raystown Hydroelectric Project, owned by Allegheny, was dedicated.

2006

Through initiatives that improve the rural quality of life, electric cooperatives also promote eco-nomic development and job creation.

The goal of the cooperatives’ new Coordinated Load Management System is to level high peaks in the demand placed on an electric system.

More than 250 paintings and drawings by noted Pennsylvania artist Henry Koerner are exhibited at the Wil-liam Penn Museum in Harrisburg.

1996

1986

1976

| JAN UARY 2016

Consider options for new heating, cooling system

By James Dulley

Dear Jim: My heating and cooling system is 20 years old and it’s time to replace it. I am trying to

decide which type of system is best. What do you recommend? — Russ H.

Dear Jim: Since we put several inches of insulation in our attic, I notice straight dirty streaks along the ceilings in the bedrooms. Could the insulation cause this? — Charlie W.

Dear Charlie: The attic insulation may cause your problem. It is called pattern staining and is caused by an inadequate amount of insulation.

The attic floor joists are cold because their tops are not covered with insulation. The ceiling areas directly under the joists get cooler causing slight dampness. More dust sticks there causing streaks over time. Add more insulation to cover the joists. l

Dear Russ: When replacing an entire system, you have the option of many fuel types for heating. Electricity is the only cooling fuel option for an air conditioner or heat pump.

Operating cost and comfort are the primary factors in selecting a new system. Efficiency and relative cost of the various fuels determine the operating cost. Fuel prices can fluctuate dramatically over time as we have seen recently with fuel oil and propane.

A geothermal heat pump is the most efficient year-round system because it heats and cools using stored heat from the ground. Select a two-speed or vari-able-speed model for the best comfort. It continuously matches heating and cooling output to the house needs.

The initial cost of a geothermal system is substantially more than other complete systems, but the utility bill savings easily pays back its higher cost. There still is a 30 percent federal tax credit for geother-mal heat pumps installed before 2017.

Install a heat pump instead of just a central air conditioner even if you plan to have a fossil fuel furnace (called a hybrid system). The installed cost of the system with a heat pump is not significantly more expensive and your annual utility bills will be lower.

The advantage of a heat pump is it heats very efficiently during mild spring and fall weather. During these times, it runs instead of the furnace burners to heat the house. When it gets much colder, the furnace takes over. A heat pump cools as efficiently

as a central air conditioner during summer.If natural gas is available in your area, a

condensing furnace generally is the most cost-effective choice. With the glut of domestic natural gas from fracking, there should be an adequate supply at reasonable prices for the foreseeable future. Efficien-cies are as high as 97 percent.

Since natural gas is not available in some areas, a propane or oil furnace provides equally comfortable heating. A propane furnace is almost identical to a gas one, but propane is typically more expensive to use and can be in short supply as it was several winters ago. Oil is readily available, but oil furnace efficiency is not as high and they require more extensive maintenance.

Also consider alternative fuels such as firewood, corn, pellets, etc. for supplemen-tal heating. Newer models are convenient to use and the fuel is renewable. For exam-ple, new dual-fuel wood furnaces automat-ically switch to gas or propane when the wood burns out overnight.

Have a question for Jim? Send inquiries to James Dulley, Penn Lines, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.

smartcircuits

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| JAN UARY 201624

keepingcurrent

Universal Service Fund for other purposes and is also phasing out the fees that carriers pay each other for using their lines (access fees).

Steven Samara, president of the Penn-sylvania Telephone Association, believes these changes could make service, even basic dial tone service, unaffordable for some rural Pennsylvanians. He says the remaining focus is the Pennsylvania Uni-versal Service Fund, administered by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which connects people and businesses in hard-to-reach areas.

Pennsylvania House Bill 1417 — legis-lation that would ensure the Pennsylvania Universal Service Fund would continue to benefit rural phone customers — awaits action in the state House Consumer Affairs Committee. Its prime sponsors are cooperative Reps. Sandy Major (R-Susquehanna), who serves areas within Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative

territory, and Mike Hanna (D-Clinton), who serves areas within Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative and United Electric Cooperative territories.

Supporters of the bill include the Penn-sylvania Rural Electric Association, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the Pennsylva-nia State Grange, the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, the Pennsylvania Association for Rural and Small Schools, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and other groups rep-resenting the interests of rural and at-risk elderly Pennsylvanians.

DCNR accepting comments on state forest plan

Due to the level of public interest, the Pennsylvania Department of Conserva-tion and Natural Resources (DCNR) has extended the cut-off date for writ-ten public comment on its state forest resource management plan until Jan. 31. The updated plan — the first in nearly a decade — will chart the course of Penn-

sylvania’s state forests for years to come.DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn

notes the state’s wealth of forestland pro-vides an abundance of benefits to Penn-sylvanians, including wildlife and aesthetic beauty, timber products, water purifica-tion, revenue from gas extraction from existing leases, and a variety of recreational opportunities.

The management plan can be viewed at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforestmanagement/sfrmp/2015sfrmp/index.htm. Interested parties may sub-mit comments by email at StateForest-Plan2015@pa.gov or by mail at: Bureau of Forestry Planning Section, P.O. Box 8552, Harrisburg PA 17105-8552. l

Please send me an application for the 2016-17 PennsylvaniaRural Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memoryof William F. Matson. I am a high school senior and the son ordaughter of a member or employee of an electric cooperative inPennsylvania and New Jersey who belongs to the PennsylvaniaRural Electric Association.

___________________________________________Name

___________________________________________Address

___________________________________________Town or City

___________________________________________State Zip

___________________________________________Email address

___________________________________________Name of Electric Cooperative

Attention High School SeniorsAt least five $1,000 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarships in Memory of

William F. Matson are available for the 2016-17 college year.

fill out and mail this coupon Who is eligible?The Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memory

of William F. Matson is offering scholarships to sons and daughters of members andemployees of electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who belong tothe Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. Applicants must currently be highschool seniors and be able to furnish necessary aptitude test scores and financialneed information. At least five $1,000, one-time scholarships will be awarded.

Important dates to rememberAll applications and required information must be received no later than

May 9, 2016. Finalists will be sent a follow-up questionnaire that must be returnedby June 15, 2016. Scholarship awards will be announced at the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Summer Meeting in July 2016.

How to applyTo receive an application, simply fill out and mail the accompanying coupon or

contact your local electric cooperative office. If you would like to receive theapplication via email, please include your email address or visit our website,www.prea.com, for more information.

Applicant:To request a scholarship application, mail coupon to:

The Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Scholarship Trust Fund in Memory of William F. MatsonP. O. Box 1266Harrisburg, Pa. 17108-1266

Or visit www.prea.com/content/scholarship-opportunities.asp

NewScholarshipAds_Scholarship Ads 1/04 12/17/15 9:02 AM Page 2

Keeping Current(continued from page 12)

| JAN UARY 2016

punchlines

Ever wonder what your cat is thinking when it stares at you?

By Earl Pitts, American

Social commentary from Earl Pitts — a.k.a. GARY BUR­BANK, a nation ally syndicated radio per son ality — can be heard on the following radio stations that cover electric cooperative service territories in Pennsylvania: WANB­

FM 103.1 Pittsburgh; WARM­AM 590 Wil­kes­Barre/ Scran ton; WIOO­AM 1000 Carlisle; WEEO­AM 1480 Shippensburg; WMTZ­FM 96.5 Johnstown; WQBR­FM 99.9/92.7 McEl­hattan; WLMI­FM 103.9 Kane; and WVNW­FM 96.7 Burnham­Lewistown. You can also find him at earlpittsamerican.com.

I got a warnin’ for y’all today. Did you see the story ‘bout those nitwit science geeks that studied the DNA and physical habits of the common house cat? They say the closest relative to the house cat is the African lion. They are both impul-

sive and dominant. And this is the scariest part — these researchers said your pet cat would kill you if only it could figure out a way to do it.

Now, this is not news to people who have had a cat. We had a cat one time. It was like livin’ with a roommate who just got out of the slammer. We wel-comed him into the house, and then worried about it until he left.

And by “left,” I mean I believed he had always wanted to see the country-side. Do you ever see those stories where a cat gets lost, travels for six months across three states and ends up back at its home? In the back of my mind, I figure the guy at that house is goin’, “Dang it!”

I remember hearin’ about this family that had to call 911 on account of their cat went nuts and cornered them in the bedroom. They couldn’t get out of the room. It was like “The Shining” — if Jack Nicholson was a cat.

I remember one time I was takin’ a nap on the couch. And I woke up and my dang cat was standin’ on my chest, pumpin’ up and down with his paws. I thought at the time that it was some kind of evolution thing — you know, some kind of prehistoric thing they do. Now I realize he was just lookin’ for the gap between my ribs to sink his killer fangs. I just happened to wake up and foil the plot.

Every morning, we’d find that cat curled up next to the furnace sleepin’. Pearl said he liked to be warm. Now

I know that he was spendin’ all night tryin’ to blow out the pilot light.

Wake up, America. You can take the cat out of the jungle. And bring the jun-gle right into your living room.

You can call me old-fashioned, but I hate watchin’ TV com-mercials for new cars anymore.

I ain’t got nothin’ against buyin’ a new car. It’s just that these commercials never tell you nothin’ about the car. All they want to tell you about is their newest electronic gizmos. They got a back hatch that pops open when you wave your foot. Ooh. They got a buzzer that’ll go off if a blind person is driving up next to you. Wow. They got TV and GPS; they got wireless cars that connect to the cloud. I don’t even know what the heck that means.

So I seen this story that explains the sad state of your American motorist today. In 1980 — not that long ago — 35 percent of your cars and trucks were sold with standard transmissions. That’s what you call your stick shift. Your five-speed transmission. And you got to shift through every darn one of them.

You know how many manual trans-mission cars they sell today — 7 percent! That’s pathetic.

I don’t want to brag, but I had a truck

until about five years ago that shifted on the column. That’s right — I am the Obi Wan Kenobi of the manual trans-mission. The force was with me every time I started that bad boy. You drive a vehicle with the shift on the column and that’s three punches on your “man” card right there.

Heck — there’s probably grow’d-up boys out there right now who wouldn’t even know how to drive a stick. Three pedals on the floor is one too many for those Yuppie boys whose only thing they ever grinded was expensive coffee beans. It’s sad. I’m tellin’ you, it’s sad.

And listen to this — automakers say people don’t want to drive stick shifts anymore on account of with all the electronics in the car they’ve got a lot of other stuff to do.

Think about that.Just gimme a car closer to something

Fred Flintstone would drive and get out of my way. l

25

And the 2015 winners are …

Hundreds of Penn Lines readers submitted photos for the 2015 Rural Reflec-tions contest, and a panel of independent judges selected the year’s winning entries. Each winner in the categories of most artistic, best landscape, best

human subject, best animal subject and editor’s choice will receive a $75 prize, but all of the readers who submitted photos during the past year deserve our thanks.

Next month, Penn Lines will publish the judges’ other favorite photos. Runner-up winners will each receive $25. In March, we will begin publishing 2016 photos.

To be eligible for the 2016 contest prizes, send your snapshots (no professional photos, please) to: Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg PA 17108-1266. In-clude your name, address, phone number and the name of your electric cooperative.

Remember, our publication deadlines require that we work ahead, so send your seasonal photos in early. We need spring photos before mid-February; summer photos before mid-May; fall photos before mid-July and winter photos before mid-September. Please note: 2015 photos that were accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelopes will be returned in late January. l

Sarah LenkerAdams EC

Stephanie Leverknight

Somerset REC

Carson MusserAdams EC

ruralreflections

| JAN UARY 201626

BESTHUMAN

SUBJECT

MOSTARTISTIC

BESTLANDSCAPE

Sarah LenkerAdams EC

Robin Benito

Claverack REC

Carson MusserAdams EC

Krista LeisterTri-County REC

ruralreflections

| JAN UARY 2016

BESTANIMAL

EDITOR’SCHOICE

27