July 2009 - Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas

J U LY 2 0 0 9
Preserving
our heritage
n
The reality of
renewable energy
n
Don’t let the
air out
Inside this issue
Volume LXII, Number 9, July 2009
An official publication of
Arkansas Electric
Cooperatives, Inc.
F e a t u r es
Gary C. Voigt, President/CEO
6
On the rise: What’s driving electricity costs higher?
8
Preserving our heritage
Ouida H. Cox
Editor
Rae Rinehart
Administrative Assistant
Dixie Rogers
Graphic Designer
Chairman
Vice
Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Officers
Larry Hellums
Blytheville Charles Burdine
Vendor
Ronald Moore
Hamburg
Jim Parrish
Trumann
Photographic & Art Credits
Cover John Holt
8-12 Dru Duncan Ouida Cox
13 Ouida Cox
14 A.C. Haralson
30 Splenda
35 Alliance to save energy
40 Ouida Cox
13
Youth Tour winners 2009
14
Cardboard boat races
16
Protect yourself from lightning
30
Summer entertaining
35
Don’t let the air out
Dep a r t m en t s
Comments . . . . . . . . . . 3
News briefs . . . . . . . . . . 4
Contact Information
Editorial & Advertising Offices:
One Cooperative Way
Little Rock, AR
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 510
Little Rock, AR 72203
E-mail: [email protected]
(501) 570-2200
Capitol Buzz . . . . . . . . 18
Doug Rye Says . . . . . . 20
Past -Time . . . . . . . . . . 24
Family favorites . . . . . . 28
Periodicals postage paid at Little Rock,
AR and at additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
Rural Arkansas
P.O. Box 510, Little Rock, AR 72203
Members: Please send name of your
cooperative with mailing label.
Reflections . . . . . . . . . . 32
Crossword puzzle . . . . 34
Calendar of events . . . 40
Subscription Price:
$7.00 per year for non-members
Member of
Arkansas Press Association
Acceptance of advertising by Rural Arkansas does
not imply endorsement of the product or services
advertised by the publisher or the Electric
Cooperatives of Arkansas.
2
RURAL ARKANSAS
T h e Co ver
Wearing period attire and doing open-hearth cooking, Dru Duncan wants to
educate people about the workings of an original 1930s-era living farmstead at
Dell. Read the story on Page 8.
comments
Declaration of Foreign Energy
Independence
On July 4, 1776,
the first Continental
Congress approved
the Declaration of
Independence.
“When in the course
of human events it becomes
necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bands
which have connected them with another and to assume
among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station
to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires
that they should declare the causes which impel them to the
separation.”
When the founding fathers of our nation approved this
document, it set forth the tone for the future of the United
States of America. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
were key aspects of the document.
Our nation is the beacon of hope for nations around the
globe because of the principles set forth by the Declaration of
Independence. The founding fathers were also very cautious
in their actions and very deliberate when forming the basic
framework for the new nation.
Today, our country is working to declare a new type of
independence – energy independence. Our country’s ever
growing dependence on foreign energy puts us at a great risk
in an unstable global environment.
Some in the U.S. have a desire to create a “green”
environment at all costs, regardless of the economic impact.
They are pushing for carbon cap-and-trade regulations,
restrictions for the construction of clean coal power plants
and for government spending on solar, wind, biofuels and
other alternative energy sources.
If implemented at an impatient, non-logical pace, these
measures, which have the best of intentions, will greatly
hamper the American economy during a deep recession.
Our country’s entire energy infrastructure is based largely
on the use of fossil fuels, which include petroleum, natural
gas and coal, along with nuclear power. Coal and nuclear
power provide approximately 68 percent of the electricity
for our nation and fuels the “pursuit” of happiness in our
jobs, homes and leisure activities. Natural gas supplies an
additional 22 percent of our electricity generation, much of
which is imported. It is simply impractical to believe that the
electricity needs for a nation with approximately 300 million
residents can be met with unproven technologies overnight.
Consider this. What type of fuel is used to produce
wind blades for windmills, solar panels, turbines, wire,
poles, transformers, generators and other materials needed to
produce renewable energy? Fossil fuels.
What is a major consideration for a manufacturing
facility to locate in a city or region? Power costs. Abundant,
affordable energy has fueled our economy and has helped
make the United States the most productive and innovative
country in the world.
What is one of the most economical forms of base-load
power generation, which is power that is available for use
24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week? Coal, a resource that
is abundant in the United States and does not have to be
imported from overseas.
We firmly believe in preserving the environment of our
country for generations to come, but we also firmly believe
that the answer is not simple and must be implemented in a
well-planned, logical approach.
At the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, we believe in
measuring success by results, not intentions. Oftentimes
policies and programs have great intentions, but poor results.
We believe Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Franklin
would want us to use our abundant natural resources,
along with energy efficiency practices, to break us free from
dependence on foreign energy sources. Taking inspiration
from the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers, surely
we can balance our energy needs with our domestic resources
and technological
advancements to
continue to fuel the
Consider this. What type of
nation’s economy.
fuel is used to produce wind
The gentlemen
blades for windmills, solar
who signed the
panels, turbines, wire, poles,
Declaration of
Independence
transformers, generators and
believed that the
other materials needed to
success of the nation
produce renewable energy?
would be measured
on the level of life,
Fossil fuels.
liberty and the
pursuit of happiness
obtained by Americans. They were determined to not dictate
the lives of citizens through public policy, but to allow the
people to run the government.
We think we would be wise to remember that philosophy
today.
JULY 2009
3
news briefs of the month
Summer or winter, seal out the weather
Looking for more ways to seal the heat out of your home
this summer? Think winter.
Many homeowners don’t realize that the same winter
proofing that seals out the cold in January can keep the heat
out in July.
Apply weather stripping – such as wood, vinyl, foam,
rubber or even caulk around windows and doors to create a
tight seal. This prevents cool air-conditioned air from leaking
outdoors in summer and keeps heated air indoors in the
winter.
Kneel on the floor and look under your front door. If you
can see any light, the seal isn’t tight enough and your nice,
cool air is walking right out the door. Apply weather stripping
to exterior doors, and repair small cracks around windows and
doors with caulk.
Here are some more heat-busting tips:
• Run the clothes dryer and dishwasher after dark when
it’s cooler outside. That will save your air conditioner
from working so hard to cool off the extra heat that your
appliances produce.
• Replace old incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent lights. To make light, incandescents spend
about 90 percent of their energy making heat. CFLs don’t
emit much heat.
• At bedtime, turn off any appliance that produces
heat-including your computer and printer. Even power
strips emit a little bit of heat, and you don’t need them
while you’re sleeping.
The less heat your appliances add to indoor air, the less
trouble your air conditioner will have keeping your house
cool.
This summer, relax and unplug
This Independence Day, unplug your home. Turn up the thermostat and give your air conditioner, appliances and
TV a break for the day-and spend the afternoon outdoors. Here are some fun holiday ideas:
• Invite your friends and family to an
outdoor barbecue. Keep everyone out of
the house by arranging team sports; filling
water balloons for a relay race; or enlisting
your kids to set up an obstacle course. If
your family is large, move the party to a
public park with outdoor grills and picnic
tables.
• Check local listings for street festivals
or events in public parks or community
centers. You can enjoy music, food, games
and the outdoors with little preparation.
• Spend the day at the pool or a nearby lake.
• Hit the mall; it’s air-conditioned, and it’s
prime time for seasonal sales.
Is your pool pump too big?
Chances are, your pool pump is too big. And big pumps
guzzle energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that homeowners
can save up to 75 percent on the cost of running a pool pump
if they downsize the pump and decrease its run time.
You can’t shut the pump off altogether; you need it to
drive the water through the filters. But you can determine if
you have more pump than you need.
Larger pumps are more expensive and are costly to run
and maintain. A pool technician can assess your pool for a
precisely sized pump, which usually has .75 horsepower or
less. To downsize your pool’s pump even more effectively,
reduce the hydraulic resistance by increasing the diameter or
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RURAL ARKANSAS
decreasing the length of the pipes leading off the pump.
Next, reduce your pump run time to six or fewer hours
a day to keep the water clean without running the pump
excessively. Once chemicals mix into the water with the pump
running, they will stay mixed, and you can fish large debris
out with a skimmer or vacuum. Start by running the pump
three hours a day, and then increase the run time by half an
hour a day until you are satisfied with the water quality.
Brief run cycles are more effective than one long cycle once
a day. Install a timer to run several short cycles throughout
the day.
Combining these solutions could make a difference on
your energy bill.
This could be the
perfect time to replace an older,
inefficient air conditioning
system or your leaky windows
and doors. Stores have reduced
prices to boost sales. And if you
buy super-efficient models, you
could qualify for up to $1,500
in new federal tax credits.
The tax credits, good for 2009 and 2010, apply to windows, doors,
insulation, metal and asphalt roofs, heating and air conditioning systems, and
some water heaters. Solar panels and some alternative-energy systems qualify
for even more.
But the credits don’t apply to every product in those categories. The tax
credits, created by President Obama’s economic stimulus plan, have some
strings attached.
To get the most from the tax credits – and to prevent misunderstandings
later – do some homework before settling on a product that you hope will
qualify. Some tips:
1. The credit isn’t for a flat $1,500. You can claim a tax credit on 30 percent
of the cost of the windows, water heater and other products that qualify,
up to $1,500 altogether. So you have to spend $5,000 on energy-efficient
improvements to claim a tax credit of $1,500. If you buy $3,500 worth of
windows, for example, your credit will be only $1,050.
2. You can’t count the cost of installation when you apply the tax credit to
your new windows, doors, insulation or roof. The benefit is for products
only. That means you have to ask the salesperson to separate installation
costs from the price of the product alone. Installation does qualify if you’re
buying a new air conditioning or heating system, a water heater, solar
panel, geothermal heat pump or a wind energy system.
3. Not every energy-efficient product in the qualifying categories is eligible
for the tax credit. In fact, even some of the super-efficient products that
have earned the government’s Energy Star label do not qualify. So if you
want to claim the credit, you’ll have to buy specific products with specific
energy ratings.
4. For every product that qualifies, the manufacturer offers a certificate that
proves that the product meets the requirements – and you can download
that certificate from the company’s Web site. Save it – along with your
sales receipt and the label on the product that explains its energy-efficient
qualities. You’ll need all three if the IRS has a question about your claim
later.
5. There’s no federal tax credit for appliances like washing machines and
refrigerators, no matter how energy efficient they are. That’s not to say it’s
not a good time to buy them, though. You’ll find them on sale and they’ll
save you a bundle on electric bills over many years.
T
rivia
.............
• The Pledge of Allegiance was
written by Francis Bellamy in 1892
and published in “The Youth’s
Companion.”
• Presidents Thomas Jefferson and
John Adams died July 4, 1826. This
day was the fiftieth anniversary of
the signing of the Declaration of
Independence. James Madison died
July 4, 1831.
• George Washington was the only
president to win 100 percent of
the electoral college for both of his
elections.
• James Madison was our smallest
president weighing in at 100 pounds
and was only five feet four inches tall.
Dolley Madison was taller than her
husband.
• John Quincy Adams would strip off
his clothes and jump into the icy
waters of the Potomoc for his daily
swim. Sometimes people would steal
his clothes or use them to get what
they wanted.
• Andrew Jackson was the only U.S.
president to have participated in
more than 100 duels.
• William Henry Harrison and his vice
president, John Tyler, were referred
to as the “fertility ticket.” (When they
ran for office, they’d had 25 children
between them – 10 for Harrison and
15 for Tyler.)
• President James Polk had gallstone
surgery at age 17 with no anesthesia.
• Abraham Lincoln gave Zachary
Taylor’s eulogy when he died.
• “He has no enemies, but is intensively
disliked by his friends.”
— Oscar Wilde
JULY 2009
5
news briefs of the month
Add energy
efficiency and
save $1,500
.............
On the rise:
What’s driving electricity costs higher?
Editor’s Note: Electricity costs are on the rise and it is a trend that is expected to continue.
In May, Rural Arkansas began a four-part series examining both known and potential
components of electricity costs. This month’s article focuses on renewable energy and potential
mandates for its use now being considered by Congress
Part III: The reality of renewable energy
By Sheila Yount
In the debate over global warming, renewable energy is
often touted as the panacea for America’s energy dilemma.
But as Congress considers legislation this summer that would
require utilities to use less traditional fossil fuel-generation
and more wind and solar power, a very different story is
coming to light.
“It is becoming very clear that developing renewable energy
resources on a large scale presents both major technical and
economic challenges,” said Doug White, spokesman for the
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. “And not all states are
equal when it comes to available renewable energy resources.
While we are committed to developing clean, renewable
power, we want to do it in a rational, responsible manner.”
As part of an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,
Congress is considering legislation that would require utilities
to obtain about 20 percent of their power from renewable
energy sources by 2020. Arkansas’ electric cooperative
leaders have opposed such mandates, which were included
in H.R. 2454, sponsored by U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman of
California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts. The Energy and
Commerce Committee approved H.R. 2454 on May 21. U.S.
Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., the only Arkansas representative
on the committee, said he voted against the bill because its
provisions, particularly related to renewable energy, are not
good for Arkansas. The bill is now being considered by other
House committees and could be before the full House for a
vote by July 4.
Ross and U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who will also play a
big role in the energy policy debate as a member of the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee, have worked to
lower the proposed “renewable electricity standard” (RES),
also sometimes referred to as a “renewable portfolio standard”
(RPS). They have argued that Arkansas doesn’t have enough
solar and wind generation capacity to meet such standards.
Instead, they would end up having to buy from other states
that do, which would inevitably raise electricity rates.
“Here in Arkansas and in the South, we are geographically
handcuffed when it comes to renewable energy, especially
wind and solar energy,” White said.
What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is created from sources that are “virtually
inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of energy
6
RURAL ARKANSAS
that is available per unit of time,” according to the Energy
Information Administration (EIA). The most common types
of renewable energy are:
1) Biomass energy, which is produced from non-fossilized
materials derived from plants. Wood and wood waste are the
largest sources of biomass energy followed by energy from
municipal solid waste and alcohol fuels.
2) Hydropower is electricity produced from flowing water.
Most hydropower
is produced at large
facilities built by the
federal government,
such as Grand Coulee
Dam on the Columbia
River in Washington
State - the largest single
electric power facility in
the United States. Most
of the largest dams are
located on rivers in the
western United States,
but there are numerous
smaller facilities
operating around the
country. Arkansas has
11 federal dams where
hydropower units are
located, including three dams where the Electric Cooperatives
of Arkansas operate powerhouses. Although hydropower
is considered renewable by the EIA, current proposals that
would create an RES severely limit the value of existing
hydroelectric facilities toward compliance.
3) Geothermal energy is derived from the interior of
the earth. Fissures in the earth’s crust allow water heated
by geothermal energy to rise naturally to the surface at hot
springs and geysers. Wells drilled into the earth allow heated
steam or water to escape to the surface in a controlled manner
to operate steam turbines and electricity generators. A popular
application that taps into the earth’s energy is the geothermal
heat pump, which uses geothermal energy for heating and
cooling homes.
4) Wind energy, produced by wind turbines, is on the rise
in the United States, especially in states such as Kansas and
Texas where there is sufficient wind for electricity generation.
5) Solar energy
systems use solar
radiation to produce heat
and electricity.
Cooperatives are
leaders in renewable
generation
Long before renewable
energy was a household phrase, the Electric Cooperatives of
Arkansas were busy building clean, renewable hydropower
plants on the Arkansas River. Today, after an investment of
about $340 million, the cooperatives operate three run-ofthe-river hydropower plants that produce about 600,000
megawatts of electricity a year.
“In the 1980s, when we began building the hydro plants,
fuel costs were soaring and our leaders were looking for ways
to lower those costs,” White said. “And what better way than
to do that than by using water, an abundant and low-cost
“fuel” source.”
Although the capital costs to build the plants were
significant, the plants were deemed to be economically
feasible because the cooperatives could save millions of
dollars in fuel costs over the long term. Furthermore,
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC), a Little
Rock-based generation and transmission cooperative serving
Arkansas’ 17 electric distribution cooperatives, was financially
sound enough to build the plants without an immediate
impact on rates.
It was not a decision that was made easily. Before construction began, AECC conducted feasibility studies and went
through a lengthy process to obtain the federal licenses for
the hydropower plants. The first plant, the Clyde T. Ellis
Hydroelectric Generating Station, began operation in 1988
with an installed capacity of 32.4 megawatts and cost about
$75 million to build. Five years later, the Carl S. Whillock
Hydroelectric Generating Station at the Arthur V. Ormond
Lock and Dam near Morrilton was completed at a cost of $80
million. Its installed generating capacity is 32.4 megawatts.
The cooperatives began work on their third hydropower
plant in 1994. This plant, located at the Wilbur D. Mills
Dam near Dumas, was completed in 1999 at a cost of about
$189 million. In 1999, cooperative leaders and dignitaries
celebrated the construction of the plant, known as the Electric
Cooperatives of Arkansas Hydropower Generating Station. It
has an installed generating capacity of 102.6 megawatts.
Renewables can’t meet base-load generation needs
AECC’s hydropower plants were built to supplement
AECC’s base-load power plants, which are coal-fired. The
hydropower units can’t be used for base-load because they are
not available continuously, around the clock. They can only
supplement the cooperatives’ workhorses – its eight coal –
and natural gas-fired plants. About 6 percent of the cooperatives’ generation capacity comes from hydropower.
Although the cooperatives support the development of
renewable energy when it is economically feasible, it won’t
be the answer to AECC’s base-load generation needs. That’s
because, by their very nature, most forms of renewable energy
are intermittent. In other words, the sun doesn’t always
shine, the wind doesn’t always blow and the water doesn’t
always flow at levels necessary for power generation. AECC
has estimated it will need to add new base-load generation by
2017-2019.
In addition to the problem of intermittency, renewables
present other challenges, including lack of adequate transmission to transport the energy they produce. Most solar and
wind energy is located far from the populated areas that will
consume the power. To move electricity from wind farms
and solar power plants, new transmission lines will need to be
built and those will be costly. Also, construction costs for all
types of power plants, including wind farms, are increasing in
price.
Cooperatives continue to study options
Although the cooperatives are opposed to mandates
that set artificial requirements for renewable energy, they
are committed to developing it when it is both technically
and economically feasible. To that end, in an effort to
further develop renewable energy in Arkansas, the Electric
Cooperatives of Arkansas in 2008 launched a Green Power
program where members can voluntarily contribute to a fund
managed by AECC. The funds will be used for developing
renewable energy and promoting energy efficiency. About
$3,700 has been raised so far, White said. “Frankly, that
number is remarkably low, especially since research indicated
a large percentage of our membership said they would pay
more for renewable energy.”
“We started the Green Power fund because we knew it
would be costly to develop new renewable energy,” White
said. “Faced with the prospect of mandates for renewable
energy, we thought we would try to prepare with voluntary
support from our members. For now, we are going to
continue to promote the fund and let it grow. We will have
a definite plan based on strong research for its use before we
spend any of it.”
Even though the potential for renewable energy isn’t
great in Arkansas, AECC engineers continue to study the
feasibility of developing several forms of renewable power on
a small scale, including wind, biomass and methane gas from
landfills. In addition, Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc.
(AECI), which, among other things, sells electric equipment
and supplies to the cooperatives and other electric utilities, is
testing a solar power unit at its headquarters in Little Rock.
The system has a generation capacity of 7,000 watts and cost
about $47,000 to install. If the project is successful, White
said AECI might sell the solar panel system as part of its
product line.
“In the years ahead, we are going to need all types of
energy to meet our members’ needs,” White said. “That’s why
we are leaving no stones unturned when it comes to exploring
possible energy sources.
JULY 2009
7
Preserving our heritage
By Jan Fielder Ziegler
She says she always felt she had “an old soul,” even as a little girl growing up in the Delta
farm community at Dell. Strange, this comment, coming from an energetic and visionary
woman who at 50-something has so much yet to do that she figures she will have to live until
at least 100 to get everything done. Dru Duncan and her husband John Holt, her soul mate
who shares her passion for history, stand together with one foot in the past and one foot in
the future. The meanwhile, the “here and now,” is filled with work on a project they see as a
bridge between the times – the Widner-Magers Farm Historic District. Their goals through
the development of the Mississippi County farmstead, formerly owned by Dru’s grandfather
Earl Magers, are simple, though lofty and far-reaching: they want to preserve the history
(think “capital H”) of the area and they want to educate
people about the workings of an original 1930s-era
Dru Duncan
living farmstead. Though well into the project, they
and John Holt
characterize their current phase as one of ongoing
pose beside
renovation even as they continue to “gather things” –
the renovated
artifacts, photographs, information, documents, even
General Store.
buildings.
A visitor along Hwy 181, about one and one-half
miles north of Dell and about ten miles west of
Blytheville, can’t possibly miss the farm with its
distinctive architecture: red barns adorned with fanciful
“barn quilts,” the General Store, sheds and other
outbuildings. All the structures, including the renovated farm house, date to the early part of the last century,
generally 1912-1930. To step into the house that once housed farm tenants is to step back in time. Still a
“work in progress,” the white frame farmhouse features original cypress wood floors and a recently added open
hearth fireplace that completes a 1930s kitchen where John’s careful craftsmanship conceals modern appliances.
Elements of the home are recovered and recycled from the original structure: lumber that was once overhead
8
RURAL ARKANSAS
now tops period-appropriate kitchen cabinets; doors rescued from underneath the barn
now open into rooms where Dru’s needlework and crafts – quilts, folk angels, even
“Cotton-Pickin’ Jars” – evoke the days when the house was new. The aura of the house
bespeaks the unmistakable guidance of the “old soul” of its owner.
“It all just feels so right here,” she says. “I’m where I should be. John and I both
love this place – we’re both such history buffs – and this place is so rich in history – in
ways people don’t even realize. It’s all here, and I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Dru Duncan’s journey home is an amazing travelogue, a winding road with
unpredictable turns that, on reflection, seem not all that surprising. The life story of
this eclectic woman begins long before her “Granddaddy” acquired the farm. Earl
Magers was adding to his
already considerable landholdings when he paid $6,566 to J.
W. and Kitty Widner for the
50-acre farmstead in 1930. The
“story” she is seeking to preserve
and share dates to 1855 (the
earliest documentation she has
at the moment), when Thomas
J. Blackmore acquired almost
160 acres through the Swamp
Land Act of 1850. The property
would pass through the hands of
other “absentee owners” until
pioneering settler W.B. Sizemore
bought the property in 1878.
Widner apparently became owner
Most of the
restoration and
renovation to the
farm buildings
was done by
John.
of the property in 1896. In her research, Dru learned
not only the land’s history, but also details of a wide
span of relevant historical events and development,
some of this pre-dating the documented 1855 land
acquisition.
This history includes a time when flatboats and
steamboats passed from the Mississippi River below
Cairo to the nearby Pemiscot Bayou, maneuvering
through waterways eventually back to the Mississippi
near Helena. She has learned to think of the area
not as a part of Arkansas but as a “territory,” a place
inhabited primarily by Native Americans. She
has come to understand that many of the families,
considered the “original settlers,” were of Cherokee
descent. Among those early settlers are the Hectors,
who came to the area prior to 1832, and whose
All the structures date back to the early part of the last century.
descendant, Curtis Hector Perry, lived on the Magers
farm until his death in 1994; a number of the Cherokee descendants are buried on a old cemetery mound less than one mile
from the Magers Farm Headquarters.
Dru and John talk passionately about connections between the community’s development and the “Great Chicago Fire” of
1871. With a large portion of the city’s central district destroyed, the need for building materials would bring the railroad to
the Delta region in order to access the thousands of acres of virgin timber. In 1902, announcement of a planned extension of
the Jonesboro, Lake City, and Eastern (JLC&E) Railroad to Blytheville boded significant opportunities, and even prompted
development of what would become the new town of Dell along the railroad route rather than in the town’s original location
just to the north on the Pemiscot Bayou. Once the timber had been harvested, the price of the land was cheap – sometimes as
Continued on next page
JULY 2009
9
little as fifty cents per acre, bringing a boom to the community as
farmers came for the land, which still had to be cleared and drained.
It was this opportunity that brought Dru’s grandfather, Earl Magers,
to Mississippi County in 1916.
Part of what had become the 1200-acre Magers farm passed to
Dru’s mother, Irene Duncan, when Earl Magers died. This acreage
was known as the C. C. Duncan Farm from 1957 until 2004. Dru’s
father, Curtis Duncan, had already assumed farm management duties,
and continued to farm until his retirement, when he rented the farm
to Dilldine Farms as Half Moon. Dru Duncan’s mother always
hoped for her daughter to be like she was – a conventional small-town
wife and mother, maybe with a career in nursing or teaching. But
in reality, Dru says, it was always her father and his values she most
closely represents. It was Curtis Duncan who most influenced and
nurtured Dru’s developing passion for preservation of her heritage.
“He used to take me everywhere – he was so interested in history
– and he took thousands of pictures – mostly buildings rather than
people – that showed our community and what life was like,” she
explains. In fact, hundreds of his photographs have been donated
to educational institutions and many appear in historical publications. Still others fill those ‘Cotton-Pickin’ Jars’ scattered about the
house. As a child, Dru used to sneak off to visit an elderly resident,
Mrs. Turner, in her two-room shotgun. “She made quilts
and embroidered. I remember tracing my fingers over the
detailed work – the postage-stamp patterns….My Granny
John, whose abilities
[Flossie Drucella] Duncan taught me how to do every kind
include not only preserof needlework – heirloom sewing, beadwork, embroidery,
vation carpentry, but also
crochet, English smocking. She was a lot like Daddy –
the portrayal of historical
interested in the value of history and in preserving old
characters.
things. She lived in Kennett [Missouri] and she had this
The red barns are
old hope chest where she’d save up
adorned with fanciful
projects for me to do when I’d come
“barn quilts.”
spend a week with her in the summer,”
Dru says.
Dru went to college at Hendrix; her career plans – she wanted to be an airline stewardess, as they then
were called – were a whim at odds with her mother’s aspirations for her daughter. Completing college in
three years, Dru says she received a degree in English because, she explains, she “loved Shakespeare and had
so many classes, they said I could get my degree in English.” Unsure of what to do next, and with the urging
of friends, she applied for a stipend for a medical program in Cytotechnology at the University of Arkansas
Medical Center. She was awarded the stipend, but the program did not materialize as planned, prompting
Dru to apply to a similar program at the University of Tennessee. Accepted there, she entered and completed
the certification program, and actually established a Cytotechology Lab at Union, Tennessee. She eventually
completed a degree in the field of Cytotechnology. Other jobs in other labs would follow, until Dru’s
marriage to her high school sweetheart. The couple lived for a time in Texas, and then Conway, during
which time Dru resurrected an earlier cottage industry business pursuit – needlework and crafts, evolving into
“country fashions for ladies.” This was, Dru admits, a way of pursuing her passion for history and preservation of heritage. Along with the growing business which peaked with three full-time employees, Dru also
spent time researching, journaling about findings, learning about open hearth cooking, even spending a week
each year at Colonial Williamsburg where she began learning about the 18th Century. Her travels with her
husband also afforded Dru opportunity to visit other historic homes and continue to grow and learn.
Then Dru’s life took another major turn – her marriage ended. She then decided to follow the path
she now recognized as her dream. “I thought to myself, this is it. I had sold my inventory, my cat died,
the divorce was final. The Conway house had sold. My parents were aging and beginning to have
health problems. If I was ever going to do it, it had to be now.” The “it” was seeking a job at Colonial
Williamsburg. “I promised my parents I was going to stay there for five years.”
Years of learning and living history, along with her substantial needlework and fashion skills, paid off for
Dru in her job quest; the history buff from Dell was hired in 2002 to work retail, interpreting “products,”
10
RURAL ARKANSAS
reproductions of historical items for sale to tourists, at the Greenhow
House. “We wore period costumes and were encouraged to go into
‘the Queen’s English,’” she explains. “I developed a character – I was a
millinery apprentice to Mary Dickinson, a seamstress whose shop was across
the road, and my goal was to someday own my own shop.” Dru’s persona
included a new name – Charlotte Ann Pemberton.
John Holt was Assistant Manager at the Greenhow House. He, too,
took on a persona when working, sometimes enacting historical events,
often storytelling, and at times serving as the auctioneer, wearing many hats
as staff at Colonial Williamsburg typically do. Dru had seen John perform
in previous visits. “He was always surrounded by crowds
of people – the children loved his storytelling – and now
I finally got to meet him.” Not only did they meet, but
Dru eventually came to serve in a ‘Vanna’-like role to
John’s auctioneering. The two would “play off” each
other. She would admonish him to be careful with the
auction items, and, much to the shock of the audience,
he would occasionally “accidentally” break something by
dropping it, followed by her perfectly performed rebuke,
“Sir, ‘tis money not coming from my wages!”
United in a love of history, the two had already
decided to marry when John first visited her family in
Dell. Her mother’s assessment that “John looks like a
hippie with that pony tail but will hopefully cut it off”
notwithstanding, John instantly took to the family and to the farm, and they to him.
Dru’s mother died unexpectedly in late 2004, and news of her father’s grave illness
followed almost immediately. It was, in fact, John who ended his employment at
Colonial Williamsburg first to return to Dell and care for Dru’s father when Curtis
Duncan’s health deteriorated. Dru soon followed, taking a leave of absence to care
for her father until his death in 2005.
The renovated 75-year-old farm house include
the addition of exterior porches.
Scenes from the 1930s
kitchen where John’s
careful craftsmanship conceals modern
appliances.
The couple moved officially to the
farm in Dell in 2006.
In addition to extensive
restoration and preservation to
parts of the house, renovations
to the 75-year-old farm house
include the addition of exterior
porches, a ten-foot addition to
the original kitchen, a newly
constructed breezeway, two car
garage, and guest quarters. Much
of the work has been done by John,
whose abilities include not only
portrayal of historical characters,
but also preservation carpentry,
wood-carving and metal-working
skills.
The multi-talented man appears
in the movies New World and
Cold Mountain and has worked
with producers to ensure historical
accuracy.
Continued on next page
JULY 2009
11
He also acted in “The Battle of
Yorktown,” “The Battle of Great
Bridge, and “Brothers in Arms,” films
for PBS and BBC. A beautiful and
functioning “long rifle” John made
gives testament to still additional
talents, as do the hand-crafted leather
pouches and other items, which along
with Dru’s needlework and handicrafts,
are available for purchase through the
couple’s “Back at the Farm 1938” and
“Southern Simplicity” trade names
([email protected])
or by e-mailing [email protected].
The future both envision is one
where they can share what they have
learned of the history of Dell and of
the region through scheduled visits by
school groups and others to view “living
history” enactments and storytelling.
Eventually, Dru hopes to complete two
books: one on the history of Dell and
surrounding communities, and one
on the larger 19th Century history,
showing how her community fits into
this story.
“Long range, really long range,”
she adds, “we’d like to have a Living
History Museum with a B&B. The
guests would take part in living history
activities. But that will take either
locating and moving shotguns here or
constructing them. We also still need
more histories, more photos of this
area. In the meantime,” she concludes,
“we are ‘experimenting’ by spending
every weekend actually doing the
things we talk about – not just learning
about the open hearth cooking, but
doing it, using the old recipes, wearing
the period attire, using the periodappropriate tools, using candlelight –
and keeping journals of our experiences.
We really are trying to ‘live’ history.”
Both Dru and her brother own the
farm. She is owner of the farmstead,
known officially as the Widner-Magers
Farm Historic District, which is
served by Mississippi County Electric
Cooperative.
12
RURAL ARKANSAS
2009 Youth Tour Winners
Forty-one high school students representing local electric
cooperatives traveled by bus to Washington, D.C. and
returned by plane. The students were winners of essay and
speech contests held by the cooperatives to attend the 2009
Youth Tour. While in Washington, the students visited
the U.S. Capitol, Smithsonian Institute, the Washington,
Jefferson, Roosevelt, Iwo Jima, Vietnam and World War
II Memorials, Mount Vernon, Arlington Cemetery and
Monticello. In addition, the Arkansas group participated in
activities conducted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association (NRECA), the sponsor of the National Youth
Tour. Dianna Cartwright of Bradley, sponsored by Southwest
Arkansas Electric Cooperative, was selected to be the Arkansas
Youth Leadership Council representative for 2009-2010. In
July, Dianna will attend a week in Washington, D.C. learning
about electric cooperatives.
Other activities during the trip included a dinner and dance
at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and a boat cruise on the Potomac
River. The group left Little Rock on June 10 and returned on
June 18.
It’s worth
seeing
for yourself.
Just a short drive away, a fun-filled family experience
awaits you at The Ozark Folk Center. Learn how to
play a musical instrument, make a turkey-wing broom
and grow your own herb garden.
WO R K S H O P S
✤ AUGUST 7-8
Stained Glass:
Sun Catchers
Join us for Cowboy Weekend August 7-8 featuring
the Quebe Sisters Band and Michael Martin
Murphey. For a unique overnight stay, enjoy the
Cabins at Dry Creek and country cooking served
at The Skillet Restaurant.
Visit our Web site for a complete listing of
workshops and events.
✤ AUGUST 14-15
Triangle Loom Weaving
✤ AUGUST 28-29
Copper Enameling
M O U N T A I N V I E W, A R K A N S A S
Cabin Reservations: 800-264-3655 • Information: 870-269-3851 • OzarkFolkCenter.com
JULY 2009
13
Cardboard Boat
Races
Get More
News Delivered to Your Computer.
If you enjoy reading Rural Arkansas every month, then you’ll
be delighted to hear about our new on-line e-newsletter.
The Rural Arkansas Living e-newsletter contains up-to-date cooperative news
between Rural Arkansas issues. This
e-newsletter brings you a preview of
upcoming magazine articles, recipes,
important information about
cooperative issues and much more.
Subscribe Today: www.ecark.org
14
RURAL ARKANSAS
The World Championship Cardboard
Boat Races will be held at Sandy Beach
in Heber Springs on July 25. The theme
of the racing event is “The Viking
Spirit.” The races have been generating
more excitement year after year. Here’s a
brief history of the cardboard races.
In 1987 Peggy Reeder, then
vice-president of the Chamber of
Commerce and Pat Zellmer, owner of
the local newspaper began to look for
ideas to create an event for the Greers
Ferry Lake area. The idea grew out of
the need to bring more tourism to the
area. Pat Zellmer had come upon the
idea of a Cardboard Boat Regatta. A
boat, literally made out of cardboard
and not much more. The challenge was
to design and build a person-powered
boat made of corrugated cardboard
which was capable of completing four
heats around a 200-yard semicircle
course. The idea went over well in
Heber Springs, Arkansas that spring and
the two ladies put together a Special
Events Team. An event on the lake was
the “Natural Choice” since Greers Ferry
Lake is over 40,000 acres and nestled in
the beautiful Ozark Foothills. Harold
Reeder, the husband of Peggy Reeder,
conducted seminars on how to build a
cardboard boat. The event became very
competitive as local industry and the
businesses of Heber Springs began to
build their boats.
Even after 22 years, the event has
generated year-round excitement with
the anticipation of building the “Pride of
the Fleet” or perhaps the recipient of the
dreaded “Titanic Award.” Boat builders
and racers come from all over the
United States. The festival has always
promoted having fun, creativity, and
outrageous inventions. It has received
national coverage through
magazines, newspapers,
ESPN, ESPN II, Over
the Edge, the Outdoor
Channel, the Discovery
Channel, Fox Sports
Network and German TV.
The World Championship
Cardboard Boat Race
is the recipient of the
2001 Henry Award for community
development through tourism. This
award is the most prestigious to be given
for tourism in the State of Arkansas
by Parks and Tourism. In 2005 the
Cardboard Boat Races were filmed live
by ESPN and aired over 21 times in a
36-hour period on the ESPN channel
reaching as much as 88,000,000 viewers.
Every year many independent TV shows
film the races as well. In 2006 Dave
Price, weatherman from CBS the Early
Show, came to Little Rock to air the
show. Jo Price, with three boats from
Kimberly Clark, was interviewed for the
first time being nationally televised. The
Smithsonian Institute asked Big Fish
Entertainment to film the races in 2007
for a documentary they were making
regarding festivals in the United States.
2008 brought the Discovery Channel
back to Heber Springs to film for a new
show called Wreckreation Nation, airing
in February 2009.
The race day begins at 10:00 a.m. and
involves many other activities (adult and
youth) besides the boat race. Tug-a-war,
treasure dig and sand sculpting contests
are just a few of the activities in
addition to the Beach volleyball. The
Demolition Derby is also something you
won’t want to miss, it’s a hoot. Another
world championship event happens that
day, the Watermelon Eating Contest.
A local boy, Chris Meyer has won the
event several times and has been featured
on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno,
MTV and other national television. It
all happens at Sandy Beach in the quaint
little town of Heber Springs, Arkansas.
Heber Springs is located 60 miles north
of Little Rock, Arkansas on the shores
of Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red
River (home of the record brown trout).
For more information, call the Heber
Springs Area Chamber of Commerce at
1-800-77-HEBER.
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JULY 2009
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16
RURAL ARKANSAS
According to the National Weather
Service, lightning kills an average of
62 people each year in the United
States. In 2008, 27 people died from
a “bolt out of the blue.” The majority
of these fatalities occurred outside, but
caution must be taken indoors as well.
Follow the tips below to keep you
and your family safe from lightning
this summer:
Seek shelter immediately if you
hear thunder; lightning is not far
away.
Find shelter in a substantial
building or in a fully enclosed vehicle
with the windows rolled up.
Do not seek shelter under trees,
picnic or rain structures, or in
open-frame vehicles. Avoid objects
like electric wires or metal fences.
If you cannot find shelter in a
building or closed-frame vehicle, keep
your feet together and crouch on the
ground using the “lightning crouch:”
feet together, squat low, tuck head,
and cover ears.
If you are inside, do not plug or
unplug anything during an electrical
storm.
Do not use corded telephones –
phone use is the number one cause
of indoor lightning injuries in the
United States. Avoid contact with
other electrical equipment like
computers.
Avoid contact with water, pipes,
washers, or dryers.
If a person is struck by lightning,
call 911 and care for the victim
immediately. You cannot be harmed
by touching the victim after he or she
has been struck by lightning.
Sources: National Weather Service;
www.safeelectricity.org
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JULY 2009
17
Independence Day
I may be the only person in Arkansas who thinks this
but, while July is not my favorite month because of the
heat and humidity, there is no month in my mind that
better typifies our wonderful state. Backyard barbeques,
swimming and boating on one of Arkansas’s beautiful
lakes, fireworks, community picnics at places with names
like Portia, Piggott and Corning, lazy summer evenings
that stay lit until 9:00 p.m., baseball and beer, the anticipation of summer football practice in small towns.
When I was a child it also meant politics because the
primaries were held in August and courthouse squares
were frequent gathering places for watermelon and
lemonade fueled speechifying events.
And July is the month that contains the one national
holiday, without which there would be no other national
holidays. Any month with a national holiday in it is
better than one that doesn’t have a holiday.
Americans have long celebrated Independence Day in
differing, but similar ways. Parades, speeches, music
on the river, pyrotechnic displays and gun salutes. Why
July 4?
The Continental Congress actually voted on the
Declaration of Independence on July 2. It was not read
aloud to a crowd in front of Independence Hall until
July 8. The document was not signed by all of the 56
persons whose signatures adorn it today on July 4.
Maybe none signed it on that day, the evidence is not
clear. But most of us have seen paintings in a history
book, or in the nation’s capitol in Washington, D.C.,
of Thomas Jefferson holding the document in front of
his colleagues apparently ready to affix their signatures,
presumably on July 4.
The whole process was begun a month earlier when,
on June 10, the congress voted to appoint a committee
to prepare a declaration. Was the decision already
made? It matters not. The details of the creation of
America’s founding document should not stand in the
way of the collective wisdom of the people to celebrate
independence on whichever day they choose. Better yet:
celebrate independence every day with a small gesture or
remembrance.
Ironically, two signers of the Declaration of Independence,
former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
died on the same day, July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day
after the first Independence Day.
Someone once said June 30, 1963, was independence
day for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. That was
the day of the dedication of the Thomas B. Fitzhugh
Generating Station at Ozark, the first cooperative-owned
generation station. The Fitzhugh plant was a 59-megawatt
natural gas-fired generator that cost $7.5 million, a lot of
money at the time. The operation of the Fitzhugh plant
signaled the end of the cooperatives dependence on
investor-owned utilities for their supply of electricity.
Cooperative members would no longer pay a profit
margin into the pockets of shareholders for power. The
wisdom of the cooperative board of directors of that day
mirrors the wisdom of our nation’s founding fathers.
They knew that independence would be the best course
of action in the long haul for cooperative members.
The Fitzhugh plant was ultimately repowered to produce
171 megawatts of electricity by converting it to a
combined-cycle plant with a state of the art combustion
turbine capable of burning either natural gas or fuel
oil. Former Governor Sid McMath participated in a
“rededication” ceremony on June 30, 2003, celebrating
cooperative independence once again.
Providing power to rural homes and farms and
communities is a quality-of-life thing. It’s an independence thing.
Independence is an ongoing project, not a one-time
happening. The men and women who wear the uniform
of one of the branches of our armed services are everyday
reminders of American independence. They are history
and heritage. If you need July 4th to remind you –
well, ok.
If you have an issue that you would like Carmie to address, mail it to:
P.O. Box 194208, Little Rock, AR 72219-4208 or e-mail [email protected]
18
RURAL ARKANSAS
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JULY 2009
19
Oh My! What to Do?
Well, the electric companies have embraced the
idea of energy efficiency as one of the ways to help
reach their goals. Energy efficiency simply lowers the
total amount of electricity needed. A percentage of
a smaller number is more obtainable. For example,
25 percent of 100 equals 25, but 25 percent of 75
equals 18.75.
I have always felt that building a house or making
an existing house more energy efficient was not
only the smart thing to do, but the right thing to
do. Everybody wins with energy efficiency. I feel
honored and blessed to have the opportunity to
38¢
Cost Per
Kilowatt Hour
SOLAR
11¢
WIND
9.5¢
BIOMASS
NATURAL GAS
NUCLEAR
GEOTHERMAL
4.6¢
6.6¢ 6.7¢ 6.7¢ 6.9¢
COAL
In the past few weeks
I have made presentations from Wisconsin
to Southern Mississippi. As most of you know
I conduct many seminars every year across this
nation. All of them teach about energy efficiency.
Everywhere I go the electric companies have the
same concerns. Primarily, how they can continue
to provide electricity to customers at an affordable
rate. Although I do not claim to be an expert in this
field, it appears to be an extremely difficult task. In
one case a state government has asked the electric
industry to provide 25 percent of their electric
generation by using renewable sources by the
year 2025. That may not sound like such a difficult
thing to do but that particular state has almost no
hydroelectric generation options, very little wind
generation options and even less solar generation
options. There are some possibilities for bio-mass
generation but it would be a very small percentage
of the need. I have learned that many states are in
the same situation. As nuclear and coal generation
appear to not be an acceptable option for some, I
ask, what is one going to do?
HYDRO
cut your utility bills
Doug Rye says ...
teach others across the country how to have a
more energy efficient house by writing this article,
by hosting a weekly radio program and presenting
seminars across the nation. Every week many of you
tell me that I have helped you and you encourage
me to keep up the good work. Sometimes when
I pray I say, “Lord, I know right from wrong and I
know what I am supposed to do. Please help me
to always to do right.” I wish that each of us would
make these improvements to our own house. Then
we could say that we have done our part to reduce
the total demand which would help us reach the
desired goals.
For your information and knowledge, the chart
above is the approximate cost of generating
electricity with the different types of fuel.
You, my readers, are smart enough to understand
why this is so important. See you next month.
Doug Rye, a licensed architect living in Saline County and the popular host of the “Home Remedies” radio
show, works as a consultant for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas to promote energy efficiency to
cooperative members statewide. To order Doug’s video or ask energy efficiency-related questions, call Doug at
1-501-653-7931. More energy-efficiency tips, as well as Doug’s columns, can also be found at www.ecark.org
20
RURAL ARKANSAS
www.sutherlands.com
DELUXE SUBURBAN
POLE BUILDING PACKAGES
• Engineered design truss system for interior
space uninterrupted by poles
• 36" pre-hung steel walk door
• Treated splashboard & poles
• National® manufacturing door hardware
• 10' sliding doors • Painted metal siding
• Skylights • Weather vane • Bird blocking
• Complete plans
OTHER
OPTIONS
AVAILABLE
SIZE
YOU BUILD WE BUILD
00*
601900
18' x 30' 4389
4288189
18' X 30'
10' sidewall
24' x 30'
501900*
30' x 40'
717900* 1077900
30' x 50'
8319
4288825
10' sidewall
10'4-1/2" sidewall
10'4-1/2" sidewall
40' x 60'
10' sidewall
717900
7164734
00*
7188832
30' X 40' Shown w/ optional wainscot.
24' X 30'
12819
00
ask about
DELIVERY!
Shown w/optional wainscot.
1384900* 2104900
4676201
See
store
for
details.
DELUXE CIMARRON GARAGE PACKAGES SUBURBAN
SIZE
YOU BUILD WE BUILD
472900
12' x 20' 352900*
427900* 595900
617900* 905900
709900* 1069900
791900* 1223900
6678197
24' x 24'
6678353
24' x 30'
6678437
• Vinyl siding • Treated sill plate
• Fiberglass shingles
24' x 36'
6678031
• 12" Overhang on sides
• Aluminum windows • 36" Prehung steel entry door
• 9' x 7' Steel insulated garage door(s) • Complete plans
For more info
call
24' x 30'
1 800 66-BARNS!
TRADITIONAL SUBURBAN
BUILDING PACKAGES
• Painted
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• 10' sidewalls
(8', 12' & 14'
also available).
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YOU BUILD WE BUILD
18'4121364
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1209 Military Rd.
4121521
DELUXE
30' x 40'
10'4-1/4" sidewall
556900* 772900
• 36" walk door • 9' x 7' steel
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• 10’ side walls
00
DELUXE includes: • Skylights
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705900* 10659
7190127/35
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YOU BUILD WE BUILD
415900
18'3635588
x 30' 253900*
24'3646379
x 30'
30'3646510
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these
prices good
thru July 31, ‘09
*Building package prices are approximate and may vary due to daily changes in commodity market conditions. Free estimates on complete or partial building packages are available. Customers should check local building codes
before starting building projects. The building packages illustrated are suggested designs and plans are available at Sutherlands store locations. We reserve the right to limit quantities to the amount reasonable for homeowners
and our regular contractor customers. Some items may vary slightly from illustrations. We cannot be held responsible for printing errors, however, we will make every effort to clarify any confusion they may cause.
All warranty information is available at the service counter. See store for details.
JULY 2009
21
Past-Time
Historical notes from the files of Rural Arkansas
20 years ago v July 1989
24
RURAL ARKANSAS
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catalog. Ison’s Nursery, PO Box 190,
Brooks, GA 30205, 800-733-0324.
MARCH 2007
27
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JULY 2009
25
GRAVETTE
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26
RURAL ARKANSAS
Health notes
Medication mistakes
Four out of five adults in our
country regularly take at least one
prescription or over-the-counter
(OTC) drug. In addition, almost
30 percent of older Americans use
at least five prescriptions. The more
medications you use, the more
important it is to take precautions to
protect your safety. Here are some of
the most common mistakes you can
make when taking medications and
what you can do to avoid them.
Knowing key information
Although it’s important to know
what your medications look like and
when to take them, you should be
aware of how they can affect you.
This includes the drug name, why
you’re taking it, how much you need,
what kind of results you can expect,
what side effects can occur, and
how this medication might interact
with other drugs, food or beverages.
Keep an updated list of all your
medications to help you stay on top
of key information.
Missing doses
It can be easy to miss a dose of
medication on occasion. But if you’re
regularly forgetting to take drugs
talk to your doctor about simplifying
the schedule. A number of products
including weekly planners and
segmented pill containers are
available. If cost is an issue, see if
there is a generic version you can
take.
Stopping treatment
One of the most dangerous
mistakes you can make is to stop
taking a medication without your
doctor’s knowledge. Maybe you’re
feeling better or don’t like the way
you feel. Some drugs must be taken
in full to be effective. Others may
need to be tapered off gradually.
Most important of all, let your
doctor know if you’re not taking a
medication as directed.
Mixing medications
Be careful about what you’re
taking whether it’s another prescription from your doctor or something
from the drug store. That’s because
some drugs are incompatible and
may not work well together. For
example, both aspirin and warfarin
(Coumadin) are blood thinners that,
when used together, could cause
serious bleeding. Therefore, be sure
to tell your doctors and pharmacist
about everything you’re using. Be
sure not to leave out any herbal or
“natural” products, which can cause
potentially dangerous drug interactions.
H&H
Construction & Supply
1- 479-754-4999
Fax: 1-479-754-4899
1-800-607-4999
Storing medication
Most people store medications in
the bathroom medicine cabinet or
on the kitchen counter. However,
heat and moisture can cause them
to deteriorate. Medicines should
be stored in a cool, dry area. Some
may need to be refrigerated. Be sure
to keep medicines out of reach of
children and pets.
Sharing medications
Passing along a leftover prescription to someone else or accepting
one can be extremely dangerous. Not
everyone reacts to a medication in
the same way. Age, allergies or other
drugs may dictate different dosages or
treatments. Certain symptoms don’t
always point to the same problem or
treatments. And some old prescriptions may have expired and should
not be taken. If you’re finished using
a certain medication, it’s best to
safely discard it.
Disposing of medications
Most medications can be thrown
away in your household trash,
however, there are a few precautions.
A few drugs, such as powerful
narcotic pain relievers, carry instructions to flush them down the toilet
to avoid unintended use. When in
doubt about what to do, consult a
pharmacist.
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ASK ABOUT A FAMILY FUNERAL PLANNING GUIDE PACKET
27
JULY 2009
family favorites
Recipes from Barbara’s kitchen
Barbara Williams worked for C & L Electric for over 37 years. She was married to the
late Ben Williams. Their son Kevin (Susan) lives in Gillette. Granddaughter Megan
attends the University of Central Arkansas and grandson Mason is a high school junior.
Since retirement Barbara has stayed active in the Dumas Business Women’s Association
and at Calvary Baptist Church. She loves reading, working in her yard, cooking and
sharing her delicious creations with friends. Here are some of her favorite recipes.
SPINACH DIP
10 oz. pkg. chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 green onions, chopped
8 oz. can water chestnuts, chopped
1 pkg. Knorr vegetable soup mix
Thaw and squeeze spinach until dry. Blend all ingredients well.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
FRUIT DIP
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
Whip together and serve with a variety of fresh fruit pieces.
LITTLE SMOKIES
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 cups grape jelly
3 lbs. little smokies sausage
Put all ingredients in crock-pot and cook until jelly is dissolved.
BREAKFAST BAKE
1 lb. pork sausage
1 teaspoon dry mustard
6 eggs
6 slices bread
2 cups milk
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Brown and drain sausage; set aside. Beat eggs slightly. Add milk,
salt, and mustard. Tear bread into small pieces and stir into liquid,
along with cheese and sausage. Pour mixture into greased 9 x
11 pan or casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or
overnight. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
MEXICAN CHICKEN
1 fryer
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 large pkg. Doritos
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
Boil fryer and remove meat from bone. Heat soups, broth and
tomatoes in sauce pan. Place in baking dish in layers: chicken,
onions, Doritos, & cheese. Pour sauce over layers. Bake at 350°
for 30 minutes.
MOM’S RICE AND SAUSAGE
1 lb. hot J. C. Potter sausage
1 lb. mild J. C. Potter sausage
1 bunch celery
2 bell peppers
1 large onion
2 boxes long grain & wild rice
28
RURAL ARKANSAS
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can beef consommé
1 tall jar of mushrooms
1 can water chestnuts 1 teaspoon oregano
Fry the sausage until pink. Spoon out & drain on paper towels.
Chop celery, peppers, onion and sauté in sausage grease. Cook
the rice according to package directions. Mix sausage, veggies,
rice & remaining ingredients together and divide in 2 casserole
dishes. Bake at 350° until hot & bubbly. Freezes well.
CREAM TACOS
1 lb. ground beef 1 pkg. Lawry’s chili mix
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can Ranch style beans
1/2 pt. whipping cream
Doritos
Brown hamburger meat with Lawry’s chili mix & drain. Stir in all
other ingredients. Heat on top of stove until warm and blended.
Serve over Doritos.
CROCKPOT DRESSING
8 inch pan of cornbread
8 slices day-old bread
4 eggs
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 tablespoons sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons margarine
Crumble breads; add all other ingredients except margarine. Pour
into crockpot. Dot with margarine. Cover and cook on high 2
hours or on low for 3-4 hours. Makes 16 servings, 6 oz. each.
NOTE: I usually add cooked skinless chicken breast, cut into bite
size pieces in this.
SHOE PEG CORN CASSEROLE
12 oz. can white shoe peg corn
16 oz. can French cut green beans
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
10 3/4 oz. can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 cup margarine
In a large bowl, combine corn, green beans, celery, bell pepper,
onion, cheese, sour cream and soup. Spoon into a 2-qt. casserole
dish. Combine cracker crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on
top of vegetables. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
SWEET HOLIDAY YAMS
4-5 med. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted margarine
Salt to taste
Mix sugars, cornstarch, orange juice, margarine and salt. Simmer
over low heat until slightly thickened. Place potatoes in a greased
casserole. Pour sauce over and bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes.
FAMILY FAVORITES Continued on page 30
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JULY 2009
29
Don’t Sweat
Summer
Entertaining
Citrus Salsa
4
2
1
2
2
1/4
3
1
1
roma tomatoes
large oranges, peeled and diced
large Vidalia onion, peeled and chopped
jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
tablespoons fresh lime juice
cup fresh orange juice
(1 gram) packets SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
teaspoon salt
Bring small saucepan of water to a boil. Blanch
tomatoes for 30 seconds, and then rinse with cold
water. Peel and chop tomatoes.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir
until mixed thoroughly. Allow to stand at room
temperature for one hour. Mix and serve. Refrigerate
any unused salsa.
Serve Citrus Salsa with baked tortilla chips or on top
of grilled chicken or fish.
Raw Broccoli
Salad
4
1/4
2
2
2
2
3
cups broccoli florets or broccolini
cup red onion, minced
tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
tablespoons cider vinegar
tablespoons light mayonnaise
tablespoons sunflower seeds, roasted and salted
tablespoons seedless raisins
Discard broccoli stems and finely chop florets or
broccolini. Set aside.
Place remaining ingredients in a medium mixing
bowl. Mix well. Add broccoli florets or broccolini.
Toss until coated. Chill until ready to serve.
Mango Yogurt Smoothie
1
1
1/4
1
1/2
1/2
cup ice cubes
large ripe mango, peeled and chopped
cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
cup plain nonfat yogurt
cup mango nectar or orange juice
teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender in the order
listed; process mixture until smooth, stopping to
scrape down sides.
FAMILY FAVORITES Continued from page 28
CHOCOLATE GRAVY
This was a must for my “grands” when they were younger.
1 stick oleo, melted
4 tablespoons cocoa
4 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk
Mix butter, cocoa and flour. Add sugar and milk. Cook on
medium heat until thick. Serve with hot biscuits.
APPLE DUMPLINGS
2 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored & cut into 8 slices each
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
30
RURAL ARKANSAS
2 sticks margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 oz can Mountain Dew soft drink
Place 1 apple slice in each triangle of crescent dough. Roll from
large end to small, placing all rolled up slices in a 9x13 baking dish.
In a small pan, melt margarine, mix with sugar and cinnamon. Pour
sugar mixture over dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew over all. Bake
45 minutes at 350°.
CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
1 box butter flavor cake mix
1 small chocolate instant pudding
8 oz. sour cream
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 oz. chocolate chips
Combine cake mix, pudding, sour cream, eggs, oil, water, vanilla
and chocolate chips; blend. Pour in greased bundt pan. Bake one
hour at 325°. This cake freezes well.
Thanks to the Economic Recovery Act, there’s now a 30% “renewable energy” tax credit for homeowners who
install a qualifying WaterFurnace geothermal comfort system. WaterFurnace geothermal units use the clean,
renewable energy found in your own backyard to save up to 70% on heating, cooling, and hot water. They
don’t burn expensive fossil fuels, they reduce our dependence on foreign oil and also happen to be great for the
environment. Call your local dealer and discover for yourself the benefits that only WaterFurnace can provide.
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL WATERFURNACE DEALER
Benton
Jones Heating & Air
(501) 778-3324
DeQueen
Bill Lee Co.
(870) 642-7127
Little Rock/N. Little Rock
Middleton Heat & Air
(800) 404-0371
Springdale
Paschasl Htg, Air & Plmg.
(800) 933-0195
Brookland
Nightingale Mechanical
(870) 933-1200
Dumas
Mizel Heating & Air
(870) 382-5250
Mountain Home
Central Heating & Air
(870) 425-4717
Tumbling Shoals
Lacy Heating & Air Co.
(501) 362-2718
Cabot
Stedfast Heat & Air
(501) 843-4860
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(501) 622-0139
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(479) 968-3131
waterfurnace.com | (800) GEO-SAVE
WaterFurnace is a registered trademark of WaterFurnace International, Inc. Consult your tax professional for advice on tax rebate.
JULY 2009
Far left: Six grand kids plus their dog
at the pond – Shannon Jones, Dyer
Near Left: Daniel, Joseph and Ben
Aroh having fun the old-fashioned
way – Norma Goins, Hot Springs
Village
Far left: Headless horses – Marie
Gramlich, Mulberry
Near left: Catlynn Hill, Haley Bird,
Karley Hawk, Carson and Sydney
Smith and Kenley Hawk with 4th of
July watermelon – Ouita England,
Forrest City
Below: Bright-eyed Brynn playing
peekaboo – Brandy Cordeiro
Reflections
Fun summer days in Rural Arkansas
Far left: Caden in his big red wagon
his dad built for him – April and Nick
Lafferty, Ward
Near left: Mourning dove on a wire –
Grover Slocum, Wynne
Far left: Holly hocks and bird houses
jazz up meter pole – Kenneth Eccles,
Berryville
Near left: Road runner catches a green
snake – Jo Vatsula, Pocahontas
32
RURAL ARKANSAS
RESTAID ®
HEALTHNEWS
Exhausted, But Just Can’t Fall Asleep?
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S
leep is the only way we can
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This is because growth hormones are
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Results not typical.
Consequences Of Too Little Sleep
Lack Of Sleep Impacts 1 In 6 Adults
There is a growing body of evidence
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one of the fastest growing areas of
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sleep deprivation and the risk of
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Sleep deprivation can lead to:
The National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep
in America polls reveal that over a six
year period only about half of adults
get a good night’s sleep every night.
Sleep deficit is frequently related to too
much caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.
It is also related to stress, long hours
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• Greater risk of
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• Increased risk
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JULY 2009
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4
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RURAL ARKANSAS
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June Puzzle
Don’t let the air out!
Get back to efficiency basics with weatherization
By Megan McKoy
Children running in and out of the house on a hot
summer’s day may hear a common warning: ‘”Don’t leave
the door open – you’ll let the air out!” But how many adults
do the same thing without realizing it?
While you may not leave your front door open, air leaks
in the attic and basement let valuable air in – and out! – of
your home.
Laura Matney, a Building Performance Institute
(BPI)-certified building analyst, advises electric co-op
consumers to look into weatherization before investing in
other energy efficiency measures. “I certainly encourage
the selection of energy-efficient appliances, but they don’t
provide the amount of savings that proper sealing of air
leaks can. We’re trained to look at the basics of building
science – seal, insulate, and then look at the equipment. If a
homeowner only has money for one area then nine times out
of 10 I recommend sealing.”
For example, the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY
STAR program advises addressing air leaks and ductwork
in your home before investing in a new heating and cooling
system; sometimes, those are the real sources of problems
rather than your equipment.
If air leaks are generally hidden, where do you start?
Most leaks occur in the basement and attic. Starting in
your basement, look for gaps and cracks where your cement
or block foundation meets the frame of your home. Joists
(building supports which are smaller than beams) between
the floor and the foundation (called rim or band joists) create
cavities, small empty spaces that are hard to insulate and
may leak. Not all of the gaps are visible, so ENERGY STAR
suggests sealing the top and bottom of cavities around rim
joists. Use caulk to seal cracks that are 1/4 inch or smaller;
spray foam works best to fill gaps from 1/4 inch to about 3
inches.
It’s also a good idea to seal gaps between the basement
ceiling and the floor above, like holes for wiring and water
pipes.
In the attic, there are many small areas where air may come
in, but focus on large spaces. For example, if your home has
dropped soffits – part of the ceiling that has been lowered for
lighting design – be sure they’ve been properly sealed. These
design elements, common in bathrooms and kitchens, are
often built before your home’s drywall is installed, leaving
part of your wall open to air from wall or floor cavities.
Even though there may be insulation covering dropped
soffits in your attic, be sure all cavities around the soffits have
been properly plugged. To do this, place fiberglass insulation
inside plastic garbage bags and stuff it tightly into any cavities.
Pay attention to dirty insulation; it’s a big clue that air is
moving through the area. And just like the basement, be sure
to seal gaps between the attic ceiling and the rooms below,
including holes for wiring, lighting, and the attic door.
Weatherizing your home will save you money down the
road – an average of $358 each year according to the U.S.
Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program
– but some people may not be able to pay for improvements. As a result of the federal stimulus package, families
with household incomes below 200 percent of the national
poverty level are eligible for up to $6,500 in energy efficiency
improvements. For a family of four, that’s an income limit of
$44,100.
For co-op consumers not eligible for the program, the
stimulus bill provides a homeowner efficiency tax credit
of up to $1,500, or 30 percent, of the cost for upgrades,
including insulation that meets the 2009 International Energy
Conservation Code.
There are many more ways to protect your home,
including weather stripping doors and windows and sealing
ducts. For step-by-step instructions on how to weatherize
your home and start saving energy dollars today, download
Sealing Air Leaks and Adding Attic Insulation, a do-ityourself guide to weatherization from ENERGY STAR. The
guide is available at www.energystar.gov.
Sources: ENERGY STAR, Building Performance Institute
JULY 2009
35
The Farm Market
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JULY 2009
Donaldson couple encourages
others to apply for energy
efficiency makeover
If you haven’t applied for the Electric
Cooperatives of Arkansas’ Energy Efficiency
Makeover Contest, you should do it now,
say Carroll and Sue Luten of Donaldson.
The Lutens, who won last year’s
makeover, are encouraging their friends
and neighbors to apply as well.
“I would like for everybody that needs
this to enter the contest,” Sue said in a
recent interview.
Last year, as winners of the inaugural
makeover contest, the Lutens’ 1,517-squarefoot home near Donaldson was transformed as part
of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas’ Energy Efficiency
Makeover project. The home was selected as the makeover
winner from more than 1,000 applications. As the winners,
they received home improvements valued at about $50,000.
And it was just in time.
“The co-ops made it so that two old people who thought
they were going to have to move are now able to stay here in
this house that we love,” Sue said. “We love our neighbors,
we love our church and we didn’t want to move.”
With an aging air conditioner and heat pump, failing
appliances, an uncomfortable home and rising electricity
costs, the Lutens, who live on a fixed income, feared they
would have to move to an apartment.
“There was so much that we would have to have done to
get this house tightened up like we’ve got it now,” Carroll
said, adding that, because of health problems, he needs a
comfortable home with a constant temperature. But before
the makeover, his home was anything but comfortable.
It was a “hummer”
When Bret Curry and Doug White of the Electric
Cooperatives of Arkansas visited the Lutens in July 2008 as
part of the selection process for contest, they found Carroll,
who is disabled, sitting in his wheelchair, holding an ice pack
on his chest with ceiling and box fans whirring at full blast.
Their overworked air conditioner had stopped working and it
was 89 degrees inside the house.
Tests later revealed that the home had numerous leaks
where air infiltration was occurring. A blower door test
showed that the home had a rate of 1.8 natural air changes
per hour. That means that the air in the house changed
almost twice every hour or once every 30 minutes. The
blower door test removes air from a house using a large fan
placed inside a door facing. By removing the air, negative
pressure is placed on the house. When air from the outside
begins to filter in to replace the air that is removed, energy
38
RURAL ARKANSAS
auditors can determine where the house is leaking.
An infrared thermal imaging camera is then used to spot
specific areas of air infiltration.
“This house was what is known as a hummer,” Curry said,
adding that the air conditioner rarely stopped running during
hot weather, which likely contributed to its demise.
Work begins
The Lutens learned they had won the contest on July
29 and two days later, workers arrived to begin installing
a geothermal heating and cooling system. Rood Heating
and Air of Russellville donated and installed the geothermal
system, which included a three-ton geothermal heat pump by
WaterFurnace. In addition, the geothermal system produces
hot water as a by-product during the summer, which is
routed into the high efficiency Marathon water heater. That
means the already efficient water heater, which was donated
to the project by Marathon Water Heaters, doesn’t need to
work much during the summer.
While the geothermal system was being installed, Curry,
along with James Reid and Keith Kaderly of Ozarks Electric
Cooperative, began working to seal the home’s air leaks.
Among the most serious areas of air infiltration were around a
fold-down attic staircase and attic fan louvers. Tests revealed
that nearly 100-degree heat was coming into the house
from the attic in the two areas. To remedy these problems,
a product known as an Attic Tent was installed over the
drop-down staircase and foam board was used to stop the air
flow around the louvers. Other improvements included the
addition of cellulose insulation and “whirlybird” ventilators
on the roof. Weather-barr Windows and Doors of Fort Smith
replaced the aluminum windows with vinyl-framed doublepaned windows with a low-emissivity (low-E) and a low solar
heat gain coefficient rating, Curry said.
Overall, 50 tubes of caulk and 50 cans of expanding foam
were used to seal air leaks throughout the house. They also
installed gaskets around wall receptacles and light switches to
further stop air flow.
To further stop air infiltration and conductive heat
transfer, Royal Siding installed foam-backed vinyl siding on
the house. Storms doors were also added and other doors
were weather-stripped. Other improvements included the
installation of new lighting fixtures and compact fluorescent
lights by CED Inc. of Hot Springs and Sylvania Lighting.
New appliances save energy
Most of the Lutens’ appliances were around 15 years old
and showing their age, Sue said. The washer actually quit
working during the makeover and the temperature of the
stove could no longer be regulated, which made cooking a
tricky process. In addition to a stove, the Lutens received a
new high-efficiency washer and dryer, as well as an Energy
Star-rated refrigerator, dishwasher and freezer.
While she is grateful for the appliances, Sue especially likes
the dishwasher. For 21 years, she had washed dishes by hand.
Because of Carroll’s fragile health, she would wash the dishes
in very hot water to make sure they were sterile.
“I was burning my hands before,” she said.
What a difference a year makes
After the improvements were made, Reid and Kaderly
conducted a final blower door test that revealed the house was down
to .7 natural air exchanges per hour, a major improvement.
“We actually reduced the air infiltration well over 100
percent,” Curry said, adding that the home had much lower
humidity levels than before.
Carroll, who suffers from muscular dystrophy and
Parkinson’s disease, among other illnesses, began noticing a
major improvement immediately. And in the months since
the makeover, more benefits have arisen. For one, they did
not have to use their wood stove last winter to supplement
their heating needs.
They have also saved about 10 percent on their electricity
bills. Curry noted that in many cases, people who make
major energy efficiency improvements save up to 30 percent
or more on electricity bills. But unlike some with inefficient
homes who have unusually high bills to begin with, the
Lutens’ bills were not unusually high. That’s because they
were being very conservative with electricity usage.
“They were doing without and were very uncomfortable,”
Curry said. “They were sitting in the dark, doing all they
could to conserve.”
With the makeover, several new appliances were added,
as well, Curry noted. “Basically, they have a much more
comfortable home with more conveniences and a lower
electricity bill to boot. Their lives are much improved.”
The Lutens agreed.
“It has been a real blessing,” Sue said, adding that she now
“preaches” the benefits of energy efficiency to anyone who
will listen.
JULY 2009
39
Calendar of Events
Aug 1: Mother & Son Fishing Derby,
Fort Smith, 479-785-4225
Aug 1: Native Foods, Scott, 501-961-9442
Aug 4-8: Tontitown Grape Festival, 479-361-2615
Aug 6: Taste of the Town, West
Memphis, 870-735-8814
Aug 6-8: Cave City Watermelon Festival,
870-283-5959
Aug 6-8: Hope Watermelon Festival, 870-777-3640
Aug 7: Movies in the Park, Siloam Springs,
479-524-5779
Aug 7: Decatur BBQ, 479-752-3381
Aug 7-8: Pine Tree Festival, Dierks, 870-286-2911
Aug 7-8: Cowboy Gathering,
Mountain View,
870-269-3851
Aug 7-9: Yards & Yards
of Yard Sales, Eureka
Springs, 800-638-7352
Aug 7-9: Chuckwagon Races, Ozark, 479-667-2525
Aug 8: Gravette Day, 479-787-6940
Aug 8-9: Outdoor Adventure Series: Mammal
Mania, Hot Springs, 501-844-4176
Aug 8-9: Arkansas Book & Paper Show,
Jacksonville, 501-336-9313
Aug 10-15: Old Soldier’s Reunion, Mammoth
Spring, 870-625-7364
Aug 11-16: Vintage Apron Show, Pocahontas,
870-892-4056
Aug 13: Picture the Past Film and Lecture Series,
Morrilton, 501-727-6219
Aug 13-15: Bargains Galore on 64, 888-568-3552
Aug 13-15: Northwest Arkansas Bluegrass Festival,
Harrison, 870-741-1789
Aug 14: Boogie in Basin Park, Eureka Springs,
866-947-4387
Aug 14-15: Ozark Deaf Timberfest, Ozark,
479-667-2525
Aug 15: Ice Cream Social, Fayetteville, 479-521-2970
Aug 15: Civil War Reenactment &
Encampment, Mammoth Spring,
870-625-7364
Aug 15: Ozark Demolition Derby, Springdale,
479-927-4530
Aug 15: Junior Fishing Derby, Star City,
870-628-4714
Aug 16: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Fall
Bridal Fair, Little Rock, 501-918-4539
Aug 20-22: Friends of the Library Used Book Sale,
Mountain Home, 870-425-3598
Aug 20-23: Bluegrass Festival, Eureka Springs,
866-947-4387
Aug 21: Antique Walk, Hot Springs, 501-624-4083
Aug 22: Hickory Hill Park Gospel Music, Hot
Springs, 501-623-8068
Aug 22: Open Horseshoe Tournament, Kirby,
870-398-4487
Aug 22: Outdoor Women’s Fun Day,
Powhatan, 870-878-6595
Aug 22: White Hall Founder’s Day,
870-718-4943
Aug 22-23: End of Summer Hang Glider Fly-In,
Dardanelle, 479-229-3655
Aug 29: Festival Latino, Little Rock, AR
501-219-4561
Aug 29: Coin Show, Mountain Home, 870-425-9720
Aug 29: Car Show, Paragould, 870-239-2587
Aug 29-30: VW Festival, Swap Meet & Tourcade,
Eureka Springs, 800-552-3785
Aug 29-30: Wilhelmina Rod Run, Mena, 479-394-2863
Aug 30: Ice Cream Social, Fort
Smith, 479-783-7841
Aug: Every Saturday night,
Ozark Mountain Music Makers,
Salem, 870-895-3685
Aug-Sep 3rd: Saturdays, Guided
Walking Tours, South Fork Nature
Ctr., 501-745-6444
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JULY 2009
43
Registration Deadline
July 15
Enter Today!
Win a
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“Let the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas solve
your energy efficiency problems – Register Today!”
– Sherlock Homes
Private Energy Investigator
Energy Efficiency Home Makeover Contest – Registration Deadline – July 15
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are sponsoring an Energy Efficiency Home Makeover contest for
residential co-op members with all-electric homes. The Grand Prize winner gets a complete energy
efficiency home makeover valued at up to $50,000!
Visit your local electric cooperative office or log on to SmartEnergyTips.org to download an entry form.
What You’ll Need to enter:
• A copy of your recent electric cooperative bill
• An exterior photo of your home
• A contest entry form
• Complete the entry form and mail all of the above to:
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
Energy Efficiency Home Makeover
P.O. Box 194208
Little Rock, AR 72219
Brought to you by:
Participating Sponsors:
Entries are limited to residential members of an Arkansas Electric Cooperative. Home must be all electric and the owner’s primary residence.
Mobile/Pre-Manufactured homes not eligible. For contest rules, please visit SmartEnergyTips.org or your local Electric Cooperative of Arkansas office.
www.ecark.org