Before and after - PREA - The Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association

SEPTEMBER 2010
Before
and after
Pennsylvania barns find new life
in heritage-preserving projects
PLUS
Outdoor highs & lows
In praise of peppers
Slide into energy savings
SEPTEMBER
Vol. 45 • No. 9
Peter A. Fitzgerald
EDITOR/DIRECTOR OF
COMMUNICATIONS
Katherine Hackleman
SENIOR EDITOR/WRITER
James Dulley
Janette Hess
Barbara Martin
Marcus Schneck
4
E N E R G Y M AT T E R S
Ductless heating and cooling
6
KEEPING CURRENT
News items from across the Commonwealth
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS
W. Douglas Shirk
LAYOUT & DESIGN
8
Vonnie Kloss
Before and after
ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION
Pennsylvania barns find new life in heritagepreserving projects
Michelle M. Smith
MEDIA & MARKETING SPECIALIST
Penn Lines (USPS 929-700), the newsmagazine
of Pennsylvania’s electric cooperatives, is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box
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F E AT U R E
14A C O O P E R AT I V E
8
18
CO N N ECT I O N
Information and advice from your local
electric co-op
16
O U T D O O R A DV E N T U R ES
Outdoor highs and lows
Hope for the future tempered with nasty taste
of reality
18
COUNTRY KITCHEN
In praise of peppers
20
20
POWER PLANTS
Take advantage of fall
22
TIME LINES
Your newsmagazine through the years
23
CLASSIFIEDS
25
SMART CIRCUITS
Slide into energy savings by
replacing a window with a door
26
27
PUNCH LINES
Thoughts from Earl Pitts–
Uhmerikun!
Earl is still trying to unload his tomato crop on
reluctant friends
Board officers and staff, Pennsylvania Rural
Electric Association: Chairman, Tim Burkett;
Vice Chairman, S. Eugene Herritt; Secretary,
Lanny Rodgers; Treasurer, Kevin Barrett;
President & CEO, Frank M. Betley
27
RURAL REFLECTIONS
Enjoy the final weeks of summer
© 2010 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in
part without written permission is prohibited.
Visit with us at Penn Lines
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http://www.prea.com/Content/
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and an archive of past issues.
O N T H E COV E R
John and Barbara Wilkerson
had this barn torn down and
moved to Silver Lake in
Susquehanna County, where
it was reconstructed with a
silo. Its new use is as a “party
barn” for individual parties
and charity fundraisers.
Photo by Kathy Hackleman
SEPTEMBER 2010 • PENN
LINES
3
ENERGYmatters
By exiting off the ductwork
highway you could save
$250-$450 annually
By E r i c C o dy a n d B r i a n S l o b o da
INSIDE walls, along ceilings, and under
the floors of many homes lies a highway
system of ductwork that delivers cool air
in summer and warm air during winter.
But even in the best of systems, as much
as 15 to 20 percent of the hot or cold air
never reaches your living space.
That’s because conditioned air must
first warm or cool the duct before air at the
right temperature comes out. In addition,
joints allow conditioned air to leak into
wall cavities while bends hamper air flow.
While sealing and insulating ductwork
will help, the vast majority of the highway
remains hidden behind walls that are not
easily accessible.
DHPs may be poised to gain a share of the
U.S. residential market. These devices use
an estimated 50 to 60 percent less energy
than electric resistance heating systems.
Reduce monthly bills
Ductless heat pumps cost more upfront but will save homeowners money
compared to electric resistance heating
systems, such as baseboard or radiant
ceiling heat. They even offer some advantages when compared to conventional airsource heat pumps. DHP features include:
k Elimination of duct-related losses, typically in the range of 15 to 20 percent.
k Inverter technology, allowing compressor and fans to run at variable speeds,
contributing to improved energy efficiency by avoiding on-off cycling losses.
k Different comfort levels in different zones,
unlike centralized systems that only offer
a single temperature set point.
k Some current DHP models produce as
much as 60 percent of full heating
capacity at outside air temperatures as
low as 17 degrees Fahrenheit, making
the need for a supplemental heating system less essential.
Alternative to ducted systems
An alternative exists: ductless heat
pumps (DHPs), also called “mini-split” heat
pumps because they are suitable for conditioning smaller areas and consist of a separate outside compressor and one or more
inside air-handling units. A complete DHP
system includes these main components:
k An outside compressor unit.
k One or more indoor air handling units
mounted on a wall or ceiling.
k Refrigerant line(s) — insulated copper
tubing — running from a compressor to
air handling unit(s), generally running
along the outside of a wall.
k A handheld wireless remote or wallmounted control unit with a programmable thermostat.
After decades of use in Asia, Europe
and in American commercial buildings,
4
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
Range of residential applications
Ductless heat pumps may find greatest
use in niche applications, including:
k Retrofits: Full or partial replacement of
an existing zonal electric heating system,
especially in housing such as manufactured homes or vacation homes where
space is unavailable to run ducts.
k Additions: New rooms or attic/garage
conversions, where existing ductwork or
heating system piping would otherwise
have to be extended to provide heating
and/or air conditioning. DHPs cool
small areas more efficiently than ducted
heat pump systems.
Ductless heat pumps are not cheap.
For new homes, a DHP may cost as much
as 30 percent more than a ducted system.
The total installed cost of a 1.25-ton DHP
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC COOLING AND HEATING SOLUTIONS
Ductless heating
and cooling
COOL:
This bedroom features a split-ductless system.
system for heating and cooling a single
zone typically runs about $4,000. Costs
are in a state of flux and vary considerably
depending on specific installation factors
and competition among contractors. But
consumers can expect to save between
$250 and $450 per year compared to electric resistance heating.
In addition to the initial cost, the primary drawback associated with DHPs
may be aesthetics. The indoor air handling
unit must be mounted on a wall or ceiling
in each room. The refrigerant line typically
runs along the outside of the home and
enters a room through a small hole. The
line continues along the inside of the wall
until it reaches the wall-mounted unit.
As with any purchase, contact a reputable contractor and talk to someone who
has installed a ductless heat pump. l
Eric P. Cody serves as president of Cody
Energy Group, a consulting organization that
helps electric utilities manage complex business
and technology changes. Brian Sloboda serves
as program manager specializing in energy efficiency for the Cooperative Research Network, a
service of the Arlington, Va.-based National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
KEEPINGcurrent
Aging power poles find new life as
trail markers
Tom Fitzgerald, a resident of Indiana
County and a member of Indiana-based
REA Energy Cooperative (REA Energy)
who also has a family camp in Potter
County served by Mansfield-based TriCounty Rural Electric Cooperative, is
taking recycling to a new level. Using old
utility poles that REA Energy is replacing, Fitzgerald is bringing new life to a
northern Pennsylvania trail system.
Fitzgerald, a retired state forester, is a
founding member of the Susquehannock
Trail Club, headquartered in Coudersport,
organized in 1967 to set up a trail system in
the Susquehannock State Forest District
that spans Potter and Clinton counties.
“We scouted out old CCC (Civilian
Conservation Corps) fire trails, logging
roads and sections of even older logging
railroads and we gradually hooked them
together to make a loop about 85 miles
long,” Fitzgerald explains.
To mark the trail, the group originally used locust poles cut in standard
fencepost length — 7 feet — to hold the
directional signage needed to keep hikers on the proper paths. The signs were
styled to be nearly identical to the
This old REA Energy
Cooperative utility pole is well on its way to
becoming a new marker on the Susquehannock
Trail System in Potter County, thanks to the routing efforts of Tom Fitzgerald.
NEW LIFE FOR OLD POLE:
6
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
Bureau of Forestry’s own signs.
“We set them 30 inches into the
ground, and eventually, they proved too
short because we had several that needed
multiple signs,” Fitzgerald notes.
In an effort to be conservative, yet creative, Fitzgerald found a few dead locust
trees and cut the posts to between 8 and
9 1/2 feet long himself. That proved to be
hard work.
“Then one day I saw an REA crew
changing a pole, and I asked if they or
the landowner didn’t want the post,
could I have it,” he reports. “The next
day, it showed up in my driveway.”
Since then, Fitzgerald has figured out
how to cut full-length poles and partial
poles to repurpose them into usable trail
markers. He cuts the pole with a chainsaw to the desired length, then uses a
router to notch spots for the signs. He’s
even converted a cart designed to trundle
rolls of floor covering into a way to transport the poles to their final destination.
“They make excellent posts for a hiking trail because of their rustic, weath-
ON THE TRAIL: Susquehannock Trail Club members
Bill Boyd, Dick Hribar, Wayne Baumann and Art Huber
pose with a completed signpost made from an old
utility pole from REA Energy Cooperative. The sign
marks the junction of two segments of the trail system in West Branch Township, Potter County.
ered appearance and durability,” Fitzgerald notes. “The creosoted interiors of the
poles are as sound as ever, and they
should easily outlast black locust poles.”
Fitzgerald is assisted in his efforts to
maintain the trail system by a group of
trail club members called “The Ready
Five,” signifying their ability to respond
quickly to problems on the trail and fix
them. They include: Bill Boyd, Dick
Hribar, Wayne Baumann, Art Huber and
Gerald Johnston, all members of TriCounty Rural Electric Cooperative.
USDA seeking name for
poultry mascot
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
is seeking suggestions of names for a
mascot in the Biosecurity for Birds
(continues on page 14)
PENNlines
Before and after
Pennsylvania barns find new life in heritage-preserving projects
by Kathy Hackleman
S e n i o r E d i t o r / Wr i t e r
FAR FROM being just an eyesore, the
aging barns that punctuate the rural
Pennsylvania landscape instead represent a treasure that can provide a
first-hand look at farm life between
the late 1700s and the early 1900s.
Often, the aging barns have outlived their original purpose. They may
be standing in the way of a new housing development, or perhaps they
have been empty for years as
advancing technology made them
obsolete. Maybe their owners
found their maintenance to
8
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
be too time-consuming or expensive.
Whatever the reason for the deteriorating condition of the barns, some Pennsylvania craftsmen are restoring them onsite
to meet the needs of the 21st century. Others are delicately dismantling the structures, numbering and cataloging
their posts and beams,
and finally reconstructing them as beautiful
new homes or for commercial uses. Some
take the barn wood
and fashion it into furniture or crafts.
Reusing the wood from vintage barns
provides a distinct advantage. It’s an environmentally “green” project that prevents the destruction of trees. Also,
because the barns of the 1700s
and 1800s were made from
the wood of virgin forests,
the beams are larger
and stronger than
beams from more
recent cutting.
Preserving the past
For the modern-day craftsmen who
work on these barns, the greater significance comes from recognizing the human
resources that felled these trees, and how
they used simple tools to construct a
building that would last for centuries.
“It’s important that we realize
that by saving these barn
frames, we are actually
saving our heritage,”
says John McNamara, who has
been sal-
UNIQUE STRUCTURE: The Round Barn Farm,
located west of Gettysburg, now holds a farm
market operated by Knouse Fruitlands Inc.
vaging barn wood for more than 20 years.
McNamara and his brother, Charles,
both members of Towanda-based Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) and
sons of the late John McNamara, a former director at the cooperative, operate
McNamara Construction in Friendsville.
(Charles McNamara recently was elected
as a director to fill the position vacated
by his father.)
They specialize in timber-frame barns
built between the late 1700s and the late
1920s, and timber frame houses, the predominant style in northeastern Pennsylvania until the 1860s.
While their preference is to restore a
barn in its original location to retain its
historical value, they do whatever is necessary to save a structure, even if that
means dismantling it and rebuilding it at
another site, or even using parts of the
frame in a new structure.
“Timber framing is a very significant
part of our heritage,” McNamara emphasizes. “Early barns and early houses were
built from virgin forests that covered this
part of the country. Some of these trees were
between 400 and 500 years old when they
were cut, and the buildings are 200 years
old. Think of the changes in history that
those massive beams have been through.”
McNamara often uses the same basic
tools the early framers did — axes, chisels and slicks (large chisel-like tools operated with two hands) to put the frames
together with wooden pegs.
Through the years, McNamara has
become fascinated with more than just
the timber frame buildings themselves,
and he has immersed himself in learning
as much as he can about them.
“We can go into a building and judge
its age by how it was put together,” he
explains. “An old barn is more than just a
building; it is a log that has a history. And
through the interpretation of buildings as
artifacts, we can show the changes in society and agriculture through the years.”
Different barns were directed toward
different functions, he notes. Farmers
used the first barns to thresh their grain
before taking it to a local mill where it
was ground into flour to cook with. As
farms expanded, more barns were added
SEPTEMBER 2010 • PENN
LINES
9
PENNlines
THE BONES OF A BARN: Friendsville resident John
McNamara works to save vintage timber frame
barns and houses, put together with wooden pegs.
When he can’t rebuild them in place, he takes
them apart to reassemble in another location.
— some for livestock, others to store
grain or hay — all tied to the heritage of
the farmers.
“Here in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania, we have mostly English barns,”
McNamara explains. “As you head south,
you come across more German barns,
while up toward the Hudson River Valley,
the Dutch had more influence.”
Whatever their heritage, most old barns
were constructed so they would stand for
centuries with minimal maintenance.
“These buildings used the highest
quality wood, and the level of craftsmanship and skill that it takes to construct
timber frames far surpasses today’s stickbuilt buildings,” McNamara emphasizes.
“They were designed to be adapted to the
different needs of the farm, and that versatility is why we are now able to make
these buildings into houses, studios and
commercial spaces. … When we get done
with a building, it looks like it’s been there
200 years, and its new function can lend
itself to being there another 200 years.”
spread his passion to others. One way he
does that is to lead biennial barn tours
sponsored by the E.L. Rose Conservancy
of Susquehanna County. The conservancy
was established in 1987 to protect natural
resources through land and water conservation, provide sanctuary for wildlife, and
preserve natural beauty. Tours feature
historical highlights about each barn.
Patty Bloomer, one of the founders of
the conservancy and its current president,
is clear about her feelings about old barns.
“I love them,” she states emphatically.
“I’ve always been interested in the environment and history, and old barns are a
part of history. And by saving them, you
also are saving the environment.”
Bloomer, also a member of Claverack
REC who has a home at Silver Lake in
northern Susquehanna County, coordinates the conservancy barn tour, the
organization’s main fundraiser.
One of the barns featured on this
year’s tour is owned by Colleen Kane who
operates Sea Hag Soaps and Art Mercantile in Brackney. A member of Claverack
REC, Kane credits McNamara with creating “a special feeling” within the barn.
“John (McNamara) put tar paper on
the outside, then did wiring and insulation and finally put siding on it,” Kane
explains. “When you come into this
barn, you look up and it looks exactly as
it always did. There’s no sheetrock anywhere on the walls.”
Kane’s barn sits on McCormick Road,
where it was built in the 1920s as a fourbay hay barn, although cattle were
Sharing our heritage
In addition to dedicating himself to saving as many timber frame barns as possible
because the icons are disappearing at an
alarming rate, McNamara also works to
10
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
Colleen Kane, owner of Sea
Hag Soaps and Art Mercantile in Brackney, had
craftsman John McNamara restore her barn in its
original location to be used as a place to make
soap and sell artwork to retail customers.
NEW PURPOSE IN LIFE:
housed on the ground floor. According to
Kane, some barn timbers that date back
to the 1880s probably were used in an
earlier barn. She purchased the barn, a
mile from her residence, in 1998. She had
one corner leveled and gave it a thorough
cleaning as it was filled with barn swallows and junk, but that’s all the interior
work it needed. Today, Sea Hag is a
thriving business where soap is manufactured and sold, along with handmade
items from local and regional artisans.
She’s thrilled with her barn rescue.
“It’s very sad to see old barns torn
down,” she states. “They are cathedrals.
… I’ve tried to create a place here that is
welcoming. People who haven’t been in a
barn since they were kids come in here
and share pleasant memories.”
As it usually does, this summer’s conservancy barn tour ended at John and Barbara Wilkerson’s “party barn,” near Silver
Lake. The Wilkersons, who are members
of Claverack REC, employed McNamara to
undertake their barn renovation.
Purchased in 1996, the barn was
moved and rebuilt, including the addition
of a silo, which features a winding staircase depicting the ascent of the American
man. The railing begins with an early
Uncle Sam, then tells the story of Native
Americans, the industrial revolution, and
the advent of cars and airplanes. At the
top, rockets imply life is getting more frenetic, according to Barbara Wilkerson.
She explains the couple’s decision to
save a barn saying, “We saw a barn that a
neighbor had preserved. We loved it and
we thought it would be fun to save
one. John (McNamara) found it for
us. It is totally original. Some of the
posts still have marks where horses
chewed on them.”
Called a party barn because its
new function is to serve as a gathering spot, the restored building
has played host to weddings,
engagement parties and anniversary parties. But its major use has
been to provide a venue for
fundraising and educational events
for local charities, particularly
those focused on the environment,
explains John Wilkerson, who also is one
of the founders of the conservancy, as
well as its past president.
PENNlines
Projects big and small
Down the road in east-central
Susquehanna County, Jesse Benedict,
owner of Benedict Antique Lumber and
Stone and a member of Claverack REC,
has been restoring life to old barns for
nine years. With a background in construction and several years of razing
barns under his belt, he uses his design
skills to give old barns a new life.
The round barn owned by Knouse
Fruitlands Inc. near Gettysburg is built around a
60-foot high central silo that acts as a hub for
the “spokes” that form the structure of the barn.
IN THE ROUND:
Benedict travels anywhere there is a
barn he wants or a person who wants a
home built using the interior structure of
an old barn. His most sought-after barns
have hand-hewn beams, the longer the
better, and his favorite species to work
with are chestnut and hemlock. He’s not
a fan of hand-hewn beech because of its
weight and its propensity to harbor powderpost beetles.
Benedict dismantles a barn, carefully
numbering and cataloging the pieces, treats
the wood with boric acid to kill insects,
fungus or mold, cleans it with rotating bristles embedded with sand, and then stores
the beams and posts until the right customer surfaces. Customers vary from those
who want to reuse the timber framing of
the barn exactly as it came down to others
who want a traditional stick-built house
with decorative interior barn beams. He
designs both kinds of projects.
He also salvages foundations to make
fireplaces and do other stonework. If Benedict and his crew have any spare time in
between dismantling barns and building
houses, they build custom furniture from
the recycled barn wood. Although they
12
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
STEPPING PRETTY: John and Barbara
Wilkerson’s barn in Susquehanna County
features a winding staircase that
depicts the ascent of the American man
in a sculpted railing, above. Jesse
Benedict, also of Susquehanna County,
creates designs that vary from stairways to complete houses using the
foundations of vintage barns, as well as
their interior posts and beams, right.
offer anything that can be made
out of wood, typical projects
include tables, sofa tables, entertainment
centers and desks.
As the quality of his craftsmanship
has become known, Benedict’s handiwork has even found its way into the
homes of several celebrities.
“It’s all been by word of mouth,” he
states, noting that he isn’t sure how most of
his customers find out about him. “They
just call and I work with them, no matter
what they need.”
While many
craftsmen focus
on saving the interior structure of
the barn,
Meadville resident
Rod Frazier
focuses on the
exterior boards.
Frazier, an electricity teacher at
Crawford County Career and Technical
Center, works closely with staff members
at Cambridge Springs-based Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative, who serve
on his advisory committees.
Frazier, who began building birdhouses
as a hobby about five years ago, takes them
to three craft shows annually (Pittsburgh,
Cleveland, and Waterford, Va.), where he
always sells out of his tiny birdhouse barns.
“Barn wood is hard to find,” he
explains. “You just have to keep searching. I only want barn wood that is 75
years or older, the older the better.”
He finds supplies by word of mouth.
He lets the shape and condition of the
wood lead him to the individual design
of each piece. A typical birdhouse will
take about four hours to complete.
Family stories
build his “new” equipment storage barn.
“Basically I put up the whole structure
myself,” Knaub reports. “I even set the
beams that are almost 30 feet long. I figured if Mom and Dad could do it by
themselves, it was good enough for me.
Putting it back together was like doing a
puzzle, only I had to rebuild some of the
pegs that were too rotten to use again.”
Today, the old barn has a new roof and
exterior siding, but inside it is the original
structure, which Knaub believes from a
scrawled signature that he found was
built in 1821. Beside that scrawled signature, “R.S. Bailey — 1821,” is an additional
signature, “T.J. Knaub — 2005.”
Kevin Knouse, another Adams Electric
Cooperative member whose family story
involves a barn, represents the fourth generation involved in the commercial fruitgrowing business. In 1985, Knouse Fruitlands Inc. purchased what is known as
the Round Barn Farm eight miles west of
Gettysburg. By 1993, the family had done
extensive renovations on the empty barn
and brought the adjacent orchard back
Tom Knaub, a resident of Warrington
Township in York County and a director
at Gettysburg-based Adams Electric
Cooperative, also has a barn story. He
and his wife, Jane, can look out a window and see nearly 200 years of history
and countless memories.
“That barn,” Knaub says pointing
down the hill, “has been moved twice.
Originally it was on Alpine Road about
seven or eight miles from here on my
grandfather’s farm. My mom and dad
married in 1946 and built a house in ’48
or ’50. In 1955, my grandparents and parents swapped places.”
Later, the state honored former Gov. Gifford Pinchot with a
park. Unfortunately for the
Knaub family, the designated
state park land included their
farm. The elder Knaubs, John
and Kathryn, who were the last
ones to sell their land, took their
barn with them.
“Mom and Dad numbered it,
hauled it to their new place and
put it back together again piece
by piece,” Tom Knaub says.
After Kathryn Knaub died,
John continued to live on the
farm just down the road from
where Tom Knaub built his
home. After John died in 2003,
his five children sold the farm to
a developer, who planned to
bulldoze the buildings and burn
the remains. He told Tom Knaub
he had two weeks to remove the
barn if he wanted it.
Knaub gathered a few friends
STILL A BARN: Tom Knaub, a resident of Warrington Township
who helped him label the barn
in York County, drives a tractor originally owned by his
frame, tear it down, put it on a
grandfather out of a barn he moved to his farm from a family
wagon and haul it up the road to farm that had been sold. This was the barn’s second move by
his house, where it sat for two
the Knaub family, as Knaub’s parents also relocated the barn,
believed to have been built in 1821.
years until he got motivated to
TINY HOMES: Rod Frazier, Meadville, takes discarded barn siding and creates new homes. He
sells his birdhouses at area craft shows.
into commercial production.
The following summer, the Round
Barn Farm Market opened. In addition
to locally grown fruits and vegetables,
the Knouses sell their own brand of
salad dressings, baked goods, seasonal
decorations, clothing, and antiques.
“We have lots of local customers, but
because of our location near Gettysburg,
we get lots of tourists as well,” Knouse
explains. “This is a very unique structure
and people want to see it. We like to
share the barn, even if people don’t want
to buy anything. They can come in here
and see something they’ll probably never
see in their lifetime again.”
That’s because only a handful of true
round barns, sometimes called “barrel
barns,” remain in the United States.
(There are more polygonal barns having
five or more equal sides.)
According to Knouse, the barn was
built in 1914 using trees from the farm.
Its circumference is 282 feet with a diameter of 87 feet. It is built around a central
silo 60 feet high and 12 feet wide that
acts as a “hub” with 38 spokes. Each
spoke is a single log nearly 37 feet long,
except for one that is in two pieces; they
form the interior structure and support
for the second floor.
Today, the market takes up the entire
main floor, while the upper floor is
rented out for special occasions. In fact,
the Knouses had their own wedding
reception where hay was once stored.
To save a barn is not an inexpensive
project, but those who have done it say
the cost has been well worth it as they
not only end up with a one-of-a-kind
structure, they also take great pride in
saving a part of Pennsylvania’s culture
and history. l
SEPTEMBER 2010 • PENN
LINES
13
KEEPINGcurrent
(continued from page 6)
campaign. Sponsored by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the campaign offers tips and information to poultry owners on how to
protect their birds from infectious
poultry diseases.
Contestants are to submit suggestions
by Sept. 30, 2010, by logging on to the
Biosecurity for Birds website at
http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov. A
USDA panel will review the suggestions
and select three finalists that will be
posted on the website in October. Judging
will be done based on overall impact,
creativity and accurate adherence to the
subject matter.
Finalists will be posted online and
members of the public are encouraged to
vote on the final selection through Oct. 23.
The winning entry will be announced
during Bird Health Awareness Week
Nov. 1-7, 2010.
The three finalists will each receive a
duffel bag and the winner will receive a
grand prize.
DCNR receives federal funds to
combat pests, invasive plants
Pennsylvania’s ongoing efforts to control destructive forest pests and invasive
vegetation in state forests and parks
received a major boost with the
announcement in August 2010 of the
receipt by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) of
$350,000 in federal grants.
The largest federal grant, $125,000,
will enable the Bureau of Forestry’s Forest Pest Management section to implement and demonstrate various management techniques for controlling the
14
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
emerald ash borer. The non-native invasive forest pest that kills all species of
ash has been detected in 16 Pennsylvania counties.
Lesser funding amounts are earmarked for the tracking and suppression of the hemlock woolly adelgid,
another non-native invasive forest pest
proving deadly to Pennsylvania’s state
tree, the Eastern hemlock. Also, transfer
of firewood — directly linked to the
spread of the Asian longhorned beetle
and emerald ash borer — will be monitored closely in state campgrounds, as
well as visual surveys under a newly
funded plan.
Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests
will be targeted with new suppression
efforts for invasive vegetation, as well as
plantings of native species. Plant species
targeted on state park and forestlands
include: mile-a-minute weed, Japanese
stilt grass, barberry, tree of heaven
(Ailanthus), invasive honeysuckles,
autumn olive,
phragmites, Japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife and
reed canary grass.
Funds for these
projects will be
used to purchase
INVADER: Mile-a-minute
supplies, and
weed is on the list of
native species —
invasive species to be
grasses, shrubs
suppressed.
and trees — to
restore areas that have been treated.
For more information on forest insect
pest management, invasive vegetation
and native plant species, visit
www.dcnr.state.pa.us. l
OUTDOORadventures
Outdoor
highs and
lows
Hope for the future
tempered with nasty taste
of reality
LIKE THE raging, hormonefueled swings in mood and
behavior among the teens I
had observed, my outlook for
the future of our outdoor
heritage, conservation and
the environment in general
swung from the peaks of
optimism to the lowest, headshaking worry in the span of
just a few days this summer.
I began on the highest
emotional high possible, at
the 2010 National Jamboree
of the Boy Scouts of America
(BSA) on the Fort A.P. Hill
Military Reservation in
northern Virginia. On the
100th anniversary of the
organization in America, an
estimated 44,000-plus Scouts
and adult leaders gathered to
revel in all things Scouting.
They pitched more than
20,000 tents, dining canopies
and other temporary shelters
of canvas, nylon, polyethylene and other fabrics. For 10
days they lived in those shelters, all carefully deployed in
Scout-neat campsites, which
MARCUS SCHNECK ,
writes for a variety of
publications, websites
and organizations,
including The PatriotNews in Harrisburg
the Ned Smith Center
for Nature and Art,
and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.
16
PENN
by Marcus Schneck
were arranged in regional
sub-camps, which in turn
were arranged in larger
regional plans.
They prepared their meals
in patrols of eight to 10 boys
each, under the direction of
the boys they had chosen as
their patrol leaders. They
hiked an estimated 100 miles
to daily transport themselves
to enormous outdoor experiences, ranging from scuba
diving to the tallest rappelling wall most of them
had ever seen, to the full
range of shooting sports to
an extensive, educational
conservation trail.
They challenged themselves
to the brink. They did all that
is best about the outdoors.
And, they grew a bit, while
building a memory that most
of them likely will be sharing
when they are old men.
On balance, I found that I
was able to disregard the
expected (albeit surprising in
their specific occurrences),
bureaucratic snafus that big
organizations like BSA generally bring to the table in
any national gathering of
their members, and the
thankfully short-lived irritations that accompany those
snafus. I came away from the
jamboree with that little
lump in the throat that often
comes from experiences such
as scanning a mass of 44,000
uniformed boys gathered for
an arena show, and with a
strongly positive outlook.
That hope for our outdoor
future was polished to a
brighter sheen as back in
Pennsylvania I mingled into
the crowd watching the state
championship for the 2010
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
CastingKids competition, and
then joined the teen anglers
for a morning on the Susquehanna River as they competed for the state championship of the BASS Federation Nation junior bass fishing clubs. Smart, capable,
well-spoken, outgoing youth
experienced their slice of the
outdoors and were enthused
by it.
The shine took on a bit of
tarnish with the news a few
days later of a group of teens
that drowned in a Louisiana
river. They couldn’t swim.
They didn’t anticipate a sudden depth in the river shallows they were wading. And,
the adults with them couldn’t
swim.
It’s not a character flaw to
not have learned to swim by
one’s teen years. And, it’s
SCOUTS REVEL IN THE OUTDOORS:
More than 44,000 Scouts gathered
to celebrate the 100th anniversary
of the organization in this country.
understandable that those
with little exposure to the
realities of nature would
expect a river to behave
much like a swimming pool,
without sudden life-threatening changes in its character.
However, those basic
characteristics among what
is likely a majority of our
youth today are easy to forget when you’re with the
Scouts in the midst of a
major burst of Scouting
activities or on the water
with teens completely at
home on the shifting deck of
a bass boat.
Hope, yes, but tempered
with a nasty taste of reality. l
COUNTRYkitchen
by Janette He ss
In praise of peppers
YOU SEE them in the supermarket — bell peppers bagged to
resemble the colors of a traffic light, their bright red, yellow and
green directing the way to good eating. Whether you purchase
your peppers from the supermarket or pick them by the peck
from your own garden, peppers make this month’s recipes a
definite “go!”
Inspired by eastern European goulash, Pepper Stew will
have your family singing your praises. Marjoram and caraway
seeds add an unexpected twist to this extremely flavorful dish,
which is best prepared in a slow cooker. The paprika itself is a
variety of red pepper that has been dried and ground into a
spectacular spice capable of imparting intense color and depth
to any dish.
Tired of tortillas? Try tortilla-free Enchilada Stuffed Peppers.
In this recipe, bell peppers serve as edible cups for a simple
enchilada filling. Use any pepper of your choosing, but keep in
mind that the sweet red and yellow varieties will result in a
milder entree. Bell peppers and eggs make a delicious pairing in
Confetti Frittata. Reminiscent of a quiche, a frittata cuts unnecessary calories by foregoing the crust. Confetti Frittata is so
packed with color and flavor that no one will even notice the
missing crust! l
TA
CONFETTI FRITTA
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
(preferably a mix
1 cup diced bell pepper
of colors)
1/4 cup diced onion
ature)
8 eggs (at room temper
and half”)
alf
(“h
am
cre
t
ligh
or
1/3 cup
shly grated Parmesan
fre
n
poo
les
1/3 cup plus 1 tab
ese
Parmigiano Reggiano che
1/4 teaspoon salt
sauce
Several drops hot pepper
ham
ed
1 cup smoked, dic
te or baking dish, melt
rees. In a 9-inch pie pla
Preheat oven to 350 deg olive oil, peppers and onion. Stir to coat.
the
the eggs, light
the butter and then add
te bowl, whisk together
ara
sep
a
In
s.
ute
min
Bake for 20
cheese. Remove the veg
per sauce. Add 1/3 cup
r
ove
e
tur
mix
egg
the
r
cream, salt and hot pep
the ham. Slowly pou
add
and
n
of
ove
n
the
poo
m
les
etables fro
the extra tab
and then sprinkle with
the vegetables and ham
6 servings.
kes
Ma
.
set
il
unt
or
utes
cheese. Bake for 30 min
A trained journalist, JANETTE HESS focuses her writing on interesting people and interesting
foods. She is a Master Food Volunteer with her local extension service and enjoys collecting,
testing and sharing recipes.
PEPPER
RS
UFFED PEPPE
ENCHILADA ST
d
seeds remove
and
bell peppers, tops
5 flat-bottomed
nd beef
1 pound lean grou
, diced
ion
on
m
diu
1/2 me
chilada
en
n
1 10-ounce ca
dium)
me
or
ild
(m
e
sauc
e
ric
ed
ok
1 1/2 cups co
d
ce
sli
n
ca
ce
un
-o
1 2.25
ed
ain
dr
s,
black olive
lby or
1/2 cup grated Co
eese
ch
ck
Ja
Monterey
an
epared peppers in e
degrees. Place pr
th
0
if
35
tin
to
n
en
ffi
ov
mu
e
a
th
Preheat
minutes. (Use
20
r
fo
e bakke
ar
ba
s
d
er
an
pp
.) While pe
oven-proof dish
ort to stay upright . Cook and stir until
pp
su
tra
ex
ed
ne
e onion
peppers
beef. Add
nd beef and add th
ing, brown the grou ftened. If needed, drain the ground the parso
ve
tly
mo
gh
sli
Re
is
s.
ve
the onion
black oli
e, cooked rice and fill with the ground beef
the enchilada sauc
d
an
en
ov
e
th
m
s fro
tes or until
tially baked pepper se. Bake an additional 30-35 minu
ee
ch
th
mixture. Top wi
ings.
nder. Makes 5 serv
the peppers are te
18
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
STEW
2 pounds sirloin
steak or sirloin
tip roast, cut into
1 pound pork loin
cubes
, cut into cubes
2 medium onions
1/2 cup beef brot
h
3 tablespoons vin
egar
1 12-ounce jar ro
asted red pepper
s,
rinsed and drain
ed
3 tablespoons pa
prika
1 tablespoon olive
oil
2 teaspoons min
ced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons
salt
1 1/2 teaspoons
dried marjoram
1 teaspoon carawa
y seeds
1 medium green
bell pepper, seed
ed and cut into
1/2 medium pota
strips
to, peeled and fin
ely grated
Place meat in a slo
w cooker. Slice 1
1/2
arrange over the
meat. (Reserve 1/2 onions into rings and
vinegar over the
onion.) Drizzle th
meat and onions.
e
Place the reserved broth and
roasted red pepp
ers, paprika, olive
1/2 onion,
oil, garlic and sa
processor. Blend
lt into a food
until smooth and
spread over the
Sprinkle with mar
meat and onions.
jor
before stirring in am and caraway seeds. Cook on
low for 7 hours
the green pepper
strips and grated
hour longer. Serv
e ov
potato. Cook 1
Makes 6-8 serving er buttered noodles, mashed po
tatoes or rice.
s.
POWERplants
by Barbara Martin
Take
advantage
of fall
ONCE THE August heat
passes, many garden plants get
a second wind. In my garden,
the marigolds and impatiens,
the morning glories and cannas, the geraniums and the
sweet little million bells plants
all bloom with gusto. I especially appreciate the heat-loving dahlias and sweetly perfumed tuberose bulbs
(Polianthes tuberosa), and that
so slow-to-get-started but deliciously fragrant, night-blooming moonflower vine finally
perking along as if there is no
tomorrow. That may well be
true for these tender beauties,
because we all know what happens once frost hits.
Although the season is
winding down, there is no reason to let the garden go out
with a whimper. I think it is
worthwhile to continue to
deadhead (remove the faded
blooms) and fertilize and water
these non-hardy plants until
they give their last gasp.
I look forward to the perennial flowers that naturally
BARBARA MARTIN ,
who says she began
gardening as a hobby
“too many years ago to
count,” currently works
for the National Gardening Association as a horticulturist. A former
member of Gettysburg-based Adams Electric Cooperative, her articles appear in magazines and on the internet.
20
PENN
bloom now. You might be
lucky enough to have fallblooming anemones in your
perennial garden, those glorious flowers in bright white or
girly pink. Or how about some
of the newer reblooming
daylilies and iris? If I had to
pick just one fall perennial, it
might be tricyrtis, also known
by the fabulous name of toad
lily, with their exotic blooms
atop healthy foliage, poetry in
the shady garden.
If you include ornamental
grasses in the perennial or
shrub border, I hope you savor
the now towering flowering
stems, the shimmery blooms
expanding until they eventually
turn into puffy clouds of seeds.
Many main season perennials will rebloom lightly now if
they have not been overly
stressed during the summer.
For example, you may see fresh
flowers appearing on purple
coneflowers, black-eyed
Susans, yarrow and garden
phlox if you’ve kept them well
watered, mulched and deadheaded. Many roses also tend
to push out a few flowers — or
more — in the fall. Although
the usual rule is to deadhead
the spent flowers, now it is better to let the faded flowers
remain on the plant. Doing this
encourages the plant to slow its
growth and gradually transition to the dormancy needed
for winter survival.
If cooler weather makes you
itch to get gardening, you could
get a head start on next year by
dividing and resetting overgrown perennials. Do this at
least eight weeks before the
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
ground freezes hard, allowing
them enough time to re-root
before winter. Among the
perennials that may be divided
in the fall: Achillea (yarrow),
Artemisia, Astilbe, Cerastium,
Coreopsis, Dianthus, Eupatorium, Geranium, Hemerocallis
(daylily), Hosta, Lamium,
Monarda, Nepeta, Papavar,
Pulmonaria, Salvia, Sedum,
Stachys, Veronica and Viola. If
you lust after that princess of
plants, the peony, then plant
yours now.
Fall is also the time to plant
those fabulous spring-blooming bulbs such as tulip, daffodil and crocus. These bulbs,
however, are best planted
when the soil has cooled down
a bit, so wait until night temperatures are consistently
under about 50 degrees.
Fall is a good time to plant
certain woody landscape
plants — particularly many
deciduous trees and shrubs.
Check with your local nursery
to see what is available. The
reason fall planting can be so
effective is that the roots keep
growing until the soil temperature drops to about 40 degrees.
Fall is the time to
savor the look of ornamental
grasses, as well as flowers.
ORNAMENTAL:
Your plants gain a significant
head start on spring and leap
into growth naturally with the
season next year.
If you hope to overwinter
fall-purchased pansies or
mums, get them in the ground
early as well.
Vegetable gardeners are
reaping the bounty of their season’s work: tomatoes, pumpkins, root veggies and greens
galore. You can enhance next
season’s performance by
improving the soil now: seed
fall cover crops such as annual
ryegrass into any available
space, control late season
weeds, and consider sheet
composting, too. If you are a
dedicated season-expander, by
all means get those cold-tolerant greens growing now and
consider using a cold frame to
stretch the harvest window.
If you were bemoaning the
sad “end” of the gardening season, I hope you are now reinvigorated for fall, same as the
plants you grow. l
TIMElines
Yo u r N e w s m a g a z i n e T h r o u g h t h e Y e a r s
1970
“KING COAL,” once the leading contributor to the basic economy of many
western Pennsylvania counties, was declared dead back in the 1930s and
1940s. But the funeral was a bit premature.
Thanks to the electric utility industry, more deep coal mines began
opening in 1970 than were closing, reversing a trend started in the late
1930s when mines were closing by the hundreds. During the next three
decades, that trend would continue with more mines closing than opening
every year.
Americans’ thirst for modern appliances caused demands for electricity
to double every decade between 1920 and 1970. To supply this enormous
demand, the industry turned to coal as a cheap and dependable source of
fuel. And, in turn, the coal industry turned to electricity to provide the
“muscle” to power the diggers to remove the coal.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), records show that during the past 200 years, Pennsylvania has produced more than 25 percent of
the nation’s total coal output and presently ranks fourth in the nation in
annual coal production by state. Bituminous coal deposits underlie western
and north-central Pennsylvania, and anthracite deposits underlie east-central and northeastern Pennsylvania. The state’s bituminous coal is used
mostly for electric-power generation, while anthracite is used for electricpower generation and home heating.
Today, the future of coal mining is unknown, as talks at the federal level
focus more on “green” energy sources rather than the coal industry.
1980 Delegates from over 100 cooperatives
attend the National Institute on Cooperative
Education in University Park with the theme,
“Cooperatives – Keystone of Agriculture.”
22
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
1990 George Andreadis pulls a poncho liner
from a display case inside the traveling minibus
that is used to publicize the proposed Vietnam
War Museum in Gettysburg.
2000 An estimated 21,500 Pennsylvania children are schooled at home – 1 percent of the
total, but a sevenfold increase since the General
Assembly recognized the practice in 1988.
PENNLINESclassified
✉
CLASSIFIED AD
DEADLINE
MONTH
DEADLINE
November 2010. . . . . . . Sept. 17
December 2010. . . . . . . . Oct. 18
January 2011 . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 17
All ads must be received by the
specified dates to be included in the
corresponding month’s issue. Ads
received beyond the deadline dates
will automatically be included in the
next available issue. Written notice
of changes or cancellations must be
received prior to the first of the
month preceding the month of issue.
For information about display rates,
continuous ads, or specialized
headings, contact Vonnie Kloss
at 717/233-5704, the Pennsylvania
Rural Electric Association.
AMMUNITION
SABOT 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN SLUGS only 85 cents each. Now
you can See How at www.slugsrus.com.
AROUND THE HOUSE
HERE’S MY AD:
Yes, I want my message to go into more than 166,400
households in rural Pennsylvania. I have counted
_________ words in this ad. (FOR ADS IN ALL CAPITAL
LETTERS, ADD 20 PERCENT TO TOTAL COST.)
am an electric co-op member. Attached is my Penn Lines mailing label from the front of this magazine.
❏ II enclose
$20 per month for 30 words or less, plus 50¢ for each additional word. The total payment
enclosed is $_________________________.
Please run my ad during the months of ______________________________________________________.
NOT a member of an electric cooperative. I enclose $70 per month for 30 words or less, plus $1.50
❏ Iforameach
additional word.
The total payment enclosed is $_____________________.
Please run my ad during the months of ______________________________________________________.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
2
1
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7
8
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14
10
15
20
16
21
26
METAL BUILDINGS — 24 x 40 x 8, $9,900 installed. 30 x 40 x 8,
$11,900 installed. Includes one walk door and one garage door. All
sizes available. 800-464-3333. www.factorysteelbuildings.com.
FACTORY SECONDS of insulation, 4 x 8 sheets, foil back. Also
reflective foil bubble wrap. 814-442-6032.
26-GAUGE METAL SHEETING — Large selection of seconds.
Many colors available. $1.50 per linear foot, 36-inch width.
Corle Building Systems, Imler, PA. Call 814-276-9611. Ask for
Joe Fink. [email protected].
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
PIANO TUNING PAYS — Learn at home with American School
of Piano Tuning home-study course in piano tuning and repair.
Tools included. Diploma granted. Call for free brochure 800497-9793.
23
24
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27
28
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CASH FOR GOLD
BUILDING SUPPLIES
18
29
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Additional words: _____________________________________________________ (use separate sheet if needed)
NOTE: You must pay for special heading requests, even if the heading is currently appearing in Penn Lines.
Only the following qualify as free headings. Please check your selection:
Around the House
Business
Opportunities
Employment Opportunities
Gift and Craft Ideas
Livestock and Pets
Miscellaneous
Motor Vehicles and Boats
Nursery and Garden
Real Estate
Recipes
and Food
Tools and Equipment
Vacations and Campsites
Wanted to Buy.
FOR SPECIAL HEADINGS NOT LISTED: Indicate special heading you would like, and add $5 for co-op members, $10 for non-members. Insertion of classified ad in Penn Lines serves as proof of publication; no proofs
are furnished.
SEND THIS FORM (or a sheet containing the above information) to Penn Lines Classifieds, P.O. Box 1266,
Harrisburg, PA 17108.
FOR INFORMATION ONLY Telephone: 717/233-5704. NO classified ads will be accepted by phone.
ATTN: Checks/money orders should be made payable to PREA/Penn Lines.
OUTSIDE WOOD HEATER - $1,595. Forced air system. Rated
100K BTU. Heats up to 2,400 square feet. Houses, mobiles or
shops. Low-cost shipping. Easy install. 417-581-7755 Missouri.
www.heatbywood.com.
STEEL ROOFING AND SIDING. Discount Prices. Corrugated
sheets (cut to length) 52¢ per square foot. Also seconds,
heavy gauges, odd lots, etc. Located in northwestern
Pennsylvania. 814-398-4052.
12
17
22
BECOME A PRIVATE CARE DISPATCHER. $35 for the workbook.
Offer local work to local women. Check online at
www.nurseemploymentagency.org.
SWIMMING POOLS – Call Pleasure Pools, Eisenhower Blvd.,
Johnstown, Pa., 814-288-2689. 31 years of experience.
www.doughboy-pools.com.
11
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“COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage.
“RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage.
Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men
and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New
Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association,
P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention:
Cookbooks. Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT.
CLOCK REPAIR: If you have an antique grandfather clock,
mantel clock or old pocket watch that needs restored, we can
fix any timepiece. Macks Clock Repair: 814-749-6116.
ATTACH ADDRESS LABEL HERE
(OR WRITE IN COMPLETE LABEL INFORMATION)
Be your own Boss! Part or full-time. $500/day. State of the art
recession-proof service. FREE 16-page report. Promo code CL33306.
Call 800-507-7222. www.WagerCarpetCleaningCareers.com.
Sell your unwanted GOLD and SILVER. Highest paid prices paid
in Central PA. Guaranteed! Licensed local dealer: Creekside
Antiques, 1031-35 Third Ave., (old Rt. 22) Duncansville, PA. 814695-7219 Get Cash.
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. Maximizing present and future
timber values, Forest Management Services, Managing
Timber Taxation, Timber Sales, Quality Deer Management.
FREE Timber Consultation. College educated, professional,
ethical. 814-867-7052.
CORN PELLET STOVES
BIXBY CORN or PELLET Stoves — Save with tax credit. Will heat
2,200 square feet. No chimney needed. Burn shelled corn and
save over pellets. 717-776-5237. Email: [email protected].
❏
❏
❏
❏
❏
❏
ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING
RESIDENTIAL PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL – Raystown Electric
LLC. New construction, remodeling, additions, storage barns,
garages. Also offering landscape and security lighting. Call
Cliff at 814-386-5520.
FENCING
FREE Fence Guide/Catalog – High-tensile fence, horse
fence, rotational grazing, twine, wire, electric netting –
cattle, deer, garden, poultry. Kencove Farm Fence Supplies:
800-536-2683. www.kencove.com.
GIFT AND CRAFT IDEAS
“COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage.
“RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage.
Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men
and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New
Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association,
P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention:
Cookbooks. Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT.
HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE
COUNTRY CRAFTED bentwood oak/hickory rockers. Swings,
gliders, double rockers, coffee/end tables, bar stools, kitchen
sets, cedar log outdoor furniture, log bedrooms, SPECIAL queen
log bed, $599. 814-733-9116. www.zimmermanenterprise.com.
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Tired of all those medicines — Still not feeling better? Do you want
to feel better, have more energy, better digestion, less joint stiffness,
healthier heart/circulation and cholesterol levels? Find out how to
empower your own immune system — start IMMUNE-26 today! It’s
safe, affordable, and it works. Call 800-557-8477: ID#528390. 90day money back on first time orders. When ordering from Web, use
Option #3. www.mylegacyforlife.net/believeit.
SEPTEMBER 2010 • PENN
LINES
23
PENNLINESclassified
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MOTORCYCLE-SNOWMOBILE INSURANCE
STORAGE
DO YOU HAVE THE BLUES regarding your Health Insurance?
We cater to rural America's health insurance needs. For more
information, call 800-628-7804 (PA). Call us regarding
Medicare supplements, too.
For the best INSURANCE RATES call R & R Insurance
Associates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-442-6832 (PA).
Storage for all your needs. Winter boat and RV indoor storage,
traditional mini-storage. Call for pricing and availability.
INDIAN LAKE STORAGE 814-267-3218.
HELP WANTED
Eliminate high fuel costs with a CENTRAL BOILER, EPA certified
efficient, clean burning, outdoor wood furnace. Clean, safe,
thermostatically controlled. Available as a dual fuel model. Can
heat multiple buildings. Heat your home, business, shop,
greenhouse, hot water from one location with a sustainable
fuel. Be energy independent and save money! Tall Pines FarmStoves & Fireplaces, Kingsley, PA 18826. Call 800-927-6848.
Email: [email protected]. Visit: www.tallpinesfarm.com.
We have appraisers earning over $80,000/year part time. If
you have an agricultural background, you may be qualified to
become a certified livestock or farm equipment appraiser.
Classroom or home study courses available. For information,
call the American Society of Agricultural Appraisers 800-4887570 or visit www.amagappraisers.com.
OUTDOOR WOOD FURNACE
HUNTING CLUBS
P2000 INSULATION SYSTEM
Customize your clubs embroidered CAMO HAT. Email your
club’s logo. Minimum 12 hats. Average hat $10 to $15 + S/H.
We carry a full line of clothing. Family reunion t-shirts heat
pressed. Credit Cards accepted. EMB Embroidery & Design.
570-756-2004. [email protected].
Out of 20,000 homes, Energy Star found this one to be the
most energy efficient home ever tested in PA, NJ, NY & DE.
Stops cold, heat, wind and moisture. Vapor barrier and
sheathing all in one. Residential - Commercial – Hobby - Shops
– Farms – Pole Buildings. Burkenhaus Distribution Center,
Thomasville, PA. 717-801-0013. [email protected]
or visit www.P2000insulation.com.
INFRARED SAUNAS
Removes toxins, burns calories, relieves joint pain, relaxes muscles,
increases flexibility, strengthens immune system. Many more
HEALTH BENEFITS with infrared radiant heat saunas. Economical
to operate. Barron’s Furniture, Somerset, PA. 814-443-3115.
LADYBUG/CLUSTER FLY SOLUTIONS
Ladybug Problems? Cluster Fly Problems? We have the answer!
Pesticide-free powder traps. Over 200,000 satisfied customers.
To order call 814-494-4122 or visit www.4pestsolutions.com.
REAL ESTATE
RAYSTOWN LAKE — $375,000, 35 acres, build-ready,
mountaintop vista, close to boat launch. Call 814-599-0790.
HUNTING PARADISE! 81 acres includes: 30 tillable acres, 51
wooded acres, a 16 x 24 hunting cabin, frontage on two roads
and adjoins hundreds of acres of gameland. Lease income,
OGM rights and gorgeous view included. Canadohta Lake area,
Crawford County. REDUCED $199,900. Call 814-881-2751.
TIMBER FRAME HOMES
SETTLEMENT POST & BEAM BUILDING COMPANY uses timehonored mortise, tenon and peg construction paired with
modern engineering standards. Master Craftsman and owner,
Greg Sickler, brings over two decades of timber-framing
experience to helping you create your dream. We use highquality timbers harvested from sustainable forests for all of our
projects. Visit our model home, located on Historic Route 6,
Sylvania, in North Central Pennsylvania. For more information
phone 570-297-0164 or go to www.settlementpostbeam.com or
contact us at [email protected].
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
PROFESSIONAL SHARPENING. Clipper blades. Scissors for
fabric, groomers and stylists. Knives, chisels and small tools.
Aires Eickert factory trained to sharpen beauty shears. Scissor
sales and service. 814-267-5061 or www.theScissorGuy.net.
1984 4x4 KUBOTA M4950, 6-cylinder diesel, 12-speed cab, 8’
power angled snow plow, 1,430 hours. New paint, very nice
condition. $15,500 OBO. 814-757-4557.
TRACTOR PARTS – REPAIR/RESTORATION
ARTHURS TRACTORS, specializing in vintage Ford tractors, 30years experience, on-line parts catalog/prices, shipped via UPS.
Contact us at 877-254-FORD (3673) or www.arthurstractors.com.
TREE TRIMMING/REMOVAL
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL – SALES – SERVICE – PARTS.
Compact Loaders & Attachments, Mowers, Chainsaws, Tillers,
etc. We sell BCS, Boxer, Dixon, Ferris, Hustler, Grasshopper,
Shindaiwa and more. HARRINGTON’S, Taneytown, MD. 410-7562506. www.harringtonsservicecenter.com.
LIVESTOCK AND PETS
GERMAN SHEPHERD puppies $900-$1,500. Young Adult $800
and Adult dogs $500 from imported blood lines. 814-967-2159.
Email:[email protected] Web: www.petrusohaus.com.
PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI Puppies — AKC, adorable, intelligent,
highly trainable. Excellent family choice. Reputable licensed
breeder guaranteed “Last breed you’ll ever own.” 814-587-3449.
COLLIE PUPPIES FOR SALE – AKC registered, tri-color with full
white collars, also white with tan color heads. Beautiful
markings. Bedford County. Call evenings, 814-793-3938.
LOG CABIN RESTORATIONS
VILLAGE RESTORATIONS & CONSULTING specializes in 17th and
18th century log, stone and timber structures. We dismantle,
move, re-erect, restore, construct and consult all over the
country. Period building materials available. Chestnut boards,
hardware, etc. Thirty years experience, fully insured. Call 814696-1379. www.villagerestorations.com.
MAPLE SYRUP
STEVEN’S PURE Maple Syrup, Liberty, Pa. Plastic from 3.4
ounces to gallons. Glass containers for gifts and collectors.
Maple Sugar, Maple Cream, Maple Candy, Maple Bar-B-Que
Sauce, Maple Salad Dressing, and Gift Baskets for any
occasion made to order. Wholesale or retail prices. NEW
Number: 570-324-2014 or email: [email protected].
MISCELLANEOUS
BECOME AN ORDAINED MINISTER, Correspondence study. The
harvest truly is great, the laborers are few, Luke 10:2. Free
info. Ministers for Christ Outreach, 7549 West Cactus Road,
#104-207, Peoria, AZ 85381. www.ordination.org.
BANDS – OLE 97 Johnny Cash, June Carter Tribute Band. For
bookings, call Janice Ott, 814-288-2689. For schedule, check
our website at www.myspace.com/ole97.
24
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
HUNTING CABIN off State Route 3002 between Belltown and
Marienville. Clean cabin, sleeps 8, well, septic, furnished,
propane furnace, 60 x 100 lot adjacent to Allegheny National
Forest. $28,500. Call 412-264-4839.
RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES Big Woods Properties
participating with Cabela’s Trophy Properties is looking for
buyers and sellers of farms/camps/land/homes in recreational
areas. Including properties promoting outdoor activities and
hunting. 877-769-1050. www.paoutdoorproperties.com.
HUNTING CAMP — Indiana County, PA. Two-bedroom house plus
three-bedroom mobile home on two acres next to state game
lands. Septic tank, two water wells, two garages, three storage
buildings. $49,000. 214-354-2076. [email protected].
CURWENSVILLE, PA Lumber City — 17.6 acres woodland
setting. Three bedroom, three bath, charming ranch. Gas
fireplace, large family room. Ten minutes/Curwensville Lake.
Great hunting. Five minutes school. 814-236-3162.
HANDCRAFTED LOG Homes and Cabins. Hand peeled, scribed
fit made of 12” – 20” hemlock logs. Custom built. Will deliver
for you to finish or build to suit. Phone 814-644-0653 or view
www.keystoneloghomes.net.
RECIPES AND FOOD
“COUNTRY COOKING,” Volume 2 — $8, including postage.
“RECIPES REMEMBERED,” Volume 3 — $12, including postage.
Both of these cookbooks are a collection of recipes from men
and women of the electric co-ops of Pennsylvania and New
Jersey. Payable to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P.
O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention: Cookbooks.
Volume 1 of “Country Cooking” is SOLD OUT.
SAWMILLS
USED PORTABLE Sawmills and COMMERCIAL 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.shaklee.net/sbarton.
TOM’S TREE SERVICE – Tree Trimming/Removal – Storm Cleanup – Stump Grinding – Land Clearing – Bucket Truck and
Chipper – Fully Insured – Free Estimates – Call 24/7 – 814-4483052 – 814-627-0550 – 26 Years Experience.
VACATIONS AND CAMPSITES
VACATION PROPERTY — For rent ocean front condo, Myrtle
Beach, SC. Excellent condition. Close to major attractions.
Booking for 2010. Please call 814-425-2425 or visit
www.oceanfrontmyrtlebcondo.com.
FLORIDA VILLAGES — Two bedroom, two bath, two bikes. Fully
furnished. One hour from Disney World. Rent two week
minimum or monthly, $1,400 (June to September). Call 716536-0104. Great entertainment. Dancing nightly.
RAYSTOWN CAMPER RENTALS – Campers available for all
events. Delivery and set-up available within Lake Raystown.
For more information, call 814-386-1715 or email
[email protected] or visit www.raystowncamperrental.com.
WANTED TO BUY
MEDICINAL ROOTS – Including blood root, skunk cabbage,
black cohosh, golden seal and others. For serious diggers, call
814-698-2206 or write “Roots” at 567 Bryant Hollow Road,
Coudersport, PA 16915.
GINSENG ROOT — Paying top dollar. Also I sell Ginseng seed.
Call 814-938-3864.
See what a
difference
it makes…
Advertise in
Penn Lines
Classifieds
}
LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT
SMARTcircuits
by James Dulley
Slide into energy
savings by replacing
a window with a door
REPLACING an old, wide window with
a sliding glass door makes energy sense,
but only if you select an efficient sliding
glass door and install it properly. I made
this improvement to my own kitchen last
year. The overall efficiency of an airtight
sliding glass door can be better than an
insulated partial wall with a large inefficient window above it. My double horizontal slider window had double-pane
glass, but the gap seal failed on one panel
and all the weather-stripping was worn
out, creating air leaks.
Although homes are constructed differently, you’ll generally find a lot of reinforcing lumber framing around window openings. This is great for structural strength,
but it leads to inefficient thermal bridges
and leaves little room for insulation.
Once I removed my drywall, I found
the sill plate had not been sealed properly
and air was leaking in at the bottom of the
wall. Seal as much of the sill as possible to
the foundation.
I selected a super-high-efficiency sliding glass door. It uses a steel-reinforced
vinyl frame and triple-pane glass panels.
Two of the glass panes have a low-emissivity coating and dense krypton inert gas
between them. This provides a high insulation level and cuts down on noise.
Always select a door that is Energy Star®qualified and meets federal energy tax
credit requirements.
Another option is double-swinging
French patio doors. If you have clearance
for swinging doors, these are more efficient. Swinging doors close on compression weather-stripping, so they seal better
over the long term than a seal on sliding
glass doors. Also, when you open both
swinging doors, there is more open area
for natural ventilation.
The company I purchased the door
from sent along an expert to help me with
my installation. Here are some of the tips
he taught me.
Spend a few extra dollars and rent a
large masonry saw to cut through the
brick wall in one pass from outdoors. I
bought a cheap masonry blade for my circular saw. It cut through the brick, but I
had to make both outdoor and indoor cuts
to get through the full width of the wall.
This led to an uneven cut and an unbelievable amount of dust indoors. Wear a
good N95 breathing mask whenever you
cut masonry.
With a brick veneer wall, the width of
the brick and the total wall framing thickness will be about twice the width of the
sliding glass door frame. The installer recommended positioning the door out on the
brick to create a more stable door base.
Indoors, this also recesses the door, making
it easier to install tight thermal drapes during winter.
For the simplest installation, cut
straight down from the existing window
opening. You will have to build out the
interior opening with studs to the same
width as the brick, but this is still easier
than resizing the entire opening. This will
leave a gap between the new studs and
the brick that must be insulated.
I used low-expansion foam, but fiberglass is also effective. Once the foam was
sprayed in and expanded, the insulation
was covered with 3/4-inch pressuretreated plywood. The door company had
custom-sized the door to fit in this final
opening size with about one-half inch
overall clearance. Make sure to use shims
for all screws and don’t over tighten them.
The framing on a large door can easily be
pulled out of balance during installation
without supportive shims.
My door frame was placed over pressure-treated lumber trimmed with aluminum flashing to raise it because I mistakenly cut the brick too low. Whether
you’re installing a door over lumber, brick,
or a precast sill, liberally apply silicone
caulk between the bottom of the door
frame and the base to prevent leaks.
There are weep vents in the door track to
prevent water collection. l
is a nationally syndicated energy management expert. You
can reach him at James Dulley, c/o Penn
Lines, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati,
OH 45244.
JAMES DULLEY
SEPTEMBER 2010 • PENN
LINES
25
PUNCHlines
Thoughts from
Earl Pitts,
UHMERIKUN!
Earl is still trying to
unload his tomato crop
on reluctant friends
Social commentary from Earl Pitts —— a.k.a.
GARY BURBANK , a nationally syndicated
radio personality —— can be heard on the
following radio stations that cover electric
cooperative service territories in Pennsylvania:
WANB-FM 103.1 Pittsburgh; WARM-AM 590
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; WIOO-AM 1000 Carlisle;
WEEO-AM 1480 Shippensburg; WMTZ-FM 96.5
Johnstown; WQBR-FM 99.9/92.7 McElhattan;
WLMI-FM 103.9 Kane; and WVNW-FM 96.7
Burnham-Lewistown.
26
PENN
LINES • SEPTEMBER 2010
Before we get started today, I got a
I heard the dumbest thing the other
question for you. Any a’ you people out
there want some tomaters? Yeah, I didn’t
think so.
My better half’s tomaters have come
in. I remember a couple months back we
was arguin’ and she said she wanted six
tomater plants. I said, “You need two.”
She said she wanted six.
Now we got approximately 14 tons a’
tomaters to get rid of. An’ don’t get me
wrong. I love tomaters. Most of all, I love
home-grown tomaters. But not this many
of ‘em.
I mean, every year at this time we
got the same choice — get rid a’ 14 tons
a’ tomaters or open a ketchup factory.
An’ here’s the thing you don’t maybe
figger on when you’re buyin’ them
tomater plants. Everybody else that
likes home-grown tomaters is buyin’
them tomater plants, too. So three
months later tryin’ to give away
tomaters is like tryin’ to give away kittens. Everybody that wants ‘em already
got ‘em.
Let me put it this way, you knock on
your neighbor’s door with a bag a’
tomaters and they’re prayin’ you’re from
some neighborhood church. Cause all
they gotta do then is take a pamphlet, not
18 pounds a’ tomaters.
Course, I did get rid a’ one bag a’
tomaters already today. Well, technically I
didn’t “get rid” of ‘em. I traded ‘em for
two bags a’ zucchini. Yeah, that guy’s got
bigger problems than me.
If we could figger out a way to power
cars on tomaters, that could change the
world. Instead a’ gasoline, you could pull
into the station an’ put 20 gallons a’
ketchup in your truck. Then squeeze a little on your French fries…
Wake up, America. I keep hearin’ that
millions of people in America still go to
bed hungry every night. If you wanna get
me your addresses, I’ll send you some
tomaters.
day. Some people was sayin’ that mornin’
people are more successful. They done
some research an’ found mornin’ people
make out better in life because they are
proactive.
An’ that reminded me a’ more people.
Mornin’ people. An’ that means you,
Mary Sunshine, an’ your annoyin’
brother, Earl E. Byrd.
That’s like these knuckleheads they
got on the radio station. My alarm goes
off and I hear these happy saps yakkin’
away like monkeys tanked up on a
truckload a’ coffee. I mean they sound
like the kinda weasels that need to suck
down a case a’ Red Bull just to calm
down.
Anyways, these pencil-neck, science
dweebs say mornin’ people got special
genetical material. They even got a name
for it — they call it “morning-ness.”
Lemme tell you something. I get up at 5
in the morning’ and I ain’t got no dang
morning-ness. I got surley-ness, grumpiness an’ ugliness.
I mean, I get me a cup a’ coffee an’ set
at the kitchen table waitin’ for that coffee
to hit the nerve endin’s in my brain. It’s
like settin’ at a red light you ain’t sure is
ever gonna change.
I mean, my eyeballs is puffier than a
fat lady’s feet what’s been standin’ all day.
My face feels like my pillowcase was
filled with porky-pines. I am not a
mornin’ person.
An’ I don’t even mind mornin’ people
if they’d just keep their dang zippity
doo-dahs to their zippity self! In other
words, ZIP IT! For those who say
mornin’ people are more successful, I
say, “Hello? They work at radio stations
an’ donut shops!”
Wake up, America! My better half
says the early bird gets the worm. Everybody else gets two extra hours of shuteye. Enjoy your worm.
I’m Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun. l
RURALreflections
Enjoy the final
weeks of summer
THE DAYLIGHT hours are growing shorter and soon the
leaves will begin to turn colors, but for now, the grass is
green and the days are still warm, so enjoy the final weeks
of summer even as you begin to prepare for autumn.
While you are enjoying the final days of summer, please
don’t forget to capture your memories for inclusion in our
“Rural Reflections” photo contest. Winners in each of our
five contest categories — most artistic, best landscape, best
human subject, best animal and editor’s choice — will
receive a $75 prize.
To be eligible for the 2010 contest prizes, send your
snapshots (no digital files, please) to: Penn Lines Photos,
P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg PA 17108-1266. On the back of
each photo, include your name, address, phone number
and the name of the electric cooperative that serves your
home, business or seasonal residence. (The best way to
include this information is by affixing an address label to
the back of the photo. Please do not use ink gel or roller
pens to write on the photo as they bleed onto other photos.)
Remember, our publication deadlines require that we
work ahead, so send seasonal photos in early. We need
winter photos before mid-September (save your spring,
summer and fall photos to submit for the 2011 “Rural
Reflections” contest). Photos that are not seasonal may be
submitted at any time. Please note: photos postmarked
after Jan. 1, 2010, will not be returned unless a selfaddressed, self-stamped envelope is included. l
Nathan & Rose Cooley
Northwestern REC
Lori Deery
Tri-County REC
Emily Cameron
REA Energy
Mary Lou Arford
REA Energy
SEPTEMBER 2010 • PENN
LINES
27