May 2016 - PREA - The Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association

MAY 2 0 1 6
T H E M AGA Z I N E YO U C O M E H O M E TO
Time of tribute
Gold Star Families remember their fallen
PLUS
Heat pump/AC tune-up tips
Mix and match
Super flowers
Contents
MAY 2016
Vol. 51 • No. 5
Editor
Peter A. Fitzgerald
Senior Editor/Writer
Katherine Hackleman
Contributing Columnists
James Dulley
Janette Hess
George Weigel
Layout & Design
W. Douglas Shirk
Advertising & Circulation
Vonnie Kloss
media & marketing specialist
Michelle M. Smith
Penn Lines (USPS 929-700), the newsmagazine
of Pennsylvania’s electric cooperatives, is published
monthly by the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg,
PA 17108-1266. Penn Lines helps 166,000 households of co-op consumer-members understand issues
that affect the electric cooperative program, their local
co-ops, and their quality of life. Electric co-ops are notfor-profit, consumer-owned, locally directed, and taxpaying electric utilities. Penn Lines is not responsible
for unsolicited manuscripts. The opinions expressed
in Penn Lines do not necessarily reflect those of the
editors, the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, or
local electric distribution cooperatives.
Subscriptions: Electric co-op members, $5.42 per
year through their local electric distribution cooperative. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Harrisburg,
PA 17107 and additional mail­ing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes with mailing label
to Penn Lines, 212 Locust Street, P.O. Box 1266,
Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266.
Advertising: Display ad deadline is six weeks prior to
month of issue. Ad rates upon request. Acceptance
of advertising by Penn Lines does not imply endorsement of the product or services by the publisher or
any electric cooperative. If you encounter a problem
with any product or service advertised in Penn Lines,
please contact: Advertising, Penn Lines, P.O. Box
1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Penn Lines reserves
the right to refuse any advertising.
4Keeping Current
News from across
the Commonwealth
6Energy Matters
Energy savings beyond belief
8
cover: Time of tribute
Gold Star Families remember
their fallen
8
12Smart circuits
DIY heat pump/air conditioner
tune-up tips
14Time Lines
Your newsmagazine
through the years
14aCooperative Connection
Information and advice from
your local electric cooperative
20
16TECH TRENDS
Reliable electricity becoming even
more reliable
18spotlight
50th Anniversary Contests
20
feature: Boalsburg
remembers
Pennsylvania town home to first
Memorial Day
24
22Classifieds
24COUNTRY KITCHEN
Mix and match
25power plants
Super flowers: the best of the
best annuals
27
26Punch Lines
One-star family looks at four-star
summer vacation
Board officers and staff, Pennsylvania Rural Electric
Association: Chairman, Leroy Walls; Vice Chair­man,
Tim Burkett; Secretary, Barbara Miller; Treas­urer,
Rick Shope; President & CEO, Frank M. Betley
27Rural Reflections
Celebrate ‘The Merry Month of May’
© 2016 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission is prohibited.
ON THE COVER
Pennsylvania
families pay tribute
to loved ones who
died in service to
their country.
Visit with us at Penn Lines Online,
located at: www.prea.com/Content/
pennlines.asp. Penn Lines Online provides
an email link to Penn Lines editorial staff,
information on advertising rates, and an
archive of past issues.
| M AY 2 0 1 6
3
keepingcurrent
News from across the Commonwealth
‘Co-ops Vote’ initiative
encourages voting
Rural electric cooperatives across
the United States are joining together
to launch a campaign to help get rural
residents to vote and insert issues
of importance to
cooperatives and
their members into
the public discussion.
As members of
electric cooperatives,
most Penn Lines
readers have the
opportunity every
year to vote for
directors to represent
them on their local
cooperative board of
directors. But across
the country, citizens
often do not exercise that right to
vote when it comes to local, state and
national elections.
In 2012 during the national
presidential election, the decline
of voting in rural counties was 18
percent, twice that of the country as
a whole. When residents choose not
to vote, they lose the opportunity to
communicate their concerns about
issues that matter to them.
The list of eight key issues
cooperatives are focusing on getting
elected leaders to understand
includes: rural broadband access,
hiring and honoring
veterans, low-income
energy assistance,
cybersecurity, water
regulations, rural health
care access, affordable
and reliable energy, and
renewable energy.
Every cooperative
member can become
involved in this
initiative. Visit the
Co-ops Vote website,
www.vote.coop, and take
the pledge to become a
“Co-op Voter.” The website provides
information about elected officials
and candidates, the voter registration
process, election dates and locations,
and background about the eight key
issues.
Co-ops Vote is a nonpartisan
program developed by the National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association,
GOODBYE, VONNIE: Penn Lines’ longtime
advertising & circulation coordinator, Vonnie
Kloss, has retired after working for the
Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (publisher of Penn Lines) for more than 35 years.
She was an integral part of each issue for
decades and even graced the magazine’s front
cover in October 1988 (right), which featured
the dedication of the Raystown Hydroelectric
Project in Huntingdon County. Vonnie played a
key role in the recipe column and our monthly
Rural Reflections feature. We wish her the best
in her retirement and thank her for her years of
dedicated service to Penn Lines.
4
| M AY 2 0 1 6
the national service organization that
represents the nation’s more than 900
private, not-for-profit, consumerowned electric cooperatives. With
42 million members across the nation,
electric cooperatives are a powerful
voice on national issues that have a
local impact.
PFBC celebrates 150th
anniversary
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission (PFBC), one of the
nation’s oldest conservation agencies,
is celebrating its 150th anniversary
this year.
According to the PFBC, a group met
in Harrisburg in early
1866 to investigate
pollution in the
state’s mountain
lakes and streams,
and the end of
spring shad runs
due to the construction
of dams. As a result, the legislature
approved and Gov. Andrew G. Curtin
signed into law in March 1866 the
act creating the Board of Fishery
Commissioners with James Worrall
as the board’s first commissioner of
fisheries. The board would eventually
be renamed the Pennsylvania Fish
Commission (now the Pennsylvania
Fish and Boat Commission).
While the name has changed
through the years, the agency’s
commitment to protecting aquatic
resources in order to have great
recreational fishing and boating has
remained the same.
Information about the agency’s
founding and its plan to celebrate
its anniversary can be found at its
website, www.fish.state.pa.us (click on
the 150th anniversary icon). l
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| M AY 2 0 1 6
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energymatters
Energy savings beyond belief
By Brian Sloboda
A
quick search of the internet reveals many great ways to save energy around
your home. Simple things, such as adding insulation or using energy-efficient lightbulbs, are simple and relatively inexpensive ways to save small
amounts of energy. The same search will also reveal “amazing” products that claim
to cut up to a third of your energy bill — without your changing anything about
your energy use habits. Claims like this sound too good to be true, and there is
good reason for that. These claims almost always turn out to be exaggerations or
downright lies.
An energy-efficiency scam is generally easy for a person who works at an
electric cooperative to spot and identify. However, it isn’t so easy for most
people. Scams generally center around
misstatements of science or confusion
over utility programs.
A popular scam is a little box that
promises to save you energy. The
box is a device that supposedly saves
energy without the consumer making
any changes to behavior, turning anything off or adjusting the thermostat.
The people who sell these boxes often
claim outrageous energy savings —
sometimes as much as 30 percent or
more. They often use terms such as
power conditioning, capacitors and
power factor, all of which are legitimate industry terms.
The sales pitch usually goes something like this: The device being
sold will control alternating current,
power factor and reduce the cost of
electric bills. It will condition your
power and make appliances last longer. The device uses no power and
has no moving parts. It will make the
motors in your home run better. The
sales material often claims the utility
doesn’t want you to know about the
device. That last part is actually true
6
— because it is a rip off. Variations
of the product have been sold to both
residential and commercial customers.
There are several questions you
should ask a salesman (or yourself!)
when reading an ad for the next magical cure-all:
1. Does it violate the laws of science? Some products claim they are
capable of “changing the molecular
structure … to release never-before
tapped power.” Changing the laws of
science is no easy task. If the inventors truly can do this, the product
will surely be sold at every store in
the nation, and they will become
very wealthy. They won’t be mailing
out flyers or operating from a poorly
designed website.
2. Was the product tested by an
independent group like a national lab
or university? If the performance of
the product was not tested and certified by a lab or other entity not connected to the company selling it, then
be skeptical. Call the third-party group
and talk to them. Sometimes scammers
lie about the tests.
3. Is it too good to be true? In
today’s economic times, saving money
is a legitimate concern. We want
something to be true so we can save
| M AY 2 0 1 6
money, improve our lives and feed our
families. But wanting something to
work doesn’t mean it will.
Sometimes energy scammers contact
consumers directly, either by calling
or stopping by and claiming they
represent your electric cooperative.
Never give anyone personal or financial information who claims to be an
employee of the cooperative without
confirming their identity. If they call,
ask for a call-back number, then verify
their identity with your cooperative. If
they stop by, ask the person for a valid
employee ID.
The key is to be skeptical and ask
questions. Asking tough questions and
being skeptical will not offend honest
people. Remember, if it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is. l
Brian Sloboda is a technical research
analyst specializing in energy efficiency
and renewable energy for the Business
Technology Strategies (BTS), a service
of the Arlington, Va.-based National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
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| M AY 2 0 1 6
7
Time of tribute
Gold Star Families remember their fallen
By Neil C. Jones
Contributing Writer
“I
t was a nice night,” Jack Tully says. “It was summer, it was in August. The
garage doors were open, it was nice. Naturally, I’m sitting watching TV or
something, and Marilyn says to me, ‘There’s a car that just pulled in.’ So I
get up. I looked out and saw the soldiers coming, and Marilyn came out behind
me, and all we could say was, ‘Which one?’”
Jack and Marilyn’s two sons, Michael
and John, were both serving in Iraq.
“You kinda know,” says Jack, a member of United Electric Cooperative.
“It’s everybody’s nightmare when the
military comes to the door.”
Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully died
Aug. 23, 2007. The 33-year-old Special
Forces combat medic, Ranger and
former Marine was in a vehicle near Al
Aziziyah, southeast of Baghdad, when
an improvised explosive device (IED)
8
hit just behind the front wheel, killing
him instantly. And in that terrible
moment, Jack and Marilyn joined a
group whose membership is earned
through loss and marked with a
shining symbol to honor the ultimate
sacrifice of our nation’s warriors: Gold
Star Families.
Symbol of sacrifice
The Service Flag or Service Banner is
a white field with a red border contain-
| M AY 2 0 1 6
BRAD’S HILL: Army Pfc. Bradley G. Kritzer, who
died on May 5, 2005, in Baghdad, is remembered with this memorial near the home of his
parents in Irvona.
ing stars representing family members
serving in the U.S. Armed Forces
during war. It was designed in 1917 by
U.S. Army Capt. Robert L. Queisser for
his two sons, both of whom were serving in The Great War. Each star stands
for a service member: blue stars for
those who are serving, and gold stars
for those who have died while serving.
Since the end of World War I, more
than half a million Americans have
died during war or conflict.
“All the time he was growing up,
that’s all he ever talked about doing,
going into the military,” Marilyn says
about her son.
She remembers Michael and John as
children pretending to be soldiers, with
camouflage curtains and bedspreads,
and even camouflaging themselves
with poison ivy while at play. Michael
became a Marine, and then transitioned to the Army, becoming an elite
Green Beret. John would also go on
to be a soldier, retiring this year after
more than 20 years of service. It was
John who brought his brother home
from Iraq.
“You know,” Marilyn says, “everybody will console you and talk to you
and express their concern for you, but
a lot of times, I think the siblings —
sometimes I feel, personally, that the
siblings are overlooked.”
Phillip and Robert Hayslett and their
sister, Melody Connelly, know the pain
of losing a sibling. Their brother, U.S.
Army Sgt. Timothy L. Hayslett, was 26
years old when he was killed by an IED
on a side street in Baghdad Nov. 15,
2003. But Robert, an Army explosive
ordnance disposal non-commissioned
officer serving in Fort Drum, N.Y.,remembers his older brother as something more than a soldier.
“He was a person,” he says. “He
wasn’t just Sgt. Hayslett.”
“Timmy was lost for a lot of years,
didn’t know what direction he wanted
to go,” says Mary Hayslett, a resident
of Newville and their mother. “He tried
his hand at a few things, was excellent at sports, but didn’t get the whole
school thing. We tried to give him
discipline, and our form of discipline
didn’t work for him. Timmy could be
alone in a crowded room. That was the
kind of person that he was.”
“He came to me and said he was joining the Army,” says Phillip, the oldest
son and a former Marine. “You know
how I felt about that,” he adds, laughing. “I said, ‘I’ll believe that when I see
it.’ And he did it. And it was, like, that
was the click. He excelled very fast. Any
of the guys he was in with that I’ve talked to said he was very well respected.”
The Hayslett children’s father, Guy
Hayslett, a member of Adams Electric Cooperative, was a Vietnam-era
Marine.
“I told him that it was his choice,”
he says of Timothy’s decision to join
the Army. “I would have liked to see
him go into the Marine Corps, but it
was his choice. Hell, he surprised me. I
mean, he really got it together, and he
was doing good for himself.”
“I think a lot of it was the whole
unit,” Mary says.“The guys that he got
close to, that feeling of not being alone.
I guess that’s what clicked for him.”
“Structure,” Guy adds.
“And a routine,” Mary continues.
“And pride. There was a lot of pride
there. He was proud of what he did.”
Though she and her family are just
as proud of that service, Mary doesn’t
hold back when it comes to the pain
she feels from losing her son.
“People have told us time heals,” she
says. “Time doesn’t heal. You get better
at acting. You get better at skating
around that hole every day and every
day and every day, and every once in a
while, something will come along and
kick your butt right in that hole.”
“It’s something you deal with every
day,” Guy adds.
“My biggest fear is that he’ll just fade
into history, that he’ll be forgotten, that
the only people who’ll remember him
will be us,” Mary says.
Remembrance
To ensure that all who have lost their
lives in times of war are remembered,
United Electric Cooperative members
Roger and Sharon Kritzer have set up
a memorial near their home at the
intersection of Ansonville Road and
Kitchens Road, Irvona, on property
owned by cooperative members Blair
and Kathy Williams.
The Kritzers call the memorial
“Brad’s Hill,” in memory of their son,
Army Pfc. Bradley G. Kritzer, who
was killed by an IED on the streets of
Baghdad on May 5, 2005, when he was
only 19.
The memorial features a three-ton
TULLY MEMORY QUILT: Marilyn Tully, of Falls Creek, pulls out a quilt made of squares sent as condolences on the loss of her son, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully, on Aug. 23, 2007, in Iraq.
A Gold Star Banner hangs on the wall behind Tully.
| M AY 2 0 1 6
9
boulder with Brad’s photo engraved on
a porcelain inset, a concrete cannon,
flags and a kneeling soldier paying his
respects.
“But it’s not just about Brad,” Roger
explains. “My goal is to support all our
troops. It’s a reminder that we are still
at war.”
Since he was a child, Brad had
always been interested in the military,
even writing about it in elementary
school papers, but after the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he was determined to serve his country, his parents
recall.
“He could have done anything,” his
father says of Brad, “but he put his life
on hold to serve his country. He was
taking online courses and wanted to
be a conservation officer someday, but
he had a dream of serving his country
first.”
Today, his parents carry on the tradition of service.
“We support our troops every way
we can,” Roger explains. “We provide
a shoulder to lean on for other families in the same situation. We ship
packages, we keep the memorial lit to
recognize the soldiers who serve our
country. Yeah, we hurt, and we are part
of the equation, but Brad was where he
wanted to be. It wasn’t like he had to
go there.”
Keeping the memory of a loved one
alive is also very important for Larry
Farner of Dillsburg. Though he never
met his Uncle Bob, Larry has letters,
official records and photographs that
account for the life of Army Pfc. Robert
E. Engle, a paratrooper and combat
medic with the 377th Parachute Field
Artillery attached to the 101st Airborne
Division, who was killed in Normandy
on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
“A lot of what we know, our parents
told us,” says Larry, who is also a member of Adams Electric Cooperative.
“There were 11 children in the family,
and we got to know all of the other
brothers and sisters, but there was
always that one that was missing that
we never knew.”
Generally accepted as quite a hand(continues on page 19)
10
A number of other people responded to the Penn Lines request
for names of Gold Star Families, providing the following names
of men who died in service to their country:
James Corrigan, brother of Anna Gunnett, Williamsburg, Pa.,
July 1944, (Valley REC), Battle of Saint Lô, France
Army Spc. Stephen R. Currier, son of W. Richard and Joy
Currier, Genesee, Pa., (Tri-County REC), November 2010
Army Pvt. Gregory Evanetz, brother of Anna Marie Harker,
Mill Creek, Pa., (Valley REC), Feb. 3, 1945, Battle of the Bulge,
Europe
Army Pfc. William C. Folmar, brother of Pauline Hubler,
Morrisdale, Pa., (United EC), April 12, 1945, World War II
Spc. Larry Clarence Haylett, brother of Danny Haylett, Albion,
Pa., (Northwestern REC), 1967, Vietnam
Army Cpl. Theron S. Hensel, brother of Alice Hensel, Newburg,
Pa., (Adams EC), June 11, 1945, Leyte, Philippines
Pfc. Quentin Hess, brother of Melva Hess Calaman, Sabinsville,
Pa., (Tri-County REC), May 1, 1944, Anzio, Italy
Army Cpl. Dale J. Kridlo, nephew of Robert and Lynn Cingolani,
Tunkhannock, Pa., (Claverack REC), Nov. 7, 2010, Kunar
Province, Afghanistan
Marine Pfc. Earl John Lanzendorfer, brother of Eva Coho,
Duncansville, Pa., (Valley REC), Sept. 15, 1944, Battle of Peleliu
Marine Pfc. Danny E. Nicklow, son of Bernice Rodeheaver,
Friendsville, Md., (Somerset REC), March 16, 1967, Khe Sanh,
Vietnam
TEC5 Simon F. Ohler, brother of Shirley Schrock, Garrett, Pa.,
(Somerset REC), Feb. 12, 1943, World War II
Army Chief Warrant Officer Matthew P. Ruffner, son of Chuck
and Diane Ruffner, Cherry Tree, Pa., (REA Energy Cooperative),
April 9, 2013, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott R. Smith, grandson of Richard and
Betty Smith, Rossiter, Pa., (REA Energy Cooperative), July 17,
2006, Iskandariyah, Iraq
Spc. Richard VanBlarcom, son of Mildred VanBlarcom, Columbia
Crossroads, Pa., (Tri-County REC), May 12, 1968, Vietnam
Army Pfc. Travis Zimmerman, son of Lloyd Zimmerman Jr., New
Berlinville, Pa., (Tri-County REC), April 22, 2006, Iraq
HAYSLETT MEMORIAL: Mary and Guy Hayslett, of Newville, hold hands in front of a plaque dedicated to their son, U.S. Army Sgt. Timothy L. Hayslett, who was killed in Iraq on Nov. 15, 2003.
| M AY 2 0 1 6
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smartcircuits
DIY heat pump/air conditioner
tune-up tips
By James Dulley
D
ear Jim: I have the central air
conditioner serviced periodically. It is running fine, but are
there any simple low-tech maintenance
things I can do between service calls to
improve efficiency? — Randy G.
Dear Randy: There are things you
can do to keep your central air conditioner running at maximum efficiency
and cooling output. Keep in mind,
though, it is a complicated piece of
equipment so you still need regular
professional service calls.
Although not really a tune-up item,
run your air conditioner less during
the peak afternoon heat by setting the
thermostat a few degrees higher. An
automatic setback thermostat with at
least three setback periods (day, afternoon, night) is ideal.
This does two things. First, an air
conditioner efficiency drops when it’s
hottest outdoors, so it uses more electricity. Second, setting the thermostat
higher reduces peak electricity demand,
which minimizes rate increases and
greenhouse gas emissions.
The most important factor for efficient operation is getting maximum air
flow through the outdoor condenser
coils.
Clear the area on the grille side of
the outdoor unit where the condenser
coils are exposed. Cut plants and
branches back to provide at least 2 feet
of clearance.
Inspect the inside of the outdoor unit
for excessive debris. There will always
be some debris (leaves, sticks, etc.), but
if it looks excessive, clean it out. Always
switch off the circuit breaker inside the
house and pull the outdoor electric disconnect before reaching inside the unit.
12
The easiest way to clean it out is to
remove the side access cover. It doesn’t
have to be squeaky clean inside, but
remove as much by hand as possible.
Using the tip of a knife, separate any fins
that have been bent together to allow
air flow through. Don’t try to straighten
them too much or they may break off.
It is very important to make sure all
the screws are tight when you replace
the side access cover. Check the tightness of the screws twice a year.
For efficiency, it is equally important to have adequate air flow through
the cooling coils in the indoor blower
unit. Remove the access panel over
the indoor coils and blower. Use the
brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner
to remove the dust. Use a damp rag to
wipe dirt off any stubborn areas.
If you found the blower area is very
dirty, install a better quality furnace
filter. When the air conditioner is run-
| M AY 2 0 1 6
ning, check for leaky duct joints and
seal them with aluminum or duct tape.
Dear Jim: I want to place my new
clothes dryer on an inside wall. It would
be easiest to vent it upward through the
roof. What is the best and most efficient
way to vent it? — Ann D.
Dear Ann: You must vent a dryer
properly when going through the roof
or it constantly sucks air out of your
house. Use a special vent cover made
just for roof venting. Twenty feet is
about the maximum duct length or the
air resistance may become too great.
Insulate the duct in the attic area. l
Have a question for Jim? Send
inquiries to James Dulley,
Penn Lines, 6906 Royalgreen
Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or
visit www.dulley.com.
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timelines
Your Newsmagazine Through the Years
1996
Rory Pearson, now
the safety/energy use
specialist at Adams
Electric Cooperative,
is a veteran of the
Gulf War, Operation
Enduring Freedom
and Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
Just because you live in a rural community doesn’t mean you
have to miss out on the latest news or the most-popular songs.
Satellite programming, which picks up program feeds from
other states, enables small, rural radio stations to operate on a
24-hour basis even with a small staff.
As important as top-notch entertainment and the latest news
is, it’s the unique connection between local radio stations and
their communities that makes them special. Radio is an important resource in any area, providing instantaneous weather
and traffic updates, as well as local news. But it is especially
critical in rural areas, where it is often the only source for upto-the-minute local information.
Like rural electric cooperatives, many small town radio
stations are locally owned and operated. And like rural electric
cooperatives, one of their main missions is to serve the communities where they are located. This personal stake in the
business — and the community — is what keeps rural radio
stations delivering the best product they can.
14
2006
1986
A Reagan Administration plan to sell
off federal power
agencies could
impact the stability
of 600 rural electric
cooperatives.
Porch rockers greet
visitors to “Lula’s
Inn” in Cedar Run.
Now called Cedar
Run Inn, the door
is still open for
overnight guests and
hungry travelers.
| M AY 2 0 1 6
1976
WE KEEP THEM UP HERE FOR A REASON.
STAY CLEAR OF DOWNED POWER LINES.
Helping members use electricity safely, that’s the power of your co-op membership.
Learn more from the experts themselves at TogetherWeSave.com.
| M AY 2 0 1 6
15
techtrends
Reliable electricity becoming even
more reliable
High-tech innovation reducing power outages
By Paul Wesslund
Y
our electricity is on almost
all the time. You knew that.
But you might not know how
much of the time it’s on. And that the
amount of time it’s on has been getting
better every year.
Electricity has become so reliable that
the numbers for a typical American
home sound crazy. For most people,
the total amount of time without power
(an outage) is less than two hours a
year — that means their electricity is
on 99.977169 percent of the time.
“You can’t have 100 percent reliability all the time on something as large
as an electric distribution system,” says
Tony Thomas, principal engineer at
the National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association. “But reliability has been
getting much better.”
To understand the improvements in
electric utility reliability, you need to
be introduced to what Thomas says are
known as “the three sisters:” the acronyms SAIDI, CAIDI and SAIFI.
Those stand for different ways to
measure how power outages affect consumers. Here’s what they mean:
SAIDI shows how long an average
customer goes without power during
a year. It stands for System Average
Interruption Duration Index. It’s calculated by dividing all of a utility’s
power interruptions by the number of
customers that utility serves. Analysts
caution against citing a national average
SAIDI because of the huge differences
in utilities across the country and how
data is collected. But a report from the
Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) puts the typical
customer as being without power 115
minutes a year.
16
SAIFI shows how
often the power goes
out for each customer.
It stands for System
Average Interruption
Frequency Index. It’s
calculated by dividing
the number of customer
interruptions by the
number of customers.
CAIDI shows the
average time it takes
to restore power after
an outage. It stands for
Customer Average Interruption Duration Index. It’s calculated by dividing
SAIDI by SAIFI.
All three of these reliability measures have been improving, according
to IEEE reports. The amount of time a
utility customer was without electricity
for the year (SAIDI) declined about
20 percent in the most recent four
years of figures, from 143 minutes in
2011, to 115 minutes in 2014.
The number of outages per typical consumer in a year (SAIFI) went
down from 1.16 to 1.07. And how long
each of those outages lasted (CAIDI)
declined from 117 minutes in 2011 to
104 minutes in 2014.
Thomas credits advances in utility
technology for those improvements.
More and more mechanical electric
meters are being replaced with automated smart meters that do more than
just measure the bulk use of electricity
coming to the meter at your house.
They can also monitor whether electricity is delivered to your house at all,
as well as the voltage quality of that
electricity.
Another step toward utilities spotting
and solving outages faster is the more
| M AY 2 0 1 6
widespread adoption of high-tech monitoring systems. These SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)
systems are typically set up as several
computer monitors in a control room,
each showing a different view of the
utility’s service area, including weather
maps and detailed schematics of each
power line, substation, and home or
business served.
Thomas credits electric cooperatives
with making special use of technology
to overcome the barriers of long distances between consumer-members.
Outages and other routine changes in
power flow can be more quickly and
easily addressed remotely, without having to make a long drive to a home or
substation.
“Rural electric co-ops have done an
amazing job of adopting technology
and putting it to use,” Thomas says.
“And all this technology just translates
into better operation of the electric
system.” l
Paul Wesslund writes on cooperative
issues for the National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association, the service arm
of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned,
not-for-profit electric cooperatives.
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T
Clogged, Backed—up Septic System…Can anything Restore It?
DEAR DARRYL: My home is
about 10 years old, and so is my
septic system. I have always
taken pride in keeping my home
and property in top shape. In fact,
my neighbors and I are always
kidding each other about who keeps their home and yard nicest. Lately,
however, I have had a horrible smell in my yard, and also in one of my
bathrooms, coming from the shower drain. My grass is muddy and all the
drains in my home are very slow.
Dear
Darryl
My wife is on my back to make the bathroom stop smelling and as you can
imagine, my neighbors are having a field day, kidding me about the mud pit and
sewage stench in my yard. It’s humiliating. I called a plumber buddy of mine,
who recommended pumping (and maybe even replacing) my septic system.
But at the potential cost of thousands of dollars, I hate to explore that option.
I tried the store bought, so called, Septic treatments out there, and they did
Nothing to clear up my problem. Is there anything on the market I can pour or
flush into my system that will restore it to normal, and keep it maintained?
Clogged and Smelly – Erie, PA
DEAR CLOGGED AND SMELLY: As a reader of my column, I am
sure you are aware that I have a great deal of experience in this particular
field. You will be glad to know that there IS a septic solution that will
solve your back-up and effectively restore your entire system from interior
piping throughout the septic system and even unclog the drain field as
well. SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs deliver your
system the fast active bacteria and enzymes needed to liquefy solid waste
and free the clogs causing your back-up.
This fast-acting bacteria multiplies within minutes of application and is
specifically designed to withstand many of today’s anti-bacterial cleaners,
soaps and detergents. It comes in dissolvable plastic packs, that you just
flush down your toilets. It’s so cool. Plus, they actually Guarantee that it
restores ANY system, no matter how bad the problem is.
SeptiCleanse® Shock and Maintenance Programs are designed to
work on any septic system regardless of design or age. From modern
day systems to sand mounds, and systems installed generations ago, I
have personally seen SeptiCleanse unclog and restore these systems
in a matter of weeks. I highly recommend that you try it before
spending any money on repairs. SeptiCleanse products are available
online at www.septicleanse.com or you can order or learn more by
calling toll free at 1-888-899-8345. If you use the promo code
“PASEP11”, you can get a free shock treatment, added to your order,
which normally costs $169. So, make sure you use that code when
you call or buy online.
spotlight
50th Anniversary Contests
Penn Lines staff
T
mother-in-law was very ill and she had
asked me to make her favorite candy. It
was divinity. I had no idea what it was,
let alone how to make it.
“My husband told me he saw a recipe
for the candy in Penn Lines. Well,
gift card (the winning entry from the
I
looked
and there it was! I had hit the
“Oldest Penn Lines” was published in
jackpot!
February, the winning entry
“So, I followed the recipe
for the “Most Well-Travnn Lines
Pe
and
we took it to my husband’s
eled Penn Lines” was pubmother.
She loved it! She said it
lished in March and the
was
exactly
what she had rememwinning entry for the essay
years
6
1
bered.
Great
job, Penn Lines!
question, “How does Penn
19 6 6-20
“Ever
since
then, the recipes are
Lines help me as a coopa
favorite
part
of
Penn
Lines for me. I
erative member?” was published in
have
gotten
many
delicious
recipes. Keep
April).
it
up!”
Here is Smith’s winning entry:
Dawn Smith —
“My first memory of the Penn Lines
REA
Energy Cooperative
magazine goes back many years. My
his year marks the 50th anniversary of Penn Lines. As part of the anniversary celebration, we asked readers to participate in a number of contests (all
contest entries are now closed). Throughout 2016, we will be printing winning entries, plus selected other entries, in the magazine.
This month’s winning entry — submitted by Dawn Smith, a member of
Indiana-based REA Energy Cooperative
— is for the essay contest answering
the question, “What is your earliest
memory of Penn Lines?” The winning
entry was randomly drawn from all
submissions in that category.
An announcement coming up later
in 2016 will include the winner in the
remaining essay contest: “What Does
Penn Lines Mean to Rural Pennsylvania?” Winning entries from the five
anniversary contests will receive a $50
Here are some of the entries in the “oldest magazine” division:
JULY 1977: Bonnie Miner, a member of Wysox-based Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative,
holds the oldest Penn Lines magazine she has saved. It is from July 1977.
18
| M AY 2 0 1 6
JANUARY 1996: Dean Eichen, a member of Cambridge
Springs-based Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative,
holds a Penn Lines magazine published in January 1996.
Time of tribute
(continued from page 10)
some young man, Robert was known
as “Cutie,” and the family still tells of
how he carried his 3-year-old cousin,
Doris, to the house from a swimming
hole after she hit her head, and the
time he totaled his new car, bought a
new one that was a different color, and
convinced his mother he had simply
repainted the old car so she wouldn’t
find out about the accident.
“He sounded like an awesome guy,”
Larry says.
Honor
The state of Pennsylvania has tried
to do its part to keep the memories of
lost service members alive. The bridges
on Highway 830 going to DuBois
Regional Airport are now the “SFC
Michael J. Tully Memorial Bridges,” a
section of Route 233 in Newville has
been designated as the “Army Sgt. Timothy L. Hayslett Memorial Highway”
and a bridge just off Route 53 in Beccaria Township in Clearfield County has
been named the “PFC Bradley Gordon
Kritzer Memorial Bridge.”
Mary Hayslett says it helps to know
her son is being honored.
“If anything, he deserves to be
honored,” she says. “They say it’s the
ultimate sacrifice, and it is. He gave his
life so my youngest son had the opportunity to go into the military. That his
older brother has the freedom to decide
to go work on the railroad. That’s why
he did what he did. And to have him
be honored, it means a lot.”
Despite their loss, many Gold Star
Families continue to serve the military
community. Marilyn Tully is an active
member of Gold Star Mothers, and
Jack Tully, a former soldier, is an American Legion district commander. Guy
Hayslett serves on an honor guard for
military funerals, many for those who
were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Once you take the oath, you never
give it back,” he says.
“The big thing is,” says Jack Tully,
“we have and we’re going to continue to
be as positive as we can about this. You
know, carry on. We have an opportunity
WORLD WAR II HERO: Army Pfc. Robert E. Engle, a medic in the 377th Parachute Field Artillery, was
killed on D-Day, June 6, 1944, which he references in one of his last letters home as “the big day.”
to make something positive out of this.
We try to, and we have since the beginning. We’ve always tried to stay positive
about it, to tell people about our sons,
| M AY 2 0 1 6
what they’ve done. We never want anything negative to come out of it.”
“It’s not about the war,” he says. “It’s
about the warriors.” l
19
Boalsburg remembers
Pennsylvania town home to first Memorial Day
By Kathy Hackleman
Senior Editor/Writer
B
oalsburg, a community of fewer than 4,000 residents,
is so close to State College, yet removed from the
major highways, that it often is overlooked by the
casual passersby. But, for veterans, people with an interest
in history or anyone who loves the charm of “Small Town,
USA,” it’s impossible to ignore the area that lays claim to
being the birthplace of Memorial Day.
WE REMEMBER: Members of the 28th Infantry Division of the
Pennsylvania Army National Guard gather every year in May to remember
the division’s fallen members and to reflect on the service of all past and
present military personnel.
28th Infantry Division Public Affairs
Local historians credit three Boalsburg ladies for beginning
the national celebration of Memorial Day. (Other communities also claim credit for this, but documents showing that in
1864, Boalsburg residents Emma Hunter, Sophie Keller and
Elizabeth Myers placed flowers on the graves of two fallen
soldiers provide enough background that residents can legitimately continue to make their case for being the first.)
Today, women dressed in period costumes re-create the
ceremony of laying flowers in the Boalsburg Cemetery every
Memorial Day. They also walk in the annual parade, held at 5
p.m. on the Saturday before Memorial Day.
While important, Boalsburg’s connection to remembering
fallen service members extends beyond the first Memorial
Day, says Doug Roles, Valley Rural Electric Cooperative’s
manager of member services and a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
“Ever since 1919, members of the 28th Infantry Division
have gathered in mid-May for a memorial service at the 28th
Division Shrine on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Military
Museum,” Roles says. “It’s a moving ceremony that honors
the Iron Division’s fallen and provides an opportunity for
reflection on the service of all our soldiers, past and present.”
The National Guard ceremony annually kicks off remembrances and celebrations that extend through Memorial Day
in Boalsburg.
Originally known as Springfield, Boalsburg was renamed
20
| M AY 2 0 1 6
by a vote of its residents in 1820 as a way to honor the Boal
family. According to local history, the first Boals moved to
the area in the late 1700s. Born in 1867, Theodore Davis Boal
went on to study in Paris, where he met his wife. The couple
returned to central Pennsylvania in 1898 and purchased land
in Centre County. As fighting escalated in Europe during the
early years of World War I, both Theodore Davis Boal and his
the ladies of 1864: In re-enactment ceremonies, Boalsburg resident
May Fisher portrays Elizabeth Myers, one of the three women who are
credited with beginning what would become national Memorial Day ceremonies around the country when in 1864 they laid flowers at the graves
of family members who had died in the Civil War. The sculpture honors
Myers, Emma Hunter and Sophie Keller.
son volunteered overseas — the elder Boal donating money
and materials to French hospitals and the younger Boal joining the French cavalry.
Upon his return to Pennsylvania in 1916, Theodore Davis
Boal set out to form a horse-mounted machine gun troop —
Boal Troop — that could assist the National Guard if, as he
anticipated, the U.S. became involved in the war. Boal’s prediction came true, and eventually his troop served overseas
with the 28th Division, with 12 men killed in action.
Those fallen heroes were remembered at the first memorial
service held in 1919 at the shrine that is now a part of the
Pennsylvania Military Museum complex. The annual event,
known as “A Celebration of Service: Honoring Pennsylvania’s Veterans,” is open to the public. It includes exhibits,
a military band concert and a 21-gun howitzer salute. This
year’s event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May
22, with the formal ceremony to begin at 12:30 p.m.
Along with the shrine, the museum, located at 51 Boal
Avenue (just off Business Route 322/Pennsylvania 28th
Division Highway east of State College), is also located on
part of the original Boal estate. Construction on the military
museum began in 1967, and it opened to the public in May
1969. Originally planned to tell the story of the citizen soldiers in the National Guard, the museum has been renovated
and upgraded a number of times, and now honors all service
branches and conflicts since the 1700s, with special emphasis on the 20th century. Since 1957, it has been a part of the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
In addition to the National Guard ceremony, the museum
also hosts a number of other events throughout the year,
including “World War II Revisited,” an encampment of Axis
and Allied re-enactors on the grounds of the museum every
Memorial Day weekend. This year’s events, scheduled for
May 28-29, include displays of vehicles, uniforms and equipment with a tactical patrol demonstration at 12:45 p.m. each
day and a canteen show at 2:30 p.m. on May 28.
World War I is remembered each year in April with a similar encampment by living historians, and the Vietnam War
will be revisited this year on July 23-24 with an immersive
experience into the Southeast Asian conflict set in 1968-69.
U.S. military conflicts that took place between the 18th and
21st centuries will be highlighted Sept. 10 and 11 this year,
with re-enactors from each era.
Boalsburg’s focus on remembering the nation’s fallen service members includes a five-day celebration held annually
over the Memorial Day holiday. Weekend activities include a
carnival sponsored by the Boalsburg Fire Company, scheduled this year from May 26-30.
The annual observance ends with the Memorial Day Festival on May 30, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with food,
music, craft vendors and two Civil War battle re-enactments
at the historic Boal Mansion. The annual Memorial Day Service begins at 6 p.m. May 30 with a community walk to the
cemetery where flowers first decorated veterans’ graves more
than 150 years ago. The ceremony there takes place near the
life-sized sculpture of three women laying flowers at a grave.
“Boalsburg is a small community, but it goes all out to honor our country’s fallen heroes every May,” Roles notes.
For more information about museum activities, schedules
and admission fees, visit www.pamilmuseum.org or call
814-466-6263. l
WWII REVISITED: The Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg annually hosts the “World War II Revisited” encampment of re-enactors every
Memorial Day weekend. The event also includes displays of uniforms, vehicles and equipment.
| M AY 2 0 1 6
21
Classified Advertisements
ISSUE MONTH AD DEADLINE
July 2016 May 18
August 2016 June 17
September 2016 July 19
Penn Lines classified advertisements reach nearly 166,000 rural Pennsylvania households! Please note
ads must be received by the due date to be included in the requested issue month. Ads received beyond
the due date will run in the next available issue. Written notice of changes and cancellations must be received 30 days prior to the issue month. Classified ads will not be accepted by phone, fax or email. For
more information please contact Michelle M. Smith at 717-233-5704.
Please submit a clearly written or typed
sheet with the following required information:
o Cooperative members should please submit the mailing
label from Penn Lines as proof of membership.
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and email address, if applicable.
o Month(s) in which the ad is to run.
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(additional fee). See below for FREE heading options.
FREE Headings:
• Around the House
• Business Opportunities
• Employment Opportunities
• Gift & Craft Ideas
• Livestock & Pets
• Miscellaneous
• Motor Vehicles & Boats
• Nursery & Garden
• Real Estate
• Recipes & Food
• Tools & Equipment
• Vacations & Campsites
• Wanted to Buy
“AA” ROOFING
EXPERTS IN HARD-TO-FIND LEAKS! Roof
repairs – all types. House-barn roofs painted. Slate
work-chimney repairs. Southwestern PA for over
40 years. Speedy service! 814-445-4400.
AROUND THE HOUSE
SPECIAL OFFER – BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR
$12. “Country Cooking” – $5, including postage.
“Recipes Remembered” – $7, including postage.
Both of these cookbooks are a collection of
recipes from men and women of the electric
co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable
to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association,
P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write
Attention: Cookbooks.
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: 814-421-7992.
CARPENTER BEES BE GONE!!! Stops
boring. No chemicals. Bees enter, can’t get out.
Easily dispose of dead bees. Trapped bees are
visible. Traps dozens of bees. Hang in problem
areas. Treated wood construction. Mounting
hardware included. $25. Buy 4 – free shipping.
Information/order: Email: gburch54@windstream.
net. 814-333-1225.
ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR
HIGH COUNTRY Arts and Crafts Fair. S.B. Elliott
State Park. 140 vendors, food, entertainment. 1/2
mile off I-80, Exit 111 (old 18). All day July 10,
2016. For more information, call 814-765-5667.
BUILDING SUPPLIES
STEEL ROOFING AND SIDING. Over 25
years in business. Several profiles cut to length.
29-and 26-gauge best quality residential roofing
– 40-year warranty. Also, seconds, heavy gauges,
accessories, etc. Installation available. Located
northwestern Pennsylvania. 814-398-4052.
22
CLASSIFIED AD SUBMISSION/RATES
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$20 per month for 30 words or less, plus 50¢ for each additional word.
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$70 per month for 30 words or less, plus $1.50 for each additional word.
Ad in all CAPITAL letters:
Add 20 percent to total cost.
SPECIAL Headings:
$5 for co-op members, $10 for non-members. Fee applies to any heading not
listed under “FREE Headings”, even if the heading is already appearing in Penn
Lines. For ads running a special heading in consecutive months, the fee is a onetime fee of either $5 or $10 for all consecutive insertions.
PAYMENT:
Please make CHECK/MONEY ORDER payable to: PREA/Penn Lines.
Insertion of classified ad serves as proof of publication; no proofs supplied.
SEND COMPLETED AD COPY AND PAYMENT TO:
Penn Lines Classifieds • P.O. Box 1266 • Harrisburg, PA 17108
FACTORY SECONDS of insulation, 4 x 8
sheets, foil back. R-Value 6.5 per inch. Great for
pole buildings, garages, etc. Many thicknesses
available. Also blue board insulation sheets. 814442-6032.
BUSINESS OPORTUNITIES
RESTAURANT: Building, ample parking ground,
all equipment and inventory. Grill and desserts.
Near resort. Faithful clientele. Leave message 814599-7906.
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. 724-7460992 or 814-926-3622.
CONSULTING FORESTRY SERVICES
NOLL’S FORESTRY SERVICES, INC. performs
Timber Marketing, Timber Appraisals, Forest
Management Planning, and Forest Improvement
Work. FREE Timber Land Recommendations. 30
years experience. Call 814-472-8560.
CENTRE FOREST RESOURCES. Forest
Management Services, Wildlife Habitat
Management, Timber Sales, Appraisals. College
educated, professional, ethical foresters working
for you. FREE Timber Consultation. 814-5717130.
COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL with national
acts. Concert at the Caves! Presented by Lazy
Dayz Campground. July 9 & 10, 2016, at Lincoln
Caverns, Huntingdon, Pa. www.facebook.com/
lazydayzcampground or 814-669-9253.
CRANE SERVICE
NEED A LIFT? Crane service for all your lifting
needs. Experienced, fully insured, OwnerOperated and OSHA-certified. Precision Crane
LLC, Linesville, PA 814-282-9133.
| M AY 2 0 1 6
ELECTRIC MOTORS
FARM, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, NEW AND
USED MOTOR SALES. Complete repair facility
with over 30 years experience. Most sizes in stock.
Emergency repair available. Ludwig Electric LLC.
814-948-4471.
EMPLOYment OPPORTUNITies
WANTED: LAY PREACHERS or retired
ministers for periodic messages at Germania
Non-Denominational Church (GNC). Small
congregation in rural Potter County, PA. Desire
mainline evangelical Bible-based background.
20-minute sermons, 10 a.m. service, stipend per
Sunday. Send resume, GNC, 224 Ridge Road,
Galeton, PA 16922.
GIFT AND CRAFT IDEAS
SPECIAL OFFER – BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR
$12. “Country Cooking” – $5, including postage.
“Recipes Remembered” – $7, including postage.
Both of these cookbooks are a collection of
recipes from men and women of the electric
co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable
to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association,
P. O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write
Attention: Cookbooks.
FREE DVDS – “Sunk on Christmas Eve” and
“Coverup: The Sinking of the SS Leopoldville.”
74 men from PA lost. Send $5 shipping to
leopoldville.org, 9 Harvest Way, Angleton, TX
77515.
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 1-26 today! It’s safe, affordable,
and it works. Call 800-557-8477: ID#528390.
90-day money back on first-time orders or call me
724-454-5586. www.mylegacyforlife.net/believeit.
Classified Advertisements
HEALTH INSURANCE
DO YOU HAVE THE BLUES regarding your
health insurance? We cater to rural America’s
health insurance needs. For more information, call
844-591-2797 (PA). Call us regarding Medicare
supplements, too.
LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT
HARRINGTONS EQUIPMENT COMPANY,
475 Orchard Rd., Fairfield, PA 17320. 717642-6001 or 410-756-2506. Lawn & Garden
equipment, Sales – Service – Parts. www.
HarringtonsEquipment.com.
GETTYSBURG RENTAL & OUTDOOR
POWER EQUIPMENT CENTER, 720 York
Rd., Gettysburg, PA 17325. TORO, ECHO,
STIHL Sales & Parts. Contractor & homeowner
equipment rental. Small Engine Repair, all makes/
models. Wedding/Event/Party Rental. 717-3340021. www.gettysburgrentalcenter.com.
LIVESTOCK AND PETS
PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI Puppies – AKC,
adorable, intelligent, highly trainable. Excellent
family choice. Reputable licensed breeder
guaranteed “Last breed you’ll ever own.” 814587-3449.
BEAUTIFUL ALPACA and also agora goat yarn.
Some wool added. Various weights and colors.
All from our own animals. No synthetics. Call Sue
Graver at 717-487-0785.
FENCE INSTALLATION – Rohrs Farms LLC
installs, maintains and repairs all types of livestock
fencing. Contact us now to schedule your
fence project for the spring. 814-279-5167 or
RohrsFarms@yahoo.com.
COLORADO ELK AND MULE DEER HUNT.
Archery and rifle seasons. Late cow hunts. 970858-9555.
LOG CABIN RESTORATIONS
VILLAGE RESTORATIONS & CONSULTING
specializes in 17th and 18th century log, stone
and timber structures. We dismantle, move,
re-erect, restore, construct and consult all over the
country. Period building materials available. Thirty
years experience, fully insured. Call 814-6961379. www.villagerestorations.com.
MISCELLANEOUS
FOR SALE: Buckets, forks, thumbs, grapple
buckets and pallet forks for skid loaders, backhoes
and excavators. Tires for backhoes, rubber tire
loaders and excavators also. Call 814-329-0118.
BARN FOR SALE: Two-story pine and locust
barn. 40’ x 65’. Mailpouch type. 80 years old.
Hand-chopped beams. Needs dismantled. Nanty
Glo, PA. Make offer. 814-659-4014.
FOR SALE 35` x 50` BARN. Good barn boards
and timbers. Warren County. Make offer. Bruce
Ziegler. Tidioute, Pa. 814-484-3483.
MOTORCYCLE-SNOWMOBILE INSURANCE
NURSERY & GARDEN
BEEKEEPING WORKSHOP. May 28 or June
4. McAlevy’s Fort, Pa. Gain hands-on experience
with the hives. $50 per attendee. Visit: www.
tughollowhoney.com or call 814-667-2136.
PENNSYLVANIA HUNTING LAND WANTED
OUR HUNTERS WILL PAY TOP $$$ to hunt
your land. Call for a free base camp leasing
info packet and quote. 866-309-1507. www.
BaseCampLeasing.com.
REAL ESTATE
‘A’ FRAME – 6½ acres, bedroom loft living.
Kitchen, screened porch, decks front and
back, electric heat, wood stove. Clean, tasteful
furnishings. Large storage shed. Sleeper sofa,
two double beds, microwave, dining table, chairs.
717-664-3344.
SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY – 2,800 SF log
home on 68+ acres. 3 bedroom/3 bath. 2-car
attached/2-car detached garage. Asking
$579,000. Available to view after April 1, 2016.
Need prequalification. Call 570-778-6504.
HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Cass Township. 39
acres, fertile farmette, hunting, 2-story, 3 bedrooms,
DR/LR, laundry, sunrooms, modern kitchen and
bath, attic, cement basement, 2-car garage and
sheds. 814-448-3957. 814-643-0688.
BEAUTIFUL CHALET on 3 acres. Two
bedrooms, fully furnished, above New Paris, great
hunting and fishing. Minutes from Blue Knob.
Great views. Gated. Rent or own. Free-standing
fireplace. 724-537-9139.
TIOGA COUNTY, GAINES TOWNSHIP, Shin
Hollow Rd. (1 mile east of Gaines on Rte. 6),
approximately 4 acres wood lot, mountain property,
1 1/2 story home, 1713 SF, glass front, 468.38
SF deck, knotty pine cathedral ceilings, balcony,
LR, DR, walk-thru kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths,
laundry, 4 LP heaters, 2 electric baseboard heaters,
wood stove, 4-car garage with a 5th rear drive-thru
door to shop, security system, water conditioner,
52” crawl space, shed, heated 24` x 44` shop w/2
bays, shooting range. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!
$194,900. 814-435-3547.
RECIPES AND FOOD
SPECIAL OFFER – BOTH COOKBOOKS FOR
$12. “Country Cooking” – $5, including postage.
“Recipes Remembered” – $7, including postage.
Both of these cookbooks are a collection of
recipes from men and women of the electric
co-ops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Payable
to: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, P. O.
Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA 17108. Write Attention:
Cookbooks.
SAWMILLS
USED PORTABLE Sawmills and COMMERCIAL
Sawmill Equipment! Buy/Sell. Call Sawmill
Exchange 800-459-2148. USA and Canada.
www.sawmillexchange.com.
SHAKLEE
FREE SAMPLE Shaklee’s Energy Tea.
Combination red, green and white teas that are
natural, delicious, refreshing, safe. For sample or
more information on tea or other Shaklee Nutrition/
Weight Loss Products: 800-403-3381 or www.
sbarton.myshaklee.com.
TRACTOR PARTS – REPAIR/RESTORATION
ARTHURS TRACTORS, specializing in vintage
Ford tractors, 30-years experience, online
parts catalog/prices, Indiana, PA 15701.
Contact us at 877-254-FORD (3673) or
www.arthurstractors.com.
TRAVEL TRAILER
5th WHEEL 2007 OUTBACK 28.5 FT – 1
slideout, 30,000-Btu furnace, sleeps 6. 15,000
A/C, 8 cu. feet 2-door refrigerator, 3 burner gas
range, hot water tank, 17 ft. awning. Call 814-6832086.
TROUT FISHING
TROUT FISHERMAN. Large selection of
professionally tied flies; 300+ patterns available.
Reasonably priced, outstanding service; all flies
personally tied, no imports. For catalog, email
emerickflies@centurylink.net or call 814-8423571.
VACATIONS AND CAMPSITES
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Florida condo rental.
Two bedrooms, two baths, pool. 200 yards from
beach. NA February. No pets. $500 weekly,
$1,800 monthly. Call 814-635-4020.
RAYSTOWN VACATION HOUSE RENTAL
– Sleeps 11, 4 bedrooms, large dining table,
central A/C, 2 full baths, 2 half baths, linens/
towels provided, boat parking, near boat launch,
$230/night. Visit www.laurelwoodsretreat.com or
call 814-931-6562.
STAY ALL SUMMER AT MY CABIN – Located
3/10 of a mile from Seven Points Bait and Grocery
at Raystown Lake. $2,000 for the entire summer.
Call for details. 301-593-1817.
WANTED TO BUY
TRACTOR OR JEEP. 1940s Empire tractor
or 1940s Willys or Ford Army Jeep. Rusty or
broken down in field OK. 570-395-4127. Email:
ironrider111@yahoo.com.
OLD MUZZLE-LOADING RIFLES, SHOTGUNS,
MUSKETS (needing repairs OK), parts, powder
horns, antler-handled knives, and old camp items.
Octagon steel rods to make barrels. Check your
attic, basement, shop! 610-799-4843.
See what a difference it makes…
Classifieds
For the best INSURANCE RATES call R & R
Insurance Associates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800442-6832 (PA).
| M AY 2 0 1 6
23
countrykitchen
Mix and match
By Janette Hess
B
efore spring gets away from you, treat your family and friends to perfectly
mixed and matched salads. To start, simply mix up one of this month’s easy
dressing recipes. Next, match it with the perfect leafy green. Finally, hand
out the forks, because dinner salad is served!
In recent years, food snobs have tossed iceberg lettuce aside in favor of more exotic offerings. Even so, homemade Blue Cheese Dressing begs to be served over cool,
crisp wedges of iceberg lettuce.
Arugula, also known as salad rocket, is a bright, peppery green that has found its
way into most supermarket produce sections. For a salad that’s delicious but decidedly different, mix baby arugula with Citrusy Dressing and top it with feta cheese,
toasted almonds and sliced red onion. Arugula also adds a pleasing zip to sandwiches and pizzas.
Because ripe, juicy strawberries are abundant at this time of year, match them with
baby spinach and a batch of Strawberry Vinaigrette. Add blueberries, toasted pecans
and sliced onions to the mix, and you have captured the essence of spring in a salad
bowl! l
Blue Cheese Dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
OR additional
2 tablespoons
sour cream and
2 tablespoons
mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh
lemon juice
2 ounces blue cheese,
crumbled and divided
1 tablespoon freshly
snipped chives
1/2 teaspoon
Worcestershire sauce
3-4 drops hot pepper
sauce
Freshly ground pepper
to taste
Citrusy Dressing
1 tablespoon fresh
lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime
juice
3 tablespoons orange
juice
1/2 cup extra virgin
olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon
mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried
thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
to taste
Strawberry Vinaigrette
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup red wine
vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
4 large, ripe
strawberries, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon paprika
24
1/4 teaspoon
Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion
powder
1 teaspoon poppy
seeds (optional)
| M AY 2 0 1 6
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.
Using hand mixer or small blender, combine sour
cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice and
1 ounce blue cheese crumbles. Mix until smooth. Fold
in remaining blue cheese crumbles, chives, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and freshly ground
pepper. Chill several hours to allow flavors to blend.
Makes approximately 1 cup dressing.
Serving suggestion: Spoon dressing over iceberg
lettuce wedges. Top with crisp, crumbled bacon and
additional blue cheese.
Whisk together all ingredients and serve immediately.
Chill any leftover dressing, but return to room temperature before serving again. Makes approximately 3/4 cup
dressing.
Serving suggestion: Toss baby arugula or baby spinach
with desired amount of dressing. Top with crumbled
feta cheese, toasted almonds and thinly sliced red
onion.
Combine all ingredients, except poppy seeds, in blender
or food processor. Blend until smooth. Stir in poppy
seeds, if desired. Serve immediately. Chill leftovers.
Makes approximately 1 cup dressing.
Serving suggestion: Toss baby spinach and sliced
strawberries with desired amount of dressing. Add
blueberries, toasted pecans and sliced green or red
onion. For extra flavor, sprinkle with crumbled feta or
blue cheese.
powerplants
Super flowers: the best of the
best annuals
By George Weigel
T
he arrival of another frost-free
season means the coast is clear
to plant our 2016 crop of annual flowers.
Annuals are transients that live their
entire existence in one season. You
plant them in spring, they bloom their
heads off all summer, then they croak
in fall’s freeze.
“Why bother?” you may ask. After
all, don’t plenty of perennial flowers
come back year after year in Pennsylvania’s climate?
Yeah, but most perennials bloom
four to six weeks of the year, while
most annuals bloom non-stop from the
day you plant them until the day you
yank them.
The caliber of annuals’ floral show
also is generally a notch or two above
most perennials.
In other words, you get a lot in
return for the work and expense of
replanting each year.
Whether you plant in the ground
or pots, today’s annuals are light years
ahead of what Grandma could buy.
Growers are producing some super
performers that bloom fuller, bloom
longer, and fend off bugs, disease and
weather better than ever.
This year, check out some of the
best on today’s market:
Euphorbia. 10- to 18-inch-tall
rounded plants put out baby’s-breathlike clusters of white or pale pink.
They look dainty, but they’re bullet-proof in heat and drought. Diamond Frost, Breathless Blush and the
Stardust series are especially good.
(Sun to light shade.)
Angelonia. Another dainty-looker,
angelonias resemble orchids or snapdragons with their 12- to 18-inch
spikes of purple, lavender, pink or
pretty petunias: Petunias are among the
most popular annuals due to their showy blooms.
white. Serena and AngelMist are excellent lines. (Sun to light shade.)
Begonia Dragon Wing. Unlike small
wax begonias that come in cheapie
six-packs, Dragon Wings flourish into
arching 2- to 3-foot-wide beauties with
glossy leaves, reddish stems and drooping flowers of red or pink. They’re
especially nice in hanging baskets. The
Big and Whopper series also are excellent. (Sun or shade.)
Coleus. Now that downy mildew
disease has made it difficult to grow
impatiens, coleus is your go-to shade
annual. These are grown for their
brightly colored foliage — primarily
burgundy, gold, lime and green. They
come in sizes from 10 inches to 2 feet
tall, and most newer ones do sun as
well as full shade.
Petunias. Take a new look if you
think these get “leggy” or peter out
in mid-season. Most new petunias
clean themselves and churn out so
many flowers all along their stems that
they’re nearly covered with color all
| M AY 2 0 1 6
season. Supertunias are superb, but
you won’t go wrong with most in the
Potunia, Whispers, Surfinia or Wave
series. (Sun to light shade.)
Zinnia. Check out new types of this
old favorite that are both more compact (12 to 18 inches tall) and more
mildew-resistant than older zinnias.
Most come in orange, red, yellow and
gold. The Profusion and Zahara series
are best. (Sun.)
Vinca. These aren’t a staple of shopping-center parking-lot islands for no
reason. Annual vincas are survivors in
heat, sun and not-so-good soil. They
grow 12 to 15 inches tall and come
in red, pink, rose, lavender or white.
Nirvana, Titan and Cora are top types.
(Sun.)
Blue salvia. Almost as durable as
vinca, blue salvias grow 15 to 18
inches tall and produce pollinatorattracting spikes of purple-blue, bluegray, or bicolor white and blue. (Sun
to light shade.)
Ornamental peppers. These little
hot peppers are grown mainly for their
colorful leaves (purple, lavender, variegated or nearly jet black), their white
or lavender flowers, and their showy
fruits of red, black or yellow. Calico,
Purple Flash and Black Pearl are three
of the best. (Full sun.)
Persian shield. This tropical is a
guaranteed head-turner for its impressive foliage — a blend of metallic purple and silver. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall
and wide. (Part shade to shade.) l
George Weigel is a Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist,
author of two books geared to
gardening in Pennsylvania, and
garden columnist for The Patriot-News/Pennlive.com in Harrisburg. His website is http://
georgeweigel.net.
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punchlines
One-star family looks at four-star
summer vacation
By Earl Pitts, American
W
e are at that time of year where everybody is plannin’ a summer vacation. This is that time most known for puttin’ on a swimmin’ suit and
gettin’ sunburned at some exotic vacation spot somewheres. But millions and millions of regular Americans are just plannin’ to take a mini-vacation to
someplace not too far away from home.
Well, we’ve never even done that,
on account of we’re poor. But that
don’t stop my better half, Pearl, from
dreamin’. Sometimes it’s like she thinks
our last name is Rockefeller.
Anyways, I come home last night,
and she wants to show me this hotel
on the computer. She says she has
found a four-star resort in New Jersey, a resort not too far from home
that actually has a waffle buffet on the
beach every morning. And she says
there are four-star bungalows where
the price includes a daily spa treatment
— at no extra charge. I mean, the
woman is pretty hepped up.
I says, “Pearl, you’re forgettin’ one
thing.”
She says, “Yeah, I know. We’re poor
and you’re boring.”
And I go, “No. You’re lookin’ at fourstar vacations, and we are — on our best
days — one- to two-star people.”
You take the Pittses, on a good day,
one- to maybe one-and-a-half-star people, and put them in a four-star hotel,
and well, it’s bound to get awkward.
I remember one time we stayed overnight at a Holiday Inn Express, and the
breakfast buffet lady made a big scene,
askin’ Pearl to take the extra doughnuts out of her purse before we left.
Then there was one time when we
was at the Marriott pool all day, enjoyin’ the cuss out of the water, and
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they throwed us out. Yeah. Something
about the pool being open for guests
only, and not the people staying at the
cheap hotel down the road.
Generally speakin’, this family does
not stay at four-star resorts, where they
have free, freshly baked cookies when
you check in, a spa center, a Friday
night pizza buffet and an infinity pool
with jacuzzi. We’re more apt to stay
where they advertise “Color TV” and
“We spray for roaches every day!”
Wake up, America. We might still go
somewheres this summer, but we ain’t
gonna be checkin’ into the room next
to the Mr. Bill Gates family.
I
saw this story on the computer the
other day, and now I know what
my problem with workin’ is. The
story was about how to tell when it’s
time to change jobs. And they said that
it’s when the Sunday Night Blues start
getting to you.
They said the Sunday Night Blues is
when the weekend is almost over and
you start gettin’ depressed and anxious
and upset because you know Monday
morning is comin’, and that means the
work week is startin’. They said when
you get the Sunday Night Blues every
Sunday night, it’s time to start lookin’
for another job.
That’s when I realized that I have
had the Sunday Night Blues since the
| M AY 2 0 1 6
first week I was in kindergarten. And
I’m not the only one. You come into
the Duck Inn on a Sunday night about
6 p.m. I have seen happier people at
funerals. Everybody’s in there gettin’
one last drink and some of that fried
food that everybody says ain’t good for
you before they got to straighten up for
Monday morning.
Sunday night’s a whole different
atmosphere than your Friday night.
Your Friday night is an anticipatory
“anything can happen” excitin’ evening out. On Sunday night, you know
another worthless week is comin’.
Wake up, America! The fact is, people are wrong when they say the weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Saturday
and Sunday isn’t even the real weekend.
The real “weekend” starts on Friday
when you punch out at work and it
lasts until Sunday afternoon when
NASCAR is over. And then, it’s time to
let the Sunday Night Blues commence.
I have wept at my share of checkered
flags. Pearl used to think it was because
the race was over, but it’s more than
that. The weekend is over, too. l
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 BurnhamLewistown. You can also find him at earlpittsamerican.com.
ruralreflections
Celebrate ‘The Merry Month of May’
S
pring is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy
the weather, and to take some photos for the Rural
Reflections contest.
Amateur photographers are encouraged to send photos
to Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg PA
17108-1266. Include name, address, phone number and
the name of your electric cooperative. 2016 winners in
each of five categories — artistic, landscape, human,
animal, and editor’s choice — will receive $75 and
runners-up will receive $25.
Please send summer photos by mid-May; fall photos by
July and winter photos by September (hint: save your spring
photos for next year). We will return photos in early 2017
if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. l
Paul Fedornak
REA Energy
Fay Serbian
REA Energy
hfield
Megan Critc
EC
R
t
se
Somer
Marge Banker
Warren EC
| M AY 2 0 1 6
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