Earl Pitts’ Writer to Retire ��

DECEMBER 2020

THE MAGAZINE YOU COME HOME TO Need for know-how Education trends show skilled labor shortages continuing

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Pricing, promotions, and availability may vary by location and at www.harborfreight.com and are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right to limit quantities. “Compare 1,100+ to” advertised price means that the speciﬁ ed comparison, which is an item with the same or similar function, was advertised for sale at or above the “Compare to” price by another national retailer in the U.S. within the past 90 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare to” should be implied. Although we make *Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 1/15/21. every effort to assure that our prices and products are advertised as accurately as possible, we are only human and in the event an error is made, we reserve the right to correct it.

hft_pennlines_1220_M-REG169196.indd 1 10/22/20 2:20 PM SAVE 89% SUPER COUPON Shop When You Need To Online & In-Store WOW (7293 ) SUPER COUPON SUPER COUPON SUPER COUPON (3105) ( 923 ) #1 SELLING JACKS IN AMERICA ® 20% YOUR CHOICE OF COLOR DECEMBER 2020 4 KEEPING CURRENT $ 99 $ 99 ANY SINGLE EDITOR 2 89 ITEM* the Commonwealth $ 99 $ 10499 Peter A. Fitzgerald 3 WOW! * 83758365 * SENIOR EDITOR/WRITER SUPPLIES LIMIT 3 $ 99 83 7 5 8 3 6 5 LAST ¢ 6 ENERGY MATTERS 2 Limit 1 coupon per customer per day. Save 20% on any 1 item purchased. *Cannot be Katherine Hackleman Compare to Hardware sold separately. used with other discount, coupon or any of the following items or brands: Inside Track ITEM 57593 Upgrade electronics for Non-medical. ITEM 58065 Compare to Save Titan 63 Club membership, Extended Service Plan, gift card, open box item, 3 day Parking Lot Save $ 11194 Sale item, compressors, ﬂ oor jacks, power stations, safes, storage cabinets, chests or ASSOCIATE EDITOR Compare to Powerbuilt carts, trailers, welders, Admiral, Ames, Atlas, Avanti, Bauer, Central Machinery, Cobra, energy savings Fecedy 647593 45 $ 5.99 * 83778288* CoverPro, Daytona, Diamondback, Drummond, Earthquake, Fischer, Hercules, Icon, B01711ZXI4 66% $ 135.27 Jupiter, Lynxx, Poulan, Predator, Tailgator, Viking, Vulcan, Zurich. Not valid on prior Michael T. Crawford * 83765876* * 83768787 * ITEM 62535 / 90566 shown 83 7 7 8 2 8 8 Exp. 1/15/21 * purchases. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 1/15/21. $ 8.99 83 7 6 5 8 7 6 LIMIT 4 - Exp. 1/15/21 * ITEM 56621/56622/56623 / 56624 shown 83 7 6 8 7 8 7 LIMIT 1 - Exp. 1/15/21 * LAYOUT & DESIGN 8 FEATURE: NEED FOR SUPER COUPON SUPER COUPON SUPER COUPON SUPER COUPON W. Douglas Shirk KNOW-HOW 8 (3949) (5591 ) (5248 ) (4270) PRODUCTION COORDINATOR PSI Michelle M. 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Major credit cards are accepted. ITEM 61276/63880 99 $ 99 located at: www.prea.com/penn-lines- ITEM 69602 $ 99 499 ITEM 62431/63882 shown magazine. Penn Lines Online provides an 120 Grit 129 Save ITEM 67636/69604 shown YOUR CHOICE email link to Penn Lines editorial staff, $ Save Compare to 2,285 Save $ 99 $ information on advertising rates, and an Snap-on Save $ 99 19 100 Compare to Blue-Point 88% archive of past issues. Ironton KRA4813FPBO 66% 9 45433 $ 2,735 Compare to Compare to $ 199.99 ITEM 64446 , 64955, 64443, * 83827826* Diablo DCX045080N01F * 83833727 * Husky H2DTWA * 83836794 * * 83839028* 64954, 64281, 64956 83 8 2 7 8 2 6 LIMIT 1 - Exp. 1/15/21 * $8.97 83 8 3 3 7 2 7 LIMIT 4 - Exp. 1/15/21* $ 89.97 83 8 3 6 7 9 4 LIMIT 4 - Exp. 1/15/21 * ITEM 63583/57798 / 63582 shown 83 8 3 9 0 2 8 LIMIT 2 - Exp. 1/15/21 * Member Of:

Pricing, promotions, and availability may vary by location and at www.harborfreight.com and are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right to limit quantities. “Compare 1,100+ to” advertised price means that the speciﬁ ed comparison, which is an item with the same or similar function, was advertised for sale at or above the “Compare to” price by another national retailer in the U.S. within the past 90 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare to” should be implied. Although we make | 3 *Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 1/15/21. every effort to assure that our prices and products are advertised as accurately as possible, we are only human and in the event an error is made, we reserve the right to correct it. DECEMBER 2020

hft_pennlines_1220_M-REG169196.indd 1 10/22/20 2:20 PM KEEPINGCURRENT

News from across the Commonwealth

Hunters encouraged to donate deer Pennsylvania Department of Ag- riculture Secretary Russell Redding joined Hunger-Free Pennsylvania and Hunters Sharing the Harvest in an effort to encourage more than 850,000 licensed hunters in the Common- wealth to donate deer to fellow Penn- sylvanians who might be in need of food this hunting season. “In a year of challenges, Hunters Shar- ing the Harvest is a reliable tradition that offers us some bright light,” Redding said. “It’s a shining example of the good that can happen when public sector support and private sector generosity Hunters interested in participating k Place a 6- to 8-inch piece of reflec- work together to solve a problem.” can take their deer to one of the partic- tive tape on the mailbox to help Redding said that more than ipating deer processors throughout the snowplow operators see it at night. 2 million people in the state face food state and donate any amount of their k Remove snow from around the insecurity, adding, “If you’ve got more venison to the program. mailbox, but avoid throwing it back than one tag, consider using your love For more information on Hunt- onto the road. for the sport to feed others.” ers Sharing the Harvest, becoming a k If the mailbox is located within the Hunters Sharing the Harvest is re- corporate sponsor or donating through legal right-of-way and damage was their Buck for the Pot initiative, visit experienced in the past, homeown- sharedeer.org. ers may want to consider relocating the mailbox. Winterize your mailbox k Make sure the mailbox post is firmly The Pennsylvania Department of supported in the ground. Transportation (PennDOT) is recom- mending all homeowners along rural Even after following these guide- mail routes make sure their mailboxes lines, however, some homeowners are prepared for snowplows during have still experienced mailbox dam- this upcoming winter season. The age. Consider installing a cantilever weight of the snow as it’s plowed can mailbox support that will “swing” wreak havoc on roadside mailboxes, a mailbox out of harm’s way. Plans and since most mailboxes are within for building the cantilever mailbox PennDOT’s legal right-of-way, home- support can be found at PennDOT’s sponsible for the donation, processing owners are responsible for making winter website penndot.gov/winter and distribution of the meat. A single sure their mailboxes can withstand the under the “winter preparation” tab. deer can provide up to 200 meals, and weight of plowed snow, installing them in 2019, the non-profit organization as far beyond the roadway shoulder as Life jackets now mandatory distributed more than 160,000 pounds the postal carrier can reach. Now through April 30, the Pennsylva- of venison, providing 822,000 meals to PennDOT offers these tips to help nia Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) fellow Pennsylvanians. prevent mailbox damage this winter: (continues on page 21)

4 | DECEMBER 2020 | DECEMBER 2020 5 ENERGYMATTERS

Upgrade electronics for energy savings

ooking for easy ways to save more money on your monthly Lenergy bills? Beyond some of the more traditional energy efﬁciency measures, such as sealing air leaks or adding additional insulation, there are several popular electronics that can help you use energy more efﬁciently.

These devices are relatively easy to incorporate into your home, making them a simple way to help manage your energy use.

Smart thermostats are becoming an BEE O C increasingly popular option to help E save energy at home. With smart thermostats, there’s no longer a need to energy at home. With smart thermostats there’s no longer a need to constantly adjust the tempera constantly adjust the temperature. They can be programmed to follow a pattern longer than necessary. Some smart energy monitors that provide several of heating and cooling throughout the plug models have a scheduling option, different benefits. Some models can day and year to maximize your comfort allowing you to turn on lights or turn show you real-time electricity use and and energy use. Some advanced smart off the TV at certain times of the day. costs, while some can help create a thermostats can even learn your habits Others offer a dimming function, personalized plan for energy efficiency. and adjust the temperature accordingly. allowing you to change the bright- Most home energy monitors can be Another great benefit is the ability to ness of lights plugged into the smart connected through a smartphone app, control a smart thermostat remotely plug. These features can be controlled which can send notifications, warn from an app on your phone, allowing through an app on your phone, and about abnormal energy use and pro- you to set the temperature to your some models also have voice-con- vide tips for further energy savings. liking before you even arrive home. trolled options when connected to a These simple devices can help you Lastly, some smart thermostats can be smart home hub. save a little more energy each month. integrated with a smart home hub, like Another useful gadget is the home Considering what your needs are will Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Smart energy monitor, which helps you mon- help you choose a device with the thermostats can be pricey upfront, but itor home energy use and set energy appropriate features. As with any new if it’s time to upgrade your home’s ther- budgets. If your goal is to reduce your product, do some homework first to mostat, smart options offer more con- energy use at home, energy monitors determine which device suits your venience and savings that make them can give you the information you home best. l worth the initial investment. need to achieve this goal. They are Maria Kanevsky is a program analyst If you’re looking for ways to save connected to your electric meter and for the National Rural Electric Coopera- energy on a budget, consider smart provide a big picture of your home’s tive Association, the national trade asso- plugs. Smart plugs can be inserted energy use. Additionally, some home ciation representing more than 900 local into any standard electrical outlet and energy monitors can show which electric cooperatives. From growing sub- can help you manage the energy of appliances are using the most energy, urbs to remote farming communities, elec- the devices that are plugged in. With giving you the knowledge on which tric co-ops serve as engines of economic control of the smart plug, you can stop devices to cut down on. There are also development for 42 million Americans power-hungry devices from being on a few additional features among home across 56% of the nation’s landscape.

6 | DECEMBER 2020 ADVERTISEMENT Drug Companies Fear Release of the New AloeCure Big Pharma stands to lose billions as doctors’ recommend drug-free “health cocktail” that adjusts and corrects your body’s health conditions. by David Waxman HELPS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO CALM body’s ability to break down and absorb Seattle Washington: INFLAMMATION calcium. Aloe delivers calcium as it aids in Drug company execs are nervous. That’s According to a leading aloe research, when balancing your stomach acidity. The result? because the greatest health advance in correctly processed for digesting, the Aloe Thicker, healthier looking hair…more youth- decades has hit the streets. And analysts plant has a powerful component for regulat- ful looking skin… And nails so strong they expect it to put a huge crimp in “Big Pharma” ing your immune system called Acemannan. may never break again. profts. So whether it’s damage that is physical, bac- SAVE YOUR KIDNEY So what’s all the fuss about? 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But A night without sleep really damages not the same aloe vera that mom used to apply This special give-away is available for the to your cuts, scrapes and burns. This is a perfect your body. And continued lost sleep can lead to all sorts of health problems. But what next 48-hours only. All you have to do is call strain of aloe that is organically grown under TOLL-FREE 1-800-338-6024 and provide the very strict conditions. AloeCure is so powerful you may not realize is the reason why you’re not sleeping. Some call it “Ghost Refux”. A operator with the Free Bottle Approval Code: it begins to beneft your health the instant you JC025. The company will do the rest. take it. It soothes intestinal discomfort and you low-intensity form of acid refux discomfort can avoid the possibility of bone and health that quietly keeps you awake in the back- Important: Due to AloeCure’s recent damage caused by overuse of digestion drugs. ground. AloeCure helps digestion so you may media exposure, phone lines are often busy. If We all know how well aloe works externally fnd yourself sleeping through the night. you call and do not immediately get through, on cuts, scrapes and burns. But did you know please be patient and call back. Those who Acemannan has many of other health bene- CELEBRITY HAIR, SKIN & NAILS miss the 48 hour deadline may lose out on fts?... Certain antacids may greatly reduce your this free bottle offer.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. ALL DOCTORS MENTIONED ARE REMUNERATED FOR THEIR SERVICES. ALL CLINICAL STUDIES ON ALOECURE’S ACTIVE INGREDIENT WERE INDEPENDENTLY CONDUCTED AND WERE NOT SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN GLOBAL HEALTH GROUP. NEED FOR KNOW-HOW Education trends show skilled labor shortages continuing

Associate Editor

8 | DECEMBER 2020 | DECEMBER 2020 rom kitchen sinks to fuse boxes, power lines to water mains, our homes and businesses are ﬁlled with and sur- rounded by the fruits of skilled labor. Skilled labor requires education and training. And while a push for education has always been present, that push has largely focused on a col- Flege degree in recent decades. As more high school graduates go on to pursue a college education, employers have found there aren’t enough skilled laborers to go around.

“It’s been something I personally have tried to change in the mindset of parents and kids,” explains Brock Edwards, a member of Wysox-based Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) and secondary school counselor at Wyalusing Junior-Senior High School. “Even though we come from a very skilled labor force area, parents and even kids still have that mindset of needing to go on and get some sort of four-year degree.” Seth Glover, a member of Huntingdon-based Valley REC and journeyman lineman for the cooperative, was one student who felt the pressure to seek a college education, and that pressure didn’t just come from his parents, his teachers, or his peers. It came from all of them — and from himself. “My parents wanted me to go to college, there was persuasion from my friends, and my girlfriend at the time was going to college,” recalls Glover, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. “I felt like I needed to further my education to get a better-paying job.”

Pieces of the puzzle Historically, earning a college degree seemed to be a clear choice when aiming for a better salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the end of the 20th century, men and women with college degrees earned, respectively, approximately 62% and 65% more in hourly compensation than did those with only a high school degree. “Even being a skilled laborer, you still need to have those people who are available to do those other jobs that take that college degree — information technology, accounting, things like that,” says Justin Sullivan, a journeyman lineman for Cambridge Springs-based North- western REC, who was recognized by the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association last year for his community service with the Winston Donaldson Community Service Award. “If they aren’t there, that doesn’t do any good for the skilled laborers. I think it’s all pieces of the puzzle. Everybody goes together, works together for a common goal.” That puzzle comes with an important ratio. According to “Suc- cess in the New Economy,” a video presentation on skilled labor and education produced by Dr. Kevin J. Fleming and funded by Citrus College, for every job requiring a master’s degree, there are two jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree and seven jobs requiring either a spe- cialized associate degree or industry certiﬁcation — technical jobs, or skilled labor. “That’s something that has always been there,” says Edwards, who has been a school counselor for 23 years. “When I got into school

| DECEMBER 2020 9 wanted to go to college, if you went to vo-tech, you still had a trade you could always fall back on. I just rather would go do a trade and not have that four years of college debt and have to try to pay that back.” A recent Move.org study ranked Y REC E the Commonwealth as the ﬁfth-most ALL V

S, expensive education in the nation E with in-state tuition averaging $23,618 based on public and private colleges that offer bachelor’s degrees and high- Y DOUG ROL B er. According to the U.S. Department

DED of Education, the average student loan OVI R

P debt in the United States was more than $35,000 as of December 2019. In Pennsylvania, the average student loan debt was just over $34,000. Across justice degree around the time the Pennsylvania State Police was in a hiring freeze. the country, borrowers owe a total of counseling, 60-70% of the kids should suggestion of simply going to college, $1.64 trillion of student loan debt. have been entering a skilled trade or Pennsylvania educators help guide But the 21st century seems to be labor or training when they left school. students to decide what path makes continuing the same trend as the That’s no different today — the same the most sense for them through the 20th. According to the Pennsylvania amount of kids should be entering Chapter 339 Plan. Department of Education, career and those types of skills.” “Chapter 339 is a state initiative technical education enrollments at He adds, “Somebody has to do the where you’re implementing a career the high school level decreased from plumbing, the electrical work, the plan for students through a process 77,540 students in the 2007-08 school HVAC. Somebody has to ﬁx the car, of certain [benchmarks] that students year to 67,248 students in the 2017-18 perform dental hygiene. We need all have to achieve from third grade school year, dipping as low as 64,110 these people, and they’re probably a through 11th grade,” Edwards ex- bigger part of the functioning of our plains. “Every eighth-grader has to society than the 20% who are the have a career plan and portfolio in a transformer. Sullivan joined the cooperative professionals. Not that they don’t add place by the end of their eighth-grade to it, but the skilled labor is the thing year. It’s not like they’re locked into ployed electrician for a year after high school. that makes our country work on a that career in eighth grade, but it’s a day-to-day basis.” focus-driven approach. It’s quite different from what I went through in high Changing trends school where they just asked, ‘Well, Over the course of the 20th century, uh, what do you like?’ They go over high school graduation rates increased entrepreneurship with the kids and from 14% to 83%, and college gradu- retention of careers now.” ation rates increased from 3% to 25%. Sullivan, who honed his skills By comparison, according to data from through two years of an electrical the National Center for Education occupations class offered by Crawford Statistics, emphasis on vocational County Career & Technical Center, studies decreased. From 1982-1992, always focused on working with his the percentage of vocational credits hands. Before taking a position at the earned by public high school grad- cooperative nearly 16 years ago, he uates decreased from 21% to 16% was a self-employed electrician. of total credits earned. In 1999, 9.6 “I remember I graduated on a Thurs- million students were enrolled in a day, and I went to work on Friday,” trade school, compared to 13.2 million Sullivan recalls. “I was in the top per- students enrolled in traditional, four- centage of my class academic wise, but year colleges around the same time. I never really thought that college was To help move away from the general for me. My big thing was even if you

10 | DECEMBER 2020 students in the 2011-12 school year. “Those numbers are driven by student enrollment,” Edwards explains. “Credits ebb and ﬂow depending on how many kids I have enrolled in the school. If I have 130 kids in a class, that means I can send more kids to the vocational school because we’re N REC bidding for spots at that vocational ER ST school.” E THW R O Finding opportunities N The bigger issue, Edwards argues, is A KING, a resource shortage. D IN L

“One problem we have in a rural Y B community is we’re stretched really thin in vocational opportunities as far DED OVI R as training programs,” he says. “We P have one vocational school that services Bradford County, and it services Sullivan County also. We used to have a teacher who was dedicated to recalls Glover, who graduated college electrical field,” says Joe Selnekovic, co-ops and apprenticeship programs. at the same time as the Pennsylvania PREA JT&S manager and environ- We used to have three shop teachers, State Police was in a hiring freeze. mental adviser. “They’re able to better three business teachers and a home “I applied for a grant through Duke recognize potential hazards and help economics teacher. We don’t have a Energy, and I was awarded a schol- their fellow lineworkers solve routine home economics teacher anymore. We arship to learn to become a lineman. problems in different ways.” have two shop teachers, but one has I worked as a contractor for a while While college enrollment doesn’t other duties to fulfill, and our business with Duke, then applied to work at the appear to be declining, many Ameri- teachers are down to one.” co-op.” cans are coming around to the idea of But high school isn’t the last chance He adds, “I don’t regret going to col- learning a trade, even if it means wait- to make a decision to pick up a trade. lege. I pay for student loans — mine ing until after high school. According “I knew a guy who did line work, and my wife’s — but I was investing in to the National Center for Education and I thought it would be interesting,” myself with education. Even though Statistics, by 2014, 16 million stu- I’m not using it [his degree], I think dents were enrolled in a trade school, investing in further education is al- compared to 17.1 million enrolled in ways a good choice.” college nationwide. In a partnership between the Penn- “As someone who’s been through sylvania Rural Electric Association college and blue-collar jobs, I’m (PREA), Harrisburg Area Community starting to see a transition in pay and College (HACC) and participating opportunities in the working field,” Pennsylvania electric cooperatives, ap- Glover notes. “I’m starting to see prentice lineworkers have the oppor- a lot of these blue-collar jobs have tunity to earn an associate in applied outstanding pay. Not just line work, science degree in technology studies. but electricians, plumbers, HVAC … N REC

ER After successfully completing the They’re making great wages.” ST E PREA Job Training & Safety (JT&S) Sullivan agrees.

THW schools, journeyman lineworkers can “If you pick up a trade, you can R O

N pursue the degree through HACC by make good money, have good beneﬁts completing general education credits and provide a good living for your A KING,

D and major credits in their technology family down the road,” he says. “You’ll IN L studies program. be able to retire. You won’t have to Y B “It makes lineworkers more pro- struggle to ﬁnd a job because there DED motable by familiarizing them in the are a lot of people looking for skilled OVI R P theory behind the work they do in the trades.” l

| DECEMBER 2020 11 TIMELINES Your Newsmagazine Through the Years

1990

2010 Memories of a young outdoorsman’s first Buck knife include the first flint-struck fire it started.

2000 Featuring cover art “REA At Last” by Pamela Renfroe, Penn Lines shows concern for community is “business as usual” for local electric co-ops.

enn Lines featured the Pennsylvania Farm Show’s 75th year in 1990 with the history of an event that celebrates a P$35 billion agricultural industry in the state. It helps 1980 farmers see the newest in farm equipment and technology before Penn Lines focuses making spring decisions, and lets 4-H and FFA students show off on the benefits and their abilities to work to create a top product. Within five years of costs of environ- mental regulation, William Penn’s landing, he had organized a Philadelphia Fair to and the balance highlight farm products. The Philadelphia Society for Promoting between protecting Agriculture took over in 1785 and encouraged agricultural shows the environment and across the state. From 1900-1915, a growing number of statewide promoting a switch agricultural organizations began holding their annual meetings in to coal. Harrisburg in January. In January 1913, a joint evening meeting of farm associations in Harrisburg was devoted to the proposal of a state fair. In 1915, the State Agriculture Board pointed to a “growing necessity” to hold an agricultural fair under state control. 1970 Now the annual Farm Show boasts over 6,000 animals, Pennsylvania Rural hundreds of exhibitors and vendors, hundreds of contests and Electric Association demonstrations, and a 1,000-pound butter sculpture. Celebrat- officers (pictured) ing its 105th year, the Pennsylvania Farm Show will take place and members meet with legislators and from Jan. 9-16, 2021, with the theme “Cultivating Tomorrow.” lobbyists at the asso- Because of the pandemic, the event will take place virtually ciation’s 28th annual and will focus on education and awareness for both the general meeting in Carlisle. public and the agriculture industry.

12 | DECEMBER 2020 COOPERATIVECONNECTION Tri-County From the President & CEO Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

2020 a year of achievements, TRI-COUNTY REC despite its challenges By Craig Eccher

One of 14 electric cooperatives serving Pennsylvania and New Jersey WITH THE END of a very challenging next four years. year at hand, it is an excellent time to The fiber infrastructure we’ve been reflect on the past 12 months and think building across our service territory not Tri-County REC about changes coming in 2021. only helps bridge the digital divide for As you know, 2020 was far from our members, it is allowing us to design a typical year for any of us. Here at a smarter electric network that will Tri-County, we spent a lot of time result in reduced outage hours and im- trying to navigate our way through the proved reliability for our membership. COVID pandemic by modifying our We’ve also worked diligently to operating procedures and educating improve reliability by expanding our our workforce. vegetation management program to We also worked with many members keep our rights of way clear and by tar- experiencing hardship during these fi- geting dying and dead ash trees located nancially challenging times by extend- just off our rights of way for removal BOARD OF DIRECTORS ing payment arrangements and offering when they pose a threat to our electric Gerald “Arnie” A. Kriner assistance through our expanded lines. About 35% to 40% of the outages Chairman Valery J. Robbins Family in Need fund. we experience are caused by trees, so Vice Chairman I am pleased to report that, even effective right-of-way management is Lowell W. Geiser with the unprecedented hurdles of the critical to reliable electric service. Secretary/Treasurer past year, 2020 has turned out to be a Pole replacements dominated our Alfred G. Calkins very successful year for your cooper- system improvement program this year, James R. Davis ative, in terms of safety, reliability and and since January, we have replaced Nicholas Reitter Jerome Sasala operational achievements. almost 1,000 poles across our service Alston A. Teeter We also had a solid year financial- region. Matthew S. Whiting ly, and I am happy to announce that Finally, we secured property between Craig Eccher your cooperative’s board of directors Mansfield and Wellsboro this year that President & CEO has approved the return of $750,000 will house a new headquarters building in capital credits to the membership. for Tri-County and Tri-Co Connec- Staff Members will see their capital credits tions. We’ve begun design work for the Brittany Hopkins, Executive Assistant Austin Helmuth, Director, Engineering retirement reflected as a credit on their new facility, which will provide us with Eric McRoberts, Director, Operations bills this month. additional space for the future and will Barbara Carleton, Director, Financial Services One huge milestone of the past year incorporate new technologies such as Bryan Berguson, Director, Member Services Rachel Hauser, Director, Regulatory Affairs & occurred in April when we lighted up electric vehicle charging stations and Economic Development our first fiber-to-the-home internet a redundant central office for Tri-Co customer. We hit another milestone in Connections. Office Hours Monday through Friday November, when Tri-Co Connections, Looking ahead to 2021, we will 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. our broadband subsidiary, connected continue to evaluate new services and its 500th high-speed internet customer technology to best serve our mem- Jeff Fetzer, Local Pages Editor in Potter County. We plan to continue bership during the coming year. The to expand this project across the entire future is bright for Tri-County Rural Tri-County electric system over the Electric Cooperative! l

| DECEMBER 2020 12a TRI-COUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC

Retail farm operation takes root in Bradford County

TRI-COUNTY member Nicole Harris loved her job teaching horticulture at Williamsport Area High School. But after more than a decade of sharing her passion for plants with students enrolled in the school’s career-tech education program, she came to dread the 45-mile, hour-long daily drive from her rural home on Armenia Mountain in Bradford Coun- ty. And with two toddlers at home, she fretted about spending so much time away from her family. “I loved everything about it,” she says of her work as an educator. “Then in 2012, my cousin, Shon Seeley, was killed in an auto accident. He was on the way to the hospital to see his day- old daughter. Those are the times in life when you think, ‘What am I doing? Why am I on the road two hours a day to teach a lot of unloved children? Am land. She decided to become a farmer. Armenia Township. I home enough to love mine?’” Agriculture was familiar territory Steve, who owns Harris Excavating, The death of her 29-year-old cousin for the Troy native. While growing up, and Nicole, who was working nights proved to be a tipping point, prompt- Nicole spent a lot of time at her grand- and weekends as the park naturalist ing Nicole to surrender the steady parents’ dairy farm and jug milk store, at Mt. Pisgah State Park at the time, salary and guaranteed benefits of her Milky Way Farms near Troy. Following spent more than a year readying the career in education in exchange for high school, she earned a bachelor’s property, purchasing livestock, putting the financial uncertainties and tireless degree in agricultural science from up the greenhouse and filling it with work required to make a living off the Penn State University. plants in preparation for what would “I always knew I wanted to be a become a retail farm operation. farmer, even when I was teaching,” she “We started this with the idea says. “It was a little voice in my head we were going to raise enough for that wouldn’t leave me alone.” ourselves and then sell the excess,” Aware of Nicole’s growing trepi- she says. “We started out with just dation concerning her commute to asparagus, laying hens, pigs, goats and Williamsport and her desire to spend broiler chickens.” more time with her kids, her husband, Five years later, Greener Pastures Steve, asked what it would take for her has a thriving seasonal retail opera- to leave her teaching position. tion with two greenhouses and a high “I told him I needed a greenhouse,” tunnel stocked with herbs, hundreds she says. of varieties of flowers, medicinals, With that, the seed for Greener succulents, vegetable plants for home Pastures Farm & Greenhouses was gardeners, and produce. sown. During Nicole’s final year of In addition to greens, the farm pro- teaching in the 2013-14 school year, duces and sells Shiitake mushrooms the Harrises purchased a used green- and mushroom logs, maple syrup, house, along with a 55-acre property hay, field corn and pumpkins. Greener at the intersection of Douglas Road Pastures also offers free-range eggs and and Rundell Creek Road, about a half a variety of meats, including grass-fed mile away from the family’s home in beef, pastured pork and chicken.

12b | DECEMBER 2020 “While the business is mostly plant focus on homesteading activities and focused,” Nicole says, “we also raise always include a farm-to-table meal about 16 feeder pigs a year, butcher that she prepares. two grass-fed beef a year, raise about The workshops, held in one of the 175 broilers, and we have about 75 greenhouses at the farm, cover a wide laying hens.” array of topics, from preserving vege- Greener Pastures operates a retail tables and tending to garden plants to farm store and greenhouses daily medicinal teas and making bone broth. throughout May and June and by Some workshops highlight other local appointment the remainder of the year. producers, like a wine and cheese party The farm’s meats, eggs, herbs, vegeta- held in September that featured two bles and ﬂowers can also be ordered by Bradford County businesses, Mountain phone or through Delivered Fresh, a Lake Winery and Backroads Creamery. regional online delivery service based “Hopefully people start to realize in Bradford County that features prod- the importance of a strong local farm ucts of more than 50 area farms. system,” she says. “Every dollar spent Visitors to Greener Pastures can also in our community rotates around pick their own produce in the farm’s the community seven times before high-tunnel greenhouse. it leaves, and that’s what makes for Located about 8 miles outside of vibrant, local communities.” Troy, the retail operation attracts Because of the seasonal nature of the customers from throughout Bradford operation, Nicole has cultivated addi- County, as well as from as far away as tional revenue streams to supplement Coudersport, Williamsport, Sullivan the farm income. The family makes ma- County and Scranton. Most customers, ple syrup in the spring. Nicole designs Nicole says, support the farm because ﬂoral arrangements for weddings. And responsibilities, feeding the livestock, they like knowing the food and plants this time of year, she is busy fashioning tending to plants and assisting cus- they purchase are grown in an environ- Christmas wreaths, centerpieces and tomers who visit the farm. mentally friendly and sustainable way. swags for the holidays. “This is our future right here,” Nicole “This has been a great way for me The Harrises also renovated the orig- says of her children. “They are part to combine my passion for agricul- inal homestead, known as the Doug- of what we do — laboring with us, ture and the environment,” she says. las Place, on their 55-acre Greener working with us. We want to teach “Farmers can sometimes get a bad rap Pastures property and rent it out as a them good customer service skills, and with how they’re treating our planet, vacation cottage, marketing it through life lessons. I hope it gives them a broad supposedly. We’ve got an open farm Airbnb and Vacation Rentals By Owner background to draw on for the rest of policy here. What you see is what you (Vrbo) to those interested in vacation- their lives, and maybe it’s something get. It’s nice to be able to teach people ing on a working farm or exploring they will pick up and run with.” about where their food comes from.” the 3,000 acres of Tioga State Forest For more information, visit Greener Ever the educator, Nicole hosts that borders their property. Pastures Farm & Greenhouses online workshops at Greener Pastures “This year has been incredible,” she at greenerpasturesfarm.net or on throughout the summer that typically says, noting the cabin was booked al- Facebook. l most solid from May through the fall. Just as Armenia Township, population 180, provides an ideal setting for urban visitors to get away from it all, it has also provided Nicole with the ability to live out her lifelong dream. “Life is too short not to do with what you love every single day,” she says. “This farming thing, this is a life- style. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme. And we think it’s a great way to raise kids around plants and animals.” The Harrises’ son, Anson, 10, and daughter, Nora, 9, share in the farm

| DECEMBER 2020 12c TRI-COUNTY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC

Tri-County returning capital credits this month TRI-COUNTY REC will be returning Capital credits reflect margins the The cooperative retains margins for $750,000 in capital credits to members cooperative realizes at the end of a period of time to be used as working and former members of the electric each year. Margins, the cooperative capital to assist in the financing of plant cooperative this month. equivalent of profits, are the excess of replacement and to build and maintain The Tri-County board of directors revenue over expenses. the electric system. When the co-op is fi- voted at its October board meeting Because cooperatives are mem- nancially able to do so, it retires margins to approve the retirement of capital ber-owned, margins are allocated back by returning capital credits, also known credits allocated to members’ accounts to members in the form of capital as patronage capital, to members. in 1989 and 2019. credits. The amount of the allocation The cooperative has returned nearly Current Tri-County members who to a member’s account is based on that $6.5 million in capital credits to mem- were served by the cooperative in the member’s energy consumption during bers since 2010 and has retired capital retirement years will receive a credit the retirement years. credits in 10 of the last 11 years. l on their December electric bills. Inac- tive Tri-County members entitled to a Energy assistance program offers help with heating bills credit who have since moved from the co-op’s service territory will be issued IF YOU NEED assistance paying your danger of not having fuel or having ser- paper checks, which will be mailed heating bills or have a heating emer- vice terminated. Crisis grants are sent around Dec. 10. gency, help may be available through directly to the vendor or utility. the Low Income Home Energy Assis- If you have a heating emergency, or tance Program (LIHEAP). for more information about LIHEAP Season’s Greetings LIHEAP helps families living on low benefits, call your county assistance from all of us at incomes pay their heating bills in the office or the toll-free LIHEAP hotline form of a cash grant. Households in at 1-866-857-7095. Tri-County Rural immediate danger of being without You can apply for energy assistance Electric heat can also qualify for crisis grants. directly through COMPASS, the state’s PRESIDENT & CEO: A cash grant is a one-time payment online health and human services Craig Eccher sent directly to the utility company benefits application site, by visiting or fuel provider and credited on your compass.state.pa.us. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: bill. These grants range from $200 to Below are the LIHEAP income Alfred Calkins, James Davis, Lowell Geiser, $1,000 based on household size, in- requirements for the 2020-21 heating Gerald “Arnie” Kriner, Nick Reitter, Valerie Robbins, Jerome Sasala, come, and fuel type. These grants do season. Alston Teeter, Matthew Whiting not have to be repaid. Crisis grants are avail- Household Size Maximum Income (before taxes) EMPLOYEES: able to help those who Gary Ball, Steve Brewster, Bryan Berguson, have emergency situa- Leslie Campbell, Thomas Campbell, 1 $19,140 tions in which they are in Barbara Carleton, Jacob Clemens, Frank 2 $25,860 Davenport, Karen Delong, John DeWitt, danger of being without 3 $32,580 Jacob Drake, Kyle Dynda, Justin Earle, heat. Those situations 4 $39,300 Kristie Earle, Devin Geiser, David Gibson, include: having broken 5 $46,020 Rachel Hauser, Austin Helmuth, Mark Hoff, heating equipment or 6 $52,740 Brittany Hopkins, Jess Kipferl, Andrew leaking fuel lines; lack of Kramm, Brandon Kutz, Joseph Kyler, fuel; having utility service Add $6,720 for each additional member of the household Mike Lewis, Lori Lowe, Don Martindale, terminated; or being in Joe Mickey, Eric McRoberts, Aidan Moore, Bryce Norton, Chris Payne, Jason Perkins, Anthony Rachiele, Ben Ransom, Forrest Rathbun, Penny Root, John Rotello, Heidi Holiday closings Roupp, Todd Rumsey, Seth Rush, Steve Salada, Drake Schmouder, Ronald Scott, Tri-County’s offices will be closed for the Tom Seymour, April Shaw, Randy Sickler, holidays on the following days: Shawn Simonds, Matthew Simpson, James Succowich, Chris Sullivan, Rick Tavares, Thursday, Dec. 24 & Friday, Dec. 25 — Christmas Lorraine Thompson, Jeremiah Trump, Brian White, Ben Wilson, Theresa Woodkirk Friday, Jan. 1 — New Year’s Day

12d | DECEMBER 2020 | DECEMBER 2020 13 SMARTCIRCUITS Remodel your kitchen for efﬁciency, convenience and modern decor

ear Jim: After 25 years, we need a total kitchen remodel Dfor more cooking and enter- taining convenience and better efﬁ- ciency. Do you have design tips for accomplishing these goals on a reasonable budget? — Kathy M.

Dear Kathy: You will find that a more convenient kitchen design and new appliances also offer more efficiency. In addition to the energy and water used when cooking and enter- taining, these activities produce a huge amount of heat and humidity. During the summer, this can make your air conditioner run much longer. Since you are on a budget (as are amount of energy used. When using ious styles, so don’t feel too bad about most homeowners), you don’t need a typical four-element stove, a total of selecting a design you find more conve- the most fully featured new appli- 36 inches of counter space around the nient. Always compare the yellow energy ances to get adequate convenience and stove should be adequate. labels and look for Energy Star® products. efficiency. Mid-level appliances have The location of the refrigerator is not Kitchen water use is significant, so enough features to satisfy most needs extremely important for its efficiency, consider a dishwasher with an efficient instead of spending hundreds of dollars but try to avoid having it in the direct two-pump design. This requires a extra to get a feature that you may use sun. A white refrigerator will absorb smaller water reservoir. Install a con- only once or twice a year. much less heat from the sun than a venient touch-control faucet with a Before researching and shopping for stainless steel exterior. The refrigerator long hose. This allows you to turn the new kitchen appliances, first draw up a condenser coils need adequate air flow water on and off with just the touch of rough floor plan layout for your remod- for efficiency, so do not surround it too a hand without having to waste water eled kitchen. The design flexibility will closely by cabinets unless it is specifi- readjusting the temperature each time. depend on your budget. For exam- cally designed for that application. Select a multispeed range hood with ple, moving the sink can increase the In order to lower costs, convert a LED lighting. Some have variable-speed plumbing expenses considerably. ceiling-recessed fixture to a decorative controls to minimize excessive condi- If your budget allows you to move the hanging pendant fixture with a DIY kit tioned air loss from the house. Its size sink, a location under a window is ideal that uses a long wire that screws into should be 50 cfm (cubic feet per minute) with a recommendation of 60 inches of the existing recessed lightbulb socket. of air flow capacity for each lineal foot of counter space. Split the space as closely The length is adjustable by a circular stove top. The hood should be as wide as as possible to 30 inches on each side. cover that slides up against the ceiling, the stove and about 2 feet above it. l The window provides ventilation and covering the recessed fixture. This pro- efficient natural lighting. vides more brightness and wider range The stove is best located distant from than the old fixture. James Dulley, a window and direct drafts. A draft A top-freezer refrigerator style is still Penn Lines will transfer heat away from the cook- the most efficient design. Newer materials visit www.dulley.com. ing task and into the room air. This and compressor designs have minimized increases cooking times and the total the efficiency differences among the var-

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households! Advertise in Penn Lines. Farms are part of our electric cooperative.

MOVE OVER PA!

| NOVEMBER 2020

Drivers in Pennsylvania are required to move over or slow down for stopped emergency and utility crews.

| DECEMBER 2020 15 COUNTRYKITCHEN

A perennial holiday favorite

ny way you roll them, cut them, press them or slice them, sugar cookies are a perennial holiday favorite. Janette Hess A focuses her writing on interest Sugar cookies sliced from rolls of chilled dough obviously take less prep time ing people and interesting foods. than sugar cookies involving rolling pins, cutters and frosting. But both deserve a She is a Master Food Volunteer place in holiday cookie assortments, as do sugar cookies that are simply pressed into shape on the baking sheet. and sharing recipes. The dough for sliced sugar cookies may be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and then baked whenever fresh cookies are needed in a hurry. Cut-out sugar cookies also may be made in advance. Simply bake them and freeze them unfrosted. When serving time approaches, remove the cookies from the freezer and add a gener- ous coating of sweet, buttery frosting. No one will ever guess they weren’t baked and frosted on the same day! l

Cut-out Sugar Cookies Blend dry ingredients. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter. Mixture should resemble fine crumbs. 3 cups flour 1 cup (2 sticks) butter Combine eggs and extracts. Add to crumb mixture and 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, lightly toss with fork. Do not over-blend. Using hands, press 1/2 teaspoon baking beaten dough into two equal portions and place on waxed powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract paper or plastic wrap. Flatten to 1-inch thick disks. 1/2 teaspoon baking 1/2 teaspoon almond Wrap and refrigerate. When chilled, roll each disk on soda extract lightly floured surface to 3/16-inch thickness. (Dough 1/8 teaspoon salt Tinted frosting of choice will soften as it is rolled.) Use cutters to create desired shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks. When cool, decorate with tinted frosting. When frosting is set, store cookies in single layer in air-tight container.

Sliced Sugar Cookies Combine butter, shortening, sugars, eggs and extracts. Beat well. Add dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and 1/2 cup (1 stick) 1 teaspoon almond divide between two large pieces of parchment or waxed unsalted butter, extract paper. Press and mold into two smooth rolls 1 1/2 to 2 softened 3 1/2 cups plus 2 inches in diameter. Roll in sanding sugar before wrap- 1 cup vegetable tablespoons flour ping in parchment or waxed paper. Chill rolls until shortening 1 teaspoon baking soda firm. (Store in freezer if not planning to bake within 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 days.) With thin, sharp knife, cut dough into slices. 1/2 cup brown sugar Red sanding sugar Place slices on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 400 3 eggs degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla Makes 5 dozen cookies. extract HINT: For additional flavor interest, carefully work 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 20 chopped maraschino cher- ries (patted very dry) into dough before forming rolls.

Pressed Sugar Cookies Combine sugars, oil and butter in mixing bowl. Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat well. Combine dry ingre- 1/2 cup granulated 2 cups plus 3 dients and beat into mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto sugar, plus extra for tablespoons ﬂour ungreased cookie sheets, taking care not to crowd. dipping 1/2 teaspoon cream of Using ﬂat-bottom glass that has been dipped in gran- 1/2 cup powdered sugar tartar ulated sugar, press 1/4-inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon baking for approximately 12 minutes, or until cookie edges soda 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, are lightly browned. Carefully transfer to cooling rack. softened 1/8 teaspoon salt Makes 3 dozen melt-in-your-mouth cookies. 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

16 | DECEMBER 2020 COUNTRYKITCHEN POWERPLANTS Beyond poinsettias

he old favorite, red poinsettia, is scent, look for a non-scented variety Tnot the only way to color your called “Inbal” that some sellers carry. holidays anymore. As for amaryllis, the latest twist is a raft of different colors and a version Although this red-bracted Mexican with spidery-looking petals instead of import is still America’s top-sell- the traditional trumpet shape. ing potted plant, lots of other plant A few other options from the tropics choices have elbowed their way into and sub-tropics: the Christmas market. k African violets. They’re fuzzy- Through the magic of greenhouse leafed long-bloomers with flowers heat, artificial lighting and the same- of pink, white or purple. day fly-in of plants from around the k Cyclamen. Variegated-leaf plants L globe, we now have almost as much E with red, pink, hot pink or lav- IG E

color choice in December as in May. W ender atop succulent, protruding E G

Once upon a time, red was the R stems. O Christmas color — and to a lesser E k Bromeliads. Strappy-leafed tropi- Y G

extent, white (not coincidentally the B cals with spiky ﬂowers of mostly two main colors of poinsettias). gold, red or orange emerging

These days, anything goes, from lav- PHOTO from a central cup. k ender cyclamens to poinsettias spray- Kalanchoe. A succulent plant dyed purple, blue and even orange. with phlox-like clusters of small Believe it or not, one of the hottest flowers of many colors. holiday plant sellers lately is cactus. Christmas orchid (Cattleya). k Peace lily. Bushy green plants that Not the traditional Christmas cactus A third interesting choice that’s send up white flowers somewhat with its red or hot pink trailing arms become a staple is the white euphor- reminiscent of a satellite dish. of bloom, but mini barrel cactuses bia — the same plant sold as a garden Even shrubs are getting into the act. with blooming “heads.” annual in spring. The variety “Dia- Among the types you’re most likely to They come in a variety of hot colors mond Frost” started it off, but you’ll find in the coming weeks are bloom- (including red), but they’re definitely now find more compact and heavi- ing roses (primarily red or white), aza- not your grandmother’s Christmas er-blooming options, including a pink- leas (red, white or pink) and hydran- plant. tinted one. geas (pink, white and blue). Also catching on as a popular holi- Euphorbias produce mass quantities Build yourself an impressive holiday day seller: orchids. of dainty white flowers, giving the illu- display by grouping several choices that Many of these classy flowers have sion of a ball of snow. Garden centers look good together in one large pot. the good sense to bloom in Decem- sometimes pair it in big pots with red Finish it off with a few pine cones ber, which makes them a natural for poinsettias. from the yard, and yes, maybe even an gift-giving. Besides having an elegant Amaryllis and paperwhites have long old-fashioned poinsettia or two. l look and luxurious reputation, their been the main two bulbs grown for prices have come down in recent the winter holidays, but hyacinths are years, making them ideal as gifts that making some headway. These spiky, George Weigel is a retired seem costlier than they really are. fragrant bloomers of white, blue, purple Orchid choices range from the easy- or pink are fairly easy to get to bloom, to-grow moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) to and they can be started at home or the shoe-shaped lady’s slipper orchid bought potted and already in flower. is georgeweigel.net. (Paphiopedilum) to the corsage or If you like paperwhites but not their

| DECEMBER 2020 | DECEMBER 2020 17 TECHTRENDS

Plug into presents that pay off with year-round safety

uring the holiday season, practical gifts can leave last- Ding impressions by enhancing safety and improving security.

These practical gift ideas can help reduce safety risks year-round. Smoke detectors: Most of us have at least one in our homes, but experts say that’s not enough. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that a working smoke detector OL

be installed in every bedroom, on every D S level of a home and in hallways outside O AN of sleeping areas. Smoke detectors more V than 10 years old should be replaced. OTT SC Carbon monoxide alarms: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly toxic, color- less, odorless gas created by incomplete consumption of fuels like gasoline, (CSA) or Intertek (ETL). door outlets, in attics and crawl spaces, wood, natural gas, propane, oil, coal or Arc-fault circuit interrupters: Arc- bathrooms, garages, kitchens, crawl methane. Having CO detectors outside ing and sparking are indications that a spaces, near laundry or utility sinks, and of sleeping areas and on every level of home’s electrical wiring needs service. around wet bars. GFCI outlets should be a home improves overall safety. Local Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) tested regularly, and that means as often fire departments in the United States can help address electrical fire hazards as once a month. Although they can last respond to about 80,000 non-fire CO before they occur. Properly installed 15 to 25 years, some will malfunction incidents each year. The NFPA also by a licensed electrician, AFCIs can sooner. While they can continue to carry recommends that fuel-burning heating often replace circuit breakers in an current, once they lose their ability to equipment and cooking appliances be existing electrical panel box. The mitigate shocks by immediately closing professionally inspected once a year. CPSC recommends that the work be off current, they should be replaced. Extension cords: They are subject to completed by a qualified electrician A licensed electrician can do the job wear, have specific use guidelines, and because the installation involves work- quickly and professionally. are never recommended for permanent ing inside the electrical panel box, Any of these gift ideas will reduce use. Brittle and cracked plastic can indi- which carries current even when main risks throughout the holidays and cate heat damage, and exposed wires circuit breakers are turned off. improve safety for years to come. l or frayed connections increase risks Ground fault circuit interrupters: Derrill Holly writes on consumer of shocks, shorts, or fires. According While AFCIs are designed to help pre- and cooperative affairs for the National to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety vent electrical fire hazards, ground fault Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Commission (CPSC), an extension cord circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are designed the national trade association represent- that’s warm or hot to the touch is a to help prevent shocks. Older homes ing more than 900 local electric cooper- good indication that it’s not designed to may have just one, typically in an area atives. From growing suburbs to remote safely do the job. Before you buy, look where electric outlets are relatively close farming communities, electric co-ops for the label of a nationally recognized to a water source. But over the years, serve as engines of economic develop- testing laboratory like Underwriters the National Electric Code has been ment for 42 million Americans across Laboratories (UL), CSA-International amended to require their use for out- 56% of the nation’s landscape.

18 | DECEMBER 2020 Pitts, signing off ‘Earl Pitts’ writer to retire

Associate Editor K AN

ometimes lessons come from unexpected places. Even ﬁctitious places like the RB

Duck Inn hold wisdom that, in the right light, can teach us about the world OL BU and its people. Or just to not be such an insufferable pinhead. Enter: Earl R Y CA

S B Pitts, a man who never hesitates to let us all know what makes him sick and so mad he wants to eat uncooked noodles. HOTO HOTO P After more than 15 years of mak- magazine cover-to-cover each month. beer and watch NASCAR.” ing us laugh, this month is Earl’s last Fifteen years later, that hasn’t changed, But Earl was never meant to be taken visit to the pages of Penn Lines. Gary and of those cover-to-cover readers, 61% seriously. As a satirical character in the Burbank, who provides the vision be- never miss a column penned by Earl. vein of Archie Bunker, Earl acts and hind Earl’s view of the world, recently As noted at the end of every Punch speaks how Burbank hopes people don’t. announced his retirement — and with Lines column, Earl is a character written “You can hear his wrong-headedness it, the retirement of his enduring Earl and voiced (for radio) by Burbank, a pretty easily,” Burbank says. “And you Pitts character. native of Memphis, Tenn., who now might say, ‘He’s a fool,’ and maybe he “We can’t do it forever,” says Burbank, resides in Florida. is. But there are times when he’s not, reflecting on his aggrieved alter ego. “All I’ve got to do is just reflect to so you’ve got to listen closely. Earl’s not Burbank began his career as a radio my younger days,” explains Burbank, a stupid by any stretch of the imagination. personality in the 1960s, later develop- Vietnam-era Army veteran. “All I have He’s just jealous — he doesn’t want ing Earl into one of his most popular to do is talk like I used to talk, have things to change.” on-air characters. Readers of Penn Lines the same values I used to have and not Like a Simpsons character, Earl has have known Earl’s wisdom through his understand when nobody gets it.” remained somewhere in his late 40s or regular Punch Lines humor column in Of the nearly two dozen characters early 50s for 35 years. Burbank (who en- the magazine. Burbank has played in his radio career, trusted me with the sacred knowledge of “Earl has really become a part of the he says Earl’s special charm is that he his actual birth year) has not remained magazine — and the electric cooperative doesn’t have one. in that age range. family in Pennsylvania,” says Penn Lines “He’s more like a regular person than “They did an EEG [electroencephalo- Editor Peter Fitzgerald. “Over the years, any other character that I do,” Burbank gram] to see if they could find a brain, in meeting with cooperative members says. “I think he’s almost believable. He and they found my brain, and I was very throughout the state, our readers almost can say a few things sometimes that happy with that,” explains Burbank. always ask about Earl. He’s certainly are unbelievable, but he’s real. He’s not “And then it had little waves coming made his mark in Penn Lines.” a vicious person — he’s got hard, fast out of it, so I was very happy with that. In June 2005 — after nearly a year- opinions, and they’re opinions that you But the doctor asked, ‘Are you losing and-a-half after Earl made his first probably don’t have.” words?’ And I said, “Yes. That’s exactly appearance in Penn Lines — we asked Those opinions haven’t always what happens to me.’ ‘Well, that’s only two simple questions: “Do you like Earl generated laughs. Over the years, some natural,’ he said. ‘As you get older, your Pitts’ commentaries?” and “Should Penn readers made certain we knew they did brain shrinks.’ And I would think maybe Lines keep running his column?” Inside not share all of Earl’s opinions. the last Earl won’t make any sense, and of a month, that query resulted in nearly “I find [Earl Pitts] to be extremely he’s getting too old to do it.” 400 letters, cards and emails, and while offensive,” wrote a pair of cooperative He laughs, and adds, “Maybe Earl it wasn’t all fan mail, approximately 90% members in response to the Earl Sur- wins the lottery, realizes he doesn’t have of those responses insisted Earl remain a vey. “He portrays all rural Americans to do this anymore, and moves to Flor- part of your newsmagazine. as ignorant rednecks. In reality, many ida, and he changes his name to Gary At the time of the “Earl Survey,” the of us living in rural Pennsylvania are Burbank so he can enjoy retirement.” readership study found more than 81% college educated, take good care of Penn Lines wishes Gary (and Earl) a of the 166,000-plus subscribers read the our homes, and do more than drink happy retirement. l

| DECEMBER 2020 19 Classiﬁed Advertisements Classiﬁed Advertisements

ISSUE MONTH AD DEADLINE Penn Lines February 2021 December 17 March 2021 January 18 April 2021 February 17 PLEASE SUBMIT A CLEARLY WRITTEN OR TYPED CLASSIFIED AD SUBMISSION/RATES SHEET WITH THE FOLLOWING REQUIRED INFORMATION: Electric co-op members: ❏ Cooperative members Penn Lines Non-members: ❏ Non-members Ad in all CAPITAL letters: ❏ Month(s) in which the ad is to run. ❏ Ad copy SPECIAL Headings: ❏ Heading Penn Lines FREE Headings: PAYMENT: Please make CHECK/MONEY ORDER payable to: PREA/Penn Lines. SEND COMPLETED AD COPY AND PAYMENT TO: Penn Lines

“AA” ROOFING CONSULTING FORESTRY SERVICES HEALTH INSURANCE AROUND THE HOUSE HUNTING LEASES demand for hunting leases. Call for evaluation of your property. Professionally managed. insurance. Know who is on your property. MASONRY REPAIRS are a collection of recipes from men and women GIFT & CRAFT IDEAS BUILDING SUPPLIES MEISINGER GUNSMITH & LATHE CO. purchased on Amazon.com. MISCELLANEOUS are a collection of recipes from men and women BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

20 | DECEMBER 2020 Classiﬁed AdvertisementsClassiﬁed Advertisements

MISCELLANEOUS WANTED TO BUY KEEPING CURRENT (continued from page 4) requires all boaters to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times POWDER COATING while underway or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet in length or on any kayak, canoe, or paddleboard. The requirement applies to all Pennsylvania waters. “This year, we have seen a dramat- REAL ESTATE ic increase in the number of people boating well into the fall months, including many ﬁrst-time boaters,” said Ryan Walt, PFBC boating and watercraft safety manager. “The water temperature is dropping rapidly be- ginning this time of year, and even on sunny days when air temperatures are comfortable and warm, the water can land and getaways. www.juniatarealty.com. Give be cold enough to put boaters at risk for sudden cold-water immersion. A RECIPES & FOOD life jacket can keep your head above water until help arrives.” WATER CONDITIONING & PURIFICATION State opens LIHEAP are a collection of recipes from men and women application process The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has begun the annual Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) appli- SHAKLEE cation process for the 2020-21 season. LIHEAP assists with home heating or more information on tea or other Shaklee

TRACTOR PARTS – REPAIR/RESTORATION arthurstractors.com. bills so low-income Pennsylvanians can stay warm and safe during the VACATIONS & CAMPSITES winter months. Assistance is available for renters and homeowners. LIHEAP opened for applications in early November and closes April 9, 2021. Pennsylvanians can apply for LIHEAP and other public assistance WANTED – OLD BARNS programs online at compass.state.pa.us. Paper applications can be printed from the website or requested by phone at 1-800-692-7462 and mailed to the local County Assistance Ofﬁce (CAO) or placed in a CAO’s secure drop box, if available. l

| DECEMBER 2020 21 PUNCHLINES

Is ‘America’s No. 1 donut’ really the best?

earl, my dear, darlin’ better half, Crullers. Sprinkles, icin’, cake, yeast. live for the moment. She says that’s a knowin’ her old man had just We’ll taste your cream-filled, blue- pretty good place to be. And honestly, Phad a bad week, brung me home berry, strawberry and … it don’t sound bad. a little bag a’ donuts when she went Wait a minute. What if I taste a But I’ll tell you somethin’ most peo- shoppin’ over the weekend. You know, donut, think it might be America’s ple in their 80s don’t got: husbands. the little white powdered sugar donuts No. 1 donut, and then I taste another We’re talkin’ about a bunch of happy, in the white bag? No human bein’ donut and think it might be better? silver-haired ladies here. Yeah, most of can stay angry and frustrated when But I can’t taste the first one over the dudes are dead, and the ladies are their fingers are coated with white because I already ate it! happy. Who couldn’t have predicted powdered sugar. Am I right? There’s a Come to think of it, you better send that? woman who knows her old man pretty two. Now, if me and my Pearl was both well. Wake up, America! Of course, I will to make it into our 80s together, I can have to verify my findin’s with the see where that might be happy times. Anyways, I was settin’ at the kitchen team here. So, you better send a box. Number 1, if we was in our 80s, that table on Sunday mornin’ with a cup Or a little white bag with a donut win- would put our girl, Sandra Dee, in her of coffee and a bag of baby white dow on the front. We’ll be waitin’. I’m 60s, and she maybe — just maybe — powdered sugar donuts, and I seen Earl Pitts, American. would be out of the house by then. this message on the donut bag. It said, Number 2, you can pretty much fish “America’s No. 1 donut.” ow, I got some good news for until the day you keel over. So, I’d be And I thought, “How do they know us baby boomers out there: good. that?” Is there scientific research to NOur backs is startin’ to hurt, Of course, you might have to get a back that up? Like, from the presti- our eyesights are startin’ to fade, and if friend to drive you back from Mudd gious Donut Institute? Or maybe a you’re a guy like me, it might take you Lake on account of you can’t drive survey of 2,000 likely donut eaters. 15 minutes to take a leak in the middle after dark. But we can make adjust- Do they got sales numbers? Declarin’ of the night. But all is not lost. ments. yourself America’s No. 1 donut seems See, Pearl, my better half, was tellin’ Wake up, America! Of course, most like a risky boast to me. Especially me about this story on the computer Pitts men don’t make it out of their when most shoppers ain’t combin’ the other day. Some psycho-head bab- 60s, but now I got a reason to live, so the donut display goin’, “Look for the ble shrink somewheres talked to old we’ll see. Get back to me in a couple of donut that’s America’s No. 1.” people and discovered people in their decades. I’m Earl Pitts, American. l And me, as a fair and honest Amer- 80s are the happiest they ever been in ican, I like little baby white powdered their whole life. sugar donuts. But I like other donuts, So, there you go. The stuff we’re all Social commentary from Earl too. Them little baby white powdered Pitts — a.k.a. goin’ through now, it gets better. And a nation ally syndicated radio sugar donuts could very well be Amer- I’m not gonna lie to ya’: I seen people ica’s No. 1 donut. Or they could be in their 80s, and it don’t look like a the following radio stations that No. 2. Or No. 10. I don’t know. cover electric cooperative ser party. But apparently looks can be So, I propose we have a donut-off. deceivin’. Here’s what we’re gonna do: If you Anyways, this brain-shrink talks to make a donut, send it to this magazine old people, and here’s the deal: By the care of Earl Pitts. We will taste every time you get to your 80s, people have donut that comes in here. White pow- come to grips with the pain and dis- dered. Chocolate covered. Jelly filled. ease. They ain’t got no stress. And they

22 | DECEMBER 2020 | DECEMBER 2020 RURALREFLECTIONS

‘Tis the season ur 2020 “Rural Reflections” photo contest has ended, and the winning photos in the categories of most ar- Otistic, best landscape, best human subject, best animal and editor’s choice will be printed in next month’s issue of Penn Lines. Winners will receive a $75 prize, and runners-up will receive a $25 prize. Now it’s time to begin submitting your photos for the 2021 “Rural Reflections” contest. To be eligible, send photos (no digital files) 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. Remember, our publication deadlines require that we work ahead, so send your seasonal photos in early. Photos that do not reflect any specific season may be sent at any time. Photos will be returned at the end of each contest year if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included. l

Susan Hanslovan United EC

Wes Stoltzfus Tri-County REC

Autumn Wisor New Enterprise REC Shana Steiner Valley REC

| DECEMBER 2020 23

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