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Penn
Lines
Yo u r C o o p e r a t i v e N e w s m a g a z i n e
The Pennsylvanian
Who ‘Invented’
Electric Co-ops
PennLines
Vol. 36 • No. 1
C O N T E N T S
Perry A. Stambaugh
Editor/Director of Communications
David Toth
Assistant Editor
Linda Allison-Lewis
James Dulley
Contributing Columnists
Tricia Dickson
Layout & Design
Vonnie Kloss
6
Advertising & Circulation
Penn Lines (USPS 929-700), the newsmagazine
6
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
140,000 households of co-op consumer-members
understand issues that affect the electric
cooperative program, their co-ops and their
quality of life. Electric co-ops are not-for-profit,
consumer owned, locally directed and taxpaying
electric utilities. Penn Lines is not responsible for
The Father of Rural Electrification
Gifford
Gifford Pinchot’s
Pinchot’s Giant
Giant Power
Power plan,
plan, aa vision
vision of
of
“abundant electricity
electricity for
for everyone,”
everyone,” helped
helped paved
pave the
“abundant
theway
way
for
for the
the formation
formation of
of electric
electric cooperatives
cooperatives everywhere
everywhere
unsolicited manuscripts.
Subscriptions: Electric co-op members, $5.42
per year through their local distribution
cooperative. Preferred Periodicals postage paid
8
at Harrisburg, PA 17105 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
Keep A Handle On Those Kilowatt-Hours
To shed some “unwanted pounds” on your electric bill,
it’s time to start counting kilowatt-hours
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.
Audit
Bureau of
Circulations
D E P A R T M E N T S
ABOUT THE COVER:Winter scene from
the West Branch of Dingman Run, near
Coudersport, Potter County, Pa.. Photo by
B. Mark Schmerling.
Board officers and staff, Pennsylvania Rural
Electric Association:Chairman, David Wright; Vice
Chairman, LeRoy Wells; Secretary, Owen Miller;
Treasurer, Wayne Gavitt; President & CEO, Frank
M. Betley
© 2001 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in
part without written permission is prohibited.
SURFING
4
12
12a
14
16
Commentary
Energy Answers
16 Country Kitchen
News From Your Co-op 18 Classifieds
News Briefs
22 Rural Reflections
THE NET?
Visit with us at Penn Lines Online, located at www.prea.com/Pennlines/plonline.htm. Penn Lines Online provides an e-mail
link to Penn Lines editorial staff, information on advertising rates and an archive of past issues.
C O M M E N T A R Y
a market force as
energy behemoth
Enron if we would just
work together and take
advantage of geographic and product
diversities. CCS — by operating in two
time zones, with Allegheny being a
winter-peaking system and Soyland
peaking in the summer — does just this.
Two of CCS’ principal responsibilities
will be the pursuit of new wholesale power supply contracts and possible power
plant development. As things stand, CCS
has three options or combinations of
power supply options before it.
First, CCS and our 26 member distribution cooperatives in Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and Illinois can continue to
play the wholesale market as we’ve done
for the past 10 years. We’ve played it
well, but in a deregulated marketplace,
with volatile prices, that can be a very
risky venture.
Second, we can look for additional
alliance partners to enhance our market
position and utilize certain management
tools to mitigate our market risk. Finally, we can put “iron into the ground” —
build new power plants — to better protect ourselves from market uncertainty.
I firmly believe in this alliance and in
its ability to grow. The dynamics of a competitive electricity marketplace, where
long-term contracts are a thing of the
past, favor larger suppliers that can generate and purchase power at favorable
wholesale prices.
The bottom line is that CCS provides
our member systems with greater negotiating leverage. In turn, this lets us
achieve lower prices for you, our co-op
consumers, than would otherwise be
possible.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
by David Cowan
Chairman
Continental
Cooperative
Services
J
anuary 1, 2001,
marked the official launch of something unique in the
annals of rural electrification. That’s
when two generation and transmission
(G&T), or power supply, cooperatives
that do not border each other —
Harrisburg, Pa.-based Allegheny Electric Cooperative and Decatur, Ill.-based
Soyland Power Cooperative — created
a new, self-governing organization
headquartered in Harrisburg called
Continental Cooperative Services (CCS).
The immediate question some may
ask is why two G&Ts, roughly 1,000 miles
and a time zone apart, would partner like
this? The reason, however, is very simple
and goes to the heart of cooperative business practice and the realities of a deregulated energy marketplace.
In the electric utility industry today,
size and negotiating clout are critical
to success. Since 1999, 52 private power
companies have merged for this very
reason.
Many experts in our own program
have warned that unless G&Ts nationwide begin “living” a basic co-op operating principle — cooperation among
cooperatives — they won’t be able to survive in our vastly restructured industry.
In fact, it has been estimated that
power supply co-ops could be as strong
David Cowan, secretary of the board at
Gettysburg, Pa.-based Adams Electric Cooperative, was elected as CCS’ first chairman in
October. He has served as a local distribution
co-op director since 1982 and is currently
secretary-treasurer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Board of Directors.
The Pennsylvanian Who
‘Invented’ Rural Electrification
Gifford Pinchot’s Giant Power plan, a vision of “abundant electricity for everyone,”
helped paved the way for the formation of electric cooperatives everywhere
social condition with severe implications for national stability.”
Over the next two years, Cooke
and his team of engineers proith affordable electric
duced a bold and innovative
service now available
statewide energy development
everywhere in the U.S.,
plan, based on abundant supplies
it’s hard to conceive that some areas
of power generated from plants
of rural Pennsylvania might still be
built at the mouth of Pennsylvania
“in the dark” if not for the efforts
coal mines. The electricity would
of one man — Gifford Pinchot.
then be “pooled” and shipped over
Pinchot, renowned forestry
giant transmission lines to all
expert, conservationist and twopower companies. Rural residents
term Republican Governor of
presently without electricity would
Pennsylvania (1923-27 and 1931be able to ser ve themselves
35) was among the first to recogthrough public ownership disnize the incredible lifestyle dispartricts or a new type of distributing
ity that existed between the nation’s
entity — electric cooperatives.
rural areas and cities. Appalled by
The finished report was issued
the circumstances under which
in February 1925. In sending the
rural Americans lived, Pinchot —
Giant Power study to the legislathen the nation’s chief forester —
ture, Pinchot noted:
convinced President Theodore
“As Pennsylvania and the
Roosevelt in February 1909 to crenation deal with electric power, so
ate the Country Life Commission, a
shall we and our descendants be
fact-finding board designed to call
masters of our destiny, or we shall
attention to the problem.
“My work in forestr y had POWER PIONEER: Governor Gifford Pinchot in 1923 called for be the helpless servants of the
most widespread, far-reaching
brought me into contact with life a far-sighted and ambitious statewide "Giant Power" plan that
on the farm in many parts of the would have brought electricity to Pennsylvania’s rural areas.The and penetrating monopoly ever
known. Either we must control
U.S.,” Pinchot stated at the time. state General Assembly, though, would have none of it.
electric power or its masters and
“I have seen no little of its hardships
owners will control us.”
Country Life Commission could be
and especially of the hardships of
Giant Power, though, drew very litfully implemented, Pinchot pressed
women. I am more than glad to help.”
tle interest from either the state House
ahead with the cause.
The commission later that year
or Senate. To push the issue, Pinchot on
Shortly after taking office as Governor
issued a report blasting the lack of “elecDecember 14, 1925, called for the state
in 1923, Pinchot hired Morris Llewllyn
tric power and light” on the nation’s
General Assembly to meet in extraorCooke to conduct a “Giant Power” survey
farms and suggesting ways rural peodinary session beginning January 13,
of the Commonwealth to look at the elecple could obtain electricity, namely
1926, “to provide for and define the
tricity potential for industry, railroads,
through federal hydropower projects or
duties of a Giant Power [public regufarms and homes. Cooke, former head of
by organizing cooperatives.
latory] Board.”
the Philadelphia Department of Public
The cooperative approach seemed
“Pinchot worked very hard to inform
Works, had come to Pinchot’s attention
natural — U.S. farmers had long expethe public about the difference between
by railing against the unwillingness of pririence with them. In fact, a not-forhis proposed ‘Giant Power’ idea and that
vate power companies to stretch electric
profit, consumer-owned co-op was the
of private companies, which he called
lines into the countryside — an action
business structure rural residents gener‘Super Power,’ ” explains Edgar Brannon
that was forcing thousands of rural famally adopted when confronted with a task
Jr., director of Grey Towers National
ilies to leave their homes and farms for
too large for any family to handle itself.
Historical Monument in Milford, Pa.,
the convenience of city life. To Cooke,
While a quarter-century would pass
Pinchot’s Pike County home. “In
this exodus amounted to a “diseased
before the progressive ideals of the
by David Toth
Assistant Editor
W
speeches, he often described the two
concepts as being like a tame elephant
and a wild one — one a friend and fellow worker of man, the other a large and
uncontrolled dangerous enemy.”
Brannon continues, “Pinchot stressed
that the place for the public is on the
neck of the elephant, guiding its movements, not on the ground helpless under
its knees. He felt strongly that government was all about giving while business
was all about getting.”
Losing Battle,Winning War
Despite Pinchot’s best efforts, however,
the special session of the Pennsylvania
General Assembly adjourned in February
1926 without acting on the Giant Power
proposal. Yet in defeat, Pinchot’s grand
scheme gained national attention by
proving that government could break
through existing economic and technical barriers and electrify rural areas.
In 1931, then-New York Governor
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) drew upon
the Giant Power idea in establishing the
Power Authority of the State of New York
(PASNY) to develop water power along
the St. Lawrence River. PASNY, now
called the New York Power Authority,
produced the first study on the actual
costs of distributing electricity to rural
communities.
Later as President, FDR took the first
official federal action regarding rural
electrification by advocating formation
of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
in 1933. The act enabling TVA authorized the construction of transmission
lines to serve farms and small villages
“not otherwise supplied with electricity
at reasonable rates” and gave preference
in the sale of power to “cooperative organizations of citizens or farmers.”
Finally, Pinchot’s goal of “lighting up”
rural Pennsylvania came to fruition on
May 11, 1935. That’s when FDR signed
an executive order creating the Rural
Electrification Administration, a federal
agency that would provide loans and
specialized engineering services to
farmers and their rural neighbors interested in providing themselves with electricity on a cooperative basis. Cooke —
author of the Giant Power survey —
was named the first REA Administrator.
Carol Severance, a historian for the
U.S. Forest Service, concludes that
Pinchot remained unwavering in his
ideals about bettering rural life.
“He was a very strong warrior and
really believed that government needed
to regulate utilities,” she notes. “Pinchot
battled for fair rates not only regarding
electricity, but also telephones and even
train fare. Between his
system of state roads
that ‘got farmers out of
the mud’ and his devotion to rural electrification, he did as much as
anyone to keep rural
areas from becoming
an economic backwater
of American life.”
Attention High School Seniors
At least two $1,000 William F. Matson Scholarships are available for the 2001-02 college year.
Who is eligible?
fill out and mail this coupon
The William F. Matson Scholarship is available to sons and daughters
of Pennsylvania and New Jersey electric cooperative members and
employees. Applicants must currently be high school seniors and able
to furnish necessary aptitude test scores and financial need information.
At least two $1,000, one-time scholarships will be awarded for payment
of tuition.
Please send me an application for the 2001-02 William
F. Matson Scholarships. I am a high school senior and
the son or daughter of a member or employee of a
Pennsylvania or New Jersey electric cooperative.
Important dates to remember
__________________________________________
Name
All applications and required information must be received no later
than May 11, 2001. Finalists will be sent a follow-up questionnaire that
must be returned by June 1, 2001. Scholarship awards will be announced
at the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association Summer Meeting in July
2001.
How to Apply
To receive an application and brochure, simply fill out and mail the
accompanying coupon or contact your local electric cooperative office.
Applicant:
Mail this request for a scholarship application to:
The William F. Matson
Scholarship Fund Charitable Trust
P. O. Box 1266
Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266
__________________________________________
Address
__________________________________________
Town or City
__________________________________________
State
Zip
__________________________________________
Name of Electric Cooperative
Keep A Handle
On Those
To shed unwanted holiday pounds, most
people start by counting calories.
Likewise, if your electric bill seems to
have “put on some weight”
this winter, you can
start getting it under
control by counting
kilowatt-hours.
kilowatt-hour
(kWh) is a measure of electricity use
equal to the amount of electrical energy needed to operate a 100-watt light
bulb for 10 hours. Your electric bill shows the number of kWhs
you use each billing period.
The accompanying chart lists how many kilowatt-hours,
on average, different types of appliances require. To get the
biggest bang for your electricity buck, concentrate any energyefficiency efforts on areas where
power is used most. In
winter, heating typically accounts for
nearly 50 percent
of your home’s
kilowatt-hour
consumption,
followed in order
by electricity needed to
operate your water heater, refrigerator,
dryer, range, TV, dishwasher and
washing machine.
For energy use tips and information,
don’t hesitate to call your local electric cooperative.
A
FOOD PREPARATION
Blender
Broiler
Coffee Maker
Crock Pot
Deep Fryer
Dishwasher
Food Processor
Frying Pan
Hot Plate
Microwave Oven
Mixer
Range
With oven
With self-cleaning oven
Roaster
Toaster
Trash Compactor
Waffle Iron
Waste Disposal
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
300
1,140
894
100
1,448
1,201
360
1,196
1,200
1,450
127
**
8
12
*
7
30
*
14
8
23
*
12,220
12,200
1,333
1,146
400
1,200
445
98
100
5
4
**
**
**
FOOD PRESERVATION
Freezer
Automatic defrost 15 cu. ft
Manual defrost 15 cu. ft.
Ice Maker
Refrigerator-Freezer
Automatic defrost 14 cu. ft.
Manual defrost 14 cu. ft.
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
440
341
—
150
134
50
615
326
200
134
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Radio
Stereo: CD/Tape Player/Receiver
Television
Black & white
Color
VCR
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
25
40
**
2
55
200
75
7
24
5
* This appliance uses less than 1 kWh per month
** This appliance uses less than 2 kWh per month
HOME OFFICE
Computer
Typical home, color monitor
Facsimile
Ink jet
Laser
Printer
Ink jet
Laser
COMFORT CONDITIONING
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
170
10
3
15
2
11
3
135
*
8
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
4,856
80
LAUNDRY
Clothes Dryer
Five loads per week @
50 minutes/load
Clothes Washer
Not counting water heating
Iron
Water Heater (all heating needs)
Quick recovery
Water Heater (all heating needs)
Standard
512
1,100
9
11
4,500
400
2,500
400
Air Cleaner
Air Conditioner, central (3 tons)
36,000 Btu/hr.
Air Conditioner, room
6,000 Btu/hr. ( 1/2 ton) - EER 5
12,000 Btu/hr. (1 ton) - EER 6
12,000 Btu/hr. (1 ton) - EER 9
Dehumidifier
Electric Blanket
Fan (attic)
Fan (ceiling)
Fan (window)
Furnace Fan
Heater (portable)
Heating Pad
Heat Pumps
Air-source, cooling
Air-source, heating
Ground-source, cooling
Ground-source, heating
Humidifier
Water Bed
4-5 Rooms, winter months
6-8 Rooms, winter months
9-12 Rooms, winter months
Security Light
High-pressure sodium
(orange color)
Mercury (silver color)
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
—
—
—
50
65
75
100
175
45
73
HOUSEWARES
Clock
Sewing Machine
Vacuum Cleaner
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
2
75
630
**
*
4
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
50
18
4,500
242
1,200
2,000
1,300
500
100
370
300
200
500
1,322
65
133
222
148
380
6
48
36
34
130
90
*
4,500
4,500
3,500
3,500
177
400
242
1,729
162
1,009
14
100
HEALTH & BEAUTY
LIGHTING
Average
wattage
Average
wattage
Curling Iron
Hair Dryer
Shaver
Sun Lamp
Toothbrush
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
40
1,200
15
275
1.1
*
11
*
*
*
OTHER SERVICES
Sump Pump
Swimming Pool
Circulating pump and
filter system running
24 hours/day during season
Water Pump
Deep
Shallow (50 feet or less)
Equipment varies in actual wattage and consumption differs with individual use and care of appliances.
Average
wattage
Est. kWh
consumed
monthly
500
7
600
430
1,736
1,060
60
30
E N E R G Y
A N S W E R S
Blocking Out The Weather
by James Dulley
Contributing Columnist
f you’re considering building a new
home, or simply want to add a
large room over a basement, concrete/foam block construction is one of
the best new methods available. A finished concrete/foam block home looks
no different than any other house on
your street. However, the simplicity of
this super-strong construction method (it
can resist tornado- and hurricane-force
winds) gives your architect or builder
great design flexibility.
Compared to a similar-sized lumberbuilt house, a concrete/foam block
building — with super-efficient insulation values, up to R-32 — requires a
much-smaller, less-expensive furnace,
air conditioner or heat pump. And
by utilizing an interlocking tongue-andgroove design, concrete/foam block
houses settle very little and remain
virtually airtight forever.
All of this, in turn, results in substantially lower utility bills — up to a 50
percent monthly savings.
With heavy concrete “filling” inside
the walls, energy savings and efficiency
from this type of construction are even
greater in the summer. The tons of
concrete used act as a thermal mass,
helping moderate temperature swings
indoors throughout the day and night.
I
Legos and Picnic Coolers
The simplest and oldest type of concrete/foam block construction is the
“legos” method, where large, hollow,
interlocking and lightweight (5 to 10
pounds) expanded polystyrene foam
blocks — similar to the material used
in common ice chests — are stacked
up to make a wall.
Once walls are in place, window and
door openings can be cut easily into the
foam and framed. Next, reinforcing
steel rods are slipped inside block
cavities. A concrete truck, with a pump
attachment, then flows concrete into
openings at the top of the wall.
To reduce transportation costs,
many manufacturers now offer “half
blocks” or special flat insulating foam
panels that can be assembled into full
blocks at your building site. Check with
your local professional builders association for contractors familiar with these
methods.
Half blocks are assembled in various
manners. Some have interlocking teeth
that slide together. Others use a plastic or a metal web to position and attach
the two halves or flat foam pieces
together. The web, incidentally, provides a convenient attachment point for
interior and exterior wall materials,
allowing you to finish the house in any
traditional fashion — brick, siding,
stone, stucco, etc.
There are several earth-friendly concrete/foam block house designs that
use either recycled insulating foam or
wood materials mixed with cement.
Generally, recycled foam blocks are
stronger and heavier than virgin blocks,
but still easy to handle. Walls in these
cases are assembled and filled with reinforced concrete in the same manner as
all foam blocks.
A secondary benefit of concrete/foam
block construction is a dramatic reduction in outdoor noise passing through
the walls. The house’s heavier mass is
very effective at blocking low frequency
rumbling sounds.
James Dulley is a nationally syndicated energy management expert. For more information
on this subject, request Dulley’s “Utility Bills
Update No. 507,” which includes a buyer’s
guide on 18 manufacturers of concrete/foam
blocks showing sizes, R-values, block weight,
descriptions, prices and construction details.
Send your request to: James Dulley, c/o Penn
Lines, P.O. Box 54987, Cincinnati, OH
45254. Please include $3 and a business-size
self-addressed stamped envelope. Or for quicker turnaround, check out www.dulley.com
via the World Wide Web.
N E W S
compiled by Perry Stambaugh
Editor
Get Ready
For ‘Dot Coop’
Dot com, dot org, dot edu, dot
net — these Web site address extensions have become part of our
everyday language. And in coming
months, electric co-op members will
begin to see a new one springing up
— dot coop.
Late last year, the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers approved dot coop
(.coop) as one of seven new toplevel domain names chosen out of
more than 180 submitted.
“The dot co-op extension on a
Web site [such as www.xyz.coop]
helps emphasize that a business is
a true cooperative and adheres to
the seven Rochdale principles,” says
Paul Hazen, president and CEO of
the Washington, D.C.-based National Cooperative Business Association,
which spearheaded the dot coop
effort. “It also offers consumers an
additional avenue to find cooperatives that best serve their needs.”
Co-ops will be able to use dot
coop and any current extensions —
such as dot org or dot com — simultaneously. In case you were curious,
the other top-level domain names
approved were: dot aero (for the air
travel industry); dot pro (doctors,
lawyers and accountants); dot biz
(businesses); dot name (individuals); dot museum (museums); and
dot info (unrestricted use).
B R I E F S
Court Boosts ‘Phone Choice’
For Rural Consumers
n a major victory for supporters of
“information parity” between urban
and rural areas, a unanimous Commonwealth Court on October 25 rejected an attempt by Verizon Communications to derail the landmark September
30, 1999, Pennsylvania Public Utility
Commission (PUC) order mandating
local telephone competition.
Verizon (formed this year from the
merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE) had
challenged the most ambitious part of
the PUC ruling — its break-up into retail
service and network companies. The
commission, supported strongly by state
Sens. Mary Jo White (R-Venango) and
Roger Madigan (R-Bradford) who
represent electric coop service areas, felt
such a structural separation was the only
way to place the state’s
dominant phone company on an equal footing in providing
both local and long-distance service.
In rejecting Verizon’s case, Commonwealth Court, through a record
148-page opinion, said the PUC had
“explicit authority to order structural
separation,” and added that “structural
separation makes sense simply because
an incumbent local exchange carrier will
be loathe to lease pieces of its network
to equip a competitor on a wholly nondiscriminatory basis.”
“The defeat is so devastating that
Verizon may choose not to appeal it to
the state Supreme Court,” says Otto
Hofmann, general counsel for the
Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association,
the statewide service organization for
Pennsylvania’s electric co-ops. “And even
if it does, the Supreme Court may not
take up the case.”
I
The PUC’s local phone competition
blueprint spells out how Verizon customers, and eventually those served by
Sprint/United Telephone, Commonwealth Telephone, Alltel and the state’s
31 small (under 50,000 customers)
phone companies, will be able to
choose a different carrier to handle
local calls. Among the major provisions:
• Carriers that want to compete for local
service in rural areas will be able to
lease the equipment of incumbent
phone companies at a 16.5 percent
reduction over current rates. Although
local competition was permitted by the
federal Telecommunications Act of
1996, high lease costs have proved a
hindrance — local
companies still retain
control of 93 percent
of business lines and
99 percent of residential lines in the state.
• Verizon and other local phone companies also are required to reduce
“access charges.” Access charges — the
fees billed long-distance providers to
use local phone networks — typically
account for 75 to 80 percent of the cost
of a long-distance call.
• Basic local service rates for Verizon and
Sprint/United will be capped through
December 31, 2003. Rural consumers
served by other phone companies will
have rates capped at $16 per month
over the same period. This will result in
rate reductions for a few companies
and freezes on others.
• To maintain rural phone rates at
$16 per month as well as to reduce
long-distance access charges and
local long-distance (within area code)
toll costs, the PUC has created a $30
million universal service fund that
companies in high-priced areas can
tap into. All local phone companies
in Pennsylvania will pay into the fund.
• Rural consumers using a nearby
Internet service provider will be
charged a local, not toll, call to log
onto the World Wide Web.
• Finally, basic phone rates will continue
to be regulated by the PUC, at least
until evidence of local competition
appears.
“Thanks to reduced toll charges, one
of the first places rural residents may see
the impact of competition is in the local
long-distance market,” says Hofmann.
“This is a big factor since most rural areas
have very limited local calling ranges.”
While local long-distance competition
is available to all consumers, incumbent
phone companies have managed to effectively block it through a combination of
high access charges and a lack of carriers
willing to deal with rural residential customers and resulting low profit margins.
Verizon ser ves 85 percent of
Pennsylvania phone customers while
generating roughly 95 percent of state
telephone revenues. In comparison, the
next biggest local phone company,
Sprint/United Telephone, reaches just
5 percent of the state.
C O U N T R Y
K I T C H E N
Comfort
Food
ONION PIE
1-1/2 cups crushed butter crackers
2-1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
by
by Linda
Linda Allison-Lewis
Allison-Lewis
CC oo nn tt rr ii bb uu tt ii nn gg CC oo ll uu m
m nn ii ss tt
hat
hat better
better way
way to
to spice
spice up
up snowy
snowy
winter
nights
than
with
a
winter nights than with a plate
plate of
of
“comfort
“comfortfood”
food”—
—old
oldfavorites
favoritesthat
that
hit
hit aa special
special spot
spot in
in your
your stomach
stomach (and
(and psyche).
psyche).
This
month,I
feature
several
comfort
This month,I feature several comfortfoods
foodsthat
that
go
go over
over big
big with
with my
my family.The
family.The Onion
Onion Pie
Pie is
is
great
greatserved
servedwith
withaaside
sidesalad.The
salad.TheButterscotch
Butterscotch
Pie
Pierecipe
recipeis
isaahalf-century
half-centuryold,but
old,butthe
thefilling
fillingcan
can
be
made
in
your
microwave
without
a
lot
of fuss.
be made in your
From
From my home to yours, enjoy!
W
Linda
Linda Allison-Lewis
Allison-Lewis is
is aa former
former restaurant
restaurant critic
critic and
and
author
of
several
cookbooks.
Send
recipes
and
author of several cookbooks. Send recipes and comcomments
ments to
to her
her in
in care
care of:
of: Penn
Penn Lines,
Lines, P.O.
P.O. Box
Box 1266,
1266,
Harrisburg,
PA
17108-1266.
Harrisburg, PA 17108-1266.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch buttered pie plate with cracker
crumbs. In a heavy skillet, sauté onions in butter or margarine
until clear. Spoons onions into pie plate. Heat milk, eggs
and cheese together until cheese begins to melt, mix well
and pour over onions. Bake 30-35 minutes. Serves 6.
BUTTERSCOTCH PIE
2 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
9-inch baked pie crust
Combine brown sugar, margarine, 1/2 cup milk in
microwavable glass bowl. Cook mix 5 minutes on
high in microwave, then stir and cook 5 minutes
more. Separate eggs and mix together yolks, flour, salt,
vanilla and 2 cups milk. Gradually stir in the brown sugar
mixture and cook combined mix in the microwave 2-3
minutes more until thick, stirring every 60 seconds. Pour mix
into baked pie shell. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with
cream of tartar until peaks form. Add sugar and continue beating
until blended, maintaining peaks. Spoon meringue onto pie. In an
oven preheated to 400 degrees, brown meringue. Serves 8.
CRISPY OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
3 lbs. chicken pieces, washed
thoroughly
4 cups crushed potato chips
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons butter or
margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet.
Combine potato chip crumbs, oregano, parsley, salt and
pepper. Beat eggs in water, dip chicken pieces in egg
mixture then roll in crumbs. Place chicken on a baking
sheet and drizzle with butter or margarine. Bake 50-60
minutes until browned and crisp. Serves 8.
R U R A L
R E F L E C T I O N S
And The
Winner
Is...
A
s usual, we received hundreds of outstanding entries for our 2000 “Rural
Reflections” photo contest. After careful
review, our panel of judges has selected
this year’s champs (shown here). Each will receive a $50
prize. Next month, Penn Lines will run other 2000 favorites.
In March, we will begin showing photos entered for our
2001 competition.
To be eligible for this year’s contest, send your snapshots
to: Penn Lines Photos, P.O. Box 1266, Harrisburg, PA
17108-1266. On the back of each photo, please include
your name, address, phone number and the name of the
electric cooperative that serves your home, business or
seasonal residence.
Congratulations to our winners. All 2000 contest
entries — except for those published in our February
issue — should be in the mail by the end of this
month.
BEST
BEST
LANDSCAPE
LANDSCAPE
Jean
Jean Doerfler
Doerfler
Stewartstown,
Stewartstown,Pa.
Pa.
Adams
Adams Electric
Electric
EDITOR’S
EDITOR’S
CHOICE
CHOICE
Marcia
Marcia Hurl
Hurl
Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh,Pa.
Pa.
Northwestern
Northwestern
REC
REC
BEST
BEST
HUMAN
HUMAN SUBJECT
SUBJECT
Teena
Teena Mountz
Mountz
Gaines,
Gaines,Pa.
Pa.
Tri-County
Tri-County
Rural
Rural Electric
Electric
BEST
BEST ANIMAL
ANIMAL
MOST
MOST
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
Frances
Frances Schropp
Schropp
Windber,
Windber,Pa.
Pa.
Somerset
Somerset REC
REC
Burnell
Burnell Keagy
Keagy
Gettysburg,
Gettysburg,Pa.
Pa.
Adams
Adams Electric
Electric