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Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon June 24, 1994 PAGE 7 Energy efficient air conditioning maintenance tips You can keep cooling cost down this summer by properly operating and maintaining your air conditioner, says Dave Brook, Oregon State University (OSU) Extension energy agent. He offers the following guidelines. Room Air Conditioners Room air conditioners are the most economical type of air conditioning, costing 4 to 7 cents per hour to operate. A 78 degree F setting should be comfortable for most people. Every degree higher you set the unit saves about 5 percent on energy costs. Thermostats on room air conditioners usually aren't calibrated. Place a thermometer near the unit to verify indoor temperature and adjust the thermostat accordingly. You may be comfortable at higher thermostat settings if you use a ceiling or table fan. Keep sun out of the house by closing shades or drapes. Whenever the temperature outdoors drops 5 degrees F below your thermostat setting, use the "fan only," "economy," or "vent" setting to cool the house with outside air. Opening windows may be enough. Be sure the air conditioner is shaded from direct sunlight if possible. Don't block air flow around it. If you have a fireplace, close the damper and doors, since they leak air you paid to cool. Before you leave the house, set the thermostat to a warmer (higher) temperature or tum the unit off. It will take only a short time to cool the room when you return. Setting the air conditioner colder than you need won't cool the room any faster, but it wastes energy. A plug-in clock timer rated for use with motors can be used to control a room air conditioner. The timer turns the unit on at a preset time so your house is comfortable when you return home from work or other activities. Clogged filters are a major cause of air conditioning energy waste. Check and clean filters every two weeks during air conditioning season. A quick rinse is usually sufficient. New air conditioners carry the yellow Energy Guide label. It lists the Efficiency Rating (EER) of the model. The EER is the amount of cooling provided in British Thermal Units divided by the number of watts consumed. Models rated over 10 are energy efficient investments. Central Air Conditioning Central air conditioning typically costs about 22 cents per hour. As with room air conditioners, a 78 degrees F setting should be sufficient. Set the thermostat 5 degrees to 10 degrees F higher when you leave the house. Or install a clock thermostat rated for use with air conditioners. Be sure filters are clean. Duct leakage significantly reduces system efficiency and increases energy costs. If your cooling costs are higher than you expect, check for duct leaks, especially in building cavities used as ducts. If you buy a new air conditioning system, choose an efficient unit that's sized right for your home. Evaporative coolers East of the Cascades, where outside relative humidity is less than SO percent during the summer, an evaporative or "swamp" cooler can provide effective and inexpensivecooling. It works on the principle that evaporating water cools the air. Since evaporative coolers don't have a compressor, they are much less expensive to operate than central air conditioning systems. Energy costs for a typical whole house evaporative cooler are about 3 cents per hour. Evaporative coolers require good air flow. Open windows in the rooms you want to cool. Area of open windows should be about three times the size of the vent from the cooler. Check pads monthly. Clean them if there's dirt or m ineral buildup. Insulate any ductwork outside the house or in attics or crawl spaces. If the unit suddenly performs poorly, check the water level in the reservoir of the cooler. Formore information on reducing summer cooling costs, get a free copy of "Summer Cooling for Oregon Homes . It's available from Oregon Energy Line, OSU's request line for publications on home energy topics. Call toll-free in Oregon: 1-800-457-9394. CMMCMSTATI UMVOTSfTV exravisioN service Information provided by; OSU Extension at Warm Springs 1110 Wasco Street 553-3238. Arlene Boileau Bob Pawelek Norma Simpson Carol Stevens Crystal Winlshut Tim Wojtusik Clint Jacks OSU Extension Staff; 4-H & Youth Livestock Home Economics 4-H 4-H Assistant Agriculture Staff Chair, Madras The above individuals are devoted to extending research-based information from Oregon State University to the people of Warm Springs in Agriculture, Home Economics, 4-H Youth, Forestry, Community Development, Energy and Extension Sea Grant programs. Oregon State University, United States Department of Agriculture, Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs cooperating. The Extension Service offers its programs and materials equally to all people. EDUCATION THAT WORKS FOR YOU Youth money management workshop scheduled for July 5 & 11 By Norma Simpson During the last years' evaluation of the Summer Youth Program, the youngsters asked for more help to manage their money. When Annie Kalama of the Employment Training Department learned about the money management programs that we had completed with adults, she asked me to plan two programs that would fit the needs of Warm Springs youth. The first program will be Tuesday, July 5 from 8-12 a.m. and the second program will be Monday, July 11 from 8-12 a.m. at the Green House on the 4-H Wilderness Enrichment Jr. Camp Counselor Registration Deadline is July 1, 1994 NAME: GIRL BOY ADDRESS. corner of Warm Springs and Paiute Streets. Part of the program will include to have 1 two or four of the young people to work with me in preparation of the teaching materials, i HOMPPHONF Usually the Extension workers go with the 1 1 w u ri,wnu materials prepared for the groups to use. I This time the tasks of getting ready for a COUNTY wuiRjiiup win uc poii ui uicir uaiiimg, photocopying handouts, making new instructions for the bean games, making sets of games, and making educational packets for the Money Management workshops for Summer Youth. CITYZIP, PARENTS' WORK PHONE. GRADE (NOW). Warm Springs 4-H Wilderness Enrichment Camp August 10-14, 1994 at Trout Lake Learning about our Reservation and honoring our traditions; also learn outdoor skills and wilderness travel Deadline to sign up for camp is July 15, 1994 First 40 youth only Sunglasses safety tips offered PARENTGUARDIAN SIGNATURE T-SHIRT SIZE (CIRCLE) S M L XL PAYMENT ENCLOSED: MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: WARM SPRINGS 4-H WILDERNESS ENRICHMENT CAMP $15 PARENTS PAY . $1 5 JOM COMMITTEE PAYS PP I $30 TOTAL COST OF CAMP I : Alkaline soil testing important to grow beautiful gardens Health Tips Protecting your eye from the sun, choose sunglasses that: 1) Provide maximum protection from ultraviolet (UV) light-long term UV exposure increases your chance of cataracts. The greater the blockage of UV light, the lower your risk of damage. Choose lenses that block as close to 100 percent ultraviolet A (UVA) light as you can let B (UVB) light as you can for a reasonable price. Non-prescription sunglasses should carry an American National Standards Institute label telling how much UV light they block. 2) Reduce glare-the darker the lenses, the more visible light they block. For activities on water, sand or snow choose darker lenses than for around-town driving. For reflected glare, choose gray-tinted, polarized lenses. 3) Fit close to your face-to minimize UV light that can enter from the sides, buy wraparound sunglasses. 4) Don't distort colors-buy gray, or green-tinted lenses. They offer the least color distortion. By Tim Wojtusik Anyone in the community that has tried to grow anything has probably faced the problem of alkaline soils. Even though much of our soil in Central Oregon is at least slightly alkaline beautiful gardens and landscape plants can be grown with some special attention. First of all, lets talk a little about pH. The relative acidity or alkalinity of any soil can be measured and expressed in pH units, which are numbers from 1 to 14. When a soil pH is below 7 it is acid and when a soil pH is above 7 it is alkaline. The pH value of 7 is called "neutral" because the acidity and alkalinity are equally balanced. In Oregon the climate on the West side of the Cascades is wetter and the soils tend to be more acid. Over here on the East side of the mountains the climate is dryer and the soils tend to be more alkaline (also referred to as "basic"). There are some plants that like extremes but the pH range of 6 to 7, which is slightly acidic, is ideal for most plants. Plants will grow at a higher pH but they will do best within that 6 to 7 range. That means that if you want to get the most out of your garden you should take steps to reduce the alkalinity of the soil. Fortunately, some fertilizers are acid forming so you can adjust the soil pH and provide plant nutrients at the same time. In well drained soils fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate do a good job of reducing soil alkalinity (lowering the pH). Elemental sulfur can also be added to alkaline soils to help bring the pH down to where plants like it Stockman's Roundup: Coyotes T li''1 Bob Pawelek OSU Extension Agent Livestock and Range More often than not, people stop and ask me why I drive so slow. Well, there are a number of reasons, the biggest one being the hefty fines now in place. Secondly, my speedometer must be off, since even tractor drivers sometimes get impatient with me when I'm crossing the plains. Another reason is I might be observing a coyote off in the distance. Coyotes are intriguing creatures. They are a standard part of American Indian legends, so they've been around a long time. Historically, coyotes were found on the Great Plains, what is now Kansas, Nebraska and Eastern Colorado. Following the bison herds, no doubt They have since expanded their range all the way to the Pant-na Canal and to the Arctic. Habitat Such an adaptable animal exists in virtually every type of habitat, Arctic to tropic, in North America. Coyotes live in deserts, swamps, tundra, grasslands, brush country, dense forests, from below sea level to the highest mountain ranges. And everywhere in between. Some of the highest densities of coyotes appear in the suburbs of Los Angeles and Pasadena. Food Habits Coyotes are primarily carnivores, but they'll readily accept a free lunch. Watch for coyotes near abandoned apple orchards in late summer. You might catch a glimpse of a critter sitting in the shade waiting for the fruit to drop. Garbage and domestic pets are common food items in urban areas. On the average, domestic livestock accounts for about 15 of the coyote's diet. This should not alarm the stockman, as most of that category is chickens anyway. Biology Coyotes usually breed in February and March, producing litters about 9 weeks later. Females sometimes breed the winter following their birth, at less than one year of age, particularly if the food supply is plentiful. Average litter size is 5 to 7 pups, although up the 19 in a litter have been reported. More than one litter may be found in a single den; at times this may be from females mated to a single male. Hybridization often occurs with dogs and wolves. These hybrids are fertile, although their breeding seasons will not usually correspond to those of true coyotes. In the New England states, coyotes differ some what in color from western coyotes, perhaps due to some hybridization with dogs and wolves in the past. Both coyote parents hunt and bring food to the pups, commonly hunting in pairs. The adults and pups usually remain together until late summer or fall when pups become independent, although occasionally they are found as groups until the next breeding season begins. ID of kill Coyotes normally kill smaller mammals by biting the head or neck. Older lambs and sheep are killed usually by biting the throat just back of the jaw and ear. Small calves may be killed in a similar fashion. Large calves commonly are attacked at the flanks and rear quarters. A coyote's victims frequently have clear puncture wounds in the 25X fwMA Carrion jW Domtic f "1 W ls$tock pjfc f and poultry x I Rodents 17S Rabbit 33 3.5 Deer 2 Birds 2 Vegetable Matter 1 Injects 1 Miscellaneous Animal Matter An "average" coyote diet (Sperry 194 1). Data were obtained by analyzing stomach contents of 8,263 coyotes from 17 western states. Stomach collections were made during all calendar months. head or throat. Coyotes, especially inexperienced pups, occasionally attack the flank or hindquarters. A dog kill is easily distinguishable, since dogs attack everywhere on the body and rarely kill as cleanly as coyotes. Badly torn and slashed animals with damage to the head, ears, and sides are typical of dog predation. 1 Bobcats kill much like coyotes, but victims may have claw marks on the neck and or shoulders. Kills by cougars will have tooth punctures that are larger and further apart than those made by smaller animals. Intelligence Much to my surprise, coyotes, from a considerable distance can distinguish between a rifle and a stick. This was observed while shredding a pasture one day. Two coyotes were waiting for field mice to scurry from the freshly mown brush once a swath was made. I raised up my 22 and they scattered. When I forgot to take the gun off the rack the next day, I carried on the tractor an oak branch of a similar size and length. From a distance of 80 yards, the critters never gave it a second thought. They could actually tell the difference. Coyotes have also been known to steal bait from leg traps, to avoid toxicants, and climb trees. Coyote hunting requires a great deal of skill and patience simply because of their sagacity. Coyotes have been around for a long time, and will perhaps be around a lot longer. They are sly, ambitious, and resourceful. Maybe we could team a few things from them. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious. You can determine the pH of your garden soil with test kits available at many nurseries or by sending a soil sample to a soil testing laboratory. Oregon State University has a soil testing laboratory that can analyze soil fertility as well as pH. If you are interested in having your soil tested please contact the Warm Springs OSU Extension Office. Gardening workshop being planned Warm Springs OSU Extension is planning on presenting an evening gardening workshop. Presenters will include Deschutes County Horticulture Extension Agent Michael Bauer and a variety of Central Oregon gardening topics will be discussed. The program will be held during the week of July 18 and date, time and place will be announced when plans are finalized. Food safety tips for good health Food Safety Tips Hotline from Nutrition-Eating for Good Health USDA Yearbook 1993 Food Safety Tips from the Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-800-S35-455S 1. Keep it safe, refrigerate. Refrigerate foods you'll use quickly. Freeze raw meat or poultry you can't use in 1 or 2 days. Freezer should register 0 degree F; refrigerator, 40 degree F. 2. Don't thaw food on the kitchen counter. Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature. 3. Wash hands before preparing food. Wash hands and utensils after contact with raw meat and poultry. Wash cutting boards or other work surfaces too. Bacteria, often present on raw foods, can spread to other foods if you don't 4. Never leave perishable food out over 2 hours. This includes marinating. No need to bring foods to room temperature before cooking. 5. Thoroughly cook raw meat, poultry, and fish to at least 160 degree F internal temperature. Juices should run clear and meat should not be pink. Do not partially cook food. Have a constant heat source and never set the oven under 325 degree F. 6. Promptly refrigerate or freeze leftovers. Divide large quantities into smaller containers for quick cooling. Reheat leftovers to at least 1 63 degree F.