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.