text: The Company adopted SFAS No. 142 effective January 1, 2002. The required adoption of SFAS No. 142 is considered a change in accounting principle and 
  the cumulative effect of adopting this standard resulted in a $1.6 million non-cash, after-tax charge in 2002. This charge had no effect on the Company’s 
  cash position or the balance of its outstanding indebtedness, and it did not have any impact on earnings from continuing operations in 2002. As previously 
  discussed, the Company recorded a non-cash gain from discontinued operations during 2001 related to the reversal of a reserve established when the 
  Company disposed of its natural gas operations in 1997. This gain had no effect on the Company’s cash position or the balance of its outstanding 
  indebtedness, and it did not have any impact on earnings from continuing operations in 2001. 
  
  The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations and borrowings available under the Company’s Credit Facility, 
  supplemented, if necessary, with equity or debt financing, which the Company believes would be available, will be sufficient to fund the Company’s cash 
  requirements for at least the foreseeable future. 
  
  Companies sometimes establish legal entities for a specific business transaction or activity in the form of a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”). VIEs may be 
  used to facilitate off-balance sheet financing, acquire financial assets, raise cash from owned assets and similar transactions. The Company has no VIEs, no 
  off-balance sheet financing arrangements or any derivative financial instruments. 