Questions & Answers

I Need a Current List of My Credit Cards

2012-01-27T14:52:00.000-05:00

“Iwant to cancel some of my credit cards, but I need to find a current list of allof them, especially ones I don’t use any longer. Is there a way I can find outthat information? And then how do I tell the companies I want to cancel thecard?” The Newton Falls Public Librarystaff understands the need to do a financial inventory and possibly downsize.

TheFederal Trade Commission allows an individual to get a free credit report onceeach 12 month period. Our patron needs to go online to www.annualcreditreport.com. Following the instructions, he will receive areport which will include all the credit cards in his name.

Thereare many interesting websites dealing with this topic. In the online article atconsumerist.com, How To CancelA Credit Card Without Hurting Your Credit Score by Meg Marco Craig Watts, public affairs manager for FICO (Fair Isaac Corp., the company whoinvented the FICO score) advises readers "To close card accounts withoutimpacting one's credit score, you need to only have zero balances on your credit reportfor all of your active creditcards. That's because if you have zero balances your credit utilizationrate is therefore zero, and you can't raise it — and potentially hurt yourscore — by closing one or more of the active card accounts.” www.creditcards.comhas several articles with advice on canceling cards, as well as a worksheetwhich includes guidelines to and a sample letter for closing accounts.

Wealso showed our patron some of the financial materials we have in the library.Two resources they considered were Masteryour Debt: Slash your Monthly Payments and Become Debt Free by JordanElliot Goodman and Survival Guide to Debt: How to Overcome Tough Times & Restore YourFinancial Health by Mitchell Allen.

Toassist patrons in making wise financial and purchasing decisions, the NewtonFalls Public Library subscribes to the following magazines: ConsumerReports, Forbes, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money, and ShopSmart.

Where Can Families Without Health Insurance Get Eyeglasses?

2012-01-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

“Doyou know any group that assists families without health insurance in gettingeyeglasses, especially for my daughter?” The Newton Falls Public Library staffis very aware of the importance of being able to see clearly in order to read.

Thefirst step taken was to contact the county’s Job and Family Services [JFS].They informed us that the individual should fill out a state of Ohio Request for Cash, Food, and MedicalAssistance application. The application may be accessed online at http://jfs.ohio.gov or by visiting theircounty’s JFS office. Even if the parentsdo not meet the income requirements, the child may be eligible to receive theaid needed.

JFSalso recommended that our patron phone 211. 211 Ohio canbe reached by simply dialing 211. In Trumbull County the caller will reach Trumbull 211, Community Solutions; inMahoning County, Help Hotline CrisisCenter; and in Portage County, UnitedWay 211Portage. The appropriate local information andreferral agency will give the caller contact information as to groups andgovernment agencies which may be able to assist her in getting the necessaryeye exam and glasses for her daughter.

Why Does the Flag Have Stars With Seven Points Instead of Five?

2012-01-13T15:18:00.002-05:00

“Inoticed the display with books donated in memory of deceased members by theAmerican Legion Post 234. There is a flag on the table with the number 76 and thirteenseven pointed stars. Why do the stars have seven points instead of five?” TheNewton Falls Public Library staff wondered about this difference from the morefamiliar five pointed fifty star flag and asked the owner. He informed us that itis a Bennington Flag and he had purchased it during the Bicentennial

Flag: an American biographybyMarc Leepson has a picture of this flag. It is “the Bennington Flag, one ofseveral militia flags with thirteen stars and thirteen stripes . . . thought tohave been flown by the Green Mountain boys at the August 16, 1777, Battle ofBennington in Vermont.[color insert pages]” It is also known as the Fillmoreflag after the original owner Nathaniel Fillmore who fought in the Battle ofBennington. Leepson also says there are differences of opinion about this flag.Some feel that was actually made in the 1800s and dates either from the war of1812 or the nation’s jubilee celebration in 1826 [p.26].” In Saga of the American Flag: an illustrated history by Candice M.DeBarr and Jack A. Bonkowske notes that Nathaniel Fillmore was the grandfatherof Millard Fillmore, our 13^th president [p.20].

Westill had not discovered the significance of this flag’s seven pointed stars,so we extended our search online. The Bennington Museum states that the stars may have Masonic significance. The website Revolutionary War and Beyond says that seven point stars were common on flags in colonial times. The13 Stars and Stripes: a survey of 18^th century imagesby DavidMartucci published in NAVA NEWS Number 167(April-June 2000) says “Considering the number of points on the stars, it is amixed bag and would appear that any number was used, even different numbers ofpoints on the stars of a single flag. . . After the Revolutionary War, the stararrangements are very mixed.”

Wewere not able to find definitive historical information for our patron as tothe reason the Bennington Flag has seven pointed stars. The description at www.legacyproject.org lists a variety ofreasons for selection of seven pointed stars. “In mythology and some religions it represents integration, the unity ofmind, body, and spirit. Seven is a lucky number. This star is also used torepresent the seven liberal arts of classic antiquity: geometry, astronomy,mathematics, logic, grammar, rhetoric, and music. In engineering, theseven-pointed star represents the supremacy of reason.”

Does Turning Off TV During Commercials Save Electricity?

2012-01-06T09:18:00.000-05:00

“Byturning off TV at each advertisement would I save electricity, prolong the lifeof the TV, or would this do harm?” TheNewton Falls Public Library staff is always interested in money saving ideas.

Energyusage certainly depends on the television owned. A chart of energy efficiencyat CNET

showsHDTV power consumption costing yearly anywhere from $10.59 for the calibratedsettings on a 32” Sharp LCD to $108.07 for a 58” Panasonic plasma television.But this did not tell us if the cost would go up or down by turning it offfrequently.

Unableto find the exact information for our patron online, we decided to contact atelevision repair business. Our staff phoned Portage Electronics in Ravenna.They informed us that each time the power button is pushed it creates a 5 voltspike of electricity, which in time will burn out the microprocessor. Theyrecommended that turning it on and off would cause more damage to thetelevision than would save her money in electricity.

We did find that conversely avoiding the viewingof commercials can save you money. “According to Boston College sociologistJuliet Schor, ‘Television viewing results in an upscaling of desire. And thatin turn leads people to buy.’ Her study found that every additional hour of TVviewing per week boosts spending by roughly $200 a year.”

Itseems that leaving your television on during commercials will protect it,saving you money in repairs. Leaving the room or muting the commercials whenthey come on will keep you from being tempted to spend money.

Who Bought the General Motors Penguin?

2011-12-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

“Whobought the General Motors [GM] penguin when they had those painted penguins inYoungstown about 7 years ago?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff recallsthe fiberglass Youngstown penguins which were painted by local artists.

Onlinesearching was required for this question. We typed the words “Youngstownpainted penguin sculptures” into a popular search engine. On the website of theBusiness Journal Daily we found that the GM penguin wasnamed Cobalt. It was the first of the 31 completed penguins to be previewed and“was designed by Todd P. Fowler of Youngstown, a 2002 YSU graduate . . . he developed the design inhonor of his father, Robert, who painted cars at GM for 35 years . . . Fowlerused the same automobile paint that GM workers use to paint cars to craft hispenguin, saying it was his goal to capture the luminosity, depth, finish andshine of a new car in his design.”

Informationin the article cited Youngstown State University’s [YSU] involvement in theprogram, so we expanded the search to include YSU. YSU student newspaper, the Jambar,says that Cobalt was revealed on May 13, 2004. www.ysu.edu/penguinparade hasphotographs of each of the sculptures. The YSU pages about the penguin paradesay the auction was to be held on October 29, 2004.

Thelist of purchaser was located on the 2005 Annual Report of the CommunityFoundation of the Mahoning Valley. Cobalt was bought by Dick & Marlene Hill.

Signed Old Book

2011-12-16T08:21:00.000-05:00

Thecaller said to the Newton Falls Public Library staff, “I have an old book thatsays it was given to Clyde Howes by Ada Alderman, teacher. It was dated Feb. 241893. I was wondering if this could be true, that these people really existed.”

Libraryusers in Ohio can access Ancestry.com through the library’s databases onOhioWebLibrary. We typed in both Ada Alderman and Clyde Howes. Looking at thedates and locations given, we found some compatible people in the 1930 census.There was an Ada Alderman born about 1867 who lived in Windsor, AshtabulaCounty, Ohio. This would make her about 26 years old in 1893. The same censussays that Clyde A. Howes was born about 1884, so he would have been about 9years old when the book was signed. In 1930 he lived in Mesopotamia, TrumbullCounty, Ohio. These communities are not far from each other.

Extendingthe search to the birth, marriage, and death indexes at the aforementionedsite, we found that Clyde Howes was born on January 21, 1886 in Windsor, Ohio.The death records for Ada Alderman were inconclusive, so we extended our onlinesearch using a popular search engine. Using the words, Ada Alderman teacher WindsorOhio, we found a link to starbeacon.com/archive/x1449203863which has a photograph of “Ada Alderman, teacher at the Alderman School inWindsor, was photographed in her sleigh in front of the school . . . “

Wenext searched for the Alderman School in Windsor. History of the Western Reserve, Volume 2 by Harriet Taylor Upton, Harry Gardner Cutler digitallystored at books.google.com, included the history of the Alderman family. Adawas the eldest of the children, born March 13, 1867. She began teaching at 16years of age, and taught in Windsor, Huntsburg, Trumbull, Mesopotamia, and NewLyme. She was also the first woman to be elected to the Windsor School Board.The Upton History also includes a photograph of Ada, her parents and herbrothers.

Searchingusing the words Clyde Howes 1886 Ohio, we found a link to the site www.findagrave.com. The information there said that Clyde wasborn in 1883 and died in 1971. He is buried in the Windsor Township Cemetery. Wewere able to inform our caller that the information in the front of the bookseemed to match actual people during this time period.

Gingerbread and Sauerkraut

2011-12-10T09:51:00.001-05:00

Thewinter holidays are coming. This week we received two interesting seasonal foodquestions. “I’m looking for a gingerbread recipe which uses flour, eggs, milk,baking soda, and yeast.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff thought this soundedlike a ordinary gingerbread recipe until the caller got to the last ingredient;yeast is not a commonly used ingredient for this item. She was from out of townand unable to come into the library and did not own a computer, so we searchedonline for recipes. Cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com had a recipe foryeast-raised orange gingerbread and Georgene-a-bramlage.suite.com had anassortment of gingerbread recipes for Christmas and winter. We gave the callerthe recipes we found for her which fit your ingredients list.

Thesecond interesting question was “I’m making sauerkraut in a crock pot and amconcerned about mold-like stuff growing on the top. Is this normal?” Alton Brown of the Foodnetwork.com states “Check cabbage every other day for approximately 2 weeks and skim thesurface of scum, if necessary.” Since this stated in his recipe, apparently ourpatron’s concern was a common one. The book, The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live it: the complete back-to-basics guide by John Seymour also hadinformation about making sauerkraut and our patron took home this resource.

Questions Needing Simple Answers

2011-12-02T12:48:00.001-05:00

Thelibrarians of the Newton Falls Public Library enjoy finding the answers to thequestions asked by our patrons. During the day, many of the questions asked areof a similar type needing simple answers.

Someexamples of these questions are:

“Whatis the phone number for AT&T corporate headquarters?” The www.att.com page for investor relations includestheir main telephone number and a note explaining that “while corporateheadquarters are in Dallas, the main telephone number uses a San Antonio areacode.

“Ineed the plus 4 numbers following the 44444 zip code for my address.” Thepostal service website, www.usps.com, has alink to Look Up a Zip Code. Typing inthe full street address with the 5 digit zip code brings up the additional 4numbers specific to that address. The library’s full code is 44444-1608.

· “I’m writing a paper and I need journal articlesabout substance and drug abuse.” The library has access to a wonderful online databasewhich patrons can use to find a wealth of print resources storedelectronically. This patron was directed to the library’s homepage, www.newtonfalls.org. Selecting the OhioWeb Library link, the patron next needs to select Resources; then inthe section Magazines and Newspapers choose MasterFile Premier(EBSCOhost). By typing in the needed topic, expanding the search to relatedwords and within the full text of the articles, and limiting the results tofull text only the patron should be find all she needs. When citing informationfor papers, the bibliographic citations are also included.

I Have a Hand Sewn American Flag

2011-11-18T14:40:00.001-05:00

“I have ahand sewn, 16’ X 22’ wool American flag with 48 stars. I know it is pre-1959.I’m looking for any information you can find about it.” The Newton Falls PublicLibrary staff was fascinated by this, considering the size of the flag.

Flag: an American biographyby Marc Leepson [p.223] confirmed that the flag was indeed from before 1959 asthe 48^th state, Arizona, joined the Union on February 14, 1912 andAlaska, the 49^th joined by proclamation on January 3, 1959. The 49star flag become official on July 4.

According tothe book, Saga of the American Flag: an illustrated history by Candice M.DeBarr and Jack A. Bonkowske [p.50], a survey taken in 1912 “revealed thatgovernmental agencies were using flags of 66 different sizes, most of varyingproportions. Nongovernmental flags were even more widespread in theirregularities.” Several websites have informationabout the dimensions of American flags. USFlag.org gives the ratio of hoist [width] X 1.9 = fly[length]. “Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 -established the proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of thestars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to beupward. This flag was official for 47 years, longer than any other flag.” Theblog, The Daily Flag states “Flags today come in easy toremember sizes, 3X5, 4X6, 5X8, but the flag code clearly indicates that thesize ratio for the US Flag is 1:1.9.” According to the flag code our patron’sflag should actually be 16’ X 30.4’ or by common standards, 16’ X 24’. Thiswould indicate that it was indeed handmade.

Worthpoint.com has an entry about Collecting Historical American Flags by Tom Carrier which we suggested our patron read to learn more.

How Old are the Buildings at Transco Railway Products?

2011-11-08T13:38:00.000-05:00

Patronsvisit, phone, and email the Newton Falls Public Library with their questions.One recent phone request was “How old are the buildings at Transco RailwayProducts, 2310 S. Canal Street in Newton Falls?”

Thelibrary staff first went to the Trumbull County Auditor’s website.We compared that map with the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from March 1928 [thisdatabase may be accessed through the Ohio Web Library on our homepage]. The businesslocated there at that time was Ohio Structural Steel Company.

Searchingonline for this company, we found information on page 609 of the History of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Ohio, Volume 1 by JamesG. Butler, Jr. This book may be accessed online through Google books orin our Local History Room. According to Butler, “The Newton Falls Boiler Workswas started in 1917 and transferred later to Hetzel Form and Iron Company. Thisconstituted the nucleus of the Ohio Structural Steel Company, organized in1919, that has constructed a plant of greatly increased size.” The History of Newton Falls compiledby Ella Woodward [Revised 1977 edition, pg. 85] stated that this company tookover the Newton Falls Construction Company Plant.”

While background history is interesting, it hadn’tanswered our patron’s question; so we contacted the Trumbull County Auditor.His office informed us that the newest building was constructed in 1995, the officein 1924, Parts & Storage (20’ X 57’, 1 story) in 1968, Building 2A (72’ X160’) in 1955 and the Fab building in 1926.

Where Was the Stevens Level Company Located?

2011-10-28T15:03:00.000-04:00

“Werecently purchased a Stevens level made in Newton Falls, Ohio. Where was thiscompany located in town?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff is familiarwith Stevens levels; there are several in the library’s Local History Room.

The History of Newton Falls compiled by Ella Woodward (1942 edition) devotespage 100 to Stevens’ Levels. Ernest AStevens Sr. developed the idea, patented, and placed a level on the market in1914. In 1921, he and his son, E.A. Stevens Jr. formed a partnership tospecialize in the manufacture of only levels. Woodward states that this “. . .novel invention . . . is destined to become of tremendous national as well asinternational importance . . . Though only pocket size . . . proves to be just as effective as thelarger ones, and more readily applied any place. Since 1914 Mr. Stevensdeveloped two new models, the ‘Pocket Surface Level’ and the ‘Lino and SurfaceLevel’ both being completed and placed on the market in December 1922.” As of1942, the latest location of the factory was at the corner of Milton Blvd.& Arlington Rd. The article mentioned that they had been made atdifferent locations but the aforementioned was the present and permanent one.

The History of Newton Falls [Revised edition 1977, p. 216]notes that original building location was at the site of the present Home OilCompany on North Canal Street. Followingthe death of E.A. Stevens Sr. “in 1925, his son continued the business with alocation in Detroit, Michigan. The main facility was . . . at [the southeast corner] of MiltonBoulevard and Arlington Road from 1941 through 1952 . . . business was sold in1952 to Columbian Vise of Cleveland, and later to the Warren Tool Corporationof Warren, Ohio, in 1966.”

Can You Help Me Find a Vegetarian Indian Cookbook?

2011-10-21T09:07:00.001-04:00

“I was watching a TV show with Gordon Ramsey featuring best restaurants.The episode was about vegetarian Indian food. I was hoping you could help mefind a cookbook for it.” In order for the Newton Falls Public Library staff toassist our patron, our first step was to find what restaurant was on the show.

We discovered information about the show online by searching for ‘GordonRamsay best restaurants.” There is a BBC program titled Ramsay’s Best Restaurant.On the episode guide we found two Indian restaurants competing against eachother. “With two generations of family behind the food, Prashad specializes invegetarian dishes and the chefs use their hands to prepare the food, believingthat love will be passed through each dish.” This was the one which our patronviewed.

Searching online for “Prashad vegetarian cookbook” we found two books, Prashad-Cookingwith Indian Masters by J.Indersingh Kalra and Indian Vegetarian Cooking from an American Kitchen by VasanthaPrasad. Our patron thought she might like the latter, so we placed ahold on it through our new shared Clevnet catalog, www.clevnet.org, and will notify her when itarrives at our library.

Is There Another Portable Way to Listen to Books?

2011-10-13T18:39:00.000-04:00

Ourcaller said, “I really enjoy audio books, but my CD player broke. I would liketo try something other than a CD one. Is there another portable way to listento books?” Many members of the Newton Falls Public Library staff also enjoylistening to works by their favorite authors while driving or doing chores.

Manyof us listen to books on Playaways, each holding just one title. The morepopular choices are MP3 players and iPods. Our patron asked for arecommendation. Since we felt that her choice needed to be dependent on herpersonal preferences of product capabilities, price, etc., we recommended thatshe either talk to others who own them, visit local stores that carry them, orview online reviews.

ConsumerReportslast reviewed MP3 players in December of 2010. Technology changes so quicklyand our patron wanted newer information, so we looked online. We typed in “MP3players reviews” and found several sites for her including http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-playersand http://mp3-players.toptenreviews.com/flash-drive. We recommended that she duplicate our searchto learn more about what was available.

Onceour patron decides which player she would like; she can download free audiobooks from the library’s catalog. Newton Falls Public Library is presently partof the Ohio eBook Project. Beginning November 1^st, titles canbe downloaded from our new Clevnet catalog.

Who is Norma Shearer?

2011-10-07T09:13:00.000-04:00

“Wewere going through things belonging to deceased relative, and came across anautographed photo of Norma Shearer. Can you help me find out who she was?” TheNewton Falls Public Library staff confessed that they had never heard of Normaeither, but would be happy to see what information we could find for ourpatron.

Oursearch began online and we discovered the Internet Movie Database website, www.IMDb.com, had a great deal of informationabout this actress from the 1920s through 1940s. Edith Norma Shearer was bornon August 10, 1902 in Montréal,Québec, Canada. The 5’1” actress’ most famous roles were in themovies: The Divorcee (1930) for which she won an Oscar, The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934),and Romeo and Juliet (1936).She was offered the parts of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), thestarring role in Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1950). According to the book, AmericanNational Biography, she also turned down the lead role in Pride and Prejudice. She died on June12, 1983. The IMDb website offers some interesting sidelights about herincluding her noticing a photo of the daughter of a ski lodge receptionist’sdaughter and recommending her to MGM. The girl in the photo became famous and knownas Janet Leigh. “F. ScottFitzgerald based one of his most famous stories, ‘CrazySunday,’ on a party hosted by Shearer, who also inspired the story's maincharacter, Stella Calman . . . She isone of the celebrities whose picture Anne Frank placed on thewall of her bedroom in the ‘Secret Annex’ while in hiding during the Nazioccupation of Amsterdam.”

Onpage 25 of the book 60 Years of the Oscar: the official history of the Academy Awards by Robert Osborne, in the 1929-1930 awardsShearer was actually nominated for best actress in two films, The Divorcee and Their Own Desire. The following year the rule was changed so thissituation could not again occur. The website, www.MyOscarPredictions.com listsShearer’s six Academy Award Best Actress nominations.

Our patron was surprised to learn how well known she was,and wondered how much the photograph might be worth. A variety of online sitesoffer Norma Shearer signed photographs for sale, ranging from $14.99 to severalhundred dollars. Realizing that it is really only worth what someone is willingto pay; hoping to increase the value, our patron decided to see if she couldlocate a photograph which is the same as hers, discover if it is related to aparticular film, and date the picture.

Is it True that No Republican Voted for the Social Security or Medicare Acts?

2011-09-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

“Iwanted to confirm some information. I have been told on more than one occasion thatno Republican voted for the Social Security Act in the 1930s or the MedicareAct under President Lyndon Johnson. Is that correct?” The staff of the NewtonFalls Public Library enjoys answering such straightforward questions.

Typingthe keywords “republicans voted social security 1930s” in a Google search wefound the website for Social Security Online History which includes archival documents. “Final Congressional action on the bill tookplace when the Conference Report was passed by voice vote on August 8, 1935 in theHouse and on August 9th in the Senate. On August 14, 1935 President Rooseveltsigned the bill into law at a ceremony in the White House Cabinet Room.” Votetallies by party are:

v House

Ø Yes – 284 Democrats,81 Republicans, 1 Farm Labor, 6 Progressive/Other

Ø No – 15 Democrats, 15Republicans, 2 Farm Labor, 1 Progressive/Other

Ø Not Voting – 20Democrats, 4 Republicans, 0 Farm Labor, 1 Progressive/Other

Ø Present - – 0Democrats, 2 Republicans, 0 Farm Labor, 0 Progressive/Other

v Senate

Ø Yes -– 60 Democrats,16 Republicans, 1 Farm Labor, 0 Progressive/Other

Ø No – 1 Democrats, 5 Republicans, 0 Farm Labor, 0Progressive/Other

Ø Not Voting – 8Democrats, 4 Republicans, 0 Farm Labor, 0 Progressive/Other

Wedid a similar keyword search for medicare resulting in the appropriateinformation also being found at Social Security Online History.“The reconciled version . . . went to final passage in the House on July 27thand final passage in the Senate the following day. President Johnson signed the bill intolaw at a special ceremony in Independence, Missouri on July 30, 1965.”Vote tallies by party are:

v House

Ø Yes – 237 Democrats,70 Republicans

Ø No – 48 Democrats, 68Republicans

Ø Not Voting – 8 Democrats,2 Republicans

v Senate

Ø Yes – 57 Democrats,13 Republicans

Ø No – 7 Democrats, 17Republicans

ØNot Voting – 4 Democrats, 2 Republicans

Does Anyone Pick Up Old Refrigerators?

2011-09-21T11:56:00.001-04:00

“I’massisting a relative in going through some things, and we need to know ifanyone picks up old refrigerators?” TheNewton Falls Public Library staff understands the need for finding ways todispose of old household items. Our patron remembered that an advertisement ontelevision mentioned that the Green Team recycled appliances. Unfortunately, wediscovered that the it is part of the Mahoning County Solid Waste ManagementDistrict and the relative’s home is in Trumbull County.

Geauga-TrumbullSolid Waste Management District is our local recycling agency. It has appliancecollection dates and a listing of local scrap metal dealers on their website www.startrecycling.com.While their listing did not include Falls Recycling in Newton Falls, we foundthat this business also accept appliances.

FirstEnergy has an appliance turn-in program for their customersthrough October 31, 2011. The program accepts empty and working refrigeratorsand freezers. The same conditions would apply to local charities receivingappliance donations. For patrons wishing to repair their non-working appliancesbefore donating them, the library has a copy of Chilton's Guide to LargeAppliance Repair and Maintenance by Gene B. Williams available forborrowing.

Why Do We Use the Term Czar for Someone Involved in American Government?

2011-09-16T12:06:00.001-04:00

“Former Youngstown Mayor Jay Williamsjust went to Washington D.C. as the Auto Czar. Czar seems to be an odd term touse for someone involved in American government; I thought it was a Russianruler. When did this become used by our presidents?” Recently, _________ czarhas been a phrase that seems to have worked itself into our common language.The Newton Falls Public Library staff found the question to be intriguing.

The American Heritage Dictionary ofthe English Language definesczar in three ways: the first is a ruler or monarch; the second is an autocrat;the final one is considered an informal usage: “An appointed official havingspecial powers to regulate or supervise an activity: . . . an energy czar.” [p. 455]. This seems to fulfill part of our patron’srequest.

The aforementioned book was published in 2000, so we know that the term was in use in this context prior to that year. Continuing our search online, we found that the Los Angeles Times' article (March 5, 2009) President Obama's czar system concerns some by Tom Hamburger and Christi Parsons. "President Nixon may have named the first 'czar' with his appointment of William E. Simon to handle the 1970s energy crisis."

According to Czar Struck: Sorting Through the Misconceptions and Understanding the Implications of an Expanding ‘Czar’ Phenomenon by Kathryn J. Murphy, United States Military Academy, "President Franklin D. Roosevelt originated the concept of the policy czar in American politics. Under his administration, Roosevelt created a 'brain trust' of advisors whom he relied upon for policy-related advice . . . In 1942, political cartoonist, Clifford Berryman depicted Roosevelt's advisors as czars . . . The Nixon administration was the first to actually use the term 'czar' with specific reference to the appointment of a 'Drug Czar' in 1971. This was subsequently followed by a highly controversial 'Energy Czar.' (pp. 1-2)" Murphy cites 32 Obama czars as of January 2010. We were not able to locate a difinitive czar listing from United States Government websites. Others, such as Wikipedia, did list the numbers of U.S. Executive Branch czars for each president from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama. According to their listing Ronald Reagan had the least, one.

Do You Have to be a Citizen of Canada to Receive Public Health Benefits?

2011-09-09T11:40:00.000-04:00

“Doyou have to be a citizen of Canada to receive health benefits or can you justbe a resident?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff knows that manyindividuals are unable to afford health insurance. We are sure that many peoplewill find the answer to this question to be interesting.

Searchingonline, we typed in the question: “Do you need to be a Canadian citizen to havehealth care?” Eliminating the websites which discussed the pros and cons ofsocialized medicine, we found the site for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The page Live in Canada links to About being a permanent residentof Canada. Permanentresidents and their dependents are able to receive most of the social benefitsthat Canadian citizens receive, including health care coverage. There is alsoinformation about immigrating and applying for permanent status. If our patronwould choose to move there, they would have to live in Canada for at least twoyears within a five-year period to keep their status as a permanent resident.

The public health insurance in Canada is paid forthrough taxes. It is different in each province and territory and, depending onyour coverage you may also require temporary private health insurance. Thiswill also be necessary while waiting on your permanent resident status to beapproved. “You must buy this private insurance within five days of arriving in your province or territory or insurance companies may not provide coverage for you. Refugee claimants who cannot afford private health insurance and refugee claimants living in provinces that have a three-month waiting period can receive emergency and essential health services at no cost”.Some of the public plans do not cover dental expenses, private hospital rooms, prescriptiondrugs, ambulance services and prescription eyeglasses.

We were surprised to find that the Canadian healthcare system seems to be a combination of public and private coverage.

Do Buttons Have Lead in Them?

2011-09-01T18:55:00.000-04:00

“Do buttons have lead in them? I’m concerned about my child chewing on them.” The staff of the Newton Falls Public Library can understand parents worrying about the items little children put in their mouths, especially small items which may also be accidently swallowed.

While browsing through the book, About Buttons: a collector's guide: 150 A.D. to the present by Peggy Ann Osborne, the author describes 18^th century buttons made of “embroidered fabrics, assorted metals, mother-of-pearl, glass, porcelain, and pottery”; some with “paintings on ivory, vellum, or paper (pg. 9).” In the chapter there was no mention of the types of metal with the exception of silver and copper. Some materials used in the 19^th century were silver, brass, pewter, glass, and pearl. As we continued looking we also noticed buttons made of wood, steel, vegetable ivory, plastic, and nylon. This book is organized by years, styles, and countries but unfortunately, not by materials. Button, Button: identification and price guide by Peggy Ann Osborne has a chapter, Materials from A – Z. Almost 60 different materials are listed as being used in button making. Some of the more unusual are alligator skin, bamboo, linoleum, rubber, snakeskin, and straw. The Collector's Encyclopedia of Buttons: now with values by Sally C. Luscomb is set up alphabetically. There is no listing for lead between Le Chic (a trade name) and League of American Wheelman (Bicycle Buttons).

Our search continued online to www.greybirdrelics.com which sells Civil War relics and antiquities. The page on buttons has Civil War era or earlier coat weight buttons made of lead, “said to have served dual purpose.” Ian Kelly-Military Insignia site notes “From 1830 onwards, Regular Army infantry regiments that had been wearing silver buttons changed to gilt buttons and thereafter, silver buttons were mainly worn by Militia and Volunteer regiments, and sometimes by pipers of regular regiments. Other Ranks buttons were made of lead or pewter until 1855 when brass was introduced.” It would seem that buttons most likely to be made of lead are military.

Desrues, a French company manufactures “the most precious jewellery and buttons for Chanel, its biggest client, as well as for Louis Vuitton and many others.” Their operations focus on ”Moulding and casting metals, glass enamelling, machining wood, remodelling resins, polishing, soldering, lacquering, varnishing, gilding, silver plating, working with lead glass and threading pearls . . .” Apparently, some buttons for modern high end designers do have lead in them.

If their child continues to chew on buttons and our patron is unable to clearly determine what buttons are presently manufactured to have lead, there are lead testing kits available.

What Was Taken Out of the Mines in Mineral Ridge?

2011-08-25T17:59:00.000-04:00

“What was taken out of the mines in Mineral Ridge? Are any still there? When did they close?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff was not familiar with the information needed as our focus tends to be more on the history of Newton Falls and Newton Township, but we were more than willing to see if we could locate what she needed.

The Davis Genealogy’s section about William Edward Davies, hosted by Rootsweb, states that “. . . Mineral Ridge, Trumbull County, Ohio . . . was a center of coal and iron mining in the early nineteenth century.” History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches (p.95) has many details about the Mineral Ridge coal and blackband iron belt, and how the deposits were formed.

The Columbus Dispatch article, Old coal mines are risk to homes in eastern Ohio by Spencer Hunt, dates mining back to the mid-1800s. It addressed the problem of locating old mines, as many were small and undocumented; others were dug into by individuals during the Depression and were extended beyond their map boundaries.

The Abandoned Coal Mines Website, research by Ann Harris of Youngstown State University, lists 26 shaft and slope mines in Weathersfield Township. The last known date of a listed mine closing was 1899.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management has overseen the filling of the abandoned mines. According to the Youngstown Vindicator article, Area in Ridge will be tested for mine subsidence by ODNR by Mary Smith (10/6/2008); there is also the problem of determining the location of “peddler” mines, dug by individuals for the mining of coal for their own use or to sell.

We gave our patron this information and also suggested that she contact the library located in Weathersfield Township, McKinley Memorial Library in Niles.

Is It Safe to Give Salted Peanuts to Squirrels?

2011-08-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

“My husband and I enjoy feeding the squirrels peanuts in the shell. We recently bought salted ones and my niece told me it wasn’t safe to give them salted ones. Is that true?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff understands people wanting to make sure they are giving animals proper foods.

The library’s copy of Squirrels: a wildlife handbook by Kim Long had a great deal of interesting information including the favorite foods of different kinds of squirrels. Unfortunately it did not address the issue of salted nuts.

We visited the website of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The section on squirrels did not have the information we needed, so we telephoned them. While waiting we listened to bird sounds and their identification. When we spoke with an individual, we were told that they “recommend not feeding wildlife.”

Continuing our online search, the website, Black Mouth Cur had the following pertaining to gray squirrels: “The amount of salt a squirrel requires can be easily obtained in its diet and the extra amount of salt . . . can affect its heart, raises the blood pressure and increases its pulse. This tends to shorten a squirrel’s lifespan. This is not too dissimilar to salt’s effects on a human.”

AvianWeb.com has an entire section titled Attracting to & Controlling Squirrels in Your Garden. Within are several paragraphs about peanuts. While a good source of protein, the site discourages feeding raw peanuts to animals because it often contains “aflatoxin, a fungal toxin. Aflatoxin is carcinogenic and causes liver damage in birds, squirrels and other animals -- even humans.” Roasting can reduce the toxin but does not eliminate it. “Also, raw peanuts and other legumes contain a . . . substance that inhibits or prevents the pancreas from producing trypsin, an enzyme essential for the absorption of protein by the intestine. . . Squirrels fed a steady diet of raw peanuts, soybeans, other legumes, and sweet potatoes could easily develop severe malnutrition. . . According to the Washington State Cooperative Extension Service, roasting hulled raw peanuts for 20 to 30 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring them frequently, will destroy the trypsin inhibitor and render them suitable for feed. If that sounds like a lot of work, buy roasted peanuts but be sure they aren't salted. (Salted nuts of any kind should never be fed to wild animals.)”

We passed the information on to our patron so she could determine what they would choose to feed their backyard wildlife.

What is the Proper Way to Dispose of an Old Bible?

2011-08-10T11:47:00.000-04:00

“I know there are guidelines for the disposal of an old, damaged flag, but is there a proper way to dispose of an old Bible? While familiar with those for flags, the Newton Falls Public Library staff was unfamiliar with rules for disposing of Bibles.

An online search brought up a wealth of websites, some particular to different faiths and denominations. The Human Condition website has an information paper on the Handling and Disposal of Sacred Texts, Spiritual Writings and Religious Items by CH (COL) Chet Lanious, Director, Center for World Religions of the Chaplain Center and School in Fort Jackson, SC. It covers items related to Roman Catholics, the various Protestant denominations, Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islamic sects. The paper also includes links to religious sites.

Our patron informed us that she was interested in what would pertain to the Methodist Church. The information paper connected us to the United Methodist Church, GBOD’s (The General Board of Discipleship) website. The GBOD developed a service for the disposal of old Bibles and devotional books, written by Daniel T. Benedict, Jr. The service concludes with either the burning or burial of the books. A full copy of the service was made for the patron to share with her congregation.

Where Can I . . .? Does the Library Have . . .? Can You Find . . .?

2011-08-05T09:18:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the questions asked at the Newton Falls Public Library are not complicated, but are for information people need at that moment. These include some of the following:

“Where can I dispose of batteries?” The Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District has collection events which cover a wide variety of household waste from Ammonia to Wood Strippers. Batteries are accepted at the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District's Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Facility, located at 5138 Enterprise Blvd., Warren, Ohio, off Route 422. It is only open to residents of Geauga and Trumbull counties, and identification is required. The facility is open every Wednesday between 10 am and 6 pm, beginning May 4, 2011 through September 28, 2011 and the first Saturday of May, June and August, 9 am to noon for residents of Geauga and Trumbull County..

“Does the library have HEAP forms?” The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program administered by the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Community Service. Those applying must have a total household income at or below 200 percent of the Fiscal Year 2011 federal poverty guidelines. Applications for the 2011-2012 Regular HEAP program are accepted through May 31, 2012. Applications can be printed from the website or picked up at the library.

“Can you find the meaning of near-quart? I’m working a crossword puzzle and it is a clue.” The library staff searched in The American Heritage Crossword Puzzle Dictionary, the 13 volume Oxford English Dictionary: being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement, and bibliography of a new English dictionary on historical principles founded mainly on materials collected by The Philological Society, and others. Not being successful, the search was expanded online. The staff was unable to find an answer, and could only suggest the patron try to see if “liter” would fit in the spaces, as it is nearly as large as a quart.

I Want to Find a Death Certificate

2011-07-29T09:34:00.000-04:00

“A friend of mine died several years ago and I was trying to find the death certificate. I don’t want to have to pay for a copy; is there any way you can help me find the information?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff began the online search.

The USGenWeb Project had information about how to request documents from the Warren City Health Department and Ohio Department of Health. Both these agencies charge for copies of death certificates.

We were able to do a Records Search at the Trumbull County Clerks of Courts’ site . With the friend’s name inserted into General Index Search Criteria form, we were able to bring up the Coroner’s Summary of the death. Though it included a cause of death, there was not much additional information.

Through State Library of Ohio and OhioWebLibrary.org, we are now able to offer our patrons Ancestry Library Edition on the library’s computers. Even though this death was fairly recent, the staff decided to try to see if there was any information available at this website. We typed in his name and birth year and were very surprised to find information from the Social Security Death Index. Also attached to the name was a record for Ohio Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007. This seems to contain the information which would appear on a death certificate. The information was given to our patron at no charge.

Why Do Dogs Circle Before Lying Down?

2011-07-21T12:16:00.000-04:00

“Before lying down my dog circles and circles. Why?” Many of the Newton Falls Public Library staff members own dogs and have noticed their pets exhibiting this same behavior.

We began our search by looking at some of the numerous library books about dogs, specifically dog behavior. Closely examining Dogs: a startling new understanding of canine origin, behavior, and evolution by Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger, The truth about dogs: an inquiry into the ancestry, social conventions, mental habits, and moral fiber of Canis familiaris by Stephen Budiansky and Wild discovery guide to your dog: understanding and caring for the wolf within, we found many interesting facts about why they do many of the things they do. Budiansky’s book has a very readable chapter entitled Odd, but (Mostly) Normal Behavior. While very intriguing, it didn’t address our patron’s question.

Continuing the search online, we found there seems to be a general consensus of reasons on many of the websites. The behavior is possibly genetic, stemming from wild ancestors who circled their sleeping areas before lying down. It ensured grassy or snow covered areas were flattened and clear. It also gave an opportunity to examine the area to see if there were any dangerous things such as snakes or poisonous insects which needed driven away. As a pack animal, it also marked this sleeping area as theirs.

Why Do Birds Take Dust Baths?

2011-07-15T11:10:00.000-04:00

“The other day we were outside, and noticed a bird had dug a hole in the ground and was acting like it was taking a bath in the dust. Why did it do that?” The Newton Falls Public Library has an extensive collection of bird books and the staff is always happy to have an opportunity to examine them.

Doing a keyword search for “bird behavior” in the library’s online catalog, we found several books which looked promising. Bird Behavior by Robert Burton was the first one consulted. The table of contents included an entry titled Dusting, sunning and anting. Burton states that “The value of dusting is not clear . . .” [pg. 33]. The process involves scraping its feet and shuffling its wings until the ruffled feathers are filled with dust.

The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior had detailed information about bird behavior. Birds at Your Feeder: a guide to feeding habits, behavior, distribution, and abundance by Erica H. Dunn and Diane L. Tessaglia-Hymes had interesting statistical information about the birds seen at North American feeders. However, neither of the books seemed to have anything specific about dusting.

We next Google searched the question “Why do birds take dust baths?” We found the question asked and answered in an August 9, 1988 New York Times article. Ornithologist, Dr. Pete Myers, then senior vice president for science and sanctuaries at the National Audubon Society, said birds take dust baths ''to rid themselves of all sorts of parasites that crawl in and between their feathers.'' He compared it to using sand to rid your hands of “grit and grime.” The article also said that “some authorities have suggested that the purpose might be to keep the birds' plumage fluffy by removing excess moisture and oil.” Dr. Myers did not feel that there was convincing evidence to support this theory.

Is It True That I Am Responsible For My Renters' Pets?

2011-07-07T12:57:00.000-04:00

“I’m thinking of renting my home. I heard that if the renters have pets and something happens, I am responsible. Can you find out if that is true?” While the staff of the Newton Falls Public Library cannot answer legal questions, we can direct the patron to materials which give them some answers.

Every landlord's legal guide by Marcia Stewart, Ralph Warner & Janet Portman was a good place to begin. The book covers many questions faced by those planning on becoming landlords and contains a CD-Rom with forms to use. In reference to dangerous pets the authors say [pg. 20], “It’s not common, but you could be liable for the injuries caused by a tenant’s pet . . .” In reference to wild animals, if you become aware or should be aware of its presence “. . . a court will assume that you understood the danger, and you, may be liable if the animal causes injury and you fail to take steps to prevent it.” Leasing to pet owners is not discouraged by the book; only that the landlord be aware of potentially dangerous situations and take proper steps to prevent them, which may require having the tenants remove the animal or face eviction.

A Google search for “ohio landlord liability for tenants' dogs.” found the Injury Board Blog Network and Attorney Dale Emch's Toledo Blade column, Is Ohio landlord liable for personal injury resulting from dog bite? He states, “Assuming that we're talking about a single-family home that does not share any common area with other property owners, I don't think you'd be liable for a dog-bite injury caused by your tenant's dog. Under Ohio law, the owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog is liable for any injuries or damages caused by the dog, provided the person who was injured wasn't trespassing, attempting to commit a crime, or teasing the dog. The question is whether a landlord can be construed as a harborer. Almost all of the case law I found says that landlords are not harborers of a dog if the tenant has exclusive possession and control of the property. And, in most situations, tenants are deemed to have possession and control of rental property during the lease period.”

Since the information found for this patron seemed to conflict in some ways, the staff also recommended that the patron contact their insurance company or a legal professional to discuss this matter.

I Need a Picture of Durward Kirby

2011-07-01T14:57:00.000-04:00

“I need to find a picture of Durward Kirby.” That is a name some of the more mature Newton Falls Public Library staff members have not heard in a long time. Since the patron wanted a photograph to take with him, our search started online. While searching, we discovered that two spellings seem to be used, Durward Kirby and Durwood Kirby.

Curious to see if there was some information in the library’s collection, the staff examined the book Television: the first fifty years by Jeff Greenfield. There was no listing for Durward Kirby, but knowing from the Internet search that he was the sidekick of television host Gary Moore, the staff looked at the pages listed for him. Beneath a photograph of Carol Burnett, Kirby, and Moore, Greenfield states the “One of the most successful variety shows of the late 1950s starred Garry Moore, an amiable performer of no particular talent. His announcer, sidekick, and commercial spokesman, Durwood Kirby, was of similar dimensions.” [Television, p.43.]

Total Television by Alex McNeil includes Durward Kirby’s television history. In 1950 he cohosted Sunday at the Bronx Zoo with William Bridges. That year was also the first time he teamed up with Garry Moore, on the radio show Club Matinee. In 1951 he cohosted Guest House with Oscar Levant, and later in the year moved to the Garry Moore Show until 1958. From 1961-1965, he cohosted The New Candid Camera with Alan Funt. 1966 found Kirby again with Moore on his show.

The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows by David Schwartz, Steve Ryan, and Fred Wostbrock lists Durward Kirby as replacing Oscar Levant as host on General Electric Guest House, a celebrity game show. The show lasted about 8 weeks; Kirby hosting the last 6. In 1955, Kirby was the announcer for the game show, Make the Connection that was on for 3 months. That year he was also the announcer for Who Said That, a news quiz show.

We located a selection of photographs online for our patron. BookSteve’s Library not only has a picture of a young Durward Kirby; it includes a photograph of a Kentucky historical marker commemorating Kirby’s August 24, 1911 birthplace in Covington. At the website Find a Grave there is also a photograph of Kirby with Garry Moore and one of his headstone. Kirby died March 15, 2000. Internet Movie Database gives additional interesting information including his birth name, Homer Durward Kirby and trivia about him, such as “The generally amiable announcer and second banana shocked his fans in November 1961 when he threatened to file suit against the producers of "The Bullwinkle Show" (1961). The moose and squirrel were involved in an epic multi-part adventure involving a search for the elusive Kirwood Derby.”

Why Do I Have Ridges in My Fingernails?

2011-07-01T14:52:00.001-04:00

“I have ridges in my fingernails, and when I use polish they are not smooth and shiny looking. What causes it? Can I do anything about it? The Newton Falls Public Library staff hadn’t considered this topic before.

A complete guide to manicure & pedicure by Leigh Toselli was the first place we looked. On page 26, the author discusses various nail problems and remedies. Vertical ridges, such as our patron was concerned about, are not uncommon and become more prevalent as we age and there is a decrease in moisture and natural oil levels. Toselli also states that it can be due to illness or nutritional deficiencies. She suggests treating them with “regular applications of nourishing and cuticle oil.” Our patron was satisfied with the information. She also borrowed the book which contained additional information about exercises, skin and joint care, and reflexology for hands and feet.

We were curious if medical resources agreed with this information, so we investigated further online. The MayoClinic’s site had more information about healthy nails and concurred with Toselli that ridges become more prominent with age. Both Health links, MedlinePlus and NetWellness, on www.OhioWebLibrary.org also give information about this and other conditions which can occur with fingernails, and what steps should be taken.

I Can't Register for Unemployment

2011-06-18T09:25:00.000-04:00

A very frustrated patron approached the Newton Falls Public Library staff, saying “I’m trying to register for unemployment and the site is saying I already have an account. I don’t remember doing this.” Unfortunately, at that time, the staff members were not able to resolve the situation, and he went home planning to phone the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (JFS).

While attending a Project Compass workshop, a staff member learned what may have caused this problem. When a client registers by phone with JFS an account is created. A selection may be made to access that account by mail and phone and/or online. If the former option is the one chosen, the account cannot be accessed through the Internet and the client will need to phone JFS.

The library has numerous books to assist job hunters including Guide to Internet Job Searching by Margaret Riley Dikel and Frances E. Roehm, Expert Resumes for People Returning to Work by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark, and You're Hired!: secrets to successful job interviews by Sharon McDonnell. Excellent free online resources are OhioOne Stop, Ohio Means Jobs and the Job & Career Accelerator at the Learning Express Library where more than five million up-to-the-minute local and national job postings can be found. The Accelerator can be accessed by going to www.OhioWebLibrary.org, and selecting A+ LearningExpress. It is necessary to register as a user to access the information.

Later in the year, the library will also be offering Make It Work: job hunting, networking, & resumes. The program is for those still looking for a job or wishing to find a different one and includes how to network, job seek, and write a resume that will get you noticed. The final session is a basic Word class that teaches how to create a resume using Word and is especially useful for those responding to those employers who wish to have resumes emailed. Anyone who is interested is asked to contact the library, leaving your name and contact information.

I Have This Shrub Growing in My Garden...

2011-06-04T15:32:00.000-04:00

“I have this shrub growing in my garden,” said the Newton Falls Public Library patron, as she showed a small branch to the library staff member. “Can you help me figure out what it is?” The branch had small white flowers, about an inch long, growing in pairs from a single stalk. The leaves were opposite of each other, rather than alternating.

The library has numerous books about trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, but sometimes using the Internet can be easier for trying to identify things. We Google searched the terms “shrub paired white flowers opposite leaves” to see what sites were suggested. The first site was thefreedictionary.com with the definition of honeysuckle. We also tried limiting the search to images, to see if any of the photographs matched our patron’s plant.

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission’s website has a section on Eurasian Bush Honeysuckles. From the descriptions of the various honeysuckles, it appears that our patron has either a Morrow or Amur bush growing in her garden. North Carolina Wildflowers

by Jeffrey S. Pippen has a photograph of the Amur, which are described as having leaves with a “drip tip.” The one belonging to our patron has a more gradually decreasing tip. The Winter Honeysuckle on this page also looks similar, but the leaves are more rounded. The Ohio Department of Natural resources website has photographs and a factsheet about the Amur, Morrow & Tatarian Honeysuckle. The photograph and description confirm that our patron’s shrub is a Morrow.

How Do I Hollow Out an Onion?

2011-05-27T10:45:00.000-04:00

“I borrowed the Williams-Sonoma book, Main Dishes from the library. It has a recipe for roasted onions stuffed with Italian sausage, egg, and fresh bread crumbs that looks very good. The instructions call for hollowing out the onions, stuffing them, placing them in a baking dish filled with ½ inches of water, and baking at 350 degrees for about an hour. But how do you hollow them and leave the ½ inch thick shell required?” The patron showed the Newton Falls Public Library staff the photograph and directions for this very tasty looking dish on page 63.

While having many combined years of cooking experience, our staff wasn’t really sure how one went about hollowing an onion. The book in which the patron found the recipe offers “colorful recipes for health & well-being” but no instructions for creating an onion shell. The search continued by examining the Larousse Gastronomique: the new American edition of the world's greatest culinary encyclopedia. In the listing for onions on page 744, there are recipes, including stuffed onions. These instructions explain when preparing this dish, you need to peel the medium sized onion without splitting the outer layer. Remove about ¼ of the onion by cutting it horizontally at the stalk. Blanch the remaining ¾ in salted water for about ten minutes, drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Finally scoop out the inside; leaving at least a thickness of 2 layers all around, and the onion is ready for filling.

Is There a Reason Why There is a Specific Finger for Engagement and Wedding Rings?

2011-05-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

“Is there a reason why there is a specific finger for engagement and wedding rings?” asked the patron, who assured us that he had no immediate plans. The Newton Falls Public Library staff is aware of the custom of wearing these rings on the next to last finger of the left hand, but never considered the reason behind it.

Knowing that the library has an extensive collection of materials for wedding planning, the staff began with a book having the definitive title of The official know-it-all's wedding planner: your absolute, quintessential, all you wanted to know, complete guide by Edith Gilbert. The book lived up to its title with the information in Appendix A: Wedding Customs. This chapter covered both The Evolution of Wedding Customs and Wedding Customs. According to Gilbert’s book, giving a ring dates back to the Old Testament when it was a sign that an important or sacred agreement had been sealed. Later, the ancient Greeks gave betrothal rings.

The section on wedding rings states that the wearing of them evolved from engagement rings and the earliest record of wedding ring symbolism was in an Egyptian hieroglyphic, a circle representing eternity. Use by Christians can be traced back to 860 AD. “The custom of wearing it on the third finger of the left hand grew from the belief that this finger connected directly to the heart via the vena amoris, or ‘vein of love.’ (p. 263)” Though we most often see the ring worn on this finger, throughout history wedding rings have been worn on both hands, such as the Elizabethans’ practice of wearing on the thumb and the Jewish tradition of placing it on the first finger of the left hand.

I Think We Have a Skunk Under Our Shed

2011-05-12T15:14:00.000-04:00

“I think we have a skunk under our shed; the dog is going crazy. How can we get rid of it before it meets up with the dog?” Skunks are a critter none of the Newton Falls Public Library staff wants to meet, so we can understand the urgency of this request

All the editions of Harold E. Bailey’s book, The Friendly Trapper say that skunks find ammonia to be repulsive and cower away from it. He also suggests a poison gas cartridge like ones used for groundhogs. Our patron preferred the former option, as she only wished to discourage the skunk from living so close to her home.

If her dog should meet up with the skunk before she is able to remove it, we also searched for how to deal with the results. The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health recommends dealing with skunking while the spray is still wet as it is an oil. They encourage using a commercial product, as many homemade concoctions can be too harsh especially in the eye and ear areas or will bleach the dog’s coat. A recipe for a homemade treatment can be found at the Humane Society’s website. The instructions do come with cautioning notes not to get it near the pet’s eyes, leaving on too long and bleaching his fur, and premixing as it can explode if left in the bottle. It also includes follow-up instructions for cleaning the owner’s clothing by washing in laundry detergent and baking soda.

My XM Radio Isn't Working

2011-05-05T11:54:00.000-04:00

“My XM radio isn’t working; it seems to turn on and then the screen goes black. I don’t have a manual. Can you help me?” While the Newton Falls Public Library staff cannot actually repair out patron’s car satellite radio, we can assist in looking for some sort of troubleshooting guide or manual.

The patron’s radio was a Delphi model SA10316. We began the online search using the make, model, and “troubleshooting.” A two page quick start guide was found at www.retrevo.com, but it lacked any information needed to solve the problems.

The next link we examined was the Express RC User Guide, a seventy-six page booklet for our patron’s radio. The table of contents included troubleshooting information which our patron examined. He wasn’t sure it would solve his problem, but he wanted to have a copy of the manual to keep. Rather than print all the pages, he chose to download them to a flash drive which permitted him to see the complete manual on his computer.

There are online discussion groups dealing with repair issues. The website ChaCha.com dealt with the question “How do I reset a Delphi XM radio with a model #SA10316?” It was answered by Jon L. in this manner, “On the back of the Delphi XM radio unit there is a small button that can be pressed using a straightened paper clip. ChaCha! “

Our patron now had some options to try before he sought professional technical assistance.

I'm Having a Problem with My Cable Company

2011-04-28T14:11:00.000-04:00

“I’m having a problem with my cable company and can’t resolve the issue. I was told to contact my local franchise authority, but I can’t seem to locate a contact number. Can you help me?” Many of the Newton Falls Public Library staff also have cable service and were curious to see what could be found to assist this consumer.

Doing an Internet search of “local franchise authority cable Ohio” brought up the link [www.szd.com/media/news/media.1194.pdf] to the article Local Franchising of Cable Television in Ohio: A Review of SB 117 by Greg Dunn, Attorney, Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn. In the article it states “In the future, cable franchising in Ohio will be referred to as video

service authorization (VSA). The Ohio Department of Commerce will ultimately handle all of the cable television licenses (i.e. franchises) in Ohio.”

Taking this information, we searched Ohio.gov and found www.com.ohio.gov/admn/vsa. The page about Video Service Regulation includes links to the article Consumer Service Standards and File a Complaint. The latter link was for the flyer, The Cable Consumer Hotline [www.com.ohio.gov/admn/docs/admn_Cablehotlinecomplaint.pdf]. This had the information our patron needed for contacting someone about her problem.

“Call toll free (800) 686-7826, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

(The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Call Center will answer

your call and pass the information along to the Department of Commerce.)

(TTY/TDD: 1-800-750-0750)

Fax a copy of the completed complaint form to (614) 644-1469.
Email the completed complaint form to VSA@com.state.oh.us.
Mail the completed complaint form to:

Ohio Department of Commerce

Attn: Video Service Section

77 S. High Street, 23rd Floor

Columbus, Ohio 43215

A copy of the complaint form is available at:

http://www.com.ohio.gov/admn/vsa/complaint.aspx”

Why Is It Called Good Friday?

2011-04-21T19:45:00.000-04:00

“Why is it called ‘Good Friday’? It doesn’t seem like it was a very good day.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff thought this was a very timely question and began the search in the 2011 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. The entry about Easter describes each of the days of Holy Week including Palm Sunday, Maundy or Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday but does not explain how each became so named.

The staff were surprised they couldn’t find the answer in The New Interpreter's Bible: general articles & introduction, commentary, & reflections for each book of the Bible, including the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books or The Encyclopedia of Religion. The Oxford English Dictionary: being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement, and bibliography of a new English dictionary on historical principles founded mainly on the materials collected by The Philological Society defined good, as it relates to this day, as “a day or season observed as holy by the church.”

We then expanded our search to online resources. The site, ChurchYear.net says the Eastern Catholic Churches call this day “the Great Friday . . . The name ‘Good Friday’ possibly comes from ‘God's Friday,’ although the exact reason for the current name is unclear.”

Charlie Dean, the lead pastor of Imago Dei Church [www.imagodeichurch.org], defines the term in this way: “After 40+ days of penitence, it’s time for relief! On Good Friday, we contemplate . . . Generally, Good Friday is marked with communion, and, depending on your faith tradition, a Good Friday service can end with a triumphant note, or it can leave you feeling unsettled. . .”

At Google Books [www.books.google.com] we found the The American Cyclopaedia: a popular dictionary of general knowledge, Volume 8. As defined on page 101, “It is only in England that the ‘good’ is applied to this feast. Its ancient title was Holy Friday, or the Friday in Holy Week. The Saxons named it ‘Long Friday,’ both because of its long religious services and of its rigorous and protracted fast. The Germans term it sometimes Stiller Freitag because bells and organs are silent on that day, and sometimes Char Freitag from an old meaning penitence.”

I Would Like Some Information About Mules.

2011-04-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

“I would like some information about mules. Are the parents always a male donkey and a female horse, are they always sterile, and can mules be either male or female?” The staff of the Newton Falls Public Library had some rudimentary knowledge about mules, but not as extensive as our patron needed.

The library lacked books specifically on mules, but does have an assortment of materials on horses. We looked for information about equines and first examined The Complete Equine Veterinary Manual: a comprehensive and instant guide to equine health by Tony Pavord & Marcy Pavord and Illustrated Dictionary of Equine Terms compiled by New Horizons Equine Education Center. The latter defines mule as a hybrid, the mating of a mare with a jack (male donkey or ass), Mules originated in Spain and are seldom fertile.

Encyclopedias are always great sources of basic information, so we next looked at the Encyclopedia Americana, 2006 edition. The article, in volume 19 page 609, stated a mule is “the offspring of a jackass and a female horse. The offspring of a stallion and a jenny (female ass) is known as a hinny. Both mules and hinnies are ordinarily sterile. Female mules are rarely fertile . . . there seem to be no records of fertile male mules.” Both mules and hinnies are similar to the sire in build and appearance, but are usually approximately the size of the mother. Returning to Illustrated Dictionary of Equine Terms, we found that their definition of a hinny agrees that it is the progeny of a female donkey and male horse.

We informed our patron that the parents of a mule are always a male donkey and a female horse, the offspring can be male or female, and the females may not be sterile. Our patron was curious if hinnies could reproduce. Our reference materials did not have the answer, so we expanded our search to online resources. The website TheMules [www.themules.net] noted “There have been no recorded cases of any fertile male hinnies, however there has been one single documented case of a fertile female hinny.” The site did not give any verifiable details or citation of this case.

Readers interested in more equine information may check out a variety of books ranging from The Affordable Horse: a guide to low-cost ownership by Sharon B. Smith to Wild About Horses: our timeless passion for the horse by Lawrence Scanlan. Horse & Rider magazine is also available to be borrowed.

How Much Water Does the Town's Water Tower Hold?

2011-04-08T12:57:00.000-04:00

“How much water does the town’s water tower hold? How is it filled and how heavy is the water in it?” Like the residents of Newton Falls, the Public Library staff sees the tower every day, but had not thought about what is in it.

We began our search for information at the city’s website, http://ci.newtonfalls.oh.us. Using the directory, we first looked at the Water Distribution Division and learned that “Approximately 45.8 miles of pipes which are from 2″ to 12″ in diameter in the City of Newton Falls, Newton Township and Braceville Township . . . [and] approximately 375 fire hydrants” are maintained by this division.

The Water Plant Division’s section states that “raw water is taken from the East Branch of the Mahoning River at the corner of Starr Street and Riverside Drive, where it is pumped directly to the plant for treatment . . . After treatment, the water is pumped to the distribution system and the 500,000 gallon elevated storage tank on Broad Street adjacent to the West Branch of the Mahoning River. The elevation of this water tower is what provides the working pressure for the system.”

That answered the first question but not the others, so the library staff contacted the Water Plant. Their staff was very informative. There is an additional tank near the park which holds 250,000 gallons of water. Each morning between 7:30-8 a.m., water is pumped to the towers until they are filled. Depending on the season; in winter it is usually filled by 2 p.m., in summer a little later depending on the demand. The plant is then shut down for awhile, and later refilling will start again so to be completed by 11 p.m. When Rockwell International was purchasing water from the city, they used over one million gallons a day. The tank was seldom completely filled, and the plant often ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Water Plant staff also assisted us with the final question about the weight. We were told that water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon. Using that figure, the water in the larger tower weighs 4,170,000 pounds. The water in the smaller one weighs 2,085,000.