How Do I Go About Applying for U.S. Citizenship?

“How do I go about applying for U.S. citizenship?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff was happy to assist this individual with their search. 

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s website, www.uscis.gov, has everything our patron needs to begin this process. There are two ways to become a citizen of the United States:

• The first is to become a citizen at birth, either having been born in the United States or certain territories or outlying possessions of the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; or having  a parent or parents who were citizens at the time of your birth (if you were born abroad) and meet other requirements

• The second is to become a citizen after birth.  For this you must either apply for “derived” or “acquired” citizenship through parents or apply for naturalization

Most naturalization applicants are required to take tests on English and Civics (U.S. history and government). The USCIS website has all the forms needed by an individual applying for citizenship, as well as videos, other resources, and study guides for those taking the naturalization tests.

Whether or not they are interested in becoming citizens, someone new to this country may find the following library resources useful: the audio book English for New Americans and the library database mángo languages. By going to the library’s website, www.newtonfalls.org, and selecting Ohio Web Library, library users have the option to click on mángo languages. This resource has 15 English courses for foreign language speakers.

I was wondering about the experts on the Weather Channel

“I was wondering about the experts on the Weather Channel; they are often referred to as doctor.  I was wondering what kind of doctorate degrees they have.”  The Newton Falls Public Library staff enjoys investigating such questions for our patrons.

The simplest way for our staff member to find this information was to go directly to the Weather Channel’s website, www.weather.com.  Their page, Our Meteorologists & Personalities, shows 34 individuals. Looking at their credentials, most have bachelor’s degrees in Meteorology or Atmospheric Science.  Dr. Greg Forbes is their severe weather expert. The website does not say for what is doctorate was earned, but from the following information given: “B.S. in Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, M.S. and Ph.D., University of Chicago.  Studied under Dr. T. Theodore Fujita [a severe weather expert],” one thinks it may also be meteorology.

Why did They Build a Neil Armstrong Memorial in Warren, Ohio?

“Why did they build a Neil Armstrong Memorial in Warren, Ohio? Was he born there?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff received this question following the publicity surrounding the recent death of the first man to walk on the moon. Mr. Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930.

Searching online for information about the memorial, we found that it is located at 2487 Parkman Rd., Warren, Ohio.  6-year old Neil Armstrong took his first ride in an airplane at this location of the old Warren Airways landing strip. According to the Youngstown Vindicator 8/30/2012 article, Memorial Celebration Honors Neil Armstrong by Ed Runyon, “Armstrong and his father were on their way from their home in Champion to a church service in Warren when they passed the air strip, saw the Ford Tri-Motor, and arranged a ride. ‘His dad got deathly sick, and Neil said he had the time of his life,’ Mathey said. ‘And [Armstrong] said that was something he could do that his father couldn’t do.’”  The Business Journal 8/30/2012 article, Memorial Program Commemorates Neil Armstrong by George Nelson, states the replica of the lunar module is “nearly 13 feet tall and 12 feet wide half the scale of the Apollo 11 lander [and] was erected to commemorate” his July 1936 first flight.

More interesting information about Neil Armstrong can be found in: First Man:the Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen; the 8/25/2012 New York Times article, Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon, Dies at 82 by John Noble Wilford; www.nasa.gov and www.biography.com.