Will Quitting Smoking Cause My Face to Break Out?

“Will quitting smoking cause my face to break out?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff admires patrons who are trying to improve their health and we are happy to try to find the answers to their questions.


The Enlightened Smoker's Guide to Quitting by Bear Jack Gebhardt addresses the common belief that quitting smoking means that you will gain weight in the chapter The Sound of One Hand Eating – I Have to Smoke or I’ll Get Fat! Gebhardt seems to feel that the weight gain is an eating problem, not a nonsmoking one. In Smoking 101: an overview for teens by Margaret O. Hyde and John F. Setaro the effects of smoking on the skin are listed [p.36]. They include robbing the skin of collagen making smokers have more wrinkles and reducing the blood supply to the skin giving the face a grayish pallor.

How to Wash Your Face: America's leading dermatologist reveals the essential secrets for youthful, radiant skin by Barney J. Kenet says that smoking can impair healing of wounds which may also result in larger scars, and “may have an influence on psoriasis [p.168].” The Acne Prescription: the Perricone program for clear and healthy skin at every age by Nicholas Perricone and Breaking out: a woman's guide to coping with acne at any age by Lydia Preston have a great deal of information for those suffering from acne.

There are many websites on the subject of smoking and acne. The September 17, 2007 Daily Mail article, Smoking gives women acne, scientists reveal [www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-482302/Smoking-gives-women-acne-scientists-reveal.html] states that “For people who suffered acne as teenagers, the probability of also suffering acne in adulthood is four times higher in smokers than non-smokers.”

This still didn’t answer our patron’s question. The website, Quit Smoking Support [http://quit-smoking-support.woofmang.com/viewtopic.php?t=4010] has a posting "Now that I've quit smoking, why am I getting acne like I'm a danged teenager?!" The site responder states “smoking introduces all kinds of nasty pollutants into our bodies . . . One day, we quit smoking . . . but . . .it throws our bodies into an upheaval. Suddenly the chemical balance is thrown out of whack again while, at the same time, our bodies start the detoxification process. . . drink lots of water to help flush out all the toxins. This is good advice and it helps a great deal. However, it's just not fast enough for your body when [it] begins to excrete the toxins in any way it can . . . recovering heroin addicts have been known to develop raging cases of acne, too.” This last bit of information satisfied our patron.

Twenty One Gun Salute

“After the recent Memorial Day gun salute, I got to thinking. What is the origin of the twenty one gun salute?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff finds questions about customs to be interesting.

We began and ended our search with Brassey’s Encyclopedia of Military History and Biography. The section on Customs and Etiquette addresses the various types of military salutes, which are perhaps the oldest of military customs. “Although most commonly given by hand, a salute can also be rendered by guns, swords, banners, or music [p. 253].” “Friendly foreign naval vessels . . . sometimes saluted with blank cannon fire . . . supposedly started when ships and/or shore batteries would harmlessly discharge their cannon to show that they were unloaded and there was no hostile intention. Usually, the maximum number of rounds is 21 [p. 254].”

Also according to Brassey’s Encyclopedia of Military History and Biography, the final salutes fired over graves of fallen warriors are not tributes, but rather the result of an old superstition to frighten evil spirits away from the graves. “Customarily, three volleys are fired by an honor guard [p. 255].”

Are there any bereavement groups in the area?

“I’m calling from _______________ Insurance Company. We have a client who is looking for bereavement groups in Newton Falls. Do you know of any?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff had not heard of any groups, but we took the individual’s name and number, and began our search. We first contacted several of our local ministers; discovered there were none connected with any of our churches, but ministers are often trained in bereavement counseling and would be happy to assist if the client contacted them. It is also not uncommon for funeral directors to be trained in bereavement counseling, so we included the names and numbers of the funeral homes in Newton Falls.

Searching online we found several options available to residents of Trumbull County.
• Hospice of the Valley 330-399-1992
   Family support up to 13 months after death of family member.

• Trumbull 211 330.393.1565 or 211
   Supportive listeners for emotional stress, support, and reassurance.

• Sharing and Caring: Grief and Bereavement Book Club
   Contact the Bereavement Coordinator at 330-770-0502, if you are interested in participating.
   The group meets the third Thursday of the month at noon at Borders Book Café,
   2102 Niles–Cortland Rd., Niles. It is a topical support group, sponsored by Senior Independence            
   Hospice, for those experiencing grief and bereavement issues.
   Senior Independence Hospice is also considering offering a bereavement support group in Newton Falls.   
   Anyone interested in this group should contact the Bereavement Coordinator.

The library has a selection of materials available for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Some of our titles are: After the Death of a Child: living with loss through the years by Ann K. Finkbeiner, After You Lose Someone You Love: advice and insight from the diaries of three kids who've been there as told by Amy, Allie, and David Dennison, Grieving the Death of a Pet by Betty J. Carmack, Guiding Your Child Through Grief by Mary Ann Emswiler & James P. Emswiler, and I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: surviving, coping & healing after the sudden death of a loved one by Brook Noel and Pamela D. Blair.

My Cat Loves Celery Leaves!

“My cat is doing the oddest thing. Whenever I bring home celery, she acts like it is catnip. I gave her some leaves and she went crazy. I’m wondering why.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff members are all pet lovers and found this question to be intriguing.

Looking for a possible connection between catnip and celery we examined books about cats. The Cat Owner's Manual: operating instructions, troubleshooting tips, and advice on lifetime maintenance by David Brunner and Sam Stall said that the herbs valerian and Canadian honeysuckle can produce a reaction similar to catnip [p. 85]. There is information about growing catnip, which is a member of the mint family, in The Humane Society of the United States Complete Guide to Cat Care by Wendy Christensen. Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat: understanding and caring for the tiger within [Discovery Channel] looks at how both large wild felines and house cats respond to this herb. “A chemical similar to the pheromones in female cat urine is present in catnip. This likely explains why male cats are generally more responsive to the charms of this vegetation than females. [pp.43-44].”

Unable to discover information about celery in the books about cats, we next tried Larousse Gastronomique: the new American edition of the world's greatest culinary encyclopedia. The entry on celery was very thought provoking and seemed to have the answer we needed for this question. Celery was used “. . . therapeutically, as smelling salts. For a long time, both popular opinion and gastronomic writers considered celery to be an aphrodisiac [p.209].” Staff members owning cats will have to see how their own pets respond the next time they bring home this vegetable.

Who Played at the Piper Rock Festival?

“There was a big rock concert just outside of Newton Falls in 1970. Who played there?” Most of the Newton Falls Public Library staff was surprised to hear that there was a concert here almost 40 years ago. However, one staff member, upon hearing the question, complained “I wasn’t allowed to go!”

Our Local History Room volunteer examined the Newton Falls Heralds, and found that it was held on May 24, 1970 at the Lightner Farm on old State Route 534. There were no articles prior to the event, but there was much controversy afterwards. The May 27, 1970 Herald reported that over 10,000 people came. It was referred to as a “lark in the mud” and that there was “skinny dipping in the Mahoning River [pg. 10].” The June 3 and 17, 1970 editions both had front page articles about concerns of its being repeated and seeking to ban future concerts.

Searching online for concerts in Ohio on that date, we discovered some interesting things. The concert named was the Piper Rock Festival. Originally it was to be held at Peace Park, north of Akron [www.expressobeans.com/public/detail.php/79770]. The poster listed Rascals, Canned Heat, Cold Blood, Byrds, Smith, Glass Harp, and Marble Cake. We thought that it was possibly moved because of the shootings at Kent State University. Both Dates in Rascals History [www.angelfire.com/mi4/rascals/Dates.html] and Sickthingsuk, the largest source of Alice Cooper information on the net said he performed that day at the festival which was held at Nelson Ledges Raceway. Apparently the promoters moved it a second time. We could add Alice Cooper to our list of performers.

The blog, AkroClevKent - January 19, 2005 has The Mystery of Piper Rock. The blog is filled with interesting remembrances of the two day event. Additional bands and performers listed are Barnstorm (or Barnyard), Bob “the Bear” Hyte, Blind Owl, Pig Iron, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, and Gayle McCormick. According to the blog article, Canned Heat did not set up because of the wet conditions and the Rascals canceled.

What Does Brake HP Mean?

“You know how you see signs on the highway, and don’t really pay close attention to them? We were going onto route 11 and I saw a sign that said ‘no vehicles smaller than 5 brake HP.’ What does 5 brake HP mean?” The first place the Newton Falls Public Library staff looked for the answer was at the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws on the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ website, http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/. Section 4511.01H of the Ohio Revised Code about motorized bicycles specifies that “the helper motor must . . . Produce no more than one-brake horsepower [pg. 25].” No description of brake horsepower is given.

Neither the glossaries of How to Prepare for the CDL Commercial Driver’s License Truck Driver’s Test by Mike Byrnes and Associates, Inc. nor Proficient Motorcycling: the ultimate guide to riding well by David L. Hough had the information we needed. Auto Mechanics Fundamentals: how and why of the design, construction, and operation of automotive units by Martin W. Stockel and Martin T. Stockel defines brake horsepower or bhp as “measurement of actual usable horsepower delivered at crankshaft [p. 579].” From the information found, our patron assumed that the sign’s restriction informed driver’s that only vehicles with enough horsepower to maintain safe highway speeds are permitted onto the roadway.

How Do I Get Started Creating a Train Garden?

“I’m interested in putting a train garden in my back yard. Do you have anything that can help me to get started?” Seeking more information from our patron, the staff of the Newton Falls Public Library learned that this type of garden is created to feature large or G scale model trains which can be run outdoors.

First the staff checked our shared TiPL [Trumbull Independent Public Libraries] catalog. Unable to find any materials in our local collections, we did a search through the Ohio Shares More catalog [http://www.ohiolibshare.org/]. Both of these catalogs can be reached from our homepage, http://www.newtonfalls.org/. To place holds on materials from either of these locations, you need to type in the number on your Newton Falls (or TiPL) library card with no spaces, including any letters or punctuation. You also need to use the PIN [personal identification number] you have registered with the library. Be sure to select the Newton Falls Public Library as the site to pick up your selected materials. Our patron chose some items from the Ohio Shares More catalog, but wanted information to take with him.
An online search found some very useful information and websites. We discovered that many of the railway layouts are based upon once existing rail lines such as the Far North Queensland from 1940 to 1990, the Delaware and Chesapeake, the North Pacific Coast Railroad, and the Ohio River Electric Railway [http://www.orery.com/], a trolley line that served the river towns of Meigs County, Ohio from 1900 to 1929. The site allows you to view videos of this garden railroad as if you were a crew member riding the train.

We located many clubs worldwide including the Garden Railway Club, which appears to be located in the United Kingdom and has a great deal of practical information, the Northern Ohio Garden Railway Society [http://www.nogrs.org/], and the Garden Trains Association [http://www.gardentrains.org/] that has a local branch. The Riverside Railroad Club meets at the SCOPE center in Warren, Ohio. There is also The Western Reserve Model Railroad Museum [http://www.wrmrrm.org/] located in Mentor. It is the largest museum of its kind.
Online magazine articles have a wealth of information. Accessing one of Ohio Web Library’s resources, MasterFILE Premier (EBSCOhost), we found numerous articles. There was a citation for one in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, A Railroad Garden: Engineering Togetherness by Paige Porter [www.bhg.com/home-improvement/outdoor/fences/a-railroad-garden-engineering-togetherness]. Our patron printed a copy of this article to read at home. We also discovered the Garden Railways Magazine [www.trains.com/grw].