Can My Dog See Colors?

“My puppy seems to prefer toys that are bright lime green. He goes wild when I hold up his stuffed green elephant; so I was wondering, can dogs see colors?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff enjoys answering these types of questions, as it often helps us to understand more about our own family pets.

The book, Inside of a Dog: what dogs see, smell, and know by Alexandra Horowitz has a chapter, Seen by a Dog with information about dog gazing and attention. Nothing is there about whether or not they suffer from colorblindness. Examining the index, we located pages about color vision. On pages 128-129, in the chapter Dog-Eyed and the section entitled “Go get the green ball!” we found a possible answer to our patron’s question. Because a dog has two kinds of photoreceptors, as compared to the three in humans, it seems that canines may be most sensitive to the colors blue and greenish-yellow, thus they experience color most strongly in the blue and green ranges. According to the author, other colors such as red, yellow and orange might look different to them only in degrees of brightness. For people this would compare to how colors appear at dusk, immediately before nightfall.

A veterinary clinic employee we spoke with said to remind our patron that the feel in the pet’s mouth and the smell have strong effects on their selection of a toy. The clinic employee suggested that we look also at the website of Veterinary Vision Inc. Animal Eye Specialists [www.veterinaryvision.com]. The site has a page titled What Do Dogs and Cats See? Here it says that new behavioral studies reveal that dogs may be able to distinguish the color blue, but have trouble differentiating between red and green.

Though the information from these two sources was somewhat conflicting, our patron found it to be interesting and is planning on presenting different colored toys to her dog to see if he truly has a color preference. Library staff members thought they would have to try this with their own dogs to see if they would respond strongly to specific colors.

Are There Statistics of Shootings by People With Concealed Carry Permits?

“A group I belong to is discussing whether or not to allow people who have concealed carry permits to carry their weapons in our building. Are there any statistics of shootings by people while carrying concealed?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff is aware that the process and regulations for getting a permit are quite strict; they are not readily familiar with incidences of misuse.

To find the most current information, we began our search online. The MSNBC article, Record numbers licensed to pack heat. Millions obtain permits to carry concealed guns by Mike Stuckey [www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34714389/ns/us_news-life], says there “are a record 6 million” licensed concealed-gun carriers. The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action’s Fact Sheet Right-to-Carry 2010 [www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?id=18&issue=003] is filled with information about the right to carry. It includes a link to Florida Division of Licensing, Monthly Statistical Report that states that “Florida has issued more carry permits than any state (1.7 million), but revoked only 167 (0.01 percent) due to gun crimes by permit-holders.”

Further searching took us to the Ohio Attorney General’s website, www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Enforcement/Concealed-Carry/Concealed-Carry-Statistics. This site has a wealth of information about the topic including annual and quarterly concealed carry statistics. In 2009 199,423 people had permanent licenses and an additional 11,989 were issued in the first quarter of 2010. Licenses may be suspended if the bearer is arrested or charged with certain offenses or subject to protection orders. The licenses may be reinstated if the charges are dismissed or if the owner is found not guilty. In 2009, 596 were suspended; first quarter 2010, 172 were suspended. Licenses are revoked if the holder moves out of state, dies, decides not to hold the license any longer, commits and is convicted of a disqualifying crime, or becomes subject to the law’s restrictions on mentally ill people or those considered drug or alcohol dependent. In 2009, 378 were revoked; first quarter 2010, 52 were revoked. The reports do not specify if any of the suspensions or revocations were due to incidents of shootings.

The Violence Policy Center’s website, www.vpc.org/ccwkillers.htm, has statistic and “vignettes describing the circumstances for each killing, listed by state.” Nationwide from May 2007 to June 30, 2010 there were 9 law enforcement officers and 166 private citizens killed by concealed handgun permit holders. There have been 10 cases in Ohio involving the shooting of 16 people. Pending cases include one negligent homicide, one involuntary manslaughter, and two cases of murder. Convictions were given in one voluntary manslaughter, the murder of a police officer and the murder resulting in three deaths and two individuals wounded. There was also one suicide and two murder/suicides.

Our patron felt he had enough information for their group to make an informed decision.

Is My Home a 'Kit' House?

“I believe my home on Broad Street is a ‘kit’ house. I don’t think it is an Aladdin, Craftsman, or Montgomery Ward home. Do you have any information about kit homes built in Newton Falls in the 1920s?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff had also heard that some homes in town were this type.

The books Houses by Mail: a guide to houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company by Katherine Cole Stevenson, H. Ward Jandl and Small Houses of the Twenties: the Sears, Roebuck 1926 house catalog are interesting and may be borrowed through our shared TiPL (Trumbull Independent Public Libraries] catalog, but unfortunately do not list where all the homes were built.

A general online search resulted in listings of some of the numerous companies that manufactured kit homes. The names the library staff found are: Aladdin, Bennett, Brick, E.W. Stillwell, Fenner, Garlinghouse, Gordon-Van Tine, Harris, Henry Wilson, Hodgson, J. W. Lindstrom, Jud Yoho, Lewis/Liberty, Lustron, Montgomery Ward, National, Pacific, Radford, Sears Roebuck, Standard, Sterling, Wardway, and Ye Planry.

Sears Catalog Homes -- Hudson Valley NY How to Identify a Sears Kit House [www.inspectapedia.com/SearsHouses.htm] has valuable information of what details to look for to determine if it is a Sears Roebuck home. There is also a list of some of the other prominent kit home manufacturers. The Arts and Crafts Society [http://www.arts-crafts.com/] has a great deal of information as well, including a forum involving people seeking to identify kit homes and an article Do You Have a Sears Kit Home? Tips for Identifying Sears Catalog Houses. Antique Home [http://www.antiquehome.org/] is also a useful resource featuring some homes which are quite large with beamed ceilings, wainscoting, and built in china cabinets. Examining some of the plans on this website, it appears that the foursquare style is similar to many of the older homes in Newton Falls.

In our Local History Room, where there is an interesting display of home building tools formerly belonging to early 20th century local contractor Mr. Nicholas Risko, we spoke with our volunteer who contacted the Risko family. None of the Newton Falls homes he built were kits. At present we only have information about two kit homes in town, neither of which is on Broad Street and both were manufactured by Montgomery Ward. Anyone having information about kit homes in our community, please contact Carol Baker at the library or by email carolbaker@newtonfalls.org. We would love to assist our patron as well as preserve the history of these homes in Newton Falls.

I need campground information

“We are planning camping trips this summer. Do you have any campground information?” The Newton Falls Public Library has a wealth of information to assist campers. The library has both Woodall's ... North American campground directory and Woodall's camping guide. Great Lakes to assist our patron in locating places for tent and recreational vehicle camping.

Campers who enjoy backpacking will find 50 Hikes in Ohio: day hikes and backpacking trips throughout the Buckeye state and 50 More Hikes in Ohio by Ralph Ramey to be useful. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has a wonderful website [www.ohiodnr.com/Default.aspx?alias=www.ohiodnr.com/parks] with the most current park information. Explore Ohio State Parks: featuring six scenic tours, 80 state parks by William Hewett and Ohio State Park's Guidebook by Art Weber, Bill Bailey & Jim DuFresne are helpful for finding more park information.

The Camping Sourcebook: your one-stop resource for everything you need for great camping by Steven A. Griffin will be useful for preparing and packing for the trip. The Joy of Family Camping by Herb Gordon and Parents' Guide to Hiking & Camping: a trailside guide by Alice Cary are sure to help make the trip enjoyable for all family members.

Camping is usually a fairly affordable activity but Wilderness Gear You Can Make Yourself by Bradford Angier could help campers save more money. Backpack Gourmet: good hot grub you can make at home, dehydrate, and pack for quick, easy, and healthy eating on the trail by Linda Frederick Yaffe and The Magic of Fire: hearth cooking: one hundred recipes for the fireplace or campfire by William Rubel will help prepare for the hungry appetites brought on by the days spent outdoors.

We don’t know if our patron went on her trips, but in case she became overwhelmed and decided to stay home instead; we recommend a funny ‘camping book,’ They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? by Patrick McManus.

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.