When Was the Newton Falls Police Department Created?

“Can you tell me when the Newton Falls Police Department was created?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff knew exactly where to look for this information.

We immediately referred to the History of Newton Falls by Ella A. Woodward [Revised 1977 Edition, pages 150-152]. In 1872, H. S. Roberts was hired as the town marshal for the hamlet of Newton Falls, Ohio. On March 12, 1873, H. C. Morley was hired as a township marshal. In 1884, the office changed to include the duties of night watchman and lamplighter with a salary of $35 a month.  The first police officer hired by the new village government, which was established on December 13, 1887, was C. S. Medley.

A police department was created by the Newton Falls Village Council on May 7, 1929. “It consisted of one first class and two second class officers who would be appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council. The officers would be subject to dismissal at the mayor’s discretion.” [p. 150]

Our patron may also wish to visit the Library’s Local History Room. The Police Department has placed on permanent loan to the library a variety of historical items including an old radio and a jug which was used by moonshiners during prohibition.

Why Do They Play Neil Diamond’s Song, Sweet Caroline at the Boston Red Sox Games?

“Why do they play Neil Diamond’s song, Sweet Caroline at the Boston Red Sox games?” Baseball fans on staff at the Newton Falls Public Library said they had wondered about the story behind that custom as well.

Searching online, we found that it is a frequently asked question with several versions of the reason the song is played before the bottom of the 8^th inning. The website, Boston’s Pastime was very useful with details of the legend and the reality. “Legend has it that former Red Sox public address announcer Ed Brickley requested the song to be played as a tribute to the appropriately named newborn daughter of Billy Fitzpatrick, who worked in the Fenway Park control room for 20 years.  In reality, the song got its start at Fenway Park thanks to Amy Tobey, who was the ballpark’s music director from 1998 to 2004. She was responsible for choosing the music . . . At first, Tobey played the song at random games sometime between the seventh and ninth innings, and only if the Red Sox were ahead. Tobey considered the song a good luck charm and it soon became something the fans anticipated. But it wasn’t until 2002, when John Henry’s group bought the Red Sox, that Sweet Caroline became an official Fenway tradition. That’s when the new ownership requested that Tobey play the song during the eighth inning of every game.”

Columbia University’s News Serviceonline article, feels that too many teams are now using this song. The Bleacher Report has the article, Boston Red Sox: 5 Songs Ready to Replace “Sweet Caroline” at Fenway Park by Robert Fucile (Correspondent, May 15, 2012). Fucile feels that it is now time for the Red Sox to select a new song and offers five alternatives. They are Rock and Roll Band by Boston, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith, I’m Shipping Up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys, and Paradise City by Guns N’ Roses.

When Did Newton Falls Begin Having 4th of July Fireworks?

“When did Newton Falls begin having 4^th of July fireworks?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff found this to be a very timely question.

We searched through the History of Newton Falls by Ella A. Woodward [Revised 1977 Edition].  In the section about the Sesquicentennial (p. 188) it describes the activities which occurred from March through July 4, 1953. “The festivities were climaxed with the 8^th Annual Veteran’s Homecoming Fireworks Display.” That would have made the first display in 1946, the year following World War II and the return of the veterans.

This year’s celebration will be held on July 4 at 10 p.m. at the Community Center. There is also an interesting Facebook page showing past displays, which can be accessed by going to Newton Falls OH 4th of July Festivities .  The Newton Falls 4th of July Committee also has a page at  www.facebook.com/NFJuly44444.

Why Does the Center of My Tree Look Like This?

Patrons visited the Newton Falls Public Library with a small section of wood which had been cut from an ash tree. They explained to the staff that it had not been affected by the ash borer, but part of the center was very unusually shaped and discolored in reds, tans, and browns.

We first looked in Diseases of Trees and Shrubs by Wayne A. Sinclair, Howard H. Lyon, and Warren T. Johnson. Using the index to find diseases of ash trees, we came across the section on Trunk and Limb Rots of Hardwoods (p.342). The trunk of a tree contains sapwood, which is alive and carries the sap through the tree, and heartwood. “Heartwood is dead, brightly to darkly colored wood that forms normally in the centers of trunks and large branches . . .” This is usually caused by decay due to rot caused by fungi.

Why Are Marathons 26.2 Miles Long?

“My kids run marathons. Why are they 26.2 miles long? That seems like such an odd number.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff remembered that had something to do with the Ancient Greeks, but couldn’t remember the exact story for our patron.

We first went to Library Databases on our website, selected the Clevnet Databases, then Almanacs, Dictionaries & Encyclopedias, and Oxford Reference Online. It stated that “The standard marathon is 42.2km (26.2mi) long, which was the distance run by the ancient Greek soldier who brought news to Athens of victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon (490 BC).”

Marathon Runner's Handbook by Bruce Fordyce (p.8) has several stories relating to the origins of the marathon and the distance. Fordyce says that “structured distance racing first appeared with the Ancient Greek Olympic Games which date back to 472 BC.” None raced the 42.2km at that time though. “The first official marathon of this distance was raced at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens . . . the distance was standardized in 1908, at the Olympic Games held in London.”  He also tells three stories similar to the information in Oxford Reference Online, with runners running from Marathon to Athens and also from Athens to Sparta. The stories tell of “trained messengers running very long distances, but it is certain there was no distance remotely resembling a marathon at the Ancient Greek Olympic Games.”

The Ancient Olympics by Nigel Spivey (p.114) supports Fordyce, confirming that the original episode has become muddled in the retelling. It was for that first modern Olympics in 1896 that a course was mapped from Marathon to Athens, and the distance we view as a marathon set.