McHenry Public Library District Digital Archives

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 2 Nov 1973, p. 15

The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

V Name Social Work Supervisor Af Local Clinic A round The Garden -msm 4 ROBERTA EAMAN The Family Service and Mental Health Clinic for McHenry County announces that Miss Roberta Eaman, MSW, ACSW, joined the staff as the new social work supervisor. She assumes a major responsibility for treatment planning and case management as well as supervision of all social workers at the clinic. Roberta obtained her Bachelors degree at Nor­ thwestern and her M.S.W. at the University of Illinois^ - Chicago Circle campus. Her professional work experience includes four years in child welfare work prior to her ob­ taining her MSW and seven years of woi;k as a psychiatric social worker at the Illinois State Psychiatric institute. During her last three years at ISPI, she served as a social work supervisor and was simultaneously on the faculty of the University of Illinois as a field instructor. She professes a special interest in individual psychotherapy and in marital counseling. Seasonal Fires Outdoor fires this time of the 'year cost American peo­ ple billions of dollars and account for a number of trag­ ic accidents, which take many lives. The brisk fall and winter smell of leaves burning or of other rake- piles is nostalgic, but often produces a poor ending? ** To avoid uncontrolled fires, and the tragic results which occur in their wake, the accident prevention unit erf the Maryland State De­ partment of Health once of­ fered several suggestions which we think are worth repeating. Among them were: 1. Burn only in areas where fires are permitted. 2. Never start an outdoor fire on a windy day. 3. Clear an area around the spot where the fire is to be started. 4. If possible, hook up a garden hose for use in an emergency^ By Matthew S. Rosen Instructor - Ornamental Horticulture McHenry County College Ever stop to wonder just how a tree manages to survive the pelting, freezing rains, pure white, driven snows, icy winds, and frigid temperatures of the bleakest of all seasons - winter - without doning long-johns, a thick pile, woolen coat, muffler, and earmuffs? Take a guess. Nope, not by being warm blooded. Enough conjecture! Let us go straight to the horses mouth, and interview a couple of hardy souls. "Impossible," you say. Trees cannot talk. Well I will admit that there does exist a slight verbal communication barrier bet­ ween man and plant; however, like the fabled animal linguist, Dr. Doolittle, I have, after many exhausting years of research and study, learned the language of the trees. I know, you are undoubtedly thinking something like "why that is just plain ridiculous. Poor fellow, the plants have softened his brain." Possibly, but does not the rustling of the leaves caused by the caressing of the wind tell us something? The tree makes the sound. The wind is just the stimulus. Are the sounds made by plants any WITH STeaMex RENTAL UNIT No special skill required to remove grime and grit from full depth of any carpeting Revive color and lustre without risk of distorting pil? or leaving foamy residue Cleans up to 400 sq ft per hour -- dries fast HOURLY - DAILY - Wf IKIND BATIS Call to reserve unit. ED'S RENTAL, INC. 904 N. Front St. McHeniy, III. CALL 385-3232 different than those made by man? The other day, I ac­ cidentally burned myself with a match. When the yet hot matchhead touched my skin, a piercing scream ushered from my throat. My howl was in­ dicative of pain. What are the rustling leaves indicative of? I began interviewing in late September. My first subject was an aged sugar maple I literally stumbled upon (its roots) while walking through a woodlot. By taking an in­ crement boring, and counting the growth rings, I discovered that the tree was practically a centenarian, ninety-seven years to be exact. Already many of his leaves were tur­ ning a gorgeous, brilliant red. Looking up his sturdy trunk, and into his massive limb structure, I noticed that the passage of years had left its mark. Long since healed over, the lump-like knots on the trunk were scary reminders of branches previously broken by man, beast, or the elements. As I gazed at the colorful foliage, I could not decide if the tree was happy, anxiously awaiting its winter hibernation after laboring to produce food almost every lighted hour since bursting forth into leaf last spring, or sad that shortly, .according to the genetic dic­ tates of the species, all its vibrant leaves would fall, and vital function rate drop to subsistence level. Was its autumn festival a way of pleading with Mother Nature to change'her scheme, or was the sturdy old tree boasting to its evergreen hemlock neighbor saying "you may stay green all year, but you do not have the physiological capacity to put on such, a spectacular display?" The answer, I guess we will never know. What mechanism(s) tells the tree that winter is coming; that the time has come for the chlorophyl in the leaves to gradually break down, bringing the other pigments to the fore? The shorter days? The crispy nights? Both are undoubtedly partially responsible. As the summer days fly quickly by a corky, abscission layer of cells slowly develops at the base of each leaf petiole. One by one; then two by two, ever faster the leaves fall, floating silently down to the earth below, until one day, a gentle wisp of wind dislodges the east remnant of autumn's glory from its branch. Although the aerial structure appears lifeless, the grand old tree has not yet fully settled into winter dormancy. Still kept warm by the covering blanket of soil, the roots are actively engaged in the uptake of water and nutrients. In fact, depending upon the harshness SEMINAR ON EUROPE - Pleasant experiences are worth re-living. Carolyn Bauer retired from a long teaching career in June to catch up on a lot of living outside the classroom. However, her old teammates at Edgebrook school persuaded her to return to the classroom long enough recently to teach a series of seminars on the social customs of the many European countries she visited two summers ago. She delighted the fourth graders by showing beautiful slides and artifacts of her travels. As an added attraction, Miss Bauer treated the students with a candy surprise. with which the icy fingers of frost descend upon the land­ scape, root activity can go on well into November. The nutrients will, in general, be saved and used next spring during bud break. The water is of more immediate value; and, indeed, will protect the twigs from excessive drying caused by forceful, gusty winds. But what "food" does my elderly, majestic friend live off of during the winter? Its branches devoid of foliage; its roots entombed in the frozen soil, the metabolic rate of the sugar maple drops drastically. What little nourishment necessary is obtained from the starch stored in the tree's rambling root system. From whence does the starch come? From the day tlM fresh, green leaves appear fin the spring until early autumn, the foliage, during the daylight hours, is almost constantly engaged in photosynthesis--the process resulting in the production of sugars. Along about mid-August, Mother Nature says "Hey old man, do not use so much of your photosynthate for new growth. Better think about the up­ coming winter and next spring. Remember how much energy it took to get your buds to break last year?" Sure enough, growth ceases, and nearly all the sugars are pumped down through the phloem cells into the root system. Upon entering the roots, various complex physiological reactions change the sugars to starch. As chilly March winds fade into April showers, activity resumes in the roots. Preparing \ for a surge of new growth, the starch gradually is changed back into sugar, and pumped up into the limbs, branches, and twigs until - boom - the buds are forced open by the tiny, delicate infant leaves. After gazing at this mar­ velous tree for approximately twenty minutes, a cold gust of wind reminded me that winter was near. I buttoned up my jacket, and slowly strolled back to my car secure in the knowledge that my friend need not depend upon the sadistic whims of Mother Nature in order to survive. As I reached the edge of the woods, my eye fell upon a young Canadian hemlock. I felt kind of sorry for this little fellow. True, his leaves will remain green all winter, adding much needed color to the landscape, but oh what a price he must pay. The lashing, whipping, whirling winds will c constantly pull water out of his small needles. With no effective means of replenishing the loss, this teenager may suffer great damage, and possibly even death. Poor little tree. Would not vou have been better off being deciduous like the old. sugar maple? Another cpld gust of wind slammed against my exposed face. I looked tenderly down at the petite hemlock, and hoped that it, too, would be thriving when next I came to visit these woods next spring. Should you have a question on the material covered, or just a horticultural point of in­ formation you would like verified why not drop me a line? The address: McHenry County College, 6200 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014. Suggestions on future topics are always appreciated. Legal Notice ' PUBLIC NOTICE Please take notice that Candidates filing for the McHENRY COUNTY BOARD PRIMARY ELECTION, to bp held Tuesday, February 12th, 1974, must file their Petitions, (to include Loyalty Oath. Statement of Candidacy and Statement of Economic In­ terest), with the County Clerk at Room 202, Court House, 2200 North Seminary Avenue, (Route 47 North), Woodstock, Illinois 60098. The first day to file Petitions for said Primary Election is Monday. November 5th, 1973 and the last day for candidates to file petitions in the office of County Clerk is Monday, November 12th. 1973 and the last day for Candidates to file withdrawals is Monday, November 17th. The County Clerk's Office is open between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., C.S.T., Monday through Friday. Petitions filed by mail and received after midnight and on hand upon the opening of the office, shall be deemed as filed as of 8:30 A.M. of that day and all petitions received thereafter shall be deemed as filed in the order of actual receipt. VERNON W. KAYS, COUNTY CLERK McHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS (Pub. Nov. 2,1973) PAGE 15 - PLAINDEALER-FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2. f IN PUMPKIN PATCH - Shirley Kruse, director of Head Start classes in McHenry, was joined by teachers and mothers in taking thirty-five 3-and^i-year-olds to an area pumpkin patch last week. The youngsters revelled in the field of orange pumpkins as each selected one to take home. money / the go ahead people BEAUTIFUL WINDOW TREATMENT ... In today's trend toward clearer color, a new hardy glass-fiber based window shade cloth makes a brilliant new decorating state­ ment. This stunning room darkener in a rich, matte-finish texture, offers total involve­ ment because of its ability to mix or match with other fab­ rics and wallcoverings. Today's window shades are excellent tools for adding glamour to any setting. talk to TERRY SCHWEBKE your local PCA planner 333 E. Jackson St. ENJOY THE /nG00D LIFE AT JEWEL! OUR ^SPECIAL? OF THE WEEK on|y 59 cents For a professional 5x7 color portrait AT JEWEL NOVEMBER 2, 3 and NOVEMBER 4,1973 Fri. (November 2) 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sat. (November 3) Sun. (November 4) 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. JoodStoUA 3718 W. Elm St. McHenry, ill. Only One Per Subject. One Per Family. Groups E^tra. No Age Limit. . . and Winter is Close Behind It's Time To Check Your Home for inside and outside repair jobs before the Cold Winds Blows See Us Now For Those Fix-It Supplies • SHINGLES • STORM WINDOWS & DOORS • INSULATION • EXTERIOR PAINT • PANELING • CEILING TILE ALEXANDER LUMBER 909 North Front McHenry, Illinois 385-1424

Powered by / Alimenté par VITA Toolkit
Privacy Policy