by Roland D. Hallee

For some reason, this summer, I am getting more and more questions about poison ivy. Where is it? What does it look like? What do you do about it and how do you treat it?

All very legitimate questions.

As we all know, poison ivy and other members of its family can cause a lot of misery to humans should they make contact  with the toxic plant.

Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans, is a member of the cashew family. It usually grows as a vine twining on tree trunks or crawls along the ground. It is generally found in all states in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and southern Canada, specifically Québec, Ontario and Manitoba.

Poison ivy during summer

It may grow as a forest understory plant, although it is only somewhat shade tolerant. The plant is extremely common in suburban areas of New England. It can grow in many types of soil, and is not sensitive to soil moisture, although it does not grow in arid conditions.

The leaves of the poison ivy are red in the spring, turning to a shiny green later. Come fall, they turn yellow, red or orange. Each leaf is made up of three leaflets more or less notched at the edges. However, don’t let that be the determining factor. Some leaves have smooth edges. Two of the leaves appear opposite each other on the stem while the third one stands alone at the tip. Later in the season, clusters of poisonous, whitish, waxy looking berries will form.

Many people have difficulty identifying the plants because it can look like other plants, while, sometimes, other plants are mistaken as poison ivy.

Obviously, contact with the plant should be avoided. You can become infected simply by walking through the bush, taking off  your shoes, and making contact with your skin.

Poison ivy in the U.S. is more common now than when Europeans first arrived in North America. The development of real estate adjacent to wild, undeveloped land caused the plant to spread into vast, lush colonies in these areas. Also, birds will eat  the berries and transplant them on new areas along with their droppings. It’s also spread by other animals as the seeds remain viable after passing through the digestive system.

Poison ivy during autumn

A study  by researchers at the University of Georgia found that poison ivy is particularly sensitive to carbon dioxide levels, increasing in numbers due to a higher concentration in the atmosphere. Poison ivy’s growth has doubled since the 1960s, and could possibly double again as the carbon dioxide levels continue to rise.

What do you do once you’ve made contact and develop a skin rash. There is some hope. Efforts to destroy these plants by uprooting or by spraying chemicals have been somewhat ineffective. Caution: whatever you do, do not burn the plant. Its toxins will filter into the air, and if breathed, can cause irritation in the lungs. Not a very pleasant experience.

The oil on the leaves is known as urushiol.  The urushiol compound in poison ivy is not meant as a defensive measure, but rather helps the plant retain water. It is frequently eaten by animals such as deer and bears. Statistically, about 15 percent to 30 percent of people have no allergic reaction to the urushiol. Fortunately, I fall in that category.

Once contact has been made, it takes some time for it to penetrate the skin and do damage. Before this happens, it is wise to wash the skin completely several times with plenty of soap and water. Some experts say that washing within the first hour may help limit the rash. Care should be taken not to touch any other parts of the body, for even tiny amounts of the oil will cause irritation. Also, wash the clothing immediately. If poisoning develops, the blisters and red, itching skin may be treated with dressings of calamine lotion, Epsom salts, or bicarbonate of soda. Dermatologists recommend a simple oatmeal bath and baking soda as a possible remedy. Scientists have developed a vaccine that can be injected or swallowed. But this is effective only if taken before exposure.

So, now we know a little more about poison ivy. But, always remember this: “Leaves of three, let it be.”

by  Peter Cates

Hazel Scott – Scarlatti Sonata in C Minor; Paradisi Toccata; Hazel Scott Idyll; Signature 15026, ten-inch 78, recorded 1945.

Hazel Scott

Hazel Scott (1920-1981) was a superb classical and jazz pianist who was born in Trinidad but was brought to study at Juilliard as a child prodigy. Coming of age as an African-American woman during Jim Crow, she was also fearless about not performing in segregated venues and would be eventually blacklisted, like so many similarly courageous artists. Texas Rangers once escorted her out of Austin,  because she refused to perform before a segregated audience.

Although her jazz playing was more celebrated, this 78 rpm of two baroque pieces and a delectably lyrical composition of hers are nicely performed. An old record worth the search!

Brahms –  4th Symphony- Serge Koussevitsky conducting the Boston Symphony; RCA Victor DM 730, five 78 12-inch shellac records, recorded 1939.

Serge Koussevitsky

Conductor Koussevitsky (1874-1949) was such a high-stressed, screaming, haranguing lunatic of an orchestra builder in rehearsal with his 105 players, for his 25 years of leadership, 1924-1949, in Boston, that 106 ulcers developed (two in one man). But the orchestra became second to none in the U.S., making every one of a tall pile of his BSO recordings in the fully excellent category.

This set of the 4th is a tad reserved at the beginning but builds up to a very satisfying excitement, only slightly surpassed by a live broadcast that I also own on CD. The above performance, in LP format, is available from Amazon vendors.

Grace Moore – In Opera and Song; RCA- LCT 7004, ten-inch mono LP, comprised of Victor 78s from the ‘30s and ‘40s.

Grace Moore

Born in a Tennessee village in 1898, singer Grace Moore at 8 years old and her family moved to the big city of Knoxville, where she learned to despise urban living- at least for the remainder of her childhood. She would attain fame as a singer of opera, musical comedy hits and other semi-classical numbers on the stage, in film and radio and through records. Unfortunately, in 1947, at the peak of her career, she was killed in a plane crash near Copenhagen, Denmark.

This record contains operetta and Broadway numbers on side one – You Are Love, from Jerome Kern’s Showboat, and Irving Berlin’s Always being examples, while side two has numbers by Tchaikovsky and Puccini. She could be criticized for singing everything, whether pop song or opera, the same, but she deserves high praise for singing so damned beautifully and expressively. Another nice record worth the search.

Her Deep South roots just might be seen in the fact that she refused to sing in vaudeville revues if there were African-American singers. She was also fearless about a scrap, but if her temper got her into trouble, her sense of humor would get her out of it – well, most of the time.

Paul Weston – Music for Romancing; Capitol-CDF 153, 4 seven-inch, vinyl 45s, recorded late 1940s.

Paul Weston

Paul Weston (1913-1996) was one of a tiny handful of truly gifted, imaginative arrangers in pop instrumentals and the scoring of charts for singers, including Margaret Whiting, Doris Day, Frankie Laine, the Norman Luboff Choir, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mercer, Gordon MacRae and his own wife, Jo Stafford. All told, this body of recordings enriched the collections of many discerning listeners, still being re-issued as I write here. The selection of instrumentals featured in this album are, as to be expected from Weston, lovingly and tastefully played.

by Katie Ouilette

WALLS, we’ve shared a lot this week, haven’t we?  O.K.  I won’t tell the sad stories, but will talk about the goodness that has come our way.  Oh, my, yes…..we’ve had the first day of summer announced by the Strawberry Moon (heard about it, but clouds kept it out of sight) but made sure to stop and buy yummy red strawberries in Benton!

Y’know, WALLS, this is a good time to lead into the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce story of a new leader, by telling our faithful readers about how lucky we are to have the ‘interim’ leadership of Jason Gayne now.  You see, Jason is executive director of Somerset County Hospice and,  hospice has received much appreciation from many of our friends for the loving care that has been given to their loved ones.  Recently a Vassalboro resident wrote of the ultimate care that was  provided to her  “loved one” by the many facets of Hospice Care and she spoke of the experience of having caregivers that adjusted quickly to the personality of the patient and the concerned family.

Well, WALLS, for sure, the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce is especially fortunate to have Jason and his personality and his  thoughts at the helm of a Chamber of Commerce that, too, has known the good, bad and ugly of need over the years.  Yes, faithful readers, the SACC was founded in 1940.  Frankly, a few month ago, some of the SACC’s history was found in the walls of Skowhegan’s Free Public Library.  Wow!  if those walls could talk, eh?  Well, history having been written during the early ‘40s by Frances Croteau, the writer of The Town Crier, surely the WALLS have talked.  There were 12 committees and each met at their chairman’s office at a time set by members of each.  I won’t name those folks of the past, but the purpose of each was highlighted with duties and instructions.  What’s more, if you are old enough, you may recognized those names that have made us what we are.

Well, I met with Jason shortly after Dan Plante (SACC president for the past seven years) announced that  Jason would serve in that much-needed capacity.  Jason certainly impressed me with his thoughts about SACC.  I mentioned the many conferences and meetings that brought lots of people to Skowhegan and, hopefully, with Jason’s ideas, history will repeat itself.

Oh, faithful readers, do you know who the founder of the Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce (the first name) was?  Herbert Swett! Swett was the person who started the Lakewood Theatre.  Yes, the State Theatre of Maine.  Time to enjoy history repeating itself!