Health - Marblehead Current

22Nov

By Lizzie Assa, parenting strategistNo Comments

Columns, Community resources, Health, Life Style, Local News, Viewpoints

ASK LIZZIE: Making trips to the pediatrician a little less stressful

Dear Lizzie, I'm often at the pediatrician's with my kids, and the waiting room has become a test of patience. Can you suggest ways to make the wait less tedious? Dear reader, With the arrival of the cooler months, many of us are spending a lot of time in the pediatrician's waiting room. While this can be a challenging space for keeping little ones contained and entertained, I've gathered some tips to help make your visits less daunting. Involve your kids in preparing for the trip to the pediatrician. Say, “We might have to wait for a bit while we are at the doctor’s office today. Waiting can be so hard, even for the grownups! Last time you brought your favorite coloring book and that really helped. Do you have any ideas for this time?” Involving your kids in comi...

Board of Health navigates internal dynamics, hears Transfer Station update

22Nov

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Health, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Board of Health navigates internal dynamics, hears Transfer Station update

Candid discussion about ongoing tensions among members opened the Marblehead Board of Health's meeting on Tuesday. Dr. Thomas Massaro of Marblehead proposed a public health advisory committee in town. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD Board member Joanne Miller said, “What we're kind of missing is: Working as a board is hard when you can’t talk outside of meetings.” Under the Open Meeting Law, a majority of officials serving on the same governing board cannot meet privately outside of an official public meeting and discuss board of health business. For a three-member board, a majority would consist of two members. Therefore, if two of the three board members were to meet in private and discuss business, this would constitute an unlawful meeting lacking proper public notice and acce...

MARBLEHEAD CARES: Shower the people you love with love (and those you don’t)

16Nov

By Susan Stelk and Joanne MillerNo Comments

Columns, Health, Opinion, Viewpoints

MARBLEHEAD CARES: Shower the people you love with love (and those you don’t)

Lots of things come to mind when we think about Thanksgiving. We might think about turkey, stuffing, turkeys crossing Pleasant Street, football, turkey trots, powder puff football, pumpkin pie or family gatherings. Traditionally, Thanksgiving invites each of us to consider the things we feel grateful for in our lives. As our world feels so rife with struggle, violence and painful conflict, it can be a welcome pause to reflect instead on gratitude. As a concept, it seems easy enough to think about, but as an expression, giving thanks unfortunately appears to be losing its value. There is evidence that when we concentrate on things that we appreciate and feel grateful for, our serotonin and dopamine levels increase. These chemicals in our brain control some of the moods that we experi...

Locals speak out on gun reform push after latest mass shooting

1Nov

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Beacon Hill, Health, Local News, Public safety, Top Stories

Locals speak out on gun reform push after latest mass shooting

The mass shooting that left 18 people dead and 13 injured in Maine reignited calls for gun reforms across the nation — including in Massachusetts. The shooting in Lewiston was the deadliest in Maine's history. Police say an Army reservist opened fire inside a bowling alley and a bar last week and then took his own life. His body was found after a two-day manhunt. Ghost guns and ghost gun parts are displayed on a table in Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office at a press event. COURTESY PHOTO On Oct. 18, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed major gun control legislation. The final vote was 120-38. It now heads to the state Senate. Locally, gun control advocates strongly praised the House's action. "This comprehensive bill will close loopholes in our laws and hel...

COVID-19 clinics scheduled for North Shore area

31Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Health

COVID-19 clinics scheduled for North Shore area

Area health departments have scheduled COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout November and into December to provide Moderna's 2023-2024 formula vaccine. Clinics will take place in Marblehead, Danvers, Beverly, Salem and Peabody. The first clinic is set for 9-11 a.m. Nov. 7 at the Marblehead Senior Center, 10 Humphrey St. Further clinics are scheduled for: — 3-5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Danvers Council on Aging, 25 Stone St. — 2:30-5 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Beverly Senior Center, 90 Colon St. — 1-3 p.m. Nov. 29 at the Salem Community Life Center, 401 Bridge St. — 1:30-4 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Peabody Council on Aging, 79 Central St. The clinics are open to individuals 12 and older who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past two months. Appointments can be made onli...

MARBLEHEAD CARES: What you should know about the Science of the Positive

18Oct

By Joanne MillerNo Comments

Columns, Health, Local News

MARBLEHEAD CARES: What you should know about the Science of the Positive

A conversation among Joanne Miller co-chair Marblehead Mental Health Task Force, and Wendy Kent, member Marblehead Mental Health Task Force; Prevention and Treatment Professional and Michelle Abrams, editor and writer focusing on Health and Wellness. The realities of addiction, overdose and the prevalence of fentanyl in America demand urgency around building successful prevention strategies. The Marblehead Mental Health Task Force sat down with our own Wendy Kent, a prevention and treatment professional, who recently attended a conference at the Montana Institute on the evidence-based Science of the Positive, where she had her first exposure to the framework surrounding the prevention process and sought to incorporate it into prevention work. Positivity isn’t a word you oft...

HOOKED NUTRITION: New Marblehead drink shop opens on Pleasant Street

12Oct

By Benji BoydNo Comments

Business, Health, Local News, Top Stories

HOOKED NUTRITION: New Marblehead drink shop opens on Pleasant Street

one of Marblehead’s newest businesses, Hooked Nutrition opened its doors just about three weeks ago, serving heathy smoothies, teas and coffees. Hooked Nutrition owner Marinda Robtoy sits outside her new shop on Pleasant Street with her son. “I’ve always looked at Marblehead as a healthy, active community,” said owner Marinda Robtoy. “I just really felt like Hooked would be a great addition to the town.” Robtoy lives in Marblehead and in addition to Hooked at 126 Pleasant St., she owns Nautical Nutrition in Salem. The pandemic spurred Robtoy to find a purpose that could fit both her passion for nutrition and her role as a new mother. “I really wanted to create something where I could be a mom, help support my family and provide the community with something great,” she told the...

INNER EXPLORER: New mindfulness program is helping students

11Oct

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Education, Health, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Nonprofit corner, Top Stories

INNER EXPLORER: New mindfulness program is helping students

With childhood anxiety levels at record highs, Marblehead students are experiencing more zen in their school days thanks to Inner Explorer, a mindfulness program funded by the Rotary Club of Marblehead. “I really like it because it is calming and refreshing,” said Penny, a first-grader at the Brown School. One of her favorite Inner Explorer practices is the Shark Fin, a breathing exercise. So far this school year, students in kindergarten through high school have participated in about 500 “mindful minutes,” according to Assistant Superintendent for Learning Julia Ferreira. Assistant Superintendent for Learning Julia Ferreira speaks at the Rotary Club of Marblehead about Inner Explorer and its benefits. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER "We use Inner Explorer daily in our classr...

ENDING THE STIGMA: Helping your student cope with anxiety

11Oct

By Wendy Tamis RobbinsNo Comments

Columns, Education, Health, Views & Reviews

ENDING THE STIGMA: Helping your student cope with anxiety

Stress seems to be as omnipresent for our students as it is for their parents. The pressure to perform, compete and outpace their peers can feel overwhelming at times.This pressure presents itself most when exams arise or students are called on in class. Stress hormones flood their body as the pressure mounts, making it difficult to think clearly and recall information. We’ve all heard “I studied and knew the material, so I don’t know what happened. I just blanked. I got too nervous.” Wendy Tamis Robbins offers support to men, women and children struggling with anxiety and other mental health challenges. COURTESY PHOTO While learning the material is important, at least for the next exam (even if it may not ever be applicable in real life), learning how to control and refocus the str...

4Oct

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Community resources, Health, Local News, Public safety, Top Stories

Overdoses in town, new calls for help

Marblehead Police have responded to eight drug overdoses so far this year, two of them fatal. “Of the fatalities, one we believed to be opiates and the other cocaine,” Police Chief Dennis King told the Current. In 2022, police also responded to eight overdoses, including one fatality. All but two of those overdoses were Marblehead residents, King said, and ranged in age. Roughly two-thirds of victims were male, one-third female. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, opioid-related incidents among Marblehead residents jumped from nine in 2021 to 17 in 2022. The Board of Health is now providing free Narcan and fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl is a deadly opioid that is sometimes added to marijuana and other drugs. The test strips can iden...