Health - Marblehead Current

29 Nov

ENDING THE STIGMA: On healing, hurting and gratitude

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Health, Life Style, Opinion, Uncategorized

I was waiting in the line in the post office recently, which can feel like falling into a time warp some days. As I scrolled through my phone, I overheard a gentleman say to a female acquaintance he’d clearly not seen in a while, “You’re way too thin. I just told my wife the same thing.” To which she replied in a shaky voice, “I’m fine. I’m fine, really.” She was clearly taken off guard and struggled to find an appropriate response. Yet he…

22 Nov

Board of Health navigates internal dynamics, hears Transfer Station update

Will Dowd0 CommentsHealth, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

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…

16 Nov

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

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Health, Opinion, Viewpoints

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…

01 Nov

Locals speak out on gun reform push after latest mass shooting

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Health, Local News, Public safety, Top Stories

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…

31 Oct

COVID-19 clinics scheduled for North Shore area

Will Dowd0 CommentsHealth

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…

18 Oct

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

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Health, Local News

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…

12 Oct

HOOKED NUTRITION: New Marblehead drink shop opens on Pleasant Street

Will Dowd0 CommentsBusiness, Health, Local News, Top Stories

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…

11 Oct

INNER EXPLORER: New mindfulness program is helping students

Leigh Blander0 CommentsEducation, Health, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Nonprofit corner, Top Stories

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…

11 Oct

ENDING THE STIGMA: Helping your student cope with anxiety

Leigh Blander0 CommentsColumns, Education, Health, Views & Reviews

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…

04 Oct

Overdoses in town, new calls for help

Leigh Blander0 CommentsCommunity Resources, Health, Local News, Public safety, Top Stories

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…