Merrimack Valley Magazine

Wellness Wednesday – 4/28/21

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On Tuesday, April 27, Gov. Charlie Baker announced continued reopening plans for Massachusetts, including restaurant protocols, mask mandates, and both indoor and outdoor social gathering limits. In lieu of this news, this week’s Wellness Wednesday provides important COVID-19 updates, from Baker’s announcement, to advice on safely reentering society, to, as always, interesting reads from around the web.

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Plans for Continued Reopening

 

 

The Baker-Polito administration announced that Massachusetts will reopen some outdoor Phase 4, Step 2 industries effective Monday, May 10, and put plans in place for further reopening on Saturday, May 29, and Sunday, Aug. 1. The administration continues to take steps to reopen the commonwealth’s economy with public health metrics continuing to trend in a positive direction. This includes drops in average daily COVID cases and hospitalizations. Massachusetts remains first in the nation for first vaccine doses and total doses administered per capita, among states with more than 5 million people. The administration will also relax the face coverings order for some outdoor settings, effective Friday, April 30.

Phase IV, Step 2 Industries and Gathering Changes:

On March 22, Massachusetts loosened capacity restrictions and advanced to Step 1 of Phase IV of the reopening plan. Since then, case rates dropped by 20%. The positivity rate has dropped to the lowest levels recorded since last summer.

Effective Monday, May 10:

Large venues such as indoor and outdoor stadiums, arenas and ballparks currently open as part of Phase 4, Step 1 at 12% will be permitted to increase capacity to 25%.

The commonwealth will reopen some outdoor Phase 4, Step 2 industries including amusement parks, theme parks and outdoor water parks that will be permitted to operate at a 50% capacity after submitting safety plans to the Department of Public Health.

Road races and other large, outdoor organized amateur or professional group athletic events will be permitted to take place with staggered starts after submitting safety plans to a local board of health or the DPH.

Youth and adult amateur sports tournaments will be allowed for moderate and high risk sports.

Singing will also be permitted indoors with strict distancing requirements at performance venues, restaurants, event venues and other businesses.

 

Effective Saturday, May 29: 

Subject to public health and vaccination data, gathering limits will increase to 200 people indoors and 250 people outdoors for event venues, public settings and private settings.

Subject to public health and vaccination data, additional Phase 4, Step 2 industries will be permitted to open including:

  • Street festivals, parades and agricultural festivals, at 50% of their previous capacity and after submitting safety plans to the local board of health.
  • Bars, beer gardens, breweries, wineries and distilleries, will be subject to restaurant rules with seated service only, a 90-minute limit and no dance floors.

Subject to public health and vaccination data, the restaurant guidance will be updated to eliminate the requirement that food be served with alcohol and to increase the maximum table size to 10.

Effective Sunday, August 1:

Subject to public health and vaccination data, remaining industries will be permitted to open including:

  • Dance clubs and nightclubs
  • Saunas, hot tubs, steam rooms at fitness centers, health clubs and other facilities
  • Indoor water parks
  • Ball pits

All industry restrictions will be lifted at that time and capacity will increase to 100% for all industries, with businesses encouraged to continue following best practices. The gathering limit will be rescinded.

Depending on vaccine distribution and public health data, the administration may consider re-evaluating the August 1 date. The Department of Public Health will also continue to issue guidance as needed, including guidance to still require masks indoors.

Face Coverings Order: 

Effective April 30, the face coverings order will be relaxed for some outdoor settings.

Face coverings will only be required outside in public when it is not possible to socially distance, and at other times required by sector-specific guidance.

Face coverings will still be required at all times in indoor public places. Face coverings will also continue to be required at all times at events, whether held indoors or outdoors and whether held in a public space or private home, except for when eating or drinking.

At smaller gatherings in private homes, face coverings are recommended but not required. The $300 fine as an enforcement mechanism will be eliminated.

For more information on this announcement, visit here.

 

COVID-19 & Mental Health

Moving forward into Phase IV is a reason to feel hope and excitement, especially when looking forward to a future of hugging our loved ones and seeing smiles on strangers faces. However, the effects of the pandemic — social distancing, quarantining, obsessively cleaning our hands and homes — made for a tumultuous year that can take extreme tolls on one’s mental health. If you are still feeling uneasy about reentering society as normal, I recommend bookmarking The New York Times’ “Nervous Person’s Guide to Re-Entering Society.” It’s a candid, understanding piece that underscores the importance of “dipping your toe” in the water before you jump right in. It’s also helpful to know that you’re not alone. Learn more about the struggles of those with “anxiety about reacclimating into society” in this article from CNBC.

On The Vaccine

The rise in vaccinations and decrease in positive COVID-19 tests and deaths is the impetus for the state’s move into the next phase of the reopening process. While there is still some uncertainty regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, this article from Healthline confirms that the Pfizer vaccine is still effective despite a small window of risk.

As for side effects, I’ve personally heard many things. Almost everyone I know who’s gotten the vaccine has experienced side effects for 24 hours, yet have still encouraged everyone they know to get vaccinated. Health.com described 14 side effects that you may experience after your shot, noting that the article says that the symptoms are “usually mild and do no lasting damage.” Furthermore, this article details the vaccine side effects to expect in your 20s and 30s, which is important now that everyone over 16 is now eligible for a vaccine.

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GOOD READS

This week’s crop of good reads includes an interesting editorial on COVID-19’s effects on the brain, details on the CDC’s updated mask guidelines, and how yogurt might help you fight COVID-19.

COVID Brain. While we’re all focused on getting back to normal (whatever that may be) Martha McCully examines the internal consequences of the pandemic, from the way our brains will work to the mental health tolls. Read her full article here.

Mask Off? The CDC has released new mask guidelines, which is considered “another step toward ‘normal’ following a year of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Read more about these restrictions, and when you can take your mask off, here.

Super Yogurt. A recent study by Israeli scientists has “identified molecules in kefir that are effective at treating various inflammatory conditions, including “cytokine storms” caused by COVID-19.” Kefir is a fermented drink similar to yogurt that is created by inoculating either cow or goat milk with microorganism mixtures, such as yeast and bacteria. Read more here.

NoteWorthy – 4/18/21

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AROUND THE VALLEY

MRWC Announces Grant to Help Tackle Climate Change

The Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will tackle climate change and the resilience of the Merrimack Valley’s drinking water supplies through a $250,297 Landscape-Scale Restoration grant.

The grant, announced this week, commences a three-year partnership between MRWC and the USFS, as well as Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands, University of NH Cooperative Extension, and the Nashua River Watershed Association, to implement riverbank resilience projects, fill an education gap in climate-resilient forest practices, and increase connections between private landowners across the two states.

As both forest fragmentation and climate change threaten the ability of riverfront forests to protect ponds, lakes, streams and rivers in the Merrimack River watershed, this project develops and implements a resilient riparian forest management approach. Through precision mapping, on-the-ground riparian restoration, and education of private landowners and foresters, the MRWC will create a cost-effective, replicable model, and the connective tissue between stakeholders, to advance the 2-state twin priorities of forest resilience and source water protection.

In 2010 the USFS identified the Merrimack River watershed as the No. 1 most threatened in the nation due to development of forest land, and No. 4 for associated threats to water quality. As identified in both N.H. and Mass. state forest action plans, the loss of forest lands in the watershed’s rural communities is far outpacing the conservation and restoration of forest lands to protect and filter source water. This is a risk to drinking water supplies, which are vulnerable to increased pollutant pressure, including nutrients, bacteria and emerging contaminants. The Merrimack River provides drinking water to 600,000 Merrimack Valley residents. It is one of the largest surface water drinking water supplies in New England.

The grant is part of the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region’s distribution of over $4.2 million in grants across the Northeast and Midwest to restore the health of rural forest landscapes.

This year, 15 funded projects will collectively:

  • Improve forest ecosystem health and benefits for nearly 600,000 acres of forest land through forest management for wildlife, removal of invasive species, treatment for hazardous fuels, prescribed burns and restoration of riparian areas.
  • Plant 18,000 trees and shrubs in rural communities.
  • Provide technical assistance and training to over 8,400 private forest landowners and practitioners.
  • Reach over 280,000 people through outreach and educational programs.
  • Develop over 460 plans for improved management of over 28,000 acres.

 

Drive Custom Fit Opens At Tuscan Village

 

From left: Tony Hajjar, Joe Faro and Jake Bosse.

Drive Custom Fit debuted their new facility in Tuscan Village on Friday, April 16, before opening to the public on Saturday. The state-of-the-art facility holds 8 new studios, including a heated yoga studio and turf training area, new equipment from Keiser, Assault, Fitbench and more. Their new CafeFit expanded menu features acai bowls, protein and power bowls, shakes and smoothies. The facility opens daily at 4 a.m. and offers over 400 classes a month.

UML Math Professor Awarded NSF Grant for Research

A UMass Lowell (UML) professor recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to explore how change points affect statistics.

Nilabja Guha, assistant professor of mathematic sciences, received a three-year, $140,000 NSF grant for his project, “New Directions in Bayesian Change-Point Analysis,” which aims to fill a gap in the statistical tools used in the analysis of changes in data.

In his research, Guha will use the Bayesian method — a mathematical technique that applies probabilities or distributions to statistical problems and allows people to revise and update their assumptions after obtaining new experimental data – to develop methodologies for analyzing changes in the underlying data-generating process.

According to Guha, almost all dynamic and random processes in nature go through sudden and significant structural changes. Often, the change is expressed in an observable quantity, such as the change in fuel prices, stock indices, crime activities or population density, which responds significantly to a change in an unobservable factor such as an economic downturn, a change in public policy or an outbreak of disease.

Guha noted that while there is substantial literature proposing elaborate methods for detecting change points in different settings, there has been limited consideration of change points in what he considers as “hierarchical models with complex dependence or sparsity structures.”

“My research fills this gap with new statistical tools motivated by specific, real-life applications by developing a theoretical framework while retaining efficiency and usefulness in current applications,” he said. Through the project, Guha hopes to outline a comprehensive framework for estimating the change point in problems that may arise in different applications.

Trahan, Pappas, Kuster, Moulton Applaud New EPA Grant Funding to Prevent CSOs

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, Chris Pappas, Annie Kuster, and Seth Moulton applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly announced availability of $67 million in federal grant funding through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program. The funding will help local communities like those along the Merrimack River address stormwater and wastewater overflows that pollute local waterways.

“Every community along the Merrimack River like Lowell, Dracut, Methuen, Lawrence, and Haverhill knows just how devastating combined sewer overflows can be. For too long, Washington has shifted the financial and environmental burdens of addressing this issue to local governments, who are already being asked to do more with less,” said Trahan.

The Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program allocates federal grants for combined sewer and stormwater overflow infrastructure projects in local communities.

Francis Gruber, Trahan’s communications director, noted by email: “This is a new allocation for the EPA’s grant program, so it’ll be up to states like Mass. to apply for the funds which can then be sub-awarded to local communities in need like Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill and others. … [W]e’re not sure how much yet, but this $67 million amount is an increase of allocations from years’ past, which is a good sign.”

Since its reauthorization in 2018, the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants program has seen consistently higher annual appropriations, from $28 million in fiscal year 2020 to $40 million in fiscal year 2021.

The lawmakers also successfully included key provisions of their Stop Sewage Overflow Act, which would authorize hundreds of millions of dollars over the next five years for CSO projects through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program, in the Moving Forward Act, the infrastructure bill passed by the House last year.

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Regional Pilot Project Grant Awards to Support Economic Recovery

On Thursday, the Baker-Polito Administration announced 37 grants totaling $5 million were awarded to cities, towns and nonprofit entities through the Regional Pilot Project Grant Program.

Awards were made according to several factors, including an ability to demonstrate a collaborative approach on strategies to support recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health crisis. Additionally, successful applications drew ties to one or more of the four pillars of the administration’s plan to spur economic recovery from the pandemic, Partnerships for Recovery: Get Massachusetts Back to Work, Support Small Businesses, Revitalize Downtowns, and Foster Innovation.

Grant award totals varied based on each applicant’s request, with awards limited to a maximum of $250,000. The Regional Pilot Project Grant Program was funded through the Commonwealth’s fiscal year 2021 operating budget signed by Gov. Baker in December 2020.

Local awardees include the 495/Metro West Corridor Partnership, the Hispanic-American Institute, the Lawrence Partnership, the Middlesex 3 Coalition, the town of Westford for their childhood subsidy assistance program, and the city of Lowell for a marketing campaign.

Haverhill Volunteer Leads New Merrimack Valley Hospice Support Group for LGBTQ+ Community

Following the death of his husband of 20 years at Merrimack Valley Hospice’s High Pointe House in October 2018, David Zoffoli experienced shock, overwhelming grief and numbness. Despite ongoing support from a strong network of family and close friends, Zoffoli said his healing has been slowed by discriminatory behaviors and anti-queer microaggressions which are common to marginalized groups.

Recognizing the vital nature of a sense of community, shared experiences and connection, Zoffoli and Merrimack Valley Hospice Clinical Social Worker Kara Cheek are co-facilitating a new virtual support group for individuals in the LGBTQ+ community who are grieving a death. The group meets every other Tuesday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., via Zoom in a drop-in format, with no long-term commitment required.

Zoffoli said he was so appreciative of the compassionate care which he received alongside his late husband, Stephen Fales, that he resolved to give back to Merrimack Valley Hospice. In addition to donating an award-winning photograph taken by Fales to a fundraiser benefiting the nonprofit organization, Zoffoli became an active volunteer following the required one-year waiting period following a loss.

In “Volunteering From a Distance, the fifth podcast episode of “Compassionate Journeys: Conversations About Home Care and Hospice,” Zoffoli discusses his roles co-facilitating the support group; sewing memory pillows and teddy bears from clothing of the deceased; and leading the virtual Calm Breathing session each week for staff members and fellow volunteers of Home Health Foundation, which includes providers Merrimack Valley Hospice, Circle Home, Commonwealth Nursing Services, Hallmark Health VNA, Home Health VNA, Home Health VNA of NH and York Hospital Hospice as part of the Wellforce Health System.

New Degree Option Provides New Path for UML Exercise Science Students

A new UMass Lowell (UML) course of study for students interested in pursuing a career in fitness and sports management is already proving to be a popular option.

Students enrolled in UML’s Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences as exercise science majors now have their choice of two academic options to pursue. The first provides the coursework and clinical experience essential to becoming a physical therapist, physician’s assistant or other health-care practitioner. A new option in exercise and fitness management (EFM), combines courses in science with business, public health and psychology to prepare students for careers as athletic trainers, exercise and fitness business managers and more.

Westford resident Michael Hines, who enrolled in the exercise science program before the new option existed, found his way to the EFM option as one if its first students. An accomplished basketball player, he said the new option combines his twin passions: business and sports. As he prepares to graduate in May, he’s not sure if he wants to go on for his doctorate in physical therapy. But he does know that he wants to run his own athletic training or physical therapy business one day.

The academic path for the EFM option was developed by the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences and UML’s Manning School of Business to provide enough elective courses in business for students to complete a business minor.

EFM is especially exciting for students who want to pursue careers in college or professional athletics, according to Kyle Coffey, assistant teaching professor of physical therapy and kinesiology, who directs the exercise science program.

Coffey is hoping to grow the program with the addition of a for-credit internship, similar to the experience that students in the clinical option must complete.

Hines has already gotten a head start. With help from Coffey, he got an internship at Athletic Evolution in Woburn, which has high-level athletic strength and conditioning, physical therapy and general fitness all under one roof, he said.

Hines is already working with the certified strength and conditioning trainers. He will also get to rotate through the business operations and the physical therapy unit, giving him insight into several aspects of the operation, he said.

Boston Business Journal names Touchstone Closing a 2021 Best Places to Work Company

From left, attorney partner, David Allosso and Touchstone co-Founder and managing partner, John K. O’Donohue.

The Boston Business Journal (BBJ) has named Touchstone Closing, who is locally owned and has offices in Andover and Salem, N.H., to its 2021 Best Places to Work — the BBJ’s exclusive ranking of the Massachusetts companies that have built outstanding work environments for their people.

The 80 companies honored in 2021 range in size and industry, with winners from the technology sector, retail industry, health care space, commercial real estate and more.

The 165 businesses that met criteria for office location and size participated in employee-engagement surveys distributed by Business Journal partner Quantum Workplace. Employees were asked to rate their work environment, work-life balance, job satisfaction, advancement opportunities, management, compensation and benefits.

Based on the results of those surveys, businesses were assigned a score out of 100 percent and ranked by Quantum. The top-rated companies are listed in five size categories — extra small (20 to 49 employees), small (50 to 99 employees), medium (100 to 249 employees), large (250 to 999 employees) and extra-large (1,000 employees and up).

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ezequiel Cruz Joins Mortgage Network’s Burlington Branch

Ezequiel Cruz has joined the company’s Burlington, Mass., branch as a loan officer and sales assistant. Cruz will help residents in both Mass. and N.H. with their home financing needs. A longtime Essex County resident, Cruz brings almost a decade of mortgage banking experience to his role. Cruz is involved in the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council and the Kiwanis Club of Methuen. Fluent in Spanish, Cruz is able to assist Hispanic borrowers, who have accounted for more than half of the homeownership growth in the U.S. over the past 10 years.

 

NoteWorthy – 4/4/21

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AROUND THE VALLEY

U.S Rep. Lori Trahan Announces $18.5 Million in American Rescue Plan Funding for Community Health Centers

U.S. Representative Lori Trahan, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, announced $18,573,500 in federal relief funding through the American Rescue Plan for community health centers in Lawrence, Lowell and Fitchburg.

Specific allocations are as follows:

  • Greater Lawrence Family Health Center: $8,527,500
  • Lowell Community Health Center: $5,300,500
  • Community Health Connections, Inc. in Fitchburg: $4,745,500

The funds, which will be awarded beginning in April, will be able to be used by the health centers to support and expand COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations; deliver needed preventive and primary health care services to those at higher risk for COVID-19; and expand health centers’ operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond, including modifying and improving physical infrastructure and adding mobile units. This investment will help increase access to vaccinations among hard-hit populations, as well as confidence in the vaccine by empowering local, trusted health professionals in their efforts to expand vaccinations.

In addition to this robust investment in these health centers, participants in President Biden’s Community Health Center Vaccination Program, which include Greater Lawrence Family Health Center and Lowell Community Health Center, have been invited to expand eligibility to populations in the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice’s 1C eligibility tier. That includes frontline essential workers and all persons 16 years and older with high-risk medical conditions. This means approximately 83% of the adults seen at community health centers participating in the federal Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program will now be eligible for vaccinations.

 

Five Chosen as Finalists to be MCC’s Fifth President

The Middlesex Community College (MCC) president search committee announced that five finalists for the next president of MCC have been selected to meet the college community and be considered for appointment by the board of trustees.

The five finalists moving onto the next phase of the presidential search are:

  • Felicia Ganther, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, Maricopa County Community College district
  • Lisa Armour, vice president for assessment, research, and technology, Santa Fe College
  • Stephanie Bulger, vice chancellor for instructional services and planning, San Diego Community College district
  • Julie Leidig, provost and executive officer, Northern Virginia Community College
  • Phil Sisson, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs, MCC

The five candidates are scheduled for virtual campus conversations the weeks of April 5 and April 12. Open forums for faculty, staff, students and the community at large will be held. Visit here for more information on the finalists.

UML-led Research Team Tracks Path of Pollutant Worldwide

Researchers studying mercury gas in the atmosphere with the aim of reducing the pollutant worldwide have determined that a vast amount of the toxic element is absorbed by plants, leading it to deposit into soils.

Hundreds of tons of mercury each year are emitted into the atmosphere as a gas by burning coal, mining and other industrial and natural processes. These emissions are absorbed by plants in a process similar to how they take up carbon dioxide. When the plants shed leaves or die, the mercury is transferred to soils where large amounts also make their way into watersheds, threatening wildlife and people who eat contaminated fish.

Exposure to high levels of mercury over long periods can lead to neurological and cardiovascular problems in humans, according to UMass Lowell’s (UML)  Daniel Obrist, professor and chair of the department of environmental, earth and atmospheric sciences, who is leading the research group.

Obrist is an expert on the cycling of mercury in the environment. In his latest project, he and UML Research Associate Jun Zhou collected more than 200 published studies with data on mercury levels in vegetation from more than 400 locations around the world. In evaluating this data, they determined about 88% of the mercury found in plants originates from plants’ leaves absorbing gaseous mercury from the atmosphere. Globally, vegetation can take up more than 1,300 tons of mercury each year, accounting for 60-90% of it being deposited over land, according to Zhou.

The team’s findings were published this month in the academic journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The study represents the largest comprehensive review of the uptake of mercury in vegetation and its impact on mercury cycling around the world, according to the researchers. The work moves scientists toward a greater understanding of how mercury cycling works, according to Zhou.

In a separate but related project led by Obrist, researchers continue to measure how vegetation affects mercury cycling in New England forests, focusing on those in Maine and Massachusetts. Obrist’s team is using a variety of instruments to measure the forests’ uptake of mercury in the atmosphere at various heights from above the tree canopy down to near the forest floor, allowing for daily tracking of how mercury deposition may be different in each forest and may change with the seasons.

Artichoke River Woods in West Newbury Conserved

Essex County Greenbelt has announced the successful completion of the Artichoke River Woods Conservation Project in West Newbury, Mass., which permanently protects 38 acres on the West Newbury side of the Artichoke Reservoir.

Funding was provided by Newburyport and West Newbury Community Preservation Act funds, the Commonwealth’s Drinking Water Supply Grant program, a Conservation Partnership Grant, a Merrimack Conservation Partnership Transaction Grant, the Fields Pond Foundation, Essex County Community Foundation’s Essex County Land and Environment Initiative, and generous individuals.

Conserving this land protects drinking water, wildlife habitat and a climate resilient landscape, and offers public trail access and the opportunity for a trail link in a larger regional trail network.

Artichoke River Woods will be a new reservation owned and managed by Greenbelt, with trails and the potential for a modest parking area. For more on the Greenbelt, visit here.

MCC Foundation Awards Student Scholarships

In the Spring 2021 semester, the Middlesex Community College (MCC) Foundation awarded nine scholarships to students in nursing, paralegal studies and health programs, helping make education more affordable and accessible.

MCC’s Nursing Department established the Marie Ryder Beacon of Hope Scholarship to honor Ryder’s retirement, who served as a nursing professor at MCC for 40 years. This year, the scholarship was awarded to nursing student Erica Paddock of Methuen.

As she nears graduation from the program, Paddock looks forward to a future of caring for service members like her husband. She is grateful for the community MCC has provided, as well as for helping her grow more confident and capable as a student.

Established due to her support of MCC’s paralegal students, the Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship was awarded to paralegal student Kristen Wolf of Haverhill.

The Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship was established in honor of the care Drake received from MCC students while at the Carleton-Willard Village Residential Home in Bedford. This year’s recipients include Nicole DeFranzo of Burlington, Arlin Estevez of Lawrence, Ashik Tamang of Lowell and Daniel Yepes Gonzalez of Salem, N.H.

A dental hygiene program student, Estevez is completing her final semester. During her time at Middlesex, she has balanced her studies with working as an assistant manager at Market Basket and as a supplemental instruction leader at MCC. After graduating, she hopes to continue her education to earn a bachelor’s degree in public health.

JDCU Announces Participation in Financial Literacy Bee to Support Youth Financial Education

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union (JDCU) announced that they will sponsor the second annual EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee, taking place from April 1 to 15. The EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee is a nationwide financial literacy challenge for high school students that provides an opportunity to learn the critical importance of saving and budgeting for short-term and long-term financial goals.

The virtual challenge, created by social impact education innovator EVERFI, and supported by leading financial institutions nationwide, features four short digital lessons followed by a capstone essay contest in which students share a short-term or long-term savings goal and outline their plan to achieve that goal. Winners of the EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee will receive a total of $20,000 in college scholarships.

By competing in the challenge, participating students will gain new skills to create a personalized financial decision-making framework that they can apply to their lives now and in the future. Topics include how to save, set financial goals, budget and invest.

UML to Award More Than $1M in Summer Scholarships

In an effort to help offset the financial hardships that many are experiencing, UMass Lowell (UML) is allocating more than $1 million for scholarships for new and continuing undergraduate students who enroll for the 2021 summer semester.

Steven Tello, vice provost for graduate, online and professional studies, said these summer scholarships are being offered in addition to traditional financial-aid programs such as federal grants and student loans. He also encouraged students to apply for the new aid soon by visiting UML’s summer financial aid page, as early applications will be given priority consideration.

“We have frozen tuition rates for the third straight year and increased our scholarship and grant funding, creating a more affordable opportunity for students to move their education forward,” Tello said. “We realize the financial challenges facing our students have increased due to the overall impact of COVID-19. We want to see them succeed and we hope these efforts assist our students in achieving their educational and professional goals.”

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Free Soil Arts Collective Announces Four New Advisory Board Members

Jennifer Aradhya, of Groton, is the vice president for marketing and programs at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. Previously, Aradhya worked for two decades in higher education and received numerous national awards and recognitions for marketing and design. Additionally, she is a mixed media artist with a studio at Western Ave Studios.

 

 

Belinda Juran, of Lowell, is a senior fellow in the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative. After graduating from college, she moved to Massachusetts to work in the high-tech industry as a software engineer, manager and consultant. While working, she earned an MBA from Boston University. She next went to Harvard Law School and joined the Boston firm WilmerHale.

 

 

Thaddeus Miles, of Lowell, is an author and internationally recognized, award-winning photographer. Miles is currently the director of community services at MassHousing, where he is responsible for housing stability, knowledge and capacity building, and strengthening families and communities across Massachusetts.

 

 

Anthony Nganga, of Dracut, is the founder of Studio 26 Associates LLC, an architectural firm working with commercial building owners and tenants, giving them the capacity to renovate and re-use existing buildings. Originally from Kenya, when he is not wearing his architect’s hat or serving in the community, Nganga likes to cycle and run, recently completing his second half-marathon.

 

Pentucket Bank Welcomes Community Leaders to Board of Corporators

Delia Duran-Clark is the principal of Esperanza Academy in Lawrence and was previously an adjunct professor at Merrimack College. She is a resident of Andover, and very active in Haverhill including serving as a director of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

Maria Bonanno owns the law firm Bonanno Law and Title, PC, in Methuen. She has been a practicing attorney in Massachusetts since 2009. In the community, Bonanno is a board member of the Holy Family Hospital and Nevins Family of Services. She lives in Methuen.

 

 

Dr. Noemí Custodia-Lora is vice president at Northern Essex Community College, where she runs community relations and the Lawrence campus. Her professional interests include strategies aimed at increasing access to education, especially for underrepresented minorities, adult learners, and immigrants. She is a resident of Haverhill.

 

 

Ryan Horgan is vice president and general manager of Rockingham Toyota in Salem, N.H. His family-owned and operated business was established in 1985 and has deep, extended roots throughout the community. He is active in the community as a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem N.H. He lives in Atkinson.

 

 

Power of Flowers Project Announces Two New Board Members

Kathleen Kanaan is the co-owner of Designs by Don florist in Wilmington. A Wilmington native and mother of two, Kanaan is known throughout the community for helping, educating, and supporting her customers in every aspect of their floral and gardening needs. Driven by a passion for helping others, she takes pride in being a dependable voice in her local community. Kanaan graduated from UMass Lowell, where she was recognized by the NCAA as an All-American for her accomplishments on the soccer field.

 

Sue-Ellen Kazanjian is a wife, mother of four, and a retired dental hygienist. Originally from Tewksbury, Kazanjian is an avid gardener and current Dracut resident. Her family has a record of public service in both Tewksbury and Lowell. She has been a mentor for Girls Inc., a “big sister” with The Big Brother/Big Sister Organization of Greater Lowell, a softball coach for both Lowell Youth Softball and Highland Sports Association, and is committed to the promotion of Autism Awareness in honor of her adult son.

 

Strauss Joins Haverhill Bank as Senior Vice President

Glenn W. Strauss of Wakefield joined Haverhill Bank as senior vice president, market manager commercial lending. He will be based primarily in the Salem, N.H., branch. Prior to joining Haverhill Bank, Strauss worked in the Merrimack Valley market for 17 years and brings 32 years of commercial lending, banking and business development experience to his new position. Glenn is a resident of Wakefield and is active in the community. He is currently on the board of advisors for the Burbank YMCA.

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Check Out the Latest Episode of The 495 Podcast!

This week on The 495, we’re joined by Marquis Victor, the founding executive director of Elevated Thought, based in Lawrence. He’s also an educator, photographer and poet. Click here to listen.

Front-Line Reflections

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Health Care Workers Honor Those Lost During the Pandemic

A married couple just shy of their 65th wedding anniversary are overcome by the COVID-19 virus and die less than a week apart. Their son, John Gioioso Jr., wants us to remember the wonderful people his parents were in life, and the extraordinary care his family received during his mother and father’s final days. 

 Gioioso took the time to write an email to Greater Lawrence Family Health Center in which he praised Lawrence General Hospital and its staff, and specifically recognized four doctors who cared for his parents during their stay, beginning last May 8 with John Gioioso Sr.’s admission and continuing through May 9, when his wife, Palmina, was admitted, May 11, when John passed away, and May 17, when Palmina died.

The team didn’t just care for Palmina, 89, and John, 91. They also cared for their family. Julia Cooper, Patrick O’Neil, Rebecca Joseph and Alex Spacht were all residents of Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s four-year family medicine residency program when they were assigned to staff a COVID-19-positive floor at Lawrence General Hospital. The doctors’ reactions to working under those conditions were mixed at first. They all knew it would be challenging. Spacht described them as recognizing it was a privilege to care for those suffering from this terrible disease, while at the same time confronting fears for their own safety.

 

“The hospital did a really incredible job working with the limited resources that all hospitals at the time were experiencing,” says O’Neil. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was in short supply during the early days of the pandemic, but O’Neil felt the hospital was still able to prioritize the safety of patients and staff. As the Gioiosos became ill, Massachusetts hospitals were struggling through the state’s initial wave of infections. 

Julia Cooper and Patrick O’Neil (pictured in the photo below) were four-year residents when they were assigned to a COVID-19-positive floor at Lawrence General Hospital. This work brought them to care for Palmina and John Gioioso Sr., pictured right, at the end of their lives. To help manage emotional distress, and to honor their patients, the residents turned their workroom into a memorial.

John Gioioso Jr. wrote the email, but says the entire family was touched by the personal and attentive care Palmina and John received. On the day after Palmina’s passing, the Gioioso family got a message from Spacht, in which she expressed her condolences. Joseph took the time to personally meet the Gioiosos’ daughter Laura and her husband, Frank, at the entrance of the floor to check their PPE and comfort them. She was the doctor who brought Palmina to her husband so she could comfort him in his final moments. O’Neil spent time answering the toughest questions. He made Palmina comfortable as she passed, doing his best to stand in for her family. “Dr. Cooper would go in and she would hold my mother’s hand,” John Gioioso Jr. recalls. “She would brush her hair. She was us. It was a blessing for us.”

The doctors were humble when presented with this praise. They wouldn’t admit to being extraordinary and insisted they were just trying their best in a difficult time. As Joseph puts it, “Just because [the family members] weren’t able to be at the bedside didn’t mean we wanted to change our standard of care in regards to family communication, so we really made it a focus and part of our routine.” 

The doctors will likely be forever changed because of their work during the pandemic. At this early stage of their careers, they were faced with a mysterious disease and changing protocols regarding its treatment. They witnessed the deaths of patients at increasing rates and often found themselves offering end-of-life counseling to families. 

O’Neil described the emotional and physiological pain that he and his fellow residents shared. Going through the experience together was helpful.

Julia Cooper and Patrick O’Neil.

 Says Cooper: “One of the ways that the residents were processing our grief through the pandemic is that the room we were using as our workroom … we chose a wall and we cut out some squares of paper and put out a lot of markers and things, and people would make little memorials of the patients who had died. And so, when Mr. Gioioso died, Rebecca Joseph made one for him, and I made one when Mrs. Gioioso died, and wrote after 64 years of marriage that Mrs. Gioioso joined her husband.” 

The impact of the compassion from these four doctors will undoubtedly continue to ripple through the lives of other families. But the doctors will tell you that they couldn’t have done it alone. “I just want to make sure we give the recognition to all the other people that were working on that floor,” Joseph says. “We really couldn’t have done what we did in those months and continue to do without the support of really phenomenal nurses, social workers, and the chaplain, nurses aides who sat with patients while they were dying, and really all the different levels of staff, cafeteria workers; everyone played an integral part of providing compassionate care to patients who had been admitted to the hospital.”  

Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
Various Locations
GLFHC.org

NoteWorthy – 3/28/21

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AROUND THE VALLEY

NECC & Whittier Early College Program Receives State Approval

Whittier Tech and Northern Essex Community College (NECC) have announced that their partnership has been given official designation as a Massachusetts Early College Program, which will take effect in the fall of 2021 and allow Whitter students to earn college credits at no cost.

The Massachusetts Early College Initiative was created in 2018 to give local students, especially first-generation collegegoers, access to college completion and career success.

Whittier students have been taking NECC courses since 2018, and there are currently 70 students enrolled in the program. With this new designation from the state and the benefit of free tuition, it’s anticipated that the number of students involved will increase significantly.

Marcy Yeager, executive director of NECC’s PK12 Partnerships, which administers the Early College program, says, “it’s not double the work; it’s double the credit. We are moving them toward degree completion.”

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data shows that high school graduates who participated in Early College programs are enrolling in college at a rate that is 20% higher than their high school peers. Additionally, their FAFSA completion rates are 25% higher than school peers.

The program also benefits underserved communities, with two-thirds of students enrolled in Early College programs identifying as Black or Latino.

Baker-Polito Administration Provides Weekly Dose Updates, $100 Million for Disproportionately Impacted Communities, Announces Homebound Vaccination Program

Photo courtesy mass.gov.

The Baker-Polito Administration announced the weekly distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses to providers across Massachusetts. The commonwealth has received 330,000 first and second doses from the federal government as part of the state allocation of doses.

The administration also announced $100 million in funding for four communities, including Methuen, and the launch of a homebound vaccination program to build on efforts to ensure that all state residents have equitable access to the vaccine.

Lawrence Partnership Ushering in New Leadership 

The Lawrence Partnership, the collaboration of business and civic leaders committed to building an inclusive and resilient economy in Lawrence, officially announced a pair of long-planned leadership moves.

Derek Mitchell, the organization’s executive director since it was founded in 2014, announced that he will complete his term this summer. The board has initiated a search for a new executive director with experience in economic development and a background in business, public administration, community planning or a related field.

The transition was planned to coincide with the elevation of its new board chairperson, Lawrence attorney Wendy Estrella, who took over as chair in January. She replaced Marianne Paley Nadel. Lawrence attorney Socrates De La Cruz has been named board vice chair.

Merrimack Valley Hospice Clinical Hospice Director Gives Back by Volunteering to Administer the COVID-19 Vaccine

As a health care professional who has endured the personal and professional tolls of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Linda Miller is now giving back by volunteering to administer inoculations at Lowell General Hospital’s regional vaccination site at Cross River Center in Lowell. Miller is a Dracut resident and clinical hospice director at Merrimack Valley Hospice, a nonprofit agency of Lawrence-based Home Health Foundation.

According to Hoey, Cross River Center is currently providing approximately 2,000 shots per day, and has administered more than 50,000 doses since the vaccines were released.

National Research Project Bundles Interventions to Make More Aggressive Gains in Black Women’s Health

The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), in collaboration with AIDS United and the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at Boston University’s School of Social Work, have been tapped to lead a national, first-of-its-kind project to evaluate and disseminate bundled evidence-informed and trauma-informed interventions for Black women with HIV.

This work comes on the heels of a year defined by race-based inequities in health care, political and social unrest, and increased calls for racial and social justice. Furthermore, it includes a bundled intervention approach in recognition that multi-pronged strategies may more effectively address socio-cultural health determinants, expand utilization of services, and ultimately improve health outcomes for Black women.

According to the CDC, Black women represent 57 percent of all new HIV diagnoses among women. Black women also disproportionately experience violence, including intimate partner violence, at higher rates than other women, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

Irene O’Brien Honored After Nearly Two Decades of Service as North Andover Senior Center Executive Director

After nearly two decades of service as executive director of the North Andover Senior Center, Irene O’Brien will be retiring this year.

O’Brien, who previously served the towns of Salisbury, Newbury and Groveland, was recently celebrated for her service during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration hosted by state Sen. Diana DiZoglio at the Senior Center.

DiZoglio, fellow senator Bruce Tarr and state Reps. Christina Minicucci and Tram Nguyen presented O’Brien with proclamations from the legislature in honor of her service and accomplishments.

“In her role as executive director, Irene has been a tireless leader and advocate, helping countless older adults in the community by identifying their health, economic and social needs and working with them to improve their quality of life,” said DiZoglio. “She will be greatly missed but we wish her all the best in her retirement!”

Local Montessori Preschools Receives Haverhill Cultural Council Grant

Local Wildflower Montessori preschools Wisteria Montessori and Marigold Montessori have received funding from the Haverhill Cultural Council for six months of art curriculum and supplies to serve over thirty preschool age children. The curriculum is designed by Creative Haverhill, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “support Haverhill arts and culture, providing experiences and access at the intersection of art, culture, and community and to develop high-quality spaces as platforms for community and cultural expression.”

Marigold and Wisteria Montessori Schools are part of the Wildflower network, an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools that support children, teachers, and parents. There will be an exhibit of original artwork created by the children of Wisteria and Marigold Montessori schools at a Boardwalk Block Party slated to take place this summer. The event will invite the public to enjoy a day of free, family-friendly programming. Activities may include interactive art projects, music and dance performances, food and an outdoor movie.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

MCC’s Caleb Chin wins 2021 Mass. Student Employee of the Year Award

A Middlesex Community College (MCC) Commonwealth Honors Program (CHP) student and computer science major, Chin was recognized for this achievement among two-year and four-year college students across the state. For the past five semesters, Chin has been working as a computer science supplemental instruction leader and peer tutor for MCC’s academic centers for enrichment. Through his work supporting students, he learns different subjects while further developing his communication and leadership skills. The experience has also taught him how to balance school with other responsibilities. From California and now living in Lowell, Chin started at MCC in the dual enrollment program to complete his studies as a home-schooled student. In his third semester at MCC, he enrolled as a full-time student and will graduate with an associate degree in Computer Science in May 2021.

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Check Out the Latest Episode of The 495 Podcast!

This week, The 495 goes COSMIC! We’re joined by physicist Noureddine Melikechi, a Dean at UMass Lowell and member of the Mars Science Laboratory, NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Mars space mission. We talk everything from the Mars rover to the folk music of Maghreb. Click here to listen.

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