Merrimack Valley Magazine

NoteWorthy – 2/23/20

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Seeking Young Artists to Help Beach Birds

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is calling on all youth, grades K through 12, to help spread the word about the importance of beaches to shorebirds by entering the refuge’s 3rd Annual Beach Sign Youth Art Contest.

By using informational signs to educate visitors about shorebirds, the refuge aims to provide the best experience for beachgoers and shorebirds alike. Submissions for the 3rd Annual Beach Sign Youth Art Contest will be accepted until March 27. Winning artwork will be chosen from five age categories, which will then be made into signs displayed on refuge beach.

Contest winners will be announced at the refuge’s Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 18, 2020, located at refuge headquarters.

Those interested in the contests are encouraged to review the full contest guidelines and criteria here. If you have any questions email Lauren Healey at Lauren_Healey@FWS.gov.

 

Wayside Youth and Family Support Network Receives $3,000 Grant from the Aubert J. Fay Charitable Fund 

Wayside Youth & Family Support Network’s Lowell site recently received a $3,000 grant from the Aubert J. Fay Charitable Fund to hold therapy fairs for children and families who are unable to attend similar community events due to significant emotional, behavioral and mental health conditions. 

The therapy fairs offer a safe and controlled environment for children to enjoy food, visit music and movement stations and make sensory items such as worry stones, slime, glitter calming bottles and deep-breathing pinwheels. Parents also have a chance to meet other caregivers of children with similar behavioral and mental health challenges. 

Andover Musician Holding Alzheimer’s Benefit Concert in Honor of Her Grandfather

On Saturday, March 21, Andover’s own Michelle Canning Band will host an Alzheimer’s benefit concert in honor of her grandfather. “A Night on the Edge!” will raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to support programs and services for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. The concert will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Chelmsford Elks Hall.

Parker River Refuge Seeks High-School Students Interested in Alternative Spring Break

Join the US Fish and Wildlife Service on an alternative spring break on the topic of careers in conservation. Journey to seven environmentally-minded organizations to hear about their jobs and carry out a service project. Topics will include marketing, solar installation, organic spa care, research, policy, advocacy, education, maintenance, law enforcement and land stewardship.

US Fish and Wildlife Service is currently looking for high school students who are interested in participating during spring break, between April 20 and 24. You can attend one day or all, and he cost is free.

Pre-register by emailing Lauren Healey at lauren_healey@fws.gov.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Fellowship-Trained Breast Surgeon Catherine Tucker, MD, FACS, Joins Holy Family Hospital Medical Team

Fellowship-trained breast surgeon Catherine Tucker, MD, FACS, has joined the staff of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and Steward Medical Group as a dedicated breast surgeon. She is a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship trained in breast diseases. 

Dr. Tucker is a leading breast surgeon in the Northeast and has specialized in neurosurgery, general surgery and breast surgery at NYU Medical Center, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard School of Public Health, Winchester Hospital, and North Shore Medical Center. Before joining the HFH medical staff, she worked for more than 10 years at Hallmark Health Medical Associates.

Wellness Wednesday – 2/19/20

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WELLNESS TIP OF THE WEEK

Let’s Talk About Stress Relief

by Massage Envy

Who doesn’t want to reduce the stress in their life? Stress relief is key to finding the balance of a healthy lifestyle. Even a single massage session has been shown to significantly lower heart rate, cortisol and insulin levels – all of which help reduce daily stress.

Stress is universal, and it’s not always bad. Whenever you jump to catch a badly thrown ball, feel especially energetic before an important meeting, or hit the brakes in time to avoid a car accident, stress is doing its job. The adrenaline boosting your heart rate and the cortisol boosting your blood sugar, while diverting energy away from your digestive system and immune responses, are exactly what prehistoric humans needed to fight or flee attackers.

However, when there’s never any relief from stress, the sustained fight-or-flight response can cause problems. In fact, WebMD warns that constant stress actually becomes “distress — a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.”

Massage Therapy and Stress

Virtually every symptom listed by the American Psychological Association can benefit from massage. Research has shown that it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, relax your muscles and increase the production of endorphins, your body’s natural “feel good” chemical. Serotonin and dopamine are also released through massage, and the result is a feeling of calm relaxation that makes chronic or habitual as well as acute or short-term stress much easier to overcome.

In fact, stress relief is one of the first benefits that come to mind when thinking of massage therapy. It’s also a key component for anyone trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Clinical studies show that even a single 1 ½-hour session can significantly lower your heart rate, cortisol levels and insulin levels — all of which explain why massage therapy and stress relief go hand-in-hand.

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Stress

Taking care of your body should be at the top of your priorities. By adding therapeutic massage to your routine now, you’ll feel, look and simply be healthier far into the future. In fact, stress relief alone can improve your vitality and state of mind. So what better way to prep for a long, happy life than a relaxing, therapeutic massage?

If you’re looking to add stress-relieving massage to your wellness program, a Massage Envy membership can be a powerful ally when combating daily pressures and anxiety. In addition to stress relief, ongoing massage therapy can reduce pain, increase energy levels and improve overall physical and mental performance. Our experienced, professional therapists at Massage Envy locations nationwide customize every massage (and stress relief) session to address your individual needs.

Methuen | (978) 685-1077 | MassageEnvy.com
Billerica | (978) 663-3689 | MassageEnvy.com
Nashua | (603) 598-4400 | MassageEnvy.com

 

WELLNESS AROUND THE WEB

Cat With Four Frostbitten Paws Gets New Feet Made Of Titanium

A female cat in Russia that lost all four of her paws to frostbite can now walk, run and even climb stairs once again, thanks to the veterinarians who replaced her missing limbs with 3D-printed prosthetics made from titanium.

Dymka is now the second cat in the world to have received four metal prosthetics. In 2016, the Novosibirsk clinic performed a similar procedure, mounting titanium implants on a male cat named Ryzhik (“Red” in Russian), who also required a quadruple amputation of his frostbitten feet, according to The Moscow Times.

To read more about how this amazing procedure was done, visit LiveScience.com.

How Diet And Mental Health Are Related

Inverse.com recently interviewed Dr. Uma Naidoo, a psychiatrist, professional chef and founder of the first hospital-based service on nutritional psychiatry in the United States. In their interview Naidoo discusses the relationship between mental health and diet, foods that can help alleviate anxiety, and how much water we should really be drinking.

One of the biggest takeaways is perhaps Naidoo’s advice to start a healthy eating habit through small tweaks that are easy to sustain. Example of this could be to include more vegetables, whole foods, or water in your daily diet.

To read the full interview, visit Inverse.com here.

 

NoteWorthy – 2/16/20

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Miss USA Pageant Winners Serve at Lazarus House

The Lazarus House Soup Kitchen in Lawrence was visited by four state winners in the Miss USA pageant who came as volunteers to serve lunch.

The young women — Miss Massachusetts (Sabrina Victor), Miss Teen Massachusetts (Annika Sharma), Miss Maine (Julia Van Steenberghe) and Miss Teen Maine USA (Grace Morey) — brought both joy and compassion, and during a lull in serving, they entertained the guests with an impromptu dance.

The four state winners will go on to compete in the national pageant later this year. Regardless the outcome, they promised to try to return again to Lazarus House.

 

Scientists Invent Germ-Fighting Fabric For Health Care

UMass Lowell researchers have created germ-killing fabric that could help stop the spread of communicable diseases.

The team is working to embed a germ-killing agent known as N-halamine into hospital scrubs and other garments worn by medical professionals and patients to reduce the risk of exposure to drug-resistant bacteria and other harmful pathogens in health care settings.

NECC Students Take Honors At Theater Festival

Northern Essex Community College theater students recently walked away with a record number of awards from The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) for Region I, held at Cape Cod Community College.

Two-hundred eighty-eight students from colleges and universities were competing, and only 16 students made it to the final round of the competition, including two Northern Essex students, Sarah Durning and Gwynnethe Glickman.

Glickman won the Kennedy Center Award for Best Comic Actor, and the entire cast of NECC’s fall production of “Good People” was awarded Best Ensemble.

NiSource Charitable Foundation Grant to Support Emergency Management Services Training at Lawrence General Hospital 

The NiSource Charitable Foundation recently awarded Lawrence General Hospital with a $17,500 grant to help fund the hospital’s emergency management services training and education efforts. The grant will be used specifically for training related to preventing and deescalating workplace violence for all employees, as well as driving incidence training for Lawrence General EMT’s and paramedics.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Maxine Park Wins Lowell Philharmonic Orchestras’ 2020 Jeanne Selander Memorial Concerto Competition

Maxine Park, pianist, has been named the winner of the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2020 Jeanne Salendar Concerto Competition. Park will perform as the featured soloist with the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra at the orchestra’s spring pops concert on May 3, 2 p.m., at the An Wang Middle School in Lowell.

Home Health Foundation Honors RISEHI Employees Of The Quarter

Home Health Foundation is honoring Meghan Culhane, physical therapist at Circle Home; Ginette Maitre, home health aide at Hallmark Health VNA; Kailey Blake, telehealth support at Circle Home; and Lisa Sternberg, clinical information systems manager at Home Health Foundation as the most recent RISEHI employees of the quarter.

Wellness Wednesday – 2/12/20

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WELLNESS AROUND THE WEB

Why Do Beans Cause Gas?

As nutritious and versatile as they are, legumes are a no-no for many people. They can be difficult to break down in the gut and may cause digestive problems such as bloating and flatulence.

According to Scmp.com, most legumes contain sugars called alpha-galactosides. These are short-chain carbohydrates that escape digestion in the small intestine and are later fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. This is what can ultimately lead to bloating and flatulence, especially in someone whose digestive system is compromised. While passing gas is a natural way for the body to eliminate air that has become trapped in the gut, excess gassiness may cause intestinal pain, cramps and discomfort. However, passing gas doesn’t have to be an inevitable byproduct of enjoying your favorite beans.

To read more about digestion and how to make beans and legumes easier on the gut, visit Scmp.com’s article here.

 

What If Competition Isn’t As “Natural” As We Think?

When Darwin’s trip to the Galapagos islands revealed small variations in the beaks of finches, he deduced that the “struggle of life” would naturally select those beings whose hereditary mutations made them most fit to a specific environment. But, according to Slate.com, scientist now are questioning the concept of evolution’s “survival of the fittest” nature.

Many instances of interspecies codependence can been observed in nature. Take cows, for example. Cows do not have the genetic information required to encode proteins fit to digest grass. Instead, it’s the symbiotic community of bacteria in their guts that digests for them.

This is just one small example from Slate’s article that explores these symbiotic relationships. To read more about examples and the implications of these collaborative relationships, click here.

In An Angry America, A New Remedy Emerges: Compassion

Defined as the ability to notice suffering (in one’s self and others) and then the desire to take action to alleviate it, compassion has become the buzzword for an angry nation. It is increasingly being held up by neuroscientists, corporations, business schools and psychologists as a concrete, powerful health strategy – and a successful business model.

Universities have opened centers devoted to compassion, and many large-scale businesses have developed a director of compassion position in light of new research.

To read more about recent research on practicing compassion and compassion’s influences on personal health, industry and society, visit GreenwichTime.com’s article here.

 

NoteWorthy – 2/9/20

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AROUND THE VALLEY

GLCF Awards Nearly $140,000 In Community Grants To Local Nonprofits 

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation celebrated and honored the work of local nonprofits at its discretionary grants program reception on Thursday, Feb. 6. Nearly $140,000 in competitive grants were awarded to 21 local nonprofits within a framework of social education, children’s services, elder services and water resources initiatives.  The focused areas collectively work toward creating a better quality of life for all residents in Greater Lowell.

 

Lawrence General Hospital Announces Deborah Wilson As Hospital President & Chief Executive Officer 

The Lawrence General Hospital Board of Trustees recently announced that it has selected Deborah Wilson as the hospital’s next president and CEO. 

Wilson has served in several executive roles in health care over her career. She has been at Lawrence General for nearly nine years in the role of senior vice president and chief financial officer, prior to being promoted to executive vice president three years ago. Since October 2019, Wilson has served as interim CEO. Her appointment culminates a four-month search process by the board of trustees, assisted by a national health care recruiting firm and one of the industry’s leading executive development and evaluation consultants. 

Carbone’s Kitchen Opens on South Main Street, Haverhill 

Carbone’s Kitchen held their grand opening and ribbon cutting on Friday, Feb. 7. Carbone’s Kitchen offers a fusion of classic Italian food with modern American twists, and is owned and operated by Haverhill native Kristen Carbone.

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