News Briefs

Winthrop Cultural Council Seeks Funding Proposals

Proposals for community-oriented arts, humanities, and science programs due November 16.

The Winthrop Cultural Council has set a November 16 deadline for organizations, schools, and individuals to apply for grants that support cultural activities in the community.

These grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Winthrop — including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies, or performances in schools, workshops, and lectures.

The Winthrop Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.

“Arts and cultural programing is such a vibrant part of our community, and these grants help to bring exhibits, performances, festivals and other artistic projects to Winthrop,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “I am proud of the meaningful and ongoing work the Winthrop Cultural Council does on behalf of our residents and local cultural organizations.”

The Council is accepting online applications only, which will be available on October 1, 2020.  Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org   For local guidelines and complete information on the Winthrop Cultural Council, contact Joanne Hillman Chair at [email protected].

MVES Recommends Simple Steps to Avoid Falls

One in four Americans aged 65+ falls each year, according to the National Council on Aging. Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital and nursing home admissions among older adults.

Although falls are prevalent in older adults, there could be many ways to help your loved one continue to live safely in their own home.

Falls and accidents seldom “just happen.” Usually there are at least several contributing factors that lead to a fall. The danger in some of these factors can be eliminated or reduced by taking simple steps recommended by Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) to make an elder’s home safer. Read more to find out a room-by-room breakdown of some of these steps:

Bathrooms: Place a rubber mat or rubber safety strips in the tub or shower. Install sturdy grab bars in the tub/shower area to provide support. Have a night light available to use after dark and in the middle of the night.

Bedrooms: Use night lights or bedside, remote-controlled light switches. Place the telephone in an area easy to get to and keep the cord out of walking pathways. Consider a cordless telephone.

Stairs and hallways: Put light switches conveniently at both the top and bottom of stairs. Make sure carpeting is not loose or buckling and use non-skid treads on stairs. Both sides of each stairway should have sturdy handrails running their entire lengths. Avoid waxing hardwood floors that could create a slippery surface.

Living areas: Secure and place electrical/telephone cords out of walking pathways. Remove throw rugs that might slide or attach non-skid strips to rug backings. Furniture should be arranged to allow for unobstructed walkways. It is important to keep floors clear of clutter.

Other tips to prevent falls:

• You should also be aware of clothing and behavior that can help create a safer environment. You should wear well-fitted, flat, rubber-soled shoes to prevent slipping.

• Do not walk or climb stairs with arms loaded—always leave a hand free for balance.

• Slowly get out of bed and slowly rise from sitting to avoid dizziness.

 For more infor on services provided by Mystic Valley elder Services, please call (781) 324-7705 or visit mves.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.