News Briefs

Health Dept. Invites Residents to Participate in Assessment

Health Director Meredith Hurley is pleased to announce that the Town of Winthrop is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment, and invites all members of the community to participate.

The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is designed to evaluate how Winthrop residents are doing in several key areas after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the CHNA will empower the Health Department to seek grant funding to address the identified needs and gaps in services identified through this process.

Through the CHNA, Winthrop’s Public Health Department will work to identify residents’ needs related to mental health, substance use disorder and community trauma. The CHNA will also support the determination of needs around housing, food stability and insurance access.

“It’s important that we have a strong understanding of our community’s wellbeing and the gaps in health and wellness that they may be experiencing,” Hurley said. “By identifying their needs, we’ll be better enabled to address them through targeted action and programming, so I hope that all of our residents will take part in the assessment.”

DCR Lists Summer Events at Local Reservations

All Programs are free and open to the public. An adult must accompany children.   Reasonable accommodations available upon request. Dress for the weather. Bring water and use sunscreen.  Please phone (781) 656-1485 or email matthew.nash@mass.gov for more information including an automated message of possible cancellations made up to an hour before the start of the program. High winds or rain will cancel. Free parking. Please follow all current COVID guidelines: Mass.gov/COVID. 

If you would like to receive regular emails about our current program schedule, please send an email to Matthew.Nash@mass.gov 

Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, 1399 Bennington Street, East Boston, MA 

An Oasis for Birds  

 Saturdays Jul 16, Aug 6 & 20   7:30-8:30 am      

We will search for birds of the marsh & meadow. We will travel on foot up to one mile, on flat, easy terrain at this Birding Hotspot & MA State Park. Expect to move to different locations by car or bicycle. Prepare for mosquitoes and ticks. Best for adults and kids aged 8+ with adult chaperone. Binoculars recommended. Co-sponsored by the Brookline Bird Club and the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh.  Note: This program meets every month of the year on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month except when occurring on state or national holidays. 

Winthrop Shore
Reservation, at Short Beach, 1199 Winthrop Ave, Revere, MA on the border between the City of Revere and Town of Winthrop 

Tidepool Discovery 

Tuesdays Jul 19 from 10:00-11:00 am, Aug 2 & 16 from 8:30-9:30 am 

Discover and learn about the fascinating plants and animals of the tidepool and why we should care for both these fragile creatures and the tidepool that represents their home. Nets will be provided for brief capture and release of the tidepool creatures. Be prepared for slippery rocks and for getting your feet wet. Co-sponsored on Jul 19 by the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. 

Revere Beach
Reservation, under the tree and on the beach across from 21 Revere Beach Blvd., Revere, MA 

Shorebird and Seabird Discovery Station 

Wednesdays Jul 6 & 20, Aug 3, 17, 31 – Drop-in 8:30-11:00 am 

Listen to a short lesson (3-5 min) about the fascinating shorebirds and seabirds that make Revere Beach their home at this station.  A spotting scope will be available for viewing birds but bring binoculars if you have them. Drop in anytime. Appropriate for Kids 8+ and adults. 

Revere Beach
Reservation, on the Lawn at Eliot Circle, Revere, MA 

Creatures of the Seas and Sands Station  

Thursdays Jul 7 & 28, Aug 11 & 25 – Drop-in 9-11:30 am 

Saturdays, no programs on Jul 9 & Aug 6 – Drop in 1:00-3:00pm 1-3pm          

Listen to a short lesson (3-5 min) about the fascinating and important creatures that depend on the sea and sand for survival at this station. Drop in any time. Appropriate for all ages. 

Revere Beach
Reservation, on the Lawn at Eliot Circle, Revere, MA 

Immerse Yourself in Nature 

Fridays Jul 15 & 29, Aug 5 & 19 from 10:00-11:00 am 

Saturdays  Jul 9 & 23, Aug 13 & 27 from 10:00-11:00am am 

Use your senses to enliven and enrich your experience of nature and discover how these invitations can amplify your peace, creativity and health. Each session is approximately 45 min to an hour in length. Be prepared for sitting, standing, and walking short distances. Bring a small chair, blanket, pillow or pad to sit on. Appropriate for Adults and Teens.  

 The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), an agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, oversees nearly 500,000 acres of parks and forests, beaches, bike trails, watersheds, dams, and parkways. Led by Acting DCR Commissioner Stephanie Cooper, the agency’s mission is to protect, promote, and enhance our commonwealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. To learn more about DCR, our facilities, and our programs, please visit www.mass.gov/dcr

Call for Walkers: Register for the Annual Jimmy Fund Walk

Registration is now open for the 2022 Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai. Scheduled for Sunday, October 2, funds raised from the Walk support all forms of adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at one of the nation’s premier cancer centers, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The Jimmy Fund Walk is the only organized walk permitted on the famed Boston Marathon course and participants have the flexibility to choose from four distance options:

• 5K Walk (3.1 miles from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)

• 10K Walk (6.2 miles from Newton)

• Half Marathon Walk (13.1 miles from Wellesley)

• Marathon Walk (26.2 miles from Hopkinton).

Whatever route walkers choose, participants will be treated to 12 refueling stations as well as poster-sized photographs of patients – Jimmy Fund Walk Heroes – displayed at each mile and half-mile marker as inspiration. All four routes of the Jimmy Fund Walk end at the Copley Square Finish Line with a celebration complete with food, music, and a speaking program.

If walkers wish to participate a bit closer to home, the Jimmy Fund Walk has flexible opportunities. Participants can also join the event virtually by “walking their way” from wherever they are most comfortable—in their neighborhood, on a favorite hiking trail, or on a treadmill at home. Virtual programming and supporting materials will be available.

The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $155 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in its 33-year history. For additional information please email JimmyFundWalk@DFCI.Harvard.edu or call 866-531-9255.

To register for the Jimmy Fund Walk (#JimmyFundWalk) or to support a walker, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255. Registrants can enter the promo code NEWS for $5 off the registration fee. All registered walkers will receive a bib, medal, and a Jimmy Fund Walk T-shirt.

The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children’s Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.