Wellness
Island Plan Discussion
On Tuesday, March 4, at the Federated Church in Edgartown, the Neighborhood Convention will host Mark London, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, presenting The Island Plan — Choosing the Future We Want for Our Community.
The meeting begins at 10:45 a.m., followed by lunch in the parish house. Participants are asked to bring a bag lunch; beverages and dessert will be provided. For information, call Mary-Jean Miner at 508-696-8589.
The Dukes County Health Council Youth Task Force has hired Theresa Manning, who long has worked with children and families on the Vineyard, as youth task force coordinator.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office recently awarded the task force a one-year, $90,000 grant. The grant will be used to target seventh and eighth grade students and their parents as a first step toward mobilizing the Vineyard community in preventing sustained substance abuse.
Autism Support Group
A support group is forming for families with children on the autism spectrum. The group will provide a place for conversation and sharing of resources and experiences in navigating the autism spectrum.
The first meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Chilmark library. More information is available by calling 508-645-3245 or 508-645-8002.
The fight to keep funding intact for the Vineyard Health Care Access Program continued without letup last week during a meeting of the county advisory board on the county operating budget for the coming year.
Members of the Dukes County Health Council, the charter study commission, concerned residents and county commissioners packed the county administration building on their lunch breaks last Thursday to watch as the advisory board voted to approve a draft $1.9 million operating budget for the coming fiscal year.
Daffodil Days
Each year in March, the American Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days provides an opportunity for Island residents to lend a helping hand in the fight against cancer.
Contributions received through the sale of daffodils help to keep the society’s vital resources in place for those who are or have been affected by cancer. The American Cancer Society also needs drivers to deliver daffodils in the community during the week of March 17. To volunteer or to place an order, please call 1-800-227-2345.
Inhaling water poses the greatest threat of death, far above hypothermia, for someone accidentally falling into cold water.
At a talk on cold-water immersion, a Vineyard doctor warned a gathering of 40 boat enthusiasts that the best way to stay alive is to keep your head above the water at all costs, especially in that first critical moment.
“You can be one of the best swimmers,” said Dr. Michael Jacobs, but unless you can keep your head above water in that first instant of immersion, you could drown.