Please join Team Medford in recognizing 2011’s Alcohol Awareness Month. Alcohol Awareness Month is nationally observed and focuses on all aspects of alcohol use from prevention to recovery. Team Medford’s charge is to prevent underage drinking however, we view the problems associated with alcohol use/abuse to be holistically connected to underage drinking.

To join Team Medford in supporting Alcohol Awareness Month we ask that you thank the businesses who have committed to posting our awareness decal in their store, school, or home for the month of April. Team Medford is engaging the school community as well:

• April 7^th at the McGlynn Middle School Presentation to all 6^th graders including the parochial schools called “Sober Thoughts” where youth learn skills to resist negative pressures and perceptions about their peers and underage drinking
• Participating teachers, clubs and teams at the middle and high schools are taking part in the Above the Influence Campaign. This campaign is for all teens willing to stand up and say they are above the influence of drugs, alcohol and the many other negative influences they are faced with day to day. We plan to have staged photos of these youth presented in collage posters in our schools and the school website. Project will be presented after April vacation.

In addition to these activities we ask Medford residents to visit our website http://medfordhealthmatters.org/campaigns/underage-drinking-campaign/ where you can find a variety of resources to help your child/teen with underage drinking. Also friend Team Medford on Facebook, and look out for announcements happening in Medford as well as obtaining news about underage drinking and drug use.

Team Medford focuses on finding ways to prevent alcohol use amongst youth. It is our hope that by promoting healthy attitudes and activities that we will draw in more adults to the table in Medford. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering their time to this invaluable cause please contact me. All ideas are welcome.

Please join Medford Health Matters at our next members’ meeting.

Medford Health Matters’ members meeting will be held on Thursday, March 3 2011, from 7pm to 8:30 pm at Medford City Hall in the Council Chambers, 85 George P. Hassett Drive, Medford.

There is a change in our meeting presentation.  Our meeting highlighting the Medford Census data for 2010 will be postponed since the Census Bureau may not have released Massachusetts data by March 3.  Please watch this space for information regarding the census presentation, and join us for the March rd meeting which will include highlights of Medford Health Matters partnership projects.

*   Team Medford, Penny Bruce Medford Substance Prevention Task Force
*   Science to Service Award for I’m Allergic to Stupid Decisions, Medford Substance Prevention Task Force
*   Environmental Justice and the Mystic Watershed, Nick Cohen Tri-City Community Action Program, Inc. (Tri-CAP)
*   “Voices of Medford,” Diane Mcleod Human Diversity Director for the City of Medford

Come and learn about  Medford Health Matters and how you can participate.  Medford Health Matter’s board meets on the first Thursday of each month at 8:00 a.m. at Medford City Hall.  Member meetings are held every other month and alternate between morning and evening meetings.  Please watch this space for details.

Medford Health Matter’s mission is to foster an environment of wellness and healthy lifestyles for all those who live, learn, work and play in Medford.

Interested in becoming a U.S. citizen?

Tri-CAP offers FREE ESOL Citizenship Classes and Naturalization Services

Classes begin in November 2010

For more information and to sign up, contact Marlane at NSAG, p: 781-321-2121×7, e:marlane@northshoreag.org

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Please join us for Medford’s annual Basic Rights workshop

Those who would benefit by attending are Parents & Guardians,  If any “1″ of the following applies to your child…
Transitioning out of Early Intervention. Those currently on an IEP. Any child that is being evaluated for special education eligibility. A child that is consistently struggling with general education interventions and would like to learn more about special education.
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DROP-IN PLAYTIME at the Family Center

Parents, Caregivers, Guardians are welcome!

JANUARY 2011 Drop In Schedule

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Medford High School Students poured through the halls in their school colors, the sounds of excitement and band music filling the air.  As everyone filed into the gym for the pep rally before the big Thanksgiving game, the new Team Medford banner did not go unnoticed.  Team Medford: Join the Winning Team to Prevent Underage Drinking is a new project of the Medford Substance Abuse Task Force.  Over 1,000 bracelets and key chains were handed out to students, athletes, teachers, coaches and community figures in an effort to unite the community in fighting the battle to prevent underage drinking.

Members of the Medford Substance Abuse Task Force joined students in cheering as they connected with one another and were asked to join the winning team. Many of our young leaders are very pleased to be a part of the team and were happy to help distribute bracelets while getting their fellow peers to commit to our team: Team Medford. Everyone is a key player on Team Medford, and many stepped up today showing their pride for the community. “Everyone was in high spirits,” reported Penelope Bruce, the Underage Drinking Prevention Coordinator, “the positive energy was contagious and many of our youth wanted to jump on board.”

Team Medford is a collaborative effort in supporting our youth in which Team TADD (Teens Against Drinking and Drugs) played an enormous role. “It’s great that we finally have a positive mission that unites the city, while getting the word out about underage drinking and drug abuse issues right in our own community”, said Crystal Chandler, a Team TADD leader, and member of Medford’s Substance Abuse Task Force. This is a great start for Team Medford and a beginning that is headed in the right direction. Many more activities and local events will be organized to get more team players involved. For more information contact Penny Bruce at prbruce@medford.org or 781-393-2560

Join the city of Medford at the 2010 HARVEST YOUR ENERGY FESTIVAL

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010 1:00 to 4:00 PM

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In 2009, 8th graders in Medford reported higher rates of use for alcohol, binge drinking, marijuana, cigarette, smokeless tobacco and cocaine than the national 8th grade rates. The trend continued in high school with 12th graders in Medford also reporting rates above the national rates for alcohol and drug use in the above categories.

In an effort to combat these trends, Medford Health Matters’ Substance Abuse Taskforce looks for opportunities to bring community members (including parents, neighbors and youth) together with city departments (including the health department, police and schools) to design and implement strategies that foster positive youth development, challenge social norms around underage drinking and drug use and enforce existing laws that protect our youth.

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New trash and recycling bins like the ones pictured above will soon be arriving at the homes of Medford residents in preparation for the city’s new trash and recycling program, which begins November 1. According to a recorded phone message by the city, the bins will be distributed over the next three weeks. Each household will receive one 96 gallon recycling bin and one 64 gallon trash bin, with multi-family units each receiving a pair of bins and recycling bins coming with either blue or green lids depending upon the neighborhood and pick-up schedule, which is not changing.

For more information about the new program, the city has developed a program guide that will be distributed in the mail, or that can be downloaded by clicking here.

- InsideMedford.com

The Medford Board of Health is holding two flu clinics this fall.

On Wednesday, October 27 the Board of Health will be administering flu shots at the Medford Housing Authority, 121 Riverside Avenue, from 9:00AM-12:00PM. The clinic is for senior citizens.

On Wednesday, November 10 the flu clinic will take place at the Council Chambers at Medford City Hall, 85 George P. Hassett Drive, from 4:30PM-7:00PM.

The Board of Health is asking participants to bring their insurance information and to wear short sleeves.

All health insurance is accepted, including Medicare, Fallon Senior Plan, First Seniority, Tufts Health Plan Medicare Preferred, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare HMO Blue, or Medicare PPO Blue, United Health Care, Secure Horizons, HNE Medicare.

Volunteers are needed for registration. Please call the Medford Board of Health office at (781) 393-2560.

- Information from Medford Board of Health Director Karen Rose