More Cape Ann Wellness News –
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Six ten minute plays written by 6 local playwrights who are participants in M. Lynda Robinson’s workshop at the Gloucester Writers Center will be given a Staged Reading performed by professional actors at the Cultural Center of Rocky Neck on Sunday, March 20, at 5pm with a reception to follow. The Audience is encouraged to participate with feedback which will be given to each playwright. The six playwrights are Cape Ann’s:  Linda Finigan, Carole Frohlich,, Steven A. Levy, Nick Neyeloff, Rory O’Connor, and M. Lynda Robinson. The actors include David McCaleb, David Adams, Debbe Lewis, Tess Deegan, Phil Thompson, and Rebecca Lerman.

The GWC welcomes this opportunity to bring together writers and audience as a community event.  The writers and professional local actors, with Lynda’s direction, will present a lively show and are looking forward to response and feedback from the audience as part of developing their works from page to stage.  Providing a space in the community for voices to be heard through writing, dialogue, and the artistic process is a big part of the GWC’s mission.

 Suggested donation for the event is $10, $5 for students, and no one turned away for lack of funds.

Kate representing the 01930 In Cozumel (Get the shirt at Pop Gallery)

At its meeting of March 3, 2016, the Gloucester Board of Health voted unanimously to change the minimum age for the purchase of tobacco and nicotine products in the community from 18 years old to 21. In doing so, Gloucester becomes the 100th community in Massachusetts to raise the age for the purchasing for tobacco and nicotine products.

Discussion regarding the possibility of raising the purchase age began at the Board of Health meeting of November 2015 when Board members asked then Health Director, Noreen Burke, to invite Joyce Redford, director of the North Shore/Cape Ann Tobacco Control Program, to inform the Board on the issue.

Ms. Redford appeared before the Board at their meeting of January 7, 2016 and presented information including other area communities, such as Salem, Saugus, Swampscott, Danvers, and Peabody, had recently raised their purchase age to 21, as had Boston. Nearly 42% of the population in Massachusetts live in communities where the purchase age for tobacco and nicotine delivery products is now 21.

A March 2015 report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies stated that “…the committee concludes that raising the minimum age of legal access to tobacco products in the United States, particularly to ages 21 and 25, will likely lead to a substantial reduction in smoking prevalence. If the MLA (minimum legal age) were raised now, the models projected that by the time today’s teenagers were adults, there would be a 3 percent decrease in prevalence of tobacco use among those adults if the MLA were raised to 19, a 12 percent decrease if raised to 21…”

The Board then set a public hearing for its meeting of February 4, 2016 to discuss changing its tobacco regulation to include raising the minimum purchase age to 21 years, as well as requesting restaurants that have outdoor seating areas where smoking is permissible, post a sign stating whether or not they allow patrons to smoke in those areas.

The 32 businesses holding tobacco permits with the Health Department, as well as restaurants with outdoor seating, were sent a notification of the hearing by mail.

After discussion, review of information and public comment, the Board closed its hearing on the matter and voted on adoption of the proposed changes at its meeting of March 3rd.

“This is an important step in our efforts to prevent teens from starting to smoke,” said Rich Sagall, MD, chair of the Board of Health. “Gloucester is joining many other communities, both in Massachusetts and around the country, in limiting teenagers access to tobacco products.”

Enforcement of the new minimum age limit will begin June 1, 2016. A notice will be sent to all businesses notifying them of the changes in the regulations, with copies being available at the Health Department and the Department’s page of the City website:

http://www.gloucester-ma.gov/index.aspx?nid=183

I was pointed to this website by a friend in Miami FL. From their site I clipped link and paragraph below about a student art contest.

Not sure anyone ’round here has heard of it but with our heritage with the sea, Ocean Alliance and all the arts you publicize on Rocky Neck seems like there might be some interest from someone-

http://www.fromthebowseat.org/contest.php

“We invite middle and high school students from around the world to participate in the 2016 Ocean Awareness Student Contest! The theme is Making Meaning out of Ocean Pollution, and it challenges you to research, explore, interpret, and say something meaningful about the connections between human activities and the health of our oceans. 

This year, we challenge you to focus on ONE type of ocean pollution and “make meaning” of it through art, poetry, prose, or film.
Best,

Rob Paterson

Name this restaurant-

I was looking for a set of grill gloves to handle the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet.  When opening up all the vents on the pit and getting that cast iron searing hot, the last thing you want to do is for…

Source: Product Review- X-Chef Heat Resistant Silicone BBQ Grilling Gloves