Morristown | Live Well Lamoille

Let’s Go Fishing: A Day Spent Learning to Teach

Aug 14 2018

By: Chris Hendon

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Lets Go Fishing

Looking for ways to expand kids’ summer programming in the Lamoille County Mental Health Services’ (LCMHS) Redwood Program, Dan Gilbert and I attended a recent Let’s Go Fishing clinic offered by Vermont Fish and Wildlife. We wanted to improve Redwood’s free six-week summer programming and offer kids a chance to get out and do some structured fishing as well as having ongoing access to fishing equipment for these kids’ adventures. Every year a few kids, dreaming about those summer days on a river or lake, ask if fishing can be incorporated into the Redwood summer program. Due to a lack of equipment, every year we have had to say no.

We heard about the Let’s Go Fishing program at Vermont Fish & Wildlife and thought it would be an excellent chance to be able to include any kids who are interested, including—and perhaps especially—the kids who have never touched a fishing pole before. We hope to inspire excitement about getting outside and fishing. This is an activity they can share with friends and family. It creates a life-long skill that encourages patience and mindfulness, as well as an appreciation of our natural world.

As the training day started rolling, we realized this is about much more than simply fishing. It’s about learning about our water ecosystems, about different types of fish in Vermont, and teaching basic skills to build upon such as knot tying and proper casting techniques. Most importantly, it is about getting children and adults outside and engaged in conservation and fishing in a day and age where people are spending less and less time outdoors. The structure of this program teaches skills and knowledge that kids can carry with them for the rest of their lives. Learning about fishing rules and regulations gives insight into breeding habits and the availability of fish in certain bodies of water. The Department of Vermont Fish & Wildlife simply wants people to get out on the water, know what fishing is all about, and most importantly, to have some fun!

The volunteer training itself certified us as Vermont Fish & Wildlife Lets Go Fishing Instructors. This certification will offer many opportunities to expand our knowledge and training above and beyond the summer programming at Redwood. In addition to a typical “fishing” clinic, Vermont Fish & Wildlife offers ice fishing and fly fishing clinics as long as there is a certified instructor available who is experienced in those areas. They offer dozens of clinics every year, and we can now easily organize clinics for the kids in LCMHS programs. Let’s Go Fishing provides attendees with an educational tote and all the fishing equipment that we will need, as well as ongoing support. I encourage anyone who is interested in expanding their children’s programming to become an instructor. It’s a free, day-long course, and it is well worth it. If you are just interested in learning about fishing or would like to enhance your experience, I recommend taking part in one (or many!) of these clinics. It is all free and enrolling in the clinic gives you the ability to fish even if you don’t have a license.

I can’t recommend this fantastic program enough. If you want to know more you can ask Dan or myself, or reach out directly Corey Hart, a program manager at Vermont Fish and Wildlife, Corey.Hart@vermont.gov.

An avid ice fisherman, Chris is a Redwood Service Coordinator at Lamoille County Mental Health Services and a clinical mental health graduate student at Northern Vermont University.

Spring Caution

May 08 2018

By: Caleb Magoon

spring sports_Live Well Lamoille

It’s spring and boy is it nice to have some wonderful sunny days, even if it’s only a few. Our inkling is generally to get right out there and get after our favorite activities. The bike comes out, we lace up the running shoes or hiking boots or put the kayak in the water. Tough to resist, right?

Yes, go out and do those things. But I encourage you to exercise some caution. This is a dangerous and injury-prone time of year for several reasons and it’s important we slip into spring activities slowly. Few of us get the same activity level through the winter and spring as we get through the summer. Spring is probably the worst for me because once the snow goes, my ability to cross-country ski, snowshoe or do other winter-based fitness activities goes away. My fitness level, in general, is low.

That said, I sure do want to jump on a bike. I’ll want to bike like I did in the fall, though physically my body has changed quite a bit in the last few months. It’s important that you go easy during those first couple of rides, runs or activities. The last thing you want is an injury to stifle your spring and set you back well into June or later. Make sure your first activities are shorter and easier than your max or even your average. Ease your way into activity and be ginger while finding your limits.

Make sure you are making healthy choices leading up to your first activities. Ensure your fuel levels match the activity you have chosen. Eat enough before the workout and drink more water than you think is needed.

You may not be much for stretching, but if you ever took a swing at it, this is the time of year. Look up a few Youtube videos of dynamic stretches. They’re super easy and only take a few minutes. Post workout, you should also stretch or use a foam roller to roll out your muscles. This will speed your recovery.

Lastly, be aware of your body and if you feel pain or discomfort, stop activity immediately and take a couple days off. If it feels like a bonafide injury, consult a doctor or physical therapist. Above and beyond all else, go slow and easy!

One more note about easing into spring: We need to not only protect our bodies, but also our recreation assets. Roads and trails are particularly tender this time of year and can be damaged quite easily. This applies not only to mountain biking and hiking trails, but also access roads to bodies of water etc. This time of year is when we can do the most damage to trails. Please don’t hike or mountain bike until local experts give the “all clear”. Consult the Green Mountain Club for hiking trails and the Vermont Mountain Bike Association to find your local chapter if you don’t know them. I know the wait is tough, but it’s essential to ensuring these recreation assets don’t need repairs, taking them offline during the best parts of the year.

Have a great spring!

Caleb Magoon is a Hyde Park native who grew up hiking, hunting, biking and exploring Vermont’s Green Mountains. His passions for sports and recreation have fueled his career as the owner of Power Play Sports and Waterbury Sports. Caleb encourages outdoor activity and believes it is an essential element to a healthy lifestyle and the Vermont way of life. Caleb serves the Lamoille Valley by volunteering on numerous community boards such as the Lamoille County Planning Commission, The Morrisville Alliance for Commerce and Culture, Mellow Velo, and the state chapter of The Main Street Alliance. He lives, plays and works in Hyde Park with his wife Kerrie.

Can We Do More For Our Neighbors?

May 01 2018

By: Sarah Williams

I was moved to speak at our Town Meeting in Stowe when our neighbors were debating the comparatively large recreation budget versus the nearly nonexistent social services budget. I made the life choice to pursue a career in supporting our most vulnerable neighbors. I do it because if we don’t care for those who are struggling, for those who are in crisis, for those who need a pathway up and out of their trouble, I feel that we all—as a community and as a society—are only as strong as our lowest common denominator. When kids don’t have what they need to be successful in their early years, their chance of success as adults, community members and employees is greatly challenged. The success of our community is what we make of it. Recreational paths are nice, sure, but what makes a strong economy are the people who participate in it. The strength of the people in Stowe is what will make our community rise.

The strength of the people in Stowe is what will make our community rise.

When the public thinks about mental health, often their mind goes straight to emergency rooms and the state hospital—a vision of a person being locked away under a guard of nurses. In reality, the mental health system is infinitely more nuanced. 90% of mental health is supporting people to live healthy, productive and self-directed lives. We do this a number of ways:

After a tragedy in schools or at fire stations through grief support
creating support systems with foster and adoptive families to ensure permanence for children
helping people with developmental disabilities to build relationships and hold meaningful work
providing support for someone to return to work after a decade of doubting that they are able to get and hold a job
helping someone who is struggling with an issue with a family member or friend, who doesn’t know what steps to take to next; we have a system in place that helps people figure out the steps to ease their troubles and to know that they aren’t alone in figuring out a solution.

The emergency response budget that we passed in Stowe on Town Meeting Day is going to continue to rise unless we start doing things differently. Reactionary response is both expensive and debilitating to the population who are struggling day to day. Consider the economic impact of each of these individual lives:

This winter, St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church in Stowe erected an emergency homeless shelter that welcomed over 100 people—many of them children from Stowe. How does the lack of stable housing affect the ability of the parents of these children to hold a job, and for their kids to excel in school?
Consider the long-term, compounded costs of children going hungry over the summer due to lack of access to the free lunch program. How does this affect their long-term physical and mental health?
When the police are responding to mental health calls instead of being available emergencies, how does this affect both the safety of those calling the police, as well as the cost of the police budget? Wouldn’t that money be better spent on social services that get at the root of the problem rather than on emergency services?
Our elderly struggling to maintain their independence at home, while battling isolation, physical and mental health challenges. Don’t we owe it to our community elders to support the home share program?

The Stowe social services budget is 0.4 % of the town budget this year, while Morrisville contributes 1.3%–$82,469 to the community partners who help our neighbors, including CapStone, Lamoille County Mental Health Service, Home Share, the food shelf and Meals on Wheels. That is almost two times the amount we contribute to these programs that support our town.

So when I ask the question “Can we give more to our town social services budget?” I am asking you to not only think of Stowe as a great place to vacation and to have fun, but as a great place to live, work and raise a family. To do this, we need to support the people who live in here who are struggling silently. If you need to hear it will save us money, it will. If you need to hear that giving back is showing your gratitude that you are one of the lucky ones, it is. Our select board wants to hear that our town cares what happens to those who cannot speak for themselves. Please contact your select board today and tell them that you support an increase in the social services budget in your town.

Sarah, an LNA who works as a Medication Coordinator for Lamoille County Mental Health Services, lives in Stowe with her two teenage sons. She is a runner and garden enthusiast.

Stress and Your Health

Mar 13 2018

By: Rorie Dunphey

I’m sure you have heard how chronic stress can be bad for your health and maybe you have thought to yourself, “I really need to reduce my stress, but how?”

There is solid evidence that chronic stress has a detrimental effect on both our physical and mental health, making stress management a vital to good health. With the frantic pace of our hyper-connected lives and the steady flow of information barraging us, it is easy to feel swept along as if someone else is in charge of your life. In addition, our culture feeds us messages that encourage constant stimulation and busyness, with leisure and relaxation judged as ‘lazy’. It may just seem easier to keep tumbling forward, never really taking the time to slow down and de-stress. We adapt by simply resetting to this low level of anxiety, which becomes our ‘new normal’.

Here are some examples of how stress affects the body;

Brain: Difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression, irritability, mood, mind fog.
Heart and lungs: Higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Joints and muscles: Increased inflammation, tension, aches and pains, muscle tightness.
Immune system: Decreased immune function, lowered immune defenses, increased risk of becoming ill, increase in recovery time.
Skin: Hair loss, dull or brittle hair, brittle nails, dry skin, acne, delayed tissue repair.
Stomach: Decreased nutrient absorption, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, bloating, pain and discomfort.
Reproductive system: Decreased libido, increase in PMS symptoms.

This is certainly not a very pleasant list of symptoms. Managing stress does not mean eliminating all the causes of the stress in our lives, which is usually impossible. What it does mean is that we can learn to better respond to stress and establish healthy practices to better manage our day to day responsibilities.

Here are some simple practices that you can try:

Get moving: Get some exercise and fresh air daily. Take a walk, swim, dance, do yoga…Regular exercise helps us manage our mood, weight & energy level. Even a 10-minute stroll can help us feel less stressed and more grounded.
Spend quiet time in nature: Go to a park, the beach or into the woods; or if you can’t get there put some pictures of nature where you will see them daily.
Plan a weekly ‘fun’ activity: Invite a friend or family member to share in the fun and find free fun things to do around town. Host a game night!
Practice gratitude: Think of 3 things that you feel grateful for every day upon waking or before bed. Notice how you feel when you appreciate the good things you already have.
Body care: Try massage, acupuncture or a warm bath for relaxation.
Pray: When you feel tempted to worry about a person or situation in your life, prayer may be helpful. This does not need to be ‘religious’ prayer, but rather a way of letting go and accepting what we cannot change. Focus on having compassion for the person or problem that is the focus of our stress, rather than building up difficult emotions like anger or fear.
Help someone else: Volunteer, help a friend, show kindness to a stranger. Often the simple act of recognizing what we have to offer can help us feel more appreciative of what we do have.
Ask for help and graciously receive it: This takes courage! We all sometimes have a hard time accepting help or recognizing when we need it. Give someone the gift of being able to help you. It usually feels good to the other person, gives us a boost and brings us a closer personal connection.
Do something you love that makes you happy every day: It could be something different and simple every day; read a book, talk with a good friend, cook a meal you enjoy, buy a fancy coffee, work in your garden, play a game, listen to favorite music, take a nap.
Honor yourself: We all have limitations and strengths. Notice what you are good at and what you like about yourself and focus on it a few minutes daily. Smile at yourself in the mirror!
Express yourself: Write in a journal, draw, paint, sing, or do something creative to express your feelings and get the yucky stuff out of your system.
Build community: Consider participating in a group that is meaningful to you, such as a church, support group, or a sports team. Spending time with people you enjoy and with whom you share values and interests helps us feel more connected and supported as we face life stressors.

While we often cannot change the cause of our stress, we can always change our reaction to it. Managing our stress is a commitment and a choice, and is central to good health.

Rorie Dunphey works under Vermont’s Blueprint for Health as the RN Chronic Care Coordinator at Family Practice Associates in Cambridge. She works one-on-one with people and also leads classes to promote health and help people better manage their chronic diseases. She also assists patients in accessing community and state resources to better coordinate their health and wellness needs. Rorie has a particular passion for promoting a healthy diet and exercise routine to inspire people to live their best life.

Pain Management from a Physician’s Perspective

Mar 08 2018

Nicholas Antell, MD, one of Copley Hospital’s orthopaedic specialists, recently testified in front of the Vermont Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Dr. Antell was invited as part of the Committee’s request for feedback from providers on legislation that went into effect last year. The Vermont legislation limited prescribing and increased required education and communication in a statewide effort to address opioid addiction. Below is a transcription of Dr. Antell’s testimony.

Over the past several days I’ve talked to most of the prescribers in our practice, Mansfield Orthopaedics, including physicians, but more importantly our Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) who do most of the prescribing and fielding of patient phone calls. The overwhelming consensus is that we are able to control our patient’s pain under these rules and that we were likely prescribing more opioids than necessary prior to their implementation. My subspecialty training is in orthopaedic trauma, taking care of patients that have complex fractures. I started with Mansfield Orthopaedics in August of 2016, and the NP I work with and I adopted these rules well ahead of the go-live date to see how it went. There were, of course, a few exceptions, but we were pleasantly surprised with how few patients were calling back requesting more pain medications. Now, I had the benefit of a developing practice, with a little more time to talk to our patients and manage expectations, which I feel was a huge benefit.

There are certainly times where I prescribe less, but most of my fracture patients are prescribed an amount of opioid that falls into the “severe” pain category in addition to recommending other medications such as Tylenol and Advil. My colleagues that perform joint replacement surgeries, such as total hip and total knee replacements, prescribe an amount of opioid that falls into the “extreme” category, and this was a significant cut from what they were used to. The PAs that work closely on that service tell me less than half of patients call back asking for more pain medications, but some still do. My colleagues that specialize in hand surgery, shoulder surgery, and foot and ankle surgery also feel they are able to control their patient’s pain under the current rules.

A point that was brought up by many was that we can use these regulations to help us limit the amount of opioids given to patients we do not feel really need them but are requesting them. In essence, we can blame the rules and the burden does not fall on the provider.

There are concerns amongst physicians in my group about legislation directing medical practice. We must be allowed to use our clinical judgment when determining how many opioids are prescribed on an individual basis. We do not feel that it is up to lawmakers to decide if our patients fall into the minor, moderate, severe, or extreme pain categories. Although good as guidelines, we should be allowed to place our patients into which category we feel will adequately, and safely, control our patient’s pain so they can successfully recover from their orthopaedic procedure.

The most common complaint I received from our practice was with the Vermont Prescription Monitoring System (VPMS). We all appreciate the need to know if other prescribers are providing our patients with regulated medications, but the prescribers and delegates that use it most find it cumbersome and time-consuming to use. One provider suggested being provided with a reference number for each query that can be placed in the patient’s chart to confirm on our end that a query had been done. Another has found the customer service hours inconvenient while trying to get a password reset. We have also talked about a requirement to check VPMS before the first prescription is given, but then the system notifies us, for example by email, when another provider prescribes a controlled substance to this patient outside of our practice. Then instead of having to spend time rechecking VPMS in the rare circumstance a patient needs a refill, we can either quickly provide a refill knowing we are the only provider prescribing for them, or be able to have a conversation with that patient about the other prescription we are aware has been filled under their name. Most of us think there is certainly room for improvement with VPMS.

The consent form does add time to our preoperative routine, but the majority of the providers in our group don’t find it to be a nuisance, and with a few exceptions, we feel patients appreciate the discussion. A few patients have even taken this opportunity to tell us they don’t want a narcotic prescription following their procedure.

In our group, we have decided to prescribe Narcan to all patients that receive a narcotic prescription. This saves the hassle of having to figure out who needs one and who doesn’t. To save time we had a stamp made for our Narcan prescriptions, which lives in our perioperative area. However, we have noticed that the majority of our patients do not fill this Narcan prescription.

Initially, the morphine milligram equivalent requirement was confusing. We worked with our pharmacy department who put together a table to help guide how much of each specific narcotic medication could be prescribed to comply with these rules. This was extremely helpful in determining our new prescribing habits. I encourage the other providers here today to do the same if they haven’t already.

In conclusion, I want to thank this committee on behalf of Mansfield Orthopaedics for being given the chance to testify today, and for your continued interest in making these rules as operational and functional as possible, while not inhibiting our ability to practice medicine in a thorough and efficient manner.

Dr. Nicholas Antell of Mansfield Orthopaedics at Copley Hospital specializes in treating acute musculoskeletal injuries and total joint replacement.

Get Outside and Get Moving!

Mar 05 2018

By: Tricia Follert

Outdoor recreational activities are the talk of our town. Did you know there was a fabulous MoVolley Ball Tournament at Oxbow Park last Sunday? It was a gorgeous sunny day and about 25 people came out to play instead of sitting around their woodstove. The competition was fierce, fun was had by all and the A team won gift certificates to 10 Railroad Street.

Speaking of recreational activities, there are 2 sets of horseshoe pits, a volleyball net and a tetherball pole at Oxbow Park, all free for the community to use. Now that spring is just around the corner, the bike share bikes will soon be available. Gather your friends and family and get out and enjoy the many outdoor activities this community has to offer.

Did you know there are soccer, basketball, baseball and a summer recreation program for the kids here in town? We want to get the word out about all the great outdoor opportunities available.

Do you want more recreation in the community or just want to know what is available? An ad hoc group of Morristown community members are interested in re-establishing a year-round recreation committee.

If you are interested in joining us, have a topic you want us to discuss, or are interested in attending future meetings, let me know.

Tricia Follert, Community Development Coordinator, Town of Morristown

tfollert@morristownvt.org

802.888.6669 x231

In the comments section below, please share 3 ideas you would like to see a recreation committee work on for our community!

Tricia Follert is the Community Development Coordinator for the Town of Morristown, where she coordinates and implements activities for the town. She currently sits on three local boards, River Arts, Morristown Alliance for Culture & Commerce, and the Morrisville Co-Op, and works closely with many local nonprofits on community projects. She is also actively involved in the community gardens, the rail trail and the arts.

Improving Health, One Organization at a Time

Feb 13 2018

By: Valerie Valcour

Did you know that where you live, your zip code, is important to your health? Do you think that where you work, play and learn are also important to your health? How about when you stop in that corner market for a quick snack or when you meet for church service, do you think these places impact your health too? The Vermont Department of Health says yes.

The Vermont Department of Health has added two new organizations to the list of 3-4-50 partners. There are new Tip Sheets and Sign-On forms for retailers and faith-communities. Haven’t heard of 3-4-50?

3-4-50 is a simple but powerful way to understand and communicate the overwhelming impact of chronic disease in Vermont. 3-4-50 represents 3 behaviors – lack of physical activity, poor nutrition and tobacco use – that lead to 4 chronic diseases – cancer, heart disease/stroke, type 2 diabetes and lung disease – resulting in more than 50 percent of all deaths in Vermont.

Retail establishments, like the corner markets, can help you meet your goals for good health by displaying healthy snack options like fruit and nuts and they can keep tobacco products out of eye-sight, especially from children.

Faith-communities can set guidelines that make sure healthy foods are made available during coffee hours, potlucks and meetings. They can also create property-wide tobacco-free spaces. Having bike racks or offering physical activity options for gatherings can also help the overall health of the community.

Join the Lamoille Valley 3-4-50 Partners and sign your organization on to good health and wellness today! http://www.healthvermont.gov/3-4-50

Valerie Valcour is a Public Health Nurse and specializes in chronic disease prevention and emergency preparedness at the community level for the Department of Health in Morrisville. Valerie has lived in Lamoille County most of her life. She graduated from People’s Academy in 1983 and worked as a nurse at Copley Hospital for several years. In addition to her work, she volunteers as a board member of both Community Health Services of Lamoille Valley and the Lamoille County Planning Commission.

Improving Heart Health, One Step at a Time

Feb 09 2018

Keeping your heart healthy may seem like a big job, but even small changes in your daily habits can make a big difference. In fact, small changes are much easier to integrate into our lives than larger ones, so they’re more likely to become lasting habits.

In honor of American Heart Month, we asked our Live Well Lamoille bloggers to share one simple thing they do to keep their heart healthy. We hope this list provides inspiration for incorporating heart-healthy behaviors into your life.

Steve Ames: To be honest, I try to run up the stairs as often as possible, and skip elevators or so escalators whenever possible.

Mary L. Collins: I have begun a practice of going to sleep while listening to meditative music. It may seem an odd way to be heart healthy but for me, as I age, I find sleeping is one of the areas I can easily attenuate to be healthier. So, I listen to music that helps me fall asleep. It softly plays on my nightstand at a very, very low volume. I can barely hear it but it is just enough “there” so that I am soothed into sleep. Think of it as “Lullabies for Adults”. Works for me and is completely natural.

Rebecca Copans: Each week I try to take a brisk walk on five days and go to at least one yoga or other exercise class. I find that if I set a goal of trying to eat 5 different colors of fruit and vegetables each day it helps me to eat more fresh foods.

Rorie Dunphey: I take a 30-minute walk during my lunch hour.

Caleb Magoon: I love to drink a cold beer or two once in a while. But boy those calories add up! I have a simple rule I follow: Sweat before you drink. I allow myself the indulgence, but only on days when I am sure to get a little exercise.

Todd Thomas: I religiously check my Fitbit each day to ensure that I get my steps in. I have always been told that 10,000 steps a day makes for an active and healthy lifestyle. My personal goal is to get to 14,000 steps a day. I chose to walk to and from work (and to and from the house for my lunch-break) to help meet my daily goal. If I achieve that daily goal, that gets me to 100,000 steps per week. My body always feels great when I achieve 100,000 steps weekly!

Nancy Wagner: I love to snowshoe with my dog. She’s right there waiting and ready when I get home from work. I have a headlamp and we go out back in the woods.

Michele Whitmore: I exercise regularly and play tennis three times a week. Playing tennis has many health benefits including increasing aerobic capacities. lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure. Additionally, in 2016 there was a study done involving numerous exercises and sports that increase one’s lifespan, tennis was ranked in the top two. This research report also stated that playing a racquet sport, such as tennis, was linked to a 47% reduced risk of death. (More information here.)

Valerie Valcour: I do Tai Chi for 20-30 minutes five mornings a week. It helps ground me and gets my heart rate up just enough to get going.

What is one thing YOU do to be heart healthy? Let us know in the comments section below!

Take a Walk Around Downtown Morrisville

Jan 11 2018

By: Todd Thomas

walk around historic Morrisville Vermont

Thanks to funding from the Morristown Alliance for Culture and Commerce (MACC), there will soon be another great reason to take a walk around downtown Morrisville. In the next few months, beautiful new street signs will appear throughout the downtown. These signs will be very different than the traditional green road signs with white lettering that Vermonters are used to. As you can see in the above photo, downtown Morrisville’s sleek new street signs will highlight the historical significance of our downtown business district. The signs will be topped with a black border that includes the words “Morrisville Historic District” in white lettering. Below the black border, the actual street sign will be brown and utilize white lettering.(Brown signs are typically used to depict historic sites and national parks.) Morrisville’s Historic District is nationally recognized and deserves the same treatment.

In addition to the different coloring, because street signs located within a historic district do not have to meet typical state and federal requirements, Morrisville’s new street signs will be bilingual. Highlighting the French-Canadian heritage of Morrisville, notice the French word for street “rue” before “Portland” in the photo. All of the new historic district street signs will begin with either the French word for street, avenue or even “heights” – given the need for a street sign for Jersey Heights. In addition to celebrating our town’s heritage, the bilingual street signs are meant to be welcoming to French-Canadian tourists, as well as the few dozen French-Canadian second-home owners that already have property in Morrisville. Hopefully, this small effort to be welcoming will result in more Canadian money being spent in Morrisville’s historic district!

I am not sure about the French-Canadians, but most Americans probably made a New Year’s resolution to lose a few pounds in the coming weeks. As a way to burn off some calories and lose a few of these undesired pounds, please consider taking a walk around downtown Morrisville to check out the new and fabulous historic district street signs. Morrisville’s nationally recognized historic district is a great reason to get off your couch and rediscover downtown Morrisville.

And with the new bilingual street signs, some town residents may even learn a little French while they shed some of those unwanted holiday pounds! C’est fantastique!

Todd Thomas has a Master’s Degree in City Planning from Boston University and has worked both in Massachusetts and Vermont as a consultant and as a land use planner for town government. Todd is currently the Planning Director for Morristown, Vermont.

Todd’s recent work includes helping to revitalize downtown Morrisville, making it the fastest growing city and/or historic downtown in the State since the 2010 Census. Todd attributes much of the downtown’s housing and population growth to zoning reform as it relates to minimum parking requirements.

Lamoille County Mental Health: 50 Years in the Making

Nov 28 2017

By: Savi Van Sluytman, CEO, Lamoille County Mental Health Services

A half-century ago, Lamoille County Mental Health opened its doors to serve the community. Like you, we know that our neighbors have good days and bad days, ups and downs. It is our commitment that when our neighbors need help, we will be there to reach out a hand.

In the 50 years that we have been serving the Lamoille Valley, the way we respond to the needs of our neighbors has drastically changed. Much of our work happens right in the communities where our consumers live—in their homes, in their schools, in their child care programs, in their jobs. We know that the best path to health and wellness is the one that ensures a full, meaningful life. A steady job, success in school, strong relationships and good friends, good nutrition and healthy exercise, feeling the sun on our faces and clean, fresh air in our lungs.

Every day at Lamoille County Mental Health, we are taking steps to ensure that no one in our community falls through the cracks. We provide the safety net that so many Vermonters need at some point in their lives. Many of us live here because, yes, it’s a place of rare and often breathtaking beauty, but also because we hold common values: that when a neighbor slides off the road on a snowy afternoon, we stop to help. When someone is struggling with an internal battle, we reach out a hand. Every Vermonter should be able to live healthy, productive lives.

We provide the safety net that so many Vermonters need at some point in their lives. In a state such as this, no one should go hungry, which is why we have a food shelf that on any given week is stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, and non-perishable items.

If someone is struggling with the confidence they need to get back to work, we bridge that gap, empowering them to find and keep a job. We help them with every step where they need a guiding hand, and when they are ready to take the next step alone, we step back—but not away.

When someone is struggling with homelessness, we fight fiercely to find housing for them. When transportation is a barrier to work, our supported employment dispatch team ensures that they can get there. We combat isolation by bringing people together for music and yoga classes, lunch, Special Olympics teams and support groups. After a few athletes in our community expressed interest in creating a Special Olympics swim team this fall, we found a head coach and we are scouring the community for assistant coaches and swim partners to accompany athletes in the pool, as well as a sponsor to cover the cost of using the pool at Johnson State College—please reach out if you are interested!

As we look to 2018 and our 51^st year, we are thrilled to bridge community partnerships as we work to implement a capital campaign to support community needs. Our 2018 capital campaign goals are to:

Build an Imagination Center to benefit children with autism, behavioral and learning disabilities, as well as for elders with dementia;
Fund the Tiny House Project. Build four independent living “tiny houses” for people with developmental disabilities on the Oasis House property;
Provide matching funds to support the creation of affordable housing for people at risk of homelessness in community centers where it does not currently exist.

With these efforts, we seek to better serve the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. To learn more, visit www.lamoille.org.

It is essential that you seek professional advice for all issues concerning your health. Do not take any of the information in this blog (either in posts or comments) as professional advice or official communication from Copley Hospital or any of the blog authors. Posts and comments on this blog are not intended to be professional advice, unless implicitly indicated in the blog post, and do not necessarily reflect Copley Hospital policy or corporate opinion. The opinions and/or views expressed on Live Well Lamoille represent the thoughts of the individual bloggers and commenters, not those necessarily of the organizations they represent or organizations affiliated with the blog.

All links to other Web sites found linked from Live Well Lamoille, Copley Hospital’s blog, and social media sites, are provided as a service to readers, but linkage does not constitute endorsement of those sites by Copley Hospital, and as such we are not responsible for the content of external Web sites.

Tag - Morristown