The City of Newton is updating its Recreation and Open Space Plan and would like to learn more about how residents view the City’s existing open space resources.  Newton has a wide range of open spaces, from parks, playgrounds and other areas for active recreation, to wetlands, conservation lands and the Charles River.  We’re interested in the priorities of residents for improving, acquiring and maintaining open space in Newton.  Everyone has a stake in our natural spaces and we’re seeking your input and ideas!

Results from the survey will be used to help guide the City and the Recreation and Open Space Plan Advisory Committee.  With public participation and input, we will developing a vision and set goals and priorities for Newton’s open space and recreation facilities over the next 5 years, consistent with the Newton Comprehensive Plan. 

A link to the survey can be found on the City’s website at:

http://newtonma.gov/gov/planning/lrplan/os/default.asp

Or directly at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TH3M3BB

Questions? Contact Claire Ricker at openspace@newtonma.gov, or call the Newton Planning Department at 617-796-1122.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012
“Eating Out with Food Allergies”
Speakers: Allergist Michael Pistiner, MD and Paul Antico, AllergyEats.Com
7:00 p.m. at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Free.
For info, call the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America – New England Chapter at (781)444-7778.

Make Eating Out Less of a Challenge for Families with Food Allergies
Practical tips for eating out safely with food allergies will be the topic of the Metro-Boston Allergy and Asthma Educational Support Group meeting on Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. The program is free and open to the public. There will time for questions and discussion. Pre-registration is not required.

Allergist Michael Pistiner, MD and Paul Antico, CEO of AllergyEats.Com will discuss how to read a menu and ask the questions that need to be asked about ingredients, how to know when to leave or not eat something if it doesn’t seem completely safe, and more. “It is important to teach children to have the confidence to tell the waitstaff, manager or chef about their allergies, ask the right questions and make safe decisions when they eat away from home,” said Sharon Schumack, Director of Education for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter, which is sponsoring the meeting.

Dr. Pistiner, a resident of Newton, is a Pediatric Allergist at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, and author of Everyday Cool with Food Allergies, a book for parents and children to teach and communicate about living with food allergies. He is an instructor in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital, Boston and runs a coping group there for children with food allergies.

Antico confronted the challenge of eating in restaurants with his own children, who have food allergies. He founded AllergyEats.com, a website designed to help people with food allergies find restaurants where they can comfortably dine.

Pistiner and Antico serve on a statewide committee overseeing the 2009 law that required Massachusetts restaurants to become more “food allergy friendly.” They are members of the Board of Directors of AAFA New England.

AAFA New England organizes educational support group programs throughout the region, publishes a newsletter, and runs a telephone resource and referral line for people coping with allergies and asthma. For more information, or a free copy of “Eating Out with Food Allergies” or checklists for managing food allergies in school and child care, call (781)444-7778 or see www.asthmaandallergies.org.

Project ADAPT at McLean Hospital is recruiting 13-18 year old depressed adolescents for an investigatory group treatment program, which includes a concurrent but not combined parent group. Throughout the 10-week course of treatment, adolescents learn to utilize cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal approaches to reduce stress and depressive symptoms. The 5-week parent protocol teaches coping and relaxation strategies and provides psychoeducation about depression. Overall, the program seeks to examine the efficacy of the intervention as well as examine clinical, behavioral, and neural factors that may facilitate symptom reduction from pre- to post-treatment. It is important to note that there is no cost for the group therapy program, and further, adolescents may earn up to $115 for their participation. 

The next group will begin on March 14. If you believe your child is interested in participating, or if you have questions pertaining to the program, please contact Casey Gardiner at (617) 855-4240.

Drive a Senior–Make a Friend!  Newton at Home, a member organization dedicated to helping Newton seniors age in their own homes, is looking for volunteers who can give rides to seniors.  Make a new friend while helping someone get to a doctor’s appointment, the supermarket, a social event or the airport.  Volunteer as much as you can at your convenience, and know that you have made a difference in a Newton senior’s life. You’ll meet interesting people and share great conversation along the way!  Upcoming training sessions will be held on: Thursday, March 1, from 12:30-2pm; Wednesday, March 14, from 10-11:30am; and Monday, March 26, from 10-11:30am.  For more information, call Julie Plaut Mahoney at volcoord@newtonathome.org.