Annual Health Fair Provides Free Screenings and Resources for a Healthy Lifestyle

Mount Desert Island Hospital is set to host their annual Health Fair on Saturday, March 12, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at MDI High School, 1081 Eagle Lake Road. This free event is open to the public and will provide an opportunity to learn about many resources for a healthy lifestyle.

Wellness professionals from the MDI Hospital Organization will be on hand to provide health screenings including cholesterol checks, blood glucose, blood pressure, bone density, body mass index diagnostics, and much more. These health screenings will help give you the knowledge and the tools that you need to stay healthy.

Representatives from the community will also provide demonstrations and information about reiki, acupuncture, chiropractic, and reflexology healing practices.

For more information, contact Kathy Mulligan, Community Health Educator, at 801-5034.

Oka Hutchins

Public Affairs Officer

MDI Hospital Advancement

10 Wayman Lane

Bar Harbor, ME 04609

207.288.5082 ext. 1423

cell:207.460.3610

oka.hutchins@mdihospital.org

News from Healthy Acadia: Neighbor4Neighbor Fund Seeks Applicants and Donors

Applicants are now being accepted for the 2016 “neighbor4neighbor” Fund grant program. This program provides mini-grants to seniors in need across Hancock County and is administered by the Maine Community Foundation and Healthy Acadia. The mini-grants help to address challenges that many of our seniors face each day. In this first year of grant making, the fund will allow grants of up to $500 each to be awarded to a limited number of Hancock County seniors. “Small grants can equal big differences, especially at this time of year when many people are making difficult choices among food, heat, medicine and other important needs,” stated Ellen Dohmen, neighbor4neighbor’s volunteer Executive Administrator.

This year’s neighbor4neighbor mini-grants can help purchase a pair of eyeglasses, a hearing aid, a wheel chair ramp, a walker or cane, and more. The hope is that with these grants, seniors will be able to remain independent and in their own homes. Apply online at: http://www.healthyacadia.org/documents/ GrantApplication_neighbor4neighbor.pdf.

Ed Kaelber, Maine Community Foundation founder and founding president of the College of the Atlantic initiated the “neighbor4neighbor” Fund in 2014. “My inspiration for this Fund comes from my desire to give back to our community, and to encourage others to support seniors in the community who have unmet needs,” stated Kaelber. “My focus is on encouraging seniors to contribute to the fund as a way to support our peers who are struggling. But of course, I welcome support from all community members of any age!”

Contributions to the “neighbor4neighbor” Fund help create positive change for honored members of our communities: teachers, mentors, nurses, carpenters, neighbors, family, and friends. Donations are managed by the Maine Community Foundation, a statewide nonprofit that has been helping people invest charitable resources in the future of Maine for over 30 years: www.mainecf.org.  The granting process is coordinated by Healthy Acadia, a community health coalition dedicated to building vibrant communities throughout the Hancock and Washington counties: www.healthyacadia.org. Community volunteers provide administrative support for the Fund.

“Many seniors in our region are struggling to meet their basic needs and to stay healthy,” said Elsie Flemings, Executive Director of Healthy Acadia. “This is a critical initiative, and we at Healthy Acadia are honored to be a part of it.” To learn more about the “neighbor4neighbor” Fund, contact Nina Zeldin at Healthy Acadia at 667-7171 or nina@healthyacadia.org.  To make a donation to the Fund, contact the Maine Community Foundation at 877-700-6800 or www.mainecf.org.

“Hit the Trails - Get Moving Outdoors this Winter with the Healthy Trails Challenge”

Healthy Acadia and Downeast Coastal Conservancy invite you to discover the health benefits of outdoor recreation this winter.  The Hancock/Washington County Healthy Trails Challenge, which begins January 1, is a fun and free opportunity to get fit, get outdoors, and connect with nature while exploring the trails and parks in Hancock and Washington counties. Hit the trails this winter and do something great for your body and mind!

Healthy Acadia is proud to partner with Downeast Coastal Conservancy to offer the Healthy Trails Challenge to engage more youth and their families with the outdoors, and to promote tobacco free, substance free, and fun healthy physical activities. The Healthy Trails Challenge is a self-guided program designed for all fitness levels that encourages you to hike, bike, cross-country ski, or snowshoe at least five trails between January 1 and April 1, 2016.  Discover the unique diversity of landscapes in right here in Downeast Maine and challenge yourself with new and interesting hikes.

The first sixty (60) registrants will receive a free Healthy Trails Challenge gift packet. Every Challenge participant who submits a completed trail log will be recognized on Healthy Acadia’s Facebook page and receive one (1) entry in a raffle drawing for a prize. Complete the entire Healthy Trails Challenge by completing five (5) or more Healthy Trails to be entered in the drawing for our grand prize. The more places you visit, the more chances you have to win! 

Additional prize opportunities include the Healthy Trails Challenge Photo Contest - entrants who submit photos of their adventures will be randomly selected to win a prize, and the Healthy Trails Pursuit. "Explorers" eager for an additional challenge may choose either the Washington or Hancock County Pursuit and select any of the 30 different activities listed. Complete one of three different levels to be entered in the grand prize drawing.

For more information, contact Angela Fochesato at 255-3741 or angela@healthyacadia.org. For links to the Healthy Trails Challenge online registration packet, trail logs, and other Challenge materials, visit Healthy Acadia’s website at www.healthyacadia.org or find us on FaceBook. For information about trails and natural areas managed by the Downeast Coastal Conservancy, visit www.downeastcoastalconservancy.org. The Healthy Trails Challenge is supported by Partnerships to Improve Community Health through EMHS, Healthy Maine Partnerships, and local community members and businesses.

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In Washington County:

(207) 255-3741

In Hancock County:

(207) 667-7171

On the web:

www.healthyacadia.org

Sign up for Healthy Acadia's e-newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cx5w

We empower people and organizations to build healthy communities.
Healthy Acadia is a Healthy Maine Partnership.

Kevin Schneider Selected as Superintendent at Acadia National Park and St. Croix Island International Historic Site

Kevin Schneider has been selected to serve as superintendent of Acadia National Park and St. Croix Island International Historic Site.  As superintendent, Schneider will oversee the parks' day-to-day operations and manage numerous park projects, programs, and community partnerships. Schneider replaces Sheridan Steele who retired in late October, 2015. Schneider is currently the deputy superintendent of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.  He will begin his new duties in late January.

“Kevin’s outstanding work in his previous assignments, coupled with his ability to work in partnership with others made him the clear choice for superintendent,” shared Northeast Regional Director Mike Caldwell. “His commitment and passion to the National Park Service and its staff, volunteers and partners, shows that he understands success for a park as special as Acadia is truly a team effort. I look forward to working with Kevin and the Acadia team as they tackle the many challenges and opportunities ahead.”

As deputy superintendent at Grand Teton National Park, Schneider managed 330,000 acres of park lands, including the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway and the iconic Teton Range, whose jagged peaks and distinctive geology make it a classic vista of the American West.

 "I am honored to be coming to Acadia National Park, and look forward to working with the park's phenomenal staff, partners, and communities. This is an incredible time to be part of Acadia as we celebrate not only the park's centennial in 2016, but also the National Park Service's 100th anniversary."

Schneider began his career with the NPS in 1996 on a trail crew at Rocky Mountain National Park. Other NPS assignments include media and public affairs work with the NPS Office of Communications in Washington, D.C., and communications outreach and strategic planning at Yellowstone National Park, where he primarily worked on winter use plans. He served as management assistant at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in 2005, and was selected as superintendent at White Sands National Monument in May 2008. Schneider returned to Yellowstone in late 2010 for several months on a detail assignment as acting chief of natural and cultural resources, before accepting the deputy superintendent position at Grand Teton National Park in 2011.

In addition to his federal employment, Schneider has worked as a Student Conservation Association volunteer in North Cascades National Park.

Schneider graduated cum laude from Colorado State University at Fort Collins with a bachelor of science in natural resources recreation and tourism and earned a master of public administration degree from Montana State University at Bozeman. In recognition of his NPS service and accomplishments, Schneider earned an honor award in 2005 for outstanding service from the Department of Justice’s assistant attorney general. He also received the Interior Department’s Superior Service Award in 2004.

Schneider will be moving to Acadia with his wife Cate, who grew up in Bangor and graduated from the University of Maine, and their two young children, Sydney and Connor. As avid outdoor enthusiasts, they look forward to hiking, skiing, paddling, and running in the park and Maine's great outdoors.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 409 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov.

Healthy Acadia Offers Free Medline Plus Tutorial Sessions

Healthy Acadia is pleased to offer free, interactive workshops and tutorial sessions for navigating Medline Plus, an online resource that provides reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library, MedLine Plus provides information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in a user-friendly format suitable for patients, families, caregivers, and learners of all ages. The extensive virtual library delivers unbiased, scientifically-validated health information, in both English and Spanish, on thousands of relevant health topics, prescriptions, supplements, and more. It also contains many fun educational games and activities for children. 

Healthy Acadia staff are available to provide interactive workshops and tutorials for service providers and community members throughout Hancock and Washington counties. Participants will navigate through the Medline Plus portal to explore the wide variety of health resources available, search health topics, explore health videos and interactive tutorials, optionally sign up to receive periodic online and/or print health updates, and check out other interactive tools. Workshop sessions may be individually tailored to meet the needs and interests of those attending.

For more information, or to schedule a free, Medline Plus workshop or tutorial session for your staff, clients or group in Washington County, contact Tracey Gamache attracey@healthyacadia.org or 255-3741.  In Hancock County, contact Nina Zeldin at nina@healthyacadia.org or 667-7171.

Your Pet's Next Best Friend Veterinary Clinic Rabies Clinic

Your Pet's Next Best Friend Veterinary Clinic in Town Hill, Home of the Class IV Laser (healing without drugs, as seen on Animal Planet ) is hosting $15 Rabies Vaccinations every Wednesday, from 5:30pm to 6:00pm, until Christmas. Exam fee waived - All vaccines available. Please bring previous vaccine paperwork. Animals with fleas additional $20 charge. Unable to vaccinate pregnant or sick animals. Walk-in, First-Come, First-Serve (line closes at 6 sharp!) Info: 207-244-9300

Island Arts Association's 41st Holiday Craft Fair “Winter in Acadia”

Join us at the Atlantic Oceanside Conference Center on Eden Street in Bar Harbor on Friday December 4^th from 9am - 5pm & Saturday December 5^th from 9am - 3pm.

      This year, Island Arts Association is partnering with FOA to honor Acadia's 100^th Anniversary. Our 44 crafters will have opportunity to decorate their booths in Honor of Acadia and will be awarded prizes for best decorations. Our theme for this fair is “Winter in Acadia.”

Among the many items you will find at this amazing fair, are woolen hats and felted hats, beautiful bags, small handmade creatures, wooden toys, jewelry both silver and gold, seaglass treasures, hand crafted wooden boxes, hand made beads and birds, delightful childrens' items, amazing cards and papers and awesome stained glass creche, log with handmade quilts and hand sewn items for everyone

GREAT food both days, provided by YWCA MDI!

To learn more about Island Arts Association, go to: www.islandartsassociation.com/