Board of Health Receives Updates and Discusses Local Health Issues Health Director Micah Blondeau updated the Gardner Board of Health on April 22, 2024. Board of Health consists of Susan Avalone, RN, Chair and members Michele C. Parker, MD and Attorney Geoffrey Tobia. Listen to the meeting on any device,Continue Reading

Taking the lead is something Mayor Nicholson does by meeting with the private sector and encouraging housing development, by meeting with officials and agencies to help with affordable housing, by being at the forefront of the homeless crisis, and by being proactive with respect to needed parking. How Gardner MayorContinue Reading

2nd Annual Health and Wellness Fair held at Perry Auditorium, Gardner City Hall. Health and Wellness Fair in Gardner Draws Hundreds In a radio interview with Steve Wendell of WGAW, Veronica Patty confirmed that the turnout to the 2nd Annual Health and Wellness Fair held April 17th was double thatContinue Reading

Health and Wellness Fair – April 17, 2024 from 5-7pm at Perry Auditorium, Gardner City Hall We spoke with Veronika Patty about the event in a short interview. Listen on any device, CLICK PLAY. Over 70 vendor and resource tables are anticipated and admission is FREE! There will be FREEContinue Reading

The event was attended by legislators Senator Jo Comerford, Senator Peter Durrant, and Susan Templeton representing Senator John Cronin, and Representatives Jon Zlotnik, Susannah Whipps, Natalie Higgins, and Kimberly Ferguson, city officials Mayor Michael Nicholson, Shaun Suhoski, and Council President Elizabeth Kazinskas, former and current members of the Board ofContinue Reading

Community Health Connections Highlighted in visit by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren The Community Health facility on Route 68 near Walmart in Gardner got a high profile visitor on Tuesday April 2, 2024 when U.S. Senator Warren toured the facility and sat down for a roundtable discussion regarding the many challengesContinue Reading

Gardner Health Director Micah Blondeau Updates City at Board of Health Meeting Gardner Board of Health met on March 25, 2024. Listen to the meeting on any device. CLICK PLAY. Abandoned Housing – The Director has a plan in place for handling abandoned housing with the ACO’s office of theContinue Reading

Report: Research Finds at Least 4 Successful Examples of Tiny House Villages for Homeless The Concept is to provide a small shelter to a homeless person with other needed services on-site. There might be 20 or more such tiny shelters on the same parcel of land. We found 4 successfulContinue Reading

Council President Elizabeth Kazinskas Invokes Section 24 at Gardner City Council Meeting Based on Section 24 of the City Charter (shown in graphic here) Council President Kazinskas clarified that a majority of City Council is required for 1st printing, thus the vote of 7-3 at meeting of March 4, 2024Continue Reading

Proclamation pictured is for Sudden Unexplained Death in Children Awareness Month. Here is information at sudc.org, CLICK HERE. Mayor Michael Nicholson Updates the Chair City on March 8, 2024 The Mayor reminded listeners about various events. Daily Savings Time starts on Sunday, March 10th and the Fire Department recommends checkingContinue Reading

Massachusetts has 2.1% of the U.S. Population. However, it gets 4 times that, or 8.5% of the American Cancer Society grant funding. Support the Gardner Relay for Life. Massachusetts Gets 8.5% of all American Cancer Society Research Funding The Gardner Relay for Life and other relays throughout the state mayContinue Reading

Gardner Director of Public Health Micah Blondeau Gives Report at Board of Health Meeting The Gardner Board of Health met on February 26, 2024. Listen to the entire meeting on any device. CLICK PLAY. Vaccination Clinics are being set up for children sheltered in Gardner who need them. Director BlondeauContinue Reading

MWCC Public Hearing Event Seeks Input on Issues Facing Women, Children, and Families Mount Wachusett Community College will host the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for a public hearing on March 28, 2024 from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Register Here. The hearing will be held in the South CafeContinue Reading

Gardner Magazine Publisher Werner Poegel launches POEDM.net. Visit the website, CLICK HERE. Gardner Magazine Publisher Launches POEDM.net, Online AUDIO Commentary and Cool Art This is a website in which I’ll feature AUDIO commentary which cuts through partisanship, presents solutions with simple common sense, and preserves the dignity of all people.Continue Reading

Fundraiser Continues… Benefits son of Gardner City Councilor Battling Cancer: Henry’s Heroes is a fundraiser for Henry, a 3 year old boy who is the son of City Councilor Alek Dernalowicz and his wife Angela. Henry is undergoing chemotherapy after having had surgery in December for a Stage 2 Wilm’sContinue Reading

Wendy Coutu Leads Team as Heywood Expands Palliative Care For adults facing advanced serious illnesses, promoting quality of life and addressing distressing symptoms is of great importance. Often, the focus of this care has been only on cancer patients. Heywood Healthcare is fulfilling a goal to help more people byContinue Reading

Hotline Radio airs Saturdays from 12:10 to 2pm on WGAW AM 1340, 98.1 FM, and live streamed to anywhere. Carolyn Kamuda Explains Abrupt Resignation from Gardner MA City Council in Hotline Interview Carolyn Kamuda won election to the City Council in November, was sworn in on January 1st, but resignedContinue Reading

Gardner MA Hospital Identifies First Baby of the Year In a Press Release, Heywood Hospital stated, “An Athol couple celebrated the start of the New Year by welcoming a healthy and happy baby girl to the world, at Heywood Hospital’s LaChance Maternity Center. Katelyn and Tim Nault were the firstContinue Reading

Rise in Respiratory Cases Across Massachusetts Forces ER restrictions There’s a rise in respiratory illness cases across the State of Massachusetts. Included is Covid, RSV, and the Flu. For example, the percentage of emergency department visits related to acute respiratory diseases was just over 8 percent in early July 2023Continue Reading

Heywood Hospital to Re-open Inpatient Mental Health Unit Heywood Hospital of Gardner MA has received approval from the Department of Mental Health to reopen 6 beds of the proposed 12 bed adult Mental Health Unit on January 11, 2024. Plan is to add additional beds at a future date. UnitContinue Reading

Heywood Hospital in Gardner MA with a Busy Lot On the day after Christmas, Heywood Hospital showed signs of a brisk business. Gardner Magazine observed parking lots throughout the City of Gardner. At the time of the photographs on December 26, 2023, the parking lots at Heywood Hospital were aboutContinue Reading

Covid Tests Available FREE to Greater Gardner MA households We hope you don’t need it, but there’s no need to pay for Covid-19 tests as Covid.gov is making as many as 8 tests available per household. The program began again on November 20, 2023. Anyone can order 4 tests, andContinue Reading

Heywood Healthcare is hiring. Article contains links to job opportunities. Heywood Hospital in Gardner Thriving and Hiring Despite Other Issues Here’s a comment from Renee Eldredge, a community health worker and a liaison with the “Handle with Care” initiative. She speaks on the positive impacts of Heywood in the community.Continue Reading

Urgent Care Services Availability in Gardner MA According to Heywood Healthcare,Heywood Urgent Care, Main Street, in Gardner is operating differently as of December 1, 2023 with urgent care services suspended to the general public, but available to Heywood primary care provider patients. Heywood Medical Group will enhance access to sameContinue Reading