Healthy Summer

The following column was provided by State Senator Katherine Clark:

For many students in our communities, school is out or soon will be.  And whether they are preparing for Kindergarten, eagerly looking forward to college in the fall, or anywhere in between, this is a time of exciting transition for many children and their families. 

As you make your plans for the warm days ahead, I encourage you all to consider the many resources right here in our district that support a fun, healthy and safe summer.    

There are many hiking and walking opportunities that take advantage of our beautiful conservation land, including at Whip Hill Park in Stoneham, the Middlesex Fells in Melrose and Winchester, Pine Banks in Malden and Ipswich River Park just north of Reading.  The Department of Recreation and Conservation (DCR) also provides affordable community boating at Spot Pond in Stoneham, and the family-oriented Quannapowitt Yacht Club in Wakefield offers youth and adult sailing lessons on beautiful Lake Quannapowitt. You can learn more at: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/ and www.sailqyc.com.

Supporting physical activity with healthy, local fruits and vegetables is a great benefit of living in New England.  Local summer produce can be purchased directly from the farmers who grow it at outdoor farmers markets in, Winchester, Malden, Wakefield and Melrose, among others.    

• Malden Farmers Market
  Tuesdays, 3:00-6:00 pm, Government Center Plaza, 200 Pleasant Street
  http://www.maldenchamber.org/site/misc/farmers-market/
  
  
• Wakefield Farmers Market
  Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm, Hall Park, North Avenue

http://www.wakefieldfarmersmarket.com/

• Sally Franks Farmers Market in Melrose
  Thursdays, 1:00-7:00 pm, at its new location in Bowden Park (near Cedar Park Station) https://sites.google.com/site/sffmmelrose
  
  
• Winchester Farmers Market
  Saturdays, 9:30 am-1:30 pm, Town Common
  http://www.winchesterfarmersmarket.org

Many of these markets also feature local food vendors, artisans and musicians and some accept WIC and SNAP benefits.  Have fun – and remember to bring along your own shopping bags if you have them.

On June 23, the public pools in Malden, Melrose, and Stoneham (wading pool only for the 2012 season) will open, just in time to cool off from some hot weather.  

Keeping us outdoors and listening to some great music, the Town of Lynnfield offers a Summer Concert series on the Common on Wednesday evenings (Thursdays in the case of rain) from 6:00-8:00 pm from July 11-August 1.  And Stoneham’s Summer Concert Series kicks-off on Thursday, June 28 at 7:00 pm on the Town Common with a performance by the Zaitchik Brothers.

All of our public libraries have wonderful activities for children of all ages, including fun Summer Reading programs, story times, music performances, Lego clubs, and activities for teens.  For example, the Malden Public Library’s summer program for teens features a book club, a Kickoff Pizza Party, Karaoke, Yoga, a Hunger Games Party, and much more – all free.   I encourage you to learn more at: http://maldenpubliclibrary.org/blog/teens.

Keeping kids busy and engaged outdoors – at a reasonable cost – is a challenge many families face.  Our cities and towns offer a variety of free or low cost recreational options, including organized sports, supervised parks programs, and neighborhood night-out gatherings. Visit my website at www.katherineclark.org  for upcoming low-cost events throughout the district and links to recreational programming in your town.

I hope you have the chance to enjoy the many resources our cities and towns have to offer, and I thank all the staff and volunteers who make these programs so successful.  

Whatever your plans this summer, there are many wonderful and inexpensive ways for families to have fun in our communities.