While thousands of residents and visitors continue to take to Gloucesters beaches this summer, the city and a national nonprofit health group have formed a partnership to help beachgoers and others prevent melanoma, or skin cancer.

IMPACT Melanoma, formerly known as the Melanoma Foundation of New England, has provided four sunscreen dispensers to the Gloucester Health Department for public use as part of the nonprofits Practice Safe Skin program. The program is being funded through a grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, according to an announcement from the city.

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, yet most cases can be prevented, said Gloucester public health nurse Kelley Ries, The Gloucester Health Department, with support from the mayors office, is excited to partner with IMPACT Melanoma to provide residents and visitors with awareness, education and accessible sun protection measures.

In collaboration with the citys Department of Public Works, the sunscreen dispensers have been installed at Good Harbor Beach at both entrances the footbridge and at Witham Street and at Wingaersheek Beach, where visitors will find them at the main entrance and at Boardwalk 2.

Additionally, the Gloucester Health Department and IMPACT Melanoma will host a free sun safety beach day at Good Harbor Beach on Tuesday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. IMPACT Melanoma will provide educational materials and give-a-ways and offer a facial scan to help understand the damaging effects of the sun.

The specially designed dispensers are being installed across the country in all 50 states and are a part of IMPACT Melanomas Practice Safe Skin, a program that offers sunscreen as an effective preventive measure to help avoid sun over-exposure year round. Each sunscreen dispenser is equipped with four 1000 mL bags of SPF-30 sunscreen, broad spectrum UVA/UVB aquatic and marine safe.

The sunscreen is appropriate for people ages 6 months and up.

Boost for Pathways

A million-dollar roundtable is steering some its money to a Gloucester-based early-childhood learning and health program.

Pathways for Children, based on Emerson Avenue, has landed $10,000 grant from the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation to support its Pathways Moves program.

The foundation is the philanthropic arm of the the Premier Association of Financial Professionals, which aims to build strong families and communities around the globe and awards nearly $1 million in grants to more than 100 charitable organizations worldwide.

Pathways Moves is a component of Pathways School Age Care program, which which provides academic, social, emotional and recreational activities after school, during school vacations, and in the summer. Pathways Moves is designed to encourage students to develop an appreciation for physical activity and to understand the important role it plays in living a healthy and happy life, according to Sue Todd, Pathways president and CEO. The program allows kids to participate in wall climbing, yoga, Zumba, and other physical activities as well as nutrition education.

We are so grateful to the MDRT Foundation for supporting Pathways Moves, Todd said in a prepared statement. This grant not only encourages children to participate in fun, healthy activities, it also establishes an understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle at a young age, which the children will carry with them throughout their lives..

The Manship legacy

Flatrocks Gallery in Lanesville is holding a free public gallery talk with Gloucester painter David Curtis and sculpture historian Rebecca Reynolds about the Manship family Saturday, Aug. 5, from 4 to 6 p.m.

The gallerys current exhibition, The Manships, features the work of Paul Manship, a noted American 20th century sculptor whose most public work may be the 1934 bronze fountain statue of Prometheus at Rockefeller Center in New York City, and that of his son and daughter-in-law, John Manship and Margaret Cassidy, also accomplished artists.

This gallery show is also a celebration of a new nonprofit organization, which has a mission to preserve the Manship home and studio, which is nestled between two quarries on more than 15 acres in Lanesville. The initiative is called the Manship Artists Residency + Studios (MARS).

Honored veteran

The flag at the Veterans Center will fly this week in honor of Vietnam War veteran Alfred C. Ballarin (Nov. 16, 1948-Aug. 6, 1974.

He joined the U.S. Navy on April 19, 1967, and served as a fireman with the mine countermeasure support ship USS Catskill (MCS-1). He was discharged on Sept. 13, 1968.

Ballarin was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.

The flag was requested to fly in his honor by his cousin Thomas Parisi.

Anyone wishing to fly a flag in honor of a deceased veteran may call the Office of Veterans Services at 978-281-9740.

Here is the original post:

Talk of the Times: Sunscreen dispensers go up at beaches | Local ... - Gloucester Daily Times