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Friday, August 17, 2018
Peabody Fire Department receives allergy and asthma-related grant for epinephrine auto-injectors M
ayor Edward Bettencourt, State Rep. Thomas Walsh and the Peabody Fire Department are pleased to announce that the Fire Department has received grant funding from the Allergy and Asthma Awareness Initiative (AAAI) for epinephrine auto-injectors. Bettencourt and Walsh were instrumental in working together with AAAI Kristie President DeLoreto on this initiative to secure this grant for the Fire Department. “Peabody continues to improve its ability to effectively and rapidly respond to emergencies of all kinds,”said Bettencourt. “By continuing our commitment to better equip and train our firefighters, the Peabody Fire Department will be better prepared to protect all our citizens in the event of an anaphylactic medical emergency, and I wish to thank the AAAI for partnering with this city and providing the funding for the Epinephrine Auto-Injectors.” “I was happy to be able to assist the Peabody Fire Depart-
Shown, from left to right, are Atlantic Ambulance Operations Director Robert White, State Rep. Thomas Walsh, AAAI President Kristie DeLoreto, Michael DeLoreto, Jonathan DeLoreto, Mayor Edward Bettencourt and Fire Chief Steven Pasdon. The Fire Department recently received funding from AAAI to purchase Epinephrine Auto-Injectors. (Courtesy Photo)
ment in its mission to save lives by facilitating the partnership between the AAAI and the Peabody Fire Department,” said Walsh.
“I am very grateful to the AAAI and Kristie DeLoreto for funding this most valuable initiative that enables us to administer Epinephrine in a timely fash-
Severe rainstorm takes city by surprise
ion when seconds count in saving a life,” said Fire Chief Steven Pasdon. The Fire Department would also like to thank Atlantic Am-
bulance for providing the necessary training in the administration of the epinephrine and Dr. Erik Wang, a critical care specialist at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, for providing the necessary medical direction. The program went live on Aug. 8. According to its website, AAAI was formed from a need to make the world safe for people living with allergies and asthma. Each board member lives with allergies, asthma and food intolerance within their families. Therefore, they saw that education and awareness was lacking and found a way to change that. In 2013 they went to the superintendent of schools in Peabody to discuss raising awareness around these diseases and were met with positivity and complete support. Shortly thereafter, a network of other parents of allergic and asthmatic children formed. In 2015 the group officially became a nonprofit organization and AAAI was formed.
Sommerfest draws sizable crowd in the rain By Christopher Roberson
E
ven eight inches of rainfall could not stop approximately 700 residents from attending Sommerfest, which was hosted by Karl’s Sausage Kitchen & European Market to celebrate 60 years in business.
“We wanted to do the event in the summer,” said Anita Gokey, co-owner of Karl’s, adding that the Aug. 12 date was chosen as business is typically slower in the summer and staffing would be adequate with college stu-
SOMMERFEST | SEE PAGE 4
Foster Street was along the six roadways in Peabody that were severely flooded during Sunday’s deluge. (Photo courtesy of WCVB-TV/Stanley Forman)
By Christopher Roberson
N
o one was expecting the weather system that soaked Peabody with up to eight inches of rain; it literally came out of nowhere. “It just popped up and just stayed in the same spot for a
couple hours,” Robert LaBossiere, director of the Department of Public Services, said of the Aug. 12 deluge. “It came down hard; it came down real hard.” LaBossiere said Lynnfield Street in South Peabody took the brunt of the storm, as water could not enter and exit the
drainage system fast enough. “It inundated our drainage system,” he said. “That’s an extremely large amount of water in a short period of time.” As a result, LaBossiere said, approximately six streets flooded
RAINSTORM | SEE PAGE 9
Rachel O’Brien (left) and Kate O’Brien were among the almost 700 people who braved the rain Sunday to Karl’s Sausage Kitchen & European Market’s Sommerfest at the Kennedy Soccer Fields. (Advocate Photo by Christopher Roberson)