Gardner Board of Health elects Dr. Parker vice chair; staff reports food, tobacco and outreach updates

During old business on May 11 the Gardner Board of Health elected Dr. Parker as vice chair. After a nomination and a second, the Chair said, "All in favor for Dr. Parker," and members voiced assent, indicating Dr. Parker will serve as vice chair going forward.

Staff circulated funeral director licenses for signatures and said the documents were approved and only required board signatures. The department also provided several operational and community updates: a house fire on Grama Street displaced occupants and the Red Cross and the local CAC are assisting; a new food business, Joy Bakery and Market on Union Square, is set to open pending a final pre‑opening inspection this week and staff reported positive initial findings; and two recent tobacco compliance checks produced violations, with one establishment requesting a hearing that staff expect to schedule next month because the tobacco control officer was absent.

Staff highlighted prevention and outreach work: the prevention coordinator runs a Friday educational series at Gardner High School, organized school health fairs and community events, and participated in regional conferences. The board also heard about the Keep Gardner vehicle litter cleanup; staff estimated an aggregate collection of roughly 37,600 "nips" using an explained bucket‑counting method and described partnerships with local volunteer groups and organizations.

On scheduling, the Chair noted no public commenters were present: "If there's any public comment, but we don't have any members of the public today." The board discussed availability and set the next meeting for June 22 at the usual 4:30 p.m. time.

The meeting adjourned after the scheduled business.