No southbound traffic over the Pfc. Ralph T. Basiliere Bridge will be allowed Valentine’s Day weekend, but the lane closing is not the start of the 100-year-old structure’s replacement. State transportation officials said Friday Basiliere Bridge traffic over the Merrimack River from Haverhill to Bradford will not be allowed from Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m., through Sunday, Feb.
Taking a Merrimack Valley Transit—or MeVa—bus will remain free for riders after the public authority’s board Thursday compared the small amount of net income from past bus fares with a $2 million boost in regional economic benefit today along with doubling of hospital access and other advantages since fees were eliminated in 2022. MeVa Administrator MeVa Administrator Noah S. Berger told advisory board members a vote for permanent free service now gives riders confidence in having continued access to rides. With an increase in passengers—and a study showing nearly 40% of them making less than $25,000, Berger said riders have expressed concern about having to pay.
Haverhill’s Woofstock, a Haverhill celebration of dogs and local farms alike, returns for its second year this fall. Woofstock, inspired by Cyndie Morgan and her dog Nigel, is set for Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Chris’s Farm Stand on Salem Street, in Bradford.
State Rep. Ryan Hamilton, representing Haverhill and Methuen, discusses financial literacy for high school students during the next Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce “Eggs and Issues” breakfast. Hamilton meets with Chamber members and guests Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 7:30-9 a.m., at Harbor Place, 2 Merrimack St., third floor, Haverhill.