A revamped Acre Neighborhood Association is having an organizational meeting tonight.
Haverhill City Councilor-elect Andy Vargas will be among those participating in a meeting Monday evening to “establish the organizational structure and mission” of an Acre Neighborhood Assocation.
Vargas told WHAV the meeting, being held at 6 p.m., Monday, at Haverhill Public Library, is to “consolidate” efforts since last summer into one group. He said he was also among those in a similar gathering, held then at the Salvation Army on Main Street.
“It was really just a meeting for neighbors to get to know each other. And what we’re looking to do tonight is actually set some structure to the group, so we know what the goals are, who the officers are and the rules and responsibilities of its members,” Vargas said.
According to Vargas, the Acre has had two initiatives, one being a Facebook group which has more than 300 members, including elected officials, educators and local community activists. The other is an initiative “Acre in Action,” led by Bianca Mercado, also a member of the Acre Neighborhood Association Facebook group.
As WHAV reported last June, Mercado, a member of the city’s Community Affairs Advisory Board (CAAB), a mother and a resident of the Acre since age nine, organized a similar meeting in “collaboration from city hall.” In October, she spoke before the Haverhill City Council to propose the creation of a city landlord and property owner registry as part of efforts to address quality of life issues in the Acre. It was referred by councilors to Mayor James J. Fiorentini and Inspectional Services Director Richard MacDonald.
For more information, call Stephen Arnold at (617) 901-5594; Vargas at (978) 228-1233; or Melissa Horne-Lopez at (978) 387-0319. Email inquiries may be sent to [email protected].
Bianca Mercado spoke for herself when she went in front of City Council and made her request. This was not discussed or agreed upon by the Acre Neighborhood Association. The name changed and this up coming meetings will start to define as a collective group our Neighborhood. We are excited to share iideas and only making Haverhill a better place to live…