The latest upgrade to Haverhill’s downtown is a solar-powered charging station for mobile devices installed in a bench on the Brian S. Dempsey Boardwalk near Harbor Place downtown.
With outlets for up to two devices, the station was paid for with a state grant.
Mayor James J. Fiorentini said the charger is a nod to convenience part of an effort “to make Haverhill clean and green.”
If it’s popular, more could be installed, the mayor said.
Addressing concerns the charging station could become a target of vandalism, the mayor pointed out “very little vandalism” has occurred at several neighborhood parks since improvement projects.
“This is exactly what people said when we improved Swasey Field, GAR Park and Portland Street playground. They have all lasted. Let’s hope this does too,” Fiorentini said. “Sadly, eventually someone will vandalize something. We have our security cameras and hopefully will catch (any vandals). You can never surrender your city to thugs. You make the improvements, take the precautions and move forward.”
Fiorentini did not specify the cost of the charging station. WHAV has reached out to Chief of Staff David S. Van Dam for further details.
In November, as WHAV reported, the city received a $9 million MassWorks grant for a second phase of Harbor Place, a riverfront restaurant and market-rate housing. Dempsey, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, helped bring a nearly $45 milllion state investment in the Merrimack Street riverfront redevelopment. Two weeks ago, city councilors unanimously approved Fiorentini’s suggestion current and future sections of the boardwalk, between the Basilere and Comeau bridges, be named in honor of Dempsey. A dedication ceremony, attended by House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, was held Dec. 16.
“You can never surrender your city to thugs.” said mayor Taxman
Yet, it happens constantly in this city and elected officials say nothing.
30 HFD fire fighters conspired with each other to commit felony theft by stealing over $54,000.00 from Haverhill taxpayers, and put lives in danger by not being current with EMT training, and just one employee was fired. Not one city official commented publicly how these thugs got away with this intentional theft and preplanned coordinated lies. That sounds like surrender to thugs to me.
A few months ago a 19 year old girl was dragged into the woods at Riverside Park and raped by two illegal trespassers in this country illegally and not one city official said a word about it. All the liberal democrat officials holding office in the city, especially the city female delegation, kept their mouth shut to promote sanctuary city policies that bring these thug invaders to the city in the first place. Award winning democrat Mary Ellen Daley O’Brien loves to rant with every little issue nurses have, but if a woman is raped in the City of Haverhill she’s no where to be found. What better example of the surrender of the city to trespassing thug invaders is there than our city female state representative, who amazingly is also the Vice Chairman of the State of Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, who said nothing about this horrific event. Think about that one for a second!
When the unfortunate death toll rises of city youth being wiped out in our community by trespassers invading the city, and selling drugs brought here from the country’s southern border, and nothing is said publicly by city officials to stop this madness that’s surrender. It’s the surrender of common sense and an oath of office for the sake of promoting a liberal sanctuary city agenda which is destroying our community and country. Where are you Andy Vargas!!!??? These are your contemporaries that are dying as a result of this open border insanity. How do you possibly keep quiet, Andy? Doesn’t that haunt you? How many young people your own age have to die before you say and do something?
The silence from liberal democrats in the city of Haverhill regarding the thugs committing these crimes isn’t just surrender, it’s essentially treasonous aiding and abetting.
I think one of the best locations for these would be at the train station in downtown Haverhill. Personally, I think wherever they are placed, they should be removed during the winter or secured in a weather proof enclosure. They should be made available in the warmer seasons of the year when there are large numbers of people staying outside in these public places for extended periods of time