At Covanta, a Star is Born and a Holiday Tradition Continues High Above Haverhill

(Courtesy photograph.)

More than 25 years ago, Covanta placed a star high upon its condensation stack 287 feet in the air on Ward Hill. It had been traditionally lit late Thanksgiving Day and remains on until the morning of New Year’s Day, but this season a new star is born.

Employees and staff came together earlier this year to design a new star for the next 25 years.  They developed a new LED star 20 feet across and brighter with hundreds of color schemes available. Although the plant produces its own power, energy consumption reduction was a key factor. The LED panels are highly efficient, functional and replace 50 large incandescent light bulbs that consumed four times the energy.

“As we properly retire the old star in a prominent place at our facility, we are excited to debut the new star at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day as we kick off the holiday season” said Covanta Area Asset Manager Mark Van Weelden.

Facility Manager Bill Zaneski credited the star replacement team with doing “a great job.” “E&I Tech Jeff Raymond volunteered to spearhead a project to replace our 25-year-old holiday star. Jeff led the plan to design and develop a lighting scheme and programing. Welders Rich Collins and Dawson Pelletier built the new star, with Maintenance Leadman Ron Burke developing a rigging plan to lower the old one and raise the new one safely,” he explained

He said the company will develop a safety plan to retire the old star while hoisting the new into its final position.

Last year and earlier this year, Covanta lit the star outside of the holiday season as a “beacon of hope” while the statewide COVID-19 emergency order was in place.

Although Covanta will be sticking to their traditional holiday lighting schedule, the new color schemes will allow the star to be used throughout the year to celebrate other major holidays and important causes.

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