Veterans Tell Newly Elected City Leaders About Transportation, Communications Concerns

(Additional photographs below.)

Several of Haverhill’s new or promoted leaders rolled up their sleeves Thursday morning, heard from veterans and pledged to do their parts to resolve transportation, communications bottlenecks and other issues.

Mayor-elect Melinda E. Barrett and incoming Councilors Ralph T. Basiliere, Ward 1; Katrina Hobbs-Everett, Ward 2, and Devan M. Ferreira, Ward 3, met with leaders of Veterans Northeast Outreach Center to learn about day-to-day issues and better understand how the city may be able to better help. The meeting was organized by Basiliere, who served last year as interim veterans services officer for the city and spoke publicly about his personal association with the organization.

“I am an alumni—a former homeless veteran coming with service-connected with post-traumatic stress disorder. There’s probably not a lot that your clients here have gone through that I haven’t gone through. This was my last stop as I was matriculating through VA programs for two and a half years,” Basiliere explained.

Barrett noted the city’s own departments such as Veterans Services and police interface with Veterans Northeast Outreach Center and a variety of local, state and federal agencies. “I hope we can, as we go in January, connect all of the people working in different silos, but working with the same clientele,” she said.

Veterans Northeast Outreach Center William Kelly highlighted his biggest concern.

“Transportation to and from Bedford or Jamaica Plain or Brockton or wherever their medical appointments are. We’re not a mental health facility. We don’t have any capacity to do any of those services here. We’re not a medical facility. We don’t do any medical,” he said.

Outreach Coordinator Jim Behen noted that while MeVa Transit will begin providing door-to-door service to VA Bedford Healthcare, the service requires 48 hours’ notice and can’t help with other travel. VNOC Chief Operating Officer Robert Baronas pointed out the city, like others, has had trouble recruiting a staff such as a replacement driver for the Veterans Services Department.

Haverhill Police Sgt. Kevin Lynch, a 22-year U.S. Navy veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, said his department’s hands are tied when it comes to getting people help. When police reach out to various agencies and facilities, officers hear back, “It’s not me. It’s not me. It’s not me,” he said.