Last night, Haverhill city councilors approved their version of a state-mandated policy that aims to get cannabis store licenses in the hands of business owners incarcerated due to the federal government’s so-called “War on Drugs” or otherwise negatively impacted by it. People who fall into this category do not automatically get permits and must still go through an application process. Assistant City Solicitor Matthew D. Provencher informed councilors Haverhill previously opted in to cannabis delivery services, answering a question raised at a subcommittee meeting where the final policy was drafted, as WHAV reported. Brick-and-mortar businesses operating in Haverhill—there are currently four and none of them deliver—must renegotiate their licensing agreements with the city if they want to start.
After city councilors expressed concern a new ordinance would reduce their powers, the mayor agreed to share the authority to appoint outside legal counsel with the body. Councilor Colin F. LePage and Council Vice President Timothy J. Jordan requested the ability be explicitly granted at a subcommittee meeting last week, while councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski said the change was unnecessary because the ordinance already grants the council sufficient rights, which she also raised earlier this month, as WHAV reported. City Solicitor Lisa L. Mead, who drafted the ordinance and Mayor Melinda E. Barrett made similar points.
The Haverhill & Plaistow Community YMCA Legacy Gala online auction is live
Bidding takes place online through Sunday, May 12, at noon, with items and experiences up for grabs, including tickets to popular local summer events Ciderfeast and Tattersall Farm-to-Table; tickets to the Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins; scratch tickets and overnight stays in the heart of Boston and historic Salem, Mass. The YMCA Legacy Gala takes place Saturday, May 11, beginning at 5 p.m., at Bradford Country Club, 201 Chadwick Road, Haverhill. The sold out event features two signature cocktails and a photo booth for guests to take home memories.
Renowned artificial intelligence and robotics expert Holly Yanco, who leads UMass Lowell’s Richard A. Miner School of Computer and Information Sciences, was recently elected as a 2023 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science by the organization. The lifetime honor recognizes Yanco’s “distinguished contributions to the field of human-robot interaction and leadership in the scientific community,” according to the AAAS roster of the year’s honorees. A tradition that dates to 1874, individuals selected as AAAS fellows include inventor Thomas Edison, sociologist W.E.B. DuBois and groundbreaking astronomer Maria Mitchell.