Haverhill City Councilors authorized a $75,000 “friendly” taking of a 6.2-acre parcel on Brandy Brow Road along the East Meadow River on Tuesday, as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to buy land in the name of water resource protection. “We purchased, not too long ago, some property from D&D Realty Trust, so this is the last piece of that puzzle to own,” Public Works Director Robert E. Ward said. “It locks in an area along the East Meadow River in that upper area.”
Because the landowner, Fermata Limited Partnership, agreed to the sale, the city deemed the land purchase “friendly.” In the past, the city has made similar purchases through eminent domain, as in the June 2022 “unfriendly” taking of a $240,000 parcel that James E. Young Jr. and Victoria Angers did not want to part with. Ward explained to councilors on Tuesday that the Millvale Reservoir supplies more than half the city’s drinking water.
State Rep. Andy X. Vargas of Haverhill was recently awarded Abundant Housing’s Legislator of the Year Award for his “Yes in My Back Yard” and other efforts to boost both affordable and market-rate housing statewide. Abundant Housing is described as a “statewide coalition of pro-housing activists standing up for housing for all in Communities across Massachusetts.” According to the organization, the award recognizes a “state or local legislator who went above and beyond to push the pro-housing agenda forward.” They called Vargas one of the “most outspoken pro-housing legislators.”
“Our current housing situation is decades in the making, and it will require bold action to sustainably address the problem,” Vargas said, adding, “Abundant Housing is doing the grassroots organizing work necessary to create the long-term solutions on housing. The housing shortage is affecting individuals, families and even our economic competitiveness as a state.
AgeSpan has earned its three-year accreditation for Case Management for Long Term Services and Supports from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for our Home Care Program. AgeSpan has annually won accreditation, which “demonstrates strong performance of the functions outlined in the standards for Case Management accreditation,” since 2017. “For individuals and families, the accreditation ensures that they are at the center of everything we do and that we maintain high-quality services,” said AgeSpan CEO Joan Hatem-Roy.
The Haverhill school department is looking for new toys, clothing, non-perishable food and household items for families in need during its “Stuff-The-Bus” drive Saturday. Items may be donated Saturday, Dec. 9, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., at both Westgate Shopping Center, 400 Lowell Ave., and Target, 35 Computer Drive, both in Haverhill.
