Haverhill

Haverhill Councilors Ask Committee to Study E-Bike, Scooter Rules

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If Haverhill city councilors had their way, driver’s licenses and helmets would be required for anyone riding an e-bike, scooter or other motorized vehicles and the minimum age would be 18. Councilors are pondering updating city ordinances to cover so-called micromobility devices to include who can use electric scooters and bikes and under what conditions. Proposed regulations have become more urgent in the wake of an accident last week that took the life of a 12-year-old and sent her friend to the hospital in serious condition. The pair had been riding a motorized scooter when it collided with a school bus. Ward 4 Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski introduced the topic of tightening the city’s electric bike and electric scooter regulations at Tuesday’s Council meeting, saying that at a minimum she thinks the councilors should send a letter to legislators, encouraging them to support Gov. Maura Healey’s “Ride Safe Act.” The bill, currently on the agenda of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation, would replace the current two-tiered classification system for e-bikes with four tiers based on speed.

Haverhill

Council Sends Haverhill B&B Request Back to Drawing Board

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A proposal to turn a once vacant eyesore on East Broadway into a bed and breakfast inn and small event venue received mixed reviews and was ultimately stalled when the Haverhill City Council took up the matter Tuesday. Maryam Salehi-Ala-Yamin seeks a special permit from the Council in order to the turn the 1817 Victorian at 421 E. Broadway into a four-bedroom B&B and small event venue. The house with a view of the Merrimack River was built by Nathaniel Johnson for his bride. It once fell into disrepair and was condemned by the city. While her plan for the small inn was praised, several city councilors agreed with neighbors who protested that holding events with up to 50 people was not in keeping with the area’s rural residential character.

Haverhill

MeVa, Teamsters Head Back to Bargaining Table as Buses Halt

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(Additional photographs below.)

Merrimack Valley Transit Administrator Noah S. Berger, saying he is hopeful a strike at the authority will settle “quickly,” headed back to the negotiating table with his counterpart at the International Brothers of Teamsters Union Wednesday afternoon. Jim Mark, lead negotiator for Teamsters Local 170, told WHAV he is less hopeful and the union is prepared for a lengthy walkout. During a morning press conference, Berger told reporters that while he is in the process of finding contract drivers for MeVa’s on-demand van services, referred to as Mini-MeVa, he resists hiring replacement drivers for the fixed route service. “I would hate to take such a drastic route. But, obviously, if no one is coming back.

Haverhill

Updated: No Fixed Route MeVa Buses as Drivers, Mechanics Strike

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There is no fixed bus route service throughout the Merrimack Valley today as 140 drivers and mechanics at Merrimack Valley Transit, or MeVa, went out on strike at midnight. Officials at Haverhill-based MeVa said this morning mini-MeVa bus services, typically shared lift-equipped vehicles to take residents to medical appointments, may also be affected. The strike came as contract talks stalled between the union representing drivers and mechanics. Jim Mark, business agent for Teamsters Local 170 union, representing transit workers, told WHAV he appealed to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s office to intervene as the contract expired at midnight. “We don’t want a strike,” Mark told WHAV.

Education

Haverhill Schools Reach Tentative Agreement with ESPs

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The Haverhill School Committee recently reached a tentative agreement with its Education Support Professionals which would give the paraprofessionals a 3% salary increase in the first year with added wage increases over the course of the following two years. The current starting salary for an ESP is $27,344. The top base salary is $34,464. The new agreement would go into effect July 1. The union planned a ratification vote Monday night, while the School Committee plans one Tuesday night.

Haverhill

Haverhill Councilors Hear B&B Plan, Request to Allow Offices at Apartment Complex, More

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Two public hearings on special permit requests, one for a bed-and-breakfast and one to allow a real estate office in an apartment complex come before city councilors Tuesday night. Maryam Salehi is requested councilors to approve conversion of a vacant Victorian home she owns at 421 E. Broadway into a four-unit bed-and-breakfast and small events venue. The project prompted controversy on her street as some neighbors provided letters in support and others submitted a petition to stop it. Among those favoring the project is Haverhill City Planning Director Jacki Byerley, who told the Council in a letter the project fits within the city’s zoning even though Salehi does not plan to live on the premises. Salehi lives next door and her attorney said she would agree to a condition the special permit becomes void if either property is sold.

Community Spotlight

Historic New England Opens Haverhill Center, Launches Free Shoe Exhibit

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See related story, Historic New England Celebrates Teen Artists for Shoe Designs. (Additional photograph below.) Calling the presence of Historic New England a “catalyst” for sustainable development in Haverhill, Vin Cipolla, president and CEO of the historic preservation organization, cut a wide orange ribbon during opening ceremonies for cultural agency’s Haverhill Center Saturday. “We believe that preservation can create opportunity, strengthen communities and help shape an exciting future. It is about making history accessible, relevant and inspiring for present and future generations and will help serve as an engine for economic development,” Cipolla said to the assembled crowd of about 75. Noting her family’s connection to the shoe industry in Haverhill, Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said she appreciates the ability of the staff of Historic New England to bring alive history so that stories of the past are preserved for the future.

Haverhill

Historic New England Celebrates Teen Artists for Shoe Designs

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See related story, Historic New England Opens Haverhill Center, Launches Free Shoe Exhibit. Six high school students who live in one of 26 Gateway cities in Massachusetts were honored for their unique shoe designs Saturday during the opening of Historic New England’s inaugural exhibit Saturday in Haverhill. The Heart and Sole Teen Shoe Design Contest drew 36 entries in two categories—sneaker and high fashion. The teen artists were asked to design a shoe inspired by a cause they care about. Shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, who served as master of ceremonies for the awards, said the teens responded with creativity and thoughtful designs which explored themes of inclusion, environmental care, kindness and resilience.