Education

Board Explores Ways to Up Haverhill’s Share of Whittier Tech Costs

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Officials representing the 11-member communities that make up Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School made little progress Thursday towards an agreement that could increase Haverhill’s share of any future school construction costs. Bernard Cullen, Rowley’s representative on the Whittier Tech School Building Committee, said Thursday he continues to believe Haverhill must agree to bear a greater share of capital costs to build a new school. He said the current formula, which has been in place for more than 50 years “makes no sense to me and would not fly in Rowley.”

In response, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said she is willing to consider a compromise proposed by Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington that would incorporate into the formula the number of students each community sends. Calling Whittier Tech “an important asset to the community,” Barrett said, she needs more time to study Harrington’s suggestion in detail. One option Harrington offered is to compute 50% of each community’s share of capital costs based on the current formula and 50% of each share based on the number of students each community sends.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill Exchange Club Honors Six First Responders

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Six first responders were honored recently as Officers of the Year by the Exchange Club of Haverhill at its annual First Responders Luncheon. Winning the honors were PrideStar Trinity Emergency Medical Technician Brian Luttrell, Haverhill Firefighter Melanie Figueroa, Haverhill Police Capt. Andrea Fogarty and Capts. Caitlin Noonan and Benjamin Roberge and Lt. Tanya Cubelli of the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. Luttrell was nominated by officials at PrideStar Trinity for his more than five decades of service. “Throughout his career Brian has consistently gone above and beyond for both his patients and his fellow providers,” wrote Christopher Dick, communications director for the company, in his nomination.

Business Bulletin

Taqueria La Union Taco Shop Opens in Haverhill

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Taqueria La Union is the newest addition to Haverhill’s restaurant scene. The eatery, which offers authentic Mexican cuisine, opened at 443 River St., the home of the former La Taco Guapo Restaurant. Taqueria La Union is owned by Haverhill residents Breezley Ramirez, her husband Omar and Breezley’s mother, Rosa Ramirez. “We are bringing recipes from our region of Jalisco, Mexico. So, family favorites,” Breezley Ramirez said.

Education

Proposed Whittier Tech Pact Would Change Town Withdrawal Rules

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Communities that wish to withdraw from sending pupils to Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School could do so after giving at least two years’ notice, and unanimous consent of other cities and towns would no longer be required. Those are among changes the Regional Agreement Amendment Committee is considering to the 1967 agreement between the 11 communities that comprise the school population. Instead of requiring approval from every member community, the group proposes two-thirds of members could agree to a withdrawal. West Newbury Town Manager Angus G. Jennings, who serves as committee chair, said the draft agreement is on its fourth version and it is still very much an active working document. “The goal is to have a draft ready to send to the full school committee by our July 23 meeting,” Jennings told WHAV.

Haverhill

Haverhill Exchange Club Donates $44,000 in Grants, Scholarships

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The Exchange Club of Haverhill recently distributed $44,000 to community organizations, nonprofits and high school seniors, $27,000 in grants and $17,000 in scholarships. The 10 organizations receiving awards were Boys and Girls Club of Greater Haverhill, Haverhill Community Playground, Haverhill Firefighting Museum, Haverhill Performing Arts Workshop, Haverhill’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Haverhill YMCA, Liz Murphy Food Pantry, Michael B. Christensen Center in Lawrence, New England Center and Home for Veterans and Ozzie’s Kids. Students receiving scholarships were Bright Arhin, Sophia DeFrank, Molly Jordan, Thomas Murphy, Brady Smith, Luke Smith andBrett Walters, all 2026 graduates of Haverhill High School; Danielle Femino, a 2026 graduate of Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School; and Lucia Cavallini, Amelia Crowe, Madelyn Grimes and Julia Swiniarski, all 2026 graduates of Pentucket Regional High School in West Newbury. The students were feted at a lunch Thursday, May 31. The organizations received checks at lunch Thursday, June 4.

Crime

Haverhill Man, 20, Faces Attempted Murder Charge After Alleged June 15 Shooting

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A 20-year-old Haverhill man was arraigned Monday for the alleged attempted murder of another man during a reported shooting a week ago on Arch Street. Edward Mattas Espin-Maisonet, whom police say is a member of the Gangster Disciples gang, was arraigned Monday on charges of attempted murder, assault and battery with a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license and conspiracy.  While there were unconfirmed reports of a shooting last week on Arch Street, Espin-Maisonet was not found and arrested until Thursday, June 18, just before 5 p.m., and his name appeared on a log WHAV received Friday. Details were not available, however, as Haverhill District Court was closed due to the Juneteenth holiday. There were no obvious indications of a shooting on the police incident log June 15.

Haverhill

Calvary Baptist Marks Juneteenth in Downtown Celebration

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Calvary Baptist Church Choir, along with liturgical dancers, keyboard artists and drummers, led a lively celebration of Juneteenth Sunday afternoon in Haverhill’s GAR Park in downtown Haverhill. The event, which drew about 100, began with a prayer, several choral selections and a dance performance. Kihm Lattimore, a worship assistant at the Haverhill church, served as the master of ceremonies. Calvary Baptist Church Pastor the Rev. Kenneth Young gave a short history of Juneteenth, reminding those assembled the event, also called Freedom Day, marked the day in 1865 when those enslaved in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed two years earlier through President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. “We know that America has a complex history.

Haverhill

Haverhill Celebrates Second Pride Parade and Activities

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(Additional photographs below.)

The streets in Haverhill’s downtown were filled with rainbows, drag queens and princesses, stars, glitter, flags, banners and lots of joyful noise Saturday when the Haverhill Pride Collective and its allies marched during the city’s Second Annual Pride Parade. The city’s celebration of Pride Month began when the rag tag army of marchers dressed in all shades of the rainbow set off from GAR Park on Main Street, took a right on Merrimack Street and headed past Washington Square to Railroad Square. They were met with supporters who waved flags, honked horns and whistles and shouted supportive words all along the way. Among them was Ivonne Preston and her husband J.P., who were waving a rainbow Pride flag and rainbow fan. Preston, of Haverhill, shared why she and her husband were in the crowd.