Haverhill

I-495 Construction Update: Daytime Lane Closings This Week

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Progress on the $102 million town bridge replacement project over the Merrimack River in Haverhill requires closing right lane on Interstate 495 southbound and Route 97 this week. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reports a single right lane closes on I-495 south, between exits 108, Broadway, and 106, ward Hill, from Monday, June 21, through Thursday, June 24, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., each day. The closings are necessary for complete concrete barriers protecting overpass piers. Closing of a single right lane on Route 97, Broadway, westbound over I-495 also takes place Thursday, June 24, from 7 a.m.-3 p.m., for highway lighting cabinet installation. The schedule is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.

Education

Incoming Haverhill High School Principal Meland Sends Letter of Introduction, Sets Goals

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Jason Meland, the new principal of Haverhill High School, introduced himself yesterday in a letter to students, families and faculty. Superintendent Margaret Marotta called Meland, principal of James P. Timilty Middle School in Boston, an “exceptional leader” when she announced Thursday he accepted the district’s offer. Meland made it clear at the outset he has firmly joined the “Hillies.”

“Haverhill High is a school on the move, and I can’t wait to join Hillie Nation to continue the community’s progress in pursuit of equity and excellence,” he wrote. The incoming principal, who succeeds Glenn Burns, outlined three immediate goals: building positive, productive, and trusting relationships with all members of our community; identifying areas of strength and opportunities for growth, with a specific focus on equity, to honor the impactful work already taking place in the community and to understand how we can continue to move all our practices towards excellence; and understanding the rich history of the high school. As WHAV reported first earlier this month, Meland and D. Jaime Parsons, assistant and interim principal at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School, were finalists to replace Burns who is returning to Salem, Mass., to become executive principal of Salem High Schools.

Haverhill

Clean and Green Team Reports Progress on Downtown Painting, Planting and Restoring

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Downtown Haverhill is looking cleaner and greener these days because of the work of more than 50 volunteers known as the Clean and Green Team. Team Haverhill Vice President Lisa Marzilli, chairperson of the Clean and Green Downtown Committee updated the City Council this week on the group’s latest efforts. “We’ve organized opportunities to clean litter downtown, to paint, to plant, and now we’ve added this new category called ‘restore.’ So, what we’ve been doing in terms of cleaning, we’ve picked up 131 bags of trash. We’ve partnered with Riverside Place to clean the front of their planters with them. We’ve also been painting downtown, hydrants fire boxes, bollards and we’ve painted the fence at Columbus Park,” she said.

Community Spotlight

Volpe Discusses Replica Engraving of Paul Revere’s Boston Massacre Saturday in Haverhill

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Andy Volpe is sharing a slide presentation this Saturday at Haverhill’s Museum of Printing on his recently completed replica engraving of Paul Revere’s Boston Massacre. Volpe, who is making available exclusive, limited edition prints of his replica, painstakingly researched and replicated the engraving for the 250th anniversary of the Massacre last March. During his presentation, he discusses how he went about researching and creating his exact-size replica, using the very same techniques that Revere himself used, right down to the same way Revere copied Henry Pelham’s print. He will also discuss a brief history of the many replicas and copies of Revere’s print since 1770, and a history of the original copperplate, which has its own unique story and place in history. Volpe presents Saturday, June 19, at 11:30 a.m. and at 2 p.m., at the Museum of Printing, 15 Thornton Ave., Haverhill.

Homepage Featured

Methuen Goes Purple for Alzheimer’s and Brain Month with Awareness Events

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Methuen has gone purple for Alzheimer’s and Brain Month. Awareness events taking place include Alzheimer’s awareness displays and activities for 2.4 miles including a Memory Lane along the Methuen Rail Trail. On Saturday, June 19, Chipotle, 90 Pleasant Valley St., Methuen, is hosting a “Dine and Donate” event, while Nevins Library, 305 Broadway, offers featured titles about Alzheimer’s and purple display and presents “Know the 10 Signs” educational event Thursday, June 24, at 6 p.m.

Ellie’s Farmhouse, 436 Broadway; Methuen Village, 4 Gleason St.; and the Methuen Senior Center, 77 Lowell St., have purple displays and are collecting public donations. The staffs at Mann Orchard, 27 Pleasant Valley St.; The Country Kitchen, 18 Hampshire St.; and Chris’ Famous Pizza, 124 Lowell St., are wearing purple and have a purple display. Other Methuen businesses are “going purple” in various ways.

COVID-19

Gov. Baker Picks Haverhill to Make His Case to the Legislature for Spending of Federal Relief Aid

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Gov. Charlie Baker and his team celebrated the construction of affordable homeownership Thursday in Haverhill’s Mount Washington neighborhood. He used the setting to declare he wants to spend $1 billion of federal COVID-19 aid to support similar homeownership and housing priorities across the state. Standing in the driveway of one of the new owner-occupied homes built along Gilbert Avenue with the help of state and local money, Baker explained the goal of the CommonWealth Builder program. “This program is designed to help low- and moderate-income families, especially communities of color, build wealth through homeownership,” he said. The governor said $200 million of federal money currently under his control is to be set aside for the program that successfully delivered the 10 units of new Bread and Roses Housing the site of the former St.

Education

Meland, Called ‘Exceptional Leader,’ to Become Principal of Haverhill High School, Succeeding Burns

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Jason Meland has been named principal of Haverhill High School. Meland, principal of James P. Timilty Middle School in Boston, was called an “exceptional leader” Thursday morning by Superintendent Margaret Marotta. As WHAV reported first earlier this month, Meland and D. Jaime Parsons, assistant and interim principal at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School, were finalists to replace Glenn Burns who is returning to Salem, Mass., to become executive principal of Salem High Schools. The two met with students, faculty, School Committee members and others during campus visits June 8. “We have had a month filled with resume screenings, interviews, conversations, and deliberations with a series of candidates for principal of Haverhill High.

Haverhill

Gov. Baker in Haverhill Today for Announcement at New Mount Washington Homes

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Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to be in Haverhill this afternoon to discuss the CommonWealth Builder Program, economic recovery and American Rescue Plan Act money. Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Michael Kennealy, Administration and Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan and MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay visit 430 Washington St. Back in January, Baker unveiled the $60 million CommonWealth Builder program. “We are committed to combatting systemic inequities, and promoting homeownership and building wealth in communities of color is a key part of that effort,” Baker said in a statement at the time. “Through the CommonWealth Builder program, MassHousing is incentivizing new housing development and homebuying opportunities for middle-income residents of Boston and our Gateway Cities—particularly for people of color—empowering more people to become homeowners,” he added.