WHAV (https://whav.net/author/editor/page/19/)
Editor’s Note: The date of this event has changed three times because of weather concerns. It is now scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11. WHAV apologizes for the confusion. A sheepherding demonstration planned for this Sunday at Tattersall Farm will now take place in October because of expected inclement weather.
A 33-year-old correctional officer with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department was arraigned Thursday after she was arrested for allegedly delivering illegal drugs and a cellphone to a prisoner at Middleton Jail and House of Correction. Christal Dunston of Lynn was charged with conspiracy to violate drug law, two counts of delivering drugs/articles to a prisoner and possessing drugs/articles with intent to deliver to a prisoner, according to Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker. She was arraigned in Salem District Court before Judge Randy Chapman. Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger was the first to announce the arrest. “There is absolutely no place in this Department for anyone who would jeopardize the safety of their fellow officers and the people in our custody by bringing illegal drugs into a secure facility,” Coppinger said.
Capt. Jason Mazza became police chief in Plaistow, N.H., this past Monday. The promotion ceremony was held at the Plaistow Board of Selectman meeting with members of the department, Mazza’s family and members of the public present. Mazza was introduced by his counterpart, Plaistow Fire Chief Chris Knutsen.
Mazza holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and is an FBI-LEEDA Trilogy recipient. He has been a member of the Plaistow Police Department since 2002, when he started his career as a police and fire dispatcher. In 2007, Mazza shifted his career and became a police officer.
As part of Trails & Sails, Rocks Village Memorial Association is hosting an open house and art show at the Hand Tub House and Toll House Museum in Rocks Village. Organizers say visitors may enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the Merrimack River and then visit the Hand Tub House and museum for informal tours. Wall and table art from local artists is on view and for sale, and each day features a different artist for an “artist’s talk” at 1 p.m. Proceeds benefit the ongoing preservation of this historic site. The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Sept. 19 through Oct.
Those seeking financial support for a nonprofit community project have a little more time to receive help from local benefactors. Haverhill’s Cogswell Club, comprised of a group of philanthropists who annually pool their efforts, is extending its deadline to Thursday, Oct. 15, for receipt of letters of inquiry. The Cogswell Club, founded by City Councilor Timothy J. Jordan in 2021, is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations with ideas for projects or programs that can completed in 2027 with a donation of between $50,000 and $75,000. Besides the calendar-year completion deadline and amounts, applicants must be Internal Revenue Service-recognized, 501(c)(3), charities and eligible projects or programs must be specific in nature.
Jodi Linnehan Kriner, president of Central Catholic High School, plans to address Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce members during an upcoming Women in Business lunch at North Andover Historical Society. Linnehan Kriner is the featured speaker for lunch titled “Empower and Thrive.”
It takes place Friday, Sept. 25, from noon to 1:15 p.m., at North Andover Historical Society, 800 Mass Ave., North Andover. Admission is $35 each for members or $45 each for non-members and reservations may be made at MerrimackValleyChamber.com or by calling 978-686-0900.
Haverhill, Groveland and Newburyport will serve as pilot communities for efforts to identify and combat extreme heat in the Merrimack Valley. The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission last week was awarded a $190,676 climate resilience grant under the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program. The Haverhill-based agency will collect data throughout the Summer of 2027 and map how heat is dispersed through the three communities. “This investment will help MVPC and our municipal partners better understand how extreme heat affects our communities and translate that knowledge into practical, locally driven solutions,” said Merrimack Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Jerrard Whitten. The Planning Commission will work with such partners as Merrimack Valley Transit, known as MeVa, and WalkMassachusetts to understand how extreme heat impacts public transit systems and hear residents’ experiences with hotter summers.
Haverhill’s Sarah’s Place is recruiting golfers and sponsors for its 25th Annual Golf Tournament. Awards will be given for the man and woman with the longest drives and the closest to the pin. The winning team will be recognized as well as the most honest team. The fundraiser is Friday, Sept. 18, at Bradford Country Club, 201 Chadwick Road, Haverhill.