Business Bulletin

Institute Recognizes National Grid’s Storm Recovery Efforts Last Winter

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National Grid was recently awarded an Emergency Recovery Award from Edison Electric Institute for exceptional response to severe weather events last winter that caused widespread outages across Massachusetts. The company recounted harsh weather events. A powerful, February 2026 blizzard brought damaging winds and gusts exceeding 80 miles per hour, accompanied by heavy snowfall reaching depths of more than 36 inches in some locations. Persistent winds and snowfall rates exceeding two inches per hour created hazardous travel conditions, with more than 96,000 outages. A storm the following month featured widespread heavy rainfall, isolated thunderstorms and damaging southerly winds.

Community Spotlight

Groups Plans Auditions for ‘Trolls Jr.’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

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Haverhill Performing Arts Workshop is holding auditions for its upcoming presentations of “Trolls Jr.” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Auditions take place Monday, Sept. 21, and Wednesday, Sept. 23, with 4-6 p.m. set aside for “Trolls Jr.” and 6-8 p.m. for “Little Shop of Horrors.” Both at Northern Essex Community College, D Building, Room D154, Haverhill. Nonprofit Haverhill Performing Arts Workshop, under the direction of Bobby Gariepy, is entering its second year of productions.

Haverhill

Lawyer Says Death of Paquin ‘Brings a Measure of Relief’ for Victims

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A lawyer, who represented more than 25 sexual abuse victims or survivors of Ronald H. Paquin, said Monday the death of the 83-year-old former priest while in prison will bring “relief.”

Paquin, who was once assigned to St. John The Baptist Parish in Haverhill and St. Monica’s Parish in Methuen, died during the afternoon last Friday, Sept. 11, at Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston, Maine. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian said “Paquin sexually abused my clients as children from about 1973 to 1990.”

“The death of Father Paquin brings a measure of relief to many clergy sexual abuse victims and survivors because they feel as though Father Paquin will no longer be able to sexually abuse children and destroy innocent lives.

Region

Groveland Water and Sewer Starts Second Phase of Lead Pipe Identification

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Groveland Water and Sewer Department says it is moving to the second phase of its project to identify lead service lines. This involves, what officials call, “potholing,” where the department digs small holes at buried shut-off valves in residential yards over the coming weeks and months. The intent is to identify unknown service lines within town. Groveland Water and Sewer says it has not yet found any lead or galvanized-steel service lines. Officials note unknown service lines do not necessarily mean they are made of lead, but they are considered potential lead sources until the actual material is confirmed.

Region

Methuen Readies for 9th Annual Methuen Day Saturday, Oct. 3

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Methuen is gearing up for next month’s Ninth Annual Methuen Day, planning free entertainment, children’s activities, more than 85 vendor booths and food truck row for lunch or sweet snacks. Methuen Day takes place rain or shine Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., along Lowell and Hampshire streets in downtown Methuen. In addition to activities and food, Methuen Parks and Recreation Department says the outing gives residents a chance to meet the mayor and members of the City Council, discover local artisans, visit with community groups and experience many surprises throughout the day.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill High Class of 2016 Marks 10 Years with September Reunion

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Haverhill High School’s Class of 2016 is holding a 10-year reunion at Wicked Axe. Organizers say the reunion offers the class a chance to reconnect, reminisce and celebrate the many different paths classmates have taken since leaving Haverhill High. At the 2016 graduation, class President Aubrie Campbell challenged her classmates to leave Haverhill High and make an impact on the world around them. Campbell recently turned to the class of 2016 reunion social media page and asked, “What’s something good that’s happened to you in the last 10 years?”

Classmates shared milestones that included completing the Boston Marathon, opening personal businesses, landing “dream jobs,” getting married, having children and moving to different parts of the world. Campbell said of the graduated class, “When we graduated, I challenged our class to go out and make an impact, but at 18 years old, none of us really knew what the next 10 years would look like,” Campbell said.

Business Bulletin

Shellfish Harvesters Receive Healey Help for Haverhill Sewer Main Failure

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Gov. Maura Healey Monday made good on her promise to deliver $300,000 in direct financial relief to North Shore shellfish harvesters that lost income during the emergency shellfish bed closings caused by the Haverhill sewer overflow. As WHAV reported in July, the relief program, administered by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, was created following the 12-day closure to help cover the maximum estimated value of shellfish that could have been harvested from the affected growing areas during that period. Healey met with local shellfish harvesters at Woodman’s of Essex, a longtime North Shore seafood restaurant and family business known for its soft-shell clams, to hear directly about the impact of the closure and deliver relief checks. “When the sewer break forced shellfish beds to close during one of the busiest times of the year, we told these harvesters that we would have their backs,” said Healey. “These are hardworking families and small businesses that are an important part of the North Shore’s economy and way of life, and we’re going to keep supporting them, protecting this industry and giving them more opportunities to get out on the water and earn a living.”

On June 29, Division of Marine Fisheries closed shellfish growing areas in Gloucester, Newburyport, Essex, Ipswich, Newbury, Rockport, Rowley and Salisbury due to the about 50-year-old 42-inch force main collapse in Haverhill.

Education

Northern Essex Knights Men’s Soccer Overtakes Quincy 9-1

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Northern Essex Community College men’s soccer team, ranked #10 in the week one NJCAA poll, opened the region portion of their schedule Saturday afternoon with a rout of Quincy College by a 9-1 final score. The win was the Knights fourth straight and improved the overall record to 4-2. Northern Essex saw eight different players score as they outshot the visiting Granite 41-9 in the game. Thomas Kotas of Methuen got the Knights on the board in the 11th minute with a header that beat the keeper into the lower left corner of the net on an assist from Cristian Lopez of Chelsea. The goal was his team leading fifth of the season.