Haverhill

Podcast: MacDougall-Tattan Signing Copies of Her Book ‘Biz’s Journey Home’ at Firefighting Museum

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A blend of historic firefighting equipment and the love of horses, comes together this Saturday at the Haverhill Firefighting Museum. Local author Jean MacDougall-Tattan, a former member of the museum’s board of directors, will be reading aloud and signing copies of her new book “Biz’s Journey Home,” a story she says is for people who love horses and wonder what they are saying. MacDougall-Tattan was a recent guest on WHAV’s Win for Breakfast program, and says it took a time to find a publisher. “When the book was first written, and rejected so many times by publishers, it was all written from the horses’ perspective, to give people an understanding of how horses might think about us and the way we treat them. Back in those days, which was about 19 years ago, I couldn’t get any publishers who wanted talking horses in a book,” she explains.

Haverhill

Haverhill Honors Fallen Police Officers During Solemn Ceremony

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Haverhill this week honored former police officers and officers who have fallen in the line of duty during a ceremony at the police department’s memorial organized by the Haverhill Police Relief Association. Speakers included Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett and Haverhill Police Chief Robert P. Pistone, who described what could be the “day in the life” of an officer. “A police officer may issue a traffic citation to a good citizen, deliver a death message to parents of a child, testify in court, listen to a citizen complain that his stolen property has not been recovered, get into a life or death struggle—all in a single shift,” he said. Pistone said more than 120 police officers nationwide fell in the line of duty last year, and according to the website Officer Down Memorial Page, almost 60 officers have fallen in the line of duty this year. Northern Essex Community College President Lane A. Glenn offered his thanks, noting the college school is host to the Municipal Police Training Academy.

Region

Podcast: Groveland’s Langley-Adams Library to Host Mystery Book Con Saturday

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For those who love a good mystery, the Langley-Adams Library in Groveland is co-hosting a Mystery Book Con this Saturday. The library will be joined by Kensington Publishing, an independent, family-owned book publisher based in New York City that is celebrating its’ 50th anniversary. Langley Adams Senior Library Assistant Lauren Towler, a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program, said Kensington Publishing features a number of mystery writers, but “They do other things as well. We’ve hosted their non-fiction authors and even some of the people coming here. One of the authors is a toxicologist; she teaches at Tufts.

Haverhill

Podcast: Haverhill Native Brian McGravey Releases New Album, ‘Feather in the Wind’

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When it comes to making an impact in the world of music, it often takes a lot of time to become an “overnight” success, and success knows no zip code. But, when you love to play, you play! That’s Haverhill native Brian McGravey with the title track from his new album “Feather in the Wind.” McGravey was a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. McGravey has been playing in bands and composing music for the past 20 years—some of his work is in the form of production music that can be heard on dozens of TV channels including HBO, Nickelodeon and the History Channel. “It’s really kind of a dream come true, and it’s usually not that I go and listen, or I just hear it randomly, ‘cause I usually don’t know ahead of time when it’s going to be used, or where, but I use the website called TuneSat, and basically it will detect any music that’s used.

Education

Podcast: Haverhill Mayor Barrett Brings Listeners Behind the Scenes on School Decisions

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In a wide-ranging interview with WHAV this week, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett took listeners behind the scenes on recent moves affecting the futures of both the “big” and “little” Whittier schools. Barrett, in her fourth month working out of the corner office at City Hall, took some time Wednesday to appear on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. The mayor said she spoke with Gov. Maura T. Healey recently as plans took shape to explore a shared campus for Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School and Northern Essex Community College. “So, the idea would be to build a Whittier Vo-Tech and align it with NECCO so they could capture some different dollars rather than just the 11 communities relying on (Massachusetts School Building Authority) and their own tax levy capacities. This would open up even more grant opportunities, some federal funding, take advantage of job training monies that might be out there from both the state and federal government to try to reduce the cost to the communities and produce a school that will produce workers for the future,” she said.

Haverhill

Podcast: On 50th Anniversary of Federal Program, Trahan Touts Local Decision-Making Benefits

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From firefighters to fresh lettuce, Congresswoman Lori Trahan discussed local advances made possible with federal dollars on the 50th anniversary of Community Development Block Grants. During a visit Wednesday to WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program, she told listeners she is impressed with how the YMCA used CDBG funds to help with its Freight Farm project, saying it’s helping young students develop unexpected skills at school. “Highly interactive, experiential learning, biology, chemistry and business all in real time, and it’s just great to see this program getting support from private sector partners like Beth Israel Lahey and the city in the form of nearly $33,000 in funding from the city’s Community Development Block Grant award,”  she said. Trahan says she is a big fan of Community Development Block Grants, because of their flexibility. “So, it is a vehicle for federal funds to make their way directly to cities and towns.

Business Bulletin

Podcast: Merrimack Valley Chamber to Host National Small Business Week Awards Ceremony in May

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Small business owners from around Massachusetts are making plans to attend the annual National Small Business Week Awards ceremony, which is coming this year to the Merrimack Valley. This year, Merrimack Valley Chamber member Stephanie Vanderbilt, owner of Coastal Windows and Exteriors in Beverly will receive the Massachusetts Small Business Person of the Year award, earning her an invitation to the White House with other winners from around the country. The awards breakfast is being hosted by the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Vice President Michael Bevilacqua spelled out the details this week on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. “There will be businesses coming in from all across Massachusetts. We have the Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao will be attending as well.

Business Bulletin

Banks Pledge Support for Northern Essex Early College Seacoast Promise Eastward Expansion

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Northern Essex Community College’s Early College, already operating in Greater Haverhill and Lawrence, received recognition Tuesday as it expands eastward to additional high schools with local business support. Building on the success of the Lawrence and Haverhill Promise Programs, the new Seacoast Promise will provide full tuition, fees and books to Early College graduates from Seacoast area high schools who wish to complete their associate degree at Northern Essex. In a ceremony Tuesday, leaders from Northern Essex, Newburyport Bank, Pentucket Bank and surrounding communities celebrated the launch at Newburyport Bank’s State Street location. Local high school guidance counselors were also in attendance, along with students who spoke about the benefits of Early College and affordable higher education. The expansion was made possible by a pledge of $250,000 from Newburyport Bank and $50,000 from Institution for Savings.