WHAV (https://whav.net/category/communityspotlight/)
Community Action’s next First Time Homebuyer Workshop begins tomorrow and runs online three nights, 6–9 p.m.
Participants learn all of the steps in buying their first homes. The workshop is offered remotely via video conference and is CHAPA- and MassHousing-certified. Cost is $60 per household. For more information contact Susan Collins by email at [email protected] or call 978-317-8998 or Richard Lynch, [email protected] or 978 373-1971.
Haverhill native and former Boston Globe reporter Larry Tye discusses his latest book, “Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy,” next month as Temple Emanu-El in Haverhill presents its Summer 2020 Author Mini-Series. Tye, presenting Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 4 p.m., is the first of two best-selling authors to take part in the series, offered via Zoom. Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon,” speaks Saturday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m.
“Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy,” is a biography of the Wisconsin senator, one of the most reviled figures in U.S. history.
The Feaster Five Road Race, a Thanksgiving Day tradition presented by the Merrimack Valley Striders with as many as 10,000 participants annually, is going virtual this year. As a virtual race, Feaster Five is now open to anyone anywhere who can complete a 5K or 5-mile course of their choosing. There will also be a 1K option for kids. For the most adventurous runners, there’s a new virtual 13K challenge—a 5K and 5M together. “It’s the 33rd year for Feaster Five and we wanted to keep the tradition alive and open the opportunity to family and friends around the globe,” said Tom Licciardello, race manager. “Though the streets of Andover won’t be packed with runners, walkers, families and dogs on Thanksgiving morning, we think this virtual event is going to be epic!”
Participants have the option to complete the chosen distance anytime between Nov.
The Third Annual Haverhill Restaurant Week takes place in August, offering a much-needed boost to local eateries and the public that love them. Called “Haverhill’s Seven Tasty Days of Summer,” the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce plans the event from Friday, Aug. 21 through Thursday, Aug. 27. Noting restaurants were among the businesses hardest hit by the global pandemic, the Chamber said in a statement, “This year’s Restaurant Week offers the Chamber and our community another opportunity to support local restaurants by attracting new diners to the city as well as engaging with Haverhill residents.”
The Chamber plans to print 3,500 restaurant dining pamphlets to promote local restaurants and event sponsors.
Earlier this spring, Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz and the team at American Pickers planned to look for exciting finds in this area during July, but the COVID-19 outbreak has forced filming to take place in September. Mike and Frank are still looking for local and unique collections with interesting stories to showcase. In a statement, American Pickers said the group will continue to monitor the pandemic. “We at American Pickers are taking the pandemic very seriously and will be following all guidelines and protocols for safe filming as outlined by each state. While we plan to be in New England in September, we will continue to reschedule if conditions change for the worse.
Artists are invited to submit proposals for a Mount Washington Artist Alley, described as “a public art project celebrating the experiences of neighborhood residents, elevating local artists and artists of color and creating a beautiful space for the neighborhood to enjoy.”
The project is being steered by a number of local arts and community leaders and led by public artist Alexander Golob, who created the Immigrant and Origin mural in downtown Haverhill. The Alley, at 217 Washington St., will have two parts—a landmark mural by artist Golob and a wall with panels created by many artists with a focus on local artists, youth artists and artists of color. New panels will be added annually. Multi-generational struggles for equity and belonging is the theme for the landmark mural. Organizers say it is inspired by the protests for racial justice and against police brutality and drawing from the writings of local poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier.
The Haverhill Public Library is hosting a virtual financial planning seminar with Michael Bakanosky of Ameriprise Financial. The seminar takes place Tuesday, July 21, from 6 to 6:50 p.m.
For more information and to register, visit haverhillpl.org and click Calendar of Events.
Essex County Ghost Project is having a paranormal tour of Hilldale Cemetery this Saturday night with proceeds to benefit the restoration of the cemetery. Hilldale Cemetery, 337-351 Hilldale Ave., Haverhill, is one of the most haunted grave yards in New England, according to the Essex County Ghost Project. Participants are invited to bring cameras, recorders or other equipment they would like to use. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the number of attendees is limited and masks are required. The walk takes place Saturday, July 18, with gates opening at 7:30 and tour beginning around 8:15 pm. Tickets are $10.
Temple Emanu-El’s Rabbi Rachel Putterman is having a virtual lunch and learn series on Rabbi Arthur Green’s “Judaism’s 10 Best Ideas: A Brief Guide for Seekers,” over three Thursdays in July and August. Putterman, director of Congregational Learning for the Haverhill Temple, said participants will take “a deep dive into a few of the ideas by discussing Rabbi Green's reasoning, looking at relevant Biblical or Rabbinic texts, and sharing our own perspectives. She added the 100-page book is “a very quick read” and available on Amazon. Meetings take place every other week on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m., on July 23, Aug. 6 and Aug.