Community Spotlight

Atkinson Congregational Church Debuts Spring Fest

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Atkinson Congregational Church will welcome spring with a celebration of food, fun, family and friends. Pastor Jim Thomas said the goal of the church’s first-ever Spring Fest is to “provide a festival that’s about community and simply being together. It goes without saying that we’re excited for this event.”

A wide range of activities will take place on church grounds, including dining on fare from a variety of food-truck vendors, arts and crafts fair, and a multitude of offerings of interest to children, from a touch-a-truck event, bounce house, face painting, and games. All ages will enjoy music from a local, five-member band, Splatter Band. Parking will be in a field next to the church, accessible from the entrance on Meditation Lane in Atkinson, N.H., and will be clearly marked.

Community Spotlight

Georgetown Theater Group Stages Final Show of Season

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“Making God Laugh,” a play that visits a span of four decades in the life of an ordinary family, begins a nine-day run Saturday to close the Georgetown Theater Workshop’s 2023-2024 season. An ensemble of local actors and crew from Haverhill, Boxford, Georgetown and beyond deliver a mix of funny moments, relatable situations and heartfelt connection. Written by Sean Grennan, and directed by Matthew Lundergan. The play will be on stage at the Byfield Community Arts Center May 11 to 19. Georgetown Theatre Workshop is nearing 50 years providing community theater committed to showcasing local talent.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill SEPAC Plans Online Social-Emotional Learning Workshop

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A Haverhill organization that offers resources to parents whose children have special needs is making an online workshop about social-emotional learning available to the public

The Haverhill Special Education Parent Advisory Council will team up with the Federation for Children with Special Needs to provide a Zoom link to the presentation, which takes place Tuesday, May 14, from 7 to 9 p.m.

In it, parents will learn what social-emotional learning is, why it’s important, how to identify social-emotional skills and how to acquire them. The presentation will also touch on what social-emotional learning looks like in the classroom and how these skills can be included in a student’s Individual Education Plan. Visit the council’s website, HaverhillSEPAC.com and click on the RSVP button on the event listing page to receive a link to the online presentation.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill Yoga Studio Hosts Makers Market Saturday with Gifts for Mom

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Wellness Hot Yoga will host a fundraiser for Emmaus House in which shoppers can find handmade items to give as Mothers Day gifts. The yoga studio incorporates charitable giving in its regular business model, hosting fundraisers like the one for Emmaus House, which provides services to the city’s homeless, as well as weekly community hot yoga sessions where the only fee is a donation to a nonprofit or organization that provides a service. More than 10 vendors, each of whom creates a unique set of items, will showcase their talents and offer items for sale. A raffle of items donated by the artisans is also planned. Children are welcome, and will have the opportunity to try their hand at arts and crafts at a special table set up for them.

Community Spotlight

‘Battle of the Badges:’ First Responders Compete for Most Blood Donors

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The Battle of the Badges 2024, Haverhill edition, renews a friendly rivalry among the city’s first responders to see which group can recruit the largest number of eligible donors for an American Red Cross blood drive. Those who wish to help swell the ranks of Team Police or Team Fire can call 1-800-REDCROSS or RedCrossBlood.org, enter “Haverhill” and register with one of the groups to schedule an appointment. This procedure allows prospective donors to complete paperwork before the day of the collections. The actual Battle of the Badges takes place this Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St., Haverhill. Battle of the Badges is an annual, nationwide event that employs local public servants in a quest to replenish blood and platelet stocks used in lifesaving efforts across the U.S.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill & Plaistow Community YMCA Auction Live Online Through May 12

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The Haverhill & Plaistow Community YMCA Legacy Gala online auction is live

Bidding takes place online through Sunday, May 12, at noon, with items and experiences up for grabs, including tickets to popular local summer events Ciderfeast and Tattersall Farm-to-Table; tickets to the Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins; scratch tickets and overnight stays in the heart of Boston and historic Salem, Mass. The YMCA Legacy Gala takes place Saturday, May 11, beginning at 5 p.m., at Bradford Country Club, 201 Chadwick Road, Haverhill. The sold out event features two signature cocktails and a photo booth for guests to take home memories. All proceeds support the YMCA’s work in fighting food insecurity, sending children to summer camp and educational programming for individuals and families in need of financial assistance.

Community Spotlight

River Bards Spotlight Teen Poets Tonight in Downtown Haverhill

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Haverhill High School Poetry and Spoken Word Club students will share their talents at a special open mic event hosted by the River Bards poetry group. The teens, who write poetry and prose, are the featured performers at the May meeting of the River Bards, a group of local poets who delight in shining a light on literary arts. Twice a year, the Bards gather at HC Media, which records the night’s performances for broadcast. On Wednesday, May 1, the Poetry Club students will open the meeting with readings. Those who are interested in sharing during the open mic portion of the event can sign up on a sheet that will be provided, then wait for their names to be called.

Community Spotlight

Red Cross, Haverhill Fire Department Partner to Install Free Smoke Alarms

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Haverhill is one of only five communities statewide where Red Cross volunteers and members of the Fire Department will work together to “Sound the Alarm and Save” a Life by helping families develop escape plans, install smoke alarms or both in local homes. To participate, either by volunteering or by registering to receive up to three residential smoke alarms and/or training on how to respond if a smoke alarm sounds, visit SoundTheAlarm.org/ma or call 800-564-1234. Deliveries and home visits to devise escape and safety plans will take place Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.