Haverhill

‘Partial Demolition’ of Bradford Railroad Bridge Takes Place Friday and Saturday Nights

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Partial demolition of the South Elm Street railroad overpass will force drivers below to detour Friday and Saturday nights. Closings to automobile traffic underneath between Railroad and Laurel Avenue take place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night. As WHAV has reported for several years, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority—or MBTA—is replacing the 1906 railroad bridge with a modern single-span structure expected to last 75 years. The $20.3 million replacement, bolstered by a more than $7.6 million federal grant, will include a ballasted steel deck for a smoother passenger ride and roadway, sidewalk and drainage improvements along South Elm Street.

Education

Haverhill City Council Discusses Alternative Vocational Programs for High School Students

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Councilor John A. Michitson said he believes, quoting his role model, “young people need models, not critics.”

His fellow city councilors heard his concerns Tuesday night about what is lacking today. “My true passion was to be a NCAA basketball coach and that started while I was in eighth grade at Nettle School and John Wooden was my role model,” he said. “In retrospect, I would have benefitted from multiple role models and career-connected learning in school to seek out that passion and other passions that I had over time.”

An electrical engineer, Michitson said he chose his field and community service due to his family upbringing and a high demand for engineering skills. He lamented, “Unfortunately, many students do not have advocates like my parents were for me.” Michitson said career-connected learning can help students find more interest in the classroom. “Both Whittier Vocational Tech and Haverhill High School have excellent career technical education programs that also prepare students for college.

Business Bulletin

Eberhardt Leaving Haverhill Chamber for LGBT Chamber Post; Board Names Martin Interim CEO

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Kate Martin is taking over as interim president and CEO of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce as Alexandria Eberhardt leaves the post after almost three years to lead the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Eberhardt took over at the Greater Haverhill Chamber in February of 2022, while Martin has been with the Chamber since 2019, most recently as vice president. The Greater Haverhill Chamber has had a reciprocal membership policy with the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce since 2020. “I am so proud of the work we have accomplished in Haverhill building a stronger foundation for equitable economic growth, and I look forward to partnering on regional initiatives with the Greater Haverhill Chamber in my new role,” said Eberhardt. The Boston-based LGBT Chamber is “focused on cultivating inclusive relationships between LGBT-owned businesses and the corporate sector to drive economic impact throughout the Commonwealth.”

Greater Haverhill Chamber board Chair Allison Dolan-Wilson said in a statement, “we are grateful to Alex and for all that she did for the Chamber and the community and look forward to continuing our work together.” She added the board is “thrilled that Kate has agreed to take the helm as interim president.

Election Central

Statewide Early Voting for Presidential/State Election Begins Oct. 19; Haverhill Posts Hours

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It’s almost time for statewide early voting in advance of the for presidential and state election

Haverhill City Clerk Kaitlin M. Wright said Wednesday her office is organizing early voting beginning Saturday, Oct. 19, and running through Friday Nov. 1. All early voting takes place in the basement of Haverhill City Hall, in the space formerly occupied by the state Registry of Motor Vehicles, 4 Summer St. The basement is best accessed from the Newcomb Street entrance of the building and a handicapped-accessible entrance is near the Main Street side lower parking lot.

Community Spotlight

Comeau is Featured Speaker When Haverhill River Bards Meet Oct. 16

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Dr. Raymond F. Comeau, a poet appearing frequently on WHAV, is featured next Wednesday night when Haverhill River Bards’ second poetry night of its fall season takes place. Comeau, a Haverhill native and a trustee emeritus of the John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace in Haverhill, is a former dean and current lecturer at Harvard University Extension School. The poet reads from his works in person Wednesday, Oct. 16, beginning at 7 p.m., followed by open mic poetry, at HC Media Studio 101, 2 Merrimack St., Haverhill. The free program is in collaboration with Creative Haverhill.

Haverhill

Following Censorship, WHAV Urges Public to Listen to Radio, Subscribe to Free eNewspaper

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Increasing worldwide censorship and intimidation from social media giants could cause you to miss news of critically important local happenings, but there is a step you can take today to stay informed. To safeguard access to news, WHAV, on-air, online, everywhere is asking its social media followers to subscribe to WHAV’s free Wavelengths eNewspaper here. In the last week, a local news warning about the sinkhole along the southbound lanes of Interstate 495 near Ward Hill was flagged as spam and removed by one social media site. Another blocked WHAV story was news of possible restoration of Haverhill’s 1845-era (gun) powder house. The tech giant behind these removals piles on with intimidation by writing “Repeatedly breaking our rules can cause more account restrictions.”

WHAV is not alone.

Haverhill

Haverhill Council Accepts Powder House Entry on National Register of Historic Places

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Haverhill city councilors Tuesday night formally accepted the placement of the 1845-era powder house on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is one of four structures in the city known to have been designed to hold gun powder. The 91 Powder House Ave. structure is one of the few remaining buildings of its kind in the region. As only WHAV reported last year, preservation consultant Lisa Mausolf noted that the structure was already vacant and in disrepair by the 1860s.