Haverhill

The Night the Martian ‘Death Ray’ Missed Haverhill; ‘War of the Worlds’ Airs Oct. 30

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Editor’s Note: This is an update of earlier versions of this story. Marking the 88th anniversary of the historic broadcast, 97.9 WHAV airs the original “Mercury Theater on the Air” presentation of the “War of the Worlds,” Friday, Oct. 30, at 10 p.m., with an encore three hours later at 1 a.m. 

The supposed Martian invasion of Earth and its aftermath 86 years ago this week didn’t seem to faze Greater Haverhill residents. In fact, most locals didn’t even know about the “death rays” that destroyed metropolitan New York the night before. That is, until they picked up their newspapers Monday, Oct.

Haverhill

‘Everyone’s Coming for Our Heads;’ Knight’s Basketball Looking to Go Back-To-Back

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Northern Essex Community College men’s basketball is looking to repeat last-year’s championship. Sophomore and team Captain Jay’von Depina said other teams in the National Junior College Athletics Association division III are “coming for our heads.”

Last season, Northern Essex won its first national championship, beating Dallas College Richland, 68-62, Saturday, March 14. Star sophomore players Alejandro Delgado, Christian Sanders, Alex Johnson and Yunosuke Matsuda were key to the championship season. The Knight’s are now without these players going into this year, as only about five players are returning.  Head Coach Darren Stratton referred to the players as “my kids,” and shared with WHAV the mentality he hopes to instill in every player.

Haverhill

Judge Dismisses Complaint Against Haverhill Man Who Entered His Condemned Home

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A man, who faced charges after entering his own damaged and condemned Haverhill home in July, was cleared this week in Haverhill District Court. Judge Susan H. McNeil dismissed charges Tuesday against Wellington “Bill” Clark Jr. The 68-year-old disabled veteran was summonsed into court for filing a false police report to justify entering his home. McNeil dismissed the complaint at the request of Clark’s lawyer, Willow Tervo. “Bill is happy with the result,” said Tervo, who is associated with the Haverhill law offices of Sheehan, Schiavoni, Jutras and Magliocchetti,

Last month, attorney Paul A. Magliocchetti negotiated an up to $100,000 settlement with the City of Haverhill. The agreement covers engineering work, repairs and temporary housing, relocation, storage and other living expenses.

Education

Northern Essex, Merrimack Health Celebrate New Surgical Tech Program Launch

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(Additional photograph gallery below.)
Yoneli Batista is excited to be studying at Northern Essex Community College and working toward a career in surgical tech that she might have overlooked. During an open house of the Surgical Technology program Wednesday in an actual operating room at Merrimack Health Haverhill, Batista explained she accidentally discovered the profession. “I stumbled on a video for surgi-tech and I think, Hey, I kind of want to do this. It looks like fun. It looks like something that I can grow in and, kind of like, let’s give it a try,” she told WHAV.

Business Bulletin

Haverhill’s Hidden Pig Reopens, Gradually Expanding Hours

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Downtown Haverhill’s Hidden Pig restaurant, which “lightly” reopened without fanfare last month in time for River Ruckus, is moving toward a full schedule. Owner and Manager Phillip C. Bentham II tells WHAV, “We wanted to slowly get it back and see where we’re at.” After the restaurant closed briefly, Bentham notes, he reopened it with a refreshed menu. “We’ve just been slowing opening, Wednesdays to Sundays. We’re trying to find a little more consistency in downtown hours because, during the week, it has been so abysmal. It’s a weird economy right now.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill Police to Collect Food During Saturday’s Stuff a Cruiser Day

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The Haverhill Police Department will be out in force during its 10th Stuff a Cruiser Day, Saturday, collecting food donations for area food pantries. Officers will station cruisers between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 31, at Market Basket locations at Westgate Plaza, Central Plaza and Rivers Edge Plaza in Haverhill. Residents are asked to contribute such non-perishable items as canned fruits, vegetables, soups and hams; frozen turkeys and chickens; paper goods; cranberry sauce: potatoes: yams: boxed stuffing mix: pasta:  pasta sauce; baked beans; and cereals.

Haverhill

Haverhill Councilors Shoot Down Prickly Battery Storage, Data Center Actions

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Haverhill city councilors last night put the brakes on two controversial measures—construction of data centers and Battery Energy Storage Systems—that have been the subjects of rising national scrutiny. The Haverhill City Council, at the urging of Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, voted to refuse allowing data centers to be located anywhere in the city by omitting them from zoning tables. Barrett explained several city councilors asked about imposing a moratorium on such centers, but she instead called for an outright ban because of power grid strain. The mayor cited an instance where there already is not enough electricity. “We currently, and we will for the foreseeable future, not have the grid capacity to handle that.

Education

Families Can Comment on Whittier Middle and Tilton Elementary School Plans

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Parents, students, and the public have opportunities to learn about, and weigh in on, the options to replace Haverhill’s John Greenleaf Whittier School and possibly John C. Tilton School as well. As WHAV reported Oct. 12, officials will brief residents and accept feedback at a Massachusetts School Building Authority gathering Thursday, Nov. 5, starting at 6 p.m., at the middle school, 256 Concord St, Haverhill. Haverhill School Superintendent Margaret Marotta told the School Committee the building project is moving into the design phase.