The YWCA of Northeastern Massachusetts is introducing its 1892 club to honor past and present Tribute to Women honorees. YWCA Director of Advancement Nicole Sammartino, speaking recently on WHAV’s morning show, says it’s up to about 900 women in the 43 years the Tribute has been held. Sammartino outlined the goals of the club named in honor of the year of the local YWCA was founded. “We’re creating this club for women to come together and talk about the larger issues of the community. How else can we work together?
Tricia Whitcomb of Whitcomb Consulting will discuss Cybersecurity Skills at the upcoming Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce’s Winning Opportunities for Women Series lunch. “What’s The Cloud? Cybersecurity for All” addresses the question, “How do I protect myself online? And what *is* the cloud? Whitcomb defines cyber terms and concerns and provides basic fundamentals and a framework to follow with specific step-by-step instructions.
Elizabeth Paliga, the senior preservation services manager at Historic New England, will talk about the role of women in preserving history at Whittier Birthplace. Paliga’s talk, “Tenacious Women: A History of Preservation in New England,” will be held Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. in the Whittier Birthplace’s Gus Reusch Welcome Center, 305 Whittier Road, Haverhill. The event is free and is part of the museum’s summer preservation lecture series. It is funded in part through a grant from the Haverhill Cultural Council.
See/hear also, “Podcast: Woofstock’s Morgan Previews September Plans.”
Haverhill’s Woofstock is heading into its third year with such expanded offerings as SwiftPaws, a 5,000-ball dog pit and pet costume contest with “WoofWalk,” pet remembrance area and more. What began as a “Possible Dream” at a Team Haverhill annual visioning event, Woofstock has grown into “a thoughtfully curated experience celebrating the role dogs play in our lives while bringing together community, local businesses and organizations.” Founder and Producer Cyndie Morgan explains the idea traces back to her own dog, Nigel, and the people, connections and experiences that came into her life because of him. “Seeing Haverhill’s Woofstock recognized this way is incredibly meaningful,” said Morgan. “Amazing what one idea can become. I’m so grateful to everyone who has helped bring it to life and continues to help it grow.”
It is Haverhill’s time to, as they say, pay the piper—not in the traditional sense, but rather to borrow $26.2 million to replace a force main sewer pipe that failed in June and make related improvements. Haverhill city councilors are expected Tuesday to place on file the required 10 days a loan order to set aside the money for engineering and construction related to the South Mill Street pumping station and force main sewer line. The failure of a 1970s-era 42-inch line sent millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Merrimack River for several days while temporary bypasses were laid. In a memorandum Thursday to Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, Public Works Director Robert E. Ward emphasized the emergency nature of the work, explaining, the price tag is “based on preliminary cost estimates and cannot wait for final design; securing funding now is essential to ensure work can proceed without delay once engineering is complete.”
The city’s approach will be to replace what was once a single line with two new 36-inch parallel force mains between the South Mill Street Pump Station and the Wastewater Treatment Plant on S. Porter Street. Ward explained state environmental officials have “made clear that the permanent solution must include redundancy in the force main system.”
Ward added, the city will save time and money by also replacing aging interior pump station piping that was already scheduled for a future plant upgrade.
Applications are open to those who can offer interactive programming and contribute to the Alleyway Art Market during next month’s Haverhill Art Walk. Organizations, businesses and individuals are invited to host programming that is free and interactive. Locations include Columbus Park at Railroad Square and the lot next to Creative Haverhill, 43 Washington St., where there will be a lineup of live music. Applications close Tuesday, Sept. 8, and can be found at creativehaverhill.org/haverhill-art-walk.
Longtime Haverhill business owner and philanthropist Peter Carbone will be roasted and toasted by the Rotary Club of Haverhill during a September fundraiser. The owner, with David Gaiero, of the former EZ-Way Cleaners on White Street in Haverhill and other locations, Carbone has a long history of civic engagement in Haverhill. He currently serves as chairman of the Haverhill Board of Health, member of the Haverhill Historic Commission and member of the Haverhill Citizens Hall of Fame Committee. Carbone is also an active member of Pentucket Kiwanis Club. He and Gaiero sold their business in 2022 when they retired.
The Haverhill Fire Department celebrated Thursday the promotion of four of its own—two rising to lieutenants and two becoming captains. Capts. Evan Kelleher and Robert Miles and Lts. Matt Doucet and James Bizeur were sworn in by City Clerk Kaitlin M. Wright Esposito in a short City Hall ceremony. Fire Chief Christopher Cesati praised families for their patience and understanding as the officers worked and studied.
