Business Bulletin

River Street Café Opens in Haverhill, Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Every Day

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River Street Café, offering breakfast sandwiches, pizzas, salads, paninis and subs, opened last week on River Street in Haverhill

Business owners Kelly DiFazio and Brenna Whitley and their staff offer dine-in, take-out and delivery options for breakfast, lunch or dinner seven days-a-week. DiFazio tells WHAV the restaurant opened at 558 River St., Haverhill, with little fanfare. “We’ve been really busy. We weren’t expecting it, but we’re definitely ready,” she says. She says renovations began more than a year ago to makeover the space.

Community Spotlight

UTEC Discusses ‘What Positive Justice Looks Like’ During Library Program Wednesday

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Lowell-based UTEC, which operates an anti-violence program in Haverhill, discusses its nationally recognized model during an online presentation tomorrow presented by the Haverhill Public Library. During “Courageous Conversations: What Positive Justice Looks Like,” UTEC explains its approach. The model begins with intensive street outreach, correctional facility in-reach and gang peacemaking, “engaging our most disconnected young adults by meeting them ‘where they’re at.’” The team also share some of the ways they are innovating with the state and Department of Corrections to make “real, meaningful changes at a systemic level” and how the public can help. The program takes place Wednesday, April 14, from 7-8:30 p.m. Register at haverhillpl.org by clicking Calendar of Events.

Education

Haverhill Public Schools Restore WiFi, HHS Seniors Return to In-Person Classes Tuesday

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Haverhill High School seniors have a chance of ending their final semester in a relatively normal manner as they return to in-person learning Tuesday. School Superintendent Margaret Marotta said Monday night that WiFi is expected to be restored at all school buildings Tuesday following a devastating ransomware attack that took out internet, telephone and other services last week. “While we will be up and running, we will not be at full network capacity for some time. Email is not yet up consistently,” Marotta wrote. Haverhill School Committee members had accelerated seniors’ back-to-school schedules late last month only to have Monday’s planned return thwarted by the cyberattack.

Education

Whittier Tech Teachers and Students Reflect on Pandemic Life, Successes and Lessons Learned

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As Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School transitions back to full in-person learning by the end of the month, the institution is reflecting on the events of the past year. The kind of hands-on learning vocational education requires meant staff had to adapt on the fly to new technologies and adjust the curriculum for learning in-person and remotely. Michael Sandlin, a senior carpentry instructor in his fifth year of teaching at Whittier, explained. “One downside to remote teaching was that I was not able to teach my trade the way that I was taught and the way that I typically teach which is hands-on. One positive take to remote teaching was that it pushed me to learn new technologies that I was able to implement to help teach carpentry remotely.”

Sandlin said he is proud of the way shop instructors rallied together to help each other and students for a high level of quality even with the limited time in the shop.

Education

$40,000 HHS Scholarship Honors Late Pentucket Bank Chairman Edmund Cote

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The family of former Pentucket Bank President and CEO Edmund J. Cote Jr. and Pentucket Bank recently established a scholarship for graduating Haverhill High School seniors beginning this year. Cote’s family raised $20,000 which was matched by Pentucket Bank for a total of $40,000. Two $1,000 scholarships will be given annually to Haverhill High School graduates. The fund is intended to provide support and assistance to students who, like Cote, are not at the top of their class, but “whose potential is unlimited when given the opportunity to succeed.”

“Mr. Cote was not raised in a family of means. He was a bright student, but not among the top students in his class.

Crime

Rhode Island Man Receives Nine-Year Prison Sentence for Robbing Andover Bank, Four Others

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One of two men who robbed an Andover Bank and four others in 2018 was sentenced Friday to a little more than nine years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns sentenced 50-year-old Dong Lee of Rhode Island to 110 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Lee pleaded guilty last October. His accomplice, Charles Lamont Wheeler, was previously sentenced to seven years in prison. Between Sept.

Community Spotlight

Creative Haverhill Invites Artists to Join Haverhill Art Walk Series Starting May 8

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The Haverhill Art Walk Series kicks off next month and is seeking artists, musicians and businesses to participate. Haverhill Art Walk is an outdoor and indoor event taking place on the second Saturday of the month from May 8 through Sept. 11, throughout downtown Haverhill’s Riverfront Cultural District spanning Washington, Wingate and Essex Streets. Walks highlight businesses, forgotten alleyways and underused spaces with plein air painting, exhibitions, demonstrations and music performances. This program is coordinated by Creative Haverhill to support local creatives and small businesses and to help activate downtown.

Education

Cyberattack at Haverhill Schools Keeps Seniors from Returning Monday; Educators Tentatively Reach Return Pact

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Haverhill High School seniors will continue to learn remotely Monday as the effects of last week’s ransomware attack linger. School Committee members accelerated seniors’ return in a vote last month, expecting them back to in-person classes Monday, April 12. However, in an email to families Sunday night, Superintendent Margaret Marotta wrote, “the limited internet access in the schools makes wide-spread synchronous teaching impossible. As such we have made the difficult decision that Haverhill High School will be fully remote tomorrow…”

“Our IT team has worked diligently all weekend on recovery efforts, however despite their long hours we hit a snag and are not able to have internet access available in our schools tomorrow as hoped. The lack of internet access will impact synchronous learning across the school district,” Marotta explained.