Education

Finegold Testifies in Favor of Enabling Districts to Ban Cell Phones, Devices in School

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Area Sen. Barry R. Finegold called this week on the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education to advance a bill that would ban student cell phone and other device usage while in school except in certain circumstances such as emergencies. The bill, championed by Sens. Finegold, Julian Cyr and Nick Collins and state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, would require local school districts to restrict “physical access to a personal electronic device by students during the school day,” except in some instances. “With local authority driving, a prohibition on the use of cell phones and related technology, with certain limited exceptions, is a powerful first step in creating what Attorney General Andrea Campbell has called ‘a digital landscape that prioritizes the well-being of our youth,’” Finegold said in written testimony. The bill covers mobile phones, tablets, computers, smartwatches or other electronic devices “not owned or provided to a student by a public school.”

Finegold noted, “Massachusetts is falling behind the 26 other states that have already passed laws in this space, 17 of which have happened this year.

Business Bulletin

Haverhill Food Drive Saturday by Merrimack Valley Chamber, Central Labor Council and United Way

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The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Merrimack Valley Central Labor Council and United Way of Massachusetts Bay are asking for the public’s donations during a food drive this Saturday at all three Haverhill Market Basket store locations. Collections take place Saturday, June 21, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., at Market Basket stores at 400 Lowell Ave., 2 Water St. and 285 Lincoln Ave., Haverhill

The effort seeks non-perishable food with organizers saying every can, box and bag makes a real difference. Volunteers will be at each site to assist. Those seeking more information may email Bobby Brown at [email protected].

Region

Atkinson, N.H., Fire and Mutual Aid Partners Take Part in Live Fire Training at Vacant Home

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(Additional photograph below.)

A vacant Atkinson, N.H., house provided an ideal venue for live fire training this past Saturday. Atkinson Fire Department Lt. Matt Leary and Firefighter Billy Willette led and coordinated the unusual training opportunity for Atkinson and departments from Danville, East Kingston, Hampstead, Salem and Sandown, N.H. Atkinson Deputy Fire Chief Andrew Murphy said the 3 Jericho Lane home was originally intended to be rehabilitated, but the owner decided to build new instead. “These opportunities, while rare, are essential for helping our firefighters gain real-world experience in a controlled environment, enhancing both their skills and safety. The ability of our team, along with our mutual aid partners to practice critical techniques that directly improve our emergency response capabilities is immeasurable. There is strong mutual aid support in our area, and we were happy to be able to train together and strengthen those relationships on days like this,” Murphy told WHAV in an email.

Community Spotlight

Salem Poet Carver Reads at Haverhill River Bards Wednesday Night

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Poet M.P. Carver of Salem, Mass., is headlining Wednesday night’s Haverhill River Bards poetry and open mic night. Carver is the director of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival and teaches creative writing at Salem State University. Her poem “In Vitro” was named a finalist of the Connecticut River Review’s Experimental Poetry Contest in 2023. Her poem, “You & God & I,” was awarded the New England Poetry Club’s E.E. Cummings Prize in 2022. She has received financial support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Essex Community Foundation.

Education

Whittier Tech Communities Celebrate Step Towards Shared Campus Plan

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Officials from the 11 communities that send students to Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School celebrated their joint agreement yesterday afternoon with a signing ceremony on the 50-yard line of the school’s football field. The concept of a shared campus at Northern Essex Community College’s Haverhill site surfaced a year ago after voters in 10 of the 11 sending school communities rejected a $445 million standalone replacement. Only Haverhill voted in favor of building a new school on the current campus at 115 Amesbury Line Road. In order to pursue state financial support for the combined campus plan, all 11 communities had to agree to bring an application before the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Up until a month ago, Rowley had been a hold out.

Haverhill

Newly Protected Parsonage Hill Becomes Haverhill’s Viburnum Woods with Celebratory Hike

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Haverhill’s 111-acre Parsonage Hill conservation area has a new name—Viburnum Woods, inspired by the rich understory of mapleleaf viburnum that grow on the property. Essex County Greenbelt Association and the city purchased the land last year for $690,000 from the estate of Martin A. Chooljian and the Martin Almas Chooljian Revocable Trust. As WHAV reported last year, the land trust received a $217,600 in a state grant and $254,187 from the estate of former Haverhill mayoral candidate Maureen Corbett, who died in 2017. The final third was contributed by foundations and individuals throughout Essex County including Haverhill, according to Greenbelt President Christopher B. LaPointe. A recent celebratory hike through the woods was brought remarks by Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, state Rep. Ryan M. Hamilton and LaPointe.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill Garden Club Again Spotlights Local Gardens

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The Haverhill Garden Club is seeking nominations for its popular Garden of the Month awards. To be eligible, gardens must be tended by their owners and gardeners are not required to be members of the garden club, according to Josiah Morrow, chair of the Garden of the Month Committee. Awards, given each month of the gardening season, are aimed at celebrating the creativity, effort and beauty of residential gardens throughout the city, Morrow added. “We want to recognize everyday gardeners who bring beauty to their neighborhoods through their own hard work and love of plants,” he said. “This is our way of saying thank you to those who make Haverhill bloom.”

Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis during the gardening season.

Haverhill

Public Meetings This Week: Haverhill Commission on Disability Issues Reviews Scholarships, More

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The public has opportunities to shape policy this week as various Haverhill boards meet. In the interest of transparency in government, WHAV provides this list of upcoming meetings every week. The Haverhill Commission on Disability Issues will meet for the first time since it was reactivated this spring on Wednesday, June 18, at 6 p.m. at Haverhill Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St. Commissioners will welcome its newest member, Alexandra Ponder, 25 Perspective Drive. The board will also look over applicants for its college scholarships and discuss a marketing and outreach plan.