Haverhill

WHAV’s Most Important Drive for Local News Starts Today

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How to keep local communities informed has become one of the greatest challenges of our times as newsrooms continue to close or shrink nationwide. The formula showing the most promise nationally is nonprofit-owned media, such as WHAV. WHAV—on-air, online, in the daily Wavelengths eNewspaper, everywhere—delivers more local news, more news that matters and more often to the largest local audience ever assembled. This year, for the first time, WHAV is receiving help from NewsMatch, the largest grassroots fundraising campaign to support nonprofit news in the U.S., and benefitting members of the Institute for Nonprofit News. The only way to ensure WHAV’s sustainability is to broaden its base of support.

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 86th anniversary of the historic broadcast, 97.9 WHAV airs the original “Mercury Theater on the Air” presentation of the “War of the Worlds,” Wednesday, 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.

Education

Podcast: Hunking Student Becomes National Champion in MLB’s Pitch, Hit and Run Contest

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Updated: On Sunday, Oct. 27, Mollie MacIntosh became the National Champion in Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit & Run competition when she defeated the other regional winners in the 7- to 8-year-old age bracket. The National Championship was held in Los Angeles, the day after Game 2 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees. Haverhill has been home to a few major league baseball players, most recently Carlos Pena, and the late Mike Ryan, and there is another talented ball player in the wings. It’s 8-year-old Mollie MacIntosh, a third grader at the Caleb Dustin Hunking School.

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.

Region

Podcast: Mann Orchards’ Fitzgerald Previews Topsfield Fair and Looks Back 50 Years

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If there was any reason to doubt it, the upcoming Topsfield Fair is a sure sign of fall. America’s oldest county fair, having started in 1818, opens Friday, Oct. 4, and runs through Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 14. Although he hasn’t been around since the beginning, Bill Fitzgerald of Methuen’s Mann Orchards is as knowledgeable as anyone about the longtime tradition.

Business Bulletin

Podcast: Haverhill Bank’s Mortimer Shares Stories From the City’s Deep Financial Institution History

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The banking business in Greater Haverhill has seen a many changes over the years and, similar to the person hawking programs at a sporting event, Haverhill Bank President and CEO Thomas L. Mortimer knows “you can’t tell the players without a program.”

Serving as a local banker for more than 40 years, Mortimer is the “go-to” historian for the local banking scene, you can’t tell the banks without a seasoned veteran. He shared some of his memories recently with listeners of WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. He starts with Haverhill Bank, which will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in a couple of years. “Haverhill Bank was founded on Aug. 13, 1877 and the very first meeting was at the Good Templar’s Hall at 53 Merrimack St., and, also at the very first meeting, the first loan was made to an F.S. McKenny for the sum of $400.

Haverhill

National Radio Day Brings Together the Public, Broadcasters to Celebrate Local Service

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Today is National Radio Day! The annual event, dating back to the 1990s, came together on the anniversary of the launch of what became WWJ in Detroit by the Detroit News on Aug. 20, 1920. It received fresh vigor in 2011 when National Public Radio began promoting it. Organizers say, “National Radio Day is a time for communities across the country to celebrate radio.

Haverhill

Podcast: Essex County Habitat for Humanity Invites Applications to Buy New Haverhill Duplexes

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Essex County Habitat for Humanity is at work developing a duplex with affordable three-bedroom units in Haverhill’s Mount Washington neighborhood, but has hope for another local project as well. Habitat for Humanity’s Director of Charitable Giving Kevin Hudson appeared Monday on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program to discuss plans for the 41-43 Curtis St., Haverhill site. “We will start excavation over the summer and get the foundation in and, once we do that, we’ll start building the home and volunteers can help us frame,” he says. Both units, valued at $245,000 each, have approximately 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a single-car garage. Those interested in getting one of the sets of keys must be first-time homebuyers, have a qualifying household income and be willing to contribute 240-360 hours of “sweat equity.” Applications are due by Friday, Aug.