Education

Pentucket Regional School Plans Learning Collaborative With Various Classes for All Ages

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Pentucket Regional School District has opened registration for arts; cooking; conversational Spanish; Digital Literacy for Parents, Guardians and Caregivers; and other classes starting in May. The Pentucket Learning Collaborative, geared toward adults and people of all ages, is taught by Pentucket educators. Classes run Wednesdays from May 1-29, from 5-7 p.m., at Pentucket Regional Middle High School. “Our classes are a collaborative in the truest sense of the idea,” Pentucket Schools Executive Director of Operations Jonathan Seymour said. “We’ve known for a while that creating communities where people of different generations can share experiences can lead to positive learning outcomes.”

During the five weeks, students may master skills or knowledge in everything from food preparation and greetings in Spanish, to social media etiquette, painting and illustration and caring for school-age children.

Region

Methuen Seeks Volunteers for Annual Flag Replacement at Veterans’ Graves

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Methuen is seeking volunteers to help with the student-led annual flag replacement next month. Every year around Memorial Day, the Methuen Veterans Office coordinates replacement of the flags on graves of all veterans. Volunteers will join students from St. Monica’s School Saturday, May 18, from 8:30 a.m.-noon, at Elmwood Cemetery, rain or shine. Breakfast will be available.

Region

Household Hazardous Waste Day for Plaistow and Atkinson, N.H., Residents April 27

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Residents of Plaistow and Atkinson, N.H., among other area communities, will be able to drop off household cleaners, paints and oils, poisons and other harmful wastes during an upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Day. It takes place Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m.-noon, at the at the Plaistow Public Works Facility, 144F Main St., Plaistow. Other participating communities are Danville, Hampstead, Chester and Kingston. Proof of residency will be required. Acceptable material includes aerosol cans, pool chemicals, cleaners, fluorescent bulbs, oil-based paints and more.

Education

Groveland’s Bagnall School Sixth Grades Graduate from DARE Program; Three Win Essay Contest

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Dr. Elmer S. Bagnall School students recently graduated from the Groveland Police Department’s Drug Awareness Resistance Education program, known as DARE, for short. Superintendent Justin Bartholomew, Police Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen and Principal James Day said about 66 sixth grade students graduated from the program Friday, April 4. Students in each class also participated in an essay contest about what the program meant to them. Essay winners were Owen Potter, Kara Walsh and Ava Tarquinio. They received a trophy and a certificate.

Community Spotlight

AgeSpan Celebrates 50 Years of Inspiring Aging with Meteorologist Harvey Leonard

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AgeSpan is hosting its milestone anniversary lunch, “50 Years of Inspiring Aging: Celebrating the Power, Value and Voices of Older Adults,” on May 2. The event features keynote speaker WCVB Channel 5’s Chief Meteorologist Emeritus Harvey Leonard. The organization, formerly known as Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore, are honoring 50 local people aged 60 and older who provide inspiration through healthy aging, intergenerational experiences, community service, caregiving and activism. “We are celebrating the accomplishments of older adults and want to encourage people to rethink the way they view aging,” says AgeSpan CEO Joan Hatem-Roy. “I am humbled by their service to others and proud to be part of an organization working to ensure everyone has the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest and in the communities of their choice.”

The lunch takes place Thursday, May 2, from noon-2 p.m., at Blue Ocean Event Center, 4 Oceanfront North, Salisbury.

Health

Groveland’s PFAS Water Worries Come to Pass as EPA Declares New Drinking Water Standards

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What Groveland officials have been sounding the alarm about came to pass yesterday when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed new federal limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water. As WHAV reported last month, Groveland is scrambling to identify solutions since its existing well water currently tests slightly above the limits for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Called PFAS, for short. While the town is considering options such as an estimated $22 million water treatment plant or buying water from Haverhill, Clint Richmond, conservation chair for the Massachusetts Sierra Club, made a declaration. “These costs should not be borne by ratepayers or taxpayers when the problem stems from decades of industries using these toxic forever chemicals,” he said.

Region

Possible Groveland Water Treatment Plant to Remove PFAS Estimated to Cost About $22 Million

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Should Groveland move forward with the option of building a water treatment plant to meet tightened pollution regulations, officials project it will cost about $22 million for construction and piping. A treatment plant is one of three options for meeting expected requirements to serve water largely free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS for short. As WHAV previously reported, other possibilities are finding new well sources or buying water from a neighboring community, such as Haverhill. Water and Sewer Superintendent Colin Stokes, the Groveland Water and Sewer Department and the Board of Water Commissioners said in a statement said the plant would be paid over time by water and sewer ratepayers. To reduce costs, they said grants or the State Revolving Fund, with low or zero percent interest could help.

Education

NAMM Names Pentucket Regional School District One of Best Communities for Music Education

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The Pentucket Regional School District was recently recognized by the NAMM Foundation as part of the Best Communities for Music Education list for the fourth consecutive year. Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair David Schumacher said the district is one of 23 schools across Massachusetts to receive the honor of being included on the list. Now in its 25th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts nationwide that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. “Applying for this designation was a massive undertaking involving the coordination of K-12 music faculty, all our district principals and the Pentucket Music Boosters,” Schumacher said. Bartholomew added, “Our students are so passionate about music and the arts, and because of strong community support we are able to provide them with an outstanding music education program.”

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to advance active participation in music-making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.