Community Spotlight

Atkinson Garden Club Plant Sale Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

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Atkinson Garden Club is having its annual plant sale tomorrow, launching National Gardening Week. Club members have been preparing bulbs; dividing herbs, shrubs and perennials; and potting them up for the sale, but are also inviting all community gardeners to participate. The club is accepting perennials, annuals, herbs, flowering bushes, trees, starter vegetable plants, and house plants. All plants should be potted and labelled with their common name and growing information. There will also be a table for the sale of the Club’s unique Daffodil photo cards, order forms for daffodil bulbs, décor pots, garden books, tools and a host of other garden related items.

The sale takes place Saturday, June 3, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Atkinson Community Center’s parking lot, 4 Main St., Atkinson, N.H.

Education

Boston Fed’s Collins Singles Out Community Colleges as Providing Opportunities for Everyone

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Editor’s Note: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan M. Collins’ visit last week to a community college provides some insight into the Fed’s thinking about the role of community colleges, such as Northern Essex Community College, in the larger economy. By Jay Lindsay, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

The first college visit of Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan M. Collins’ tenure came last Thursday at a community college—a choice she said she made to highlight the economic importance of such schools. Collins’ visit to Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick came about 11 months after she began as president and CEO of the Boston Fed. “It’s really essential to me that our economy does provide opportunities for everyone, not just for some,” she said told the students. “That makes community colleges like CCRI really important in the higher education landscape.”

Collins—a former university professor, dean and provost—said she’s been asked recently to speak at numerous educational institutions.

Haverhill

Podcast: On WHAV, DA Tucker Names Mental Health Among First Responders, Public a Top Concern

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Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker has made taking care of first responders one of his office’s priorities. The district attorney, appearing on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program Wednesday, discussed the importance of paying attention to mental health issues, saying he looks at it in two ways. “I will say Chief (Robert P.) Pistone in Haverhill has does an excellent job with a very, very good department. I look at the mental health issue through two lenses…when I was the police chief in Salem, we actually created something called ‘The Community Impact Unit,’ where we brought mental health clinicians to ride with the police officers. This was back in 2009.

Education

Pentucket Regional School District Promotes Simone, Hires Cordeiro and Kwong

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Pentucket Regional School District is promoting and hiring staff as it assembles its leadership team for the 2023-2024 school year:

Staff changes include Sabrina Simone, current assistant principal at the Middle School who becomes coordinator of human resources; Alexandra Cordeiro, incoming assistant principal/special education coordinator at the Dr. John C. Page School; and Samuel “Sam” Kwong, database manager, succeeding Amy Funk, who is retiring after 10 years with the district. Superintendent Justin Bartholomew credited Simone’s promotion to her “attention to detail, exceptional communication skills and incredible dedication to the education profession.”

“Her experiences as an administrator and having to negotiate some very challenging issues will be of great benefit to the entire district,” he said. Cordeiro began her educational career as a teacher in the Tri-Town School Union in Topsfield. She most recently worked as a Chapter 504 School-Based Coordinator at Steward Elementary School in Topsfield. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Framingham State in Liberal Studies, a Master’s in Education from Lesley College and a Master’s in School Administration from Gordon College.

Region

North Andover Historical Society Names Hoffman Executive Director

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Sheila K. Hoffman has been named executive director of the North Andover Historical Society. After an extensive search process that attracted exceptional candidates from across the country, officials said, Hoffman emerged as the “standout choice” to lead the Historical Society into its next chapter. They cited her deep expertise in historical preservation, community engagement and strategic leadership as making her an ideal fit for the Society’s mission to promote and celebrate the rich heritage of the North Andover community. “We are incredibly excited to welcome Sheila Hoffman as the new executive director of our Historical Society,” said David Kres, chair of the Search Committee. “Her proven track record of preserving and teaching history, along with her innovative ideas, professionalism and enthusiasm, convinced us that she will provide strong leadership and propel our organization to new heights.”

Hoffman, a North Andover resident, art historian and nonprofit executive, takes over as the Society is preparing to open the newly renovated Stevens Center near North Andover’s North Common and to launch a major fundraising campaign.

Region

Methuen Police Explorers Take Second Place in Statewide Competition in Winthrop

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Methuen’s Police Explorers placed second recently when members competed in the 2023 Massachusetts Law Enforcement Explorer Competition. The explorers, ages 14-21, took part Saturday, May 20, in Winthrop where various police departments and the Massachusetts State Police provided field training and role play supervision. They were accompanied by Lt. Joe Aiello and Officers Jeffrey Torrisi, Nicholas Fabrizio and Walter Torres

Members improved on last year’s Methuen Police Explorers third place showing in the statewide competition of several Explorer Posts engaged in a multitude of group and individual skill events in relation to law enforcement careers. Those interested in becoming a Police Explorer may call Aiello at 978-983-8762 or email him at [email protected].

Education

Recently Hatched Falcons are Real Life UMass Lowell River Hawks

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Donning hard hats and holding Styrofoam pool noodles to keep a protective mother peregrine falcon at bay, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife biologists Thursday retrieved two falcon chicks hatched in a nest box at UMass Lowell, to get a look at the birds and assess their health. Both chicks—a male and female—are doing well, according to officials. Amid a gathering of UMass Lowell staff, volunteers and other guests, including state Rep. Rodney Elliott, wildlife biologists fitted each bird with an ID tag that will allow officials to track the chicks over their lifespan. Hatched about three weeks ago in the nest box atop the university’s Fox Hall, the chicks will grow on campus until early August, when they will fledge the nest, according to Wildlife Biologist Chalis Bird, who led the event. “Then they will disperse to find their own identity.

Haverhill

Merrimack Valley Transit Pledges Faster Response to Complaints From Disabled Riders

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Haverhill-based MeVa Transit, formerly known as the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority, was slow to investigate and respond to complaints by disabled riders over a two-year period ending Sept. 30, 2021. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office released its audit of the quasi-public bus operator last month, largely covering a period before Noah S. Berger became administrator. The audit centers on 25 complaints by those using paratransit service, a service accommodating wheelchairs and scooters, for example, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The state auditor’s office found seven of 25 people who filed complaints did not receive acknowledgements within the required 24 hours and six did not receive follow-up responses.