Beacon Hill News

UTEC Asks Legislators to Support Mattress Recycling, Jobs in Bill Filed by Vargas, Kennedy

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UTEC, a nonprofit operating in Haverhill, Lawrence and Lowell, and one of three organizations selected by the state Department of Environmental Protection as an approved mattress recycler, sent representatives to testify Wednesday in favor of an act to promote the future success of mattress recycling in the state. The bill, filed by Lowell Sen. Edward Kennedy and Haverhill Rep. Andy X. Vargas, creates a state commission to assess and improve the state’s mattress disposal practices, supports recycling partnerships with nonprofits and social enterprises that provide employment for returning citizens and individuals facing high barriers to employment and covers costs through a mattress recycling fee. Jamie Vazquez told legislators the Mattress Recycling Social Enterprise at UTEC has had a “huge impact” on his life. “My journey with them actually started while I was still incarcerated. After coming home, I did everything I could to find a job.

Community Spotlight

Groveland Council on Aging Plans EngAGEment Conference

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Val Walker, a nationally-recognized motivational speaker who advises on social connections later in life, will serve at the keynote presenter at the Groveland Council on Aging’s second annual EngAGEment Celebration and Symposium. The conference, which celebrates Older Americans Month, will be held Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pentucket Regional High School, 24 Main St., West Newbury. The event is free but registering at GrovelandMa.com/Council-On-Aging assures participants of a ticket to the lunch. Walker is the author of “400 Friends and No One to Call,” and writes regularly for Psychology Today. She will offer practical strategies for those seeking to expand their social networks and stay connected through life’s transitions.

Community Spotlight

TV Sitcom ‘Family Matters’ is Backdrop of Family Services Gala Thursday

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The theme of this year’s Family Services of the Merrimack Valley gala is “Family Matters,’ a play on the popular 1990’s sitcom. “Family Services and family sit coms have a lot in common,” Development Director Amy LaCroix said. “Family sitcoms depict families navigating parenting dilemmas, misunderstandings and financial struggles while overcoming them with love and humor. Family Services of the Merrimack Valley provides real-life support through counseling, mentoring, parenting assistance and youth development programs.”

The gala takes place Thursday, May 8, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Black Swan Country Club, 258 Andover St, Georgetown. Danielle and Matt Noyes are the masters of ceremonies for the night.

Community Spotlight

‘American Revolution Experience’ Open Through May 25 at Custom House Maritime Museum

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The “American Revolution Experience,” an exhibition about how colonists wrestled with British loyalty vs. American independence during the 1770s, opens Wednesday at Newburyport’s Custom House Maritime Museum. The innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation. It is made possible by the Brigadier General James Brickett-Old Newbury Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Battlefield Trust and runs through May 25. “The museum is enormously grateful to Sheri Larsen and the Brigadier General James Brickett Old Newbury, Chapter NSDAR for bringing this exciting and informative exhibition to the CHMM.

Haverhill

U.S. Rep. Trahan’s Office Plans Regional Office Hours May 7 in Methuen, June 11 in Haverhill

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Third District Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s team plans to hold office hours Wednesday in Methuen and next month in Haverhill to hear from residents looking for help dealing with issues they’re experiencing with federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security, Veterans Administration or others. The regional hours and locations are aimed at helping those who cannot travel to Trahan’s Lowell office. Office hours take place Wednesday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Methuen Senior Activity Center, 77 Lowell St., Methuen, and Wednesday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Haverhill City Hall, room 308, 4 Summer St., Haverhill. Reservations are not required. Trahan’s main office is also open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 126 John St., Suite 12, Lowell.

Education

Pentucket Regional Middle High School Plans 25th Anniversary Café Jazz Friday

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Pentucket Regional Middle High School’s Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair David Schumacher brought with him a special tradition when he joined the district in 2000. This Friday, he’ll join those celebrating and performing during the 25th anniversary of Pentucket’s Café Jazz. “I grew up in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and played in my school’s jazz band from grades six through 12. Our director, Richard Rabideau, held our jazz concerts in the school cafeteria with dim lighting, decorations, cafeteria tables for seating and a potluck refreshment table to enjoy after the show,” Schumacher explains. Rabideau called these concerts “Café Jazz.”

“I chose to carry on that lineage when I came to Pentucket.

Region

Bipartisan Paint Recycling Proposal Runs into Republican Opposition in NH Senate

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by Claire Sullivan, New Hampshire Bulletin
May 2, 2025

Despite widespread support from business and environmental groups alike, the Senate voted Thursday to stall a bill that would create a paint recycling program in the state. House Bill 451, led by bipartisan sponsors, aims to give residents and businesses a responsible way to get rid of their cans, while also keeping paint — which can contain harmful chemicals such as PFAS — out of the state’s landfills. But senators, citing concerns such as the fee added to paint cans to fund the program, moved to rerefer the bill to committee, likely delaying further action on the legislation until the fall. “It’s been successful in every other state that we’ve launched a program (in),” said Heidi K. McAuliffe, the senior vice president of government affairs for the American Coatings Association. “I was really hopeful that this would be the year the bill would get through.

Community Spotlight

Veasey Park Speaker Series Begins Monday Night with Tapper

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Three well-known naturalists will present lectures on their areas of expertise at part of the Veasey Memorial Park free May speaker series. Vermont forester Ethan Tapper kicks off the series Monday, May 5, in a talk titled “What Does it Mean to Love a Forest.” He takes participants on a walk through Veasey Park’s new reforestation project and talks about how the Japanese Miyawaki method of intense planting of natural plant materials can help a forest rebound quickly. He will also address how to respond to the harmful legacies of the past and how to use the human power to heal rather than harm. Tapper will sign copies of his book “How to Love A Forest.” Sales benefit Veasey Memorial Park. On Tuesday, May 13, foraging expert Russ Cohen leads a hike through the park in search of edible wild plants in a talk entitled “Edible Plant Exploration at Veasey Park.” Finally, on May 29, Merrimac artist Jenn Houle talks about how native plants have inspired her art and she will offer a painting workshop following her talk entitled “Public Art, Plants & Our Planet.”

Participants are asked to gather at 6 p.m. in the main parking lot at Veasey Memorial Park, 201 Washington St., Groveland,

Those who wish to learn more or register may visit VeaseyPark.org.