Cannabis

Weekend Brings Haverhill Cannabis Walk, Visits by NFL Stars Highlight Ballot Questions

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All four of Haverhill’s cannabis retailers are taking part this Saturday in the first-ever Haverhill Cannabis Walk—part of a larger weekend “No on 8 and Yes on 10” ballot campaign that also brings NFL stars Ricky Williams and Kyle Turley Sunday to Haverhill. Stem, Mello, CNA Stores and Full Harvest Moon co-sponsor the Cannabis Walk. Stem Owner Caroline Pineau said the two events are designed to educate voters about statewide Question 8, which would overturn legal cannabis sales, and Haverhill Question 10, which would pave the way for permitting of a social cannabis consumption site in Haverhill. “It’s vital that Haverhill voters are fully educated on the questions before them on Nov. 3 because they will have a dramatic impact on local jobs, city tax revenue and whether the cannabis market is controlled by licensed, responsible operators or by street dealers who don’t check IDs and don’t know or care what’s in the product they sell,” Pineau said.

Haverhill

Haverhill Hispanic Heritage Celebration Draws Hundreds for Day of Culture and Unity

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More than 200 took part in a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month this Sunday in downtown Haverhill with performances, food, entertainment and activities for children. The Haverhill Hispanic Heritage Celebration, not widely publicized in advance, brought mariachis from Mexico and a variety of Dominican, Peruvian, Guatemalan, Puerto Rican, Columbian and Cuban entertainers. There were also free foods from different cultures largely provided by the Latino Coalition with help from local bodegas; Hispanic arts and crafts for sale; informational tables with voter registration forms and local health resources; and kids activities featuring vibrantly dressed clowns, all within the third floor of Pinnacle at Harbor Place. Eridania Nieves, director of Haverhill High School’s Girls Empowered Means Success, or GEMS, summarized the day, saying, “Unidos Somos Mas, Together We Are More.”

Besides Nieves, also of ERI Entertainment, organizers included Carmenza Bruff, president of the Columbian Cultural Committee; Kathy Rurak, community organizer and fundraiser; Latino Coalition President Argenis Marte and Treasurer Penelope Guerrero Perez, also a member of the Haverhill School Committee; Aliesha Grandison; and Yojani A. Sosa Guerrero. Besides Guerrero Perez, other elected officials taking part were Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, state Rep. Andy X. Vargas and Governor’s Councilor Eunice D. Zeigler.

Community Spotlight

Postponed: Buttonwoods Museum Hosts Artisan Fair

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Note: The event has been postponed to a later date. An Artisan Fair, featuring hand-thrown pottery to stitched textiles, carved woodwork and one-of-a-kind jewelry, is coming up at Buttonwoods Museum. The fair also gives the public a chance to talk with the artists, learn stories behind the art and find one-of-a-kind items. There will also be raffles including a 50/50 split. The Artisan Fair takes place Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Buttonwoods Museum, 240 Water St., Haverhill.

Education

Northern Essex Community College Names Jackowski STEM Dean

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Jennifer Jackowski last month joined Northern Essex Community College as dean of STEM. She says the path she took to becoming a dean, a job she described as “beyond her wildest imagination,” may be familiar for other community college graduates. “I never thought I’d be a college student, let alone an instructor, let alone a dean. I can relate to community college students because I have some of the same lived experiences. I can set a really high standard and help give them the support to get to that level,” says Jackowski.

Election Central

Methuen Democratic Committee Takes Sides on Three Ballot Questions

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Ahead of early voting that begins this weekend, the Methuen Democratic City Committee recently took positions on three ballot questions. The Committee voted unanimously to urge a no vote on Question 3, which would keep Massachusetts’ current party primary system; a no vote on Question 8, which would keep retail cannabis sales legal; and a yes vote on Question 9, which would keep stricter regulations on ghost guns, machine guns and assault-style weapons. “This is not the time to be taking Massachusetts backward by creating chaos in our elections, disruptions to our regulated cannabis marketplace or weakening public safety and the strongest gun laws in the country,” said Methuen Democratic City Committee Chair Lisa Yarid Ferry. “Big money is trying to shape Massachusetts to their own desires, but Methuen Democrats will not let that happen—especially in one of the most important election years of our lifetime.”

The Committee said, voting no on Question 3 would preserve Massachusetts’ current party primary system, in which candidates compete in a debate of ideas and are chosen by registered members of their party, while unenrolled voters can choose which party’s primary ballot to vote in. It added, Question 8 would effectively repeal the state’s recreational cannabis laws and regulations first passed by voters in 2016, while a no vote would keep the current system in place.

Business Bulletin

‘Beyond 9 to 5’ Panel Looks at 50 Years of Women in the Workforce

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A local panel assesses the impact of 50 years of women in the workforce in “Beyond 9 to 5,” presented by the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce in partnership Merrimack Valley Stageworks. The program was inspired by Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” film and brings together leading women to connect the lessons of the past with the challenges of today, and to explore solutions for a more equitable future. “We’ll celebrate how far we’ve come, take an honest look at where we stand and spark ideas for where we go next,” the Chamber says. Panelists, moderated by HC Media’s Lindsay Paris, are Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove, Cedar’s Foods Executive Vice President of Marketing Aimee Tsakirellis, Rosen & Goyal Managing Partner Kavita Goyal, Anna Jaques Hospital President and CEO Megan Gray and New England Tractor Trailer Training School owner Samantha Greenberg. Master of Ceremonies Angelica Jeffreys oversees the program and Mayor Melinda E. Barrett delivers opening remarks.

Education

Haverhill Ponders Two Options for Combining Whittier Middle and Tilton Elementary Schools

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The Haverhill school department is forging ahead with plans for a new John Greenleaf Whittier School with two options that would also replace the John C. Tilton School. Now that the new Dr. Albert B. Consentino School is mostly in the rear window, Haverhill School Superintendent Margaret Marotta told the School Committee last week the new Whittier middle school building project is moving into the design phase. There are three enrollment options—a 745-student middle school, which she described as a similar to today’s school with more space and room for students; a grades four through eight school of 1,045 students that would replace both the Whittier middle and Tilton elementary schools; and a larger school of 1,325 students that would encompass grades three to eight and also close Tilton School. The superintendent acknowledged additional considerations required to combine the two schools. “I realize those are not in the same section of the city, and it requires some shifting of lines,” Marotta said.

Haverhill

Greater Haverhill Pentucket Youth Hockey Looking to Start In-House Program

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Greater Haverhill Pentucket Youth Hockey is looking to start an in-house youth program. Greater Haverhill Pentucket Youth Hockey, also known as HP Thunder, board of directors’ member Fred M. Bishop says the program is hoping to start an under-eight league where all the games will be played at the Veterans Memorial Rink at Haverhill High School. Bishop said the goal is to “have teams play against each other and not have to worry about the travel program.”

In regular season news, the Haverhill, Pentucket Youth Hockey season has been in full swing for about a month. Bishop gave his take of how the players have been doing so far. “From what we have seen, our top teams are very strong within the valley hockey league.