Community Spotlight

Golden Hill Community Playground Starts Next Month with Volunteers

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Construction of a $400,000 community playground at Haverhill’s Golden Hill Elementary School could begin next month if organizers can get 815 volunteers to help build it. The playground, brainchild of Brittany Safy, is intended to serve Golden Hill students during the school day and provide a community gathering space for families during non-school hours. As WHAV reported at the time, the project began to take shape last winter. “This incredible project has relied on parents who won’t give up, raised the money and are very close to realizing their vision for our kids. Now we need volunteers who can help be a part of something special.

Education

Merrimack College Opens Two New Dormitories Using Novel Financing

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Merrimack College celebrated the opening of two new dormitories during a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday celebrating the addition of 540 on-site beds to the 220-acre North Andover campus. Merrimack President Christopher E. Hopey said the expansion is timely because the college welcomed its largest freshmen class in history, 1,250 students, just a few days earlier. Hopey said the new dorms, named Essex and Shawsheen, represent a place for students to feel welcomed and build a sense of community and they were financed through an innovative partnership with an investment firm, Collegiate Housing Foundation, and real estate development company, Greystar. Merrimack doesn’t actually own the dorms and instead is leasing the land to the Alabama investment firm that financed the $98 million construction project by selling tax-free bonds. “So, Shawsheen and Essex to us are more than just residence halls.

Business Bulletin

Feeney, Moynihan Join Pentucket Bank Leadership

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Two familiar faces recently joined the leadership of Pentucket Bank—Dwight B. Feeney as executive vice president, senior loan officer and John Moynihan as vice president—senior treasury and business relationship manager. Feeney will lead the bank’s commercial lending team and help guide its growth throughout the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire, while Moynihan will deliver cash management solutions to clients in the commercial and industrial, municipal and commercial real estate sectors, developing customers with revenues up to $900 million. “Dwight understands this market, its businesses and its communities. His experience and relationship-focused approach are a natural fit for our model of combining local decision-making and personal service with the capabilities businesses need to grow,” said Pentucket Bank President and CEO Stephen M. Jaskelevicus. Of Moynihan, he said, “John brings more than four decades of banking experience and a genuine commitment to the clients and communities he serves.

Beacon Hill News

Payano Amendment Would Allow Charities to Hold Wine Auctions, Sell Drinks at Events

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The state House of Representatives this past Monday went along with an amendment offered by Sen. Pavel M. Payano that would allow charities to hold wine auctions and sell alcoholic beverages to be consumed at events. Payano, representing Haverhill, Methuen and Lawrence and chairman of the Senate Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, authored the rewrite the House agreed to adopt. The bill, which still requires formal House and Senate votes and agreement by the governor, would allow local licensing boards to grant temporary licenses to nonprofit charitable corporations or joint applicants, as long the charity benefits from sales. Further, those granted such temporary licenses would also be permitted to accept donations of alcoholic beverages by an individual, a person licensed to manufacture alcoholic beverages or a person licensed to sell alcoholic beverages wholesale or retail. Temporary licenses would be valid for not more than 20 total days in a calendar year and on non-consecutive days during each period.

Election Central

Primary Election Day Focus on Regional Races; Most Local Races Uncontested

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Greater Haverhill voters who did not take part in in-person early voting or vote-by-mail options have a chance to take part Tuesday in a primary election where most attention will be on a contested U.S. Senate election and one or two regional state House races. Haverhill City Clerk Kaitlin M. Wright Esposito said late Monday afternoon the city has already experienced an 8% turnout through early or mail voting options and she expects in-person voting to bring the total to 12 or 14% of registered voters taking part. She explained 595 people cast ballots during early voting and 3,918 voted by mail. “If you have the ability to use our drop box or bring it (inside) to City Hall, that’s a sure-fire way to make sure it gets back to us,” Wright Esposito told WHAV. The races garnering the most attention are Congressman Seth Moulten’s challenge to incumbent Sen. Edward J. Markey and the battle among of, what are now, five Democratic contenders to replace Moulton in the 6th District congressional race.

Election Central

Democratic City Committee Straw Poll Puts Markey on Top, Approves Most Questions

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If Haverhill Democrats, taking part in an informal straw poll last Saturday, are any indication, incumbent U.S. Edward J. Markey will take 60% of the primary vote Tuesday against opponent 6th District Congressman Seth Moulton at 40%. The unscientific results came from those attending and casting ballots at Saturday’s Democratic City Committee’s annual Roz McKeon Breakfast and also looked ahead to November’s final election. The results found most of the nine ballot questions will pass. They pointedly showed opposition, however, to three questions. They said no to all-party primary elections, 73% to 27%; no changing the current method of calculating the state’s tax revenue limit, 55-45%; and no to a law to repealing the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana, 78-22%.

Business Bulletin

Tasty Awards Recognize Behind-the-Scenes of Haverhill Restaurant Week

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(Additional photographs below.)

Haverhill’s restaurant week concluded this weekend, but it was Monday night’s Sixth Annual Tasty Awards that put the spotlight on those who made it a success. Destination Downtown Haverhill, G4 Tequila and the Greater Haverhill Chamber presented awards at downtown’s Joseph’s Trattoria, celebrating owners, chefs, bartenders, servers and local establishments. “The Tasty Awards are about more than great food—they recognize the people, relationships and community spirit behind Haverhill’s restaurants,” said Jimmy Carbone, founder of Destination Downtown Haverhill and the Tasty Awards. “Our restaurants create gathering places, support local causes, employ our neighbors and help make Haverhill a vibrant and welcoming destination. The record response this year demonstrates how deeply the community values them.”

Dave Schultz of HC Media and North of Boston, served as master of ceremonies of the awards night that recognized 27 winners and runners-up across categories ranging from Best Chef and Best Pizza to Best Vibe, Favorite Cultural Restaurant and Bar Stool Hero.