Merrimack Valley Newsmakers

Rep. Andy X. Vargas told WHAV listeners first he is abandoning his quest for a state Senate run and seeking re-election to his expanded Haverhill House district next year. The statement during a live broadcast Friday morning confirmed hints Vargas made two weeks ago when the Senate redistricting plan which split Haverhill into two districts. Vargas, who has been eyeing a run for state Senate, told...

Highlighting the good deeds of educators, the 13th annual Haverhill YMCA’s Educator of the Year salutes those who made a difference especially during the pandemic. YMCA Regional Executive Director Tracy Fuller, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, gave a sneak preview, noting the nominees this year are Dan Sullivan, Melissa DiFabio, Cecile Maggiacomo, Crystal White, Emily Gorski, Joanna Dix,...

The Haverhill High School Drama Club and Fine Arts Department is presenting Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” this Friday and Saturday. “Our Town” follows the small town of Grover’s Corners, N.H., throughout three acts. Narrated by the stage managers, the audience follows the lives of the Gibb’s and Webb’s families as their children grow up and live out their childhood, adulthood and everything that fo...

A tradition continues Sunday when the Veterans Alliance of Greater Haverhill holds its pre-election breakfast in Haverhill. The breakfast was started by former state Rep. Brian S. Dempsey, but City Councilor Michael S. McGonagle took it over in 2017 on behalf of the city’s veterans. At the time, he noted, veterans’ organizations’ fundraising efforts had been curtailed by the city’s ban on roadside...

Haverhill police officers have been wearing pink-trimmed badges and placing magnetic ribbons on cruisers as part of its month-long Pink Ribbon campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness. Efforts have been geared to raising money, and Detective Joseph Benedetti, whose wife Michelle Benedetti passed away in 2019, says there is still time to help. Placing cruisers into service for the cause was an idea rai...

Despite many job openings, a number of positions require basic computer skills. Volunteer Tim Haynes says MakeIt Haverhill is available to help. Haynes says MakeIt Haverhill is partnering with the Essex County Community Foundation, which conducted research last year, shed the light on the “digital divide.” “What they found was that one out of every five households lacked having a basic computer, a...

Haverhill Public Schools Human Resources Director Sandra McArthur has been busy helping to fill the many job openings at Haverhill schools, but many don’t know about an emotional and trying path she and her sister followed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. McArthur and her sister, Karen Nascembeni, general manager of the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, were recently honored with the...

It’s a busy time for the YMCA with the Halloween “Trunk or Treat” at the Plaistow, N.H., YMCA, Haverhill open house and call for nominations for the 13th Annual Educator of the Year Award. Regional Executive Director Tracy Fuller, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, outlined two free events taking place during the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16 and 17. On Saturday, the Annual Trunk...

A walk to promote “Unity in the Community” takes place this Saturday, Oct. 2, in Haverhill. The14th annual Walk for Peace, under the direction of Violence Intervention and Prevention, known as VIP, also includes a cookout, speak out, face painting, music, color powder and more. Haverhill VIP Program Director Carol Ireland, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, detailed the program. “We’ll star...

Monday morning’s heavy downpour overwhelmed municipal sewer systems up and down the Merrimack River, causing discharges of raw wastes into the waterway. Ongoing combined sewage overflows, known as CSOs, is a problem targeted by the Merrimack River Watershed Council. Council Policy and Education Specialist John Macone, a guest this week on WHAV’s morning program, explains the cause. “That happened...

In a series of WHAV mayoral interviews in advance of Tuesday’s Haverhill preliminary election, candidate Colin F. LePage says the biggest issue in this year’s election isn’t about what Haverhill citizens have, but rather what they’ve been missing. The current City Council vice president said he has spent his dozen years on the City Council finding money that can be used to give residents more. “Wh...

In a series of WHAV mayoral interviews in advance of Tuesday’s Haverhill preliminary election, candidate Guy E. Cooper defined his top three priorities for the city—education, public safety and helping businesses “get back up on their feet again” after closings related to the coronavirus. The veteran Haverhill patrolman said school buildings are overcrowded conditions and “falling apart.” He calle...

In the first of a three-part series of WHAV mayoral interviews in advance of next Tuesday’s Haverhill preliminary election, Mayor James J. Fiorentini spelled out his successes over the past 18 years. The mayor mentioned his pride in rebuilding roads and sidewalks, adding 20 police officers, fixing every park and playground, developing a new master plan that balances growth with preserving the “bea...

As Bethany Communities moves forward with plans to build 62 affordable apartments for seniors, the nonprofit is previewing the future with its “Celebration of Innovation and Integration” this Thursday. Bethany Communities was recently granted federal and state low-income housing tax credits and subsidies to build “Merrimack Place” adjacent to Merrivista on Water Street. Of the 62 apartments, 54 ar...

The Methuen Veterans Services Office is preparing for its first Field of Honor ceremony, with money raised to help veterans and veterans programs offered by the city. Methuen Veterans Services Officer Paul Jensen was a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, where he spoke about North Andover’s annual event, held earlier this year, and its show of respect, dignity, honor and patriotism. Jensen say...

When it comes to volunteer organizations, many groups have learned to expand their horizons and embrace a new way of doing things. That was the case almost 30 years ago, when Annette Distefano of Haverhill became the first female to perform in the local Sons of Italy Drum and Bugle Corps. The pioneer, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, said her husband, Gregory, was involved with the Corps,...

With work on the state budget largely completed, except for possible overrides of Gov. Charlie Baker’s vetoes, the state legislature is moving onto other issues such as the wellbeing of Gateway Cities. Rep. Christina Minicucci, a member of the legislature’s Gateway Cities Caucus, describes the caucus’ recent visit to the area last. Says the group comes together once a month to talk about issues sp...

State Rep. Leonard Mirra, a member of the new Future of Work Commission, says money spent on public assistance might be better allocated to guaranteeing jobs. Mirra, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, said there are a record number of job openings right now. “We’ve never seen it like this. I was in the construction industry for 30 years and I never saw an economy like this where there so ma...

More than a dozen of Haverhill’s living World War II veterans are to be recognized and celebrated during a ceremony later this month with a color guard, special tributes and live performances. The “World War II Recognition Ceremony” takes place Saturday, July 24, at 10 a.m., in Washington Square—home to the city’s World War II Memorial. Haverhill Veteran Services Director Luis Santiago tells WHAV...

The state legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker have differing opinions on who should determine how new federal COVID-19 aid gets distributed. State Rep. Andy X. Vargas, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, said Baker had “full latitude” on how to spend the money during the emergency, but now the legislature wants a say. “We in the legislature, as the purse of state government, felt we had a rol...

A number of Haverhill city councilors are asking for an update on options for preserving land, preventing development and protecting drinking water supplies in the eastern part of the city. City Council President Melinda E. Barrett and Councilors Timothy J. Jordan, John A. Michitson and Colin F. LePage placed the inquiry about a 22.5-acre parcel at 97 Corliss Hill Road on tonight’s City Council ag...

Today is the 244th anniversary of the adoption of the American flag by the Continental Congress. Flag Day began in the midst of the Revolutionary War in 1777. In a recent appearance on WHAV’s morning program, Haverhill’s Veterans Services Officer Luis Santiago talked about the significance of the day. “Flag Day is a day that we are going to celebrate and recognize the stars and stripes of our flag...

Haverhill High School holds one of its largest graduation ceremonies ever tonight at Trinity Haverhill Stadium. The in-person event, which begins at 6 p.m., still faces COVID-19 restrictions. Superintendent Margaret Marotta said each student is allowed to have up to six guests, and they must pre-register. In addition, there will be social distancing between groups, to the extent possible, and mask...

As the month of May nears a close, there’s still time to take notice of National Stroke Awareness Month. Lisa Macdougall, Holy Family Hospital’s stroke coordinator at. Macdougall, explains symptoms of stroke may come on suddenly, which is why they have a memorable acronym. “That acronym is BE FAST We want you to BE FAST when you think you are having symptoms of a stroke. What that stands for is th...

As spring turns into summer, the YMCA in Haverhill is preparing for the ninth year of its Haverhill Literacy Academy. Regional Executive Director Tracy Fuller says the program is in collaboration with Haverhill Public Schools and designed to help students with their reading skills, especially this year. “We’re excited to prepare for that, and we know that speaking of COVID that a lot of students h...