Merrimack Valley Newsmakers

WHAV Staff
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Daily News
  • Updated Semimonthly

Thought-provoking words from the Merrimack Valley's most influential voices in education, politics, environment and more, as heard exclusively over 97.9 WHAV FM.

  1. 14h ago

    Historic New England to Open Haverhill Center with ‘Shoe Stories’

    Historic New England plans to open its long-awaited preservation and collections center a week from Saturday with “Shoe Stories: Part, Present, Future” as its opening exhibit along with a day of free activities for the public. The nonprofit, which operates 38 museums across the region, began housing its collections in 1988 within a former shoe manufacturing building in Haverhill. It went on to buy the building and its twin, spurring plans in 2023 for a history center. Vin Cipolla, president and CEO of Historic New England, appeared recently on WHAV and outlined the plans. “Historic New England owns twin former shoe manufacturing buildings on Essex Street, 151 Essex and 143 Essex. And we have made a major investment. And the entire first floor of one of those historic buildings will be the new Historic New England Haverhill Center,” Cipolla said. The ribbon cutting is Saturday, June 27, at 11 a.m., followed by a block party at noon on Essex Street. Historic New England Curator Michelle Tolini Finamore leada a guided gallery walk of “Shoe Stories: Part, Present, Future,” at noon. A question-and-answer session on the Historic New England Haverhill Immersive Experience follows at 12:30 p.m. The Innovators Series launches at 1:30 p.m. with a conversation on the future of shoe design hosted by Finamore and including shoe designers Thom Solo, Yuly Fuentes-Medel and Kelly Chickering. The winners of the Stuart Weitzman Heart & Sole Teen Shoe Design competition will be announced after the lecture. The day concludes with a hip-hop dance performance at 3 p.m. by the Floor Lords, followed by an interactive hip-hop dance for kids led by the group. Historic New England bought the Lang building in 2006 to store its more than 125,000 New England decorative arts and 1.5 million historic documents. In 2023, the nonprofit bought the adjacent Burgess building which allowed it to imagine the site as a cultural hub. Haverhill architect Charles Willis Damon designed the two eight-story buildings in 1912 for bankers William H. Burgess and Howard W. Lang of Boston. They were the largest concrete shoe factories in the world at that time. Historic New England hired DesignLab Architects of Boston to design the exhibition space located in the Burgess building at 143 Essex St. Three other architecture firms, TenBerke, Brandon Haw Architecture and Howeler + Yoon, have been asked to come up with ideas for a cohesive cultural campus that Historic New England plans to develop in the coming years. The Shoe Stories exhibit includes footwear designed for Boston Ballet Company principal Diana Albrecht, Beyoncé, Julia Childs and Walter Gropius. Designers include Chris Donovan, Gucci, Sarah Guerin, Viktoria Modesta, Thom Sol, Louis Vuitton and Stuart Weitzman. The exhibit is divided into five sections: The New England Shoe Industry, Artful Accessories, All Seasons Sporting and A Family Recipe: Seymour and Stuart Weitzman and Workers Stories. Curating the exhibit with Finamore is Nora Ellen Carleson and Lorna Condon, both on the staff of Historic New England. The center will be open Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 5 p.m. and Fridays, from noon to 8 p.m. “Obviously, we are really dialing into the extraordinary shoe manufacturing legacy of Haverhill and the Merrimack Valley region and beyond. And the objects that will be in the exhibition center for the Shoe Stories exhibit are just going to be extraordinary and delightful,” Cipolla said. Founded in 1910 as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, Historic New England owns 38 historic properties in New England, 11 in Essex County. Support the show

    11 min

  2. Jun 3

    Haverhill Schools Win National Recognition for Faster Progress

    Haverhill Public Schools recently won national recognition as one of 192 districts in 38 states whose students have improved significantly faster in math than peer schools. The award called “Districts on the Rise” is a collaboration of the Harvard University Center for Education Policy Research and the Stanford University Educational Opportunity Project along with faculty at Dartmouth College. Haverhill School Superintendent Margaret Marotta talked recently about the honor on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. She explained how the Education Scorecard is computed. “They take every school district across the country, all public school districts, and they look at their test scores, they look at their NAEP, the National Educational Progress Assessment, and they look at your standardized test scores and your attendance scores,” Marotta explained. The partnership has produced its Education Scorecard for the last four years. The most recent report analyzed national student achievement trends for approximately 35 million students in grades three to eight, from 2022 through 2025. Eleven states were not included due to data limitations. The Beverly, Braintree, Reading, Scituate and Westfield school systems also received the honor for their students’ progress in math. Other Massachusetts schools honored were Cambridge, for both reading and math progress, and Duxbury, Lexington, Mansfield, Plymouth, Salem, Sharon and Weymouth for reading progress. Marotta credited both the adoption of a new math curriculum as well as the hard work of teachers in implementing it for the recognition. “We’ve been changing up the curriculum, trying to improve things over in the last couple of years, and it is paying off. But it was definitely our teachers and their hard work and learning curve,” Marotta said. Haverhill was also called out by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a statewide Spotlight District during a recent education conference in Washington, D.C., for its implementation of a new literacy curriculum at the high school. Specifically, DESE said, Haverhill has been effective in providing coaching to high school teachers as they introduce the new reading supports in their classrooms. The coaching has helped the teacher feel more engaged and less overwhelmed, DESE reported. Support the show

    10 min

  3. May 20

    Haverhill Preps for Memorial Day with Event Lineup Starting Friday

    Memorial Day observances are scheduled throughout Haverhill in the lead up to the holiday itself, next Monday. Jeffrey Hollett, Haverhill’s veteran services director, gave an overview of upcoming Memorial Day-related happenings during a recent appearance on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program. He said this year’s theme is “What Does Memorial Day Mean to You?” “I would like to see Memorial Day Week become a week of events every single day of the week prior to,” Hollett said. This Friday, May 22, students at the John C. Tilton School on Grove Street will hold the school’s Annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Veterans, families and friends have been invited to the tribute which includes a student concert. On Saturday, May 23, veterans, scouting and other youth groups, services clubs and allies are gathering at 9 a.m., at the Haverhill AmVets Post 147, 576 Primrose St. The post is the staging area for those who are placing small American flags on veterans’ graves buried within Haverhill’s 17 cemeteries. Hollett said for many this rite has become an annual tradition. “We’ve purchased over 8,000 flags this year. We have plans to put out over 8,000 flags. We can’t do that without volunteers,” Hollett said. On Sunday, May 24, church bells across the city will ring at noon as part of the national “Ring For the Fallen” tribute. Hollett notes this ritual has been adopted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as a way of honoring firefighters who have died in the line of service as well. Haverhill’s Annual Memorial Day Parade step off Monday, at 10:45 a.m., from the Haverhill Firefighting Museum, 75 Kenoza Ave. Those marching are asked gather at 10 a.m. The parade will march to Linwood Cemetery, 41 John Ward Ave., where the Memorial Day ceremony will take place. The AmVets host lunch following the ceremony at the post, 576 Primrose St. The city’s Memorial Day activities conclude with the National Moment of Silence at 3 p.m., Monday, May 25. Anyone with a bell is asked to ring it for 21 seconds beginning at 2:59 p.m. Then, at 3 p.m., the moment of silence commences for 21 seconds. Hollett is also encouraging veterans to take part in the Memorial Day Creative Sanctuary. The online program encourages anyone inspired by the solemnity of the day to submit an essay or poem to Mission Belonging’s website. The organization’s “Writing in the Arena” provides a place “to explore identity and to find purpose and meaning following military service through creativity and shared experience.” Those interested in participating may visit MissionBelonging.org. Hollett also asked that other city organizations planning an observance let him know by calling his office at 978-374-2351, ext. 3932. Support the show

    11 min

  4. Apr 9

    Podcast: Northern Essex Community College Seeks Student Support on 5th Annual Giving Day

    Northern Essex Community College is celebrating its Fifth Annual Giving Day with a 24-hour push to replenish its NECC Fund. It is also getting ready for its Fourth Annual Impact Awards Event. Shana Murrell, the college’s director of alumni relations and annual giving recently appeared on WHAV’s morning program to explain how the fundraiser works and how donations meet student needs. The blitz, scheduled for today, April 9, aims to unite alumni, staff, students and friends in a common goal of supporting the college and its students, Murrell said. The first Giving Day in 2022 raised $34,000 from just over 200 donors. That was the largest single-day fundraising effort in the college’s history.  (CUT: murrell-as-they-come.wav) “Essentially, our NECC Fund allows us to have the flexibility to fund different needs for the college. So, we’re very excited to have the opportunity to have that fund available so that we can meet the needs of our students as they come,” Murrell said.  Among programs the college supports through its NECC Fund is the Internship Stipend Program. Murrell said because so many Northern Essex students work part time while they are also attending classes, it can be difficult to give up a paying job to take an unpaid internship. (CUT: murrell-program-of-study.wav) “An internship stipend helps a student to be able to make up some of that income they may have had to give up while they are participating in a valuable internship that may be related to their major and program of study,” Murrell explained. Contributions to the NECC Giving Day can be made on NECC.edu. Lane A. Glenn, college president, also recently appeared on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” to talk about another college fundraiser. The college’s Fourth Annual Impact Awards is happening Wednesday, May 6. As WHAV reported in February, five awards will be given. The Community Partner Award will go to the Merrimack Valley Transit Authority, while the Outstanding Alumnus Award goes to former state Rep. Michael Costello, a member of the class of 2012; Philanthropy and Volunteerism Award to Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation and Senior Program Officer Marjorie Ringrose; and Public Service and Advocacy Award to Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger.  (CUT: glenn-have-seats-available.wav) “You’ll be happy to know, or some of the listeners might be happy to know, there’s still room for sponsors at the Impact Awards. We have sponsorships available. We have got some seats available,” Glenn said.  Impact Awards tickets are $150 each and available at NECC.edu. Support the show

    24 min

  5. Mar 20

    Kosmes Reflects on Evolution of Whittier Tech and Education as She Prepares to Retire

    Kara Kosmes, who retires in August as business manager at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, has witnessed a sea change in career training as well as in the tools she uses to keep a watchful eye on finances. Born and raised in Haverhill, sixty-seven-year-old Kosmes shared her experiences during a recent appearance on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” morning program. She reflected on how her job has changed in 30 years. “Everything was manual when I first started. You used paper and pencil and, in order to do bookkeeping, you had these very long, wide spreadsheets,” she recalled. Kosmes was a freshman at Haverhill High School when Whittier Tech opened in 1973. Following college, she started her career in finance at a local certified public accounting firm, a position she held for 14 years. She then worked nearly 17 years in Haverhill Public Schools as assistant superintendent for finance and operations before joining Whitter Tech in July 2013. The school was chartered in 1967 to provide a career training alternative for 11 communities including Haverhill. The other communities are Amesbury, Georgetown, Groveland, Ipswich, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury and West Newbury. Kosmes remembers touring the new building and being blown away by its appearance. “At the time, it was state of the art, brand new, beautiful. It didn’t look a lot like the schools that I had been to up until then. But it was a very different school than it is now. It was primarily for the trades.” Kosmes noted the impetus to establish Whittier Tech grew out of the old Haverhill Trade School that operated in downtown Haverhill. She pointed out that 50 years later, Whittier students don’t just head to a job in the trades following graduation. With their Whittier education, students can continue their education by going to a technical school or pursuing a two- or four-year college degree. “The bonus I think for students today is you also leave with a skill so you always will have something, hopefully, to fall back on,” Kosmes said. In her position as business manager, Kosmes has been intimately involved with the effort to renovate or replace the aging Whittier building. She has been attending meetings of the committee to amend the 1967 Regional Agreement with governs how capital and operating costs are allotted to member communities. Several of which are pressing for changes in the agreement since more than half the student body is from Haverhill, but the city would pay just 44% of the share of the cost of any new construction. Rowley, on the other hand, would pay 3.5% of the cost and Newburyport 10.5%, but are only allocated 10 seats each or 2%. “We hope within a year that we’ll have some sort of new amended regional agreement that people can agree upon, at least as much as they can agree upon it, and that we may be able to move forward with a building project for Whittier,” Kosmes said. She said she plans to stay involved with the Whittier community in her retirement, though she is looking forward to spending more time at the beach. She is also a longtime member of the board of directors of the Greater Haverhill YMCA and assistant treasurer of the parish council at Holy Apostles Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Haverhill. Support the show

    14 min

  6. Feb 25

    Acting Haverhill Police Tracy Says Crisis Intervention Training Training is a Key Focus

    Haverhill’s new Acting Police Chief Wayne Tracy says his first few months at the helm have seen a focus on officer training and the introduction of three canines. Tracy, who addressed listeners live as a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program, says one of his goals for the department is making sure 90% of officers complete crisis intervention training. “We’re actually are ahead of the curve on that. The state wants departments to have 20% of their department trained on that. We’re at 70%,” he says.  But Tracy notes that when the department brings on new officers, that percentage falls so the training has to be a priority.  The acting chief also says he is pleased the department has added three canines to its force for the first time—two trackers and one comfort dog. Rex was the first to be sworn in last fall and his specialty is locating bombs, Tracy notes. The second tracking dog is still in training and doesn’t yet have a name. This canine’s expertise will be sniffing out drugs. The third dog will be a comfort dog. Calling comfort dogs a “good community policing” tool, Tracy adds, he expects the pup will be as helpful to his officers as to the public at large. Tracy was named to the position in October and is a 21-year veteran of the force. He grew up in the Acre section of Haverhill, graduating from Haverhill High School where he played hockey and football. After college at Southern New Hampshire University, he recalls he was working in a local pizza shop while waiting to take the state’s firefighter civil service exam. A friend suggested he take the police officer civil service test because it was scheduled sooner and the content of the exam is similar. To his surprise, he says, he passed the test and was offered a job.  While he once thought he might switch departments at some point, Tracy says he’s found his place in policing. He points out it’s his regular interactions with the community that gets him to work every day. “Obviously any day you can help somebody, whether it is saving a life to that extreme or just giving them a hand, maybe helping somebody cross the street or something small like that. Those types of things make you feel good,” Tracy says.  Tracy notes he also is continuing his education as he is close to earning his master’s degree through an online program at the University of Mississippi. Support the show

    17 min

  7. Feb 18

    Golden Hill School Parents Launch Fundraiser for Community Playground

    What’s better than a new playground at an elementary school? How about a new playground open to the entire community regardless of mobility issues? The parents at Golden Hill Elementary School decided to expand their dreams of replacing the school’s current playground beyond their school community and launched an effort to build what they are calling the Haverhill Community Playground. While the play area will be off limits during the school day, it will be open after school gets out at 3:15 p.m. during the week, on weekends and during school vacations. Organizer Brittany Safy, parent of a first grader and kindergartener at Golden Hill, is spearheading the effort. She and her team aim to raise $300,000 as well as get commitments of more than 1,000 volunteer hours to actually construct their dream play space in May. Safy recently sat down with WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” host Win Damon and chatted about the playground’s design and objectives. “We started with looking at the playground at Golden Hill and it serves its purpose, but it could serve a bigger purpose. It is a little—let’s just say it could use a facelift,” Safy said of the current playground adjacent to the school at 140 Boardman St. Safy said she became familiar with what playgrounds could be during the COVID-19 pandemic when she found herself driving miles so her children could experience different play spaces. “Our goal really is to create a playground that isn’t just your average playground. It’s something that is a destination playground, a place that maybe community members from surrounding towns come to,” she said. On a visit to Carlisle, she discovered a playground she and her kids liked, so she inquired as to the designer. That led to a relationship with Play By Design, an Ithaca, N.Y., firm that helps communities design unique play areas, fundraise and then build them. The lead designer interviewed students at Golden Hill on a design day in December to find out what they wanted their new playground to include. From those ideas, the group decided the new space must have swings and a basketball court. It will also have two slides, three climbing towers, two obstacle courses and musical elements. The current plan is to start construction Tuesday, May 26, and, with the help of community members, erect it by the end of the weekend on Sunday, May 31. Safy envisions teams of 10 people working four, eight and even 12-hour shifts to get it done. “So members of the community, we’re going to need 180 volunteers a day, are going to build this playground in six days,” Safy said. Making sure the playground is inclusive and welcoming to all children regardless of mobility issues means the play surface will be heavy rubber and the main climbing structure will have ramps wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. There will be several sensory panels as well as a quiet play area, Safy said. “Some of the great things that are going to make this playground stand out and apart from neighboring playgrounds is that it is going to be fully ADA compliant,” Safy said. Among the fundraising ideas so far is a tile project. For a price, anyone can decorate small pottery squares that will be used to enhance the playground’s entryway, Safy said. The group is also writing grants and seeking in-kind donations of materials. Support the show

    15 min

  8. Feb 10

    Auditor DiZoglio Faces New Challenges in Audit Fight

    DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat, has been locked in a three-year battle with legislative leaders and state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell over her initiative to undertake an administrative audit of the legislature. Legislators opposing DiZoglio argue an audit of the Legislature by another state agency violates the separation of powers clause in the state Constitution. Instead, they propose hiring of an outside audit firm. In a wide-ranging interview with WHAV host Win Damon, DiZoglio outlined her new strategy for breaking the deadlock with legislative leaders and the state’s top judge. She asked the public to support a new ballot question she is supporting which would expand the state public records law to include the governor’s office and the legislature. If the petition passes in the state’s November general election, DiZoglio said the financial and contract records she is seeking would be available to the general public as well as the state auditor. Support the show

    53 min
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About

Thought-provoking words from the Merrimack Valley's most influential voices in education, politics, environment and more, as heard exclusively over 97.9 WHAV FM.

Information

  • Creator
    WHAV Staff
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    291
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Public Media of New England Inc.
  • Show Website
    Merrimack Valley Newsmakers