Haverhill’s first Pride Parade kicks off the Fifth Annual June Art Walk this Saturday.

Art Walk runs in downtown Haverhill on Washington and Wingate Streets, between Washington Square and Railroad Square. As WHAV has reported, it will be proceeded by the annual Pride Flag raising at Haverhill City Hall at 12:30 p.m. The Pride Parade will then form across the street at the Grand Army of the Republic Park and step off at 1:30 p.m., down Bailey Boulevard to Emerson Street and then into Washington Square.

Downtown Events Coordinator Hailey Pearson, a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win For Breakfast” program, discussed various artists and performers who are part of this year’s Art Walk.

“We are really excited to be incorporating the first Pride Parade to kick off Art Walk this year. So, it has been about a year in the making from the time that we starting talking about this idea of bringing in a parade and it has just been an incredible experience to witness the support from the community, the people who came together to really make this happen.”

The Haverhill Art Walk, which is a project of Creative Haverhill, is bigger than ever, Pearson said. The free event will run Saturday, June 7, from 2-6 p.m., rain or shine.

“We’re going to have over a dozen businesses participating in activities so everything from live music to family-friendly interactive activities in both Railroad Square, the Columbia Park area to Washington Square. So those squares bookend the activities,” Pearson said.

She added a Pride Resource Fair will be set up at the top of Wingate Street.

“We’ve got our Alley Art Market in the alleyways along Washington Street. We’ve got Punctuate4. That’s a theater group that is hosting the “Abolitionist’s Refrain.” So that’s a theater performance in the empty space at 90 Washington St. We really love utilizing these vacant storefronts to show people what could be and invite people to step into these spaces that are transformed for the weekend,” Pearson added.

Performances of the Abolitionist’s Refrain are at 3 and 5 p.m. The play, written by Michael Cormier, features Haverhill native John Greenleaf Whittier as he comes to terms with what freeing of slaves following the Civil War means to a divided nation and the new challenges the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution brings. The River Bards, a local group of poets, will be reading the works of Whittier. Yankee Clipper Tours will offer cruises down the Merrimack River and the staff from the Buttonwoods Museum will lead a “Pentucket on the Merrimack walking tour.

Live music performers include Fake Leather Jacket, Liz Bills and The Change and The Party Band. The Irise Dance Program from Lawrence will present a dynamic performance that includes an interactive drumming session.

Family-friendly art projects include masking making, rock painting and zine making.

The Museum of Printing is offering hands-on screen printing and the Haverhill Studio will offer complimentary portraits.

Pearson said there is still a need for volunteers. Those interested may visit CreativeHaverhill.org or email Pearson at HaverhillArtWalk@gmail.com.

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Beginning in July the frequency of bus service between Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen and Lowell will increase during the week.

Merrimack Valley Transit, or MeVA Administrator Noah S. Berger, a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast program,” said beginning Monday, July 7, the bus will run every 20 minutes. Currently, service is provided every 30 minutes to Methuen, Lawrence and Lowell from its hub in Washington Square, Haverhill. Berger said he is excited for the service improvement.

“Frequency makes all the difference. You don’t have to fumble through a schedule to figure out when the next bus is. You just literally go out to where the bus is and know that at the very worst you will have to wait 19 minutes, but most of time it will probably be five or 10 minutes,” Berger said.

As reported by WHAV in December 2024, the increased service is made possible through at $1.2 million “connectivity” grant the transit authority received from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The bus, which originates as Route 1 in Haverhill, makes one more stop at Lowell and River Streets and then four stops in Methuen before arriving at the McGovern Transportation Center in Lawrence 45 minutes later. The bus then becomes Route 24 and proceeds to Lowell which takes about 40 minutes. It then makes the return trip.

“What that does is tie the four gateway cities of Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence and Lowell together with really robust service so we couldn’t be more excited,” Berger added.

Berger said Route 24 has the second highest ridership of all the routes in the system.

Berger also said four new “low floor” 12-passenger vans will go into service this month as part of MeVa’s on-demand service. The low floor design allows those who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs and scooters to roll right onto the van rather than having to negotiate steps. The design accommodates strollers as well. Five more vans will be added to the fleet in July allowing the transit authority to remove older vans from service. Then an additional six will arrive next year.

Finally, Berger asked for the public’s help in finding a new location for MeVa’s bus hub. He pointed out Haverhill’s hub in Washington Square has never worked well because the site is too small to accommodate buses and passengers comfortably.

Berger said he is working with the city to find a location, and that two possibilities are Bailey Boulevard near the Haverhill Police Station and the Granite Street garage the transit authority already owns.

“It’s got to be a central location. It has got to have enough space for the buses and enough space to have that welcoming environment for passengers.” Berger said.

Berger said that while there is no timeframe associated with the hub relocation, he believes with the various redevelopment projects going on in downtown Haverhill, the time is ripe for finding a better, more welcoming location for a new central bus depot.

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If state Rep. Ryan M. Hamilton has his way four local groups will receive $375,000 in earmarked grants in the next state budget.

Hamilton, whose district includes parts of Haverhill and Methuen, was a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast.” Hamilton told listeners he has been successful in adding money for Creative Haverhill, Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, Historic New England and Methuen’s 300th birthday celebration.

“I was able to secure four earmarks—one being for the Cogswell Art Center. It has been a recurring one for me and something I care about very much. Creative Haverhill is doing a great job when it comes to restoring Cogswell and its eventually going to turn it into one of the premier art installations in the Merrimack Valley if not the Commonwealth,” Hamilton said.

If the funding holds, Creative Haverhill would get $50,000; Greater Haverhill Chamber, $25,000; and Historic New England $200,000. The Methuen Tricentennial Celebration would receive $50,000.

Hamilton said the potential grant for Historic New England is significant as the nonprofit seeks to renovate its 151 Essex St.building into a tourist attraction for the region.

“My friends at Historic New England who, as we know, are trying to pursue a project that is going to once again transform the downtown for the better and really connect the entirety of downtown together which I am extremely excited for.”

Historic New England was also the recipient of the legislature’s generosity during the last two years.

Hamilton said the Methuen Birthday Celebration Committee is planning a series of large and small events beginning in December 2025 through June 2026. The celebration marks the anniversary of Methuen’s separation from Haverhill and its incorporation on Dec. 8, 1725.

The budgeting process now moves to the Senate for debate. Then, the House and Senate must reconcile their spending plans before a final budget proposal is sent to the governor.

The new state budget would go into effect July 1.

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Haverhill Public Schools would receive an additional $6 million in state aid if a House of Representative proposal to increase state support for schools makes it into the final state budget.

State Rep. Andy X. Vargas, whose district encompasses a portion of Haverhill, was a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast.” He made note of the additional school spending proposal.

“So, it’s about a $6 million increase for Haverhill Public Schools in Chapter 70 funding. Now there is always more needed but a $6 million increase in this environment is certainly notable,” he said.

The proposed funding is part of an initiative to raise the state’s per pupil spending from $30 to $150.

Vargas said the city would receive about $12.5 million in unrestricted funds in the House’s fiscal plan. He said the House proposal also includes a $75,000 allocation for the Pinnacle co-working space, formerly the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, at Harbor Place on Merrimack St.; $25,000 to the Greater Haverhill Foundation for help; to manage the co-working space and $15,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Haverhill’s new building.

The budgeting process now moves to the Senate for debate. Then, the House and Senate will need to reconcile their fiscal plans before a final budget proposal is sent to the governor.

The new state budget would go into effect July 1.

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Essex County Habitat for Humanity, currently in the midst of one Haverhill homebuilding project, is moving on to another in the city’s Mount Washington neighborhood.

The nonprofit recently agreed to purchase a single-family home and property at 512 Washington St. for $650,000 and has the city’s blessing to convert it into seven affordable housing units. Director of Charitable Giving Kevin Hudson made the revelation while a guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program.

“We are currently raising funds to acquire property on Washington Street where we plan to build seven new homes,” Hudson said, noting that in addition to the purchase price, Habitat must raise about $2 million to fund the renovation and construction.

Hudson later explained the plan is to renovate the current house on the property, owned by Keith Boucher, to create three units and then build two duplex houses.

Andrew K. Herlihy, division director for the city’s Community Development Department, said the city has committed $149,173 from federal HOME Program funds to help Habitat with the purchase of the property.

“It is a proposal we support in part because home ownership in the Mount Washington neighborhood, where this property is located, is the lowest in the city,” Herlihy said, adding that the project would most likely have to come before City Council for a special permit.

Hudson said Habitat hopes to have the project funded by the fall of 2025 and that groundbreaking would then follow in 10 to 12 months.

Habitat already has one duplex under construction at 41 Curtis St. in Haverhill. This Thursday, May 8, some 40 women—wielding hammers, screwdrivers and saws—will descend on the site for a Habitat Women Build event.

“It started as an opportunity for women who wanted to volunteer and to be able to do so in an unintimidating environment with other women who don’t have any or as much experience in construction and it has really grown from there across the country,” Hudson said.

Among the women volunteering that day are a crew from the North Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in North Andover. The Curtis Street project is Habitat’s fourth in Haverhill. The public is invited to view the progress of the Curtis Street house at a Hard Hat Tour and reception on Thursday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m.., Hudson said.

A crew of women are also volunteering next week at a Habitat site in Hamilton where five duplexes are currently under construction. Habitat expects to break ground on a duplex in Ipswich and one in Wenham soon and is currently in the process of permitting

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The new 69-acre Sweet Paws Rescue pet sanctuary scheduled to open later this summer plans to offer space for abandoned dogs and cats to roam.

But, Cynthia Sweet, founder and executive director of the local animal rescue group, says it won’t change the focus of local animal rescue organization as a foster care group.

“We are still going to be a foster organization. Dogs and cats do best when they are in people’s homes. And we are not going to be a shelter. So, this is going to be a layover if you will,” she explained recently on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program.

She discussed how the farm purchase will stabilize the organization, but not change its mission. As WHAV reported last month, Sweet Paws is in the midst of a $4.6 million campaign to purchase and equip a 69-acre farm in Bradford as it has outgrown its Groveland location.

Sweet founded her animal rescue group in 2011 to help address the overpopulation of dogs and cats in two poor counties in Alabama and Mississippi. To date the group has placed some 22,000 animals in new “forever homes” in New England. Recently, though, the agency has seen an uptick in the number of animals surrendered locally.

“There is a huge increase of local dogs and cats in need basically since the last few years. It’s sort of a result of COVID. We went from 2019 to about 3% of our dogs were coming from Massachusetts. Not it is about 45% of our animals are coming from our own backyard.”

Sweet said the farm will allow space and time for her 350 volunteers to get to know animals left for adoption. She said eventually her group is planning to open walking trails to the public.

“Basically it will continue to be a space for our southern animals that are coming into the state. They have to be quarantined for 48 hours. And then it will also be a space for our local animals where we will be able to get them exercised and really get to know them. But it’s really for growth. The other thing that’s going to be great for Haverhill residents is that it will be 70 acres of preserved open space,” she said.

Sweet also said she is in talks with the City of Haverhill to provide shelter space for animals picked up by the city’s animal control unit.

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To help local high school students imagine the wider world of opportunities after graduation, the Haverhill High School guidance department is hosting its first Post Secondary Expo next during school hours.

Representatives from nine apprenticeship and trade programs, four branches of the military, six community-based workforce agencies and local unions will join 30 two- and four-year colleges to showcase their offerings. The expo is the brainchild of Megan Arivella, supervisor of school counseling K-12 for Haverhill Public Schools, and her team of high school counselors. Arivella, a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program, explained why offering more options is important to today’s high school students.

“We’re looking to shift the narrative a little bit from students who may choose a college or university for their future plans, but also provide other opportunities for students. So, the typical college fair that a school might host we wanted to think bigger and better beyond that,” she explained.

Arivella said that while college remains a strong option for many graduating seniors, particularly with the new option of free tuition at community colleges and some state institutions, she said more and more young people are seeking alternatives. With that in mind, the Expo will be open to all grade levels, freshman through the senior class. Tables will be set up in the school’s mall area and in the school library so students can walk through during their lunch hour and see what intrigues them.

“We’ll be showcasing a wide range of experiences. Workforce pathways, two- and four-year colleges, apprenticeships, trade programs, military service, even gap year experiences for students.”

Among those taking part are the Haverhill Fire Department, Northern Essex Community College, Whittier Regional Vocational Technical School’s adult evening program, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Rutgers University, Rochester Institute of Technology, MakeIt Haverhill, City Year New Hampshire, New England Tractor Trailer School, Empire Beauty School and PetSmart.

Arivella said the idea is to help students answer the question, “What excites them?” rather than just “Where are you going to college?”

Haverhill High Schools’ Post Secondary Expo takes place Tuesday, April 29

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Two weeks after celebrating her successful finish of the 2018 Boston Marathon Kim Dahn was stricken with debilitating stomach pain, ongoing and acute discomfort not readily recognized by her doctors. It turns out she suffers from a rare genetic condition that caused her lower intestinal tract to compress and twist. The condition is called superior mesenteric artery syndrome.

Even after over 60 trips to the emergency department and multiple surgeries, her long-term outlook looked bleak until she discovered the possible availability of an international expert. The person who regularly treats the condition through a complicated surgical procedure was expected to visit with another physician expert at a hospital in remote western Virginia for just three days in February. The problem for Kim was getting there and back again since the closest commercial airport was a 40-minute car ride in Roanoke, the weather along the northeast corridor was iffy and she knew she couldn’t stand waiting in airport security lines, particularly post-surgery.

Haverhill couple Kim and her husband David turned to Angel Flight NE, a charity headquartered at Lawrence Municipal Airport in North Andover, which matches volunteer pilots from across the country with patients in need of medical transport. The service is free.

David Dahn was a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” show along with Jonathan Campbell of Angel Flight. The pair explained how the medical transport service was able to get Kim to her surgical appointment and, more importantly, home to complete her recovery in less than half the time of a commercial flight.

“We could get there. The logistics weren’t too bad getting down, but coming back after surgery was going to be very difficult because there a 40-minute drive when you are post-surgery, trauma and so forth. So, we would we have had to wait not only in the car but at the airport and we would have had go through security lines. There were layovers so what would have been a 10-hour flight we didn’t think it was feasible,” Dahn said.

Campbell, a retired air traffic controller who “knows how to talk to pilots,” said he has nearly 400 pilots, all instrument rated with over 500 hours of flying time prepared who have access to a variety of aircraft ready to volunteer their time and planes to provide transportation, often at very short notice. He wasn’t put off when David Dahn inquired shortly before the trip was to take place.

“It was a challenge because, as David touched upon, there were weather issues, there was a relatively short amount of time to arrange things but when he first contacted us we got onto the task at hand and sent our emailed to a lot of our pilots who have longer distance airplanes who can make this trip, hopefully with non-stop. We had a great response from our pilots,” Campbell said.

Once the trip dates were set, Kim and David headed to Lawrence Municipal Airport. Pilots, though, are always in charge of trip details because safety is the first priority, Campbell said. Due to a winter storm front, David and Kim and their pilot ended up overnighting in a hotel in Philadelphia so their trip down to Virginia was longer than anticipated.

Fortunately, the trip home was a breeze and also was arranged on short notice once Kim’s doctors cleared her to leave the hospital following her successful surgery.

Campbell said that in addition to his email list of volunteer pilots from around the country, Angel Flight also works with JetBlue and Cape Air when it makes sense to send a client on a commercial flight. He also noted patients must be in stable condition because Angel Flight doesn’t provide nursing care. If someone makes an inquiring for a patient who needs medical monitoring, Campbell said he refers them to an air ambulance service.

With travel arrangements in another’s hand,

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