Haverhill voters made few changes in contested races during Tuesday’s balloting, returning Mayor Melinda E. Barrett and all incumbent city councilors to office, while filling School Committee vacancies and a councilor in Ward 2. The big changes in January include Councilor-elect Daniel R. Diodati, who prevailed over fellow newcomer Veronica A. Rodriguez, 652 to 489 in unofficial results, to succeed incumbent Katrina Hobbs Everett who chose not to seek re-election.

(See proposed design, below.) It’s the public’s turn to weigh in on the proposed reconstruction of the plaza in Washington Square on downtown Haverhill. The current brick and cobblestone plaza across from the downtown post office is showing signs of wear and lots of tear after more than 40 years. A proposed redesign calls for a concrete walkway, performance space and permanent Christmas tree.

The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce honored four of its members for contributions to the business organization and the community Monday at its Annual Awards Dinner in Haverhill. Lt. Gov. Kimberly L. Driscoll served as the keynote speaker. She honored the Chamber and 250 business leaders in the room for their collective efforts to build a strong economy and vibrant community.

AgeSpan Nutrition Intern Jose Zuniga explains how microplastics get into food, how to avoid them and the impact they can have on health at a lecture sponsored by the Haverhill Council on Aging. Zuniga’s free talk, “Microplastics, Big Impact: What You Need to Know,” is offered Thursday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m. at the Haverhill Citizens Center, room 45, 10 Welcome St., Haverhill.

Haverhill voters who haven’t already participated in early voting or sent in a ballot by mail still have a chance to impact the city’s leadership come January. Tuesday is Haverhill’s general election with a number of competitive races—especially on the School Committee where more than half of the faces will change at the first of the year. There are also competitive races for mayor, where first-time Mayor Melinda E.

In an effort to streamline the process for helping those in the Haverhill community struggling after losing federal food and home heating benefits, state Rep. Andy X. Vargas Monday launched a website he’s calling HaverhillHelps.com. The effort is being joined by a $50,000 donation from Cedar’s Foods and CEO Charles Hanna to relaunch the One Haverhill Fund, and, as previously reported, …

An array of familiar Armenian dishes and handcrafts will highlight the Holy Archangels Armenian Church, St. Michael and St. Gabriel’s Annual Fall Bazaar. This year’s event is Saturday, Nov. 15, from noon to 6 p.m. at the church at 1280 Boston Road, Haverhill. Foods include chicken and losh kebab and kheyma dinners with vegetarian options; delicacies and pastries such as spinach/cheese boereg, choreg, paklava, Armenian string cheese and ghapama; and Anoush honey.

NewsMatch, the program that doubles donations from individuals in support of WHAV’s local news, was well received from listeners and readers Monday. A coalition of national foundations, NewsMatch, is doubling all new listener and reader donations to WHAV for a limited time. Each new donation up to $1,000 is being matched dollar for dollar. Even better, new recurring monthly donations are matched 12 times up to the same amount.

Students at West Newbury’s John C. Page School recently participated in athletic activities on one leg using forearm crutches so they could experience how athletes of different abilities compete. Pentucket Regional Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Principal Gregg Gilligan said pupils learned about empathy and understanding and gained appreciation for the abilities and achievements of others when the Bionic Project came to the school.

Haverhill-based Jarvi Productions is conducting its annual holiday collection to ensure families in need enjoy a complete and warm Thanksgiving meal. This year’s effort focuses on collecting frozen turkeys and non-perishable Thanksgiving items such as stuffing, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce and other traditional fixings. “This event is about bringing our community together and supporting our neighbors,” said Mike Jarvis, founder of Jarvi Productions.

There’s no doubt about it, and it’s easy to confirm, nonprofit WHAV—on radio, 24/7 Live Stream and Wavelengths eNewspaper—provides local news you won’t find anywhere else. Because we all benefit when everyone is informed, WHAV news is free to listeners and readers, but it’s not free to produce. That’s why this year’s NewsMatch fundraising campaign, which begins today, is so critical.

Daniel R. Diodati, a fourth generation Hillie, is competing with Veronica A. Rodriguez, also a Haverhill native, to represent Ward 2 on the Haverhill City Council in January. The winner replaces Katrina Hobbs Everett who chose not to run again. Diodati manages Berkshire Hathaway real estate offices in Haverhill. Rodriquez works for the Lawrence office of the state Department of Children and Families.

In one of only three contested ward city council tests this year in Haverhill, Oliver Aguilo, a city engineer with Lawrence and 20-year resident of Haverhill, is taking on incumbent Michael S. McGonagle, a Haverhill native, to represent Ward 6 on Haverhill’s City Council. McGonagle owns a real estate company. Both candidates appeared on WHAV’s morning show and answered a series of questions about issues facing the city.

Six candidates are vying for three at large seats on the Haverhill School Committee in the city’s general election tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 4. They are, in ballot order, Penelope Guerrero, Josiah E. Morrow, Davis V. Nguyen, Toni A. Sapienza-Donais, Fred A. Simmons and Daniel P. Spheekas. All except Nguyen were raised in Haverhill and attended its public schools. Nguyen moved to Haverhill five years ago.

Service Credit Union will celebrate the grand opening of its newest branch Wednesday, marking the credit union’s entry into the Merrimack Valley and its first major branch opening in the state since the mid-1990s. Haverhill will become Service Credit Union’s second Massachusetts branch, joining Falmouth on Cape Cod. Service Credit Union plans a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 12, at Westgate Plaza, 424 Lowell Ave., Haverhill, with local officials, members of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, local first responders and community leaders.

Wines from France and Italy will be showcased at the Fifth Annual Pentucket Kiwanis Club of Haverhill’s Wine Tasting fundraiser. The party will be held Thursday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m. at Maria’s Restaurant, 81 Essex St., Haverhill. A buffet featuring cheeses, appetizers, tortellini, ravioli and antipasto will accompany the vintages offered by Highland, a Boston-based importer. The evening will include a 50/50 raffle, door prizes and a cash bar.

The public has opportunities to shape policy this week as various Haverhill boards meet. In the interest of transparency in government, WHAV provides this list of upcoming meetings every week on air and online. Three Haverhill Public Schools School Site Councils are meeting this week. The Walnut Square School Site Council meets online Monday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m., via Google Meet (

Guy E. Cooper, a retired Haverhill police officer, is challenging incumbent Melissa J. Lewandowski for the Ward 4 seat on Haverhill’s City Council in next Tuesday’s general election. They each sat down with on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” and answered a series of questions about their candidacies. Here are their answers in the order the candidates will appear on the Ward 4 ballot.

The Merrimack River Watershed Council says it identified high bacteria levels at several points in the water from as-yet unknown sources—unlikely to be from the combined releases of sewage and stormwater. The statement came Thursday as the organization released its analysis of 2024 water quality data, raising questions about dangerous fecal bacteria levels in specific segments of the Merrimack River. Data comes from both baseline water quality monitoring throughout the year and tests following “significant combined sewer overflows.” Officials conclude more study is necessary.

Area high schools will be able to accommodate more students interested in learning skills needed to enter the workplace thanks to grants from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School, Greater Lawrence Technical School and Haverhill and Methuen schools were among those awarded, what the state calls, “career-connected learning grants” last week to support school districts and workforce partners.

Handcrafts, jewelry, home décor and a raffle highlight this year’s Holiday Craft Fair at the Haverhill Council on Aging. The annual event has attracted 25 vendors, according to the council’s program coordinator, Paola Hussein. This year’s fair will be Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Haverhill Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St.

The public is invited to tour High Pointe House, a hospice and palliative care residence operated by Tufts Medicine’s Care at Home program. Tours will be offered Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 8-10 a.m. and 3-6 p.m., at 360 North Ave., Haverhill. Staff will be on hand to discuss the interdisciplinary end-of-life care offered. There will also be opportunities to sample food prepared by the in-house chef and meet the home’s therapy animals.

Students in seventh and eighth grade interested in exploring high school career technical training are invited to the Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School’s annual open house this Sunday. With a theme of “We Are Eleven Communities. One School. Your Future,” students and parents may tour the school, meet current students and faculty and participate in interactive activities showcasing 21 career and technical programs.

A national school search platform recently recognized Bradford Christian Academy as one of the Best Schools in America. Niche, a college and school search platform, ranked Bradford Christian Academy second as the Best Private Christian K–12 School in Massachusetts and the number one Most Diverse Private K–12 School in Massachusetts for 2026. “Being recognized among the top schools in Massachusetts is a tremendous honor, but what excites us most is being named #1 in diversity,” said Victoria Kennedy, head of school at Bradford Christian Academy.

Sometimes even the experts get things wrong quite by accident. In response to a suggestion last spring by a group of Ward 1 residents, the Haverhill City Council took the first steps Tuesday toward shortening the city’s winter parking ban by two weeks at the beginning of the season and two weeks at the end. The intention was to move the longtime start date ahead two weeks from Nov.