hgazette.com, Haverhill, MA Forum

Editorial: Mentoring Network could use your help

2012-02-08T13:57:06-05:00

If you have a little bit of time to spare and are looking for a good cause, you might consider the Haverhill Youth Mentoring Network.
Now in its second year helping kids at Tilton Elementary School, the network has a waiting list for mentors and many more young students who could be referred to the program if more mentors were available. About 30 kids already have mentors.

Editorial: Cancer survivor rallies community to fight disease

2012-02-08T13:57:03-05:00

Another local cause worthy of your support is the 10 Free Kick Cancer Celebration, hosted by Tara Ryan Byrne and her 10-year-old son, Senan.
Ryan Byrne was pregnant with Senan when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. She has now been free of the disease for 10 years, hence the name of the fundraiser this year, her sixth annual.

Do you know who they are?

2012-02-08T13:56:58-05:00

If you think you know the answer, send it to The Haverhill Gazette by:
Mailing to Thanks for the Memories, 181 Merrimack St., Haverhill, MA 01831
Emailing to editor@hgazette.com
Dropping it at our office at 181 Merrimack St., or

Poor Tom's Almanac: Being a sucker for used CDs

2012-02-08T13:48:53-05:00

You know what they say: Someone's junk is another's treasure.
Well, that's the way I feel about used CDs. I cannot go by a yard sale or second-hand shop without getting the urge to investigate. And it usually does a number on my pocket change.

Editorial: A job well done by high school renovation team

2012-02-01T15:42:42-05:00

Built in 1963, Haverhill High School was more than showing its age when a team from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges visited 35 years later.
The 1998 NEASC inspection resulted in a report that threatened the school's accreditation. NEASC made 159 recommendations, many of them having to do with the sorry state of the building, from poor air quality to out-of-date labs.

Where is this?

2012-02-01T15:42:29-05:00

Poor Tom's Almanac: How sweet home at Irenicon

2012-02-01T15:42:27-05:00

Home is where the heart is, or so the saying goes. For us, it's a comfort zone — a place to hang our hats and coats, settle into a cozy atmosphere of peace and tranquility, and bring us a sense of gratitude when you consider the alternative.

Letters to the editor

2012-02-01T15:42:22-05:00

To the editor:
Last week I had the opportunity to attend the local Merrimack Valley Tea Party's monthly meeting. What struck me was not the quantity or the variety of people that were in attendance, but who spoke. Over the last couple of years, the Tea Party movement has been vilified, insulted, and, at times, blamed for violence. All of this abuse for simply standing up and asking that their voices be heard. After all, this still is America and freedom of speech is still our right, for now anyway. Some would rather they shut up and go away.

Editorial: Three cheers for three stories in today's Gazette

2012-01-26T11:59:17-05:00

There's some news to celebrate in today's Gazette.
Let's start with the story of Haverhill native Una Jackson, a living demonstration of the idea that the best way to meet old age is to remain active and engaged. Jackson, now 74 and living in Hilton Head, S.C., is a medal-winning fencer who is top-ranked in the U.S. saber division for women 70 and older. The fact that there's a whole division for septuagenarian fencers shows Jackson is far from unique.

Poor Tom's Almanac: Hostesses greet their guests with a mouthful

2012-01-26T11:59:13-05:00

For merry travelers, the long and winding road usually leads to someone's kitchen.
By that, I mean, no outside guests get a cold shoulder unless it's on a plate served up with plenty of side dishes.
Food is still the All-American staple and it's usually offered in large doses to guests who happen to drop by for conversation and get a mouthful instead. Any conscientious cook — me excluded — prepares a table sagging with chow. To beg off would be improper protocol.