TeamWork
On February 8, Team Haverhill started putting the "possible" into this year's "dreams." Analyzing data from the January 25 Possible Dreams community event, new and continuing members worked together on tentative project descriptions, to be refined and presented to the whole Team for adoption on March 8.
A key Team Haverhill initiative for this year was previewed at City Council on February 9. In a report on the financial success of expanded recycling on two pilot routes in 2009, Recycling Committee Co-Chairman Remi Depommier announced that Team Haverhill will spend up to $30,000 from special-purpose funds to increase recycling awareness and further improve the City's bottom line for waste disposal in 2010. Commenting on the potential impact of imaginative marketing, Depommier referenced the gold, "Hillie Pride" T-shirts that were such a hit at the last home basketball game (featured recently on the front page of The Gazette). "Just think," he said, "what can be done to create a buzz about recycling."
Since the middle of last year, when single-stream pickup was launched in two areas of the city, the Tuesday and Wednesday routes have shown increases of 45 percent and 50 percent, respectively, in their recycling rates. These are great results. Expansion of the project to the whole city — enabling each household to place all their recyclables, unsorted, into one container — would put Haverhill on track to save $400,000 annually. Since residents can use their own bins, the city faces no start-up cost for special containers.
With the City paying more than $1.3 million annually for waste disposal, Team Haverhill believes we cannot afford the status quo. The potential saving from a citywide program — amounting to almost a third of the current expenditure — lies entirely under local control, unlike state aid, for example. A permanent, citywide program would free city resources year after year for important public purposes, and reduce the need for service cuts, taxes or fees to balance the budget.
As we enter our third year of advocacy on this issue, Team Haverhill calls once again for a citywide, curbside, single-stream recycling program. In the current waste-contract negotiations, we urge both sides — the City and Capitol Waste Services — to iron out the details promptly, get an agreement signed, and roll out the program citywide within the next three months. And we encourage voters to contact both City Council members and the mayor's office to express support for swift implementation of this money-saving program.
Beyond recycling, Team Haverhill is likely to focus attention this year on a key city asset — the Merrimack River — discussed frequently at the Possible Dreams community event. Team discussions on February 8 surface two "doable" ways to capitalize on our river location this year: namely, launching an annual "RiverFest Haverhill" series to run throughout the summer months; and making initial improvements on the Bradford-side rail trail, in partnership with the city and other groups. Longer-term hopes are still very much alive, including creative re-development of the Woolworth's site within a river-oriented, "Port of Haverhill"¬ district; locating a unified arts and cultural center near the river; and attracting the right uses for properties between the new boardwalk segment and Riverfront Park. A solid "RiverFest Haverhill" series could build both public buzz and civic capacity to advance bigger visions in future years.
Two other areas of progress from 2009 are likely to be slated for expansion in 2010. One is the Haverhill Youth Mentoring Program, which recently entered into a dynamic partnership with Mass Mentors (www.massmentors.org), a statewide organization providing standards, training and strategic planning help for an emerging Haverhill initiative. Team Haverhill has been a key partner in the development of this highly collaborative effort involving the public schools, our youth-serving agencies, and the United Way.
Last year's highly successful project to expand the Farmers Market has also set the stage for further progress in 2010. Vendors, shoppers, and strollers of all ages were delighted with the attractive mix of products and activities offered last summer. This lively, integrated approach produced big results — social, economic, and environmental — in 2009, and holds still greater potential for coming years.
It's not too late to get in on the ground floor of exciting community initiatives for 2010. Project-organizing will continue at Team Haverhill's next meeting on March 8, from 7 to 9 pm, in the Community Room of Pentucket Bank, 1 Merrimack St. Please use the entrance that faces the parking deck. Or visit www.teamhaverhill.org.
This is the debut of TeamWork, a monthly column contributed by Team Haverhill chairwoman Alice Mann. Team Haverhill is an independent, volunteer action group dedicated to making Haverhill a better place to live, learn, work and play.
