News

Methuen High School Project Update

Mayor Manzi and the Building Committee visited and presented the project to the M.S.B.A. sub-committee in Boston yesterday.

Click here to watch the 4 part video of the presentation.

Lowell Spinners’ Groundskeeper Jeff Paolino Honored

Methuen resident Jeff Paolino, the head groundskeeper for the Lowell Spinners, has been honored as the groundskeeper of the year. Jeff recently attended a Methuen City Council meeting, where he was recognized with a mayoral citation.

The Spinners press release

The Lowell Spinners, Class-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, are pleased to announce Head Groundskeeper Jeff Paolino has been named the New York-Penn League Sports Turf Manager of the Year.
Paolino, in his second season as the Spinners head groundskeeper after three seasons as an assistant, oversees all grounds work at LeLacheur Park during the not only the Spinners season, but also during the UMass-Lowell Baseball season.

In 2009, Paolino’s tireless work ensured the Spinners would be able to play despite rain on 15 of the team’s first 18 home dates without so much as a rain delay. Overall in 2009, the Spinners were rained out just once, playing through the rain in over half of their home dates.

“This award is a testament to the hard work Jeff and his staff put forth on a daily basis in taking on the onus associated with ensuring we are able to play on a playing surface that is one of the best in the game,” said Spinners Vice President and General Manager Tim Bawmann. “With the amount of rain we had in 2009 to only have one game lost to rain is remarkable and we are very happy to have Jeff honored for his hard work in making it possible.”

With LeLacheur Park in use day-in-day out, Paolino has worked over the past few seasons to make several key improvements. In addition to the daily beautification of the field, Paolino has made improvements to the bullpens, home plate area and pitching mound, as well as added several new looks to the field with new cutouts and cuts.

During the past two seasons, Paolino has worked not only to keep LeLacheur Park ready for baseball, but also to host two concerts. Following the Dropkick Murphy’s and Mighty Mighty Bosstones concert in 2008, LeLacheur Park hosted indie-rock favorites, Wilco in 2009, again opening the playing surface for stages and concertgoers alike. In each instance, Paolino has ensured LeLacheur Park is not only ready for baseball in the days that follow but in the same condition it was before the concerts arrived.

“To be able to turn-around the field over a six-day period from baseball to a concert and then back to baseball is a testament to the work ethic of Jeff and his crew,” said Bawmann. “By the time we are back to baseball you wouldn’t even know we had 6,000 people in the outfield the day before.”

A native of Methuen, Mass., Paolino was sworn into the military in a ceremony held at LeLacheur Park in June. While he is due to report to Lackland Air Force base outside of San Antonio, Texas in late October for training, Paolino will continue his work at LeLacheur Park.

The Sports Turf Manager of the Year is selected by the top umpires in each league. Paolino was selected based on a number of criteria, including condition of turf grass, mound, infield, and communication with umpire crew and effort to complete games in adverse conditions. The national winner will be announced at the Baseball Winter Meetings, to be held the first week of December in Indianapolis.

Town Cobbler featured in Boston Globe

From the Boston Globe, March 7, 2010
Chin up: The few, the proud, the holdouts
By Mark Pothier

Some fields are thinning fast, but if — like these intrepid folks — you’ve got drive, flexibility, and a competitive spirit, you can endure in the job you love.

After more than 20 years in the wholesale fruit business, Tom Belluardo’s career had stalled. With prospects for promotion dim, he decided to learn an occupation that offered more potential: cobbler.

You might not expect a lot of demand for a shoe-repair guy in a world where people toss out footwear nearly as often as they change socks. But there is some demand — enough for Belluardo to secure a slice of a niche business for the last two decades. His Methuen shop, The Town Cobbler, thrives on a base of customers that prefers to get quality shoes fixed instead of tromping around in cheap plastic heels with the life expectancy of paper coffee filters

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Town Cobbler Webpage

Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce Health Care Seminar 3/26

Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce
will present “Health Care for You, Your Business and Your Family”
Keynote speaker is James Roosevelt Jr., president and CEO of Tufts Health Plan.

Friday, March 26th, 2010
7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
Jackson’s Restaurant
478 Lowell St.

Cost is $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers.
Includes full hot breakfast buffet.

for more information call 978-686-0900 or visit www.merrimackvalleychamber.com

Merrimack Valley Chamber-Commerce
www.merrimackvalleychamber.com
264 Essex Street
Lawrence, MA 01840-1516
(978) 686-0900

Group rallies against I-93 toll

From the Eagle Tribune March 03, 2010
Group rallies against I-93 toll
By Terry Date

SALEM, N.H. — The buck stops with Gov. John Lynch when it comes to proposing a toll for Interstate 93. That’s what several speakers said among the 45 people who met last night at Woodbury Middle School to rally opposition to a border toll. Elected officials, residents and others brainstormed strategies to scuttle the state transportation commissioner’s plan to apply next month for federal approval to charge a $2 toll on the southbound side of I-93 in Salem.

Two of those people were Sen. Mike Downing, R-Salem, and John Stephen, a former New Hampshire Health and Human Services commissioner. “It all starts with the governor,” Downing said. Stephen, who announced last night he will file today to run for governor, said all Lynch needs to do is let the transportation commissioner know he doesn’t support the toll application and that would be the end. “It’s wrong,” Stephen said of the toll.

The governor’s spokesman, Colin Manning, said in an interview after last night’s meeting, “This is not something that the governor has supported and he has a number of questions and concerns.” Manning said the DOT was asked by regional planning commissions to investigate funding for the I-93 widening. The responsible thing to do is to explore all funding options, he said. “The governor said in his State of the State address it’s one thing to talk about the I-93 (widening) project but to ignore how we are going to fund it is not realistic,” he said.

The toll is being considered as a means of paying for a $260 million shortfall in the $780 million project to widen I-93, pay for the interstate’s yearly operating costs, and the projected bonding for construction, DOT Commissioner George Campbell has said.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts state Rep. Linda Dean Campbell, D-Methuen, said traffic being diverted to local roads would cause more congestion in Methuen than any other town along the corridor.

(read more)

MHS to have Jeanne D’arc Credit Union Branch

Manzi Announces That Jeanne D’arc Credit Union Will Open At Methuen High School

Mayor William M. Manzi announced today that the Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union will open a new branch office at Methuen High School this winter. The High School is located at One Ranger Road. This is the fourth High School branch for Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union which will serve the financial needs of the school’s 2000 students, teachers, administrators and staff. The Credit Union’s partnership with Methuen High will offer students the unique opportunity to receive valuable financial education and hands-on training as part of the high school curriculum.

The Credit Union will build a temporary branch in the Main Lobby of the High School and will move to a permanent space once the High School renovation is complete. This temporary office will be situated in the school’s main entrance, providing easy access for students and teachers. It will be open Monday through Friday during school hours. In addition to teller stations, the office will house an ATM.

This is the Credit Union’s tenth office in the Merrimack Valley and the third office it has opened in two years, a testament to the Credit Union’s increasing popularity throughout the area. In addition to its headquarters in Lowell, other offices are located in Chelmsford, Dracut, Tyngsboro, Methuen, and Westford.

“This is an excellent partnership between the City and the business community,” Manzi stated. “The high school branch office will provide students with a chance to open a bank account at a convenient location. It will also launch many educational opportunities for students and teachers. I’d like to officially welcome Jeanne D’Arc as they open their second Methuen location.”

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union was established in 1912 and is a full-service, member-owned, community-based financial cooperative with over 54,000 members and more than $840 million in assets. They operate six full-service branches in Lowell, Dracut (2), Tyngsboro, Chelmsford and Methuen, Mass.; three High School Branches at Lowell High, Dracut High and Nashoba Valley Technical High School; and loan centers in Lowell and Chelmsford.

Eagle Tribune footage of the cresting Spicket

Noah Bombard shot some footage yesterday of the Spicket and interview Mayor Manzi about potential flooding.

from the Eagle Tribune February 27, 2010
Cresting Merrimack River poses flood threat

After the wind died down, there was a new threat to watch for in the Merrimack Valley — flooding. Almost 3 inches of rain fell with Thursday’s storm in the Merrimack Valley, forcing the Spicket River in Methuen and Lawrence and the Shawsheen in Andover to top their crests, at 8.5 feet and 34 feet, respectively.

The Merrimack River was expected to hit a height of 15 feet in Haverhill between 9 a.m. and noon today, according to the National Weather Service. In Lowell, the river was expected to crest by noon at 51.6 feet. The Valley and Southern New Hampshire would have been buried in snow this week had the temperatures dipped below freezing, according to weather officials.

“Had it been cold enough for snow, you would have received between six and eight inches per every inch of rainfall,” said meteorologist Rebecca Gould at the Weather Service Bureau in Taunton. “You would have received well over a foot had it snowed,” she said, referring to Thursday’s torrential rains.

Based on her calculations, the 5 inches of rainfall could have dumped up 40 inches of snow over the week — more than 3 feet of wet, slushy snow. And the storm still has a few more punches to throw.

Rain and occasional snow flurries are forecast for today and tomorrow, but may not amount to more than an inch of snow. High temperatures should reach 38 degrees today, with a low of around 30 tonight. Tomorrow, a high of 45 degrees is expected during the day with a low of around 29 at night. On Monday, an ocean storm could mean more snow for the region. Area communities were bracing themselves for potential flooding yesterday in the aftermath of Thursday’s storm.

In Methuen, a park bench behind the Espaillat Mills was already partially submerged by the Spicket River when Mayor William Manzi called city Emergency Management Director John Santoro on his cell phone yesterday morning.

“How are we with sandbags?” asked Manzi. “What did we use the last time? Did we use 2,000?”

The last time Manzi was referring to was the 2006 flood that submerged the entire back parking lot of the business complex, located at 225 Broadway just a short distance from the heart of downtown. City officials expected flood water to rise an additional foot yesterday before cresting overnight. Manzi said Methuen would be taking no chances.

“We want to be ready and work with emergency management to make sure we get all the aid and assistance we can,” he said. Manzi toured flooding trouble spots in the city, including sections of Lowell Street on Route 110, where Jackson’s Restaurant was left without power and remained closed for breakfast and lunch.

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Zoning board hearing on cell tower postponed to 3/31

The meeting is now scheduled for March 31 at 7 p.m. Zoning Board Chairman Matthew D’Agostino said the board is still waiting for information it requested from T-Mobile. The company said it would have the information for the next meeting, D’Agostino said.

From the Eagle Tribune February 14, 2010 12:30 am
Neighbors fight 100-foot cell tower
By J.J. Huggins

METHUEN — Property values have already dropped because of the economy, and people who live on Maplewood Avenue are afraid their homes will be worth even less if T-Mobile builds a proposed 100-foot cell phone tower there.

“We’re a blue-collar town. Most of us are in our homes that are worth, in some cases, less than what we owe on them, and this is just another situation where our property values are going to go down,” said Mark Paine, a 53-year-old painter and paper hanger who lives with his wife and daughter at 20 Maplewood Ave.

The proposed site for the tower is behind Paine’s house, on land owned by Albert and Lorraine Gervais of Lawrence.

T-Mobile has applied for a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to build the tower at 24 Maplewood Ave., 120 feet away from the closest home (less than the required 250 feet), and to build a tower that would be more than 10 feet above the average tree height in the area, which is 77 feet. The plans also call for three fenced-in cabinets at the site, according to minutes from a recent zoning board meeting.

T-Mobile’s attorney, Jennifer Lewis, told the zoning board the tower is needed to address a gap in wireless service along Route 113.
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The zoning board plans to discuss the tower and possibly vote on it at its meeting on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in City Hall. Chairman Matthew D’Agostino said there’s a decent chance the tower will be approved.

NH DOT commissioner committed to I-93 toll

From the Eagle Tribune February 21, 2010
NH DOT commissioner committed to I-93 toll
Corridor towns resisting as state moving ahead
By Terry Date

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation plans to apply for federal approval in April to locate a free-flowing toll system on Interstate 93 southbound at the Massachusetts border.

DOT Commissioner George Campbell is moving ahead with the plan — despite heavy opposition from businesses, politicians and commuters in I-93 corridor towns, who object to the cost and in-town congestion they say a toll would generate.

A toll would raise an estimated $46 million a year, money that would go toward the $260 million shortfall to complete the $780 million I-93 widening, as well as pay the highway’s $11 million annual operating cost, and projected bonding expensesfor the project, Campbell said.

He said the widening is critical for travelers’ safety, and a toll is a fair and sustainable way to widen and maintain the now congested 19.8-mile corridor between Salem and Manchester.

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Holy Family Hospital Launches Electronic Medical Record

Holy Family Hospital Launches Electronic Medical Record
Joins Just 2.5% of U.S. Hospitals in Reaching Patient Safety Milestone

February 18, 2010 – Methuen, Mass. – Holy Family Hospital today went live with its Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system. By providing consistent, real-time communication between physicians and patient care staff, the EMR system improves patient care and safety.

Holy Family is the first of the Caritas group of hospitals to implement all three components of the EMR –Patient Care System (PCS), Bedside Medication Verification (BMV), and Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE).

Physicians can place patient orders online for medication, lab radiology tests, consults and more. Patient information is integrated into the record and automatically checked for potential errors or problems such as drug interactions or patient allergies. Physicians can place orders and access patient information such as imaging and lab results from their offices, homes or anywhere in the hospital. Nurses now electronically assess, monitor and chart patient care online. They also utilize an online status board that includes care plans, special orders, and patient discharge information.

“Electronic medical records are the new standard for clinical documentation. Holy Family is proud to be among the few Massachusetts community hospitals that have adopted the technology,” said Lester P. Schindel, President and CEO of Holy Family Hospital. “I want to thank everyone, including physicians, nurses, ancillary, and IS staff who have worked hard to put this system in place that allows us to improve the safety and quality of our care.”

Electronic medical records have been a focal point of the health care reform debate as a tool for improving quality and reducing cost. A study last year by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and New England Healthcare Institute found that for Massachusetts community hospitals, computerized physician order entry alone could reduce harm from errors by 70% and save $2.7 million a year per hospital.

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