Merrimac

Class of 2019 Graduates from Pentucket Regional High School

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Pentucket Regional School District
Superintendent Justin Bartholomew
22 Main Street
West Newbury, MA 01985

For Immediate Release

Friday, June 7, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Class of 2019 Graduates from Pentucket Regional High School

Local Groups Award $130,000 in Scholarships to Graduates

WEST NEWBURY — Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Principal Jonathan Seymour are pleased to announce the graduation of 150 students from Pentucket Regional High School.

On Saturday, June 1, graduates from Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury were celebrated and received their diplomas during a ceremony on the field in front of Pentucket Regional High School.

The ceremony was lead by students, and featured musical performances by the Pentucket High Concert Band and Chorus. Valedictorian Allison Brookhart encouraged her classmates to continue to learn and grow in the next phases of their lives.

“As you look ahead to the next stage of your life, whatever it may be, I hope that when you doubt yourself, you realize why you should be confident in the person that you are,” Brookhart said. “I hope you have new experiences, and are adventurous. And when you do fail, because we all have failed and will continue to do so, I hope you are not ashamed. Instead, I hope that you are proud because the fact that you have failed means that you are still learning, growing and improving.”

Matthew Hersey, the class salutatorian, encouraged his peers to reflect on their achievements over the past four years.

“We have all spent the past 12 years of our lives working hard to realize the goals and aspirations we set for ourselves, and today we can celebrate all that we have achieved,” Hersey said. “Although we may have each had different expectations for our high school years, we can all celebrate the way we have shaped each other’s high school experiences and the accomplishments of this bright and dedicated group of students.”

Scholarships totaling $130,000 were awarded to seniors at the senior awards night and graduation ceremony by local businesses, organizations and groups, including the Pentucket Regional Scholarship Foundation.

“Congratulations to this hardworking, creative, bright group of young adults,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “And thank you so much to the Pentucket community for awarding scholarships to these students as they embark on their next endeavors.”

Superintendent Bartholomew also praised the work of the Pentucket Regional Scholarship Foundation, the maintenance crew for the 2019 graduation ceremony, district teachers who participated in the ceremony and the parents that organized this year’s Senior Celebration.

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Merrimac Police to Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Police Station

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mpdpatchMerrimac Police Department
Eric M. Shears, Chief of Police
16 East Main St.
Merrimac, MA 01860

 

For Immediate Release

Friday, May 31, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Merrimac Police to Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Police Station

MERRIMAC — Chief Eric Shears is pleased to announce that the Merrimac Police Department will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new police station next week.

WHEN: 

Thursday, June 6 at 4 p.m.

WHERE:

2 Jana Way, Merrimac. Jana Way is a new road that was built for the new police station, and is in the area of 106 West Main St. (Route 110) in Merrimac.

WHAT: 

The public is invited to join the police department to celebrate the start of construction for the new police station.

Merrimac residents voted to fund the design, engineering and construction of a $6.5 million police station last fall. Construction on the new facility began on Monday, May 13. 

Construction on the police station is expected to be completed in March 2020.

WHO:

  • Chief Shears and members of the Merrimac Police Department
  • Merrimac Board of Selectmen
  • Public Safety Building Committee
  • Owner’s Project Manager Bill Cunniff and Ken Grizzell of NV5
  • Architects Greg and Meg Carell of the Carell Group
  • Contractor Nat Coughlin, Vice President of LD Russo, Inc. 

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Photo: Construction Work Begins on New Merrimac Police Station

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mpdpatchMerrimac Police Department
Eric M. Shears, Chief of Police
16 East Main St.
Merrimac, MA 01860

 

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Sitework Begins on Merrimac Police Station

MERRIMAC — Construction on the first standalone police station in Merrimac’s history is now underway.

Chief Eric Shears is pleased to announce that sitework has begun at 2 Jana Way, the future home of the Merrimac Police Department. Erosion control has been put in place, and the first trees were cleared this week.

Work began Monday, May 13. A public bid process was won earlier this year by LD Russo Inc. of Harvard, the lowest bidder of six contracting firms that competed for the project.

“Working with our Owner’s Project Manager Bill Cunniff of NV5 and our Architect Greg Carell, we have designed a solid police station for our community,” Chief Shears said. “We are very excited to see the construction work begin, and I am grateful to our community for their unending support and contributions to this project.”

Merrimac residents voted in November 2018 to fund the design, engineering and construction of a $6.5 million facility after a lengthy public process.

Bid documents were available electronically on February 12, 2019. Sub-Contractor Bids were due March 5, 2019. General Contractor Bids were due March 14, 2019. The project was very competitive, and the top three bidders were within $222,000 of each other. The Merrimac Board of Selectmen awarded LD Russo the contract on April 1, and it was signed on April 16.

The project was designed and put out to bid with the main building and five optional alternates, which would be added depending on the bids. The alternates include the following:

  • Metal Roof — Important based on community feedback, long-lasting
  • Out Building/Garage for equipment and specialized vehicles
  • Carport for all-weather vehicle access
  • Second access road to Rt. 110 in case main driveway became blocked
  • Designer landscaping

At this time, only the main building with the metal roof will be built. The department is exploring grant funding, donations and other possible sources of funding to possibly add the other alternates.

Construction is expected to be completed in March 2020. A formal groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively scheduled for June 6. Details will be announced shortly.

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Merrimac Police Collect 51 Pounds of Medication During National Drug Take Back Day

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mpdpatchMerrimac Police Department
Eric M. Shears, Chief of Police
16 East Main St.
Merrimac, MA 01860

 

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Merrimac Police Collect 51 Pounds of Medication During National Drug Take Back Day

MERRIMAC — Chief Eric Shears is pleased to announce that the Merrimac Police Department turned in 51 pounds of unused medication following National Drug Take Back Day.

In collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Merrimac Police coordinated a “take back” event on April 27 at the Merrimac Police Station on East Main Street.

The collection event was part of a semi-annual initiative, where thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country work to provide community members with an easy, accessible way to dispose of expired or unwanted prescription drugs.

This April’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day set new records, according to the DEA, as approximately 6,400 collection sites were set up by local, state, tribal and federal groups. As a result, approximately 469 tons of prescription medications were collected and disposed of.

Since the first Prescription Drug Take Back Day event was held in the fall of 2010, approximately 5,908 tons of medication has been collected through semi-annual, DEA-sponsored events.

The Merrimac Police Department has hosted two Prescription Drug Take Back Days per year since 2013, and since then has accepted and properly disposed of several hundred pounds of unused medication.

“Prescription Drug Take Back Days are a great opportunity for residents to discard unwanted or expired medications safely,” said Police Sgt. David Vance. “It’s also a great opportunity for us to educate residents about the dangers of prescription drug use.”

Studies suggest that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet, and Take Back Day offers Americans a safe and secure way to remove those excess drugs from their homes.

Residents who missed National Drug Take Back Day can still turn in their unused medications at the Merrimac Police Department’s kiosk, which is located in the police station lobby. Residents should note that liquids, needles or sharps are not accepted.

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