AROUND THE VALLEY

GLCF Awards Additional COVID-19 Relief Grants to 27 Nonprofits 

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) announced a new round of grant funding totaling more than $436,000 to 27 area nonprofit organizations to provide COVID-19 assistance.

The grants were part of the fifth round of distributions to assist area nonprofits serving vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic. To date, nearly $2 million in grants have been distributed to 92 nonprofits serving Greater Lowell.

The 16 nonprofits receiving grants in the latest round of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund were Burlington Food Pantry FS, Community Teamwork, Inc., Dwelling House of Hope, Inc., Gaining Ground, Inc., International Institute of Lowell, Life Connection Center, Inc., Lowell House, Inc., Lowell Transitional Living Center, Inc., Mill City Grows, Inc., One Can Help, Inc., Open Pantry of Greater Lowell, Inc., Pepperell Aid from Community to Home Outreach, The Megan House Foundation, Inc., University of Massachusetts Foundation, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, and Westford Food Pantry.

MAK & CO. Celebrates New Location

Tuscan Sea Grill To Open in Newburyport

Friends and family of the Tuscan Brands team got a sneak peek at the new Tuscan Sea Grill & Bar this weekend and it did not disappoint. The restaurant, located at the former location of Black Cow, sits adjacent to the Merrimack River in downtown Newburyport and features a beautiful new bar, indoor dining space and an expansive outdoor deck with spectacular views of the river as it flows out to the Atlantic. Covered and equipped with heat lamps, the outdoor dining space will be open well into the fall. Best of all, new menu items will excite both new diners and longtime fans of Tuscan Kitchen. They include lobster pizza, seafood arancini, wood grilled octopus, lump crab cake, along with favorites lobster ravioli, orecchiette and a variety of salads. On the dessert menu, the made-to-order white chocolate macadamia nut cookie served with house-made coconut gelato delights.

TuscanBrands.com

Local Residents Named to National Leadership Society

UMass Lowell has inducted more than 70 new members into the university’s chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership society that honors college students.

UMass Lowell juniors and seniors academically ranked in the top 35% of their respective school are invited to apply for membership and are selected based on their outstanding contributions in one or more of the following five areas: scholarship, athletics and recreational sports, student organizations and community service, media and performing arts.

The 2020 inductees, listed by hometown, include:

Andover: Joseph Calles, computer science; Leah Gens, biology; and Kendall Yasi, business administration.
Chelmsford: Ryan Callahan, political science; Michael Foley and Andrea Patino Galindo, business administration; Kristin Hohenstein, nutritional science; and Kezia Ulanga, biology.
Dracut: Matthew Arsenault, plastics engineering, and Francesca Davilla Kamwa Dzukou, physics.
Haverhill: Emily Murrin and Miranda Vieira, exercise science.
Lawrence: Jinette Galarza, history.
Lowell: Melanie Boo, business administration; Nidhi Patel, biology; Amy Saretsky, peace and conflict studies; Sofia Savoca, civil engineering; and Trinh Tran, graphic design.
Methuen: Nazeli Acosta, physics; Catrina Crowe, psychology; and Corrina Quaglietta, nursing.
North Andover: Hayley Cooper and Jeremy Young, psychology.
Reading: Jacquelyn Iannuzzo, exercise physiology.
Manchester, N.H: Brianna Messier, chemical engineering.
Nashua, N.H: Joshua Fitzgibbons, civil engineering, and Kaleigh Mulligan, psychology.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund

There are still a few days left to take advantage of the Summer Matching Challenge when your gift to support world-leading research and patient-focused care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund can have twice the lifesaving impact.

Don’t miss this chance to have your donation do twice as much good. Regardless of the challenges of the last few months, it’s important to stand together to prevent, diagnose, treat and ultimately cure cancer.

It’s because of the generous support of friends and community members that Dana-Farber is the global leader in cancer research and care. But there’s so much more work to do.  A generous donation can help Dana-Farber get there.

Refuge to Once Again Issue Limited Number of Berry Picking Permits

For anyone interested in picking cranberry and/or beach plums on Parker River National Wildlife Refuge this year, a lottery will soon be conducted to determine who receives the 50 berry picking permits.  The permits are free.

To apply to the permit lottery, send an email to parkerriver@fws.gov and write “Berry Picking Permit Lottery” in the subject line. The body of the email should include your name, phone number and an email address. For those lacking access to email, please type or neatly print the same personal contact information on a card and mail or drop it off at refuge headquarters.

Located at 6 Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport, the refuge headquarters is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Permit lottery applications will be accepted from July 10 through 4:00 p.m. on July 31.  Permit selectees will be notified by August 10 and will be provided with additional details at that time.

Free COVID Testing, State Testing Initiative for Lawrence Residents

From July 10 to August 14, Lawrence residents will have access to free COVID-19 testing as part of Governor Baker’s Stop the Spread Testing Initiative. This will allow Lawrence residents to get tested at no cost. This initiative is part of an effort to increase testing numbers in communities still showing high case counts that are above the statewide average.

Details on Testing Location and Hours:
Where: Lawrence Community COVID-19 Testing Center
Hours of Operation: Monday though Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Lowell National Historical Park Beginning to Increase Recreational Access

Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Lowell National Historical Park is increasing recreational access to public buildings. The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.

Lowell National Historical Park reopened access to the visitor center, Boott Cotton Mills & Museum, Suffolk Mill Exhibit located at Wannalancit Mills, and trolly rides.

With public health in mind, the Mill Girls & Immigrant Exhibit and canal boat tours remain closed at this time.

Essex Nonprofits Eligible for Cummings $25 Million Grant Program

Cummings Foundation has launched its new Cummings $25 Million Grant Program and is now accepting letters of inquiry. This initiative will support 140 nonprofits based in and primarily serving Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk counties in Massachusetts. The total to be awarded represents an increase of $5 million over the Woburn-based foundation’s most recent grant cycle.

***

HAPPENING IN HAVERHILL

Mayor Appoints Iraq War Vet as Haverhill’s New Veterans Services Officer

Mayor James J. Fiorentini has appointed a veteran of the Iraq War to be the city’s next Veterans Services Officer.

Luis Santiago, 39, who is bilingual and served in the Army from 2001 to 2005, began his new job on July 6. He replaces Amanda Buckley, who left last month after her Marine fiancee was transferred to another military base.

Santiago served as an infantryman in the Iraq War and was a soldier in the brigade that captured Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Santiago, who most recently was an intern in the Lawrence Veterans Services Office, is a 2018 graduate of Northern Essex Community College and a 2019 graduate of Merrimack College. He received his master’s degree in public affairs from Merrimack College in June.

Santiago speaks fluent English and Spanish and is proficient in many computer applications.

“We had a number of great applicants and I was pleased to select Infantryman Santiago,” Mayor Fiorentini said. “He has tremendous enthusiasm and has the experience from working in the Lawrence office to start the job immediately.  The interview committee was especially impressed with his commitment to helping unemployed veterans find jobs.”

***

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Home Health VNA Awards Scholarship to Fleiry Mendez of Lawrence

Home Health VNA has awarded a $500 college scholarship to Fleiry Mendez.

Mendez, a 17-year-old graduate of the class of 2020 at Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover, plans to study nursing at Rivier University in Nashua this fall.

“This scholarship from Home Health VNA is a big help, and I’m very grateful,” said the Lawrence resident, a self-described “people person” who developed an interest in helping others while volunteering at a homework center in Methuen when she was younger and at Nevins Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in Methuen last year.