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Campbell earmarks local spending in House budget

Eagle-Tribune - 4/28/2017

April 28--BOSTON -- State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell, D-Methuen, is seeking tens of thousands of dollars for projects in Methuen and Haverhill as part of the fiscal year 2018 House budget approved earlier this week.

The overall House budget is $40.3 billion. Within the budget, Campbell sponsored amendments to bring money to both cities for social services and other programs, according to a press release from her office.

The House budget is a preliminary step in the process of establishing the state's spending blueprint for the coming fiscal year. Legislators will hash out a compromise between the House and Senate budgets that gets submitted to Gov. Charlie Baker for his consideration and signature.

Methuen's funding in the House budget ranges from development efforts to support for substance abuse and mental health.

As Methuen works to revitalize its downtown area, its first step is to submit an application for a zoning change that would allow for mixed-use residential and commercial development. The city is in the process of finalizing that application, Campbell said, and the representative secured $75,000 to support design and marketing to go along with the city's action plan.

For substance abuse, Campbell got $50,000 earmarked in the budget for the Methuen Police Department's Community Addiction Resource Engagement Services (C.A.R.E.S.) program. The program, with community engagement specialists Jennifer Burns and Jacquelyn Ingersoll, works to address the opioid epidemic -- and other substance abuse issues -- gripping Methuen and the Merrimack Valley. They work with the police department reduce recidivism in substance abuse and crime by raising awareness, providing recovery resources and doing outreach in the larger community.

According to statistics released in February, the C.A.R.E.S. program has serviced 286 people, with 132 people going to detox and 37 continuing their recovery with residential treatment, Campbell said.

Campbell commended the police department and city for implementing "this critical and effective program."

She also secured $60,000 in funding for mental health services at Methuen High School. John Crocker, director of guidance at the high school, recently established a five-year plan for implementing evidence-based direct mental health care for students, which the state funding will go toward. Mental health care has been shown to be vital to the social and educational development of students, the press release said.

"This funding can help build on outstanding work being done at Methuen High School to help make them a model district for mental health care for our students for the state," she said.

Also at the high school, $10,000 was secured for the boating program, giving students access to the Merrimack River that flows through their city.

For Haverhill, Campbell secured $50,000 in funding for extending the Bradford Rail Trail to Georgetown.

The rail trail "will be an overall great addition to Haverhill and help connect Haverhill with its surrounding communities," Campbell said. "Not only will it create a safe walkable path for families and children, but it will draw more visitors to Haverhill's walkable downtown."

She added that the project "fits perfectly with the Haverhill renaissance."

Campbell was also able to get $30,000 for the Cogswell School project, which seeks to make the old school an art center for the city.

Volunteers have worked hard to raise funds and awareness for the project, which Campbell said is "turning into a very cherished cultural center" for the city.

"I see tremendous support for this project in the community and I know that this funding can go a long way to help with the many structural improvements needed to repurpose this beautiful architectural gem," she said.

Follow Lisa Kashinsky on Twitter @lisakash23.

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(c)2017 The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.)

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