Inside Methuen

Free Summer Program for Methuen Youth: Mindful Arts Summer Institute

The Methuen Youth & Community Center is offering a free summer program for local youth ages 9–18. The Mindful Arts Summer Institute combines arts, leadership, wellness, recreation, and enrichment activities in a safe, supportive environment.

The program is offered through the Leadership & Literacy Foundation and is open to families across Methuen at no cost.

📍 Methuen Youth & Community Center, 10 Ditson Place, Methuen, MA

🌐 methuenyouthcc.org

📝 Register here: Mindful Arts Summer Institute Registration

To view the full brochure click here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B2Nvxg3vH_H0N7oXW76EtevTeXvXDrkY/view?usp=drivesdk

For more details or questions, reach out to the Methuen Youth & Community Center directly.

Shout out to the eighth grade civic students at the Tenney!

They were recognized at the Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase this year for their project on Financial Literacy, earning a Planning for Impact Commendation from the state.

These kids didn't just study civics.. they put it into action, developing a real plan to make financial literacy more accessible. So proud of what these students accomplished. 👏

Massachusetts Civics Project Showcases - Center for Instructional Support The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and int...

Methuen's 2026 Paving List is out... is YOUR street on it?

The city has proposed paving 53 streets this year across the Central, East, and West districts — 12.82 miles total.

Some highlights:
📍 Central: Brown St, High St, Emsley Terr, Milk St, and more

📍 East: Comet Rd, Derry Rd, Independence Dr, Brookdale Ave, and more

📍 West: Butternut Ln, Forest St, Meeting House Rd, Sheldon St, and more

Not seeing your street?

Drop a photo in the comments of what your road actually looks like. Potholes, cracking, the works... let's see it. 👇

Paving is always one of the hottest topics in Methuen and for good reason. Roads affect everyone every single day.

Tag a neighbor who's been complaining about their street. 😄

Last night started the right way... with a room packed full of families, students, and colleagues honoring Methuen's Teachers of the Year. For a few minutes, the politics faded and what was left was a community showing up to say thank you to the people who show up for our kids every single day. Congratulations to Julie Gaudioso, Terri Zappola, Leah Beauchman, Sarah Cordero, Bethany McCarthy, Brooke Belmont, Allison Petro, and Sofia Gonzalez.

You earned it and you are the reason this district, despite its often rocky roads, give so many students the chance they need and deserve.

Then the regular meeting went until way past everyone's patience ... $6.5 million in free cash transfers to patch the health insurance trust fund, a $5 million hit for FY26 alone, and a presentation that confirmed what many already suspected: a decade of kicking the can is now a bill the city has to pay.

Full recap is up now. 👇
🔗 https://www.insidemethuen.com/p/council-recap-june-8-2026

Council Recap: June 8, 2026 A night that started with celebrating the best of our schools and ended well past anyone’s patience.

Monday night is going to be busy at City Hall.

Before the 7:00 p.m. City Council meeting, the School Committee meets at Methuen High School at 5:30 to honor this year's Teacher of the Year. Then the council gets to work — and Mayor Beauregard moved the meeting earlier than usual specifically to get through one of the longest agendas of the year before the council breaks for summer.

On the table: a public hearing on a Home Rule Petition to strengthen seniority protections for city workers, a rewrite of the city's nepotism rules that has been in the works since April, a $5 million transfer to shore up the Health Insurance Trust Fund, $2.47 million to close the Snow and Ice deficit from this past winter, a new drone for the Police Department, heat pumps and LED upgrades at the high school, a curbside food scrap program, stronger enforcement for dirt bike riders on public ways, and much more.

We broke it all down — every item, every contract, every free cash transfer — with links to the source documents so you can read exactly what the council will be voting on.

🔗 Full preview at the link.
(because apparently Facebook doesn't like links in the body. It messes with the algorithm)

UPDATE: Alderbrook Lane

The city has provided clarification on the situation at 4 Alderbrook Lane.

According to the city, Reverend Eric Muchina, Pastor of PCEA Neema Church, confirmed that the church purchased the home in January to use exclusively as a minister's residence for an incoming minister who will be assisting the congregation at its church in Lowell. There are no plans to use the home as a church or for any other purpose.

As for the May 31st gathering that left the cul-de-sac packed bumper to bumper, the city says it was a one-time consecration ceremony to bless the home before the minister moves in. It is not a weekly service or a recurring event.

The city says the event does not violate any local laws or ordinances, is consistent with the paperwork the church filed earlier this year indicating the home would be used as a minister's residence, and qualifies as a constitutionally protected activity. No further action will be taken on the property.

For more on the church: pceaneemaboston.org

We recognize that this story may have brought unwanted attention to Reverend Muchina and the church, and for that we are sorry. We hope that he and his congregation find Methuen to be the welcoming community it strives to be, and that they are proud to call it home.

PCEA Neema Church Boston - Worship In Person or Online – All Are Welcome Worship with PCEA Neema Church from anywhere in the world. Join a welcoming community of faith through in-person and online services every week.

A Kenyan church quietly purchased a $750,000 residential home at the entrance of Alderbrook Lane, a small cul-de-sac off East Street, and neighbors say they had no idea it was coming.

The church filed for nonprofit status with the city back in March. Then, this past Sunday, the home hosted its first service.

Three hours long....

In a house with no parking lot… just a small driveway.

The result?

The entire cul-de-sac was lined bumper to bumper on both sides of the road, leaving residents unable to get in or out of their own street.

It's the kind of thing that raises a lot of questions…

What does the city's approval process look like for converting a residential property to religious use?

What are the traffic and parking obligations?

And what recourse do neighbors have?

Residents are understandably upset. More to come as this one develops.

Have information or live on the street? Reach out.

Haven't done a live in a while?

What should we talk about?
Who should we invite?

BREAKING:

The mayor announced today that Methuen has parted ways with Borislow Insurance after more than 15 years.

Borislow has been the health insurance broker for the City's health insurance going back to about 2012. They are a hometown organization.

More to come!

Chapter 70... Part 2 is up.

Now that we know how it works, we can explore why it's broken.

It's funny that for a state that holds itself out as being progressive and education focused... We've let our elected officials skate on fixing education funding.

Maybe shoot your representative a message and tell them to prioritize this education funding before it's too late for an entire generation.

Chapter 70 - Part 2 Why the School Funding System Is Failing Methuen And What Has to Change