Events

More than 2,500 local newspapers in the U.S. have closed since 2005, and the closures are continuing at a rate of about two per week, while many of the remaining papers have had their newsrooms gutted by corporate owners. Andover resident Dave Copeland will discuss what this means for the communities and independent efforts like his to fill the void with online news sites like Andover News.

Copeland is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of covering business, technology, local news and a wide range of topics. He has been a staff writer and editor for Patch Media, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and the Dow Jones News Service, and his work has appeared in the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal and other national publications.

Andover Rotary and the Town of Andover's Veteran's Services come together annually to celebrate Veteran's Day. 

November 10th is also the Birthday of the United States Marine Coprs.  

Join us at Andover's Old Town Hall for this special Veteran's Day breakfast program. 

Lori Karas is an award-winning Operations, Sales and Customer Experience Executive with expertise within a variety of industries.  Currently, she serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Operational Services Division within the Administration and Finance Executive Branch at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  There, she oversees the Strategic Sourcing unit who create statewide contracts for the procurement of goods and services, Performance Analytics, Help Desk, Local Government Enablement, as well as Training units.  Since joining OSD, Lori has been focused on the Customer Experience by aligning technology, reporting, and process which has resulted in an increase in revenue, stronger relationships with the OSD buyer and vendor communities, as well as a stronger understanding of what KPIs to focus on for performance.  

Passionate about giving back to the community – a Rotarian since 2015 – Lori is currently a member of the Peabody Rotary Club and past President of the Boston #7 Club.  She is the District Governor for the 2023-2024 Rotary year at District 7930.  Formerly, Lori sat on the Board of the American Red Cross and was on the Disaster Action Team, on the Board of Trustees for Boston by Foot and served on the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Advisory and Financial Services Boards.  In addition, Lori taught financial literacy at St Francis House’s Moving Ahead Program.  Lori holds a BSBA from Suffolk University. 

Valbona Lavdari and Leonard Ndrecka, a couple from Albanian heritage, with emigration experience in Greece and the U.S., are  motivated by the expression: “The sky is the limit.” Valbona is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty, in the Andover Office. She has adopted the American work ethic and drive to succeed, but she harnesses that energy with a European heart. Valbona is also a public speaker, a published poet, an artist, and a strong community player. As a recipient of the Tribute to Women Award and board member of YWCA, Valbona strongly believes in women's potential to  accomplish greatness. She has served as the Vice President of “The Greater Haverhill Poets”, a non-profit organization with Merrimack Valley Poets. Valbona holds a Bachelor's Degree in English from Salem State University with a concentration in Writing and Art. 

Leonard Ndrecka –With a lot of determination and initiative, Leonard  started as a general contractor in the Remodeling and Restoration Industry in 2002.  He has professionally served  Andover and North Andover's communities for 21 years. Being an expert in his industry for such a long time, he has a great reputation for high skilled quality work, competence, great European taste and perfectionism in detail. His charm, great  communications and modesty make Leonard a great fit for all the communities he's a part of, including his family. Given their background and early years of immigration in the U.S., the couple is very passionate about the non-profit, Habitat for Humanity and the organization's humanitarian cause. Last but not least, Valbona and Leonard  take pride in being great hosts to other European immigrants and Americans alike. They promise to welcome all their guests with tons of fascinating stories that could be anything but boring.  

My name is Christine Peck, and I am one of the support staff to both of our chiropractors – Dr. Peck (my husband) and Dr. Audrey (my ‘bonus’ daughter) at Chiropractic Wellness Centre. My official title is office manager and chiropractic assistant (CA). I love being part of the team that reaches out to our community and helps to educate everyone to the amazing value of chiropractic care.

I was born in Mexico City to parents born and raised in England. At age ten, my family moved to California, where I lived, and then I graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a BS degree in Animal Science. I became an official citizen of our wonderful country when I was twenty-two years old!

Even though I grew up on the West Coast, I have spent more than half of my life on the East Coast, and I love this part of the country – the true change of seasons and the hearty New Englanders.

In addition to sharing the wonders of chiropractic with all of our practice members I love animals, and being part of an office that offers adjustments to both people and pets is perfect!

Join us as we hold the Club's Annual Meeting. 

Doug Brendel is a popular speaker, writer, and actor, but his heart beats for humanitarian work in the former Soviet Union. 

For more than 20 years, he and his wife have led NewThing.net, the largest continuous humanitarian-aid distribution operation in Belarus. 

Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, with the people of Belarus caught in the middle between Russia and Ukraine, the dynamics of Doug’s work have zigzagged dramatically — and the opportunity for Americans to help people in need has shifted in surprising ways. 

Doug will share insights, stories, and images from the former Soviet Union — and we’ll enjoy a freewheeling Q&A after his brief talk.

Doug is also an award-winning humor writer — and he says he’ll be bringing an amusing free gift for each individual who attends in person.

So this promises to be a lively experience! 

(Contact Doug personally, either before or after our meeting, via DougBrendel.com.)

With a strong business background and a passion for supporting local food systems, Fran eagerly embraced the opportunity to spearhead the Andover Farmers Market initiative when it transitioned to South Church from the Andover Center for History and Culture. Since its inception during the global pandemic in June 2020, AFM has thrived, attracting over 40,000 visitors, and injecting over half a million dollars into the local economy. Under Fran’s stewardship, AFM has made important strides in improving access to healthy food, with hundreds of shoppers using their SNAP and Market Match benefits to procure fresh, local food.

Fran and the devoted team of volunteers who run the market take pride in witnessing AFM embody its mission of connecting the community through the joy of local food. One of Fran's favorite aspects of being involved with AFM is experiencing the palpable joy exhibited by both vendors and shoppers at the market.

When she’s not dedicating her time to the market, Fran enjoys practicing and teaching at Andover Home Yoga and exploring Plum Island Sound on her paddleboard.

About the Author

Dana C. Owen served as a Police Officer for 27 years in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, retiring as the Sergeant Armorer for the Massachusetts State Police. He served with the Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission Police Department (MDC) from 1970 to 1992. When several state law enforcement agencies merged, he became a member of the Massachusetts State Police, serving until his retirement in 1997. He is the recipient of several police citations including the Metropolitan Police Medal of Valor, the highest honor awarded. Dana holds a Bachelor Degree in Law Enforcement from Northeastern University. A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, he is also an avid Genealogist.

Please Note - Meeting will be held in Characters Restaurant at DoubleTree 

One of New England’s premier chamber ensembles,  Mistral has been a jewel in the cultural landscape of Greater Boston since 1997, when it was founded by  Julie Scolnik and her husband, physicist MIchael Brower.  With a five-concert series in both Andover and Boston/Brookline , Mistral presents virtuosic and communicative international artists in far-ranging, thematic programs, from little-known gems to timeless masterpieces, with an irresistible combination of high jinks and serious music-making. Committed to invigorating old traditions with an ever-youthful zest, Mistral connects in a singular way with its audiences. Thousands of music lovers from far-flung towns have recognized something unique in Mistral’s special brand of “unstuffy, unpredictable, unmatched” music making.

Today she is here to speak about something entirely different. She is the author of an award-winning debut memoir, Paris Blue, which has won 18 awards, was an Amazon best seller,  and has John Irving’s quote on the cover. Set against a backdrop of classical music and Paris in the late 70’s it is a true fairy-tale memoir (with a dark underbelly) about the tenacious grip of first love. She’d like to share with you a bit about the journey that took four decades to see this story in print. 

Please Note - Meeting will be held in Characters Restaurant at DoubleTree 

Tricia is Vice President of her family insurance agency, A.P Michaud Insurance Agency, Inc where she specializes in Personal and Commercial Insurance. Besides being a leader in her agency she is also a leader in the industry as a member of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents Board of Directors working with other agents to bring awareness to the next generation about the insurance industry and its rewarding careers, legislature to improve coverage limits to protect MA residents, and education for Independent Agents.  Tricia is very involved here in the Merrimack Valley community and currently sits on multiple boards including the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Center for Child Development

She will be speaking on behalf of Partners in Child Development, formerly The Professional Center for Child Development, as the Board of Directors Vice Chair.  Partners in Child Development is an Andover and Lawrence based organization that focuses on nurturing the growth and potential of every child through educational and therapeutic programs within their three programs: Early Intervention servicing Andover, North Andover, Methuen and Lawrence.  The Woodbridge School, an early childhood education program for ages 18 months to 5 years.  And The Anderson School,  a private special education school for students ages 3-12 who have multiple disabilities, developmental delay and complex medical conditions.  I will share more about the programs, the children and why I support the organization along with inviting the club to join PCD at its Hearts of Gold Gala on April 27, 2024 at the Andover Country Club.

The Andover Public School System is currently engaging community members in developing a Vision of a Graduate, a collective framework that articulates our aspirations for every student in Andover Public Schools. The Vision of a Graduate will serve as the DNA for our schools, bringing our community together with a shared narrative. 

We want our Vision of a Graduate to be locally developed and globally positioned to articulate the skills that our students need in order to thrive in their lives and future careers. We hope that you’ll bring your unique perspective to this collaborative process. Our shared aspiration is that all of our students have an educational experience that prepares them to be lifelong learners and contributors today and tomorrow.

Meeting Location - Andover Inn, 4 Chapel Ave, Andover 

Join us as welcome Merrllee Mardon, the Academy's Deputy Head of School for Academics and Student Affairs 

Merrilee Mardon joined Phillips Academy in July 2023 as the new Deputy Head of School. She comes to Andover from the Hotchkiss School where she served as the Associate Head of School and Dean of Faculty.

At Hotchkiss, Merrilee oversaw a team that included campus life, athletics, and academic department heads, in addition to the school’s human development program, mental health counseling, and health services.

Among her proudest accomplishments, Merrilee created the Walter Crain Fellowship, which promotes the development of underrepresented populations among independent school leadership. The program will soon have six fellows who will go on to earn a master’s degree in private school leadership with the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University Teachers College.

A graduate of Smith College, Merrilee earned her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Massachusetts and taught economics and gender and women's studies at Connecticut College before joining the Hotchkiss faculty in 2008. She was appointed associate dean of academic life in 2013 and dean of academic life in 2014. Merrilee lives on campus with her husband, two daughters and son.

Join us as we welcome Andover Town Manager Andrew P. Flangan who will provide the club with a Town Meeting preview.  

For more Town Meeting information click HERE 

Two years ago, a group of interested Andover residents teamed up to launch an initiative called the Andover Pollinator Pathway. Our mission is to promote native plantings and healthy habitats for pollinators throughout our community. Each of us can make a difference, starting right in our own yards. 

In their presentation, Maria Bartlett and Suzanne Korschun will show you how easy it is to join the Andover Pollinator Pathway. You can put your garden on the map by doing the following five things: 1) plant native plants, including trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers, 2) reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides in favor of safer alternatives, 3) control invasive plants, 4) reduce lawn size in favor of native plantings, and 5) leave leaves somewhere in the yard in the fall.

They will also discuss their pilot project for the 5^th graders at South School and plans to expand to more schools next year. 

You are invited to join the APP in building pollinator friendly habitat in Andover. It’s easy – start small with a mailbox garden and then put your garden on the map!

www.pollinator-pathway.org/towns/andover

Andover High School's Interact Ckub will provide an update.