🌱 Patch AM: Andover River Cleanup Pulls 3 Old Docks, 4 Truckloads Of Debris From Merrimack

Hello Andover! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Andover's Merrimack cleanup hits record haul of river debris
• Why are more Andover families choosing private schools over public?
• How did Andover responders handle this toddler lock-in and bee sting?

Also on today's calendar: Austin Prep: Summer Preview and 8 more events.

Today's riddle: What is full of holes but still holds water? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Partly sunny and nice, with a high of 77 and low of 62 degrees.
• Saturday: Cloudy with showers, temps: high: 72, low: 64.
• Sunday: Cloudy, showers around; humid, with a high of 75 and low of 63 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Andover River Cleanup Pulls 3 Old Docks, 4 Truckloads Of Debris From Merrimack (patch.com) — Andover crews and Clean Harbors just completed their most productive Merrimack River cleanup day yet, hauling away three old dock remnants and multiple truckloads of debris from the town's five-mile shoreline. Funded by Town Meeting since 2021 and renewed in 2026, the program will continue monthly cleanups into the fall to further restore Andover's stretch of the river.
   

2. Andover By The Numbers: Private School Enrollment On The Rise (andovermanews.com) — Andover families are increasingly choosing private schools, with local K–12 private enrollment more than doubling since 2010-11 even as the town's overall school-age population shrank slightly. Public school enrollment's share of Andover students has dropped from over 93 percent to about 85 percent, bucking largely stable statewide trends and differing from many comparable Massachusetts communities.
   

3. Aug. 19 Public Safety Notebook: Toddler Locks Himself Inside Home, Teen Suffers Serious Bee Sting Reaction (andovermanews.com) — Andover police and firefighters handled a busy Wednesday that included a toddler accidentally locking himself inside a home, a 13-year-old suffering a serious allergic reaction to a bee sting on Main Street, and a tense but non-arrest mother-daughter dispute. Officers also checked on a woman after a reported fall and gave a wandering German Shepherd a safe ride.
   

4. Jr. Celtics Basketball League Launches Across Merrimack Valley YMCAs (rock929rocks.com) — Families in Andover can now sign kids up for the Jr. Celtics basketball league at the Merrimack Valley YMCA's Andover branch, with games running from November 21, 2026, through February 27, 2027. The program, backed by the Boston Celtics, includes a Draft Day event, mid-season clinics, awards, jerseys, and financial assistance for those needing help with registration costs.
   

📸 Around Andover

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Andover

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★ Featured events ★

Thursday August 27
• Austin Prep: Summer Preview →
  Austin Preparatory School, 101 Willow St, Reading
  5:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday August 21
• Comedian Bob Marley →
  Salvatore's, 354 Merrimack St, Lawrence
  7:30 pm
Saturday August 22
• OPEN 10AM TO 4PM
  Andover Center for History & Culture 97 Main St, Andover, MA 01810
  10:00 am
Monday August 24
• CLOSED WEEKDAYS AUGUST 17 THROUGH 28
  Andover Center for History & Culture 97 Main St, Andover, MA 01810
• Friends Book Donation Day
  Hamilton-Wenham Public Library Large Meeting Room , 14 Union Stree
  10:15 am
• Teen Weekly Activity: Lite Brite
  Andover Memorial Hall Library Memorial Hall Library - Teen Room
  3:00 pm
Tuesday August 25
• Little House on the Prairie 2026 Series Screening
  Hamilton-Wenham Public Library Large Meeting Room , 14 Union Stree
  10:00 am
• Learn 3D Design with TinkerCAD
  Andover Memorial Hall Library Makerspace - Makerspace
  10:00 am
• Drop-In Tech Help
  Andover Memorial Hall Library Memorial Hall Library - Alcove 1
  2:00 pm
Thursday August 27
• Free Outdoor Movie ~ Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse →
  Andover Old Town Hall, 20 Main St, Andover
  7:00 pm
Thursday September 10
• Free Intro. To Tai Chi Class →
  South Church in Andover, 41 Central St, Andover
  10:00 am

📣 Andover Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Friday August 21
• English Conversation Group
  Nevins Memorial Library Garden Room Nevins Library, 305 Broadway, Methuen, MA, 01844
  10:00 am
• Farmers Market
  Nevins Memorial Library Front Porch Nevins Library, 305 Broadway, Methuen, MA, 01844
  10:00 am
• Monarch Meadows Bug Hunt!
  Tewksbury Public Library Community Garden , 300 Chandler Street
  10:30 am
• VIRTUAL: The Truth Behind The Westerns -- Wyatt Earp
  Tewksbury Public Library Online , 300 Chandler Street, Tewksbury\
  2:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Andover PatchAM possible:

• Kidcreate Studio Wilmington — (781) 516-8496
• Austin Preparatory School — (781) 944-4900
• Andover College Planning — (617) 285-4036
• Denommee Plumbing, HVAC & Electric — (781) 214-8648
• JE Hunt Plumbing and Heating — (978) 475-4699
• Saltbox — 978 - 610 - 6020
• A Better Chance - Andover — (401) 741-2113
• Lanam Club — (978) 475-5210
• Buyers Brokers Only — (978) 835-5906
• Champion Soccer School
• 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric — (781) 451-1017
• Lander Taylor Quire & Weft — (978) 228-1037

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Stray cat—small, dusty grey with bushy grey-and-black tail (like a raccoon tail, but it's a cat, everyone—I know the difference).
  Tried to approach it this evening but seems very skittish. Didn't see a collar. Left some kibble and water outside for it. Has been hanging around… (Nextdoor Lovejoy Rd/Abbot St)

• Clearance Jobs posted a job opening for Manufacturing/Production Supervisor - 5th shift Jobs in Andover. Apply here.
• Raytheon Technologies Corporation - RTX posted a job opening for Manufacturing/Production Supervisor - Andover, MA in Andover. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Andover here.

Ok Andover! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A sponge (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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