Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: Andover River Cleanup Pulls 3 Old Docks, 4 Truckloads Of Debris From Merrimack
Make time for Austin Prep: Summer Preview on the Andover Patch calendar
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!)
- 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
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Andover
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Austin Prep: Summer Preview →
Austin Preparatory School, 101 Willow St, Reading
5:00 pm
Thursday August 27
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Comedian Bob Marley →
Salvatore's, 354 Merrimack St, Lawrence
7:30 pm - OPEN 10AM TO 4PM
Andover Center for History & Culture 97 Main St, Andover, MA 01810
10:00 am - 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 - 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 - Free Outdoor Movie ~ Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse →
Andover Old Town Hall, 20 Main St, Andover
7:00 pm - Free Intro. To Tai Chi Class →
South Church in Andover, 41 Central St, Andover
10:00 am
Friday August 21
Saturday August 22
Monday August 24
Tuesday August 25
Thursday August 27
Thursday September 10
📣 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
- 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
Friday August 21
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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