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Course Helps You Find Your Ancestors

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If you ever wondered who your ancestors are, but didn’t know where to begin to research them, then Genealogy 101 offered through Northern Essex Community College’s personal enrichment classes might be the place for you to start.

Taught by M. Brenda Smith, writer, editor, teacher, and genealogist, the six-week noncredit course, offered Thursdays Feb. 3 through March 10, will explore how to unearth information about your ancestors by gathering information from family members, friends, old letters, government documents, and more to trace your family back through generations. She will even review the latest technology available to help in your search.

The class, which costs $160, will be held at the NECC Riverwalk, 360 Merrimack St., Lawrence.
To register call Mary Shattuck at 978-556-3837. For the most current information and complete course descriptions, visit www.necc.mass.edu/noncredit.

NECC’s Workforce Development and Community Education located at NECC Riverwalk, 360 Merrimack St., Lawrence, Bldg 9, offers noncredit personal enrichment courses, as well as, professional certificates and computer training for individuals and companies that are looking for cutting edge skills, by providing the training that is most needed in today’s workforce. For more information call 978-659-1200 or visit us online at www.necc.mass.edu/noncredit.

Chef Maglio Returns to the NECC Kitchen

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Joe Maglio, personal chef and owner of the catering business, It’s About Thyme, is back in the kitchen and has cooked up a few new classes for the noncredit personal enrichment classes at Northern Essex Community College at the Tenney School in Methuen.

Maglio, who has more than 20 years of experience working at Caesar’s Palace, Andres, and Williams Sonoma, teaches five courses of which two are new. All courses are three weeks long and meet from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Everything Chicken Part Two, teaches the skills needed to debone a whole chicken and then create such dishes as Coq Au Vin, Chicken Cordon Parmigiana, Chicken Picatta, Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry and more.

This is offered Thursdays Jan. 27 to Feb 10. or Tuesdays, April 26 to May 10.

Soups and Stews, also a three-week course, looks at how to create comfort meals like Italian Giambotta, homemade chicken pot pie, clam chowder, minestrone, carrot ginger, and escarole soups.

This is offered Tuesdays, Jan. 25 to Feb. 8. and Thursdays, March 3 to March 17.

Other cooking classes include Comfort Meals, Thursdays, March 31 to April 14; Italian Feast, Tuesdays, March 29 to April 12, or Thursdays April 28 to May 12; Seafood Delights, Thursdays, May 19 to June 2 or Tuesdays, May 31 to June 14.

For a complete list of noncredit courses visit our website at: https://www.necc.mass.edu/academics/courses-programs/non-credit/ or call 978 659-1200.

Piano Recital Fundraiser Celebrates American Composers

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David Pihl

Ten American legendary and contemporary composers will be the focus of a piano recital fundraiser for the Essex Chamber Music Players featuring pianist David Alan Pihl on Sunday, January 23, at 2 p.m. with a snow date of January 30 at Northern Essex Community College’s Technology Center on the Haverhill campus.

Pihl is an active solo and collaborative pianist in the Northeast and has recorded a number of CD’s for Master Musicians Collective and Parma Recordings. The concert will demonstrate the rich diversity of styles and influences in American music from the early 20th century until the present.

Works ranging from the romanticism of Edward MacDowell and Amy Beach to the energetic rag-time and jazz influences of Eubie Blake and George Gershwin will be included, as will be the more advanced tonalities of Charles Ives’ “Hawthorne” from the Concord Sonata.

A world premiere by Marc Rossi will allow audience members to experience Indian influences in his rhythmic new work, “Invitation to Freedom,” inspired by the teachings of J. Krishnamurti while shorter meditative pieces by Alan Hovhaness, Daniel Pinkham and Elaine Erickson will evoke feelings of calm. Leo Sowerby’s sweeping work, “Shining Big Sea Water” will round out the concert.

General admission is $15, $10 for seniors, $5 for students, and NECC students are free with ID. Tickets in advance may be purchased at MVarts.Info. Proceeds will benefit the Essex Chamber Music Players. Refreshments will be served.

For more info go to www.ecmp.org

NECC Hosts Open House at Its Expanded Lawrence Campus, NECC Riverwalk

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Anyone interested in learning more about the programs and courses offered at Northern Essex Community College’s newest campus, NECC Riverwalk, is invited to attend a Ribbon Cutting and Open House on Thursday, January 13 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Free and open to the public, the event will feature classroom demonstrations, an art show, performances by the NECC Student Jazz-Rock Ensemble, and tours of the new space.  Information on the programs offered at NECC Riverwalk—including credit courses in business and computer information sciences; noncredit course in career skills and personal enrichment; and courses in adult literacy and ESL—will also be available.   The ribbon cutting will take place at 5 p.m.

“We’re thrilled with this beautiful renovated space,” said David Hartleb, college president, who will be on hand to cut the ribbon for the new space at a ceremony beginning at 5 p.m.  “It’s helping us give local residents the skills needed to succeed in today’s economy.”

NECC Riverwalk opened in the fall and demand far exceeded expectations.  The college had anticipated offering 15 credit courses to 330 students but ended up with 40 credit courses and 800 students.  The 26,000 square-foot mill space features 20 classroom, five computer training rooms, a conference room, and staff offices.

For more information on the NECC Riverwalk Ribbon Cutting and Open House, visit www.necc.mass.edu/open-house, or contact Deborah Gray at dgray@necc.mass.edu or 978-659-1275 or Josefina Taveras at jtaveras@necc.mass.edu or 978-659-1220.

Single Mom Succeeds at NECC

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NECC Paralegal Studies student CeTina DiPietro

NECC Paralegal Studies student CeTina DiPietro

CeTina DiPietro, who graduated from Northern Essex in May with an associate degree in paralegal studies, believes that because of the support systems in place at the college, “It’s honestly hard to fail here.”

DiPietro says, “as long as teachers at Northern Essex see that you’re trying, they’re willing to help you.”

A very strong student – she’s graduating with almost a straight-A average – DiPietro admits math and science courses are a struggle for her. While a student, she frequented the Math Tutoring and Resource Center on campus, which provides tutoring for all college-level math courses, and, as a result, received A’s in all three of her math courses.

She also found that combining online courses with traditional classroom courses helped her balance her busy life which includes an 11-year old daughter (with a second child on the way) and a 25-hour a week job working as an assistant manager at an area ice rink.

Also leading to her success were the workshops she took and the support she received from PACE (Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence), a federally-funded program designed to help first-generation and economically disadvantaged students succeed in college.

A former hair stylist and real estate agent, DiPietro was supporting her daughter on her own and came to Northern Essex in search of a career that offered a more stable paycheck. She is planning on transferring to Merrimack College where she will major in English and minor in pre-law. Ultimately, she plans to attend law school and eventually work in corporate law.

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100 Elliott Street
Haverhill, MA 01830
978-556-3000

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Lawrence, MA 01840
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Melissa Bouse (She/Her)
Executive Director of Marketing & Public Relations
978-556-3869
mbouse@necc.mass.edu

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