Three cheers for the Valley Patriot on it's 5th Anniversary.  This upstart is creating a platform for new voices to be heard throughout the Merrimack Valley.  One of those new voices is us, writers of the Innovation Valley column.  For the past three years our column has been a regular feature and we are grateful. As readers of the Innovation Column know, it's goal is to highlight the world's leading initiatives for municipal business development and quality-of-life improvements.  Every month we report on a program that provides opportunities for the Merrimack Valley.

A sustainable future is not something that can only be enjoyed by certain segments of society or by certain parts of the planet. Many "green" innovations have been displayed in beautifully crafted, yet very expensive homes and buildings. The real, holistic purpose of living sustainably is so that everyone can live cleaner, healthier lives and leave the Earth less of a mess for future generations to clean up.

by John Michitson and Seth Itzkan Background The future of Haverhill's downtown is at a critical juncture. Hundreds of new residential units, mostly apartments, are complementing longstanding stylish restaurants and shops in the downtown. Yet, there are still missing pieces to the puzzle that must be solved before critical mass can be reached in the downtown.

Wind power at Holy Name High School in Worcester is a model for the Merrimack Valley. The school will get all its power from the 600 KW turbine and will even be able to sell power back to the grid. It will be one of the most energy efficient schools in the country.

Michitson makes regional economic development presentation to the Haverhill City Council.

[Download PDF version as it appeared in the October issue of Valley Patriot] Imagine an Olympics of urban foresight and sustainability. How would Merrimack Valley cities do? Gold? Silver? Bronze? Honorable Mention? We may soon find out. Thumbnail image: 

Former Army Captain Daniel Leary is a lifelong North Andover resident who was deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now as President for a startup Renewable Energy firm he is fighting to make the Merrimack Valley a global leader again

In the middle of its biggest year yet, non-profit greenGoat sets its sights on the largest waste stream it can imagine: corporate relocation.

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts visited Haverhill in April to announce that the City is the first of 16 regional "growth districts" designed to be magnets for new business development. The "regional growth districts" are key to the Governor’s long-term economic development strategy for the State. The districts are targeted for older mill towns and cities near highways or other transportation. Thumbnail image: 

Lawrence can be the global leader in green jobs creation. It is ideally suited for the challenge.

Quincy Vale, CEO of Lawrence-based PowerHouse Enterprises and former Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) Green Buildings Program, is speaking about the emerging idea of a Green Mills Campaign that would provide funding for ecological restoration of mill space throughout the Merrimack Valley.

The Merrimack Valley Looks for Its Identity. Examples of local and regional efforts are provided, including those from the Merrimack Valley Planning Commissoin, Team Haverhill, MetroFuture, and Biotechnology Council's "Genetown". Of course we also look at our Innovation Valley initiative.

Supporting economic growth and workforce development in the Green Technology Sector through innovative approaches to rapid product development and cross-industrial collaboration.

An article on the summit has been picketed up by the New York Times and appeared in their Technology section on Monday, November 12. The article, written by Martin LaMonica of CNET, was also a lead story on News.com.

Turning Ideas into Dollars and Jobs: A report on the Green Chemistry Business Summit...The Summit was an unprecedented gathering of scientists, investors, industry executives, and regional planners, specifically for the purpose of harnessing the economic and workforce development potential of nontoxic manufacturing through Green Chemistry.

A first-of-its-kind event - on October 31st, 2007, Northern Essex Community College hosted the Green Chemistry Business Summit -

A first-of-its-kind summit of industrial leaders, scientists, and financiers assembled to harness the global business opportunities for nontoxic manufacturing through Green Chemistry.

In-depth Interviews with Haverhill’s Mayoral Candidates By John Michitson We challenged the candidates in Haverhill’s mayoral race to come to the table with their concrete plans and innovative ideas to address Haverhill’s most significant challenges: 1) projected long term financial deficits; 2) sub par academic performance in the Haverhill schools and 3) economic development strategies. --------

The Boston Foundation’s ‘Hub of Innovation’ Tool is a Model for the Merrimack Valley. By Seth J. Itzkan [Download PDF version of this article as it appears in the July, 2007 issue of The Valley Patriot].

IBM, in conjunction with the healthcare industry, is the early leader in helping to better connect the various stakeholders in the healthcare delivery process by enabling information-based medicine. The Personal Health Record (PHR), an individual’s health record stored in an electronic file, is a key building block for the solution.

A candidate’s Innovation Quotient (IQ) should be a key factor in winning the race.

We propose a global summit orchestrated in the Merrimack Valley to match two cutting-edge trends key to the region’s future. These are, firstly, Innovation Networking, an emerging business model that promotes sharing of intellectual property amongst diverse sectors, and, secondly, Green Chemistry, a rapidly growing industrial practice that eliminates the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing.

Imagine the year is 2107 - one century from now. You're not around, of course, but your great-grandchildren are. Like you once did, they now live in the Merrimack Valley.

Skilled Worker Condos and Modern Commercial Mix Are Keys to Haverhill’s Downtown Renaissance

Dear Governor-Elect Patrick, We are writing to alert you to a matter of economic and environmental urgency. The Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts is on the cusp of becoming a global leader in the emerging science of Green Chemistry.

On less than one mile of riverfront property, the seeds of a new economic revolution are taking root. The world’s largest green condo development is underway in the conversion of Wood Mill.

The workplace is becoming flat. The hierarchical walls within corporations are beginning to lower and fall. Once clearly defined boundaries between corporations are beginning to blur.

Our mission is to help jump-start a new industry of Green Chemistry in the Merrimack Valley. Green Chemistry is a practice that reduces or eliminates the use of hazardous materials manufacturing.

The Merrimack Valley lost an innovator with the passing of my Father, Arthur Michitson, who died on August 9 in his hometown of Haverhill after a bout with cancer. He was an innovator in industry, in his community and in his family life.

Another Proposal for Bradford College Campus - Can Kids with Social Computing be Catalysts for Excellence in Education?

Green Chemistry is a philosophy that seeks to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials at the design stage of a materials process. It has been demonstrated that materials and products CAN be designed with negligible impact on human health and the environment while still being economically competitive and successful in the marketplace.

Can the region known for making shoes and slippers actually become the hub of a new automotive industry?

Efficiency and value of Government services can not be increased by simply treating government like the private sector — a mindset change to encourage collaboration may spawn innovation and creativity and re-use of best practices in the public and private sectors, respectively, to help move our cities and region forward.

UK-based Innovations Have Application in the Merrimack Valley. Highlights Zero Energy Develop - BedZED, and Industrial Ecology - National Industrial Symbiosis Program (NISP).

Proposal for a Green Chemistry and Eco-Industrial Networking Center at the Bradford College

Haverhill's own USAi.net, a business grade wireless internet service provider (ISP), is poised to recreate the telecommunications revolution in the Merrimack Valley.