THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX By: Dr. Charles Ormsby – October, 2010 Do you believe in personal responsibility, or do you want to be oppressively taxed to permit others to escape the consequences of their irresponsibility? Do you struggle to balance your family’s budget and try to save for the future while you see your taxes […]
By: Tom Duggan – October, 2010 Last month hundreds of friends supporters and elected officials gathered at the Meadow Creek Golf Club in Dracut to honor the outgoing State Senator Steve Panagiotakos who announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking reelection after 21 consecutive years as an elected official. Flanked by […]
By: D.J. Deeb – October, 2010 Perhaps the title of this column should be, “The Importance of Studying Several Different Sources Before Making a Decision”, but I just found it fascinating at this past June Town Meeting how Dracut’s various media outlets and Internet blogs handled a certain warrant article, which I felt […]
By: Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi – October, 2010 An editorial in the Eagle~Tribune last month called into question the real savings to taxpayers that would come from Methuen’s adoption of the early retirement law that the legislature passed as part of the municipal relief package. The editorial is interesting in that it makes some […]
Candidate for Massachusetts State Treasurer Karyn Polito By: Tom Duggan – October, 2010 The Valley Patriot caught up with Karyn Polito touring North Andover last month where Valley Patriot editor Tom Duggan asked her about the viscous personal attack Rep. David Torissi launched against her in Lawrence during the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Association debate. Tom […]
Baker says if elected, Lantigua will not manage city finances Candidate for Governor Tells Tea Party Lantigua not Fit By: Tom Duggan – October, 2010 Earlier this year, Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua partitioned the state legislature to borrow $35Mil claiming there was a $24Mil. deficit in the city’s budget. Governor Deval Patrick wrote House Bill 4421 […]
Blanchette is Mayor Lantigua’s Economic Development Director and Former City Council President By: Tom Duggan – October, 2010 The State Office of Campaign Finance (OCPF) has fined former Lawrence City Council President Patrick Blanchette $20,000 for taking money from his city council campaign account going back to 2006 among other violations. Blanchette has admitted to […]
Kevin Begley talks issues while Torissi launches personal attacks By: Tom Duggan – October, 2010 A debate was held between State Rep. Dave Torissi and his Republican challenger Kevin Begley at the Frost School in Lawrence last month. The debate was sponsored by the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Association. State Rep. Dave Torissi: “Most […]
We Predicted his illegal Firing would lead to his return and it has Valley Patriot Editorial October, 2010 Love him or hate him, Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon may not be a saint, but he is certainly not the demon he was made out to be by The Eagle~Tribune and others when he was […]
By: Christine Morabito – October, 2010 I’m absolutely humbled by the Tea Party and what they have been able to accomplish over the past 18 months. Not bad for a haphazard group of disaffected citizens who have been called irrelevant and were never expected to sustain momentum until the November elections. It is my […]
By: Paul Murano – October, 2010 I went to a debate the other night between Humanists and Christians sponsored by the Chesterton Society of Worcester on the question of which offers the greater hope for humanity. I was impressed by the good will displayed between both groups, but it wasn’t too long before I […]
SPECIAL TO THE VALLEY PATRIOT By: Sandra Stotsky – October, 2010 In November 2006, Governor Romney appointed me to the nine-member Massachusetts Board of Education. In January 2008, the Legislature passed Gov. Deval Patrick’s bill establishing a cabinet-level secretary of education position and expanding the board to eleven members. The bill specifically […]
VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH By: Gary Mannion – September, 2010 LOWELL – Greg Page sat on his couch waiting to leave for Newark International Airport to catch his plane to San Francisco; he was about to embark on his senior year at Stanford University. Whatever it was that seemed important to him as […]
By: Tom Duggan – September, 2010 LAWRENCE, MA, August 14, 2010: In an unprecedented action, Lawrence City Councilor Marc L. Laplante calls on the Lawrence District Court to “throw the book” at Victor Delgado, who Lawrence Police call “Lawrence’s number one car breaker” in Delgado’s upcoming trial. Delgado, 79 Haverhill Street, was released on […]
By: Tracey Zysk – September, 2010 On August 28, 2010 my life changed forever….my sweet Lani arrived! At 2:15 pm on this beautiful Saturday afternoon there were approximately fifteen cars lined up along the side of the road waiting for the transport bus to pull in. Anxiously waiting we were all standing around asking […]