The Valley Patriot December, 2015 Edition: Round 1: Victory on Public Records
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The Mess That is the Recall against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera ~ Court Challenges, Threats of a Restraining Order, Mayor Claims Forgeries
By: Tom Duggan – 12-16-15 Laborer’s Union President Mike Gagliardi says that supporters of the failed recall petition against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera will be in court to file a law suit against the city if 1,500 signatures that were disqualified are not counted as valid. Gagliardi also says recall supporters will be asking for a […]
With Funding Cuts Daybreak Homeless Shelter Still Trying to Help Those Most in Need
By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 2015 Serving more than 1,500 meals per month and having room to shelter only 50 people per night, the Daybreak Homeless Shelter in Lawrence is in severe need of additional funding as well as a new facility. According to Psychological Center CEO, Carina Pappalardo, the Daybreak Shelter serves 1,600 homeless […]
Recall Petition #1 Falls Short Against Rivera, Mayor Says He will Investigate Forgeries and Fraud, Call Out Opponents
By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 11, 2015 The recall efforts against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera was dealt a critical blow Friday as recall supporters fell 655 signatures short of the 5,645 required to trigger a special election to throw Rivera out of office. This is only one of two recall efforts to unseat Rivera. Both recalls are being […]
Lawrence Mayor Says He was “Deceived” on Polartec Closing, Layoffs Come One Day Before Anniversary of Historic Mill Fire
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera says he has been “deceived” in the closing of Polartec on Broadway in Lawrence. The mayor released a statement late on Thursday saying that when he met with the company over their purchasing a similar business in Tennessee. Rivera says he was assured when they made that purchase that the Lawrence […]
Two Lawrence Men Charged in Identity Theft Fraud Scheme, Had More Than 800 Names and SS#’s
BOSTON – Two Lawrence men were charged in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a scheme to file fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identities. Furvio Flete-Garcia, 42, and Juan Santiago, 36, nationals of the Dominican Republic, were indicted on conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft of government property, access device […]
Salisbury Marina Owner Fined $14,380 for Failure to Prepare Safety Measures Prior to Excavation, Construction Activities
BOSTON -The owner of a Salisbury marina property, has been fined $14,380 by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), for failure to take necessary safety measures prior to initiating construction activities on the site at 179 Bridge Street. The property is owned by the commercial realty firm BM, LLC, and has an Activity and […]
Lawrence Police Take Lawrence Man into Custody on Hoax Bomb on Atlantic Avenue in Boston
Dec. 4, 2015|4:04pm UPDATED: 5:25pm LAWRENCE – The Valley Patriot has learned this afternoon that James “Jimmy” Derepentingy of Lawrence was arrested at gunpoint near the Saint Patrick’s School on Parker Street. Derepentingy was wanted in connection with the suspicious package that was detonated on Atlantic Avenue in Boston by the bomb squad early Friday afternoon. The Valley […]
FEDS ARREST LAWRENCE MAN FOR RECEIVING $146K IN STOLEN TAX REFUND CHECKS
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was arrested today on charges that he received stolen U.S. Treasury checks. Rolfi Espinal, 49, was indicted on 24 counts of receipt of stolen public money and two counts of making false statements. The indictment alleges that from approximately September to December 2011, Espinal accepted fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks totaling […]
Methuen Village Raises $6K for Alzheimer’s Association
Last month, Methuen Village Assisted Living and Compass Memory Support hosted their annual Casino Night, an evening of spectacular food and games, to support a cause. This year, all proceeds were donated directly to the Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter. Local individuals, organizations and businesses showed additional support by donating creative gift baskets for the evening’s […]
An Opportunity to Get Standardized Testing Right
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is due to make a formal recommendation on whether to adopt the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test or to continue with the MCAS test at their meeting on November 17. In the final weeks leading up to the decision, the debate […]
MA Lawmakers Pass Public Records Reform, Valley Patriot Publisher Says Senate Must Show Leadership, Close Loopholes
By: Maria Fiato. Christine Ryan, and Tom Duggan Nov. 23, 2015 MASSACHUSETTS – After nearly five years of trying to get the Massachusetts legislature to reform the state’s impotent public records law, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan says that they have made a good first step towards holding public officials accountable for not turning over […]
Lawrence Engine 9 Reopens in Lawrence
More than five years after being closed because of budget cuts, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera has reopened the Engine 9 Fire Station on Bailey St., saying the station “will be operated by a minimum of three firefighters, one apparatus and one rescue boat twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.” “This is the best case […]
FBI Offers $15K Reward to Recover Stolen Firearms from Army Reserve Center in Worcester
The Boston Division of the FBI is offering a reward up to $15,000 for information leading to the recovery of the remaining six firearms stolen from the United States Army Reserve Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. A total of 16 weapons (six M-4 rifles and ten M-11 pistols) were stolen from the facility sometime between the […]
More Than 100 Rally for Embattled Lawrence Mayor, Rivera Says Opponents Are Corrupt
By: Tom Duggan – November 29, 2015 RELATED STORIES – PHOTOS (videos below) More than 100 people rallied in support of embattled Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera Sunday on the Campagnone Common, in the wake of two recall petitions to throw Rivera out of office. Rivera is in his second year of a four year […]